It’s September 1, and that means it’s time for Baseball Roundtable’s look back at the previous month – the standings, statistics and stories that caught BBRT’s eye, as well as the BBRT Players and Pitchers of the Month and season-to-date “Trot Index.”
August came to an end with a Twins/Tigers match-up that seemed a microcosm of the 2019 season. In posting a 10-7 victory, the Twins:
- hit six home runs;
- hit their 268th round tripper of the season, breaking the all-time single-single season MLB record;
- saw Jorge Polanco hit his 20th long ball, becoming the eighth member of the Twins to reach 20 home runs this season, breaking another all-time, single-season MLB record;
- Notched their eleventh game of five or more homers this season – extending their own MLB record (they broke the old record of eight in late July).
How does BBRT feel about the home run records that just keep falling across major league baseball? Let me put it this way, the two most exciting plays I witnessed this past month were:
- a third-to-second-to first triple play turned by the Twins August 7 (against the Braves), the home squad’s second triple-killing of the season; and
- a successful suicide squeeze pulled off (against the Twins) by the White Sox’ Yolmer Sanchez on an 0-2 count.
But enough “old schooling,” the Twins are on their way to the first 300-homer season in MLB history (and then some), as well as on their way to the post season. (Yes, I’m that confident.) And, that makes for some pretty exciting baseball for me. Now, here’s a look at a few other baseball events that caught my eye in August.
- Two players (Mets’ Wilson Ramos and Astros’ Alex Bregman) hit over .400 for the month.
- A rookie (Bo Bichette) set a record by doubling in nine straight games – and at the time he had only played in 11 MLB contests.
- Carl Yastrzemski‘s grandson Mike had a three-homer game – giving the rookie the same number of three-homer games as his Hall of Fame grandfather.
In August, the New York Yankees, with MLB’s best record (21-9), were the only team with zero (that’s right zero) sacrifice bunts.
- The Yankees set a new MLB record for home runs in a calendar month (74).
- Kevin Gausman joined Nolan Ryan as one of the only two pitchers to thrown an immaculate inning (nine pitches, three strikeouts) in both the American and National Leagues.
- The Mets’ Pete Alonso broke the National League rookie-season home run record, ending August with 42 dingers.
- Eduardo Escobar became just the fourth MLB switch-hitter to record 20 doubles, 10 triples and 30 home runs in a season; joining Mickey Mantle; Rip Collins and Jimmy Rollins.
- Mike Trout became the youngest player to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases in his career.
When you get to the highlights section, you’ll find the details on these and plenty of other August stories. But, let’s move on now to the Players and Pitchers of the month.
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–— BASEBALL ROUNDTABLE PLAYERS AND PITCHERS OF THE MONTH—–
AL Player of the Month – Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
Photo by KA Sports Photos 
Bregman truly raked in the dog days of August, putting up an MLB second-best (among players with at least 75 at bats) .404 average, with six home runs, an AL-tops 31 RBI and the senior circuit’s second-highest 27 runs scored. Over the course of the month, he had 14 multi-hit games in 26 starts and raised his average from .266 to .290.
Other contenders: Well, it’s easy to see why the Astros fared so well in August. Also contending for BBRT’s AL Player of the Month were: Astros’ 1B Yuli Gurriel (.344-7-29) and Houston rookie LF Yordan Alvarez (.309-9-26). Bregman, Gurriel and Alvarez were 1-3-6 in the AL in August RBI. Young Yankee infielders Gleyber Torres and Gio Urshela also deserve recognition. Torres launched an AL-best 13 August home runs, to go along with a .277 average and 21 RBI; while Urshela hit .385, with seven long balls, 18 RBI and 20 runs scored.
AL Pitcher of the Month – Mike Clevinger, RHP, Indians
Photo by KA Sports Photos
If the Indians manage to chase down the Twins for the AL Central Division crown, Mike Clevinger will have a lot to do with it. In August, he went 5-0 in six starts (one of just three pitchers with five or more wins in the month), putting up a 1.96 earned run average and fanning 51 batters (with just 11 walks) in 36 2/3 innings. Clevinger gave up two or fewer earned runs in five of his six starts.
Other Contenders: It was very close between Clevinger and the Yankees’ James Paxton, the only pitcher to tally six victories (no losses) in August. Paxton had a 3.57 ERA and fanned 39 batters (14 walks) in 35 1/3 frames. Also in the running was the White Sox’ Lucas Giolito, who only went 3-2, but had a 2.45 August ERA and fanned an MLB-high 53 batters in 33 innings, while walking just nine. Aroldis Chapman of the Yankees saved an MLB-high nine August games in nine opportunities, put up a 0.00 ERA and fanned 20 batters in 11 innings.
Surprise Player of the Month
Of course, the Reds’ Aristides Aquino (see below) was a surprise – a rookie topping MLB in home runs and RBI in his first MLB month. But, he’s the BBRT NL Player of the Month. So, BBRT will go with Mets’ catcher Wilson Ramos, who hit .434 for August (43-for 99), with three homers and 20 RBI. A career (10 seasons) .276 hitter, Ramos came into August hitting .255 on the year, went two-for-three in a game against the White Sox on August 1 and took off from there. He collected hits in 25 out of 26 August games played – ending the month with a still-active, 24-game hitting streak. The two-time All Star is having a banner season – standing at .299-13-66 through August.
NL Player of the Month – Reds’ OF Aristides Aquino
What can you say? The 22-year-old rookie led all of MLB with 14 August home runs and 33 August RBI – in just 29 games; while also putting up a .300 average. His 14 home runs were the most ever in a month by an NL rookie and he is the first player to collect 14 long balls in his first 100 MLB plate appearances.
Other Contenders: I’ll slot in a couple of third basemen here. Nationals’ 3B Anthony Rendon hit .394 for August, with eight home runs, 29 RBI and 23 runs scored. Rockies’ 3B Nolan Arenado not only continued to flash Gold Glove leather, his August stat line was .337-12-23.
NL Pitcher of the Month – (Tie) Jack Flaherty, RHP, Cardinals and Sonny Gray, RHP, Reds
Photo by Minda Haas Kuhlmann
The Cardinals are in a tight race with the Cubs and Jack Flaherty contributed significantly to the team’s August surge. The 23-year-old Flaherty, who came into August with a 4-6, 4.17 record on the year (and 12-17, 3.89 career marks) turned it up a notch (or more) last month. He went 4-1 in six starts with an MLB-best (among pitchers with at least 25 innings pitched) 0.71 earned run average. He also fanned 47 batters in 38 innings, while walking just nine. He started the month with a key victory against the rival Cubs – going seven scoreless innings, giving up just one hit, walking two and fanning nine.
Right there with Flaherty was the Reds’ Sonny Gray. The 29-year-old, in his seventh MLB season, went 4-0 in six starts for the Reds (who went 13-16 for the month), putting up a nifty 0.74 ERA and striking out 44 in 36 2/3 innings of work.
Other Contenders: Walker Buehler of the Dodgers, who only went 2-1 (five starts), but put up a 1.69 ERA and fanned 48 (against just eight walks) in 32 innings; the Mets’ Jacob deGrom – 2-1, 2.18 with 40 whiffs (five walks) in 33 innings of work; and the Cubs’ Jose Quintana, who went 4-1, 2.02 in six starts.
TROT INDEX … A REGULAR BBRT FEATURE
Through August, 35.9 percent of MLB’s 156,355 2019 plate appearances ended in a trot (back to the dugout, around the bases, to first base). We’re talking about strikeouts, home runs, walks, hit by pitch and catcher’s interference – all outcomes that are, basically, devoid of action on the base paths or in the field. Here’s the breakout: strikeouts (22.7%); walks (8.5%); home runs (3.6%); HBP (1.1%); catcher’s interference (less than 1%). Personally, I’d like more action in the field of play.
For the 2018 season, 34.8 percent of all MLB’s 185,139 plate appearances ended in a trot.
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They Were the Best of Teams and the Worst of Teams
The Yankees were MLB’s hottest team in August, going 21-9 and expanding their AL East lead from 7 ½ to ten games over the Rays. Their surge was fueled at the plate – where they had the AL’s third-highest batting average for the month (.278); scored the third-most runs (178); and set a new MLB record for home runs in a calendar month (74). On the mound, the Bronx staff put up a “middle of the road” eighth-best earned run average in the AL (4.60), so they needed to bring their bats to the ballpark to produce that .700 winning percentage. Surprisingly, despite the 74 dingers, the Yankees only had one player with at least ten in August – infielder Gleyber Torres (.277-13-21), who had the AL’s most August long balls. However, eight Bombers had at least five August dingers. A couple of key contributors were 2B DJ LeMahieu (.336-9-19) and 3B Gio Urshela (.385-7-18). On the mound, James Paxton went 6-0, 3.57 in six starts (leading MLB in August wins) and Domingo German had a 4-1, 3.86 month. Aroldis Chapman also played a crucial role in the Yankees’ victory total, saving nine games in nine opportunities – and not giving up an earned run.
The Astros had a strong month (19-9) and needed every bit of it, as the A’s nearly matched their pace (17-9). The Astros did it with a combination of offense and pitching. They scored the AL’s (and MLB’s) most runs in August (200) and put up the league’s second-best ERA (3.42). The big gun at the plate for the Astros was 3B Alex Bregman, who hit .404 in August, with six home runs and 31 RBI. Houston, in fact, had four players with 20 or more August RBI: Bregman; Yuli Guerriel (.344-7-29); Yordan Alvarez (.309-9-26); and Jose Altuve (.308-9-20). On the mound, starters Gerrit Cole, Wade Miley and Zack Greinke went a combined 11-0, 2.99.
The A’s (17-9) also showed some balance – scoring the AL’s fifth-most runs (146) and putting up the third-best August ERA in the senior circuit (3.85). SS Marcus Seimen led they way at the plate (.282-8-21); the 1B/DH combo of Matt Olson (.297-5-21) and Mark Canha .347-6-18) also boosted the Oakland offense; and Mike Fiers (4-0, 2.76) and Liam Hendriks (eight saves in eight opportunities and a 0.73 ERA) led the mound staff. Homer Bailey and Tanner Roark went 3-1 and 2-1, respectively.
Over in the NL, the Nationals (19-7) and Braves (19-9) had the best August records. The Cardinals went 18-9, to build a 2 1/2 game lead over the Cubs.
The Nationals topped the NL in August runs scored (180). Anthony Rendon (.394-8-29, 23 runs) led the Washington attack, with plenty of help from: Juan Soto (.313-10-22, with 29 runs scored); Adam Eaton (.329-5-14, with 26 runs); and Trea Turner (.324-4-16, with 25 runs). The Nationals’ 4.19 ERA was fourth in the NL. Joe Ross had an especially good August, going 3-0, 1.05 in five starts.
The Braves scored the NL’s third-most runs (151) and had the league’s fifth-best ERA (4.05). The big boppers for the Braves were a veteran and a youngster – who each logged an identical 11 home runs, 27 RBI, and 23 runs scored. Freddie Freeman accomplished that line with a .267 average, while Ronald Acuna, Jr. put up a .270 mark. Josh Donaldson was the only other Brave with more than four August homers (he had eight); and no other Braves had more than 13 RBI for the month. On the mound, Max Fried was 4-0, 3.51; Dallas Keuchel was 3-1, 3.53; and Luke Jackson picked up three wins and a save (no losses) in 14 relief appearances (1.88 ERA).
The Cardinals and Cubs are locked in a battle for the NL Central and St. Louis got the better of it in August (18-9 to the Cubs 16-12). The Redbirds’ move to the top of the NL Central was driven primarily by the pitching staff, which put up an MLB-best 3.26 earned run average for the month (the Cubs were eleventh at 4.39). On offense, the Cardinals scored 141 August runs – 13th in MLB and 8th in the National League. Note: The Cubs put only 131 August runs on the board. Leading the Cardinals from the mound were: Jack Flaherty (4-1, 0.71 in six starts) and Dakota Hudson (4-1, 2.38 in six starts). On offense, 2B Kolton Wong hit .373 and scored 11 runs, SS Tommy Edman hit .308 and scored a team-high 19 runs, and RF Dexter Fowler had a team-high 21 RBI. Overall, the offense, while not dominating, showed balance. Eight players scored 10 or more runs and six players drove in a dozen or more tallies.
Oh, by the way, the worst teams last month were the Tigers, Royals, Orioles, Angels, Rockies and Marlins – all won less then ten games. Surprise! Those teams make up six of the seven worst August earned run averages.
If the season ended after play on August 31, the post-season teams would be:
American League
Yankees, Astros Twins. Wild Cards: Indians and A’s or Rays
National League
Braves, Cardinals, Dodgers. Wild Cards: Nationals and Cubs
Full Standings and Stats Later in this Post.
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IF YOU PREFER TO SKIP AND STATS AND GO RIGHT TO THE STORIES,
SCROLL DOWN TO THE HIGHLIGHTS SECTION
—-LEAGUE LEADERS – TEAMS – MONTH OF AUGUST 2019—-
RUNS SCORED … MLB Team Average – 138
AL: Astros (200); Twins (189); Yankees (178)
NL: Nationals (180); Dodgers (156); Braves (151)
The Rangers scored the fewest August runs at 104, while the Brewers were at the bottom of the NL, plating just 106 runners.
BATTING AVERAGE … MLB Team Average – .259
AL: Astros (.297); Twins (.282); Yankees (.278)
NL: Nationals (.292); Rockies (.283); Mets (.279)
Three teams hit under .230 for the month: Rangers (.217); Mariners (.221); and Royals (.224).
HOME RUNS … MLB Team Average – 41
AL: Yankees (74); Twins (59); Astros (53)
NL: Dodgers (51); Reds (48); Cubs (47)
At the bottom of the power list were the White Sox (24 home runs); Tigers (28); and Marlins (29)
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE – MLB Team Average – .449
AL: Yankees (.551); Astros (542); Twins (.516)
NL: Nationals (.517); Dodgers (.498); Rockies (.475)
The Yankees collected 136 extra-base hits in August – 59 doubles, three triples and 74 home runs. Overall, 46.6 percent of their August safeties went for extra bases.
STOLEN BASES … MLB Team Average – 12
AL: Rangers (23); Mariners (19); Indians (15)
NL: Nationals (26); Phillies (19); Pirates (19)
The power-focused Twins attempted only four steals in August – and were successful just twice. That was the MLB low for the month.
BATTERS’ STRIKEOUTS … MLB Team Average – 238
AL: Tigers (309); White Sox (281); Rangers (277)
NL: Marlins (280); Padres (268); Braves (257)
What strikes BBRT here is that, despite pitchers not hitting in the AL, three of the top four teams in terms of batters’ strikeouts were from the junior circuit.
WALKS DRAWN … MLB Average – 90
AL: Astros (126); Angels (110); A’s (100)
NL: Braves (117); Dodgers (109); Phillies (104)
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EARNED RUN AVERAGE … MLB Team Average – 4.68
AL: Indians (3.37); Astros (3.52); A’s (3.85)
NL: Cardinals (3.26); Dodgers (3.58); Mets (3.74)
Dog Days of Summer Hounding These Staffs
Four teams posted earned run averages north of 6.00 in August: Orioles (6.67); Rockies (6.36); Marlins (6.21); and Royals (6.02).
BATTING AVERAGE AGAINST … MLB Team Average – .259
AL: Yankees (.233); Astros (.239); Indians (.241)
NL: Cardinals (.220); Dodgers (.231); Nationals (.239)
The White Sox were the only team with two complete games in August. Twenty-three teams did not see a complete-game effort during the month.
STRIKEOUTS … MLB Team Average – 238
AL: Rays (286); Astros (271); Yankees (270)
NL: Reds (284); Dodgers (276); Pirates (262)
WALKS (Fewest) … MLB Team Average – 90
AL: A’s (61); Mariners (68); Rays (73); Indians (73)
NL: Dodgers (65); Cubs (72); Phillies (75)
Grab Some Bench, Pardner.
The leaders in K’s per nine innings for August were the Rays (10.59) and Reds (10.05). The leaders in Strikeouts-versus-walks ratio were the Dodgers (4.25) and Rays (3.92).
SAVES … MLB Team Average – 6
AL: Yankees (13); Twins (10); A’s (9); Rays (9)
NL: Cubs (10); Reds (9); Padres (9); Diamondbacks (9)
MLB’s best save percentage in August belonged to the Blue Jays at 88.9 percent – nine saves in ten opportunities. Miami was at the opposite end of the spectrum at 12.5 percent – seven blown saves in eight July opportunities
Now, how about individual leaders for the month – followed by some highlights?
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—-INDIVIDUAL LEADERS FOR August 2019—–
BATTING AVERAGE (75 or more at bats)
AL: Alex Bregman, Astros (.404); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (.394); Gio Urshela, Yankees (.385)
NL: Wilson Ramos, Mets (.434); Anthony Rendon, Nationals (.394); Trevor Story, Rockies (.379)
The lowest average among players with at least 75 August at bats belonged to the Mariners’ Daniel Vogelbach at .130 (13-for-77). Nineteen players with at least 75 at bats hit under .200 for the month.
HITS
AL: Tim Anderson, White Sox (44); Jose Abreu, White Sox (42); Alex Bregman, Astros (40); Gio Urshela, Yankees (40)
NL: Wilson Ramos, Mets (43); Anthony Rendon, Nationals (41); Trevor Story, Rockies (41); Amed Rosario, Mets (41)
HOME RUNS
AL: Gleyber Torres, Yankees (13); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (10); Jorge Soler, Royals (10)
NL: Aristides Aquino, Reds (14); Nolan Arenado, Rockies (12); four with 11
The Astros’ Alex Bregman and Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette each had an MLB-high 21 extra base hits in August.
RBI
AL: Alex Bregman, Astros (31); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (29); Yuli Gurriel, Astros (29)
NL: Aristides Aquino, Reds (33); Anthony Rendon, Nationals (29); Eduardo Escobar, D-backs (28); Starlin Castro, Marlins (28)
Among players with at least 75 August at bats, the Astros’ Alex Bregman had the highest August on-base percentage at .487. In the NL, it was the Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo at .467.
RUNS SCORED
AL: Jose Altuve, Astros (32); Alex Bregman, Astros (27); Carlos Santana, Indians (26)
NL: Juan Soto, Nationals (29); Adam Eaton, Nationals (26); Trea Turner, Nationals (25)
STOLEN BASES
AL: Mallex Smith, Mariners (10); Jonathan Villar, Orioles (9); Delino DeShields, Rangers (8)
NL: Starling Marte, Pirates (11); Trea Turner, Nationals (8); Jon Berti, Miami (7)
The Rangers’ Delino DeShields swiped the most bags without getting caught in August (8). Meanwhile, the Mariners’ Keon Broxton was caught in four of five attempts. The Blue Jays’ Bo Bichette was the only other player caught stealing four times in August (seven attempts).
BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS
AL: Miguel Sano, Twins (42); Danny Santana, Rangers (41); Brandon Dixon, Tigers (38)
NL: Eugenio Suarez, Reds (39); Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (39); Hunter Renfroe, Padres (38); Ryan McMahon, Rockies (38)
Ronald Acuna, Jr. and Eugenio Suarez, who tied for the NL lead in whiffs, still managed to put up stat lines of .270-11-27 and .269-10-14, respectively.
WALKS
AL: Carlos Santana, Indians (24); Mike Trout, Angels (22); Yordan Alvarez, Astros (21)
NL: Yasmani Grandal, Brewers (25); Josh Donaldson, Braves (24); Rhys Hoskins, Phillies (24)
PITCHING VICTORIES
AL: James Paxton, Yankees (6-0); Mike Clevinger, Indians (5-0); four with four
NL: Junior Guerra, Brewers (5-2); seven with four
How Fair Is That?
In July, the Pirates’ Trevor William went 4-2 in six starts – with a 6.68 earned run average. The Giants’ Jeff Samardzija went 1-2 in five starts – with a 1.84 ERA.
EARNED RUN AVERAGE (at least 25 innings pitched)
AL: Ryan Yarborough, Rays (1.50); Ivan Nova, White Sox (1.95); Mike Clevinger, Indians (1.96)
NL: Jack Flaherty, Cardinals (0.71); Sonny Gray, Reds (0.74); Joe Ross, Nationals (1.05)
STRIKEOUTS
AL: Lucas Giolito, White Sox (53 in 33 innings pitched); Mike Clevinger, Indians (51 in 36 2/3 IP); Shane Bieber, Indians (50 in 41 1/3 IP)
NL: Walker Buehler, Dodgers (48 in 32 IP); Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers (48 in 38 IP); Jack Flaherty, Cardinals (47 in 38 IP); Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (47 in 38 1/3 IP)
Lucas Giolito led all pitchers (with at least 25 August innings) in strikeouts per nine innings (14.45).
SAVES
AL: Aroldis Chapman, Yankees (9); Liam Hendriks, A’s (8); Emilio Pagan, Rays (8)
NL: Archie Bradley, D-backs (9); Kirby Yates, Padres (8); Raisel Iglesias, Reds (7)
The Yankees’ Zack Britton had an MLB-high eight holds in August.
Double Your Pleasure
Major League baseball has seen only six 60-double seasons (versus, for example, eight seasons of 60 or more home runs). All six of those 60-double seasons occurred before 1940 (between 1926 and 1936, to be more precise). This season, three players are chasing down that magic number – Rafael Devers with 48 doubles, Xander Bogaerts with 47 and Nick Castellanos with 46. The all-time, single-season high belong to the Red Sox’ Earl Webb, with 67 two-baggers in 1931. Others with 60 or more: Joe Medwick, 1936 Cardinals (64); George Burns, 1926 Indians (64); Hank Greenberg, 1934 Tigers (63); Paul Waner, 1932 Pirates (62); and Charlie Gehringer, 1936 Tigers (60).
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—–AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS … STORIES AND STATS—-
Who Says Pitchers Can’t Hit? (Oops, I mean, field.)
On August 2, the Phillies found themselves short-handed in the bullpen as their game against the White Sox moved deep into extra innings. The situation was so challenging that, in the 14th frame, outfielder Roman Quin took the mound for the Phillies and pitcher Vince Velasquez took a spot in left field. In the 14th, Velasquez cut down the potential winning run (Jose Abreu attempting to score on a James McCann single) with a strong and accurate throw to the plate. In the 15th inning, Velasquez flashed more leather, making a diving catch to end the inning. (Unfortunately, the White Sox had scored one in the inning, and the Phillies fell by a 4-3 score.)
2019’s Fifth Cycle
On August 5, Orioles’ shortstop Jonathan Villar came up in the ninth inning against Yankees’ flame-throwing closer Aroldis Chapman. Villar slapped a single into right and, while it didn’t help the Orioles to victory (they fell to NY 9-6), it did put Villar into the record books. Villar had tripled in the third, doubled in the fifth and homered in the sixth. His ninth-inning single gave him the fifth cycle of the 2019 season. Others to hit for the cycle this season are: Jorge Polanco, Twins; Shohei Ohtani, Angels; Jake Bauers, Indians; and Trea Turner, Nationals.
Eight is Enough
On August 7, Astros’ 1B Yuli Gurriel brought his A-game to a contest (in Houston) against the Rockies. Gurriel drove in eight runs in a 14-3 Astros win – tying both the club record for RBI in a game and the single-game RBI record for Cuban-born players. (Another #InBaseballWeTrackEverything moment.) Sharing the record(s) with Gurriel are Astro J.R. Towles (September 20, 2007) and Cuba-born Jose Canseco (June 13, 1994) and Yasmani Grandal (May 7, 2015). Gurriel’s day went like this:
- First inning – three-run home run;
- Third inning – run-scoring sacrifice fly;
- Fourth inning – double, driving in three runs;
- Sixth inning – safe on a fielder’s choice, scoring a run, with Gurriel getting the RBI;
- Seventh inning – pop out to second baseman.
The Yankees are For the Birds
On August 7, The Yankees pounded the Orioles 14-2 in Baltimore – going yard five times. That output gave the Bronx Bombers the all-time record for home runs against one team in a season at 52, as well as the record for home runs in a season in one ballpark as a visitor (43). In addition, it gave them a record-tying five straight games with at least five home runs (tied the 1977 Red Sox). And the Yankees weren’t done yet. When their season against the Orioles was completed, the Yankee had hit .303, with 61 home runs and 151 runs (7.9 per game) against the Birds. Overall, they outscored the Orioles by 68 runs, while winning 17 of 19 games.
A Little Something Extra
Photo by mwlguide
On August 8, the Blue Jays’ 21-year-old rookie SS Bo Bichette collected a pair of extra-base hits – a home run and a double. It was his ninth consecutive game with at least one extra-base knock. In the process, he became the first MLB player ever to collect a double in nine straight contests and the first rookie since Ted Williams (good company there) to collect an extra-base hit in nine straight games What makes this rather unique is that, at the time he hit his way into the record books, Bichette had played in just 11 MLB games (called up in late July). Over those first 11 contests, Bichette hit .408 (20-for-49, with nine doubles, four home runs and seven RBI). Not a bad start for Dante’s kid.
Three is Not a Crowd
On August 10, the Astros’ 22-year-old rookie OF Yordan Alvarez hit three home runs and drove in seven tallies, as Houston bounced the Orioles 23-2 (unfortunately, for the fans, at Camden Yards). The performance gave him 51 RBI in his first 45 career games – breaking Ted Williams’ record of 47 in his first 45 contests. (More #InBaseballWeTrackEverything.) At the close of play on August 31, Alvarez had a stat line of .319-21-62 in 64 games.
On August 10, Astros’ rookie Yordan Alvarez and Reds’ rookie Aristides Aquino each hit three home runs. The first time two MLB rookies hit three dingers in a game on the same day.
Sale-ing Toward 2,000 Whiffs
It’s been a tough season for Chris Sale, but on August 13, he reached a milestone and did it in fewer innings than any other pitcher in MLB history. In the third inning of a contest against the Indians, Sale fanned Cleveland CF Orlando Mercado for his fifth strike out of the game and the 2,000th of his career. He reached the 2,000 figure in 1,626 innings, breaking Pedro Martinez’ mark of 1,711 1/3. Sale fanned 12 batters in the game (6 2/3 innings), but also gave up five runs (three earned) on two walks and five hits. (He got no decision.) The contest would prove to be the last of the season for Sale, who went on the Injured List (elbow) four days later and will be out for the remainder of the season. He finished 2019 with a 6-11, 4.40 record and 218 strikeouts in 147 1.3 innings pitched.
Revolving Door
On August 10, Mariners’ rookie RHP Reggie McClain made his major league debut in the seventh inning of a game against the Rays. It was meaningful both for McClain and Seattle catcher Omar Navarez. McClain was the 38th different pitcher caught bu Navarez this season – a new MLB record (he has since extended the record to 39). And, just think, he’ll soon be catching the September call-ups.
100 – That’s a Nice Round Number
On August 15, Astros’ shortstop Carlos Correa hit his 100th career home run (as the Astros lost to the A’s 7-6 in Oakland). In the process he became just the third shortstop to hit 100 home runs before turning 25-years-old – putting himself in some pretty good company (Cal Ripken, Jr. and Alex Rodriguez).
Let’s Go. I’m in a Hurry
On August 16, Reds’ 25-year-old rookie OF Aristides Aquino popped his 10th career home run – as the Reds lost the Cardinals 13-4 at Great American Ball Park. After just 16 MLB games (15 coming this season), Aquino’s 10 dingers made him the fastest ever (career-wise) to reach double digits in long balls. Aquino’s two-run-shot, off Adam Wainwright, came in the bottom of the sixth. At the close of play on the 16th, Aquino was hitting .353 (18-for 51). He had one MLB at bat (no hits) in 2018, which means that 55.6 percent of his hits over his first 15 games had gone yard.
And, he wasn’t done. On August 29, Aquino hit his 14th home run of the season. It was also his 14th home run in August, giving him the National League rookie record for home runs in a month – topping Cody Bellinger’s 13 in June of 2017. The Tigers’ Rudy York holds the overall rookie record for homers in a calendar month at 18 (August, 1937). At the close of the month, Aquino was hitting .320-14-33.
The European Sultan of Swat
Photo by IDSportsPhoto
On August 16, the Twins’ Max Kepler hit his 33rd home run of the 2019 season – as the Twins topped the Rangers 4-3 at Texas’ Globe Life Park. Providing another example of “In baseball, we pretty much track everything,” the blast gave Kepler the single-season, MLB record for home runs by a European-born player. The German-born Kepler broke the 32-HR record of Scottish-born Bobby Thomson (New York Giants, 1951). Kepler finished August with 36 round trippers.
Yaz Sir, that’s My Grandson
On August 16, a week before his 29th birthday, Giants’ rookie Mike Yastrzemski – grandson of Carl Yastrzemski – hit three home runs, as San Francisco topped the Diamondbacks 10-9 at Chase Field. Young Mike now has as many career three-homer games as his Hall of Fame grandfather.
Thirteen is Not Always an Unlucky Number
Gleyber Torres of the Yankees hit 13 home runs against the Orioles this season – one short of Lou Gehrig’s record for the most home runs against one team in a campaign. In 18 games versus Baltimore, Torres hit .394, with 13 home runs, 20 RBI and 22 runs scored. At Camden Yards, he went .400-7-10 in eight games.
Stop the Insanity – More Homer News
August 17 was a bit of an off-day for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Not only did they lose to the Braves 4-2 in Atlanta, the Dodgers hit only two home runs. The two-dinger output broke the Dodgers’ MLB-record string of five consecutive games with at least four long balls (August 11-16). During that string, the Dodgers went 4-1 (losing a 13-7 decision at Miami on August 15), out-homering their opponents 22-3 and outscoring them 48-21.
Ah, Sweet Youth
Photo by IDSportsPhoto
On August 18, the Red Sox’ 22-year-old 3B Rafael Devers went four-for-five with a homer (his 27th of the season), two doubles and four RBI, as the Red Sox won 13-7 at Fenway. The runs driven in gave Devers 101 RBI on the season – making him the first player to reach 100 RBI in 2019. Devers ended the month with a .320-28-104 line on the season.
Another Immaculate Inning – and Some Elite Company
Photo by IDSportsPhoto
Reds’ reliever Kevin Gausman was called in (August 18) to pitch the eighth inning of the Reds/Cardinals contest (in St. Louis) – with the Cardinals up 5-1. He proved to have some pretty good stuff that day. Gausman proceeded to fan the side – Paul DeJong, Yadier Molina, Lane Thomas – on just 14 pitches. Who would have guessed he’d do measurably better in the ninth?
In the ninth inning, Gausman took just nine pitches to fan the side – Yairo Munoz, Dexter Fowler, Tommy Erdman – notching 2019’s sixth “Immaculate Inning” (nine pitches, three punch outs).
Gausman’s immaculate inning put him in some pretty good company. It was the second immaculate inning of his career (he also threw one for the Orioles on April 23 of last season). Only six other pitchers have tossed more than one immaculate frame: Sandy Koufax with three and the following hurlers with two each – Lefty Grove; Nolan Ryan; Randy Johnson; Chris Sale (both this season); and Max Scherzer. Gausman also joined Ryan as one of only two pitchers to throw an immaculate inning both the AL and NL.
Another Home Run Record Falls – and Falls Far
On August 18, the Mets’ 24-year-old rookie 1B Pete Alonso rapped a home run to left to lead off the top on the ninth in a Metes’ 11-5 win over the Royals. It was Alonso’s 40th long ball of the year – giving him the National League rookie home run record – with plenty of season to go. (By the end of August Alonso had 42 dingers.) The MLB record? Aaron Judge’s 52 in 2017.
Even the Pitching Highlights Include the Long Ball
Photo by slgckgc
On August 23, the Mets’ Jacob deGrom tossed a gem against the rival Braves – at one point fanning eight-straight in a seven-inning, four-hit, one-run, 13-strikeout outing. Note: deGrom left with the game tied 1-1, and the Mets eventually lost 2-1 in 14 innings. There was some significance to deGrom’s night on the bump. He also homered in the sixth (the only run the Mets would score all night), making him the first pitcher ever to go deep in the same game in which he fanned at least 13 batters twice in one season. (Back on April 3, deGrom tossed seven three-hit, no-run, 14-strikeout game against the Marlins – and also led off the third inning with a home run.) Oh yes, another example of “In baseball, we pretty much track everything.” Also, more #WhyIHateTheDH.
Catch Me If You Can
On August 23, Yankees’ backstop Gary Sanchez popped his 29th home run of 2019 – which was also the 100th long ball of his career. It was a solo shot in the third inning off Hyun-Jin Ryu and contributed to a 10-2 Yankee win over the Dodgers. That dinger made Sanchez the quickest American League player (in terms of games played) to reach 100 homers, as well as the quickest catcher (in either league) to reach the mark. It came in his 355th career game. Joey Gallo had been the fastest AL player to reach the mark (377 games) and Mike Piazza of the Dodgers had been the fastest catcher to reach the mark (422 games). Side note: On August 27, Aaron Judge reached the 100–homer mark in his 371st game; behind only the all-time fastest – Ryan Howard, 325 games – and Sanchez.
More Long Ball Marks Erased
Photo by jenniferlinneaphotography
On August 25, Yankees’ 2B DJ LeMahieu led off the Bombers’ game against the Dodgers (in Los Angeles) with his 22nd home run of the season. It was also the Yankees’ 59th round tripper in August, breaking the all-time MLB record for home runs by a team in any month. The 1987 Orioles and 1999 Mariners each had 58 dingers in May of those two seasons. By the end of August, the Yankees had extended the record to 74 home runs.
A Twins’ Twin’s Twin Makes His Debut (consider the grammar)
On August 27, Twins’ reliever Taylor Rogers converted his 21st save for the Minnesota club – as the Twins topped the White Sox 3-1 at Chicago’s Guaranteed Rate Field. Once he hit the locker room, Rogers tuned all the available televisions to the Giants/Diamondback’s game. His goal? To, hopefully, see his twin brother Tyler (who had been called up the day before) make his MLB debut for the Giants. (Tyler and Taylor are each, in effect, a twin’s twin.) Taylor got his wish as Tyler Rogers pitched a 1-2-3 eighth inning in the Giants’ 3-2 loss. This made the Rogers brothers just the tenth set of twins to make the major leaguers – and the first to both make it as pitchers. A final BBRT note on this topic.: If you consider twins to be a mirror image of each other, it makes sense that Taylor throws left-handed and Tyler tosses righty.
A Baker’s Dozen for Aquino
On August 28, Reds’ rookie RF Aristides Aquino launched a three-run homer in the first inning of a 5-0 Reds’ win over the Marlins – making him the first player in the modern era to hit 13 home runs in his first 100 plate appearances. He broke the record of an even dozen set by the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins (2017) and tied by the Dodgers’ Will Smith this season. In his first 100 MLB plate appearances, Aquino went 28-for- 89 (.315), with 13 home runs and 29 RBI, while also drawing eight walks. For those interested in such things, at Triple A this season, Aquino hit .299 with 28 home runs in just 78 games.
20-10-30 – That’s a Switch
On August 29, Diamondbacks’ 3B Eduardo Escobar went two-for-five with two runs scored and three RBI, as Arizona topped the Dodgers 11-5. Escobar’s RBIs came on a three-run home run in the sixth inning – and gained him admission to a somewhat exclusive club. Esc0bar became just the fourth switch hitter (Mickey Mantle, Rip Collins, Jimmy Rollins) to collected 20 doubles, 10 triples and 30 home runs in the same season. He ended the month at ..270-32-109, with 25 doubles and ten triples.
Dinger Diaries – Minnesota Rewrites the Record Book in August
As the Twins marched toward the all-time, single-season home run record, they already had one mark in their pocket. On August 29, the Twins topped the White Sox 10-5 in Chicago – in a game that included a pair of long balls by Jake Cave and one by C.J. Cron. That gave Minnesota 141 home runs as the visiting team this season – a new MLB single-season, road-dinger record. By month’s end, their road home runs would total 148.
On August 31, the Twins launched six home runs (in a 10-7 loss in Detroit). The third of those long balls, hit by SS Jorge Polanco in the fifth, was Polanco’s 20th of the season – making the Twins the first team in MLB history with eight players hitting 20 home runs in the same season. A home run by DH Nelson Cruz in the eighth tied the all-time record of 267 home runs in a season (2018 Yankees), but the tie didn’t last long. One inning later C Mitch Garver went yard for the second time in the game – setting a new mark at 268. The Twins ended August on a pace to hit 322 home runs by season’s end.
Worth Waiting For
On August 30, Red Sox’ CF and lead off man Mookie Betts started the game against the Angels with a home run to left. About five hours and six trips to the plate later, he hit his second home run of the game (also to left) to break a 6-6 tie in the fifteenth inning – and, eventually, give the BoSox a 7-6 win.
Trout – A Big Fish in the Big Pond
Photo by SportsAngle.com
On August 31 – as the Angels topped the Red Sox 10-4 – Angels’ CF Mike Trout went one-for-three with a run scored, one RBI and two walks. More important, he stole his 11th base of the season (and 200th of his career). Coupled with his 283 home runs, that made Trout at (28-years, and 24-days old), the youngest player ever to reach 200 home runs and 200 stolen bases – beating Barry Bonds by 325 days. This season (through August 31), Trout is hitting .292, with 43 home runs and 101 RBI and 105 runs scored.
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—-INDIVIDUAL LEADERS THROUGH AUGUST 2019—–
BATTING AVERAGE (QUALIFIERS)
AL: DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (.333); Michael Brantley, Astros (.332); Hanser Alberto, Orioles (.321)
NL: Anthony Rendon, Nationals (.336); Bryan Reynolds, Pirates (.332);’ Christian Yelich, Brewers (.328)
The lowest average among qualifying players through June belonged to the Rangers’ Rougned Odor at .194 (84-for-434).
HITS
AL: Rafael Devers, Red Sox (174); Whit Merrifield, Royals (172); DJ LeMahieu, Yankees (169)
NL: Ketel Marte, D-backs (164); Nolan Arenado, Rockies (159); Charlie Blackmon, Rockies (159)
HOME RUNS
AL: Mike Trout, Angels (43); Jorge Soler, Royals (38); Max Kepler, Twins (36)
NL: Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (42); Pete Alonso, Mets (42); Christian Yelich, Brewers (41)
The player with the most 2019 at bats without going yard is the Royals’ Billy Hamilton (who started the season with the Braves), who stands at .221-0-14 after 290 at bats.
RUNS BATTED IN
AL: Rafael Devers, Red Sox (104); Jose Abreu, White Sox (102); Mike Trout, Angels (101)
NL: Freddie Freeman, Braves (109); Eduardo Escobar, Diamondbacks (109); Josh Bell, Pirates (109); Anthony Rendon, Nationals (109)
RUNS SCORED
AL: Mookie Betts, Red Sox (122); Rafael Devers, Red Sox (112); Mike Trout, Angels (105)
NL: Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (107); Freddie Freeman, Braves (105); Cody Bellinger (104)
STOLEN BASES
AL: Mallex Smith, Mariners (39); Jonathan Villar, Orioles (32); Aldaberto Mondesi, Royals (31)
NL: Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (31); Trea Turner, Nationals (29); Jarrod Dyson, D-backs (28)
Tom Locastro of the Diamondbacks has the most 2019 stolen bases without being tossed out (13). Whit Merrifield of the Royals and Dylan Moore of the Mariners share the lead in times caught stealing (nine). Merrifield’s nine toss outs came in 26 attempts, Moore’s in just 16.
BATTER’S STRIKEOUTS
AL: Domingo Santana, Mariners (159); Rougned Odor, Rangers (151); Jorge Soler Royals (150)
NL: Eugenio Suarez, Red (160); Ronald Acuna, Jr., Braves (159); Javier Baez, Cubs (155)
Tough campaign for Rougned Odor – a .194 average and 151 strikeouts in 434 at bats (35 percent). He does have 21 home runs and 68 RBI, however.
WALKS
AL: Mike Trout, Angels (106); Carlos Santana, Indians (98); Alex Bregman, Astros (97)
NL: Rhys Hoskins, Phillies (103); Bryce Harper, Phillies (87); Yasmani Grandal, Brewers (85)
The Phillies’ Maikel Franco and Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger lead MLB in intentional passes through August, with 17 each.
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE
AL: Mike Trout, Angels (.644); Nelson Cruz, Twins (.643); J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (.585)
NL: Christian Yelich, Brewers (.667); Cody Bellinger, Dodgers (.649); Anthony Rendon, Nationals (.632)
PITCHING VICTORIES
AL: Domingo German, Yankees (17-3); Eduardo Rodriguez, Red Sox (16- 5); Justin Verlander, Astros (16-5)
NL: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (16-5); Max Fried, Braves (15-4); Dakota Hudson, Cardinals (14-6)
Two pitchers have picked up 14 losses through August: The Blue Jays’ Aaron Sanchez (5-14, 5.89 in 27 starts) and Brad Keller of the Royals (7-14, 4.19 in 28 starts).
EARNED RUN AVERAGE (qualifying)
AL: Justin Verlander, Astros (2.69); Gerrit Cole. Astros (2.85); Wade Miley, Astros (3.06)
NL: Hyun-Jin Ryu, Dodgers (2.35); Mike Soroka, Braves (2.44); Max Scherzer, Nationals (2.46)
Note: Zack Greinke of the Astros has a 2.99 ERA, but his innings are split between the Diamondbacks and Astros.
STRIKEOUTS
AL: Gerrit Cole, Astros (252); Justin Verlander, Astros (243); Shane Bieber, Indians (224)
NL: Stephen Strasburg, Nationals (215); Jacob deGrom, Mets (214); Max Scherzer, Nationals (200)
Note: Trevor Bauer of the Reds has 222 K’s, but 185 came with the Indians.
Only three qualifying pitchers averaged 12 or more strikeouts per nine innings through August: Gerrit Cole, Astros (13.32); Chris Sale, Red Sox (13.32); and Max Scherzer, Nationals (12.62). A total of 30 MLB qualifying hurlers’ averaged at least one strikeout per inning through August.
If you expand the pool to include relievers with at least 20 innings pitched through August, the whiffs-per-nine leader is the Red Sox’ Darwinzon Hernandez at 16.75.
SAVES
AL: Aroldis Chapman, Yankees (36); Brad Hand, Indians (33); Roberto Osuna, Astros (31)
NL: Kirby Yates, Padres (39); Will Smith, Giants (30); Sean Doolittle, Nationals (28)
—–THROUGH AUGUST —TEAM LEAGUE LEADERS – SEASON-TO-DATE—–
(As of September 1, 2019)
RUNS SCORED … MLB Team Average – 660
AL: Twins (802); Yankees (797); Red Sox (785)
NL: Dodgers (751); Braves (736); Nationals (720)
Only two teams had a positive run differential of more than 200 through August. The Dodgers at +216 and the Astros at +213. On the other end of the spectrum were the Tigers at -264 and Orioles at -242. The Marlins had the NL’s worse run differential at -171.
BATTING AVERAGE … MLB Team Average – .254
AL: Astros (.275); Red Sox (.275); Twins (.272)
NL: Rockies (.269); Pirates (.267); Nationals (.264)
HOME RUNS … MLB Team Average – 190
AL: Twins (268); Yankees (254); Astros (230)
NL: Dodgers (234); Braves (214); Cubs (213)
The Marlins have the majors fewest home runs through August (117). The Tigers had the fewest in the AL (126).
SLUGGING PERCENTAGE – MLB Team Average – .437
AL: Twins (.504); Yankees (.490); Astros (.489)
NL: Dodgers (.473); Braves (.458); Rockies (.456);
STOLEN BASES … MLB Team Average – 63
AL: Rangers (105); Royals (98); Mariners (97)
NL: Nationals (97); Cardinals (90); Brewers (88)
If you hanker to see runners flashing their speed on the base paths, don’t look to the Twins. They stole an MLB-low 26 bases through August – and 14 of those belong to Byron Buxton, who is on the IL. They do, however, have an MLB record-setting eight players with at least 20 home runs.
BATTERS’ STRIKEOUTS … MLB Team Average – 1,185
AL: Rangers (1,353); Tigers (1,340); Mariners (1,325)
NL: Padres (1,304); Brewers (1,277); Rockies (1,254)
The Astros are the only MLB team to fan fewer than 1,000 times through August (980).
WALKS DRAWN … MLB Team Average – 441
AL: Astros (539); Angels (510); Red Sox (501)
NL: Dodgers (537); Brewers (512); Braves (510)
Kind of a Weird Stat
Through August, the Marlins were the only team to hit as many ground balls (1,692) as fly balls (1,688). By contrast, the Twins had launched 2,289 fly balls to 1,417 ground balls. The MLB team average was 1,549 ground balls to 1,980 fly balls.
EARNED RUN AVERAGE … MLB Team Average – 4.52
AL: Indians (3.66); Rays (3.67); Astros (3.74)
NL: Dodgers (3.42); Cardinals (3.92); Cubs (4.07)
The best starters’ ERA through August belonged to the Dodgers at 3.08, while the Rays had the best starting ERA in the AL at 3.51.
Bullpen ERA saw the Indians best in the AL at 3.43 and the Cardinals lowest in the NL at 3.66.
The worst? The Orioles’ team ERA through August was 5.77. The Rockies were at the bottom of the NL at 5.63.
The O’s had the worst bullpen ERA at 5.92 and Rockies’ starters fared the worst at 5.96. Ten teams had starting staff ERA’s of 5.00 or higher through August and six teams had five teams had bullpen ERA’s of 5.00 or higher.
BATTING AVERAGE AGAINST … MLB Team Average – .254
AL: Astros (.224); Rays (.232); Indians (.237)
NL: Dodgers (.227); Cardinals (.240); Reds (.242)
STRIKEOUTS … MLB Team Average – 1,185
AL: Astros (1, 376); Red Sox (1,357); Rays (1,351)
NL: Reds (1,297); Dodgers (1,271); Mets (1,258)
The Red Sox remained the only team to average ten or more strikeouts per nine innings (10.06), while a total of 12 teams averaged at least one K per frame through August. The Dodgers had the best strikeouts-to-walks ratio through August at 3.98. By comparison, the Royals’ strikeouts-to-walks ratio was an MLB-low 2.12.
SAVES … MLB Team Average – 33
AL: Yankees (49); Twins (40); Indians (37); Rays (38)
NL: Padres (45); Cardinals (41); Braves (38); Reds (38); Brewers (38)
The Cardinals had the best save percentage through August at 78.9 percent (41-for-52). The Red Sox’ pen had the worst percentage at 49.1 percent (27-for-53).
WALKS AND HITS PER INNING PITCHED (WHIP) … MLB Team Average – 1.34
AL: Astros (1.15); Rays (1.19); Indians (1.20)
NL: Dodgers (1.11); Cardinals (1.27); Reds (1.29)
No team shut out the opposition more often (through August) than the Dodgers (14 shutouts). In the AL, Cleveland leads with way with 13 white-washings. The Angels recorded the fewest shutouts through August (two).
A final #HowTheGameHasChanged stat; The White Sox and Indians led MLB in complete games through August with five each. Nine of the thirty teams recorded zero complete games through August 31.
Primary Resources: MLB.com; ESPN.com; Baseball-Reference.com
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