After last week, Madison Bumgarner has a chance at having a leg up on Babe Ruth in something
A “Giant” ace shows off a big bat to match. Where there’s a “Will,” there’s a way to move to a hitter-friendly park. Ex-Philly stars now team up in the “City of Angels.” A young “Tiger” experiences both new heights and depths in mere hours, forcing the club to turn to an old “Wolf.” Tampa Bay’s best “Archer” struck again. Lastly, Mike Fiers fired on all cylinders Friday, but he wasn’t the only one making history that night.
This is The Week That Was.
Bumgarner > The Bambino?
That subheading will certainly get you to look at what I have to say, won’t it? Okay, so before you verbally eviscerate me through Twitter, email, the comments section, mailed death threats, etc., I realize that Madison Bumgarner overall can’t be compared to Babe Ruth. However, I am correct when I say that Bumgarner has a great chance at surpassing Ruth in one category. 14 of Ruth’s 714 career homers came when he was a pitcher, and Bumgarner already has 11 for his career. In fact, Bumgarner’s at-bats per home run ratio over the last two years (13.9) is comparable to Giancarlo Stanton’s (12.8). Not only has Bumgarner displayed a ton of power of the last two years (nine home runs in 125 at-bats), but he’s hit for a decent average in that time span (.256).
Bumgarner turned into a star last October after accumulating a minute 1.03 ERA in 52 2/3 playoff innings en route to a World Series title. However, few would’ve guessed that he would’ve been able to maintain his power hitting ways from last year (.258/.286/.470 with four dingers). His .254/.279/.525 line looks like it’s from an everyday power hitter who constantly practices his swing instead of his 90+ mph pitches.
His 6-4 win on Saturday night against the Pirates (which ties Jake Arrieta for the NL-lead with 15 wins) displayed just how dangerous Bumgarner is at the plate and in the box. He smacked a two-run, 415-foot bomb off of Jeff Locke that not only made the difference in the ballgame but went farther than Marlon Byrd’s smash in the first inning. His five dingers this season are the most since Carlos Zambrano’s six in 2006, and he’s only one home run shy of Yovani Gallardo’s 12 homers, the most by all active pitchers. The 26-year-old does have a chance of breaking Wes Ferrell’s all-time record of 38 if Bruce Bochy seriously decides to us him as a DH.
The Will of Texas
The San Diego Padres traded away Will Venable on Tuesday night to the Texas Rangers for minor league backstop Marcus Greene and RHP Jon Edwards. Venable’s .258/.318/.378 line isn’t pretty. But with Josh Hamilton and Leonys Martin both experiencing ailments, the Rangers needed to add someone who could make an impact in the outfield right away and provide some depth when everyone is healthy. Struggling former first rounder, Michael Choice, was designated for assignment to clear space for the 32-year-old lefty batter. Greene, who sports a .218/.365/.500 line in the minors this year, has a powerful bat, but elbow ligament replacement surgery in June makes him an injury risk and puts his future as a catcher in doubt. He may never reach the big leagues, but the soon-to-be 21-year-old will serve as a young, power-hitting outfielder in the Padres’ farm system for the foreseeable future. Edwards currently has a 1.42 ERA with 20 saves at Triple-A Round Rock, and brings a mid-90s fastball to the Padres’ system. The 27-year-old could see the majors as a middle reliever someday.
In short, Venable no longer provides anything special, but a move to Texas may give him enough value to make him roster-worthy in deep-mixed leagues. He’s a left-handed hitter moving from a pitcher’s park that was especially harsh on lefty hitters, to a hitter-loving park. It’d be crazy not to expect some sort of uptick in production from a guy who notched 22 homers and stolen bases each just two years ago. Viable offense isn’t the only thing Venable is good for…
Rollins and Utley Reunited
The Philadelphia Phillies sent Chase Utley and $2 million to the Los Angeles Dodgers for young minor leaguers Darnell Sweeney and John Richy. Utley will start at second base for the Dodgers for as long as Howie Kendrick remains on the 15-day disabled left with a strained left hamstring. Once Kendrick returns in another couple weeks or so, Utley will be used as some sort of utility man off the bench to play first and third base from time to time. He’ll also free up Enrique Hernandez to take slumping Joc Pederson’s place in the lineup sometimes. Plus, the team didn’t want the Giants to get their mitts on Utley.
Sweeney showed promise as a hitter in the minors with a career minor league line of .280/.353/.441. A crazy 445-foot pinch-hit homer in Saturday’s 4-2 over the Marlins, further solidified his value. However, Sweeney’s biggest asset is his versatility. He’s most familiar with the middle infield, but he’s played the outfield and the Phillies also want to put him in at third base from time to time. Richy can become a No. 4/5 starting pitcher someday, since he knows how to mix his four-pitch arsenal effectively. His problem is that his lack of any plus pitches led to a 4.20 ERA, 105/34 K/BB and 143 hits allowed in 124 innings at High-A Rancho Cucamonga this year. He carries a low-90s sinker and an average change-up, curveball and slider. He’s essentially a jack-of-all-trades, master of none, with a high baseball IQ that allows him to use his wide pitch repertoire to his advantage.
Overall, it’s just nice to see Utley and Rollins back together in. They were once the league’s best duo up the middle for several year. Both of those incredible talents managed to amass a combined nine All-Star appearances, four Gold Glove, 449 home runs and a World Series championship during their time together in Philadelphia. They aren’t elite players anymore, but both players have recently recaptured their magic. Since May 15, Utley has put up a .286/.343/.422 line while Rollins has put together a .294/.339/.500 line since July 23. After everything they’ve accomplished with each other, it just seems like they belong together.
Norris No More
So Daniel Norris just broke one of the Cubs new scoreboards during batting practice. pic.twitter.com/3VcfEby6zk
— Dan (@dan_atwater) August 18, 2015
During batting practice on Aug. 18, young stud pitcher Daniel Norris wowed his teammates and coaches…with his bat! Norris hit about six dingers in the session, but one was hit so hard and so far that it allegedly took out the bottom-left portion of the scoreboard. Tigers manager Brad Ausmus made this feat even more stunning when he said, “For a guy who hasn’t hit since high school, he has a pretty good swing.” You’d think he’s always working on that swing with the way he’s sending balls all over the yard.
Norris then follows up that sensational hit by becoming the first pitcher to hit a home run in his first career plate appearance since Tommy Milone in 2011. The 419-foot, two-run shot came off of Jon Lester and cemented Norris as the first AL pitcher to homer in the regular season in the 101-year history of Wrigley Field. Insane, right?
Unfortunately, the 22-year-old had to exit with one out in the fifth after straining his right oblique. The injury didn’t seem to be caused by any of his swings, and it’s unlike anything Norris has experienced before. It’ll likely end his season, though. Norris allowed three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six after 4 1/3 innings in Wednesday’s 15-8 win over the Cubs.
Anibal Sanchez strained his right rotator cuff recently, forcing the Tigers to place both Sanchez and Norris on the disabled list on Thursday and acquire 39-year-old Randy Wolf from the Blue Jays for cash. Wolf brings a 2.58 ERA and 2.6 BB/9 across 23 starts at Triple-A Buffalo this year, in which he only allowed four home runs all season. He averages 9.0 H/9 and just 6.8 K/9, but he’s done a great job at making up for his lack of strong peripherals. After starting for the Tigers on Saturday, he showed the club how useful he could be down the stretch during the 5-3 loss to the Rangers. He lasted seven innings, allowing three runs and no walks while striking out five. Despite his performance and Buck Farmer’s call-up, the Tigers’ rotation will be a large weakness for the rest of the season.
Deadly Archer
When Colby Rasmus finally got the Astros’ first hit off Chris Archer all game in the fifth inning on Thursday, Archer’s no-hit bid was brought to an end. Little did everyone know that was going to be the only hit the Astros could muster. Archer successfully completed his third career shutout (second against the Astros) in a 1-0 pitchers’ duel. He retired the final 15 batters after Rasmus, striking out five of them. He managed to make guys miss throughout the contest by using low pitches, which are generally hard to hit when near the edge of the strike zone. All in all, he only needed 98 pitches to secure his one-hit, 11-strikeout complete game.
-This GIF can be found at PitcherList.com
Archer doesn’t do anything flashy. Most of his success is a credit to how well he mixes up his pitches, along with his top notch control. Archer on his own cannot get the Rays, who are just two and a half games out of the last AL Wild Card spot, to the playoffs. But he can be a inexpensive catalyst whose success this team can feed off of if they make it to the postseason.
Fiers on Fire!
In only his third start as an Astro, RHP Mike Fiers threw 134 pitches to secure a 3-0 win over the Dodgers on Friday and record Minute Maid Park’s first ever no-hitter. Overall, it was the 11th no-hitter in franchise history, but also Fiers’ first complete game in 59 career starts. This ex-Brewer has made a huge difference since joining the club alongside Carlos Gomez, having a 2.42 ERA with a 25/9 K/BB in 26 innings over three starts and one relief appearance since going to Houston.
Mike Fiers is filthy. #Whiff pic.twitter.com/xb43oXCad4
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2015
Here is a closer picture of the PINE TAR in Mike Fiers Glove. #cheat @astros @MLB @Espngreeny @Dodgers @espn pic.twitter.com/3TIb9WbswD
— Shawn Poole (@shawndp1) August 22, 2015
Unfortunately, the praise quickly stopped as people seemed to think that Fiers illegitimately earned his no-hitter by using pine tar, an illegal substance that helps pitchers get a better grip on the ball. Both Astros manager A.J. Hinch and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly defended Fiers after his triumphant performance. The above image is too blurry to draw much from it, and if Fiers used something, then so what? So many other pitchers do it and just happen to be discrete enough not to get caught. Regardless, it’s a known fact that using substances to achieve a better grip on the ball is a widely-used and mostly accepted tactic, even if it’s against the rules.
Cespedes Makes History
On Friday, Yoenis Cespedes proved that his big bat is a perfect match for the hitter-friendly environs of Coors Field. The Cuban outfielder the Mets traded for before the July 31 deadline, had the best night of his career. He jacked up three dingers, scored five runs, drove home seven runs and stole a base, while going 5-for-6 during the Mets’ 14-9 victory against the Rockies. It wasn’t just the best of his career, though…
Cespedes: 3rd player with at least 3 HR, 5 hits, 7 RBI and 1 SB in a game since 1920 (Willie Stargell in 1968 and Carl Reynolds in 1930)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 22, 2015
Yoenis Cespedes: 5 hits, 3 HR, 7 RBI Most total bases in a game, Mets history: 1999 Edgardo Alfonzo: 16 2015 Yoenis Cespedes: 15
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 22, 2015
13,648: MLB players 3B shy of cycle 13: Players 3-R HR shy of "HR Cycle" 1: Player with both in same game – Yoenis Céspedes (@EliasSports)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) August 22, 2015
‘Twas much more than a career-night indeed. He was oh so close to notching a cycle, too. He was a perfect 5-for-5 with three homers, a double and a single before stepping up to the plate for the sixth time. Next thing you know, he smacked a well-hit ball to the outfield and ran with great haste around the bases. Cespedes said, “All I had in my mind was, ‘Go to third.’ I was trying to go to third base and get a triple. I knew I had hit it hard.” Unfortunately, Cespedes’ historic outing was ended by a running catch from Carlos Gonzalez. Regardless, that was the only negative on what will likely end up being the best game of Cespedes’ career.
Jonathan Ebanks is a correspondent at FantasyPros. To read more from Jonathan, check out his archive and follow him @hogz4lyfe.
