Archives for April 2023

On Friday the 14th (of April, 2023), the Toronto Blue Jays topped the Tampa Bay Rays 6-4, stopping the Rays’ season-opening winning steak at 13 games (leaving the Rays tied with the 1987 Brewers and 1982 Braves for the longest season-opening winning streak since 1900).  Who led the charge the put an end to the streak?  Blue Jays’ starting (and winning) pitcher Jose Berrios, who came into the game with an 0-2 record and a 11.17 ERA over his first two starts, played a major role.   Berrios went  five innings (four hits, one run, zero walks, six whiffs).  Also contributing were: Jays’ RF and leadoff hitter George Springer, who opened the bottom of the first with a home run; and SS Bo Bichette, who went five-for-five with a pair of doubles.

A lot has been written about the Rays’ streak. In this post, Baseball Roundtable would like to add a few thoughts about all three of MLB’s post-1900, 13-game, season-opening wining streaks – comparing how they were built, some challenging moments along the way and some unexpected performances .

2023 Rays

Randy Arozarena Photo: All-Pro Reels from District of Columbia, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The Rays’ streak included ten home wins and three on the road, with just one one-run win and six by five or more tallies.  It was easily the most dominant showing by any of the three teams with 13 season-opening wins.

During their streak, the Rays:

• Outscored their opponents 101-30;
• Outhit them .287 to .189;
• Out-homered them 32-6;
• Put up a 2.23 earned run average to the opponents’ 8.24;
• Walked 31 batters to the opponents’ 46;
• Fanned 122 hitters to the opponents’ 94.

Challenging Moment: The closest the Rays came to being stropped mid-streak came on April 10 – Game 10 of the streak – when the they were tied 0-0 with the Red Sox after seven innings and won the game 1-0  on a Brandon Lowe home run in the eighth.

Key contributors to the Rays’ streak (and their stats over the length of the streak);

• 2B Brandon Lowe – .333-5-12;
• LF Randy Arozarena – .314-3-16;
• SS Wander Franco – .333-4-12;
• SP Shane McClanahan – 3-0, 1.59 in three starts;
• SP Jeffrey Springs – 2-0, 0.56 in three starts;
• SP Drew Rasmussen – 2-0, 0.00 in three starts.

Unexpected Hero:  SS Isaac Paredes.  The 24-year-old, opened the 2023 season with a .209 career batting average (168 games over three season), although he had shown some power (.205-20-45 in 111 games in 2022). Paredes played in 12 games during the streak and went .308-3-10.

1987 Brewers

The 1987 Brewers – who finished third in AL East at 91-72 – built their 13-game, season-opening  winning streak on power – outscoring their opponents 91-53, while out-homering them 22 to 12.  They picked up seven road wins and six home victories and faced more challenges than the Rays. The Brewers’ streak included three one-run victories. .Here’s the tale of the tape.

During their streak, the Brewers:

• Outscored their opponents 91-53;
• Outhit them .302 to .246;
• Out-homered them 22-12;
• Put up a 3.64 earned run average to the opponents’ 6.82;
• Walked 36 and fanned 78, to the opponents’ issuing of 52 walks, while fanning 89.

Plenty of contributors on offense:

• LF Rob Deer – .391-7-17;
• CF Robin Yount – .321-2-11;
• 3B Paul Molitor – .370-2-9, with 15 runs scored and six steals.;
• 1B Greg Brock – .349-4-13;
• SS Dale Sveum – .383-2-13.

Om the mound, closer Dan Plesac appeared in seven games, picked up five saves and put up a 2.32 ERA;  Teddy Higuera started three games and won all three (23 inning pitched, 2.74 ERA) ; Juan Nieves went 2-0, 4.26 in three stats, but one was an April 15, complete-game no-hitter versus the Orioles.

Challenging Moment: On April 12 – Game Six of the streak – the Brewers needed 12 innings to top the Rangers (in Texas) in a contest in which they trailed 2-1 after seven innings.  It looked like the Brewers had the game won when the plated three runs in the top of the 11th, but the Rangers scored three in the bottom of the inning (two with two out) to retie the game. A two-run, 12th-inning single by Brewers’ C B.J. Surhoff provided the winning margin.

Unexpected Hero: LF Rob Deer gets the nod here – for his sustained performance during the streak. Deer, a power hitter who came intro the season with a career .227 average, hit .391, with seven home runs, 17 RBI and 13 runs scored during the streak (he played in 12 of the 13 games). Deer collected multiple hits in seven of his 12 games. Deer ended the season with a .238-28-80 line in 134 games.  Those 12 games within the streak represented 9 percent of Deer’s season total, but during the streak he accumulated 25 percent of his season home run  total, 21 percent of his RBI total, 18 percent of his runs scored and 16 percent of his base hits. (For those who like to know such things, Deer was a career .220 hitter -11 seasons – with 230 home runs and 600 RBI).

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The all-time MLB record of 20 wins to start a season belongs to the 1884 Union Association St. Louis Maroons.  The Union Association did not have a lot of balance in 1884.  The Maroons finished 94-19-1 … a full 21 games ahead of their nearest competitor. During their opening 20-game win streak, they recorded 16 home wins and just four on the road – and outscored their opponents 234-67. On the season, they outscored their opponents 887 to 429. 

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1982 Braves

The 1982 Braves started the season 13-0 and won the National League West title with an 89-73 record.

During the streak, the Braves:

• Outscored their opponents 66-34;
• Outhit them .272 to .232;
• Out-homered them ten to two.
• Put up a 1.83 earned run average to the opponents’ 4.67;
• Struck out 66 batters to the opponents’ 58;
• Gave up 50 walks to the opponents’ 66.

The Braves’ streak included eight road wins (five home wins); three one-run games; one extra-inning  contest; and one walk-off.

Key players in the Braves 13-game streak were:

• SS Rafael Ramirez (.333-1-9);
• 1B Chris Chambliss (.356-3-5);
• CF Dale Murphy (.256-4-12, with ten runs scored and ten walks).

On the pitching staff, notable contributions were made by relievers Rick Camp (who appeared  seven games and went 2-0, with three saves and a 1.74 ERA) and Gene Garber (who appeared in five games and went 1-0, with three saves an a 0.00 ERA in 11 1/3 innings).  Bob Walk started three games (the Braves won all three) and went 2-0, 0.96.

Challenging Moment:  The Braves’ streak might have been over before it started.  On Opening Day (April 6), the Braves faced the Padres in San Diego – and came away with a 1-0 win.  Brett Butler (who had walked)  scored the only tally on a one-out double by 2B Glen Hubbard in the top of the fifth.   Braves’ starter Rick Mahler, who would go 9-10, 4.21 on the season (and 96-111, 3.99 in 13 MLB seasons) pitched a two-hit, complete-game shutout.

Unexpected Hero(s) : SS Rafael Ramirez, a .235 career hitter coming into the season (two seasons, 145 games), hit .333, with 16 hits, one home run, nine RBI and eight runs scored over the 13 games.  He collected 11 hits over the  first six games of the season.  Ramirez finished the season at .278-10-52 and was .261-53-484 over a 13-season MLB career (1,539 games).  More unusual than unexpected, Rick Camp, who would end up starting 21 games in 1982, opened the season in the bullpen and had two wins and three saves during the streak. He would pick up just two more saves that season, ending the year 11-13, 3.65 with 21 starts and 30 relief appearances, five saves and three complete games.

The Braves first loss came at home on April 22 – as the Reds topped them 2-1.  In that one, Reds’ starting (and winning) pitcher Bruce Berenyi drove in what proved to be the winning run, with a fifth-inning , two-out single off Bob Walk.

Primary Resource:  Baseball-Reference.com

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Yesterday’s (April 14), Mets/Athletics game – won by the Mets 17-6 – featured 17 walks to Mets’ batters, as well as two separate innings in which the Mets scored six runs on just one hit.  Mets’ shortstop Francisco Lindor had both of those hits and collected seven RBI in the process. That contest brought back memories of (and seems an appropriate time to reflect on) perhaps the wildest MLB inning ever – one in which the White Sox scored 11 runs on just one hit.  More on that, but first a look at the Mets’ two wild innings.

Top of the Second Inning:

James Kaprielian pitching for Oakland.

• Mets’ DH Daniel Vogelbach walks (on a 3-2 pitch).
• 3B Eduardo Escobar lines out to right.
• 2B Luis Guillorme walks (on four pitches).
• C Tomas Nido walks (on four pitches), loading the bases.
• CF Brandon Nimmo walks (on a 3-2 pitch), forcing in a run.
• RF Starling Marte walks (on a 3-2 pitch), forcing in a run.
• SS Francisco Lindor hits the first pitch he sees for a Grand Slam.
• 1B Pete Alonso fans (on a 1-2 pitch).
• LF Jeff McNeil pops out to first base.

Top of Sixth inning:

Hogan Harris on the mound for Oakland.

• Daniel Vogelbach grounds out second-to-first.
• Eduardo Escobar walks (on a 3-2 pitch).
• Luis Guiillorme walks (on a 3-2 pitch).
• Tomas Nido walks (on four pitches).
• Brandon Nimmo is hit by a pitch, forcing in a run.
• Staring Marte walks, forcing in a run.
• Francisco Lindor hits a double, scoring all three base runners.
• Pete Alonso walks

Chad Smith comes in to pitch.

• Jeff McNeil is hit by a pitch loading the bases.
• Daniel Vogelbach his into a fielders choice (SS-2B, scoring a run.
• Eduardo Escobar strikes out.

For the game, the Mets scored 17 runs on 11 hits, 17 walks and two hit batsmen. The A’s scored six times on 13 hits and four walks. Surprisingly, there we no wild pitches.

Now for that wildest of all innings – eleven runs on one hit.

On April 22, 1959, the Chicago White Sox completed what may be the weirdest MLB offensive inning ever.

In the seventh inning of a 20-6 road win over the Kansas City A’s, the Chicago White Sox scored 11 runs on just one base hit. In fact, they got only one ball out of the infield.

Nellie Fox drew two bases-loaded walks in the seventh inning of a White Sox 20-6 win.

This unique offensive “outburst” would prove to be a portent of things to come. The 1959 AL pennant-winning White Sox were became known as the “Go-Go Sox” for their ability to manufacture runs despite a punchless offense. (The Sox finished last in the league in home runs and sixth – out of the eight AL teams – in batting average and runs scored, but first in stolen bases and second in walks).

Still, it would have been hard to predict an inning in which the boys from Chicago would plate eleven runs on just one hit (a single) – or to anticipate a frame which included ten walks, a hit batsman, and three opposition errors. Here are few “numbers” from that 11-run inning:

• The Sox sent 17 batters to the plate, but collected just one hit – and, in fact, got only one ball out of the infield.
• Sox’ hitters stepped into the box with runners in scoring position 14 times.
• Sox’ hitters batted with the bases loaded 12 times and never got the ball past the pitcher.
• Eight different White Sox’ players drew walks.
• The Sox drew eight bases-loaded walks (and had one bases-loaded hit batsman).

White Sox 2B Nellie Fox walked twice with the bases loaded in the inning.

Here’s how it went that inning (per baseball-reference.com):

• 1B Ray Boone is safe on a throwing error by A’s shortstop Joe DeMaestri.
• RF Al Smith attempts to sacrifice Boone to second (score was 8-6 at the time) and reaches safely on an error by A’s third baseman Hal Smith.
• LF Johnny Callison singles to right. Scoring Boone and Smith (with the help of an error by A’s right fielder Roger Maris). Callison ends up on third.
• SS Louis Aparicio walks – steals second (runners now on second and third).
• P Bob Shaw walks (loading bases).
• PH Earl Torgeson (batting for 3B Sammy Esposito) walks (scoring Callison).
• 2B Nellie Fox walks (scoring Aparicio).
• CF Jim Landis reaches on fielder’s choice – grounding back to pitcher Mark Freeman, who takes the force at home (bases still loaded).
• C Sherman Lollar walks (scoring Torgeson, bases still loaded).
• Ray Boone makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Nellie Fox).
• Al Smith makes his second plate appearance of the inning and walks (scoring Landis).
• Johnny Callison, who had the only hit of the inning in his first plate appearance, is hit by a pitch (scoring Lollar, bases still loaded). Lou Skizas comes in to run for Callison.
• Louis Aparicio draws his second walk of the inning (scoring Boone, bases still loaded).
• Bob Shaw strikes out.
• PH Bubba Phillips (batting for Torgeson, who batted for Esposito earlier in the inning) walks (scoring Smith, bases still full).
• Nellie Fox draws his second bases loaded walk of the inning (scoring Skizas).
• Jim Landis grounds out pitcher to first to end the inning.

The 20-runs the White Sox scored that day were the most they plated in any game that season.  Another side note: It did not start out like it was going to be a good day for the White Sox.  The A’s knocked Chicago’s starting pitcher Early Wynn – who would go on to lead the AL in wins with 22 – out of the game with six runs on six hits and two walks in the first 1 2/3 innings. The Sox actually trailed 6-1 after two frames. A few other stats:

• The Sox collected a total of 16 hits and 13 walks in the contest; which also saw four Kansas City errors.
• In addition, to scoring 20 times, Chicago left eleven runners on base.
• Nellie Fox was the offensive star of the game – with four hits (five at bats), two walks and five RBI.
• The A’s used six pitchers in the contest, three in the seventh inning.

Primary Resource:  Baseball-Reference.com

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

Baseball Roundtable is also on the Anytime Baseball Supply Top 66 Baseball Sites list.  For the full list, click here. 

I tweet (on X) baseball @DavidBaseballRT

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary. 

As each MLB season get underway, there are players that particularly spark Baseball Roundtable’s interest:  young prospects or veteran players hoping to deliver on expectations; players who are particularly crucial to their team’s prospects for the season; players who offer The Roundtable’s favored combination of Leather and Lumber;  retiring players making a last go-round; or players making adjustments to new positions, new roles or new teams.  You get the idea.  In this post, Baseball Roundtable will present its team-by-team American League Watch List for 2023, one (or two) players from each AL team that The Roundtable will pay particular attention to over the coming months.  For the previously published National League Watch List, click here.

Here is Baseball Roundtable’s 2023 Junior Circuit Watch List.

Baltimore Orioles- Andy Rutschman. Gunnar Henderson, Grayson Rodriguez

Orioles top pitching prospect Grayson Rodriguez. Photo: Jeffrey Hayes, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

With the Orioles the watch list is all about youth.

C Andy Rutschman (25-years-old) lived up to all the hype surrounding his rookie campaign – going .254-13-42 in 113 games, but even more important providing  s solid presence behind the plate. Baseball Roundtable expects to see offensive growth in 2023, while Rutschman’s defense and game management remain top notch.

The Orioles also expect good things from 3B Gunnar Henderson (who can also play SS).  Henderson hit .297-19-76, with 22 steals (as a 21-year-old) in 112 games at Double-A and Triple-A a year ago. He also looked comfortable in 34 late-season games with the Orioles, with a .259-4-18 stat line (and, remember, he was just 21).  It will be fun to watch his growth as a major leaguer in 2023.

Finally, there is  23-tear-old RHP Grayson Rodriguez, the Orioles’ top pitching prospect. In five minor-league seasons, Rodriguez has gone 25-9, 2.49 in 70 games (69 starts – one of those in 2023).  The 6’5” 230-pounder has a dominant mound presence – to go with a mid-90s fastball (that can reach triple digits), an effective mid-80s change up, a mid-80s slider and a work-in-progress, low-80s curve.  In 296 minor-league innings, Rodriguez has fanned 421 batters (102 walks).  Grayson made his first MLB start April 5 of this season, giving up two runs on four hits and a walk over five innings (five strikeouts).  More to come.

This trio should help keep the Orioles competitive in 2023 – and are solid building blocks for the future.

Boston Red Sox – Masataka Yoshida, Chris Sale and Tristan Casas

The Red Sox finished last (78-84) in the tough AL East last season and they need considerable help if they are going to move out of the basement.

The Roundtable will be watching three players – a Japanese import, a veteran and a rookie – who could contribute to that effort.

The Red Sox signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a reportedly five-year $90 million deal last December. The 28-year-old is coming off a .335-21-88 season (119 games) in Japan and has shown a combination of power and plate discipline in Nippon Professional  Baseball.   In seven seasons there, Yoshida averaged .326, with 135 home runs.  Perhaps more important, he walked more times (427) than he struck out (307).  It’ll be fun to see how he adjusts to the American game.

Veteran  southpaw Chris Sale, a  seven-time All Star, has finished in the top five in Cy Young Award voting in six of 12 MLB seasons. Between mid- August of 2019 and Opening Day 2023, however, he has started just 11 games and  pitched only 48 1/3 innings (elbow injury, Tommy John surgery, Covid, right-rib stress fracture, broken finger, broken wrist).  The Red Sox say he’s healthy now.  If he can return to form, it would give Boston a much-needed boost.

Triston  Casas, at 23-years-old, looks to have earned the 1B slot in the lineup. A 2018 first round draft pick, he’s shown both power and plate discipline as a minor-leaguer.  In 2022, he went .281-12-41 in 76 games at Rookie-Level and Triple-A (.273-11-38 in 72 Triple-A games).  That earned him a September call up – and while he hit just .192 (27 games), he did poke five home runs and put up a .358 on-base percentage (19 walks/23 strikeouts).  Casas  hit .327-3-9 in 19 2023 Spring Training games. We’ll see if he’s ready to contribute at the major league level.

Chicago White Sox – Oscar Colas

The White Sox signed Cuban outfielder Oscar Colas in January of 2022. Although he’s only 24-years old, Colas has been around – playing in both the Cuban National Series and Nippon Professional Baseball. He showed his abilities right from the get-go.  In 2022, he moved from High-A, to Double-A to Triple-A – hitting a combined .314-23-79 in 117 games.  Look from him to find success in  a White Sox uniform in 2023.

Cleveland Guardians – Jose Ramirez and Emmanuel Clase

On the Guardians squad, I intend to enjoy watching a couple of proven performers.

Third baseman Jose Ramirez holds the key to the Guardians’ offense. In 2022, the switch-hitter  went .280-29-126, with 20 steals.  He also drew 69 walks and fanned just 82 times.  Since 2017, Ramirez has  made four All Star teams, averaged .280, hit 20 or more home runs five times (only missing in the Covid-shortened 2020 season), drove in 100+ runs three times and led the league in doubles twice.  It’ll be a pleasure to watch this steady switch-hitter go to work again.

Also on the watch list is 25-year-old closer Emmanuel Clase. The Guardians (then Indians) acquired him a trade with the Rangers before the 2020 season.  (The Indians got Clase and Delino DeShields for Corey Kluber and cash.)  It worked out pretty well for the Guardians. In the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Clase went 7-9, with 66 saves and a minuscule 1.33 ERA.  Unlike The Roundtable, opponents are not happy to watch Clase come to the hill.

Detroit Tigers …. Miguel Cabrera

Photo: Jeffrey Hayes, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Only one choice here.  Have to watch future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera in his twenty-first – and final – MLB season.  Coming into the season, Cabrera, a two-time MVP and 2012 AL Triple Crown winner (.330-44-139) had a total of 3,088 hits (25^th all time), 507 home runs (27^th all time) and  1,847 RBI (14^th all time). Going into this final season, he needs:

• 100 hits to make the top-16 all time;
• 14 home runs to make the top-20 all time;
• 62 RBI to make number-12 all time.

The Numbers Game

In his first 15 MLB seasons, Miguel Cabrera averaged .321 – and averaged 32 home runs and 11 RBI per season.

It will be fun to watch Cabrera climb up the stats ladder as he makes his farewell tour.

Houston Astros – Jose Abreu and Hunter Brown

The 2023 Astros look a lot like the 2022 versions (Why not?  They won 106 regular-season games and a World Series title). So, they are worth watching.  They are going to be good.  With that in mind, I decided to put the “new guy” – free-agent-signee 1B Jose Abreu – on the watch list.   His veteran bat will fit right into the middle of the Astros’  lineup – and he should get lots of opportunities to drive in runs.  What the Roundtable will be looking for is to see if the short left-field distances at Minute Maid Park will help Abreu return to 30-homer form.  Last season, he hit .304-15-75 in 157 games for the White Sox.  Abreu, however, has hit 30 or more long balls in five of his first nine MLB seasons and driven in 100+ runs in six. I look for a .290-30-100 season.

I also be watching prospect RHP Hunter Brown, whom I expected to make some noise in the Astros’ rotation before the 2023 season is over. Brown was a  2019 fifth-round draft choice (out of Wayne State University, where he went 9-0, 2.21 in his final season).  In three minor-league seasons, he has gone 17-11, 2.40 with 134 strikeouts in 106 innings.  He earned a call up last September and went 2-0, with a 0.89 ERA in 20 1/3 innings (seven appearances/two starts).

Kansas City Royals –  Vinnie Pasquantino

Okay, I admit, I love seeing “Pasquantino” across the back of an MLB uniform. Plus, the 24-year-old (an eleventh-round pick in the 2019 draft) has shown solid power and a good eye at the plate. In three minor-league seasons, he hit .292, with 56 long balls in 246 games – and walked 131 times, while fanning 143.

Last season, he hit .277-18-70 in 73 games at Triple-A (with 40 walks and just 39 strikeouts) – earning a late-June call up.  In 72 games for Kansas City, he went .295-10-26, with 35 walks and 34 whiffs.  He’s big-time ready.

Kinda Shifty if You Ask Me

Pasquantino gets extra credit as a watch list candidate, given the fact that the shift was used against him in 93 percent of his 2022 at bats. The Roundtable will be watching to see if the new rules boost his numbers.  

Los Angeles Angels – Shohei Ohtani

Photo: ogami Kariya, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

No challenge here,  How can you not pick a player who seems to set some new “first” every time out.  Last season, Ohtani hit .273-34-95 with 11 steals – and went 15-9, 2.22 with 219 strikeouts in 166 innings on the mound. Why wouldn’t you want to watch a player with the following on his  resume – a 15-win and 200-strikeout season as a pitcher and a 46-homer, 100-RBI, 26-steal season as a hitter/baserunner.  Ohtani is another MVP award waiting to happen (he won the AL MVP in 2021).

More “Firsts” for Ohtani

On  April 5, Shohei Ohtani became the first MLB player to be hit with a pitch clock violation both as a pitcher and a hitter in the same game. In the first inning of his start on the mound against the Mariners, he was called for a pitch clock violation  (a called ball) for taking too long to deliver a pitch to  Mariners’ cleanup hitter Cal Raleigh (with two on and no out). Raleigh eventually fanned on a 3-2 pitch.

In the seventh, facing the Mariners’ Andres Munoz, with two on and one  out. Ohtani was penalized (a called strike) for taking too long to get set in the batter’s box.  Ohtani rapped an RBI single in the at bat.

Ohtani finished the game one-for-two at the plate (with two walks and an RBI), and got the victory after throwing six innings of three-hit, one-run ball (four walks eight strikeouts).

Minnesota Twins – Byron Buxton

It all about health with the Twins’ Byron Buxton – a Gold Glove defender and an offensive force (speed and power). He is also oft-injured (due partly to his all-out style of play). Healthy, he’s legitimate CF Gold Glover and 30-30 (HR/SB) guy.  However, in his first eight MLB seasons, Buxton played 100 or more games in a campaign just once.  Still, he has shown what he can do when he’s in the lineup.  In 2021, Buxton hit .306 and scored 50 runs in just 61 games. In 2022, he poled 28 home runs in  92 games.  In 2017, his only season of at least 100 games played, he swiped 29 bases in 140 games and won a Gold Glove for his defensive work in CF.  The Twins know how having Buxton in the lineup can change the game and have put emphasis on keeping him in the lineup (more time at DH).   Looking forward to seeing how that works out.

New York Yankees – DJ LeMahieu and Anthony Volpe

Lots to watch in New York – Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole are probably at the top of most fan lists.  For the Roundtable, I’ll be watching veteran DH LeMahieu and rookie Anthony Volpe.

The 34-year-old LeMahieu is a two-time AL batting champion, who can play around the infield (LeMahieu has won four Gold Gloves, three at second base and one as a utility player). From 2011 through 2020, LeMahieu averaged .305.  In 2020-22, he average .265.  The Roundtable will be watching to see if LeMahieu can up his game (close in on his career .297 average) in 2023. A productive LeMahieu gives the Yankees not only another solid offensive weapon, but considerable lineup flexibility.

I’ll also be watching 22-year-old rookie Anthony Volpe, who won the SS job coming out of Spring Training. A first-round pick (right out of high school) in the 2019 MLB Draft, Volpe has shown power and speed in three minor-league seasons.  In 2022,  at Double-A and Triple-A, Volpe hit .249,with 21 home runs, 65 RBI, 86 runs scored and 50 steals in 12 games.

DJ LeMahieu is the only player (since 1900) to win a batting title in both the AL and NL. (.348 for the Rockies in 2016 and .364 for the Yankees in 2020). 

Oakland Athletics – Ryan Noda

A Rule Five Selection (from the Dodgers) last December, the 27-year-old Ryan Noda could provide some much-needed power to the A’s lineup. In the Dodgers’ farm system (at Double-A and Triple-A), Noda hit 54 home runs and drove in 168 over the past two seasons.  His 2022 Triple-A numbers were .259-25-90, with 20 steals.  It’ll be interesting to see how he handles major-league pitching.

Seattle Mariners – Julio Rodriguez

Mariners’ CF Julio Rodriguez was the runaway winner of the AL Rookie of the Year Award in 2022 – receiving 29 of 30 first placed votes.  (For those who need to know such stuff, the other first-place vote went to Orioles’ C  Adley Rutschman.)   Rodriguez also finished seventh in the MLB voting.

Rodriguez is a five-tool player (.284-28-75, with 25 steals in 132 games,  with a strong arm and ground-covering defense). The 22-year-old is a youngster worth watching, who may very well win an MVP award in the near future.  For 2023,  .a 30-30 season would not surprise me,

Tampa Bay Rays – Kevin Cash

I supposed it’s odd to pick a manager here, but Kevin Cash has proven has proven his ability to keep Tampa Bay competitive – without the “cash” available to other AL East clubs.  It’s always interesting to watch how Cash juggles his lineup and pitching strategies to get the most out of the resources on hand.

Kevin Cash was selected the American league in 2020 and 2021, joining the Braves’ Bobby Cox as the only MLB manage to capture the award in consecutive seasons.

Texas Rangers – Jacob deGrom and Josh Jung

When he’s healthy, Rangers’ free-agent-signee Jacob deGrom is one of the most dominant pitchers in the game (I can offer a Rookie of the Year  and two Cy Young Awards as evidence).  Ahh, but those health issues.  The right-hander  has has not made more than 15 starts or pitched more than 92 innings in a season since 2019, when he went 11-8, 2.43 in 32 starts (204 innings) for the Mets.  The Roundtable will be watching to see if the Rangers got the  pitcher who averaged 30 starts per season from 2015 through 2019 or the one who averaged 13 starts per season in 2021-22 (I left out the short 2020 season).

I’ll also be keeping an eye on Josh Jung, who looks to be given a shot at the 3B position, despite only 153 minor-league games on his resume.   In those 153 games, he went a sterling .311-30-118. Jung earned a call up – last September and hit five homers in 102 MLB at bats.  However, his .204 average and 39 strikeouts to four walks seem problematic.  Still, he had strong spring.314-3-6 ion 19 games (51 at bats) and bears watching.

Toronto Blue Jays – The Outfield

Blue Jays fans – and Blue Jays pitchers – will enjoy watching the revamped outfield.  This season, the  Blue Jays’ garden will feature three superior defenders.  Returnee George Springer – moving from CF to RF to make room for free-agent-signee Kevin Kiermaier (a three-time Gold Glover).  Joining these two will be another superior defender, LF Daulton Varsho, acquired in a trade with the Diamondbacks.  The three will boost Toronto’s defense,  Spring and Varsho should also provide some power and Kiermaier bring some speed to the base paths.  It’s on defense, however, where the trio is worth a watch. If the Blue Jays overtake the Yankees in 2023, these three will play a major roe.

Primary Resources:  Baseball-Reference.com; MLB.com

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Yesterday (April 3), Baseball Roundtable took part in what has become a Roundtable rite of spring – the Twins’ Annual Food and Beverage Preview. Sponsored by the Minnesota Twins and Delaware North (the team’s food and retail partner), this annual media event features a look at (and taste of) the upcoming season’s new Target Field food and beverage offerings.

The Twins Keep Raising the Bar

As I’ve noted here before, when I first began attending MLB games, standard fare consisted of (not always piping-hot) hot dogs and (not always ice-cold) beer and soda.  For those wanting to step outside the box, there were peanuts, popcorn and Cracker Jack® (which was, of course, in the box and with a toy).  For the really adventurous, there were frozen malt cups (with a wooden spoon after taste).  When pizza and burgers arrived on the scene, we all thought baseball’s culinary landscape was complete.

Side note:  I must admit, I do miss in-the-stands vendors who had mastered the art of applying decorative ribbons of mustard and/or ketchup to a steamed hot dog.  Those days, however, are past. 

The 2023 Target Field Food and Beverage Preview (like those that went before it ) brought home how wrong we were about reaching the ultimate in ballpark fare – and how committed the Twins are to continually raising the ballpark food and beverage bar, while also  building an ever-stronger Minnesota connection.

Here are a few of Baseball Roundtable’s favorite new Target Field offerings for 2023 – as judged by super-taster Bob King and me.   Those items that are Minnesota made are identified.  I attempted to include prices and locations wherever possible. Note:  Many, not all, of the photos show the sample size from the Food and Beverage Preview, rather than full size offering  (generally, if the descriptive sign is in the photo, it’s a full -size offering).  And of course, prices and availability  are subject to change. 

Let’s start with the Baseball Roundtable Taste Team’s  top-six new items.

Number One … Jr.  Gong Jerk Chicken Bowl (Minnesota made), Soul Bowl, Section 113, $14.50.

Roasted jerk chicken thighs, glazed with pineapple jerk sauce and served with sweet plantains and yellow rice.  Bob and I both rated this number-one among the new tastes of the Twins.  The chicken was both spicy and juicy (take an extra napkin), with just enough sweet in the pineapple and plantain to balance the “heat.”

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Number Two … Cochinita Sliders, Truly on Deck.

Pork wrapped in banana leaves and braised in adobe sauce, with habanero pickled red onions and tequila pickles – served on a Sweet Hawaiian Roll.  Bob rated this as “the most unique and original offering.” He liked the combination of the braised pork flavor and  the “tang” of the tequila pickles.  This one really wakes up the taste buds.

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Number Three … Summer Strawberries and Cream Waffles, Waffles and More, Section 114.

Need desert?  We were both impressed by the Summer Strawberries and Cream Waffles.  Waffles crunchy on the outside, fluffy on the inside – topped with true summer sweetness.  The stand also offers Chicken and Waffles and Belgian Waffles with locally-sourced maple syrup.

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Number Four … Legacy Salad (Minnesota made), Roots for the Home Team, Look for the concession cart.  (In recent seasons, near Gate 34 on weekends).

Lighter Fair?  A salad of brown rice, pickled vegetables, edamame, snap pears and bok choy. Crisp, fresh with just the right level of zip in the dressing. Good food for a good cause. Roots for the Home Team works with area young people  participating in community garden programs to cultivate personal and professional growth.

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Number Five … Banh Mi Sandwich … Sous vide pork belly served on a hoagie roll with dark soy aioli, picked vegetables add sweet soy caramel. Bob noted that “This is a winner for me.  Nice and meaty.  The pork belly has a nice crunch and the hardy bun holds up to the sandwich.” Truly on Deck.

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Number Six … Chicken Sandwich (Minnesota made), Official Fried Chicken, Section 133, $8.99.

Official Fried Chicken offers a Chicken Sandwich ($8.99), as well as four- and eight-piece bone-in chicken and chicken tenders and fries ($12.99-$27.99). All the chicken was tasty, so it’s a matter of personal preference as to how you like your fowl served.  Bob and I both preferred the Chicken Sandwich – juicy broasted chicken in a sandwich that was just spicy enough.    Also, worth a try for the technology.  You order put in your at a kiosk, leave a phone number and then receive a text when it ready.  You’ll find it in one of the convenient heated pick-up boxes (see photo), ready to go.  No fuss, no lines.

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Three Adult Beverages We Think Would All be

a Refreshing Way to Lift Your Ballpark Spirits.

Lovejoy Bloody Mary

Bomboozled … Bomba Juice (Strawberry/Lemonade Hard Seltzer) with an extra kick (60-Proof Strawberry/Basil/Chili Muddle). Gray Duck Deck, left field corner.

Lovejoy Thai Basil Bloody Mary (Minnesota made), garnished with Lovejoy-seasoned Minnesota Duroc Pork Belly.  Gate 34 Pub.

Double Play … (Minnesota made), Keeper’s Heart Rye and Keeper’s Heart Bourbon with pineapple and cranberry juice. Truly on Deck.

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A  few other items to consider:

Hmong Sausage and Khao Sen/Rice  Noodle Bowl (Minnesota made) …  Seared Kramarczuk’s Hmong Sausage, served with chilled rice noodles, fresh herbs, cabbage, and vegetable slaw in a sweet chili vinaigrette.  Union Hmong Kitchen, Section 127.

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Loaded Potatoes … Looking for some comfort food at the ballyard? Fried baby red potatoes topped with cheddar cheese, sour cream, bacon and scallions, Truly on Deck.

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T-Rex Cookies (Minnesota made) … These sweet treats (Chocolate  Chip and Monster Flavor) are the size of a catcher’s mitt (or, at about 8-inches across, seem nearly so).   A chewy-chocolaty dessert to share or, given the new pitch-count rules, one that should last a full inning or more. Multiple locations.

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Mrs. Parker Donut Peach Cobbler (Minnesota made) … Feeling the need for something super sweet?  A yeast donut topped with sweet peach cobbler, caramel drizzle and crushed vanilla wafers. Truly on Deck.

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Jonny Pops (Minnesota made)  … Summer Strawberries and Cream, Chocolate Fudge and Oat Milk, Rainbow Fruit Snacks, Watermelon, and Red, White and Boom.   Section 126.

Beer Bats … Souvenir bat filled with ice-cold beer. This bat should be a hit with fans of beer and baseball – you pick the order. Multiple locations.

Wine Carafes … Wine, champagne, Mimosas and more in a unique carafe you’ll probably want to take home.   Section 114.

This is just a sampling of the new items for 2023.  Many favorites from past seasons will also be back: like Hot Indian Chicken Tikka, Kramarczuk’s Sausages, Tony O’s Cuban Sandwich, Murray’s Smoked Beef Sandwich and more.  And, don’t forget more traditional ballpark favorites like the Twins Big Dog, Nachos Grande in a helmet, bratwurst, pizza, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and ice cream in a helmet.   The point is, when you head into the Target Field, you have plenty of choices when it comes to food and beverage.  Enjoy – and try not to spill on your scorecard.  (Okay, I’m old school, I still keep a scorecard.)

For a full listing  of concession  offerings, locations and prices, click here to go to the Twins Concession page.

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Marcus Stroman – called for the first-ever regular-season pitch clock violation.

Opening Day (as I begin putting together this post) is upon us (as you read this, it will be behind us). As has been usual in recent seasons, the day is marked by change in MLB.  This year it’s shift-restricting regulations, a strictly enforced time clock, limits on pickoff attempts, a revamped schedule (each team will face all 29 other MLB teams at some point in the schedule, which means 24 fewer in-division games) and permanency for the extra-inning “ghost” runner.  As baseball fans we will, of course, learn to live with these changes.  (Well, most of them anyway. I remain steadfast in refusing to recognize ghost runners on my scorecard.)

In this post, Baseball Roundtable will look at a different kind of annual change.  The change we see in each season’s Opening Day lineups. Consider.  Of the 299 players who found themselves in the 2022 Opening Day lineups  (Shohei Ohtani is the reason the total is one short of ten per team), just 183 (61%) found themselves among the 2023 Opening Day starters.  Further, less than half (135/45 percent)  of 2023 Opening Day starters found themselves on the field to start Opening Day for the same team they “opened” for in 2022.

The highest number of repeat  Opening Day starters was six – by the Yankees, Rays, Orioles, Guardians, Tigers, Astros, Mariners, Braves, Mets, Marlins and Giants.  The fewest number of repeat Opening Day starters was two – Athletics, Pirates, Reds and Diamondbacks.

The Brewers had the highest number of 2022 Opening Day starters appearing in the Opening Day lineups of a new teams in 2023 at five:  2B Kolten Wong (Mariners); DH Andrew McCutchen (Pirates); RF Hunter Renfroe (Angels); C Omar Narvaez (Mets); 3B Jace Peterson (Athletics).  The Cardinals, Rockies and Astros had zero 2022 Opening Day starters appearing in another teams 2022 Opening Day lineup.

So, how does all this lineup change come about? Several ways:

• Trades:  Think the Twins/Marlins trade that made former-Twin and AL batting champ Luis Arreaz (who started Opening Day 2022 for the Twins) the first player to come to the plate  for the Marlins this season and made former-Marlin Pablo Lopez the first pitcher to take the mound for the Twins in the 2023 campaign.
• Injuries:   Think players stepping in for Bryce Harper and Rhys Hoskins of the Phillies or Jose Altuve of the Astros (all of whom were Opening Day 2022 starters).
• Free Agent signings:  Think Jose Abreu , who started at 1B for the White Sox  on Opening Day 2022 and at 1B for the Astros this Opening Day – or Trea Turner, who started at SS for the Dodgers on Opening Day 2022 and at the same spot for the Phillies this Opening Day.
• Players getting their first Opening Day start:  Think players  like Yankees’ SS Anthony Volpe and Cardinals LF  Jordan Walker,whose first Opening Day starts were also their MLB debuts. 

In the remainder of this post, Baseball Roundtable will take a look at the 2023 and 2022 lineups, in the order I predict  the teams will finish.  And, for those who are a little more nostalgic, I’ll toss in a look at team lineups from five and ten years ago.

Before we get started, for Roundtable readers from warmer climates, here’s ho we approach the home opener in Minnesota (at least this season).

Now for those lineups (and predictions).

–NATIONAL LEAGUE EAST–

First Place … Atlanta Braves

Second … New York Mets

Third – Phillies

Fourth … Marlins

Fifth … Nationals 

–NATIONAL LEAGUE CENTRAL–

First Place … Cardinals

Second – Brewers

Third … Cubs

Fourth …. Pirates

Fifth … Reds 

–NATIONAL LEAGUE WEST–

First  Place… Padres

Second … Dodgers

Third … Diamondbacks

Fourth … Giants

Fifth … Rockies

–AMERICAN LEAGUE EAST–

First Place …. Yankees

Second … Blue Jays

Third … Rays

Fourth … Orioles

Fifth … Red Sox

AMERICAN LEAGUE CENTRAL

First Place … Twins

Second … Guardians

Third … White Sox

Fourth … Royals

Fifth … Tigers

–AMERICAN LEAGUE WEST–

First Place… Astros

Second … Mariners

Third … Angels 

Fourth … Rangers

Fifth … Athletics

Primary Resource:  Baseball-Reference.com

Coming Soon: The Roundtable picks one player from each team for its 2023 “One to Watch List.”

Baseball Roundtable – Blogging Baseball Since 2012.

Baseball Roundtable is on the Feedspot list of the Top 100 Baseball Blogs.  To see the full list, click here.

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Member: Society for American Baseball Research (SABR); Negro Leagues Baseball Museum; The Baseball Reliquary.