Article about the Cardinals pitching staff

Posted an article entitled With Stellar Pitching, the Cardinals will be a very dangerous playoff team at MLB Fan Boards.

NL Cy Young Award

NL Cy Young Contenders

Chris Carpenter (Cardinals): 14-3, 2.20 ERA, 115 SO, 25 BB

Tim Lincecum (Giants): 13-4, 2.33 ERA, 222 SO, 54 BB

Adam Wainwright (Cardinals): 16-7, 2.47 ERA, 164 SO, 57 BB

Longshots

Josh Johnson (Marlins): 13-3, 3.03, 149 SO, 41 BB

Matt Cain (Giants): 12-4, 2.50 ERA, 141 SO, 63 BB

Dan Haren (D-Backs): 13-8, 2.78 ERA, 180 SO, 29 BB

There are plenty of other NL pitchers having good seasons, such as Wandy Rodriguez (Astros)and Joel Pineiro (Cardinals), but I don't think there are any serious contenders beyond the six listed above.

Carpenter and Lincecum are each having historic seasons as of now:

13+ Wins, 2.33- ERA, .765+ W-L%, 4.11+ K/BB

Besides Carpenter and Lincecum this year, these numbers have only been equaled only 16 times since 1900, naturally by very good pitchers: Sandy Koufax and Pedro Martinez (3); Greg Maddux and Christy Mathewson (2); Cy Young, Walter Johnson, Denny McLain, Randy Johnson, Bret Saberhagen, Juan Marichal (1).

This is a difficult award to predict and it seems likely that one of them will have historically great numbers and lose. Adam Wainwright seems the most likely to get to 20 wins and one bad outing could damage a really good ERA to make it seem more mundane. It is a pretty tight race right now, I think, and a very interesting story line to follow.

Scott Feldman

Scott Feldman won his 14th game yesterday for the Rangers, but he is having a very unusual season: high ERA, high W-L%, high win total, low strikeouts:

Scott Feldman, 2009: 14-4, .778 W-L%, 3.72 ERA, 5.28 K/9

How many pitchers have had the following numbers since 1900:

14+ Wins, .770+ W-L%, 3.70+ ERA, sub-5.4 K/9?

1922 Ray Kolp (Browns)

1931 Roy Mahaffey (A's)

1932 Johnny Allen (Yankees)

1936 Bump Hadley (Yankees)

1948 Jack Kramer (Red Sox)

1992 Jack Morris (Blue Jays)

1993 Bob Wickman (Yankees)

1997 Jamie Moyer (Mariners)

2009 Scott Feldman (Rangers)?

Scott Kazmir

25 Years Old and under, 800+IP, 9.0+ K/9, sub-4.00 ERA
"Sudden" Sam McDowell (1961-1968)
Pedro Martinez (1992-1997)
Sandy Koufax (1955-1961)
Scott Kazmir (2004-2009)

Joel Pineiro's Remarkable Turnaround

Joel Pineiro won again tonight to move his record to 13-9, and it looks like the Cardinals are a lock to win the NL Central (9 GM up). He is having his best year since 2003, when he went 16-11 for the Mariners.

His W-L (13-9) and ERA (3.11) are good, but not spectacular (although he is 8-1 with a 2.47 ERA since late June). It is some of the other numbers, plus the degree to which he turned them around from last year that are so amazing.

He has had a stunning turnaround in several key numbers since last year, especially in HR allowed:

2008: 7-7, 5.15 ERA, 22 HR, .97 G/F, 2.1 BB/9
2009: 13-9, 3.11, 6 HR, 1.70 G/F, 1.0 BB/9

Walks
He is only allowing 1 BB per 9 IP, which is best in the league. He is also 5th in K/BB at 4.39, and he does not strike out many hitters (84 SO, 170.1 IP)

As of today: 1.0 BB/9, 160+ IP: Since 2000
2003 David Wells (Yankees)
2004 David Wells (Padres)
2004 Jon Lieber (Yankees)
2005 Carlos Silva (Twins)
2009 Joel Pineiro (Cardinals)

WHIP
2008: 1.44 - 87th
2009: 1.10 - 5th (Haren, Carpenter, Lincecum, Vasquez, Pineiro)

Ground Balls/Fly Balls
In 2008, he was 37th in ML (min. 100 IP) in Ground Ball/Fly Ball Ratio.
In 2009, he is #1 in the ML, by a long shot. By itself, allowing more ground balls doesn't mean anything, except that he was allowing a lot of home runs last year.

Joel Pineiro: 1.70
Derek Lowe 1.35
Aaron Cook 1.34
Rick Porcello 1.31

Home Runs
2008: 22 HR, 148.2 IP (1.3 HR/9 - 90th out of 108 pitchers w/ 140+ IP)
2009: 6 HR, 170.1 IP (.3 HR/9 - fewest HR of any starter in baseball)

If his season ended today, he would be the first pitcher since Greg Maddux in 1994 to allow only 6 HR in 160+ IP.

As of today, he is the 18th pitcher with 160 IP, 1.0 BB/9, .3 HR/9, but the 1st since Babe Adams in 1920. Other pitchers on the list include Christy Mathewson, Walter Johnson and Cy Young.

Ponson v. A-Rod: Not a fair fight

Sidney Ponson has had a bit of a rough career, although he has managed to stick around the game a long time despite a propensity to give up a lot of hits:

10.15 H/9, 1500+ IP, since 1933
Jack Knott (1933-1946) 10.33
Sidney Ponson (1998-present) - 10.25
Jose Lima (1994-2006) - 10.24
Elden Auker (1933-1942) - 10.22
Bob Tewksbury (1986-1998) - 10.18
Lary Sorenson (1977-1988) - 10.16

He has been very tough on one great hitter:

Alex Rodriguez Lowest BA (50+ AB - 14 pitchers)
.176 - John Lackey
.188 - Sidney Ponson (.219 OBP, 69 AB, 6 HR, 3 BB, 19 SO)
.212 - Barry Zito
.259 - Mike Mussina

This was not typical for Sidney either:

Sidney vs. (50+ AB)
.358 Derek Jeter
.188 A-Rod
.237 Bernie Williams
.345 Johnny Damon
.304 Jorge Posada
.420 Manny Ramirez
.346 Shannon Stewart

Some other one-sided matchups:
Craig Biggio v. Brandon Webb: 1/24 - .042
Chipper Jones v. Hideo Nomo: 2/35 -.057
Sammy Sosa v. John Smoltz: 4/41 - .105
Mike Schmidt v. Orel Hersheiser: 4/29 - .138
Wade Boggs v. Bob Welch: 5/36 - .139

Random Kung Fu Panda Stats

The "Kung Fu Panda", aka Pablo Sandoval, 1B/3B/C for the Giants, is in his 2nd season, and his career batting average is .334 and slugging is .538. It's still very early in his career, but if his career ended today, he would be in good company:

2009: 450 AB, .331 BA, 19 HR, 37 2B, .538 SLG

2008: .345, .490 SLG, 154 AB

2009: .331, .553 SLG, 450 AB

Total: .334, .538 SLG, 595 AB

Career: .330 BA, .535 SLG, 590 AB

Babe Ruth

Ted Williams

Lou Gehrig

Stan Musial

Albert Pujols (2001-present)

Al Simmons

Rogers Hornsby

Pablo Sandoval (2008-present)

.330 BA, .550 SLG, 20 HR, 500 AB: 23 years old or younger since 1937

1937 Joe Dimaggio (Yankees)

1938 Jeff Heath (Indians)

1940 Ted Williams (Red Sox)

1940 Ted Williams (Red Sox)

1954 Willie Mays (Giants)

1975 Fred Lynn (Red Sox)

1992 Gary Sheffield (Padres)

1996 Alex Rodriguez (Mariners)

2003 Albert Pujols (Cardinals)

2006 Miguel Cabrera (Marlins)

2007 Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

2009 Pablo Sandoval (Giants)?

.315, 35 2B, 15 HR, 450 AB, 1st or 2nd year of career, since 1940:

1940 Ted Williams (Red Sox)

1959 Vada Pinson (Reds)

1959 Orlando Cepeda (Giants)

1964 Dick Allen (Phillies)

1975 Fred Lynn (Red Sox)

1998 Todd Helton (Rockies)

2001 Albert Pujols (Cardinals)

2006 Robinson Cano (Yankees)

2009 Pablo Sandoval (Giants)

Blog Carnival 08.25.09

Welcome to the August 25, 2009 edition of the Baseball In-Depth Blog Carnival.

Prior Adams presents A True Fan Does Not Leave a Game Early posted at Prior Adams.

Chaz Shamoian presents Why the NY Yankees are the best pro team posted at Cats Love Plastic Bags.

Joe Tichio presents The Greatest Inspirational Baseball Quotes posted at Inspirational Quotes Blog.

Sam presents New !! Famous Baseball Players and Their Teams posted at Surfer Sam and Friends.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of baseball in-depth carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Random Hanley Ramirez Stats

Hanley Ramirez is having a special season in 2009, but does not really have a shot at the NL MVP barring a historic collapse by Albert Pujols. With his rare combination of power, speed and ability to hit for a high batting average, he has already put some amazing numbers in his short career:

Hanley Ramirez 2009

.361, 19 HR, 85 RBI 23 SB

.335 BA, 20 HR, 25 SB, 90 RBI, since 1900:

1958 Willie Mays (Giants)

1993 Barry Bonds (Giants)

1996 Ellis Burks (Rockies)

1997 Larry Walker (Rockies)

1999 Bobby Abreu (Phillies)

2000 Darin Erstad (Angels)

2001 Roberto Alomar (Indians)

2002 Vladimir Guerrero (Expos)

2009 Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)?

.300, 125 R, 20 HR, 35 SB, since 1900:

1922 Ken Williams (Browns)

1970 Bobby Bonds (Giants)

1985 Rickey Henderson (Yankees)

1997 Craig Biggio (Astros)

1999 Roberto Alomar (Indians)

2002 Alfonso Soriano (Yankees)

2007 Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

2008 Hanley Ramirez (Marlins)

Career: .300 BA, .525 SLG, 100 SB

Babe Ruth

Lou Gehrig

Hank Aaron

Willie Mays

Rogers Hornsby

Larry Walker

Vladimir Guerrero

Chipper Jones

Alex Rodriguez

Hanley Ramirez

Speed Cycles

Hitting for the cycle is becoming way too commonplace (7 times in 2009; 45 times in 00's vs. 24 in the 90's). There are several well-known ways of distinguishing between different types of cycles, such as natural v. non-natural, but there are other versions as well. Here is one:

Regular Cycle (1B, 2B, 3B, HR) + Stolen Base:

2009 Ian Kinsler (Rangers)

2006 Carlos Guillen (Tigers)

1995 Rondell White (Expos)

1991 Ray Lankford (Cardinals)

1985 Oddibe McDowell (Rangers)

1980 Charlie Moore (Brewers) (2 SB)

1975 Lou Brock (Cardinals)

1970 Rod Carew (Twins)

1957 Mickey Mantle (Yankees)

What comes next for Garrett Jones?

Garrett Jones (Pirates) has cooled off a bit since his great start to the season after being called up in July (10 HR in first 80 at-bats, 3 in his next 84).

Overall: 164 AB, 181 PA, .299 BA, .622 SLG, 13 HR

Since 1900, which players in their 1st or 2nd year in the league have finished with more than 200 Plate Appearances, .300 BA and .620 SLG?

1929 Chuck Klein (Phillies) - Hall of Fame

1930 George Watkins (Cardinals)

1937 Joe Dimaggio (Yankees) - Hall of Fame

1937 Rudy York (Tigers)

1947 Ralph Kiner (Pirates) - Hall of Fame

1953 Eddie Matthews (Braves) - Hall of Fame

1959 Willie McCovey (Giants) - Hall of Fame

2006 Luke Scott (Astros)

2007 Ryan Braun (Brewers)

2009 Garrett Jones (Pirates)?

So far, its hard to say whether it's a one month blip or not. The best players to compare him to on the list are Ryan Braun and Luke Scott, who are very different players.

Luke Scott is emerging as a solid but unspectacular major league player. He was a 9th round pick in 2001 by the Indians and bounced around a bit before his 2006 breakout season with the Astros (.336, 10 HR, 37 RBI in 249 PA). Now with the Orioles, he is putting together a decent career, with 43 HR over his last two years in Baltimore.

Ryan Braun was the 5th overall pick in 2005 by the Brewers and shot through their minor league system, won the 2007 Rookie of the Year (34 HR, 97 RBI in 492 plate appearances). After almost 3 seasons in the league, he appears to be a perennial MVP candidate and possibly a future Hall of Famer if he stays healthy (97 HR in only 1525 AB, .305 BA, .581 SLG)

Garrett Jones was a 14th round pick in 1999 by the Braves. He made it to the league in 2007 with the Twins and only hit .208 over 84 PA. He didn't even make the Pirates roster out of Spring Training this year. It's hard to know what to make of him, because he could become a decent player with occasional power surges like in July, or he could continue to surprise and become a star. He will certainly get a lot of playing time being on the Pirates.

Will Brian Roberts get to 60?

It is not exactly setting the baseball world on fire at the moment, but Brian Roberts (Orioles) has 46 doubles as of tonight. If he plays in every game, or almost every game, he is on pace for 60 doubles this season.

This is the list of players with 60 or more doubles in a season, followed by the few that had 59:

1931 Earl Webb (Red Sox) - 67

1926 George Burns (Indians) - 64

1936 Joe Medwick (Cardinals) - 64

1934 Hank Greenberg (Tigers) - 63

1932 Paul Waner (Pirates) - 62

1936 Charlie Gehringer (Tigers) - 60


1923 Tris Speaker (Indians) - 59

1930 Chuck Klein (Phillies) - 59

2000 Todd Helton (Rockies) - 59

Brian Roberts 2009
April - 8
May - 8
June - 9
July - 11
August - 10 (through 17 games)

Todd Helton 2000
April - 7
May - 7
June - 11
July - 10
August - 18
September - 6 (0 in his final 7 games)

He had a really good streak from August 11-16: 5 straight games with a double, 7 over 5 games including a 3 double game.

It could end up being one of the better storylines to follow in late September, but he still has a lot of work to do just to get to that point.

Intentional Walks

0 Intentional Walks, 730+ PA - Since 1980

1985 Kirby Puckett (Twins) 4 HR, 74 RBI

1997 Derek Jeter (Yankees) 10 HR, 70 RBI

1998 Alex Rodriguez (Mariners) 42 HR, 124 RBI

1999 Neifi Perez (Rockies) 12 HR, 70 RBI

2005 Michael Young (Rangers) 24 HR, 91 RBI

2005 Jose Reyes (Mets) 7 HR, 58 RBI

2006 Michael Young (Rangers) 14 HR, 103 RBI

2006 Juan Pierre (Cubs) 3 HR, 40 RBI

2009 Marco Scutaro? (Blue Jays) 545 PA, 11 HR, 53 RBI

Fernando Rodney, a pleasant surprise as closer

In baseball, you just never know:

Detroit Tigers' Closer Fernando Rodney

2007: 2-6, 1 SV, 2 BL SV, 4.26 ERA

2008: 0-6, 13 SV, 6 BL SV, 4.91

2009: 25 SV, 1 BL SV, 3.57

In the AL, there are only 2 pitchers with 25+ Saves, and 1 or fewer blown saves:

Mariano Rivera

Fernando Rodney

In fact, they are also the only 2 pitchers with 6 or more saves, and 1 or fewer blown saves in the AL.

Still, Rodney is still getting the job done in August, which not everyone expected when he was named the closer. His numbers aren't even that much different than Mets' closer Francisco Rodriguez (26 saves, 5 blown saves, 3.27), who is now making about 4 times what Rodney makes.

Top Performances by Decade: OPS

OPS (On Base % + Slugging %) by decade (since 1910) (Top 3 individual performances - 500+ PA)

1910’s
1911 Ty Cobb (Tigers) 1.088
1911 Joe Jackson (Naps) 1.058
1919 Babe Ruth (Red Sox) 1.113

1920’s
1920 Babe Ruth (Yankees) 1.382
1921 Babe Ruth (Yankees) 1.358
1923 Babe Ruth (Yankees) 1.309

1930’s
1930 Babe Ruth (Yankees) 1.225
1931 Babe Ruth (Yankees) 1.195
1932 Jimmie Foxx (A’s) 1.218

1940’s
1941 Ted Williams (Red Sox) 1.288
1946 Ted Williams (Red Sox) 1.164
1948 Stan Musial (Cardinals) 1.152

1950’s
1956 Mickey Mantle (Yankees) 1.169
1957 Ted Williams (Red Sox) 1.257
1957 Mickey Mantle (Yankees) 1.177

1960’s
1961 Norm Cash (Tigers) 1.149
1961 Mickey Mantle (Yankees) 1.135
1969 Willie McCovey (Giants) 1.109

1970’s
1970 Willie McCovey (Giants) 1.056
1971 Hank Aaron (Braves) 1.079
1979 Fred Lynn (Red Sox) 1.060

1980’s
1980 George Brett (Royals) 1.118
1987 Jack Clark (Cardinals) 1.056
1987 Wade Boggs (Red Sox) 1.049

1990’s
1994 Frank Thomas (White Sox) 1.216
1996 Mark McGwire (A's) 1.197
1998 Mark McGwire (Cardinals) 1.222

2000’s
2001 Barry Bonds (Giants) 1.379
2002 Barry Bonds (Giants) 1.381
2004 Barry Bonds (Giants) 1.421

2009

Albert Pujols (Cardinals) 1.127

Joe Mauer (Twins) 1.083

Prince Fielder (Brewers) 1.021

Angels' Starting Rotation: Reasons for Optimism

The Angels' pitching has been (pretty much) dreadful. Since the All-Star Break, they have the 2nd best record in baseball, but the 23rd best pitching (26th for the whole season). Their starting rotation has the 4th most wins in baseball, with the 22nd best ERA.

Still, there are reasons to be (cautiously) optimistic about their starting rotation (more about the bullpen to follow). If they make the playoffs, they will need the front end of the rotation to be much better than it has been because they can't count on the offense to keep scoring over 7 runs/game forever.

It's been bad, no doubt about it, and their incredible offense has carried them, but there are glimmers of hope.

John Lackey
Post Break 4-1, 1.79 ERA, 0.93 WHIP, 45.1 IP
He has been arguably the best starting pitcher in the AL since the Break, going 4-1 with the 2nd lowest ERA - Cliff Lee)

Ervin Santana
Post Break: 5-1, 4.84 ERA, .241 BAA
vs. Twins: 0-1, 10.24 ERA
vs. Rest of League: 5-0, 3.34 ERA, 29 H, 29 IP, 24 SO
Pre Break: 1-5, 7.81 ERA, .349 BAA

Jared Weaver
August 14 vs. Baltimore: 3.1 IP, 8 ER, 9 H, 3 SO, 4 BB
Previous 2 outings: 2-0, 3.85 ERA, 13.2 IP, 9 H, 22 SO, 3 BB
Pre Break: 10-3, 3.22 ERA, .222 BAA
Post Break: 2-1, 7.44 ERA, .303
Overall: 12-4, 4.12 ERA

Lackey is dominating everyone right now. Santana appears to be pitching pretty well, aside from his problems against the Twins. Unless he's hurt, Weaver is too good of a pitcher to keep pitching this badly, and his 22 SO/3 BB in his 2 starts before his Orioles' start is encouraging. The back of the rotation is highly questionable (Sean O'Sullivan, Trevor Bell, Joe Saunders is on the DL), but they're scoring so much it doesn't much matter right now.

If they do make it to the playoffs:
John Lackey: 2-3, 3.39 ERA, 58.1 IP, 9 GS (WP - Game 7, 2002 WS)
Ervin Santana: 1-1, 6.88 ERA, 17 IP, 2 GS
Jared Weaver: 1-1, 2.57 ERA, 7 IP, 1 GS

Who has hit .400 since Ted Williams?

Since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941, there have been 3 other instances of players hitting .400...with at least 75 at-bats. Yes, it falls significantly short of the requirements for the batting title, but it is still an accomplishment.

Ted Williams (Red Sox) 1953: .407, 91 AB

Bob Hazle (Braves) 1957: .403, 134 AB

Mike Davis 1982 (A's) .400, 75 AB

Random Tim Lincecum stats (warning, Cubs fans)

There are a lot of fun stats about Tim Lincecum that show the select company that he's already in. Here's one:

In 2009, he is 12-3, with a .800 W-L%, 10.71 K/9, 2.19 ERA, 172 IP (on pace for about 240).

Let's be really generous and see how many other individual pitching seasons can match the following stats (which he looks like he'll almost certainly reach this year):

2.50 ERA, 10.00 K/9, .700 W-L%, 200 IP
1965 Sandy Koufax: Dodgers (Cy Young -ML)
1995 Randy Johnson: Mariners (Cy Young - AL)
1997 Randy Johnson: Mariners (2nd Cy Young - Roger Clemens)
1999 Pedro Martinez: Red Sox (Cy Young - AL)
2000 Pedro Martinez: Red Sox (Cy Young - AL)
2001 Randy Johnson: D-Backs (Cy Young - NL)
2002 Randy Johnson: D-Backs (Cy Young -NL)
2003 Mark Prior: Cubs (3rd Cy Young NL - Eric Gagne, Jason Schmidt)

If you lower the threshold to 170 IP (which he's already at), the list adds only 1 season besides Lincecum of this year:

2002 Pedro Martinez: Red Sox (2nd Cy Young AL - Barry Zito)

Sandy Koufax
Pedro Martinez
Randy Johnson
Mark Prior
Tim Lincecum

It's a very short list, but it is full of pitchers with durability issues. Certainly the fact that Mark Prior is on it is a bit troubling, but Linecum seems much more like Pedro than Prior. With his lanky frame, he might be a prime candidate to have durability issues too, although ending up with Pedro's career numbers would not be a bad thing at all. If he can stay healthy, Lincecum seems well on his way to a record-breaking, Hall of Fame career. More stats to follow.

Should Chan Ho Park replace Brad Lidge?

After his blown save tonight against the Braves, Brad Lidge is 0-5, 22 SV, 8 blown saves, 7.22 ERA.

He could become only the 2nd pitcher to finish with 20+ Saves and an ERA higher than 7.00. The other?

2004 Shawn Chacon (Rockies)

In 2008, he had one of the most dominant seasons any reliever has had -
41 SV, 0 Blown Saves, 1.95 ERA, 11.94 K/9 are stats only matched once in ML history:

2003 Eric Gagne (Dodgers)

The Phillies are trying to repeat as World Series Champs and just made a great move to get Cliff Lee, but can they win with a closer this bad? He's had a lot of success in his career, which is what makes it such a tough decision. Other closers probably would have been replaced by now. His numbers have been bad every month:

Month by Month
April 7.27, 4 SV, 1 BlSV
May 7.98, 8 SV, 3 BlSV
June 6.75, 3 SV, 2 BlSV
July 5.91, 6 SV, 0 BlSV
August 7.20, 2 SV, 2 Bl SV

He was on the DL in June and Ryan Madson replaced him, blowing 4 saves in 7 chances.

You don't want to install a rookie closer now, but you also can't have a completely unreliable closer.

One possible solution
I'd give Chan Ho Park a chance to close. I'm sure a lot of people would think it's crazy, considering his track record over the years and lack of closing experience. His numbers once he became a full-time reliever in Philadelphia are really good. Last year, he had 2 saves and 3 saves with the Dodgers, but that's not a big enough sample size to mean anything.

Apparently Scott Boras tried to sell Red Sox on him as a closer a few years ago. He has really settled in as a reliever and is pitching great right now. He started out the year as a starter, which skewed his overall numbers (75.1 IP, 4.66 ERA):

Post All-Star Break:
11 G, 1.65 ERA (3rd best in NL, 15+ P), .220 BAA, 18 K, 2 BB

Since his last start (on May 17th):
22 G, 41 IP, 2.63 ERA

Is converting a 36 year old former starter with a very mixed track record into a closer in the middle of a playoff race a good idea? Not when I put it like that, but there don't seem to be a lot of great options. If people bring up his mental toughness, well, he's dealt with a lot of failure since 2001 and worked through it to become successful again.

The safer play might be Ryan Madson or trading for someone. Sticking with Lidge does not seem like the best move and I don't think they can wait too much longer to make a change. If Chan Ho keeps pitching like this, they may have to think about it.

Great Performances: Hits Allowed per 9 Innings

The following has been done 15 times (by 12 pitchers)

since 1900: 65+ IP, less than 5 Hits allowed per 9 innings.

2009 Hopefuls
Jonathan Broxton (Dodgers): 4.88 H/9, 51.2 IP
Carlos Marmol (Cubs): 4.94, 54.2

1995-2008 11
2003 Eric Gagne (Dodgers): 4.04 (82.1 IP)
2008 Carlos Marmol (Cubs): 4.12 (87.1 IP)
2001 Jeff Nelson (Mariners): 4.13
1999 Billy Wagner (Astros): 4.22
1995 Troy Percival (Angels): 4.50
1996 Troy Percival (Angels): 4.62
2000 Armando Benitez (Mets): 4.62
1999 Armando Benitez (Mets): 4.62
2007 J.J. Putz (Mariners): 4.65
2004 Armando Benitez (Marlins): 4.65
1998 Ugueth Urbina (Expos): 4.80

1973-1994: 0

1900-1972: 4
1968 Vincente Romo (Indians), 4.70 (84.1 IP)
1972 Jim Brewer (Dodgers), 4.71
1958 Ryne Duren (Yankees), 4.76
1968 Andy Messersmith (Angels) 4.87 (81.1 IP)

1+ IP (All-Time)
2009 Mike Adams (Padres) 3.91, 25.1 IP

30+ IP
1991 Doug Henry (Brewers) 4.00, 36 IP

100+ IP

1980 J.R. Richard (Astros) 5.15, 113.2 IP

200+ IP
1972 Nolan Ryan (Angels) 5.26, 284 IP

Full Article: Kendry Morales for MVP?

I wrote an article at MLB Fan Boards, about how Kendry Morales is putting himself in the discussion for the AL MVP Award.

It's the type of article that could look very dated in a week, if he goes into a deep slump and other candidates get hot. It appears to be somewhat of a free-for-all for the AL MVP Award (not so much the NL MVP). Still, based mainly on the strength of his post All-Star Break numbers, he is very much in the discussion.

I bet it will go to a player on a playoff team, just as it has 16 of the last 17 years in the AL (Alex Rodriguez in 2003 being the lone exception). Fair or not, great hitting near the end of the season seems to count for more in voting that great hitting early in the season. It makes some sense, in that great hitting in September during a playoff race might show that you were clutch when it counted. Any number of players could win it, we'll just have to watch and find out.

Strikeout/Home Run Ratio (2009 and Historical)

There are 40 players in MLB with 20+ HR this year:

Ranking by Strikeout/Home Run:





Top 10 - 2009
Albert Pujols (Cardinals): 1.20 (1.54 Career)
Joe Mauer (Twins): 2.19 (4.36)
Justin Morneau (Twins): 2.50 (3.21)
Ian Kinsler (Rangers): 2.65 (3.67)
Aaron Hill (Blue Jays): 2.67 (5.67)
Mark Teixeira (Yankees): 2.79 (3.33)
Raul Ibanez (Phillies): 2.81 (4.12)
Adrian Gonzalez (Padres): 2.82 (4.12)
Kendry Morales (Angels): 2.96 (3.51)
Alex Rodriguez (Yankees): 3.04 (2.97)

Bottom 10 - 2009
Jason Bay (Red Sox): 4.38 (4.83 Career)
Carlos Pena (Rays): 4.54 (4.90)
Russell Branyan (Mariners): 4.59 (5.77)
Kevin Youkilis (Red Sox): 4.60 (5.68)
Jayson Werth (Phillies): 4.61 (6.62)
Jim Thome (White Sox): 4.86 (4.07)
Dan Uggla (Marlins): 4.90 (5.08)
Justin Upton (D-Backs): 5.10 (7.02)
Ryan Howard (Phillies): 5.14 (4.08)
Brandon Inge (Tigers) 5.32 (7.81)

Historical Sample: Career (200 HR)
Joe DiMaggio: 1.02
Ted Williams: 1.36
Albert Pujols: 1.54
Babe Ruth: 1.86
Barry Bonds: 2.01
Willie Mays: 2.31
Mark McGwire: 2.73
Alex Rodriguez: 2.97
Cal Ripken: 3.02
Mark Teixeira: 3.33
Mike Schmidt: 3.43
Jim Thome: 4.07
Ryan Howard: 4.08
Raul Ibanez: 4.12
Reggie Jackson: 4.61
Paul Molitor: 5.31
Craig Biggio: 6.02
Mike Cameron: 6.83
Devon White: 7.33

Bobby Abreu and pitches per plate appearance

Bobby Abreu is having a good season with the Angels, but he is losing his advantage is in one of his best offensive categories: Pitches/Plate Appearance. He was always at the very top of the league in how many pitches he saw every time at bat, but that is lessening now:

2002: 4.32 2nd ML
2003: 4.31 2nd
2004: 4.32 T-1st (Brad Wilkerson)
2005: 4.40 1st
2006: 4.46 1st
2007: 4.38 3rd
2008: 4.29 6th
2009: 4.15 14th

Regardless, his strategy at the plate is working, as he is hitting .316 with a .411 on-base percentage, which would be his best batting average since 2000.

Preview: Morales for MVP?

I am currently working on an article, which I will post at MLB Fan Boards, about how Kendry Morales, 1B for the Angels, could be a serious MVP candidate.

Here's why:

Justin Morneau: .300, 27 HR, 91 RBI, .557 SLG, .954 OPS
Mark Teixeira: .286, 29 HR, 84 RBI, .569 SLG, .942
Kendry Morales: .298, 25 HR, 75 RBI, .580 SLG, .925 OPS
Joe Mauer: .369, 20 HR, 66 RBI, .613 SLG, .1045

Mauer is the front-runner, but there is still 6 weeks to go and it could be a free-for-all. Morales has been the best all-around hitter in the AL since the Break:

Post All Star Break - American League, Kendry Morales
Slugging: 1st, .771
OPS – 1st, .1145
HR – 1st, 10
RBI – 1st, 26

The Angels' offense has been great but a lot of key players either were injured or struggled:
Torii Hunter - out since July 8th
Vladimir Guerrero - missed most of July
Gary Matthews Jr. - 2 HR in 250 AB in 2009
Juan Rivera: 2 HR since All-Star Break, 18 overall

Morales has been their biggest run producer and hit the most home runs. I'll write more about this later.

Article on MLB Fan Boards

Check out a post I made on MLB Fan Boards about how Placido Polanco's recent offensive resurgence might be the key for the Tigers in their playoff race. I will be posting on the front page there from time to time. It's a relatively new site, and has a lot of cool features.

Blog Carnival 08.11.09

Welcome to the August 11, 2009 edition of Baseball In-Depth Carnival.

Mr Credit Card presents MLB Credit Card Review - Major League Baseball Extra Bases Credit Card posted at Ask Mr Credit Card.

Colin Timberlake presents Training Log: The Anvil of Crom - Day 10 posted at colintimberlake.com, saying, "A day of hard training inspired by baseball legend Lou Gehrig"

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of baseball in-depth carnival using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

White Sox are going for it

First Jake Peavy, now Alex Rios. They are taking on a contract that will last for another 5 years and about $50 million, for a guy that has had his production drop dramatically over the last couple of years. The Blue Jays were not compensated because Rios was claimed off waivers and I kind of doubt that The Blue Jays were upset.

Still, you have to love the White Sox (more specifically, Ken Williams and Jerry Reinsdorf), for taking some chances. It's easy for me to say, since I'm not a White Sox fan, but I like it.

2007: .297, 114 R, 191 H, 24 HR, 85 RBI, .852 (All-Star)
2008: .291, 91 R, 185 H, 15 HR, 79 RBI, .798
2009: .264, 52 R, 115 H, 14 HR, 62 RBI, .744

Considering he is 28, if he can revert back to his 2007 form, it might be a good deal for the White Sox. They did, after all, give up nothing to get him.

Hall of Fame: Who should be inducted?

Some may love this list, others may hate it. It's an interesting discussion to have. Some prominent names might be missing due to off-field issues.

Surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer if they retired today:
Trevor Hoffman
Mariano Rivera
Ken Griffey Jr.
Randy Johnson
John Smoltz
Derek Jeter
Pedro Martinez
Frank Thomas

Recently retired (or seemingly retired), surefire first-ballot:
Tom Glavine
Greg Maddux
Jeff Kent

Surefire first-ballot, have not reached requisite 10 years service time in Majors (but are close):
Ichiro Suzuki
Albert Pujols

Could retire today, but likely not first-ballot, will make it eventually:
Omar Vizquel
Jim Thome
Chipper Jones (will become First Ballot with a few more good years; signed with Braves through 2012)
Vladimir Guerrero

Future first-ballot, only injuries will derail them:
Joe Mauer
Jonathan Papelbon
Johan Santana
Ryan Howard
Hanley Ramirez

Could retire today, prompt debates (need a few more good years), could be a struggle:
Todd Helton
Jorge Posada

Recently retired, will prompt debates, not first ballot, but will eventually make it:
Mike Mussina
Curt Schilling

On track for eventual induction:
Miguel Cabrera
Chase Utley
Mark Teixeira
Prince Fielder
Roy Halladay
Carl Crawford
Roy Halladay
Roy Oswalt (hinted at early retirement)

On track to be in the discussion:
Justin Morneau
Matt Holliday
Dan Haren
Josh Beckett
David Wright

Once looked like a lock, still young enough to end up in discussion, but likely out:
Andruw Jones
Scott Rolen

Might have support, but probably not enough:
Jason Varitek

Need a few more years to have a shot:
Carlos Delgado

Will likely retire with monster numbers and not make it:
Adam Dunn

Great numbers, but overlooked during playing career, might not bode well for induction:
Bobby Abreu

Better chance than you might think, need to reach milestones, how badly do they want it?
Lance Berkman (33 years old, 1016 RBI, 16th all-time in OPS)
Johnny Damon (hinted at retirement before, but has 2382 hits and is only 35)
Mark Buehrle (high ERA, but only 30 with 133 wins, perfect game, no hitter, also hinted at early retirement)
Michael Young (late bloomer, 33, hitting machine: 1628 hits, 5 straight 200 hit seasons 2003-2007)
Joe Nathan (utter dominance could overcome late start, 34, 228 SV, 1.81 ERA as a closer; needs to maintain dominance and get 350 SV; tall order, but not impossible)

Hall of Fame talent, but inconsistencies and/or injuries are a major issue:
Jake Peavy
Francisco Rodriguez
Ryan Zimmerman
Jimmy Rollins
Grady Sizemore
C.C. Sabathia
Brandon Webb
Carlos Beltran
Justin Verlander
Curtis Granderson
Alfonso Soriano
Brad Lidge

Hall of Fame talent, good track record, still very early:
Tim Lincecum
Felix Hernandez
Ryan Braun
Dustin Pedroia

Seems to have Hall of Fame talent, still really young:
Justin Upton
Evan Longoria

Great talent, intriguing player, still an enigma:
Joba Chamberlain
Jose Reyes
Zack Greinke
Matt Cain
Aaron Hill
Matt Kemp

Had the talent, didn't find it until it was too late:
Chris Carpenter
Kevin Youkilis

Too late, will not make it, despite impressive numbers:
Andy Pettitte
Jim Edmonds
Luis Gonzalez
Jamie Moyer
Garret Anderson
Moises Alou
Kenny Lofton

Starting pitchers are very difficult to predict or evaluate for the Hall of Fame: no starting pitcher that started his career after 1967 has made it yet (Tom Seaver's rookie year). Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine all have 300 wins and will likely gain entry in the mid-2010's. Attitudes may have to change for pitchers that will not (or probably not) reach the 300 win mark (Pedro, Mussina, Oswalt, Santana, Halladay).

There are undoubtedly names I forgot to mention, please let me know if I did.

More Stats: Some very productive hitters

AL - .290, 20 HR, 25 2B, 70 RBI, .900 OPS (On Base + Slugging)

Justin Morneau (Twins) 482 Plate Appearances

Kendry Morales (Angels) 418

Adam Lind (Blue Jays) 460

NL - .290, 20 HR, 25 2B, 70 RBI, .900 OPS

Ryan Zimmerman (Nationals) 484 Plate Appearances

Ryan Braun (Brewers) 471

Prince Fielder (Brewers) 485

Albert Pujols (Cardinals) 479

Red Sox have a tough road ahead

The Boston Red Sox have been outscored 30-12 during their 5 game losing streak, including scoring 0 runs in their last 24 innings.

In their last 2 games, they have gone 8-76 as a team (.105 BA) and over their last 5 games, they're 30-191 (.157 BA).

All of these games have been on the road, where they have a .253 average, which is much lower than the .275 average they have at home. They average 5.7 runs per game at home and 4.7 on the road.

Their offense can't get much worse than that, so it should turn around soon. Still, they have:

• 4 games at Detroit
• 6 game roadtrip to Texas and Toronto
• 10 game homestand with the Yankees, White Sox and Blue Jays

It is a bad time of the year to be struggling and they have lot of tough series in the next few weeks.

More Great Pitching Seasons

50+ Innings Pitched (IP), sub-1.00 ERA since 1920

Bill Henry: 1964 (Reds) - 52.0 IP, 0.87 ERA
Rob Murphy: 1986 (Reds) - 50.1, 0.72
Dennis Eckersley: 1990 (A's) - 73.1, 0.61
Chris Hammond: 2002 (Braves) - 76.0, 0.95
Dennys Reyes: 2006 (Twins) - 50.2, 0.89
Jonathan Papelbon: 2006 (Red Sox) - 68.1, 0.92

4 left-handed middle relievers & 2 dominant, right-handed closers

Chris Hammond is the only pitcher in baseball since 1920 with 75+ IP, sub-1.00 in a season? His career numbers: 66-62, 4.14 ERA, 1123 IP, 136 starts, 8 teams, 14 seasons. He was a 36 year old journeyman, who hadn't pitched in the Majors since 1998 when the Braves picked him up in 2002 and he had his career year.

Dennis Eckersley's 1990 season might have been obscured by him winning the Cy Young and MVP in 1992 (he was 5th in Cy Young voting in 1990), along with a 6.75 ERA in the 1990 World Series.

Still, it was one of the greatest pitching performances in the history of baseball:
1990: 4-2, 0.61 ERA, 48 SV, 73 SO, 4 BB, 18.25 SO/BB, 0.61 WHIP.160 BAA, .397 OPS

All pitchers of 70+ IP since 1900:
0.61 WHIP: 1st
18.25 SO/BB: 1st
4 BB: 1st

.300, 100 Runs, 200 Hits, 50 Stolen Bases

.300, 100 Runs, 200 Hits, 50 SB: 2000-present

Ichiro Suzuki (Mariners) 2001: .350, 127 R, 242 H, 56 SB

Juan Pierre (Marlins) 2003: .305, 100, 204, 65

Hanley Ramirez (Marlins) 2007: .332, 125, 212, 51

Carl Crawford (Rays) 2009 (?) .316, 71, 137, 52

(Projected: .316, 105, 201, 77)

Just Barely Missed:

Juan Pierre (Marlins) 2004: .326, 100, 221, 45

Jose Reyes (Mets) 2006: .300, 122, 194, 64

Jose Reyes (Mets) 2008: .297, 113, 204, 56

For comparison:
Ty Cobb 6 (1909, 1911-12, 1915-17)
Lou Brock: 2 (1970, 1971)
Craig Biggio: 1 (1998)
Kenny Lofton 1 (1996)
Tony Gwynn 1 (1987)
Willie Wilson 1 (1980)
Tim Raines: 0
Rickey Henderson: 0
Joe Morgan: 0

Rangers are winning in 2nd Half with Home Runs, Middle Relief

Texas Rangers are 13-8 since the All-Star Break.

Offensive Stats

• Home Runs: 1st (36)
• Batting Average: 22th (.255)
• Runs: 18th (92) (11th - Pre-All Star Break - 430)
• Strikeouts: 2nd highest (171)
• Michael Young: .413 BA, .1253 OPS, 8 HR (leads AL in all 3 categories)
• Rest of Team: .235 BA
• % of Team Hits which are HR - 20% (Angels: 14%)

Pitching Stats

• ERA: 6th (3.72) - (20th: Pre-All Star Break - 4.34)
• Batting Average Against : 5th (.242)
• Starters: Vincente Padilla, Derek Holland, Scott Feldman (12 starts, 70 IP): 5-6, 5.14 ERA
• Rest of Staff: (9 starts, 119 IP): 8-2, 2.87 ERA
• Middle Relief: Darren O'Day, Eddie Guardado, Jason Grilli, Neftali Feliz -(26 Innings, 26 Games): 2.07 ERA
• Closer: C.J. Wilson (0-1, 7 Saves, 4.50 ERA) - Frank Francisco will resume closing duties
• Best Pitcher: Dustin Nippert - 3-0, 0.95 ERA, 2 starts, 6 games, 19 IP

They have played better baseball in the 2nd Half than the 1st Half (.619 W-L % vs. .551 W-L %) with less offense and better pitching. Their middle relief has pitched very well, but they need better starting pitching to compete with the Angels (4.5 games out).

Their more realistic goal might be the Wild Card (1 game out right now) with the Red Sox scuffling (8-12 since the Break and lost 4 in a row)

Dominant pitching performances since 2000

Since 2000, there have only been 5 pitchers with 90+ IP and a sub-2.00 ERA in a season:

2000: Pedro Martinez - Red Sox (217 IP, 1.74 ERA)

2002: Octavio Dotel - Astros (97.1, 1.85)

2003: Guillermo Mota - Dodgers (105, 1.97)

2004: Brad Lidge - Astros (94.2, 1.90)

2007: Peter Moylan - Braves (90, 1.80)

Only 2 had over 100 IP and a sub 2.00: Pedro Martinez (2000) and Guillermo Mota (2003)

Johnny Damon and the New Yankee Stadium

Johnny Damon has now hit 20 home runs this year, only the third time he has done that in his 15-year career (2004, 2006) and has a slugging percentage of .517 (best of his career). His career high was 24 (2006) and he has over 50 games to go. It looks like his power surge is due almost entirely to playing in the new Bandbox in the Bronx.

2008
Home: 7 HR (38.8 AB/HR)

Away: 10 (28.3 AB/HR)

2009

Home: 13 HR (14.5 AB/HR)

Away: 7 (27.7 AB/HR)

2008: 32.6 AB/HR

2009: 19.2 AB/HR

Career: 40.6 (203 HR in 8241 AB)

Similar to - (AB/HR):

Career: Barry Larkin

2008 - Home: John Kruk

2008 - Away: John Vander Wal

2009 - Home: Ted Williams

2009 - Away: Scott Brosius

Who are the best hitters with runners on base?

Top 20 - Batting Average: Runners On - 2006-2009

No player was in the top 20 all 4 years

3 times from 2006-2009

Joe Mauer (2006, 2008, 2009)

2 times

Orlando Cabrera (Angles, A's/Twins) (2007, 2009)

Chone Figgins (Angels) (2007, 2009)

Pablo Sandoval (Giants) (2008, 2009)

Bobby Abreu (Phillies/Yankees, Angels) (2006, 2009)

Miguel Cabrera (Marlins) (2006, 2007)

Albert Pujols (Cardinals) (2006, 2008)

Leaders:

2006: Brian McCann (Braves) - .368

2007: Magglio Ordonez (Tigers) - .391

2008: Pablo Sandoval (Giants) - .403

2009: Andrew McCutchen (Pirates) - .429

Matt Holliday seems to like playing in St. Louis

I thought that trading for Matt Holliday was a good move for St. Louis, but I thought people should put his numbers from his Colorado years in context and not expect a return to that. So far, though, his numbers from Colorado pale in comparison to his St. Louis numbers:

.488 BA, .551 OBP, .878 SLG, .1429 OPS, 21 H, 6 2B, 3 HR, 11 RBI, 9 R through 11 games (Cardinals are 7-4)

At his new home, Busch Stadium, his numbers look like they came from a slow-pitch softball league:

.500 BA, .581 OBP, .923 SLG, .1504 OPS, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 6 R through 7 games.

It is only through 11 games (7 at home) and they will come back to earth (he went 0-4 two nights ago!), but so far, the Cardinals look like they might have made the best trade of the season.

Blog Carnival 08.04.09

I haven't done a carnival in a while, but I plan to have one every week. This week, the only submission was by Brian Akin at Dear (Tommy) John Letters, who has submitted to all of the carnivals on this site so far. He has a funny story about Tommy Lasorda at Dodger Spring Training.

Brian Akin presents Tommy Lasorda Story posted at Dear (Tommy) John Letters.

I hope to get more submissions in future weeks and grow the carnival over time. Please submit your articles here.

Brendan Donnelly's fascinating career

Image via Wikipedia

It's not too often than a cast-aside 38 year old middle reliever can have a major impact on a playoff race, but it could be happening with Brendan Donnelly and the Marlins. He was signed in July by the Marlins and had an immediate impact. He has had a very fascinating (and controversial) career.

2002: 1-1, 2.17 ERA, 46 games

2003: 2-2, 1.58 ERA, 63 games

2004: 5-2, 3.00 ERA, 40 games

2005: 9-3, 3.72 ERA, 66 games

2006: 6-0, 3.94 ERA, 62 games

2007: 2-1, 3.05 ERA, 27 games

2008: 1-0, 8.56 ERA, 15 games

2009: 2-0, 0.82 ERA, 13 games

• Born: 1971
• Drafted: 27th round of the 1992 Draft (White Sox)
• Was on 18 different minor league teams 1992-2002 (445 minor league games in career).
• Debuted: April, 2002 (Angels)
• Not allowed in the Major League Baseball Players Association because he was a replacement player in 1995 during the Strike.
• Known for wearing goggles while he pitches.
• Winning Pitcher - 2003 All-Star Game (only career selection).
• Had Tommy John Surgery in 2007.
• Suspended for using Pine Tar in his glove in 2005 (nemesis and former teammate Jose Guillen alerted the umpires).
• Named in Mitchell Report in 2007.

He has at least been a part of a turnaround in the Marlins' fortunes:

Marlins Team ERA

April: 4.39

May: 4.87

June: 3.94

July: 3.51

Are C.C. Sabathia's numbers a surprise?

On a very good Yankees team with a great offense, Carsten Charles (C.C.) Sabathia is 11-7 with a 3.95 ERA. He has pitched more than 8 innings only once (a complete game shutout at Baltimore on May 8th). He had a 4.62 ERA in July and allowed 5 runs and 10 hits over 7 innings in a loss to the White Sox today.

He has the most expensive contract of any pitcher in Major League history: 7 years, $161 million


Here is what got him the contract:
2006: 12-11, 3.21, 172 SO, 44 BB
2007: 19-7, 3.21, 209 SO, 37 BB(Indians) - Cy Young Award
2008: 11-2, 1.65, 128 SO, 25 BB (Brewers) - 5th in NL Cy Young Voting
.614 W-L % (10th among active pitchers)
240+ IP (2007, 2008)
28 Complete Games (11th Active)
11 Shutouts (7th Active)

This didn't:
2004: 11-10, 4.12
2005: 15-10, 4.03
2008: 6-8, 3.83 (Indians)
Postseason: 2-3, 7.92 ERA

He has impressive career numbers: 117-73 with a 3.65 ERA entering this season

Here is a breakdown of 2 pitchers. One is Sabathia, the other is a well-known pitcher.

Pitcher A
Hits/9: 7.49 (35th all time)
SO/9: 9.12 (8th)
SO/BB: 3.65 (11th)
WHIP: 1.11 (11th)

Pitcher B
Hits/9: 8.33 (243rd all-time)
SO/9: 7.48 (51st)
SO/BB: 2.65 (57th)
WHIP: 1.24 (228th)

Pitcher A is one of the most dominant pitchers ever. Pitcher B is very good, but the numbers much more pedestrian.

Pitcher A: Johan Santana
Pitcher B: C.C. Sabathia

How much does this matter? Hard to tell, especially since these are career statistics. Santana, for instance, has fallen slightly since his 2004-2006 peak. Sabathia put up incredible numbers in 2007 and 2008 after the trade, but not as much as the rest of his career.

More Sabathia numbers:

SO/BB
2007: 5.65 (1st in league)
2008 (Brewers): 5.12
2009: 2.53 (37th)

SO/9
2007: 7.8
2008: 8.9
2009: 6.6

BB/9
2007: 1.4
2008: 2.1
2009: 2.6

Interestingly, he is allowing fewer hits and a lower batting average than in 2007 (.259 vs. .242)

These are not bad numbers, they're just not elite or worthy of a pitcher making $160 million over 7 years. The trends are not good either. All of these numbers are worse than they were in 2007. It's still early and he'll win a lot of games as a Yankee, but I would be worried about his strikeout and walk totals compared his his 2007 and 2008 seasons (the seasons that got him the contract in the first place).

Final Totals for July

Batting Average (min. 75 PA): Erick Aybar (Angels) - .414 (Lowest: Carlos Pena (Rays) - .146)

OBP, OPS (min. 75 PA): Matt Holliday (A's/Red Sox) - .487, .1157 (Lowest: Ian Kinsler (Rangers) - .200; Josh Hamilton (Rangers) - .513)

Stolen Bases: Nyjer Morgan (Nationals/Pirates), Jacoby Ellsbury (Red Sox) - 14

Runs: Chone Figgins, Bobby Abreu (both Angels) - 26

Hits: Orlando Cabrera (A's)- 41

Home Runs, SLG: Garrett Jones (Pirates) - 10, .700

RBI: Bobby Abreu (Angels), Ryan Ludwick (Cardinals) - 28


Wins: John Lackey (Angels), Jorge De La Rosa (Rockies), Randy Wells (Cubs) - 5

ERA (min. 20 IP): Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers) - 0.71 (Highest: Russ Ortiz (Astros) - 12.23; 2nd Highest: Vin Mazzaro (A's) - 8.51)

SO: Tim Lincecum (Giants) - 51

Saves: Mariano Rivera (Yankees) - 10


Team Runs: Angels - 185 (2nd - Phillies 153) (Lowest: Pirates - 83)

BA: Angels - .316 (2nd - A's .296) (Lowest: Pirates- .225)

HR: Rangers, Yankees 40 (Fewest: Mets - 13)

ERA: Phillies 3.22 (Worst: Brewers 5.67)

Wins: Phillies 20 (Fewest: Royals - 7)

Opponents' Batting Average: .219 Giants (Worst: Reds - .292)

Huge offensive improvement for the A's:
Batting Average: Rank, BA
April: 28th, .237
May: 26th, .243
June: 27th, .232
July: 2nd, .296

The Angels' offensive explosion was impressive:

Runs - Highest, 2nd Highest
April: Blue Jays 142, Cardinals - 133
May: Rays - 184, Twins - 168
June: Rockies - 154, Angels - 148, Rays - 148
July: Angels -185, Phillies, 153

Batting Average: Highest in League
April: Blue Jays - .292
May: Astros - .288
June: Rays - .284
July: Angels - .316