MLB

As Aaron Judge continues to hit home runs, it’s a reminder that 60 is still a magical plateau

Published

10 months ago

August 9, 2022

Rodrigo

As Aaron Judge continues to hit home runs, it’s a reminder that 60 is still a magical plateau

Yes, this is amazing. The Cardinals didn’t completely lock down the judges. The Mammoth Yankees slugger had five hits, four RBIs — including two on Sunday — and two runs and a stolen base during a three-game winning streak. Even if he doesn’t deal capital D damage, he still deals damage.

But with the way Judge has played baseball lately, any shot that doesn’t end in a home run is the job of Yeoman’s opposing pitcher. After the All-Star break, Judge hit 10 home runs in New York’s first 13 games of the second half, hitting a .525 home run and a 1.083 slugging percentage in 61 games.

“I think Aaron Judge is the best player in the world right now,” Matt Carpenter told The Sporting News on Friday. “I was looking at him. I got a front row seat for that. I joked that he reminded me of the 14-year-old who lied on his birth certificate for the Little League World Series. He was in a Different league, he’s so good.”

So Judge left St. Louis with the same number of home runs he had when he arrived: 43 home runs in the majors in 109 team games. That’s still nine ahead of everyone else in the big company. It’s still incredibly fast. But with 53 games remaining, Judge’s chances of matching Barry Bonds’ record of 73 home runs in a single season are slim. Now, despite his incredible strength this year, he’s “only” hitting 64 home runs.

“You get numb in batting practice, but what he’s doing right now is amazing,” Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks said as he sat in front of the locker before Friday’s game. “You find yourself just laughing, ‘He did it again.’ All these different situations come up and he answers the phone every time. It’s really fun to watch. Heck, I’ve been here before him, so to I’ve seen him come in as a freshman so far. It’s fun to watch.”

**Players with at least 43 HRs in 109 games**
Name	Year	HRs in 109 games	Finished with
Barry Bonds	2001	46	73
Babe Ruth	1921	46	59
Mark McGwire	1998	45	70
Mark McGwire	1999	44	65
Aaron Judge	2022	43
Luis Gonzalez	2001	43	57
Babe Ruth	1928	43	54
Mickey Mantle	1961	43	54

If 73 is extremely unlikely, what is left?

‘Just’ that: Thugs mocked the hunt for decades, generations. Look for that magic 60 home run marker. Yes, it’s still important in the sport.

“I think it’s definitely a magic number,” Hicks said. “The last guy to get close to him was G (Giancarlo Stanton, with the Marlins in 2017). That’s a hard number to track. Think about the story behind it, the players who did it.”

Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs for the Yankees in 1927, and everyone else tried and failed to reach his feat until another Yankee player, Roger Maris, hit in 1961 61 sticks. That record stood for another 37 years, until both Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa passed. It was 1998, and that summer felt magical. Both players were over 60 again (Sousa twice), with Barry Bonds eclipsing McGwell’s 70 in 2001 with his unreal 73 homers.

Of course, we know now.

The numbers still exist in the record books as they should, but ask yourself if they feel sacred. Sorry, corrupt numbers are not sacred. In round plateau sports, while random monuments of achievement—500 home run clubs, 3,000 batting marks, 0.400 in a season, ERA under 2.00—are more important than any other sport, 60 The performance of home runs is still high. The point here isn’t to say what Bonds, McGwell, and Sousa did, but that these inflated totals don’t take away the enduring magic of Ruth and Maris, who both hit 60.

Judges can still get there. He could join Ruth and Maris while staying separate from Bonds, McGwire and Sosa (in a number of ways).

With 57 games remaining for the Yankees, Judge needs 17 homers to tie Ruth and 18 to tie Maris. Guys, it’s quite possible. I wouldn’t say it’s possible, but it’s certainly within the bounds of certainty.

Using Baseball-Reference’s StatHead search, we see that Judge had at least 18 in 57 games when he hit 52 homers and finished second in AL MVP (and won Rookie of the Year) in 2017 Home runs have multiple overlapping streaks. He had multiple overlapping 18 home runs in 57 games in 2018, when he hit 27 in 112 games. Also in 2021, he has multiple overlapping 18 home runs in 57 games.

What about 2022? His best record was 26 home runs in 57 games. Impressive, but here really tells the story of Judge’s incredible season. You can pick out Judge’s season in 57 games per game (he hit 105 of his 109 with the Yankees), and he hit at least 18 home runs in that span.

“It’s nice to see a Yankees beat another Yankee’s number,” Hicks said with a laugh. “It’s great to see that.”

At this point in the season, you’re probably wondering the same thing I’ve always wondered: Why do teams keep pitching him? His solo knockout shot in the final game against Kansas City on July 28 really stood out. He hit five home runs in his last six games, and in the home game, the ninth was tied, so a lone homer cost the Royals the game. However, he threw a fastball at 90 mph on his first throw in the lower half of the strike zone.

Of course, he hit the field over the fence. What do royals expect? Oh, and then he hit two more home runs the next night against Kansas City to hit the fourth of the series on the 30th.

Maybe one day, I don’t know, take him for a walk? I asked Aaron Boone this question.

“He gets tossed around at times and the team is very careful with him,” the Yankees manager said before Friday’s game. “But at some point you have to face these guys, especially since we have an impressive cast with Riz (Anthony Rizzo) behind him and D.J. (LeMahieu) in front of him. It’s not It’s always as simple as, “Go ahead and go with him. “We’ve probably seen this more often lately and sometimes teams are outright beating him. But he’s doing a really good job of just focusing on hitting quality shots and not having to worry about home runs and just taking his team with him. .”

That’s exactly what he did in the St. Louis series. Judge hit a 404-foot dead center in Sunday’s game — with full bases — but he hit the wall and he had to “solve” with a two-run double.

If – when – Judge hits that magical 60-homer plateau and joins Yankees legends Ruth and Maris, it’ll be because he’s not content with anything other than size.

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Rodrigo

He is the editor of River C Sports. Previously, he was editor-in-chief at other news sites . Rodrigo has spent most of his career as editor-in-chief of various websites and has more than 7 years of experience in the industry.

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MLB

Interest from other teams could make Chris Sale wear another shirt in 2023

Published

5 months ago

December 29, 2022

Rodrigo

Interest from other teams could make Chris Sale wear another shirt in 2023

Although no more serious negotiations have begun, the Boston Red Sox have noted the interest of other franchises in pitcher Chris Sale and have not ruled out involving him in a possible trade.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that while the Red Stockings are not thinking of trading any of their starters, they may at least listen and consider offers for the members of the rotation, due to many options in the sector.

However, if the team decides that Ace’s time in Boston is over, Sale can veto his fate and choose where he will go, since the no-trade clause in his contract gives him this possibility.

Should any team decide to take over the pitcher’s contract this offseason, they will secure his services for at least two more years, as Chris Sale becomes a free agent only in 2025.

Known for his excellent left-handedness, the athlete has a considerable history of physical problems. In addition to missing the entire already shortened 2020 season as a result of recovery from Tommy John surgery, Sale also took the field nine times the following year in uneven performances.

This season did not start in good shape for Sale either, who missed the start due to a rib injury during Spring Training. When he was healthy, he played only twice and fractured his little finger during an away game against the New York Yankees in July in his last performance. In addition, he broke his wrist riding a bicycle.

“You can’t make that up, right?” said Chaim Bloom, head of baseball operations for the Sox Kings. “We need to send some people after whoever is with Chris Sale’s voodoo doll and get it back.”

Sale was among the top six nominees for the Cy Young award between 2012 and 2018, receiving seven All-Star Game nominations, one World Series win, recording the record for unblemished innings with three (tied with Sandy Koufax and Max Scherzer) and owns a 5.33 strikeouts-to-walk average, the best mark in league history.

Taking into account his wins, but also the medical issue, Chris Sale will have to prove himself again as an elite pitcher who has made it through the injuries. If so, he is a powerful weapon on the mound, regardless of the uniform he wears.

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MLB

Pirates sign veteran pitcher Rich Hill to a one-year deal

Published

5 months ago

December 28, 2022

Rodrigo

Pirates sign veteran pitcher Rich Hill to a one-year deal

The Pittsburgh Pirates and left-handed pitcher Rich Hill finalized terms on a one-year, $8 million contract on Tuesday (27), reported Jeff Passan of ESPN USA.

Hill, 42, will be entering his 19th season in the MLB. He accumulated a 4.27 ERA with 109 strikeouts in 124.1 innings for the Boston Red Sox in 2022. Including, his last stint in Boston was his fourth with the team.

Since 2015, when the lefty had a “resurgence” period in his career, he has maintained an average of 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, along with a good 2.91 ERA (140 ERA+) and a 1.06 WHIP in 87 total games.

The veteran pitcher has also played for the Chicago Cubs, Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays, and New York Mets during his long career.

In addition to Hill, the Pirates have already signed Austin Hedges, Vince Velasquez, Jarlin Garcia, Carlos Santana, Connor Joe, and Ji-Man Choi this offseason.

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MLB

The Mariners acquire Wong from the Brewers in exchange for Winker and Toro.

Published

6 months ago

December 3, 2022

Rodrigo

The Mariners acquire Wong from the Brewers in exchange for Winker and Toro.

The Mariners acquired Kolten Wong from the Brewers on Friday in exchange for outfielder Jesse Winker and infielder Abraham Toro, filling a much-needed left-handed spot in their lineup.

DETAILS OF THE TRADE

2B for the Mariners Kolten Wong
Brewers are awarded: LF/DH INF Jesse Winker Toro, Abraham.

The Mariners will also receive $1.75 million to help offset Wong’s $10 million salary in 2023, when he will be a free agent. Winker is due $8.25 million in his final year before free agency, effectively a money and player swap for Seattle, while Toro is in his first year of arbitration as a Super Two player and won’t be a free agent until until 2026.

Wong has been a Mariners goal since the team came short of signing him as a free agency ahead of the 2021 season, when Seattle offered a two-year deal but Milwaukee offered a third-year club option, which was the difference at the time, according to sources. The Mariners had inquired about Wong’s availability at the Trade Deadline the previous two seasons, but the competing Brewers were uninterested in moving him.

However, with numerous arbitration-eligible players set to receive raises this offseason, many in the business anticipated that the team might be willing to move some of its higher-priced players for payroll relief, prospect capital, and/or depth. Toro, a switch-hitting infielder with glimpses of good performance, provides longevity for the Brewers’ squad, while Winker, coming off a terribly disappointing season, returns to a division where he flourished with the Reds while facing the motivation of a contract year with the Brewers.

Aloha, @KoltenWong 👋

We have acquired the two-time Gold Glove winner from the @Brewers in exchange for Abraham Toro and Jesse Winker. #SeaUsRise

🔗 https://t.co/V4YD0ApLXD pic.twitter.com/jO9STa5ouI

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) December 2, 2022

The Brewers activated Wong’s option last month instead of paying him a $2 million buyout, opening the door for him to be traded, which sparked interest from clubs other than Seattle, according to sources.

Wong, 32, is coming off what was maybe his greatest season at the plate, hitting.251/.339/.430 (.769 OPS) with a career-high 15 homers, 24 doubles, four triples, 47 RBIs, and 116 wRC+ (league average is 100) while collecting 2.5 wins above replacement, according to FanGraphs.

Some of this was by purpose, with a more deliberate attempt to raise the ball higher. His line-drive and fly-ball rates were the best in his career the last two years (49.3% combined), but his ground-ball percentage was the lowest (43.7% for ’21-22). It’s possible that his OPS+ in each of the last two seasons – 110 in ’21 and 118 in ’22 – was the greatest of his career.

Wong is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner who is coming off a defensively bad year in which he was worth minus-9 outs above average (placing in the third percentile, per Statcast) and minus-1 defensive runs saved.

Some of that could be attributed to lower-body injuries he battled throughout the year, such as a right calf strain from a hit-by-pitch in June, which led to a stint on the injured list and persisted despite treatment and footwear experimentation. A full offseason of rest and a Spring Training with infield coaching guru Perry Hill, who has helped J.P. Crawford and Ty France among others, should be beneficial.

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