Whether it’s a “dead ball” or a pitching surge, with an abundance of relievers over 96 miles, the only thing certain is that Major League Baseball’s defensive decline already affects good and bad.
It’s six weeks into the action, and it’s amazing how many hitters are nipping at the 200-point line, under or over, and a huge drop in display of power, too.
For this time, I leave you with this little group of interesting names:
PLAYERS WITH POOR PERFORMANCE
PROM NAME HRS..EC
Marcus Semien, Texas .157 0 8
Kike Hernandez, Boston .169 1 15
Yasmani Grandall, W. Sox .167 1 6
Jackie Bradley jr, Boston .202 0 9
Nelson Cruz, Washington .200 4 20
Franmil Reyes,Cleveland .207 3 11
Marcell Ozuna, Atlanta .205 5 14
Jeimer Candelario, Detroit .200 2 11
Trevor Story, Boston .196 1 15
Randy Arozarena, Tampa .227 1. 9
And I tell you that in that group there are people who earn a lot of money, and who have just signed long-term contracts, such as Trevor Story, from Boston, who signed a 6-year, $140 million deal. Of course he was not for those numbers.
Either way, we’ll have to wait for the all-star game’s hiatus in mid-July and see how this case has played out. Ragball, superior pitching or something else?
THE ROOKIES: Julio Rodríguez exploded yesterday against the Mets, hitting 4-for-4, including his second home run of the season. The Seattle center fielder was a factor in his team’s 8-7 victory. Julio raises his average to . 264 and his OBP to .328, although he has many strikeouts (43) for only 11 walks. He is co-leader in the league in stolen bases with 10 of 12 attempts, and he continues to improve his game.
Peña has a .276 average, 6 home runs with 20 RBIs, and a .348 OBP. He didn’t see action yesterday in Houston’s 8-0 win over Washington… Justin Verlander led 5 pitchers, though he only pitched 5 innings,. But he’s 5-1 with a 1.38 ERA…José Altuve shot his 7mol. Home run of the year…Washington’s Juan Soto and Nelson Cruz each missed 4 times.
Houston continues to play well at 23-12 and is tied with the Angels for the lead in the American League West.
RARE CASE: Win a baseball game without shooting a hit? The report says that this has happened six times, including on Sunday when the Pirates beat Cincinnati with a blank hits record. What happened there, how were the events? For Cincinnati, Hunter Green pitched 7.1 innings giving 5 walks and 9 strikeouts, and Art Warren 1.2 innings without a hit. But, in the 8th. episode there were 3 bases on running balls and a selection play with a ground ball to short, and there the Pirates scored a return… This winning in that way had happened for the last time on June 28, 2008 to the Dodgers against the Angels. Incredible but true.
DEBUTTING: Robinson Canó had his first appearance opening yesterday’s game for San Diego, he played second base and missed 5 at-bats…Canó will be used in different roles, including pinch hitter, DH and second baseman, let’s see what happens. He has a minimum salary contract, but the Mets will have to complete his 22 million this year. And what do you do with so much money, save it? San Diego beat Atlanta 7-3 and has a good record of 22-13, leaders of the Western Division. … Sergio Alcántara is also on the active roster…
DESTROYING: The New York Yankees were visiting Chicago and won 3 of the series of 4… They lost Saturday’s because Aroldis Chapman, the Cuban, allowed the return of the win to the White Sox in the bottom of the ninth. Chapman is another pitcher, he doesn’t want to use his fastball, only breaking pitches and he throws a lot of “pricks”… The man has become a “coward”… Yesterday, the Yankees won 5-1, hitting only two hits, a single from Kiner Falefa and a two-run home run by Joey Gallo..But, the star of the game was Cuban Nestor Cortés, who threw very well for the second straight outing..Cortés reached the 8th. with two hits and zero runs, when he allowed a solo home run to Adam Engel .. In his previous presentation, last Monday, Cortés entered the 8th. Inning throwing no hit game. He is now 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA as the best pitcher on the team this year … The Yankees are 25-9, the best record in the majors. Today they start a series of 4 in Baltimore…
