Earlier this week, Michael Baumann wrote about how Kirby Yates has an opportunity to hitch Craig Kimbrel and Wade Davis as solely relievers in MLB historical past with a number of seasons of 40 or extra appearances and an ERA south of 1.25. 5 years after logging a 1.19 ERA over 60 outings with the San Diego Padres, the 37-year-old right-hander has come out of the Texas Rangers bullpen 44 occasions and has a 1.19 ERA.
I procured subject-specific quotes from Yates for my colleague’s article, however there have been a number of different views I needed to glean from him as effectively. That he has quietly put up higher numbers than many individuals understand was one in all them. As an illustration, since he started throwing his signature splitter in 2017, the underrated righty has a 36.0% strikeout price that ranks sixth-best amongst pitchers who’ve thrown at the very least 250 innings.
“It’s nearly like a story of two of two careers,” Yates mentioned upon listening to that. “It’s earlier than the cut up after which after the cut up. Now I’m getting right into a scenario the place you might name it three careers in a way — since [March 2021 Tommy John] surgical procedure and the way I’ve been getting back from that. Final yr was good, but in addition form of shaky. The 2-and-a-half to a few years off, I felt that. This yr I really feel extra snug. I’ve felt like I might assault some issues I wanted to assault.”
Yates doesn’t really feel that his splitter is kind of pretty much as good because it was pre-surgery, though he does consider it’s getting again to what it was. His fastball is one other story. He informed me that it’s by no means been higher.
Which led me to a different query. Why is his fastball, which ranks within the thirty fourth percentile for velocity, pretty much as good as it’s?
“I feel hitters have a tough time seeing the ball,” reasoned Yates. “I feel I conceal it effectively. I feel it comes out of a distinct slot than they’re used to. I’m additionally capable of carry it effectively. Look, I do know it’s 93 [mph], nevertheless it doesn’t look like guys can catch as much as it simply. It feels prefer it takes a number of fastballs for them to get the timing down, which normally offers me the benefit as a result of I can throw another stuff in there to maintain them off the heater.
“Everyone is so caught up in velo,” added Yates, who has 21 saves on the season. “What individuals are lacking is that what’s taking place on the plate tells an even bigger story than any of the numbers. If the hitters are swinging and lacking it doesn’t matter if it’s 88 or 98. The largest factor is, ‘How are you going to miss barrels?’ There are numerous guys who throw 98 to 100 and are struggling to overlook barrels. There are different guys who’ve actually good heaters — efficient heaters — and are within the 92-94 vary. What you see on the plate tells you good their fastball are.”
Hitters have a .132 batting common and a .198 slugging proportion in opposition to Yates’s heater this season. In opposition to his splitter, these numbers are .119 and .153.
———
RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Jason Donald went 6 for 10 in opposition to Bruce Chen.
Josh Donaldson went 5 for five in opposition to Logan Gilbert.
John Donaldson went 4 for six in opposition to Invoice Butler.
Billy Butler went 5 for six in opposition to Shawn Camp.
J.T. Realmuto went 5 for six in opposition to Eddie Butler.
———
I’ve been asking gamers what they think about to be the most effective recreation(s) of their life, not simply as an expert, however somewhat at any stage since they first started enjoying youth baseball. Hunter Brown, who grew up within the Detroit space and attended Lakeview Excessive College and Wayne State College earlier than being drafted by the Houston Astros, is among the many newest to discipline my query.
“I positively have one,” Brown informed me. “I don’t bear in mind if it was my junior or senior yr of highschool, however I threw a complete-game shutout with 14 strikeouts and likewise hit two homers. It was in opposition to Warren Woods-Tower. That was the most effective recreation of my life, little doubt. I imply, if you happen to punch out 14 over seven shutty and likewise hit two house runs, that’s powerful to prime.”
“In professional ball, it was most likely final yr in Tampa. I really feel like that was my most-dominating recreation — possibly not numbers-wise, however I went seven shutout innings [and allowed] two hits. That’s one I used to be actually happy with. I felt actually dialed in that day.”
———
A quiz:
Just one pitcher within the trendy period has led the AL or NL in each wins and losses in the identical season. Who’s he? (A touch: He’s within the Corridor of Fame.)
The reply will be discovered under.
———
NEWS NOTES
The Hudson Valley Renegades (Excessive-A, NY Yankees) are internet hosting 12 baseball and softball athletes from the Kingdom of Bhutan this coming week on a cultural enrichment and sports activities journey to New York. An internet public sale is presently being held to assist cowl the price of the journey. Any cash raised past these prices shall be donated to the Bhutan Baseball & Softball Affiliation.
The U-15 Baseball World Cup, which is going down in Barranquilla, Colombia, bought underway on Friday. Should you’d prefer to observe the match, you are able to do so right here.
Mike Cubbage, a 3rd baseman who performed for 3 groups — primarily the Minnesota Twins — from 1974-1981, died not too long ago at age 74. Initially with the Texas Rangers, he was dealt to the Twins as a part of a six-player swap that included Bert Blyleven and Roy Smalley. Following his enjoying profession, Cubbage coached for the Astros, Mets, and Pink Sox.
Bob Chlupsa, a right-handed pitcher who went went 0-2 with an 8.84 ERA whereas making 15 aid appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals throughout the 1970-1971 seasons, died final month at age 78 (per Baseball Participant Passings). The firs of two house runs Chlupsa allowed was a tenth inning grand slam by Lee Might in a 4-0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.
——-
The reply to the quiz is Phil Niekro, who went 21-20 for the Atlanta Braves in 1979. Notable amongst those that simply missed the excellence is fellow knuckleballer Wilbur Wooden, who went 24-20 in 1973. Wooden’s Chicago White Sox teammate Stan Bahnsen, completed 18-21 that yr.
———
Ceddanne Rafaela possible received’t win American League Rookie of the Yr honors, however he has arguably been essentially the most useful rookie-eligible participant in MLB. The 23-year-old native of Curaçao not solely leads all AL rookies in hits (113), runs scored (63) and RBIs (58), he has additionally set a big-league document alongside the way in which. Rafaela has performed 74 video games in middle discipline and 65 video games at shortstop, making him the primary participant within the trendy period (since 1901) to see motion in 60-plus video games at every place in the identical season. (He has additionally performed in six video games at second base and in 4 video games at third base.) Furthermore, he has 9 DRS in middle and has arguably been Boston’s greatest defender on the place apart from Jackie Bradley Jr. in current many years. Rafaela is slashing .262/.295/.408 with an 89 wRC+ on the season.
———
A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Robin Jennings is the one participant in MLB historical past to have been born in Singapore. An outfielder/first baseman who attended highschool in Alexandria, Virginia, Jennings appeared in 93 video games from 1996-2001, seeing motion with the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Colorado Rockies, and Oakland Athletics. His profession ledger contains 52 hits, together with three house runs which he hit throughout his Reds tenure. The primary of his taters was a grand slam — he additionally had a bases-clearing triple that day — which catapulted Cincinnati to an 11-3 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on August 31, 2001. The son of a United States Overseas Service worker, Jennings spent components of his youth in Switzerland, France and Indonesia.
———
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Twenty-year-old Ugandan catcher Dennis Kasumba has signed with Japan’s Asahikawa Be Stars, who compete within the impartial Hokkaido Baseball League (per @yakyucosmo). Kasumba went 0-for-33 with 22 strikeouts and 5 walks in components of two seasons with the MLB Draft League’s Frederick Keys.
Seiryu Kotajima has allowed 20 hits and three runs over 38 appearances comprising 35 innings in his rookie season with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes. The 25-year-old right-hander has fanned 31 batters and been on the successful finish of each of his choices.
Two dozen 24 NPB gamers have 10 or extra sacrifice hits to this point this season. St. Louis’s Michael Siani (10) is the one MLB participant who has reached double figures in that class.
Do Yeong Kim grew to become the youngest-ever participant with a 30/30 season within the KBO when he homered earlier this week for the Kia Tigers. The 20-year-old infielder has 31 homers and 34 steals to go along with a .344/.416/.640 slash line over 503 plate appearances.
Ji-Chan Kim is slashing .320/.404/.385 with 45 walks and 32 strikeouts in 434 plate appearances for the KBO’s Samsung Lions. The 23-year-old middle fielder/second baseman has swiped 33 bases in 36 tries.
Ariel Jurado is 10-5 with a 3.19 ERA over 152-and-a-third innings in his second season with the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. The 28-year-old right-hander from Aguadulce, Panama pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2018 and 2019, and briefly for the New York Mets in 2020.
———
Should you’re not a baseball historian, there’s a good probability you’re not acquainted with Deacon Phillippe. You need to be. The long-ago right-hander arguably deserves a plaque in Cooperstown. A local of Rural Retreat, Virginia who grew up in what’s now South Dakota, Phillippe debuted with the Nationwide League’s Louisville Colonels in 1899, then spent the following 12 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Six occasions a 20-game winner, he is without doubt one of the greatest management pitchers ever to toe a big-league rubber. His 1.15 walks per 9 innings is second-lowest, behind Cy Younger’s 1.12, within the trendy period (since 1901) amongst pitchers to work at the very least 500 innings.
After which there’s his post-season résumé. Phillippe was the successful pitcher within the first-ever World Collection recreation (October 1, 1903) and went on to complete the inaugural Fall Traditional with three wins. In 1909, the Pirates received the primary of their 5 World Collection championships with Phillippe contributing six scoreless innings over a pair of appearances. All informed, Phillippe had a 2.70 ERA in 50 World Collection innings.
Lefty Gomez is an efficient comp. The Corridor of Famer had a 2.86 ERA in 50-and-a-third World Collection innings, and a regular-season log that included a 189-102 document, a 125 ERA+, and 33.9 WAR. Phillippe had a 189-109 document, a 119 ERA+, and 42.2 WAR.
———
FARM NOTES
Nick Yorke has gone 21-for-59 with six doubles for Triple-A Indianapolis since being acquired by Pittsburgh from Boston on the commerce deadline. The 22-year-old infielder is slashing .290/.369/.427 with 10 house runs over 432 plate appearances on the season.
Thayron Liranzo is 16-for-43 with 5 doubles and 4 house runs for Excessive-A West Michigan since being acquired by Detroit from the Dodgers on the commerce deadline. The 21-year-old catcher/first baseman is slashing .240/.369/.411 with 11 house runs in 366 plate appearances on the season.
Nick Kurtz has begun his skilled profession 9-for-22 with a double and 4 house runs for Low-A Stockton. The 21-year-old first baseman was drafted fourth general this yr by the Oakland Athletics out of Wake Forest College.
Seaver King has begun his skilled profession 5-for-17 with a triple for Low-A Fredericksburg. The 21-year-old infielder was drafted tenth general this yr by the Washington Nationals out of Wake Forest College.
Nestor German has a 1.40 ERA, a 2.24 FIP, and a 30.6 strikeout price over 58 innings between Low-A Delmarva and Excessive-A Aberdeen. The 22-year-old right-hander was drafted in eleventh spherical final yr by the Baltimore Orioles out of Seattle College.
———
Texas Rangers broadcaster Matt Hicks known as video games within the minor leagues for greater than twenty years, so he has no scarcity of fascinating anecdotes from down on the farm. One is from his days with the Carolina League’s Frederick Keys.
“Within the 1991 season, Erik Schullstrom threw a no-hitter for us at house,” recalled Hicks, who has been within the Rangers radio sales space since 2012. “I don’t bear in mind who he threw it in opposition to [it was the Kinston Indians], however his subsequent begin was on the street in Salem, Virginia. In that begin, Salem’s leadoff hitter got here as much as the plate within the backside of the primary inning and hit a house run. Then the two-hole hitter hit a house run. Three-hole hitter, house run. Cleanup hitter, house run. You speak about going from one excessive to the opposite. He throws a no-hitter and in his subsequent begin he offers up house runs to the primary 4 batters he faces.”
Schullstrom went on to achieve the main leagues, pitching for the Minnesota Twins in 1994-1995 and logging a 6.00 ERA over 46 appearances comprising 60 innings. He recorded neither a win nor a loss, which is each bit as notable because the oddity of his back-to-back minor-league outings. Schullstrom’s 60 profession innings are essentially the most in historical past for a pitcher who had neither a win nor a loss.
———
LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Pitcher Record’s Jack Foley wrote about Washington Nationals left-hander DJ Herz’s potentials and the significance of an excellent basis.
Arizona Diamondbacks centerfielder Corbin Carroll has begun gathering baseball playing cards. Steve Gilbert has the story at MLB.com.
NW Baseball Historical past’s Amanda Lane Cumming did some baseball tourism and checked out the positioning of Detroit’s previous Tiger Stadium.
At CBS Sports activities, Matt Snyder checked out how MLB is reportedly weighing a six-inning requirement for beginning pitchers (no, this isn’t a joke).
The SABR Defensive Index Rankings by way of August 11 have been launched and will be discovered right here.
———
RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in final place within the NL Central and have a minus-24 run differential. The Chicago White Sox are in final place within the AL Central and have a minus-256 run differential.
Luis Arraez (.308) and Marcell Ozuna (.307) are presently the one certified hitters within the Nationwide League with a batting common of .300 or increased. The bottom-ever common for a batting-title winner is .301, by Carl Yastrzemski in 1968.
Carlos Santana is 16-for-16 in stolen base makes an attempt because the begin of the 2019 season. The Minnesota Twins first baseman made his MLB debut in 2010 and has performed in additional video games (2,044 video games) than any participant since that point.
Freddie Freeman, who additionally debuted in 2010, performed in his 2,000th recreation on Friday. Andrew McCutchen, who debuted in 2009, likewise performed in his 2,000th recreation on Friday.
Together with the postseason, Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is 27-for-56 (.482) with eight house runs at Fenway Park.
Ryan Howard had a four-year stretch (2006-2009) the place his common season included 50 house runs and 143 RBIs. Within the postseason, he had seven house runs and 27 RBIs — in addition to an NLCS MVP award — throughout that span.
On at the moment’s date in 1996, the Seattle Mariners scored three runs within the prime of the twelfth inning, then held on to beat the New York Yankees 13-12. The sport featured 38 hits — 19 for every group — together with 4 house runs, two by Paul Sorrento and one every by Ken Griffey Jr. and Joe Girardi.
On at the moment’s date in 1982, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 at Wrigley Discipline within the completion of a recreation that had been suspended within the prime of the 18th inning the day gone by. Dusty Baker drove within the deciding run with a sacrifice fly within the twenty first inning.
Gamers born on at the moment’s date embrace Bucky Guth, an infielder whose big-league profession comprised three video games and three hitless plate appearances for the Minnesota Twins in 1972. Guth scored one run, with the RBI going to future MLB supervisor Charlie Manuel, whose given first and center names are Charles Fuqua.
Additionally born on at the moment’s date was Billy Consolo, a utility infielder who logged 250 hits whereas enjoying for 5 groups, primarily the Boston Pink Sox and Minnesota Twins, from 1953-1962. A boyhood pal of Sparky Anderson, Consolo was on the Detroit Tigers teaching employees from 1979-1992 and once more in 1995.
