Another month of the MLB season in the books and it’s time for BBRT to again look at a few of 2013’s surprises and disappointments. In past end-of-the-month posts, I’ve covered such surprises as Brewers’ shortstop Juan Segura (still hitting .326 as June closed), Matt Harvey’s great start (and he closed June at 7-1 with a NL-low 2.00 ERA); Clay Bucholz’ sub-2.00 ERA for Boston; Carlos Gomez’ new found offense with Milwaukee and the performance of the Pirates, Red Sox and A’s. We’ve also looked at a few disappointments like R.A. Dickey, Josh Hamilton, David Price and the Blue Jays, Angels, Dodgers and Nationals. In this post, I’ll try not to repeat those past observations and shed some light on a few new surprises that have emerged.
Yasil Puig – surprisingly good!
The number one surprise on most lists is the Dodgers 22-year-old Cuban outfielder Yasiel Puig. No one is surprised that he’s been good since his June 3 call up, but what is surprising is just how good. Puig has put up some impressive numbers including a .436 average in his first MLB month (26 games). But should we be that surprised? This is the player who, in 2012, hit .400 in nine games in the Rookie league, .327 in 14 games at High A, then hit .526 in Spring Training, followed by a .313 average with eight homers and 26 RBI at Double A before his call-up.
There’s been a lot of talk about Puig’s 44 hits (in his first MLB month) being second only to Joe DiMaggio’s 48 hits as a rookie in May of 1936. Here’s an in-depth comparison of the first month of action for Yasil and Joe.
Size: Puig – 6’3”, 245 lbs.; DiMaggio – 6’2”, 193 lbs.
Age: Puig – 22: DiMaggio – 21
Games Played: Both – 26
At bats: Puig – 101; DiMaggio – 126
Hits: Puig – 44; DiMaggio – 48
Averagre: Puig – 436; DiMaggio -.381
Runs: Puig – 19; DiMaggio – 30
RBI: Puig – 16; DiMaggio – 28
Doubles: Puig – 5; DiMaggio – 15
Triples: Puig – 1; DiMaggio – 4
Home Runs: Puig – 7; DiMaggio 4.
Two surprising stat lines for a first month’s work in the majors.
The two teams with the best won-loss records for the month of June are a bit of a surprise, the Pirates and the Blue Jays both ran up 17-9 records for the month. However, that leaves the disappointing Blue Jays still in last place in the AL East (after a dismal start), while the surprising Pirates ended June leading the NL Central and with the most wins (51) of any MLB team. It looks like they might surprise us with their first winning season in 21 years. Go Buccos!
The NL West standings are a surprise, with Arizona leading the pack, followed by Colorado, San Diego, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Most projections saw a near reversal of that order – but as the month closed only 4 games separated the five NL West teams, so we can expect some change.
On the morning of July 1, the very “streaky” Cleveland Indians gave their fans a surprise – sitting atop the NL Central (tied with the Tigers). Later that day, a Detroit loss put the Indians in sole possession of the Division lead. How the Indians will fare in the second half remains to be seen, but their surprising success thus far helps identify the Tigers – with their power hitting and power pitching making them prohibitive pre-season Central Division favorite – a 2013 disappointment through June. (BBRT still expect the Tigers to take the Central).
Michael Cuddyer of the Rockies has also been a 2013 surprise, finishing June on 27-game hitting streak (during which he has averaged .372). Cuddyer – a career .274 hitter – was hitting .344 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI as June came to a close.
Forty-three-year-old Yankee closer Mariano Rivera continues to surprise on his “farewell tour,” with 26 saves and a 1.55 ERA as June came to a “close.” Perhaps more unexpected is the performance of forty-year-old Oakland starter Bartolo Colon. Now in his 16th season, Colon is 11-2 with a 2.79 ERA.
It also a bit surprising to see three catchers hitting .320 or better at the end of June, but not so much when they are Yadier Molina (.345), Buster Posey (.322) and Joe Mauer (.320).
Then there is the ongoing American League Miguel Cabrera/Chris Davis “show.” As of June 30, Cabrera has the AL’s number one average (.373), followed by Davis (.332); Davis is the AL home run leader (31), with Cabrera number-two (25). Cabrera leads the AL in RBI at 82, with Davis in the two spot at 80. The pair also rank 1 & 2 in runs scored, slugging percentage, on-base percentage and total bases. As it stands, Cabrera is actually improving on his 2012 Triple Crown season, but may not capture the TC this year, while Davis is exceeding 2012 “career year” of .270-33-85.
The Diamondbacks’ Pat Corbin has also surprised, going 9-0, 2.22 through June. Corbin’s performance is a big reason the Diamondbacks sit atop the tight NL West (at the end of June, Corbin was the only Arizona starting pitcher with a winning record). First baseman Paul Goldschmidt, building off a solid 2012 was the surprise NL RBI leader as of June 30, with a .305-19-67 line. No other Diamondback had more than 27 RBI or 7 homers.
So, there’s a look at a few 2013 MLB surprises through June. More to come as the season progresses.
