Archives for July 2015

2015 All Star Game – A Few Observations

July 15, 2015 by
Mike Trout first to win consecutive All Star Game MVP Awards - reflects MLB's "changing of the guard."

Mike Trout first to win consecutive All Star Game MVP Awards – reflects MLB’s “changing of the guard.”

Another All Star game on the books, and this one – at least from BBRT’s point of view – lived up to its promise.  There’ll be plenty written about this contest, so I’d just like to share a handful All Star related events/achievements that grabbed my attention.

The game clearly reflected a “changing of the guard in baseball,” with a record 20 players 25-years-old or younger and 33 first-time All Stars.

Mike Trout may have provided the most compelling evidence of baseball’s new “guard,” leading the game off with a home run and becoming first player to win consecutive ASG Most Valuable Player Awards. The only other players to win two ASG MVPs – and none of them consecutively – are Willie Mays, Steve Garvey, Gary Carter and Cal Ripken, Jr. And, keep in mind, this is Trout’s fourth All Star Game, and he’s just 23-years-old.

 

Now, a few more BBRT ASG observations:

  • Monday night’s Home Run Derby got the whole event off to a good start. I’m usually a traditionalist, and I do oppose imposing a “clock” on regular season games, but the time element added to the HR Derby worked.  It added a sense of urgency, and ended the days of watching MLB’s top power hitters wait (pitch-after-pitch) for the perfectly placed offering.  This year’s HR Derby was, indeed, a swinging event.

– It didn’t hurt that home town hero Todd Frazier won the competition – it really got the fans into it.

– The event included a great balance of “stars,” – from rookies like the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson and Cubs’ Kris Bryant – to veterans who have rediscovered their strokes like the Angels’ Albert Pujols and the Rangers’ Prince Fielder – to star-players in their prime like the Blue Jays’ Josh Donaldson and Reds’ Todd Frazier.

  • Aroldis Chapman - MLB's hardest thrower.

    Aroldis Chapman – MLB’s hardest thrower.

    Baseball is a game that invites conversation and debate, but Reds’ southpaw closer Aroldis Chapman once again provided evidence of the undebatable – he is, without a doubt, the fastest pitcher in MLB. He came on the ninth inning and struck out the side on 14 pitches, with 12 of the 14 reaching at least 100 mph (his fastest pitch at 103, the slowest at 98). Still want to debate?  MLB.com lists the major league’s 50 fastest pitches of 2015 – and numbers one-through-fifty belong to Chapman.  More evidence?  This season Chapman has thrown 284 pitches of 100 mph or faster.  That’s 46 more than the all the rest of MLB’s pitchers combined. The look on the faces of the AL All Stars watching from the dugout told it all.  Note: Coming into the game, Chapman was 3-3, 1.69 ERA with 18 saves on the season – and 65 strikeouts in 37 1/3 innings pitched.

  • It was also an eye-opening pleasure to watch the Mets’ Jason deGrom work from the hill. DeGrom – relying primarily on a high-90s fastball with movement – came on in the sixth inning and struck out the side (Stephen Vogt, Jason Kipnis and Jose Iglesias) on just ten pitches (the fewest pitches to strike out the side ever in an All Star Game). DeGrom, last year’s NL Rookie of the Year is 9-6, 2.14 ERA with 112 strikeouts in 113 2/3 innings this season.
  • It was great to see the Twins’ Brian Dozier – added to the All Star team, very deservedly, at the last minute – hit a home run in his first All Star at bat. The only other Twins with All Star Game homers. Harmon Killebrew (3) and Kirby Puckett. Good company!
  • Tigers’ SS Jose Iglesias made the defensive play of the game in the eighth inning, back-handing a grounder by the Dodger’ Yasmani Grandal deep in the hold between short and third and then making jumping, twisting throw to first.
  • Really not fond of the online All Star fan voting process. Would like to see more emphasis on voting “at the ballpark” – and fewer online votes allowed per fan.
  • Fantastic to see  the Greatest Living Players honoring Hank Aaron, Johnny Bench, Sandy Koufax and Willie Mays. Can’t really argue with those choice – although there are others deserving recognition (perhaps Greatest Living Player at each position next year). Glad to have had the chance to see all four of them play.
  • Found it interesting that Nolan Ryan led the way by being named to three of the fan-voted, greated “Franchise Four” lists – Angels, Astros, Rangers. Vlad Guererro is the only other player on multiple Franchise Fours (two – Angels and Expos/Nationals).

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Filed Under: News

All Star Game “Firsts” and “First and Only(s)”

July 10, 2015 by

With the 2015 MLB All Star Game just ahead, BBRT would like to devote another post to All Star game history.  This time, taking a look at the very first All Star Game – played at Chicago’s Comiskey Park on July 6, 1933 – and some of the “firsts” from that game.  In that initial All Star match-up – won  by the American League 4-2 – the starting lineups included eleven Hall of Famers (seven for the AL and four for the NL). There were another nine future HOFers on the bench (four for the NL, five for the AL). Both managers – John McGraw (NL) and Connie Mack (AL) were headed for the Hall, as were three of the four coaches. The stage was clearly set for some memorable, big-name All Star Game “firsts” – like Babe Ruth hitting the first AS Game round tripper.

Babe Ruth, appropriately, smacked the first-ever All Star Game home run. 

  

We’ll take a look at all the firsts from that first All Star gathering, but let me lead off with a curve ball, and take a look at some AS Game “first and only(s)” that did not take place in 1933.   Here are three baseball happenings that, to date, have happened just once in All Star competition.

  • Steal of Home: 1934 AS game, fifth inning, two out, two on, NL trailing 8-6 – NL 3B Pie Traynor (Pirates)  notches the first (and still only) AS Game steal of home. (AL won game 9-7.)
  • Grand Slam: 1983 All Star Game, third inning, bases loaded, two outs, AL leading 5-1, AL CF Fred Lynn hits first – and still only – AS Game Grand Slam. (AL wins 13-3).

Fred Lynn – Only ASG Grand Slam

  • Inside-the-Park Home Run: 2007 All Star Game, fifth inning, one on, one out, AL CF Ichiro Suzuki hits first – and still only – AS Game inside-the-park home run.

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Now, here’s a dozen AS Game firsts from 1933.

  • First batter/pitcher matchup: NL 3B Pepper Martin (Cardinals) versus Lefty Gomez (Yankees). Gomez retired Martin on a grounder to shortstop.
  • First starting pitchers: AL, Lefty Gomez (Yankees) – NL, Bill Hallahan (Cardinals). Gomez got the first All Star win, Hallahan the first loss.
  • First hit: Cardinals’ Chick Hafey (leading off second inning – off the Yankees’ Lefty Gomez). Hafey was starting in LF and batting fourth for the NL.
  • First run scored: AL starting 3B Jimmy Dykes (White Sox).
  • First RBI: AL starting pitcher Lefty Gomez (Yankees) – drove home Jimmy Dykes (White Sox), who had walked, with a single to center field. Take that, DH Rule.
  • First double: Pie Traynor (Pirates), NL pinch hitter – top of seventh off Lefty Grove (Yankees).
  • First triple: NL pitcher Lon Warneke (Cubs) – top of the sixth inning off Alvin Crowder (Senators). Take that again, DH Rule.
  • First home run: AL RF Babe Ruth (Yankees), two-run home run, bottom of the third, off Bill Hallahan (Cardinals).
  • First walk: Bottom of first. Hitter – AL 2B Charlie Gehringer (Tigers). Pitcher – Bill Hallahan (Cardinals).
  • First stolen base: Bottom of first, AL 2B Charlie Gehringer (Tigers).
  • First strikeout: Final out, top of second. Pitcher – Lefty Gomez (Yankees). Hitter – NL SS Dick Bartell (Phillies).
  • First fielding error: Top of the fifth, AL 1B Lou Gehrig (Yankees).

Here’s hoping we see a record-setting performance at the 2015 All Star Game. From this viewpoint, the best All Star competition in any sport.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

Best All Star Game Performances Ever – From the Batter’s Box and the Mound

July 6, 2015 by

With all the recent commentary surrounding the recent MLB All Star team voting and selections, BBRT thought it might be time to focus on a topic more likely to generate consensus – the best hitting and pitching performances ever in an All Star game, and some of the targets the players who take the field at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park on Tuesday July 14 can shoot for.  For a look at BBRT’s 2015 All Star ballot, click   here.

Now, I’s sure there are those that would maintain the selecting the greatest-ever All Star Game performances form the batter’s box and the pitching mound might be a matter for considerable debate. But, hear (read) me out and I believe we’ll be able to agree.

Best All Star Game Performance – from the Batter’s Box

Ted Williams, Boston Red Sox, 1946

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When home-town hero Ted Williams trotted out to left field at Fenway Park on July 9, 1946, Boston fans could not have imagined what kind of day The Splendid Splinter had in store for them – and for the four National League pitchers he would face that day.  Expectations, however, were pretty high.  Williams came into the game hitting .347, with 23 home runs, 82 runs scored and 71 RBI in 79 regular season games.  Compared to the day he was about to have that would look like a slump. Here’s how Williams’ day went.

In the first inning, batting third and facing the Cubs’ Claude Passeau, Williams drew a walk and then scored on a home run by the Yankees’ Charlie Keller.

In the bottom of the fourth, leading off against new NL hurler Kirby Higbe of the Dodgers, Williams homered to give the AL a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the fifth, with Higbe still in the game, Teddy Ballgame came up again – this time with one out  the Senators’ Stan Spence on third and the Browns’ Vern Stephens on second.   This time, Williams delivered a run-scoring single.

In the bottom of the seventh, this time facing the Reds’ Ewell Blackwell with none on and two out, Williams singled again.

Finally, in the bottom of the eighth – facing the Pirates’ Rip Sewell and his Ephus pitch – with Stephens and the Browns’ Jack Kramer on base, William capped of his day with a three-run homer.

The AL won 12-0 that’s day – and Williams’ final tally was:  four-for-four, plus a walk, two home runs, four runs scored and five runs driven in.   In the process, Williams set or tied the following All Star Game single-game records: runs scored (four – Williams still stands alone); total bases (ten – Williams stands alone); runs batted in (five – later, 1954, tied by the Indians’ Al Rosen); base hits (four – tying the Cardinals’ Ducky Medwick, 1937, and later matched by the Red Sox’ Carl Yastrzemski, 1970); home runs (two – tied, in 1954, by the Indians Al Rosen).

Want a topper to clinch this as the best-ever All Star Game hitting performance?  Williams was coming off three years away from big league pitching (1943-45), serving in the Marine Corps.

 

Best All Star Game Performance Ever – On the Mound

Carl Hubbell, New York Giants, 1934

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In just the second-ever All Star Game, Giants’ southpaw Carl Hubbell turned in a pitching performance for the ages – arguably the best ever in All Star competition.  Hubbell, on his way to a 21-win season (the second of five straight 20+ win campaigns) , came into the game with a 12-5, 2.76 ERA regular-season stat line. Hubell had struck out 58 hitters in 156 1/3 innings pitched to that point, but he was about to make the strikeout a much bigger part of his game.

The game was played on July 10, 1934 at New York’s Polo Grounds – with screwball-specialist Hubbell starting for the NL and Yankee Lefty Gomez starting for the AL.  Facing an AL line up stacked with some of the game’s greatest hitters, Hubbell got off to a rocky start, giving up a lead-off single to Detroit’s Charlie Gehringer, followed by a walk to the Senators Heinie Manusch. Then the fun began, as Hubbell set down five straight future Hall of Famers – all on strikeouts – the Yankees’ Babe Ruth, Yankees’ Lou Gehrig, and Atheletic’ Jimmie Foxx to close out the first. Then the White Sox’ Al Simmons and  Senators’ Joe Cronin to open the second.  Hubbell then gave up a single to Yankees’ Bill Dickey, before whiffing Lefty Gomez (who also made the Hall of Fame) to end the inning. After an uneventful third inning – two fly outs, a ground out and walk – Hubbell left the game credited with three scoreless innings, two hits, two walks and six strikeouts – all six future Hall of Famers (although Gomez made it as a pitcher).

Hubbell’s six strikeouts remain the All Star Game single-game record – tied in 1943 by the Reds’ Johnny Vander Meer (2 2/3 innings pitched); 1950 by the Giants’ Larry Jansen (5 innings pitched); and 1967 by the Cubs’ Fergie Jenkins (3 innings pitched). Given the place in history of Hubbell’s six victims, BBRT considers this top (or at least most memorable All Star Game mound performance.  Oh yes, the AL won the game 9-7, and how did those strike out victims fare When not facing Hubbell?  Against the rest of the NL All Star staff, they went seven-for-sixteen, with four doubles, five runs scored and three RBI.

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Now here, with a much appreciated assist from the stat-packed baseballreference.com, are a few All Star targets for today’s stars to shoot for:

  • Innings pitched in a single AS Game: Yankees’ Lefty Gomez – 6 (1935)
  • At bats in a single AS Game: Willie Jones, Phillies – 7 (1950)
  • Doubles in a single AS Game: two, nine players (Most recently, the Brewers’ Jonathan LeCroy in 2014.  No surprise, LeCroy had a league-leading 53 doubles that season.)
  • Triples in a single AS Game: Rod Carew, Twins – 2 (1978) – leading off the first and third innings, both off the Giants’ Vida Blue.
  • Stolen Bases in a single AS game: Two by five players. (Most recently, the Cubs’ Starlin Castro, 2011.)

How about a few career records:

  • AS games played, career: Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Stan Musial – 24.   Note: There is some confusion here since, in some years, there were two All Star games.  Aaron holds the record for seasons on an All Star game team (21), and total All Star Game rosters made (25). Mays and Musial each played in 24 AS Games in 20 All Star seasons.
  • AS Game hits, career: Willie Mays – 23
  • AS Game doubles, career: Dave Winfield – 7
  • AS Game triples, career: Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson – 3
  • AS Game home runs, career: Stan Musial – 6
  • AS Game RBI, career: Ted Williams – 12
  • AS Game walks, career: Ted Williams – 11
  • AS Game stolen bases, career: Willie Mays – 6
  • All Star Game runs scored, career: Willie Mays – 20.
  • AS Game wins  – Lefty Gomez – 3
  • AS Game appearances: Roger Clemens – 10
  • AS Games started: Lefty Gomez, Robin Roberts, Don Drysdale – 5
  • AS Game saves: Mariano Rivera – 4
  • AS Games innings pitched: Don Drysdale – 19 1/3
  • As Game strikeouts: Don Drysdale – 19

Note: It’s hard to pick AS Game career leaders in such areas as ERA and batting average. (How many at bats or innings pitched do you use to qualify?) However, here are two BBRT nominations. If you use 20 at bats as a standard, your batting average leader is Charlie Gehringer at .500 (ten-for-twenty in six AS games, plus nine walks). If you use ten innings pitched as a qualifier, only Mel Harder can  boast a 0.00 ERA (13 innings).

So, there a look at the All Star Game record book – hope you enjoy the game.

 

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: BB Fun Facts

Baseball Roundtable’s 2015 All Star Ballot

July 3, 2015 by

MLB will announce the 2015 All Star vote this Sunday, so it’s about time for BBRT to share its (my) All Star ballot.  I prefer to vote late in the balloting, just in case some player has made a late-June/early-July surge that puts him over the top or has suffered a late slump that let’s other contenders close the gap.  So, here’s my ballot (statistics through July 2 – the time of my vote).

NATIONAL LEAGUE

Catcher

Buster Posey – Giants

The two-time All Star and 2012 NL MVP gets BBRT’s vote based on his solid .304-13-56 stat line.  The only other tempting candidate was the Cardinals’ Yadier Molina – clearly the best defensive catcher out there (seven consecutive Gold Gloves) and a solid hitter (.286-2-27 in 2015). If I was building a team, I’d probably take Molina for what he could mean to the pitching staff.  For the 2015 All Star Game, I’ll take Posey’s bat.

Tidbit:  Through July 2 of 2015, Posey was hitting .364 with runners in scoring position and .438 with two outs and runners in scoring position.

Paul Goldschmidt - lumber, leader and speed - leads BBRT's NL All Star ballot.

Paul Goldschmidt – lumber, leader and speed – leads BBRT’s NL All Star ballot.

First Base

Paul Goldschmidt – Diamondbacks

Easy choice here, Goldschmidt brings it all to the ball park – average, power, speed and defense. His line through July 2 – a league leading .352 average, with 20 home runs, 65 RBI and 15 stolen bases. And, of course, there is that Gold Glove (2013 defense).

Tidbit: As of July 1, Goldschmidt led the NL in average (.352), runs scored (56), walks (63), intentional walks (18) and on-base percentage (.468).  

Second Base

Dee Gordon – Marlins

Might have gotten a little more offense from the other second sackers in contention for the BBRT vote – but Gordon’s 26 stolen bases stole this vote.  And, as of July 2, he was hitting .345 – with an NL-best 114 hits. Other candidates I considered were the Cardinals’ Kolten Wong (.287-9-36, with six steals) and the Giants’ Joe Panik (.316-6-30, with three steals).

Tidbit: It’s troubling to note that Gordon’s average has dropped each month this season. He hit .418 in April; .393 in May; and .304 in June. Still his hot start earned the nod here.

Third Base

Nolan Arenado – Rockies

The 24-year-old Arenado looks to have many All Star games ahead of him.  This year’s .287-24-68 (he leads all of MLB in RBI) line enabled him to edge out the Reds’ Todd Frazier (.283-25-54). Frazier does have eight steals to none for Arenado, but Arenado has won the NL Gold Glove at third base in both his previous MLB seasons. BBRT likes players who can flash “lumber and leather.”

Tidbit: Arenado hits righties and lefties equally well.  This season, through July 2, Arenado was hitting .287 versus right-handers and .288 versus southpaws.

Shortstop

Troy Tulowitzki – Rockies

Tulo is hitting .319-8-41 and that’s a lot of offense from the shortstop position.  Still picking Tulowitzki over Andrelton Simmons of the Braves (.269-3-29) was a close call. Simmons, after all, may be the best infield defender on the planet – and won a Gold Glove in each of his first two full MLB seasons (2013-14). A little better batting average or a touch more speed on the bases (Simmons has one stolen base in three attempts) probably would have swung my vote.

Tidbit: Simmons may be garnering the “glove-work” headlines now, but before Simmons hit the big leagues, Tulowitzki had picked up a pair of Gold Gloves at shortstop (2010-11).

Outfield

Bryce Harper – Nationals

Giancarlo Stanton – Marlins

Sterling Marte – Pirates

The first two votes were relatively easy – Harper (.339-24-58) and Stanton (.265-27-67) can both carry a team – and have 51 home runs and have a 125 RBI between them. They’ll give the NL offense some real punch. (Stanton’s 27 dingers lead all of MLB, as does Harper’s .705 slugging percentage.)

Picking Starling Marte for the third spot added some speed without sacrificing power. Marte’s .288-13-48, with 16 steals, edges his teammate Andrew McCutchen (.295-9-47, with five steal)s – but barely. This is another case, where, if I was setting up a team for the long haul, I’d probably take McCutchen, but Marte earned my vote for this All Star squad. (Of course, with Stanton’s recent hand injury, McCutchen would also make the BBRT All Star starting line-up). And, how can you not vote for a guy named Starling?

Others in the running, but not that close, were the Dodgers’ Joc Pederson and the Reds’ Billy Hamilton – one for exciting power (rookie Pederson’s 20 homers, but .243 average with 95 strikeouts), one for super-exciting speed (Hamilton’s 40 steals, with a .230 average). Still, batting south of .250 kept them behind my three choices.

Tidbit(s): Bryce Harper hit 22 MLB home runs as a teenager, the most very by a teenie-bopper in the NL and second only to Boston Red Sox’ Tony Conigliaro’s 24 dingers before age 20. Giancarlo Stanton has hit five of the ten longest 2015 MLB home runs (through July 2) according to ESPN’s Home Run Tracker. Starling Marte hit a home run on the first pitch he ever saw in the major leagues

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

Catcher

Steve Vogt – A’s

The A’s Steve Vogt is having a breakout season at age 30 – hitting .290 with 13 home runs and 53 RBI through July 2. He edges out the Blue Jays’ Russell Martin (.262-12-38) and the Yankees’ Brian McCann (.265-12-49). Besides those two veterans already have 10 All Star appearances between. Give the new guy a chance to shine.

Tidbit:  With runners in scoring position (through July 2), Vogt is hitting .365 with 7 home runs and 46 RBI in 74 at bats.

First Base

Miguel Cabrera –Tigers

If two consecutive MVP Awards and a Triple Crown aren’t an automatic All Star vote, what is?  Perhaps, Miguel Cabrera’s .345-15-53 line through July 2. I did consider Albert Pujols’ AL-leading 24 home runs, but Miggy’s all-around game is better.

Tidbit: Miguel Cabrera has finished in the top five in MVP voting in seven of his 13 MLB seasons.

Second Base

Jason Kipnis – Indians

Kipnis earned the BBRT vote with a league-leading .347 average (and league-leading 108 hits), six home runs, 35 RBI and ten steals through July 2 – but this was one of the toughest calls in the balloting process.

Also in the running were the Twins’ Brian Dozier, with 16 home runs, 40 RBI and an MLB-best 61 runs scored through July 2; the Astros’ Jose Altuve (.298-7-33, with an AL-leading 23 steals); and the Red Sox’ Dustin Pedroia (.306-9-33).

Tidbit: Kipnis also leads the AL with 26 doubles.

Third Base

Manny Machado – Orioles

If I could split a vote, it might be here. Josh Donaldson and Manny Machado are that close. The basic line: Donaldson .300-19-52; Machado .302-16-44.  So, why give the edge to Machado?  An eleven steals to three edge, and a one Gold Glove to none edge. Once again, BBRT respects the combination of “leather and lumber” – add a touch of speed and you get my vote.

Tidbit: Machado hit .365 with eight home runs and 22 RBI this June.

Shortstop

Xander Bogaerts – Red Sox

This vote could have gone to Bogaerts (.297-3-35, with four steals); the Blue Jays’ Jose Reyes (.272-4-27, with ten steals); or Jose Iglesias of the Tigers (.320-1-11, with nine steals). Let’s give a nod to the youngster – get someone in the lineup whose name starts with ‘X” – and give the forlorn Red Sox nation something to cheer about.

Tidbit: In 2013, Bogaerts was the USA Today Minor League Player of the Year after hitting .297 with 15 home runs at AA and AAA.

Mike Trout - a five-tool player for the BBRT AL All Star ballot.

Mike Trout – a five-tool player for the BBRT AL All Star ballot.

OF

Mike Trout – Angels

Adam Jones – Orioles

Brett Gardner – Yankees

Here BBRT’s vote(s) went for all-around players who could deliver power, defense and speed. That channeled my support to Mike Trout (.303-21-44, with nine stolen bases), who brings all the tools every day; Adam Jones (.292-10-37, with four Gold Gloves); and Brett Gardner (.304-9-39 and 15 steals).  With this OF, the AL would have plenty of offense and plenty of speed to run down anything the NL sent to the OF.  Others in the running were Tigers’ slugger J.D. Martinez (.281-21-51) and the A’s Josh Reddick (.287-11-49 and a solid defender).

Tidbit(s): Mike Trout is just 23-years-old and this will be his fourth All Star game); Brett Gardner led the AL in stolen basis in 2011 (49); and Adam Jones has won Gold Gloves in each of the past three seasons.

DH

Nelson Cruz – Mariners

Cruz brings a powerful bat (.303-20-48) to the DH slot.  Actually, the only other DH I really considered was Alex Rodriguez – making history and having a pretty good season (.280-15-45), just a bit shy of Cruz’ marks.

Tidbit: In 2011, Cruz and Ian Kinsler became the first two teammates in major league history to homer in each of the first three games in a season.

So, there’s the BBRT All Star ballot. Hope it gave you some food for thought.

I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT

Filed Under: News

MLB June in Review

July 1, 2015 by

July is with us, and that means it’s time for BBRT’s traditional look back at the previous month in MLB. So, what happened in June? First, a few items that BBRT found of interest – and then the statistical review.

Albert Pujols led the AL in HRs and RBI in June.

Albert Pujols led the AL in HRs and RBI in June.

He’s b-a-a-ck!

One of June’s big stories was the resurgence of 35-year-old Angels’ slugger Albert Pujols, who hit .303 for the month and led the AL with 13 home runs and 26 RBI. (The Tigers’ J.D. Martinez tied Pujols for June runs driven in.)

He’s b-a-ack to back!

On June 19th, the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez became the 29th player in MLB history to join the 3,000-hit club. The last player to join the 3K club? Yankee Derek Jeter back in 2011. A-Rod’s hit marked the first time back-to-back new members of the 3,000-hit club have come from the same team. A-Rod also became just the third player to go yard for his 3,000th hit.  The last one to do it?  You guessed it. Derek Jeter – so Rodriguez and Jeter are also the only players to hit back-to-back (in a way) homers for their 3,000th safeties.

He has arrived.

Mets’ rookie pitcher Steve Matz announced his arrival in the big leagues with authority. He made his first MLB start on June 28 – going 7 2/3 innings (2 earned runs) as the Mets topped the Reds 7-2. AND, Matz also went 3-for-3 at the plate, with four RBI. Take that, DH rule.

He was just here – and now he’s gone.

Reds’ CF Billy Hamilton didn’t stay anywhere very long in June – as the speedster swiped a MLB-leading 19 bases (caught three times), despite a .226 average. No one else was even close (Colorado’s Charlie Blackmon had the second most June steals at 11). Hamilton has an MLB-best forty steals through June 30.

He’s still hot.

The White Sox Chris Sale was a popular pre-season prediction for the AL Cy Young Award. Sale lived up to his billing in June, striking out an MLB-best 75 hitters in just 44 1/3 innings – going 2-2, 1.83 in six starts. In his final June outing (June 30), Sale fanned 12 hitters in eight innings and, in the process, joined Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers to strike out ten or more hitters in eight consecutive games. In his eight games, Sale pitched 60 innings, striking out 97 and walking just nine.

He’s almost perfect.

MLB witnessed two no-hitters in June: by the Phillies’ Chris Heston on June 9 and the Nationals’ Max Scherzer on June 20th.  There were a total of four base runners in the two games – and, ironically,  they all got on via hit-by-pitch.  (Scherzer’s with two outs in the ninth.) For more on Scherzer’s game click here – Heston’s game click here.

We’ll have more on June’s player performances later. Let’s first take a look at June’s most – and least – successful teams.

June’s Best and Worst Records

MLB's winningest team plays here/

MLB’s winningest team plays here/

Three teams won an MLB-best 18 games in June: The Toronto Blue Jays (18-9) and Baltimore Orioles (18-10) in the AL and the Saint Louis Cardinals (18-8 – MLB’s top June winning percentage at .692) in the NL. The Cardinals’ strong June enabled them to stretch their NL Central lead from six games to eight – and end the month as the only MLB team with 50 or more wins on the season (51-25).  Meanwhile, Baltimore’s hot month moved the Orioles from third place (at the end of May) to a tie with the Rays for the top spot in the tight AL East (four teams separated by just one game) at the end of June. The Blue Jays needed all of their 18 wins to stay within one game (fourth place) of the Orioles.

Looking at the fewest June victories, the Philadelphia Phillies continued to suffer through a dismal season, logging MLB’s worst June record at 8-19.  As June closed, the Phillies trailed the Nationals by 17 games in the NL East.  The Brewers faced the biggest deficit at the end of the month – having fallen 21 ½ games behind the Cardinals. Over in the AL, the White Sox brought up the rear with only 10 June wins (10-16). Their 33-42 season record left them with the AL’s biggest deficit. They finished June 11 ½ games behind the AL Central-leading Royals.

If the Season Ended …   

So who’s on top?  If the season ended on June 30, the MLB playoff teams would be:

  • AL … Division Champions: Orioles or Rays (playoff to break tie); Royals; Astros. Wild Cards: Loser of Orioles/Rays playoff; Minnesota. (Note: The Angels, Yankees, Blue Jays, Tigers and Rangers are all within 1 ½ games of a Wild Card slot.)
  • NL … Division Champions: Nationals; Cardinals; Dodgers. Wild Cards: Giants; Pirates.

You can see the full June 30 standings at the end of this post.

 

A Few More Items of Interest

Before we get into June and season-through-June leaders, let’s look at a few more items of interest from the past 30 days or so.

  • On June 26, Brewers’ pitcher Kyle Lohse faced off against his original MLB team, the Minnesota Twins. It wasn’t a great performance (four earned runs in six innings, six hits, one walk, two strikeouts), but it was good enough for the win. It was also good enough to make the 36-year-old Lohse – in his 15th MLB season –  one of just 14 pitchers to record a victory against all 30 major league franchises.
  • Prince Fielder joined his dad Cecil in the 300-club.

    Prince Fielder joined his dad Cecil in the 300-club.

    On June 26, Rangers’ 1B Prince Fielder hit his 12th home run of the season (in a 12-2 loss to the Blue Jays). Despite the outcome, it was an historic home run.  It was the 300th of Fielder’s career – and it enabled him to join his father Cecil Fielder (who hit 319 home runs in a 13-year MLB career) as only the second father-son tandem to both hit 300 round trippers.  The other?  Bobby and Barry Bonds.

 

 

 

 

  • Three is not always a crowd. On June 24, the Class A Batavia Muckdogs (off to an 0-5 start) reversed their fortunes. The Marlins’ affiliate sent Gabriel Castellanos (with had a 7-21, 5.15 career minor league record) to the mound against the Mahoning Valley Scrappers. Castellanos threw seven perfect innings, striking out twelve Mahoning Valley hitters, before giving way to reliever Brad Lilek, who struck out the side in the eighth. Lilek then passed the ball to Steven Farnworth, who pitched a perfect ninth (one strikeout) for the save – and to complete a 1-0, three-pitcher, perfect-game win.

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STAT TIME

Here’s a few tidbits of information about June team performance:

  • The Oakland pitching staff put up the AL’s best June ERA at 3.06, while Yankees’ hurlers had the AL’s worse ERA for the month at 4.48.
  • In the NL, the Cardinals’ (2.33) and Pirates’ staffs (2.63) both had ERAs under 3.00, while the Rockies (5.39) and Phillies (5.36) both gave up more than five earned runs per contest.
  • Pitching counts. The Rockies topped the NL in runs scored for the month at 140, yet were five games under .500 (12-17) for June. The Cardinals, on the other hand, scored the tenth most runs in the NL (and 19th most in MLB) for June, but had the best June record in all of MLB.
  • Over in the AL, Toronto’s 18 wins were built on a combination of the league’s second-best ERA (3.17 to Oakland’s 3.06) and most June runs put on the board (156). In short, the Blue Jays were hot.
  • The long and short of June home runs. In the NL, the Dodgers hit a league-best 38 round trippers in June, while the Pirates hit the NL’s fewest long balls (13). In the AL, Houston continued to build success on power with a league-topping 45 June homers, while Seattle managed an AL-fewest 17.

Now, here are your month-of-June and through-June individual batting and pitching leaders:

Month of  June Batting Leaders

Average (minimum 75 plate appearances)

Miggy put up MLB's highest June average.

Miggy put up MLB’s highest June average.

AL                                          

Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers – .384

Manny Machado, 3B, Orioles – .365

Kevin Pillar, OF, Blue Jays – .365

NL

Troy Tulowitzki, SS, Rockies – .381

Bryce Harper, RF, Nationals – .370

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, D-backs – .354

HRs

NL

Giancarlo Stanton, RF, Marlins – 12

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Colorado – 12

Todd Frazier, 3B, Reds – 9

AL

Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels – 13

J.D. Martinez, RF, Tigers – 11
Luis Valbeuna, 3B, Astros – 9

Mitch Moreland, 1B/DH, Texas – 9

RBI

Nolan Arenado's 33 June RBI led MLB.

Nolan Arenado’s 33 June RBI led MLB.

AL

Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels – 26

J.D. Martinez, RF, Tigers – 26

Mitch Moreland, 1B/DH, Texas – 25

NL

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies – 33

Buster Posey, C, Giants – 27

Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies – 24

 

Runs Scored

AL

Brett Gardner, CF, Yankees – 27

Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels – 23

NL

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies – 24

Todd Frazier, 3B, Reds – 20

DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Rockies – 20

Charlie Blackmon, CF, Rockies – 20

Stolen Bases

NL

Billy Hamilton, CF, Reds –  19 (3 CS)

Charlie Blackmon, CF, Rockies – 11 (3 CS)

Ben Revere, LF, Phillies – 9 (1 CS)

AL

Billy Burns, CF, A’s – 7 (1 CS)

Five players with 6

Month-of-June Pitching Leaders

Wins

Four was the lucky number of victories in June, with 11 AL hurlers and 4 NL pitchers notching four wins. Of interest, at least to BBRT, is that the May ERAs for these four-game winners ranged from the 2.18 of the Cardinals’ Carlos Martinez to 5.54 for Charlie Morton of the Pirates. (Charles Tillman of the Orioles also won four games despite an ERA in excess of five – 5.13 – for the month).

ERA (minimum 20 innings pitched in the month)

AL

Yovani Gallardo, June's lowest ERA.

Yovani Gallardo, June’s lowest ERA.

Yovani Gallardo, Rangers – 0.54

Erasmo Ramirez, Rays – 1.44

Mike Montgomery, Mariners – 1.62

NL

Jaime Garcia, Cardinals – 1.03

Lance Lynne, Cardinals – 1.09

Jacob DeGrom, Mets – 1.21

 

 

Strikeouts

AL

Chris Sale, White Sox – 75 (44 1/3 IP)

Chris Archer, Rays – 51 (41 IP)

Ubaldo Jiminez, Orioles – 42 (35 2/3 IP)

Dallas Keuchel,  Astros – 42 (42 2/3 IP)

NL

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers – 57 (41 2/3 IP)

Madison Bumgarner, Giants – 49 (39 IP)

Max Scherzer, Nationals – 45 (38 2/3 IP)

Saves

AL

Greg Holland, Royals – 9

Zack Britton, Orioles – 9

Koji Uehara, Red Sox – 8

NL

Mark Melancon, Pirates – 11

Francisco Rosdriguez, Brewers – 9

Brad Zeigler, D-Backs – 9

Mark Melancon, Pirates – 8

 

And now the MLB Leaders Through June

Batting Average

NL

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, D-backs – .354

Dee Gordon, 2B, Marlins – .351

Bryce Harper, RF, Nationals – .340

AL

Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers – .349

Prince Fielder, 1B, Rangers – .347

Jason Kipnis, 2B, Indians – .346

HR

AL

Giancarlo Stanton - MLB home run leader.

Giancarlo Stanton – MLB home run leader.

Albert Pujols, 1B, Angels – 24

Mike Trout, CF, Angels – 20

J.D. Martinez, RF, Tigers – 20

NL

Giancarlo Stanton, RF, Marlins – 27

Todd Frazier, 3B, Reds – 25

Bryce Harper, RF, Nationals – 24

 

RBI

NL

Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies – 68

Giancarlo Stanton, RF Marlins – 67

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, D-backs – 65

AL

Mark Teixeira, 1B, Yankees – 54

Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers – 53

Stephen Vogt, C, A’s – 53

Runs

AL

Brian Dozier, 2B, Twins – 60

Brett Gardner, CF, Yankees – 58

Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays – 58

NL

Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, D-backs – 55

Todd Frazier, 3B, Reds – 54

Bryce Harper, CF, Nationals – 53

Stolen Bases

NL

Billy Hamilton, CF, Reds  – 40 (6 CS)

Dee Gordon, 2B, Marlins – 26 (11 CS)

Charlie Blackmon, CF, Rockies – 20 (7 CS)

AL

Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros – 21 (7 CS)

Billy Burns, CF, A’s – 16 (3 CS)

Brett Gardner, CF, Yankees – 15 ( CS)

Lorenzo Cain, CF, Royals – 15 (3 CS)

BBRT Note: The Padres’ LF Justin Upton has the most steals without getting caught (15).

Pitching Leaders Through June

Wins

NL

Gerrit Cole, Pirates – 11-3 (2.20)

Micheal Wacha, Cardinals – 10-3 (2.77)

Three with nine wins

AL

Dallas Keuchel, Astros – 10-3 (2.03)

Felix Hernandez, Mariners – 10-4 (3.05)

Four with nine wins

Strikeouts

AL

Chris Sale, White Sox – 141 (103 1/3 IP)

Chris Archer Rays – 133 (109 IP)

Corey Kluber, Indians – 127 (110 2/3 IP)

NL

Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers – 140 (107 IP)

Max Scherezer, Nationals – 130 (110 1/3 IP)

James Shields, Padres – 116 (97 2/3 IP)

Saves

AL

Glen Perkins, Twins – 25

Houston Street, Angels – 23

Zach Britton, Orioles – 22

NL

Mark Melancon, Pirates – 24

Drew Storen, Nationals – 23

Trevor Rosenthal, Cardinals – 23

 

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Finally, MLB standing as of June 30

 

AL East

Orioles             41-36   .532

Rays                 41-36   .532

Yankees           41-37   .526     0.5

Blue Jays          41-38   .519    1.0

Red Sox           36-43   .456     6.0

AL Central

Royals              44-30   .595

Twins               41-36   .532     4.5

Tigers               39-37   .513     6.0

Indians             25-41   .461     10.0

White Sox        33-42   .440     11.5

AL West

Astros              46-34   .575

Angels              41-37   .526     4.0

Rangers            40-38   .513     5.0

Mariners            35-42   .455     9.5

A’s                    35-45   .438     11.0

 

NL East

Nationals          43-34   .558

Mets                40-38   .513    3.5

Braves              26-41   .468    7.0

Marlins            32-46   .410     11.5

Phillies              27-52   .342     17.0

NL Central

Cardinals          51-25   .671

Pirates              43-33   .566     8.0

Cubs                40-35   .533     10.5

Reds                35-41   .461     16.0

Brewers           31-48   .392      21.5

NL West

Dodgers           44-35   .557

Giants              42-36   .538     1.5

D-Backs           37-40   .481     6.0

Padres              37-42   .468     7.0

Rockies            34-43   .442     9.0

I tweet baseball @David BBRT

 

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