For all this and more<\/em>, read one.\u00a0 Here’s a little preview of the kind of tidbits you will find sprinkled among the numbers.<\/p>\n Below the Mendoza Line, But Still Productive<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The lowest average through September (among qualifiers) belonged to the Reds\u2019 Eugenio Suarez at .192 (95-for-494). \u00a0Notably, it was a productive .192 \u2013 as Suarez also had 30 home runs and 77 RBI – in 142 games.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Over in the AL, the lowest average among qualifies belongs to Joey Gallo of the Yankees at .199 (97-for-488). Gallo has 38 long balls and 76 RBI in 149 games.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n National League Player of the Month – Juan Soto, RF, Nationals\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n 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<\/p><\/div>\n Juan Soto led all batters (with at least 75 September at bats) with a .404 average. He was second in MLB in hits to the Cubs\u2019 surprising 1B Frank Schwindel (but Schwindel drew only eight September walks to Soto\u2019s MLB-leading 35.)\u00a0 Soto also racked up 23 September RBI and 22 runs scored (seven home runs) \u2013 and fanned just nine times in 27 games.\u00a0 Soto led all of MLB players with at least 75 September at bats in on-base percentage (.565) and his September slugging percentage of \u00a0.691 was fourth among National Leaguers with at least 75 September at bats.\u00a0 Soto had 11 multi-hit games in September and was on base via hit or walk in all but two games. From September 14 through September 23, he had a nine-game hitting streak in which he hit .567, with four homers, nine RBI, nine runs scored, 12 walks and just one strikeout.<\/em><\/p>\n Honorable Mentions:<\/em> Tyler O\u2019Neill<\/strong>, LF, Cardinals – \u00a0who led the NL in September home runs (11) and RBI (27), while hitting .303.; Paul Goldschmidt<\/strong>, 1B, Cardinals, who put up a .340-9-19 line, and led MLB in Septembers runs scored with 29.<\/p>\n National League Pitcher of the Month \u2013 Eric Lauer, LHP, Brewers<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Honorable Mentions:<\/strong> The Dodgers’ Max Scherzer<\/strong> went 3-0, with a 2.29 ERA and an MLB-leading 48 September strikeouts (and only three walks<\/strong><\/em>) in 39 1\/3 innings in six September starts. The Phillies\u2019 Zack Wheeler<\/strong> was also in the running at 3-1, 1.47 with 39 strikeouts (just six walks) in 30 2\/3 September innings; as was the Braves’ Max Fried<\/strong>, 3-0, 1.54, with an MLB-high 41 innings pitched in September (36 whiffs\/seven walks).<\/p>\n ___________________________________________<\/strong><\/p>\n AL Player of the Month\u00a0 – tie: Luis Robert, CF, White Sox & Salvador Perez, C, Royals<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA, CC BY 2.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Salvador Perez<\/strong> had a .284-10-27 month for the Royals. His 27 RBI were second only to Lourdes Gurriel in MLB and his ten long balls second only to the Blue Jays’ Marcus Semien.\u00a0 Perez’\u00a0 ten September home runs gave him 48 on the season, a new record for catchers.\u00a0 Perez hit safely in 22 of 28 games played in September and had nine multi-hit contests.<\/p>\n Honorable Mentions:<\/em> Lourdes Gurriel, Jr.\u00a0<\/strong> led all of MLB with 30 September RBI, despite a late-September hand injury that cost him a handful of games played. \u00a0\u00a0His line for the month was .329-7-30, with 18 runs scored in 24 games. The Blue Jays\u2019 Teoscar Hernandez hit<\/strong> .301 for the month, with nine home runs and 26 RBI in 28 games. The Royals’ Andrew Benintendi<\/strong> put up a \u00a0343-5-27 line.<\/p>\n AL Pitcher of the Month – Frankie Montas, RHP, A’s<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Photo: Keith Allison from Hanover, MD, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n Frankie Montas went 3-0, 2.19 in six September starts. His ERA was third among AL pitchers with at least 25 September innings, his 37 innings pitched second, and his 40 strikeouts fifth.\u00a0 He threw five quality starts in his six games and finished strong – a 0.45 ERA in his final three starts (one win, two no decisions). He came up big in a key game against the division-rival (and first-place) Astros in Houston on September 24 – going seven innings, giving up just two\u00a0 hits and one walk and\u00a0 fanning eight – enabling the A’s to take a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh.\u00a0 (The A’s eventually won 14-2. )<\/p>\n Honorable \u00a0Mentions:<\/em> Cal Quantrill<\/strong> of the Indians was contender at 4-1, 2.73 in five starts (33 innings), with a 1.06 WHIP and a .215 average against. I also looked at the Twins’ Michael Pineda<\/strong>, the only AL pitcher with five September wins (5-0 in five games\/four starts). Pineda had a nifty 1.85 ERA for the month, but pitched only 24 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n\n
——Baseball Roundtable Players and Pitchers of the Month—–<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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<\/a><\/a>The Brewers\u2019 Eric Lauer came into September with a 4-5, 3.61 record, but gave up no more than one earned run in any of this five September starting assignments. \u2013 going 3-0, 1.15 for the month. That ERA was the lowest among MLB pitchers with at least 20 September innings. Lauer’s WHIP of 0.70 was also the best among pitchers with 20 innings pitched for the month, as was his .133 opponents’ batting average. Lauer fanned 32 batters (eight walks) in 31 1\/3 innings pitched.<\/p>\n<\/a>Luis Robert<\/strong>‘s .367 average led all American Leaguers with at least 75 at bats. He\u00a0 hit safely in 20 of 23 September games – with 11 multi-hit games. His 36 September hits were sixth in MLB and fourth in the AL. He had six home runs, 20 RBI and 14 runs scored. His\u00a0 eight doubles were fifth in the AL and his .633 slugging percentage was\u00a0 third among AL players with at least 75 September at bats.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a>