Riley Greene was 18 years previous and solely three months faraway from being drafted fifth-overall when he was first featured right here at FanGraphs in September 2019. Reminiscent of our earlier dialog, I requested the Detroit Tigers rookie outfielder what he is aware of now that he didn’t know then.
“Once I first began, I didn’t actually take into consideration a lot,”replied Greene, who celebrated his twenty second birthday 4 days in the past. “I form of simply went up there, and was free-swinging nearly. I used to be a younger child who didn’t actually know something. Since then, I’ve provide you with a routine and am extra educated on what I must do on the plate. I’ve a plan. Whether or not it really works or not is up the baseball gods.”
The extent to which the baseball gods have been on his facet is relative. Greene isn’t precisely setting the world on hearth — he has a 100 wRC+ and 5 residence runs in 400 plate appearances — however once more, he’s been sufficiently old to take a authorized drink for barely over a yr. He additionally got here into the season with simply 198 skilled video games underneath his belt, solely 55 on the Triple-A degree. His potential far exceeds his current.
In some respects, Greene is far the identical participant Detroit drafted within the first spherical out of Oviedo, Florida’s Paul J. Hagerty Excessive Faculty.
“My swing is form of what it’s at all times been,” Greene advised me this summer time. “No matter works works, so I haven’t actually tried to alter a lot. On the identical time, I’m larger and stronger, so whereas it is perhaps a bit of totally different, what I’m attempting to do with my swing is basically the identical. I really feel like I’ve at all times had a fairly good really feel for the strike zone, and I wish to keep within the gaps. As a lot as something, I attempt to preserve issues easy.”
A participant he not shares a clubhouse with helped educate him to the ins and outs of major-league baseball. Previous to being dealt from Detroit to Atlanta in August, Robbie Grossman served as a mentor to the younger outfielder, going out of his approach to share recommendation. Greene credit Grossman’s taking him underneath his wing as a invaluable a part of his rookie-year expertise.
As for what it’s been wish to placed on a Detroit Tigers uniform for almost all of the season, let’s simply say that Greene is strictly the place he desires to be.
“It’s actually, actually thrilling,” mentioned Greene. “It’s a dream come true. Being up right here on the large stage, taking part in on the highest degree of baseball… I imply, what else are you able to ask for?”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Andre Thornton went 6 for six in opposition to Chris Codiroli.
Albert Belle went 6 for 8 in opposition to Mike Hampton.
Carlos Baerga went 6 for 10 in opposition to Nolan Ryan.
Grady Sizemore went 9 for 18 in opposition to Félix Hernández.
Jim Thome went 10 for twenty-four in opposition to Bobby Witt.
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I first realized of Bobby Witt Jr. after I noticed him win the Excessive Faculty Residence Run Derby at Nationals Park in 2018. 4 years later, the 22-year-old shortstop is hitting baseballs over fences at a far greater degree of play. Drafted second-overall in 2019 out of Colleyville (Texas) Heritage Excessive Faculty, Witt has 20 homers to go together with a 102 wRC+ in his rookie season with the Kansas Metropolis Royals.
I lately requested Witt how his present swing compares to at least one I’d seen at Nationals Park.
“It actually hasn’t modified that a lot,” replied Witt, whose 57 extra-base hits are a Royals rookie file. “My swing has just about been the identical since I used to be 12, 13 years previous. “What you noticed was additionally simply my common swing. I feel residence runs simply form of occur. To me, line drives are mis-hit residence runs.”
Witt could have meant that within the inverse — residence runs are mis-hit line drives — however both manner, any mechanical tweaks he’s made have been minor in nature. The teen has primarily labored to enhance his timing, and to develop a more-nuanced method in opposition to baseball’s greatest arms. Blessed with one of many sport’s highest ceilings, he’s striving to enhance at an age the place most gamers his age are nonetheless within the minors.
“I feel my season has gone fairly properly,” opined Witt. “There are a variety of issues I’ve realized from, and all the failures I’ve gone by will solely assist me as I’m going ahead. I feel I’m going to maintain getting higher each yr. It’s all about getting extra expertise, as a result of who I’m is nice sufficient. I simply must preserve sharpening my craft.”
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A quiz:
Which pitcher born within the Dominican Republic has essentially the most profession MLB wins?
The reply could be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
San Diego Padres broadcaster Don Orsillo referred to as his 3,000th MLB sport earlier this week. Arguably the very best within the enterprise, Orsillo was behind the microphone in Boston from 2001-2015 earlier than transferring into his present place.
Rick Hummel is retiring from The St. Louis Publish-Dispatch after 51 years behind the keyboard. Hummel has coated the Cardinals for all however the first yr of his tenure on the paper.
John Wathan, who has spent 47 of his 51 years in skilled baseball with the Kansas Metropolis Royals, will retire after this season. A supervisor, coach, scout, and broadcaster after his taking part in days, Wathan was a fleet-footed catcher who swiped 26 bases in 1982, and 28 in 1983.
Tom Urbani, who pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals from 1993-1996, and for the Detroit Tigers within the second half of the 1996 season, died earlier this week at age 54. A left-hander who was credited with 10 big-league wins, Urbani later performed in Italy.
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The reply to the quiz is Bartolo Colon, with 247 wins. Juan Marichal has the second-most wins amongst Dominican-born pitchers, with 243.
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Dillon Tate pushed again a bit of after I steered that he’s having a breakout season. The primary phrases out of his mouth upon listening to that had been “I encourage to vary.” The response shocked me. The Baltimore Orioles right-hander got here into the yr with a profession mark of 1-9 with three saves and a 4.61 ERA. His 90 appearances had come over elements of three big-league seasons.
He did acknowledge that his 2022 numbers are his greatest so far. In 65 appearances comprising 72 innings, Tate is 4-4 with 4 saves and a 2.88 ERA. However once more, “breakout season” isn’t the best way the fourth-overall choose within the 2015 draft views it. In his thoughts, the present marketing campaign is merely a stepping stone to greater and higher issues.
Issuing fewer free passes has performed a significant function in his improved fortunes. Tate’s stroll charge this yr is a minuscule 1.6, and it got here by concerted effort. Furthermore, it was jumpstarted by one thing he learn.
“I noticed an article about Liam Hendrix,” defined Tate. “Final yr he had a complete of seven walks, and I feel 5 of them scored. Seeing him discuss that, I made a decision that I wanted to deal with that in my sport.”
The 28-year-old added that the one bodily adjustment he’s made has been to his slider, which is not onerous and brief, however relatively “slower and larger.” Command-wise that appears counterintuitive — the extra a pitch breaks, the tougher it may be to land within the zone — however the righty wasn’t essentially agreeing with that suggestion both.
“Theoretically, sure, however every little thing comes all the way down to repetition,” Tate advised me. “I’m throwing that pitch within the zone extra, and making the adjustment after I must. It’s all concerning the reps.”
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Koudai Senga, who reportedly hopes to pitch in MLB subsequent yr, had a 1.94 ERA and 156 strikeouts in 144 innings for the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks. The 29-year-old right-hander is 87-44 with a 2.59 ERA over 11 NPB seasons.
Roki Sasaki went 9-4 with a 2.02 ERA and 173 strikeouts in 129-and-a-third innings with the Chiba Lotte Marines. The 20-year-old right-hander with the triple-digits fastball grew to become a global sensation earlier this season when he threw 17 consecutive excellent innings.
Nippon-Ham Fighters left-hander Takayuki Katoh had 98 strikeouts and walked simply 11 batters in 147-and-two-third innings this season. The 30-year-old hurler went 8-7 with 124 hits allowed and a 2.01 ERA over 21 begins.
Jung-hoo Lee continues to dominate with the KBO. With every week left within the common season, the 24-year-old Kiwoom Heroes outfielder is slashing .351/.422/.581 with a 175 wRC+. His 191 hits embody 36 doubles, 10 triples, and 23 residence runs.
Yasiel Puig is slashing .279/.371/.479 with 21 residence runs for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. The 31-year-old outfielder final performed in MLB with Cleveland in 2019.
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Seattle’s Robbie Ray and Kansas Metropolis’s Luke Weaver engaged in a pregame standoff final Sunday, with every decided to be the final to go away the sphere following the nationwide anthem. Arms on coronary heart and unwilling to budge, ignoring repeated orders to go away the sphere, each had been ejected by residence plate umpire Adrian Johnson.
Social media reacted as social media is wont to do. The mere concept that gamers can be tossed for such silliness was anathema of their collective eyes. The arbiters had been clearly fallacious.
Really, the umpire(s) had little alternative. Per rule, uniformed personnel — save for the 9 defenders, the batter, the on-deck hitter, and the bottom coaches — can’t be on the sphere as soon as the umpire alerts that an inning is able to begin. At a reported three minutes, the shenanigans-delay was lengthy sufficient. Ray and Weaver deserved what they obtained.
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FARM NOTES
Tampa Bay Rays associates mixed to go 411-302 this yr for a .576 profitable proportion, the very best of any group. Baseball America has the complete list.
Edouard Julien slashed .300/.441/.490 with 17 residence runs in 508 plate appearances for Double-A Wichita. No. 17 in our Minnesota Twins prospect rankings, the 23-year-old infielder was featured here at FanGraphs final October.
Dalton Rushing slashed .424/.539/.778 with eight residence runs in 128 plate appearances with Low-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 21-year-old left-handed-hitting catcher/first baseman was drafted fortieth general this summer time by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of the College of Louisville.
Tommy Sommer had a 2.71 ERA to go together with 129 strikeouts and 92 hits allowed in 123 innings between LowA Kannapolis and Excessive-A Winston-Salem. The 24-year-old (as of final weekend) southpaw was drafted out of Indiana College within the tenth spherical final yr by the Chicago White Sox.
Yu-Min Lin had a 2.72 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 56-and-a-thirds innings whereas making seven begins every within the Arizona Complicated League and with Low-A Visalia. The 19-year-old left-hander from Taitung, Taiwan was signed by the Arizona Diamondbacks final December.
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Who was the nastiest pitcher you confronted this yr? I’ve requested that query, in so could phrases, to a number of minor-leaguer hitters lately. Earlier this week I posed it to Pink Sox prospect David Hamilton.
“I’ll say it was most likely Luis Medina, from the [Somerset] Yankees,“ replied the speedy center infielder, who together with swiping 70 luggage logged a 104 wRC+ with the Double-A Portland Sea Canine. “He was fairly good. He had one thing like three totally different fastballs, possibly 4 totally different fastballs. Sinker, cutter, rising fastball… and he threw 99 [mph] too. He was the hardest, or no less than one of many hardest, guys I confronted this yr.”
A 23-year-old right-hander, Medina was acquired from the Yankees by the A’s on the commerce deadline within the six-player deal centered round Frankie Montas and Ken Waldichuk. Presently No. 4 in our Oakland Athletics prospect rankings, Medina had a 5.24 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 92-and-two-thirds innings on the Double-A degree.
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I requested the identical query to Kyle Stowers. The Baltimore Orioles rookie outfielder named a pitcher he’d confronted earlier this season when he was taking part in for the Norfolk Tides.
“I’ve but to place a ball in play in opposition to him, so I’ll say [Calvin] Faucher, with the Rays,” mentioned Stowers, who has a 108 wRC+ and three residence runs in 87 plate appearances with the O’s. “I confronted him a few occasions in Triple-A, and he throws a breaking ball at 90 mph with fairly excessive spin. Up right here, Dylan Cease’s breaking ball is comparable in that it’s agency with excessive spin. That’s a pitch that’s given me a variety of bother.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Derrick Goold wrote about Albert Pujols’s storied profession for The St. Louis Publish-Dispatch.
The Rating’s Travis Sawchik talked to gamers who chased their desires within the minors for 10-plus years, solely to by no means attain the majors. Per Sawchik’s analysis, a complete of 1,420 minor leaguers since 1891 have reached 4,000 plate appearances with out ever taking part in in MLB.
The Pittsburgh Publish-Gazette’s Mike Persak wrote about how the Pirates bullpen leaves a lot to be desired.
Hector Lopez, who performed in 5 World Sequence with the New York Yankees and went on to turn out to be the primary Black supervisor in Triple-A, died lately at age 93. Julia Kreuz wrote about the trailblazing Panamanian for MLB.com.
Dusty Baker acquired the first-ever high-five from Glenn Burke after hitting his thirtieth residence run of the season on immediately’s date in 1977. John Fredland recapped the event for SABR’s Video games Undertaking.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
The Cleveland Guardians have recorded an MLB-best 29 wins of their final at-bat of the sport this season. Additionally they lead all groups with 12 wins when trailing after seven innings.
Scott Barlow has gained all 5 of his profession choices in opposition to Cleveland. The Kansas Metropolis Royals nearer is 3-0 versus the Guardians this season.
The Baltimore Orioles hit 5 triples at Fenway Park within the first 13 innings of this week’s four-game sequence in opposition to the Pink Sox — and none within the ensuing 23 innings. The Orioles file for triples in a sequence stays six, which got here in a four-game set versus the Washington Senators in 1957.
J.T. Realmuto has caught 131 video games this season, essentially the most within the majors. In 1972, Randy Hundley was behind the plate 160 occasions for the Chicago Cubs. He began in 156 of them.
Frank Fernandez, who caught for 4 groups from 1967-1972, completed his profession with 145 hits and 164 walks. He had a .199 batting common and a .350 OBP.
On immediately’s date in 1976, J.R. Richard went the gap for his twentieth win of the season, fanning 13 batters alongside the best way, because the Houston Astros beat the San Francisco Giants 10-1. The 6-foot-8 right-hander helped his personal trigger with a house run and three RBIs,
On immediately’s date in 1968, Bob Gibson logged 17 strikeouts over 9 shutout innings because the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Detroit Tigers 4-0 in Sport One of many World Sequence. Denny McLain, who’d gone 31-6 in the course of the common season, took the loss.
On October 3, 1947, New York Yankees right-hander Bill Bevens was one out away from a World Sequence no-hitter when he surrendered a walk-off, two-run double to Brooklyn Dodgers pinch-hitter Cookie Lavagetto. Bevens issued 10 free passes within the 3-2 Sport 4 loss.
Gamers born on immediately’s date embody Paul Dicken, who went 0 for 13 over elements of the 1964 and 1966 seasons with the Cleveland Indians. All 13 of Dicken’s plate appearances got here as a pinch-hitter.
Additionally born on immediately’s date was Bob Coluccio, who performed for 3 groups, primarily the Milwaukee Brewers, from 1973-1978. An outfielder who hit 15 residence runs for Milwaukee in his rookie season, Coluccio drove a beer truck for proprietor Bud Selig’s beer distributorship that winter.
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