Baseball is truly a great game. On a nightly basis, we see many things of interest. To say that there are surprises would be an understatement. There’s never a shortage of excitement and things to note, so let’s take a look at some items that caught my attention.
Guess Who’s Back
At just 3.5 games out of the Wild Card race, there is plenty of baseball left to be played for the Atlanta Braves. Their path to the top of the standings is now getting a lot easier with Ronald Acuna returning to action on Friday.
In six minor league rehab games, Acuna hit .400 with two home runs, two RBI, and seven runs scored. It’s worth noting that Acuna didn’t steal a base during that stint. Nothing that we saw from Acuna is surprising and his return is a true game changer for the Braves.
Who cares if he keeps his base stealing to a minimum as he’s a true competitor in all other aspects of the game. Adding his bat to Atlanta’s lineup truly changes the complexation of things. In fairness to the Braves, they have done a solid job of holding serve with Eli White and Alex Verdugo.
The Power Returns
So much focus was on Jose Altuve’s move to the outfield from a defensive perspective, but he has had a tough go of it offensively. As he put his attention on learning a new position, those offensive struggles shouldn’t have come as a surprise. When it comes to having a track record though, there are few hitters at the level of Altuve since his debut in 2011.
Heading into Thursday’s game against Seattle, it had been almost a month since Altuve had gone deep. With back-to-back at bats, the now outfielder changed the narrative. Not only did Altuve hit two home runs, but they were both no doubt shots over the left field fence. That brought Altuve up to just six home runs, but the hope is that it will generate positive momentum.
With a .243 batting average, this is by far the lowest of Altuve’s career, and the only place for him to go from here is up. Altuve’s batted ball metrics are also the lowest of his career, but on Thursday, he did remind us what he’s capable of.
Hassell Arrives
The Juan Soto trade appears to be the gift that keeps on giving for the Washington Nationals. Between CJ Abrams, James Wood, and MacKenzie Gore, a large part of the Nationals’ core can be attributed to Soto courtesy of the San Diego Padres.
On Thursday, the next piece arrived in the form of Robert Hassell. The outfielder made his debut and picked up two hits in five at bats while stealing two bases and scoring two runs. After we saw Hassell steal 15 bases in 85 minor leagues games last year, it was a good development. With Dylan Crews and Jacob Young injured, there was a need in Washington’s outfield, and Hassell is best suited to fill it. If the former top prospect continues to have success, I would expect him to have staying power.
Health issues have plagued Hassell’s career to this point, but he’s always had talent and upside. The power will be the last thing to come for Hassell but it’s not going to be an overwhelming tool.
The good news for Hassell is that he begins his major league career from a position of strength. He rebounded from a tough start to the season by hitting .339 in May with four home runs, 14 RBI, and eight runs scored.
It’s Round Two for Shaw
It almost seemed like a foregone conclusion that Matt Shaw would head north with the Chicago Cubs. Ultimately, his performance this spring and a need for the Cubs fulfilled that destiny. The problem though, is that hitting in the major leagues, especially for the first time, isn’t as easy as we might think it to be.
With that being said, Shaw struggled and hit just .209 in 20 games with only one home run and five RBI. The quality of Shaw’s contact was poor and he also struck out 25% of the time. If you can find any good news, it’s that Shaw still maintained a solid approach at the plate walking at a rate of 13%.
When he went down to Triple-A, Shaw then hit .286 over 24 games while brining the strikeouts down to 10%. Shaw also regained his stroke with six home runs and 22 RBI which led to his second trip to Chicago this season. This time, it won’t be a brand new experience for Shaw and that can’t be overlooked. It also helps that the Cubs are in the midst of a strong season so there won’t be any pressure on Shaw.
Burger is Back
Over the past two seasons, Jake Burger found consistency as a home run and RBI threat while hitting .250 in each year. With the trade from the Miami Marlins to the Texas Rangers, the expectation was that Burger would find even more success. Instead, he began the season in the opposite direction. Those struggles led to a temporary demotion to the minor leagues for Burger, but he’s back and is also on track.
Even when Burger was struggling, his metrics did point to him finding his groove. After hitting .186 to begin the season, Burger is now hitting .308 through 11 games in May. Burger has three home runs and six RBI which is more in line with our expectations for him.
Burger’s 14.1% barrel rate and 51.5% hard hit rate both point to continued success this season. In general, the Texas offense is slated to turn things around but it remains to be seen to what degree Bret Boone will help.
Herrera is Raking
In the first year of truly regular playing time, Ivan Herrera is hitting like he never wants to come out of the lineup. Last year, in 72 games, Herrera hit .301 with five home runs and 27 RBI. Not a true power threat like a lot of the young catchers coming up, Herrera’s calling card was his ability to hit for a high average. Granted, it came with a .370 BABIP, but he also had a .293 xBA.
While working through a stint on the Injured List with a knee injury, Herrera is hitting even better this season. Through 18 games, he’s hitting .417 with a 15.7% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate. That comes with an even crazier .444 BABIP, but again, is anyone going to argue with a .321 xBA. This applies to any position, let alone catcher.
From a power perspective, Herrera is already at five home runs and 21 RBI while positing a startling .350 ISO. The catcher has a 16% barrel rate as he surges up the leaderboards.
A Bounce Back from McCullers
After missing over two full seasons, just returning to the mound was a big deal for Lance McCullers. To pitch well and have success is an even bigger deal for the right-hander who was previously a large part of the Houston Astros’ future plans.
Through four starts, McCullers does have a 6.57 ERA, but in just 12.1 innings, it’s still too soon to judge him. He’s striking out over 10 batters per nine innings, but is also struggling with control walking 7.30 batters per nine innings. It is concerning that his average fastball velocity is down from 93.3 miles per hour to 91.9, but again, its still early.
Allowing seven earned runs in one-third of an inning against the Reds in his second start has truly skewed his ERA. In McCullers other three starts, 12 innings, he has allowed just two runs while striking out 14 and walking seven.
Romano is Back in the Ninth
Jordan Romano had been pitching better in May, but with Jose Alvarado now suspended for 80 games, he has no choice. Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering are also present in Philadelphia’s bullpen, but it’s Romano with the closing experience.
With a perfect ninth inning on Thursday, Romano brought his ERA for the season down, yes, I said down, to 6.87. Over eight innings in May though, Romano has yet to allow an earned run which is certainly a cause for optimism. Despite recent struggles and health issues, Romano is an All-Star closer. Additionally, Romano’s 2.96 xERA paints his April performance in a better light.
