Charlie Morton simply retains chugging alongside. Three months shy of his fortieth birthday, and in his seventeenth big-league season, the right-hander is 12-10 with a 3.54 ERA over 24 begins with the Atlanta Braves. His most up-to-date outing was particularly spectacular. Relying closely on his knee-buckling bender, but in addition topping out at 96.9 mph along with his heater, he dominated the New York Yankees to the tune of six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts.
How for much longer can he proceed to defy Father Time and excel in opposition to baseball’s greatest hitters?
“I don’t think about that,” Morton replied in response to that query. “I think about, ‘When am I going to go home?’ I always thought the game was going to dictate when I went home. If you look at my career, there was no reason why I wouldn’t think that. There was no reason to think that I was going to start having the best years of my career at age 33, or that my best years would be in my late 30s. There was no reason to think I would still be throwing the ball like I am now. It would have been illogical.”
Morton’s profession has certainly adopted an unforeseeable path. From 2008-2016, enjoying primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates, he went 46-71 with a 4.54 ERA over 161 begins. Since his 2017 age-33 season, he has gone 82-40 with a 3.54 ERA over 185 begins. Morphing from “Ground Chuck” into extra of an influence pitcher performed a significant position within the turnaround, however regardless of the motive, Morton went from mediocre to a mainstay in frontline rotations. Since his transformation, solely six pitchers have began extra video games, and solely two (Gerrit Cole and Max Scherzer) have been credited with extra wins.
And once more, how for much longer he’ll be excelling on a big-league mound isn’t a lot a matter of “can,” however fairly of “will.” When I requested Morton if he’s extra prone to cling up the spikes a 12 months too quickly, versus a 12 months too late, he chewed on the query for a full 10 seconds earlier than responding.
“I went into this year thinking that I wanted to go home,’” admitted Morton, who has a spouse and 4 children. “That was my mentality, but I can’t have that mentality right now. I’m trying to win a World Series. I don’t want to think about either retiring or keeping going. Frankly, it’s kind of exhausting to think about next year in any shape or form. My attitude is that I’m going to carry the good parts of my year into the offseason. Then it’s up to me.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Shane Mack went 4 for 4 in opposition to Kevin Morton.
Ping Bodie went 14 for 28 in opposition to Guy Morton.
Ron Santo went 18 for 37 in opposition to Carl Morton.
Bubba Morton went 11 for 23 in opposition to Dave McNally.
Stan Musial went 10 for 17 in opposition to Morton “Mort” Cooper.
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Which group acquired the higher of the January deal that noticed Luis Arraez and a pair of prospects go from Miami to Minnesota in change for Pablo López? That query can’t be answered for at the very least a couple of extra years, however we will take a look at the first-season performances. As the prospects are enjoying within the decrease ranges of the minors, let’s give attention to the centerpieces.
Arraez, who flirted with the .400 mark for the primary three months of the season, is at present slashing .360/.404/.464 with a 139 wRC+. He has 3.3 fWAR and 4.7 bWAR.
López, who has allowed 5 runs in 20 innings over his final three begins, is 9-6 with a 3.51 ERA and a 3.17 FIP. He has 3.8 fWAR and three.2 bWAR.
The higher season thus far? A sound argument may very well be made both approach.
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Which 25-year-old outfielder is the higher hitter, Kerry Carpenter or Lars Nootbaar? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot earlier this week, and the outcomes — fairly probably influenced by my having extra followers who’re Detroit followers — had been pretty one-sided. Only 21.9% of the votes went to the Cardinal, whereas the Tiger garnered 78.1%.
Possible voter bias apart, I consider that the appropriate participant received the ballot. Nootbaar has a 125 wRC+ and a .348 wOBA to go along with 31 dwelling runs in 859 profession plate appearances. Carpenter has a 134 wRC+ and a .360 wOBA to go along with 23 dwelling runs in 410 plate appearances. Carpenter’s present season edge in wRC+ is 137 to 132, whereas his dwelling run edge is 17 to 12.
Nootbaar, who’s the youthful of the 2 by six days, broke into the large leagues 14 months sooner than did Carpenter. He’s the higher total participant, however the higher bat belongs to Carpenter.
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A quiz:
Barry Bonds had 1,951 hits whereas enjoying for the San Francisco Giants from 1993-2007, essentially the most on the group over that span. Which participant had the second-most hits for the Giants over these 15 seasons?
The reply might be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Dale Mitchell and Manny Ramirez had been formally inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame yesterday. Ramirez slashed .313/.407/.592 for Cleveland from 1993-1999. Mitchell slashed .312/.368/.417 from 1946-1956.
SABR introduced this week that subsequent 12 months’s nationwide conference shall be held on August 7-11 in downtown Minneapolis. The Twins shall be internet hosting the Guardians for a weekend sequence in the course of the 52nd annual occasion.
The Cleveland Guardians introduced that former outfielder Alex Cole has died at age 58. A speedster who swiped 40 bases for the Tribe in his 1990 rookie season whereas showing in simply 63 video games, Cole additionally suited up for the Pirates, Rockies, Twins, and Red Sox over his seven-year big-league profession.
Dick Tomanek, a left-handed pitcher from Avon Lake, Ohio who went 10-10 with seven saves whereas enjoying for the Cleveland Indians and the Kansas City Athletics in a profession that spanned the 1953-1959 seasons, died on August 11 at age 92. Per his B-Ref bio web page, Tomanek’s father walked 20 miles to see him make his MLB debut.
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The reply to the quiz is Rich Aurilia, with 1,085 hits. J.T. Snow (1,043) and Jeff Kent (1,021) had the third and fourth highest hit totals throughout Barry Bond’s Giants tenure.
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Dae-ho Lee had a stellar profession. A local of Busan, South Korea who performed each nook infield positions, he logged 2,909 hits whereas batting .304 with 488 dwelling runs. A legend in his homeland, he spent 17 seasons within the KBO (2001-2011 and 2017-2022), 4 in NPB (2012-2015), and one with the Seattle Mariners (2016). Just how good was Dae-ho, and the way may he have fared had he performed in MLB for an prolonged time frame? I requested these inquiries to a pair of his former teammates.
“He was really good,” stated Bobby Scales, who was with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes in 2012. “One factor that at all times struck me about Lee Dae-ho is that he had actually good ft in small areas at first base. He didn’t have a whole lot of vary, however he was good with the glove. But his capability to hit was clearly his carrying device. He was a extremely good hitter who used the entire discipline. He had massive energy, in all probability 70 energy (on the scouting scale).
“He was [34] when he played in Seattle,”continued Scales, who turned a farm director after his enjoying days and is now a broadcast analyst for the Detroit Tigers. “I thought he would do a little bit better than he did [a .740 OPS in 317 plate appearances with the Mariners], but it’s difficult when… it’s not just the baseball, it’s a new culture and everything else. I made a similar adjustment when I went to Japan at 32. It’s hard, man. Had he come over to the United States earlier, I think it would have been different.”
Brooks Raley was Dae-Ho’s teammate with the KBO’s Lotte Giants from 2017-2019, this in the course of the latter’s age 35-37 seasons. His recollections and opinions are much like those supplied by Scales.
“He was older when I played with him,” stated the New York Mets southpaw, who spent 5 seasons in Korea earlier than returning stateside in 2020. “He couldn’t run very effectively, however he might actually hit. And a extremely good glove, comfortable arms, at first base. Even at his age, he was among the finest gamers over there. Hyun-Soo Kim, who performed for Baltimore slightly bit, was additionally a extremely good participant. And then right here was the house run king, Lee Seung-yuop, who retired in 2017 or 2018. Dae-ho was up there with these guys. I head loads about him once I acquired over there. He was a triple crown winner [three] instances.
“He could have been [a productive big-league player] had he come over earlier, for sure. Dae-ho was a real presence. Really good power. Unbelievable ability to handle spin. Like I said, a solid first baseman. I have no doubt he could have had a good career over here.”
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The LG Twins boast the KBO’s greatest report at 62-36. Former Guardians and Orioles right-hander Adam Plutko is 11-3 for the Seoul-based group, whereas former Cardinals, Giants, and Marlins outfielder Austin Dean is batting .312 with 16 dwelling runs.
Niko Goodrum is slashing .268/.346/.330 in 110 plate appearances for the Lotte Giants. The former Tigers, Twins, and Astros outfielder joined the KBO membership after being launched by the Red Sox in early July.
Chunichi Dragons outfielder Yuki Okabayashi hit safely in 29 consecutive video games earlier than going 0-for-5 yesterday. The NPB report is held by Yoshihiko Takahashi, who hit in 33 straight for the Hiroshima Carp in 1979. The 21-year-old Okabayashi is slashing .306/.352.404 over 476 plate appearances on the season.
José Osuna is slashing .246/.315/.433 with 16 dwelling runs in 387 plate appearances with the Yakult Swallows. The 30-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder is in his third NPB season, all with the Tokyo-based membership.
Carter Stewart is 2-3 with a 2.33 ERA over 38-and-two-thirds innings with the NPB’s Softbank Hawks. The 23-year-old right-hander signed with the Fukuoka-based membership fairly than signing with the Atlanta Braves, who drafted him eighth total in 2018 out of a Melbourne, Florida’s Eau Gallie High School.
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Ethan Hankins was 19 years outdated and pitching for then-Low-A Lake County once I first interviewed him for FanGraphs late within the 2019 season. Drafted thirty fifth total by Cleveland the earlier summer time, the 6-foot-6 right-hander had a propitious arm and a vivid future. Four years and fewer than 100 skilled innings later, he’s again within the Midwest League along with his future not on agency footing. Injuries have been the stumbling block.
“Tommy John [in 2021] was the biggest part of it,” defined Hankins. “But then once I figured out my elbow — this was a year post surgery — my shoulder started barking. I’d been out of the game for so long that once I started upping my workload my shoulder got the blunt of the fatigue.”
The Gainesville, Georgia native ended up pitching only one inning final 12 months, within the Arizona Complex League. He then had a delayed begin to the present marketing campaign as a consequence of a hamstring harm suffered in spring coaching. When he lastly took the mound in early May, it was for the primary time — apart from that lone ACL body — in practically 4 years. With no minor league season in 2020, and his subsequent surgical procedure and restoration hurdles, Hankins has basically needed to relearn his craft.
”I really feel like I’m getting again to regular,” Hankins instructed me earlier this month. “At the identical time, I’ve been faraway from baseball for three-plus years and am getting used to it once more. I imply, I’ve touched 99 [mph] this 12 months, however none of that issues. Lots of guys throw exhausting. My stuff simply hasn’t felt regular. When I used to be right here in 2019, I used to be 19 years outdated and had been pitching for a very long time with out ever getting damage. When I needed to cease… it’s important to relearn stuff. I’m relearning stuff proper now.
“Each time I get out there, I feel better. That’s just the way the process goes. All I’m really worried about is feeling healthy and getting my innings. Next year will be different — I’ll be another year removed from surgery — but right now I’m not worried about results. I could go out and give up nine runs on two pitches — that’s not possible — but I could do it and it wouldn’t matter. Our pitching coaches and coordinators wouldn’t care. It’s all about the process.”
Hankins is 1-7 with a 6.06 ERA in 32-and-two-thirds innings with the now-High-A Lake County Captains this season. He has allowed 29 hits, issued 19 walks, and fanned 39 batters. His greatest outing got here yesterday when he allowed one run over 5 innings and was credited along with his first skilled win.
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FARM NOTES
Miami Marlins infield prospect Ian Lewis stole 5 bases for the Low-A Jupiter Hammerheads on Wednesday regardless of not recording a success. The 22-year-old Nassau, Bahamas native, who walked as soon as and reached on an error twice, swiped second, third, and residential within the fifth inning.
Abimelec Ortiz is slashing .297/.359/.621 with 28 dwelling runs in 377 plate appearances between Low-A Down East and High-A Hickory. The 23-year-old first baseman from Bayamón, Puerto Rico is No. 9 on our Texas Rangers Top Prospect listing with a forty five FV.
Junior Caminero is slashing .321/.379/.564 with 22 dwelling runs in 412 plate appearances between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery. Currently No. 21 on The Board with a 55 FV, the 20-year-old third baseman/shortstop from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic was acquired by the Tampa Bay Rays from the Cleveland Guardians in change for Tobias Myers in November 2021.
Tsung-Che Cheng leads all minor league hitters with 10 triples. No. 34 on our Pittsburgh Pirates Top Prospects listing with a 35+ FV coming into the season, the 22-year-old infielder from Pingtung County, Taiwan is slashing .298/.370/.489 with 11 dwelling runs between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.
Wen Hui Pan is 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 81 strikeouts in 57-and-two-thirds innings with the Low-A Clearwater Threshers. The 20-year-old right-hander from Hualien, Taiwan was signed as a global free agent by the Philadelphia Phillies this previous January.
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Joey Votto is a Cincinnati Reds icon. Since debuting with the N.L. Central membership in 2007, the 39-year-old native of Toronto, Ontario has amassed 58.2 WAR whereas logging a .410 OBP and a 145 wRC+. A robust candidate to someday be enshrined in Cooperstown, he’s a shoo-in to elected to the Reds Hall of Fame.
According to a brand new e book by MLB.com’s Jonathan Mayo, Votto may very effectively have spent his profession in pinstripes, and never in a Cincinnati uniform.
“I’m sorry, I wanted to be a Yankee,” Votto instructed then-New York scout Dick Gooch after the Reds had chosen him within the second spherical of the 2002 draft. As Mayo defined in Smart, Lucky and Wrong: The Origin Story of Baseball’s Unexpected Stars, the Yankees had deliberate to take Votto later in that very same spherical and had already made out a contract for more cash than the Reds had been getting ready to supply. Both groups had gone out of their technique to conceal their curiosity, as Votto hadn’t been closely scouted and wasn’t broadly considered as a high-round decide.
Mayo’s e book, which tells the behind-the-scenes tales of eight big-league stalwarts who weren’t extremely regarded previous to being drafted and signed, is a should learn.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MassLive’s Chris Cotillo caught as much as Nationals infielder Michael Chavis, who too usually “didn’t allow [himself] to enjoy” his time in Boston.
Bleed Cubbie Blue’s Al Yellon wrote about how fights between unruly followers have plagued Cubs-White Sox video games this season.
Logan Webb is an old-school workhorse pitcher in an period of warning, and Emma Baccellieri talked to him about that attribute at Sports Illustrated.
MLB.com’s Michael Clair wrote about Genevieve Beacom, an 18-year-old, two-way participant from Australia who drew Shohei Ohtani comparisons whereas excelling within the WBSC Women’s World Cup, in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
George Kirby has 133 strikeouts and 14 walks. Alek Manoah has 59 walks and 79 strikeouts.
Boston’s Justin Turner has give you a runner on third base and fewer than two out 31 instances this 12 months and is 12-for-25 with one stroll, 5 sacrifice flies, 25 RBIs, and an 1.139 OPS. He has fanned simply 5 instances.
Yu Darvish recorded his 1,919th MLB strikeout on Monday, surpassing Hideo Nomo for essentially the most ever by a pitcher born in Japan. Masahiro Tanaka has the third-highest whole with 991.
Jose Altuve has 2,001 hits, 3,056 TB, a .307/.364/.470 slash line, and 51.6 WAR.
Joe Mauer had 2,123 hits, 3,040 TB, a .306/.388/.439 slash line, and 53.0 WAR.
Mel Ott had 511 dwelling runs and 1,860 RBIs. Miguel Cabrera has 509 dwelling runs and 1,868 RBIs.
Texas Rangers shortstop Kevin Elster had 99 RBIs in 1996, with 92 of them coming with him batting within the 9 gap. A .228 hitter with an 81 wRC+ over 13 big-league seasons, Elster had 376 RBIs over his 6.1 WAR profession.
On at this time’s date in 1945, Tommy “Buckshot” Brown accounted for Brooklyn’s solely run with a round-tripper because the Dodgers fell to Preacher Roe and the Pittsburgh Pirates by a rely of 11-1. Brown was 17 years, eight months, and 14 days outdated on the time, making him the youngest participant in MLB historical past to go away the yard.
Dwight Gooden had 16 strikeouts in an entire sport effort because the New York Mets topped the San Francisco Giants 3-0 on at this time’s date in 1985. It was the 20-year-old right-hander’s thirteenth consecutive successful choice on his technique to a 24-4 report.
Players born on at this time’s date embody Beau Bell, an outfielder who logged 806 hits in a big-league profession that spanned the 1935-1941 seasons. More than half (430) of his hits got here with the St. Louis Browns in 1936 and 1937 when he slashed a mixed .342/.397/.506 with 91 doubles, 20 triples, 25 dwelling runs, and 240 RBIs.
Also born on at this time’s date was George Zuverink, who pitched for 4 groups, primarily the Baltimore Orioles, from 1951-1959. The right-hander from Holland, Michigan led the American League in appearances (62) and saves (16) in 1956. Per his B-Ref bio web page, Zuverink went 0-7 as a highschool senior.
Content Source: blogs.fangraphs.com