Okay, I wake up on Labor Day and my Twins are ten games under .500, 14 games behind the Indians in the AL Central and 18 games behind in the Wild Card chase. Not only that: Brian Dozier (his glove and powerful bat) is plying his trade with the Dodgers; Fernando Rodney (his flamboyance, power arm and “bow and arrow” celebration) is now taking the mound for the A’s; and Eduardo Escobar (his steady bat and fielding versatility) is looking good in Arizona. Beyond that, Byron Buxton was last seen in Rochester; Ervin Santana was last seen with recurring injury issues; and Miguel Sano was last seen struggling at the plate. Heck, even Zack Duke and Lance Lynn are gone. Ouch!
Still, I can find plenty of reasons to celebrate not only Labor Day, but also the final four weeks of the baseball season. Here a Baker’s Dozen reasons BBRT will continue to watch the national pastime intensely..
- The Wild, Wild West(s)
Can’t wait to see who wins the National League West, where we begin Labor Day action just one game separating the Dodgers (75-62); Rockies (74-62); and Diamondbacks (74-63).
I’m also excited about seeing how far the AL West Division Oakland A’s can go. The A’s – who started the season with MLB’s lowest team payroll – came into Labor Day 26-games over .500 (82-56); just 2 ½ game behind the first-place Astros; and with a 5 ½ game cushion in the AL Wild Card race.
- The Orioles’ Chris Davis
Orioles’ first baseman/DH Chris Davis has a chance to make history – of sorts. As action opened on Labor Day, Davis had the lowest 2018 batting average (among players with enough plate appearances to qualify for the batting title) at .177 (75-for-424).
BBRT will be watching to see if he sets a new all-time season low for “qualifiers.” That distinction is now shared by The Brewers’ Rob Deer (1991) and the Braves’ Dan Uggla (2013) at .179 (both went 80-for-448). Deer’s line was .179-25-64, with an AL-Leading 175 strikeouts; while Uggla put up a .179-22-55 season, with 171 whiffs. Chris Davis’ 2018 stat line (as play opens on Labor Day) is .177-16-48, with 171 K’s.
- J.D. Martinez and the Triple Crown
As play opens today, the Red Sox’ is second in the AL in batting average at .337 (.003 behind teammate Mookie Betts); second in home runs with 39 (one behind the A’s Khris Davis); and first in RBI with 115. It won’t be easy, but Martinez’ attempt at the Triple Crown is worth watching.
Trivia Tidbit:
In only one season has there been a Triple Crown Winner in both leagues – and, in fact, they played in the same city. In 1933, the Philadelphia Athletics’ Jimmie Foxx won the Triple Crown with a .356-48-163 season. That same season, the Phillies’ Chuck Klein won the NL Triple Crown with a .368-28-120 campaign.
- Watching those Whiffs.
As of Labor Day, there were four players on a pace to fan 200 times this season (all in the AL, by the way) – Yoan Moncada, White Sox (189 K’s); Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees (180); Joey Gallo, Rangers (177); and Chris Davis, Orioles (171). I see this as worth watching for three reasons:
- 2016 is the only season in which MLB has had more than one player with 200 strikeouts (there were two that year, the Brewers’ Chris Carter and Orioles’ Chris Davis.) Note: MLB has seen a total of ten 200-K campaigns.
- If Chris Davis delivers 200 strikeouts, he will tie Mark Reynolds (D-backs) for the most career 200-strikeout campaigns. Reynolds did it in 2008-09-10). Davis racked up 200+ strikeouts in 2015 and 2016.
- Moncada is on a pace for 223 strikeouts this season, which would tie Mark Reynolds for the all-time, single-season high.
- Strikeout versus Base Hits
We’ve heard a lot about this one – whether strikeouts will, for the first time ever, outpace base hits this season is still in question. The current count is close – and worth watching – 34,623 strikeouts and 34,833 base hits.
- The BBRT Trot Index
Okay, I may be the only one watching this. It’s the baseball Roundtable Trot Index – the percentage of total MLB 2018 plate appearance that end in a trot (to first base on a walk, hit by pitch or catcher’s interference – to the dugout after a strikeout – or around the bases on a home run). At the end of August, 34.6 percent of all plate appearance ended with a no-action (in the field or on the base paths) trot.
- Edwin Diaz, the Mariners’ Save Machine
Photo by THE Laura Smith 
There have been only seventeen 50-save seasons in MLB history – all since 1990 – and Edwin Diaz (the Mariners’ 24-year-old closer) has fifty already this year (making him the youngest player to record a 50-save campaign). Although Francisco Rodriguez’ record of 62 (Angels, 2008) seems out of reach, just seven more saves would tie Diaz with the White Sox’ Bobby Thigpen (57 saves in 1990, the first-ever, 50-save season) for the second-most in a season. I’m hoping he makes a run at Rodriguez.
- If I Were A Carpenter, I’d Have a Hammer
The Cardinals’ 3B Matt Carpenter went to the park on Labor Day leading the National League with 35 home runs. Why is that worth watching? Carpenter is batting leadoff for the Redbirds and, if he wins the home run title, he will be the first leadoff hitter ever to do so. The Orioles’ leadoff hitter Brady Anderson came close in 1996 – bashing fifty round trippers, missing out on the title (to Mark McGwire) by two long balls.
- Twenty-Twenty Vision
BBRT will be keeping an eye on Corey Kluber, Luis Severino, Blake Snell, Carlos Carrasco and Max Scherzer – who all have a legitimate chance for twenty victories this season. We haven’t had five twenty-game winners in a season since 2003 and only had four three times since 2004.
BBRT will also be watching box scores for complete games, since no one has more than two this season (Kluber and Carrasco from the list above) and no team has more than five (Indians). In fact, ten of the thirty MLB team have yet to record a 2018 complete game. This could be the first MLB season in which there was not at least one pitcher with four complete games.
Trivia Tidbit:
In 2008, C.C. Sabathia pitched ten complete games – five of them shutouts. Of note is the fact that (thanks to a mid-season trade) Sabathia tied for the league lead in shutouts in both the AL (two for the Cleveland Indians) and the NL (three for the then NL Milwaukee Brewers).
- A Long Shot at History
Only three times in MLB history has a player led the league in home runs and stolen bases in the same season: Jimmy Sheckard with nine home runs and 67 steals for the 1903 Brooklyn Superbas (Dodgers); Ty Cobb with nine home runs and 76 steals for the 1909 Tigers (Cobb also hit .377 that year, wining the Triple Crown); and Chuck Klein, with 38 home runs and 20 stolen bases for the 1932 Phillies.
Now, it’s a real long shot, but – as of Labor Day – the Indians’ 25-year-old 3B Jose Ramirez was third the AL home run races with 37 (J.D. Martinez of the Red Sox had 39, Khris Davis of the A’s 40) and second in stolen bases with 29 (one behind the Royals’ whit Merrifield and the Mariners Dee Gordon). Okay, it’s a long shot. But something to root for. It would just take one real hot streak down the stretch.
- My Braves
I was a Milwaukee native and just six-years-old when the Braves moved there in 1953 – and they still have a place in my heart. After finishing 18-games under .500 in 2017, the Braves looked to be improved and rebuilding. Yet, here they are, ahead of schedule – 16 games over .500, with a four-game lead in the AL East. Their chief competition is the Phillies, who finished last in the division and 30 games under .500 in 2017. Can’t wait to see the Braves in the post season. Wouldn’t mind seeing the Phillies there, too.
- The Stars of Tomorrow – Today
Wow! There are so many great young (rookie) stars to watch. Here are just a few of the players that fit the bill:
Juan Soto (OF, Nationals), age 19 … .303-16-53 in 92 games.
Ronald Acuna, Jr. (OF, Braves), age 20 … .296-23-50, with 11 steals, in 85 games.
Gleyber Torres (2B, Yankees) age 21 … .282-22-55, with five steals, in 99 games.
Jack Flaherty (RHP, Cardinals), age 22 … 8-6, 2.87, and 149 K in 122 1/3 IP.
Miguel Andujar (3B, Yankees), age 23 … .301-23-76 in 126 games.
Walker Buehler (RHP), Dodgers), age 24 … 6-4, 2.92, and 115 K in 114 IP
Colin Moran (3B, Pirates), age 25 … .280-8-49 in 122 games.
A.J. Minter (LHP, Braves), age 25 … 4-2, 3.06, 12 saves, 86 K in 68 IP.
- All By Himself
All by himself worth watching – especially now that he’s back on the mound – is 23-year-old Angels’ pitcher/DH Shohei Ohtani. Thus far, he is .276-15-43, with six steals, on offense and 4-2, 3.31 with 63 strikeouts in 51 2/3 innings on the mound.
Of course, let’s not forget – there’s the post-season to take in as well. But, that’s another story.
For BBRT’s August Wrap Up … the stars, stats and stories of the past month in baseball, click here.
Primary Resources: ESPN.com, Baseball-Reference.com
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I tweet baseball @DavidBBRT.
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Member: Society for American Baseball Research; The Baseball Reliquary; The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
