Hao-Yu Lee will likely be certainly one of eight Detroit Tigers prospects taking part within the forthcoming Arizona Fall League, and whereas he doesn’t possess the best profile of the bunch, he does have the most-traveled backstory. Acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies on the commerce deadline in change for Michael Lorenzen, the 20-year-old infielder hails from Taiwan and started dreaming of enjoying professionally in the US at age 16 after a robust efficiency in a U-18 event, in Korea. Two years earlier he’d excelled in a event that came about 15-plus miles southwest of Comerica Park.
The Phillies signed Hao-Yu in June 2021—the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays had been among the many different MLB groups that had expressed curiosity — as soon as he’d completed highschool. No. 8 on our Phillies Prime Prospects record with a 40+ FV coming into this season, he slashed .273/.362/.399 earlier than happening the shelf with a quad pressure in mid-August. He ended up enjoying in simply eight video games for the Excessive-A West Michigan Whitecaps earlier than lacking the length of the marketing campaign.
The primary big-league sport Hao-Yu attended was in 2017 when he was competing within the Junior League World Sequence, which is held yearly in Taylor, Michigan. He doesn’t bear in mind if the Tigers received that day, however he does recall his first impression of Comerica Park. “I informed my teammates that I used to be going to play right here sometime,” the assured teen mentioned of the expertise.
He additionally remembers the event, and for good cause. Not solely did Taoyuan, Taiwan seize the worldwide bracket, they went on to beat Kennett Sq., Pennsylvania within the finals. Furthermore, Hao-Yu “raked that event; 5 video games, 5 homers!”
The AFL-bound infielder has an enormous character, and it got here out once I requested him how he would describe his sport. “I’m a bathe, not a teller,” Hao-Yu mentioned with a smile. “What you see is what I’m.”
Hao-Yu’s mother and father — his father is a bus driver, his mom a dental assistant — had but to see him play in the US once I spoke to him throughout his quick stint with the Whitecaps. He totally expects that to alter.
“The flight is simply too costly for them to return now,” Hao-Yu defined. “So right here within the minors, no. After I get to the large leagues, sure.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Gary Matthews went 8 for 13 towards J.J. Putz.
J.J. Hardy went 7 for 11 towards Kyle Gibson.
Kirk Gibson went 9 for 14 towards Mark Clear.
Boileryard Clarke went 11 for 23 towards Norwood Gibson.
Willie Norwood went 6 for 9 towards Wealthy Wortham.
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I’ve lately been asking MLB managers which opponent has most impressed them this season, and I added a twist when posing that query to David Ross earlier this week. I requested the Chicago Cubs skipper which American League workforce has most impressed him.
“I might most likely say Houston,” Ross replied. “They had been good after we performed them [in mid-May]. Baltimore was good. We took two of three. While you beat a workforce you’re feeling like they’re not as aggressive as once they beat you, proper? That’s how it’s. We dealt with Tampa Bay fairly effectively. Anaheim swept us, too. It’s such as you go in there and it’s, ‘Wow, they’re higher than you assume they’re,’ blah blah blah. We performed effectively towards Texas and Seattle once they got here in right here.”
The Cubs received 10 of the 15 sequence they performed towards AL groups. The Angels and Astros had been the one golf equipment they didn’t submit a W towards.
“Houston had firemen there,” Ross recalled. They’ve bought some energy hitters. They’ve bought some pitching. Their lineup felt deeper. They’re well-rounded, versatile. Certain, that each one form of adjustments as a season goes alongside, however I believe I’m biased to once you play. I say that lots. It’s not who you play, however once you play them.”
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A quiz:
Dusty Baker had 39.7 fWAR throughout his enjoying profession, probably the most amongst present MLB managers. Which of his contemporaries ranks second in that class?
The reply could be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
The Chicago White Sox introduced three additions to their baseball operations division on Friday. Josh Barfield, who had been serving because the director of participant improvement for the Arizona Diamondbacks, was employed as an assistant normal supervisor. Brian Bannister, who’d been the director of pitching for the San Francisco Giants, was employed as senior advisor to pitching. Gene Watson, who was VP of major-league scouting/assistant normal supervisor with the Kansas Metropolis Royals, would be the ChiSox’s director of participant personnel.
Steve Klauke, the voice of the Triple-A Salt Lake Bees (previously the Salt Lake Buzz) for the final 29 years, is retiring following right now’s season finale. Klauke was named Ballpark Digest Broadcaster of the 12 months in 2014.
Roric Harrison, who had 30 wins and 10 saves whereas showing in 140 video games for 4 groups— primarily the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles — from 1972-1978, died earlier this week at age 76 (per Baseball Participant Passings). The proper-hander went 15-for-24 on the plate, with six of his hits leaving the yard.
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The reply to the quiz is Chicago Cubs supervisor David Ross, with 22.5 fWAR. Oakland’s Mark Kotsay (20.5) and Colorado’s Bud Black (18.2) rank third and fourth, respectively.
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The extent to which Kansas Metropolis qualifies as certainly one of this season’s most disappointing groups is a matter of opinion. Not like the Cardinals, Padres, and the 2 New York-based golf equipment, they weren’t seen as critical contenders. On the similar time, they weren’t anticipated to be this dangerous. Even with 9 wins of their final ten video games, the rebuilding Royals have gone 53-102. Solely the Oakland Athletics, who’re deliberately being run into the bottom by ignominious proprietor John Fisher, have received fewer video games.
Earlier this month, I requested Kansas Metropolis supervisor Matt Quatraro about his degree of disappointment with the workforce’s won-loss document.
“I attempted to return into the season with out a whole lot of expectations so far as what our document could be,” mentioned Quatraro, who changed Mike Matheny on the helm following final 12 months’s 97-loss season. “I knew it was a younger workforce. We’re dissatisfied with what our won-lost whole is. The factor I’m not dissatisfied with is the hassle [and] and the processes they’ve been following. Hopefully they’re going to begin to see a few of these issues come to fruition. So, I don’t have a solution for you on what I assumed our document could be, however am I dissatisfied with what it’s? Sure.”
Following up, I requested the previous Tampa Bay Rays bench coach if it’s potential to elucidate why the workforce has underperformed to the extent that it has.
“At varied factors of the 12 months we have now finished every little thing poorly,” replied Quatraro. “Sooner or later or one other we’ve pitched poorly, we’ve hit poorly, we’ve struggled defensively, we’ve given away outs on the bases — not all on the similar time, however at various occasions. These issues result in losses.”
Quatraro didn’t use accidents as an excuse — this regardless of quite a few notables having missed time — nor did he wish to level to the youthful roster. My suggestion that lack of expertise has been an element elicited a certain quantity of pushback.
“A few of it’s that, however a few of it’s simply not enjoying effectively,” responded Quatraro. “Veteran groups do these issues as effectively. I didn’t say that [it was inexperience]. That’s baseball, proper? There are many occasions the place your workforce underperforms, and it doesn’t have something to do with youth.”
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Trevor Might offered a solution I wasn’t anticipating when requested about standout moments in his nine-year big-league profession. I posed the query to the Oakland A’s reliever on the ninth of July, and the sport he cited had taken place only a handful of weeks earlier.
“There are a number of actually cool ones,” replied Might, who has now made 356 regular-season appearances plus six extra within the postseason. “Truthfully, getting the save within the reverse boycott sport [on June 13] was one thing I received’t overlook anytime quickly. With the ability to try this towards the workforce with the very best document within the league [the Tampa Bay Rays] and win our seventh in a row, particularly with how the 12 months has gone, was the best of the highs after the bottom of the lows. That was an enormous one for me.”
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Orix Buffaloes captured their third consecutive NPB Pacific League pennant this week and have NPB’s second-best document at 80-47. The Osaka-based membership completed in final place 4 years in the past.
Hanshin Tigers outfielder Koji Chikamoto grew to become the primary NPB Central League hitter to log at the least 12 triples in a season since 1960 when he reached that mark on Wednesday. The 28-year-old outfielder is slashing .286/.378/.435 on the 12 months.
Guillermo Heredia is slashing .325/.385/.472 with 12 residence runs for the KBO’s SSG Landers. A veteran of seven MLB seasons, the 32-year-old outfielder performed for the Atlanta Braves final 12 months.
Chang-ki Hong is slashing .339/.456/.426 with the LG Twins. The 29-year-old outfielder leads the KBO in OBP, runs scored, doubles, walks, and HBPs. He’s 21 for 41 in stolen base makes an attempt.
William Cuevas is 9-0 with a 2.86 ERA in 91-and-a-third innings for the KT Wiz. The 32-year-old right-hander, who briefly pitched for the Boston Pink Sox and the Detroit Tigers from 2016-2018, signed with the KBO membership after being launched by the Los Angeles Dodgers in June.
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Ian Hamilton is having a very good 12 months with the New York Yankees. Working primarily out of the bullpen — he’s served as an opener thrice — the 28-year-old right-hander has a 2.65 ERA over a profession excessive 37 appearances. Arguably extra notable is that he incorporates a “slambio.”
“It’s primarily a cut-change that form of simply drops a bit of bit,” defined Hamilton, who beforehand pitched for the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins. “It’s low spin, virtually gyro-y, and in accordance with my catchers it generally strikes erratically, virtually like a knuckleball. If it backs up, it form of shakes a bit of bit. It’s distinctive, I assume.”
Hamilton isn’t utterly positive why it strikes prefer it does. The pitch is delivered with a circle-change grip, his center finger is the final contact level as he releases the ball, and it merely does what it does. He started “messing round with it in highschool [in Vancouver, Washington], throwing it at a stationary goal,” and from there was born… effectively, what precisely is it?
“Truthfully, I believe there have been 5 names for it all through my complete baseball profession,” mentioned Hamilton. “It’s been a circle-change, a cutter, a cut-change, a slider, and now persons are calling is a slambio. It’s what it’s, I assume.”
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FARM NOTES
Austin Shenton has 45 doubles this 12 months, probably the most within the minors. The 25-year-old nook infielder within the Tampa Bay Rays group is slashing .304/.422/.578 with 28 residence runs between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham.
Yunior Severino and Shay Whitcomb co-lead the minors with 35 residence runs every. The previous is a 23-year-old infielder within the Minnesota Twins group who’s slashing .274/.355/.551 between Double-A Wichita and Triple-A St. Paul. The latter is a 24-year-old infielder within the Houston Astros system who’s slashing .242/.301/.474 between Double-A Corpus Christi and Triple-A Sugar Land.
Justyn-Henry Malloy has drawn 110 walks, probably the most within the minors. The 23-year-old outfielder/third baseman within the Detroit Tigers system is slashing .280/.419/.478 with 23 residence runs for Triple-A Toledo.
Nick Avila is 14-0 with three saves and a 3.04 ERA for Triple-A Sacramento. The 26-year-old right-hander within the San Francisco Giants group has made 55 appearances and has 63 strikeouts in 71 innings.
Orion Kerkering is 4-1 with 14 saves and a 1.51 ERA over 49 appearances throughout 4 ranges within the Philadelphia Phillies system. The 22-year-old right-hander started the 12 months in Low-A Clearwater and is ending it with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
Yu-Min Lin went 6-5 with a 3.86 ERA between Excessive-A Hillsboro and Double-A Amarillo. A local of Taitung, Taiwan, the 20-year-old left-hander within the Arizona Diamondbacks group had 140 strikeouts in 121-and-a-third innings.
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Jake Rogers is placing up stable energy numbers this 12 months — the Detroit Tigers backstop has 20 bombs in 349 plate appearances — and a school teammate now pitching for the Houston Astros is amongst these taking discover.
He’s having a very good 12 months,” mentioned J.P. France, who was with Rogers at Tulane College. “We had been capable of catch up for the primary time since 2016 after we went Detroit, and it was superior for us to be enjoying towards one another within the huge leagues. To this present day, he’s one of many high catchers I’ve thrown to. He’s nice again there. He’s additionally bought a cannon for an arm and a very good bat. On high of that, he’s an awesome man. It’s thrilling to see him enjoying effectively.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
A knowledge science and economics scholar at Northeastern College named Nick Calvin is at the moment doing knowledge analytics with NPB’s Hiroshima Carp. Cody Mello-Klein has the story at Northeastern International Information.
Adam Wainwright willed his approach to his two hundredth profession win on Monday. Derrick Goold wrote about it for the St. Louis Publish-Dispatch.
Purple Row’s Samantha Bradfield wrote about Colorado’s Ryan Feltner returning to the mound 4 months after being hit within the head by a line drive.
Which groups maintain the tiebreakers heading into the finals week of the season? MLB.com has the reply.
The Arizona Fall League rosters could be discovered right here.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Miguel Cabrera has 3,168 hits: 2,017 singles and 1,151 extra-base hits.Adrian Beltré had 3,166 hits: 2,015 singles and 1,151extra-base hits.
Ronald Acuña leads the Atlanta Braves in runs scored this 12 months with 143.Ryan Noda leads the Oakland Athletics in runs scored with 60.
Luis Arraez has a 5.5% strikeout charge, a 5.7% stroll charge, and a .361 BABIP.Kyle Schwarber has a 30.0% strikeout charge, a 17.6% stroll charge, and a .213 BABIP.
Shohei Ohtani has a 179 wRC+, the best in MLB amongst certified hitters. Javier Báez has a 61 wRC+, the bottom amongst certified hitters.
Cody Bellinger’s 438-foot blast on Tuesday was the 15,000th residence run in Chicago Cubs franchise historical past (they now have 1,506). The New York Yankees (16,998) and San Francisco Giants (15,365) are the one franchises to have hit extra residence runs.
Jack Morris completed his profession with the unbiased Northern League’s St. Paul Saints in 1996. The Corridor of Fame right-hander, then 41 years outdated, pitched in 10 video games and went 5-1 with a 2.61 ERA.
The New York Yankees hit six residence runs, together with two every by Alex Rodriguez and Mark Teixeira, towards Pink Sox pitching on right now’s date in 2010. Regardless of the gophers, Boston received 10-8.
On right now’s date in 1982, the Detroit Tigers beat the Cleveland Indians 4-3 within the completion of a suspended sport that had begun on June 9. The 18-inning affair at Tiger Stadium ended when Alan Trammell scored on an Ed Glynn wild pitch.
Gamers born on right now’s date embody Gorman Heimueller, a southpaw out of California Polytechnic College — Ozzie Smith was a school teammate — who went 3-6 with a 4.67 ERA whereas showing in 22 video games for the Oakland Athletics in 1983 and 1984. The final pitch Heimueller threw within the huge leagues was hit for a Tenth-inning walk-off grand slam by Boston’s Jim Rice on the Fourth of July.
Additionally born on right now’s date was Kewpie Pennington, a right-handed pitcher who threw a scoreless inning for the St. Louis Browns in his lone big-league look. Eddie Cicotte tossed a no-hitter for the Chicago White Sox towards Kewpie’s membership within the April 14, 1917 contest.
