Bleacher Report - MLB

1st-Quarter Managerial Grades for Red Sox's John Farrell

Peter Woolverton — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:27:20 -0400

In spite of some difficult recent history, the Boston Red Sox have managed to establish themselves as surprise contenders early in the 2013 season. They currently sit just half a game outside of first place after sweeping the Minnesota Twins.

One of the myriad of possible reasons why the Red Sox have been able to play so well is the work of new manager, John Farrell. The team’s former pitching coach is in his first year at the position after a brief stint with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Many credit Farrell with Boston’s brilliant first quarter of baseball, but just how good has he been? Here is a detailed breakdown of Farrell’s managerial performance in various aspects of the game. Let’s see how well he’s done.

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Current Stock Reports for St. Louis Cardinals' Top 10 Prospects

Jeff Sucher — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:20:17 -0400

The St. Louis Cardinals are finding out earlier than they probably would have liked about how their top prospects will perform at the big league level.

As the season is already a quarter of the way over, the Cardinals have found themselves dipping into their strong farm system to help fill holes due to injury. Thankfully for Cardinals GM John Mozeliak, those prospects he's helped to draft have done a nice job when called upon.

The good thing for the Cardinals is that almost every prospect on this list is currently trending upward.

Here is a current stock report for the top 10 prospects in the organization.

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Miguel Cabrera Clubs 3 Home Runs as Rangers Defeat Tigers 11-8

Maxwell Ogden — Mon, 20 May 2013 00:12:26 -0400

MLB crowned their first Triple Crown winner since Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 when Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera hit for 44 home runs and 139 RBI on a batting average of .330 last season.

In 2013, Cabrera is picking up where he left off.

The Texas Rangers may have won 11-8, but it was Cabrera that shined Sunday night with three home runs.

I think that's good.

Cabrera finished the day at 4-for-4 with three home runs, five RBI and four runs scored. Even as his team lost, it's hard to place blame on a player that put on one of the best performances you'll see all season.

In fact, his individual outing was one for the record books.

This is one of those games where you can't help but ask, how did they lose?

As one might expect, the Twittersphere erupted in praise of Cabrera. The general consensus being that he is the best hitter in the world.

Is there a rational argument against such belief?

Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen, quite the well-rounded player in his own regard, kept it short and sweet. Cabrera is pretty good.

Just a little bit.

Washington Nationals right fielder and potential MVP candidate Bryce Harper wasn't so modest about his praise. The second-year player spoke it how we know it to be.

If you can find a player who matches Cabrera, we'll listen.

When it comes right down to it, there are only so many words that can describe what Cabrera does as a hitter. Not only is he one of the best at making contact, but he's an elite deep-ball threat that appears to be the class of the American League in every statistical area.

Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports put it best.

After Sunday night, there's only one thing that Cabrera deserves—our admiration.

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What Shelby Miller Must Do to Win the 2013 NL Cy Young Award

Corey Noles — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:56:23 -0400

St. Louis Cardinals rookie starter Shelby Miller has been causing quite the stir among MLB pundits and baseball writers.

With so much attention being pointed toward Matt Harvey (well-earned attention, mind you), Shelby Miller slipped through the early weeks of 2013 with little or no national attention despite his accomplishments.

During his first eight starts, however, Miller has put together an impressive rookie effort.

As of the season’s quarter mark, Miller is on pace for 20 wins, 204 innings pitched, 228 strikeouts and only 48 walks.

With his name firmly implanted in the Rookie of the Year discussion, those numbers go far beyond that—they’re Cy Young Award-caliber numbers.

It’s very early in the season, but that’s why we have projections, predictions and analysis.

While expecting Miller to keep up this pace might be unrealistic, it would not be impossible. There’s a reason so much excitement has surrounded his ascension through the minor leagues—it’s because he really is that good.

So, what would Miller need to do to win a Cy Young Award in his rookie effort? Plenty—but, don’t underestimate him.

Most importantly, he needs to keep his run total low.

So far, Miller has surrendered only eight earned runs in 2012. That’s an average of one per start.

His actual ERA, however, is currently tied for the best in MLB at 1.40. It’s safe to say that’s not where he will finish the season, but if he could finish with even as high as double that (2.80), he would have a clear shot at the award.

There’s more to winning a Cy Young Award, though, than just having a good ERA.

Another goal for Miller will be to keep his hits down—way down.

To date, he’s given up 33 hits over eight starts and 51.1 innings pitched. He’s done a good job of keeping hitters at bay simply from the movement on his fastball and samples in the curveball most regularly with two strikes against left-handed batters, according to data from Brooks Baseball.

For now that’s working well, but over time, batters will begin to figure him out, and that will likely require at least some minor adjustment for him.

When the time comes, expect to see expanded use of his off-speed pitches. His four-seam fastball will likely remain his main tool, but the ability to keep batters off-balance is something that will benefit him for years to come.

For a strikeout pitcher, Miller has also kept his walks quite low. Through May 19, he’s walked only 12 of the 83 batters he’s faced. It’s not perfect, but if he can keep his walks near 50, that will go a long way toward keeping him in the running for the pitchers' top honor in MLB.

There has been one flaw in Miller’s game that will need some attention if the Cy Young Award is to become a true possibility.

The problem is that he’s not putting up much of a fight against potential base stealers. Through his first eight starts, runners are 7-of-8 against Miller.

His lack of attention has even made it difficult for Gold Glove catcher Yadier Molina to throw out baserunners, having caught only one.

While it is a flaw, it’s not exactly a deal breaker.

There are plenty of other pitchers who will have solid seasons, so who wins the award is all but impossible to predict at this early stage.

With an explosive team behind him and the best active catcher in the game behind the plate, Miller has what it takes to stay in the running throughout the year.

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Is Bobby Parnell the New York Mets' Long-Term Answer at Closer?

Tamer Chamma — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:20:33 -0400

Bobby Parnell has seized control of the closer’s role for the New York Mets in 2013. The opportunity at hand with the franchise, though, is much greater for him then a single-season stint saving games.

The Mets have not had a homegrown closer since Randy Myers in the late 1980s. Even Myers only held down the role for two seasons, 1988 and 1989, before being shipped to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for John Franco. Before Myers, the last closer The Amazin’s could truly call their own was Tug McGraw.

The man who coined “Ya Gotta Believe” accumulated 86 saves in his nine seasons with the team.

Parnell, a ninth-round selection in the 2005 amateur draft by the Mets, is the first farmhand with a real chance to close long-term for the team since McGraw.

He is also setting himself up to be part of the core that will attempt to bring New York out of a six-year-plus run of depressing baseball in Queens.

That core currently includes Matt Harvey, David Wright and Zack Wheeler. If Travis d’Arnaud ever stays healthy, he’ll be a part of it as well.

Can Parnell be a key piece of a team that will attempt to play the part of contender, instead of laughingstock pretender, starting in 2014—at a position that has primarily been addressed through trades and free agency in the franchise’s 51-year history?

The answer is yes, because the 28-year-old has finally found a closer’s mentality through a pitch to complement his blazing 98-mph fastball.

Parnell’s numbers only tell part of the story of his success so far in 2013. They deserve some recognition, however, since they have been off-the-charts fantastic.

He sports a sub-one ERA and a WHIP that sits at a splendid 0.67. He has allowed only 10 hits in 19.1 innings and, even more impressively, he has yet to allow a home run.

Parnell does have two blown saves in eight chances, but both were the result of poor defense by the Mets.

In the first blown save, against the Colorado Rockies in mid-April, an errant throw by Ruben Tejada allowed the tying runs to score in the eighth inning.

The second one, on April 29th in Miami against the Marlins, was largely the fault of center fielder Collin Cowgill.

With Mets leading 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth, Justin Ruggiano led off with a double for Miami. The next hitter, Rob Brantly, popped up to center field. But Cowgill misplayed the ball, turning a sure out into a single. Instead of the Marlins having a man on second and one out, they were set up with runners on the corners and no outs. Nick Green followed Brantly with a sacrifice fly that tied the game.

Blown saves aside, when you throw in Parnell’s perfect 4-0 record, he has been directly involved in 10 of the Mets' 17 wins.

His sudden ascension into a reliable closer has a lot to do with a newfound confidence in attacking hitters.

Parnell looked scared and unsure of himself in his attempts to save games in 2011 and 2012. He would too often try to fight through the ninth inning by relying almost exclusively on his fastball. His preference to be a thrower, and not a pitcher, allowed hitters to get a good rhythm against him.

This was a big reason why he failed miserably as a closer the last two seasons, blowing an incredible 11 of 24 save chances.

Parnell started working on a pitch, the knuckle-curve, during 2012 spring training to replace his slider and better complement his fastball.

Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen explains why the knuckle-curve is more effective for Parnell, courtesy of Anthony DiComo at MLB.com:

Pitching coach Dan Warthen said Parnell's fastball has become a more effective weapon due to a greater separation of velocity between it and his breaking ball. Whereas Parnell used to throw his primary breaking pitch in the upper-80s, he now throws his knuckle-curve in the lower 80s. As a result, hitters have a more difficult time adjusting from one pitch to the other.

"The spread of velocity always works," Warthen said. "It's a big difference, a seven- or eight-mile an hour difference."

While the knuckle-curve was effective in improving Parnell’s overall numbers in 2012 compared to 2011, he still seemed reluctant to rely on it in save situations last year.

This season, he has had no such reluctance. Sunday’s last out to seal his sixth save was a great case in point. He struck out pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro, who represented the tying run, on the knuckle-curve. Navarro is certainly a threat to go yard, as he has two pinch-hit home runs on the young season.

Parnell never seemed to believe in his slider. This is probably why he relied too much on his fastball, especially when attempting to seal a win.

Now that he has mastered the knuckle-curve, he appears to have confidence in it as a bona fide complement to his fastball.

As long as Parnell remains friends with the knuckle-curve, he should continue to excel in the closer role. If good health is also in Parnell’s future, there is reason to believe he will be the Mets' man for saves for the next three to five years.

That will make him part of the core—a homegrown piece who will be relied upon to help bring the Mets back into contention.

If you want more, follow Tamer's tweets at Follow @TamerC_BR

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Stock Up, Stock Down for Cincinnati Reds' Top 10 Prospects for Week of May 13

Kyle Newport — Sun, 19 May 2013 22:20:59 -0400

Just over six weeks into the 2013 Major League Baseball season have gone by, and Cincinnati Reds prospects like Tony Cingrani have been able to prove what they are worth early on.

Cingrani is the only one of the top prospects to make it to the majors so far in 2013, but some of the other prospects aren't far behind.

It's still extremely early on, so prospects are still adjusting to the challenges of playing at higher levels than they are used to. As they begin to adjust to their surroundings, the team will be able to evaluate how soon they may be ready to get the call.

All eyes are on Billy Hamilton, but the rest of these prospects could be making an impact in the big leagues soon.

Here are how the top prospects in the Reds organization are doing.

*All stats are courtesy of MiLB.com unless otherwise noted

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San Francisco Giants: Stock Up, Stock Down for Top 10 Prospects for Week 7

Mark Reynolds — Sun, 19 May 2013 20:41:50 -0400

The San Francisco Giants entered play on Sunday with the National League's third worst rotation ERA at 4.81.

The good news is that help is on the way in the farm system. Clayton Blackburn, Kyle Crick, Chris Stratton, Martin Agosta, Edwin Escobar and Michael Kickham all have the tools to eventually help the beleaguered big league rotation. Some of those arms could also be used as trade bait if the Giants decide to seek a more experienced starter via the trade market.

With Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Ryan Vogelsong all possibly headed to free agency this winter, the Giants could have as many as three openings in the rotation next year. Let's take a look at how the top arms and the rest of the prospects performed during the season's seventh week.

All statistics and standings in this article are courtesy of MiLB .com and Baseball-Reference.com.

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Detroit Tigers vs. Texas Rangers: Sunday Night Baseball Live Score, Analysis

Joe Tansey — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:25:11 -0400

Rangers 11, Tigers 8

W: Robbie Ross (2-0) L: Jose Ortega (0-1) SV: Joe Nathan (13)

How They Scored:

Bottom 2: Mitch Moreland Sacrifice Fly

Top 3: Miguel Cabrera Three-Run Home Run (9)

Top 5: Miguel Cabrera Solo Home Run (10)

Bottom 5: Elvis Andrus RBI Ground Out, Lance Berkman RBI Single, Adrian Beltre Two-RBI Double

Top 6: Prince Fielder Three-RBI Double

Bottom 6: David Murphy Three-Run Home Run (5), Mitch Moreland RBI Single

Bottom 7: David Murphy Sacrifice Fly, Lance Berkman RBI Single

Top 8: Miguel Cabrera Solo Home Run (11)

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Ian Kinsler Injury: Updates on Texas Rangers Star's Status

Ethan Grant — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:14:25 -0400

The Texas Rangers placed leadoff hitter and second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list on Sunday "with a right intercostal strain" (bruised ribs), according T.R. Sullivan of MLBblogs.com. The move is retroactive to Saturday.

In a corresponding move, the Rangers have recalled infielder and top prospect Jurickson Profar from Triple-A Round Rock to take his place on the active roster.

Sullivan had a transcript of the press release sent out by the Rangers on Sunday:

Kinsler did not start the past 2 games due to the injury, although he pinch-ran on Friday vs. Detroit. He is batting .302 with 7 home runs, 11 doubles, 20 RBI, and 24 runs scored in 40 games for Texas this season. His 16 multi-hit games are tied for 7th-most in the American League. The first date he would be eligible to return is June 2.

Todd Willis of ESPN Dallas also provided a report on Kinsler.

If you've yet to see the infamous slide into third base that left Kinsler gimpy (and likely embarrassed), MLB on Twitter has this GIF to help you. Kinsler hasn't been in the starting lineup since Thursday's game against Detroit:

Here's another angle, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports:

A three-time American League All-Star, Kinsler was off to a great start for the Rangers again this season, hitting .302 in 40 games and 180 at-bats. He's added seven home runs, 20 RBI and an .869 OPS so far during the 2013 season, and the Rangers would not lead the AL in wins right now without his hot bat.

For his career, Kinsler is a .273 hitter with 150 home runs in 970 career games.

The hole in the lineup for Texas will not easily be replaced, as Kinsler does whatever he can to get on base for manager Ron Washington and get the Rangers' offensive attack going. However, it will be fans' second chance to see top prospect Profar in action.

Here's how he's been doing in the minor leagues this year, per Sullivan's press release:

He has spent the entire season with Round Rock, batting .278 (40-144) with 27 runs, 7 doubles, 2 triples, 4 home runs, 19 RBI, and 21 walks in 37 games for the Express. Profar’s only other major league action came last year with Texas, batting .176 (3-17) with a homer, 2 doubles, and 2 RBI in 9 games.

According to Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Profar will get the start on Monday night. Leury Garcia, who started for Kinsler on Friday, will also see time there while Kinsler is on his latest DL stint:

Kinsler is a valuable member of the Texas lineup, and his presence will be missed—specifically atop the Texas batting order. However, fans have been licking their chops to see Profar in Arlington, and it looks like they'll get to do that while Kinsler heals up.

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Top Prospect Jurickson Profar Called Up by Texas Rangers

Tim Keeney — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:50:38 -0400

Major League Baseball's top prospect, Jurickson Profar, is done terrorizing minor league pitching, at least for now.

With Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler headed to the disabled list with a rib injury, the team has reportedly called up the burgeoning 20-year-old prospect.

The news was made official on Sunday via a release by the Rangers:

The Texas Rangers announced this afternoon that the club has placed second baseman Ian Kinsler on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to Saturday, with a right intercostal strain. To take Kinsler’s place on the active roster, the Rangers have recalled infielder Jurickson Profar (No. 13) from Triple-A Round Rock.

It's unfortunate to see Kinsler headed to the DL. He was off to a terrific start to the season with a .302/.369/.500 line to go with seven home runs, 20 RBI and 24 runs scored.

After an underwhelming 2012 campaign (despite being named an All-Star), Kinsler was beginning to regain the form as one of the most dangerous middle-infielder sluggers in the league.

Despite the underlying circumstances, however, Profar's call-up to The Show comes with anticipation and excitement.

Rated as the game's pre-2013 No. 1 prospect by both Baseball America and MLB.com, it has never really been a matter of if Profar would become a star, but when.

Texas gave him a tiny cup of coffee last September, when he hit .176 with a home run in 17 plate appearances. While he became just the sixth teenager ever to record a postseason hit, it was apparent that he was slightly overwhelmed.

This time around, though, he looks more prepared.

He struggled a bit to start the season with Triple-A Round Rock, but has been swinging a scorching bat as of late, upping his averages to .278/.370/.438 with four home runs, six stolen bases and 27 runs scored.

Perhaps most impressive—and most telling for his future success—for a player of his age is the fact that he has 21 walks to just 24 strikeouts.

There's a chance Profar will only be up as long as Kinsler remains sidelined, but if he showcases his gaudy combination of hitting ability, defense and speed that has him labeled as the apex prospect in the game, the Rangers will have some decisions to make.

Should Profar indeed prove he belongs in the majors for the long term, the team will have to find a way to get him, Kinsler and Elvis Andrus all in the lineup on a daily basis.

For now, though, it's time to sit back and watch one of the most promising, talented young players in the world compete at the highest level.

Follow @t_keen

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Matt Moore Becomes 1st AL Lefty 23 or Younger to Start 8-0 Since Babe Ruth

Ethan Grant — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:45:41 -0400

Matt Moore improved to 8-0 on the 2013 MLB season on Sunday afternoon, beating the Baltimore Orioles and joining a club that has only one other member: Babe Ruth.

After Moore's Sunday start, he became the first American League left-handed pitcher since the Great Bambino to be 23 years old or younger and produce an 8-0 mark to the start the season.

Major League Baseball's Twitter account helped break the news after the Rays completed the 3-1 win on Sunday:

Unlike his Hall of Fame companion, Moore likely won't be giving up the mound for the plate any time soon.

While reigning AL Cy Young winner David Price (who is now on the DL) hasn't lived up to his supreme billing, it's been Moore who has most helped keep the Rays afloat, producing eight of their 23 wins so far this season.

In addition to his sparkling undefeated record, Moore also boasts a 2.29 ERA and allowed just one earned run over seven innings pitched against the Orioles during his record-setting day.

First coming to fame during his first taste of the bigs in 2011, Moore started just one game for the Rays before being thrown into the fire in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers. All he did was produce seven innings of two-hit ball as the Rays took a 1-0 series lead against Texas that year.

Tampa Bay responded by rewarding him with a five-year contract extension following its playoff exit.

For his career, Moore is now 20-11 in parts of three seasons with the Rays.

To be mentioned in the same class with Ruth in anything is quite the compliment, and that honor extends to when the big lefty was on the mound for the Boston Red Sox in the middle of the 1910s.

He finished his pitching career with 94 wins and had at least 18 wins three times with the Red Sox. Two of those seasons, he eclipsed 23 wins, including the 1917 season in question—Ruth was 8-0 before finally losing to the Chicago White Sox in mid-May.

It's not often baseball records come crashing down, especially on the pitching side. With more restrictions, fewer innings pitched and even fewer pitchers capable of matching the dominance of the hurlers in the early part of the 20th century, reports like this become harder and harder to find each year.

Moore, however, has not been a run-of-the-mill pitcher since being called up. His poise as a rookie in the playoffs was astounding, and although he had a ho-hum 11-11 campaign in 2012, he's bounced back without a loss to start the season.

Somewhere in baseball heaven, Ruth is smiling, likely glad Moore won't be able to touch any of his records at the plate before his career is over.

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The 10 Most Vicious Brawls in Major League Baseball History

David A. Cucchiara — Sun, 19 May 2013 17:05:45 -0400

A fight in Major League Baseball is a rather rare occurrence—especially those that result in injury and bloodshed.

Regardless, baseball has seen its fair share of brawls over time. Whether fights are spontaneous or provoked, vicious or wimpy, bench clearing or bullpen emptying, they all share one characteristic—each is adrenaline pumping for the players and fans.

Back in April, the San Diego Padres’ Carlos Quentin took to the mound—but not to pitch. A few high elbows and a well-timed tackle resulted in a broken collarbone for Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke.

Each season we witness beef between players turning into punches and inside pitches resulting in ejections. Baseball has yet to see its last brawl.

Here are the top 10 nastiest and adrenaline pumping fights in Major League Baseball history.

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Cold Hard Fact for Sunday, May 19, 2013

Daily Cold Hard Facts — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:34:30 -0400

Hall of Fame pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter garnered his nickname after Oakland Athletics owner Charles Finley made up a story that Hunter had caught a large catfish as a boy.

Bleacher Report will be bringing sports fans the most interesting and engaging Cold Hard Fact of the day, presented by Coors Light.

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Texas Rangers: Injured Pitcher Alexi Ogando Angers Team

Andrew Martin — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:06:51 -0400

Texas Rangers pitcher Alexi Ogando is not having a good week. First he was placed on the disabled list, and then came the news that the injured hurler had angered the team by not divulging his injury earlier.

The Rangers announced via Twitter that the 29-year-old right-hander was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 16 because of biceps tendinitis:

BREAKING NEWS: @ogandoalexi was placed on the 15 day DL with right bicep tendinitis. @joshlindblom52 will start on Monday.
— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) May 16, 2013

Ogando had been pitching well as a starter this season, going 4-2 with a 3.08 ERA in nine starts before the injury.

ESPN Dallas’ Todd Willis reported that Ogando took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of his last start against the Oakland A’s before leaving after complaining of soreness in his arm.

Although the pitcher had an MRI, Rangers manager Ron Washington told Willis, “It’s nothing. This could be workload.”

Ogando spent all of 2012 as a reliever with Texas and, with 49.2 frames under his belt so far this season, has already nearly matched last year’s total of 66 innings.

What has made Texas unhappy is that they recently discovered Ogando had been hurting prior to that last start but had not told the team’s coaches or medical staff.

The Dallas Morning News’ Evan Grant is reporting that during a meeting on Saturday, Ogando revealed to Washington that his arm had been bothering him leading up to the Oakland game. It was a revelation that angered his skipper.

Washington described his reaction to Grant:

He finally told me that when we were talking and I said ‘You can’t do that.’ He’s got a different workload this year. When you are a reliever and you only have to pitch an inning or so, you can pitch through some soreness, but when you are a starter, it’s a different situation. You can make it worse. It’s something that comes with experience. Now that he has the experience of going through this and knowing the situation, hopefully it won’t happen again. Thank God it wasn’t more serious.

Before the season started, Ogando was identified as a potential injury risk by FanGraphs.com’s Jeff Zimmerman because of his inconstant velocity and delivery.

Despite the solid numbers, Ogando had looked like a different pitcher before his trip to the disabled list. FanGraphs.com shows his average velocity has dipped more than four mph to a career-low 92.8 mph since last season. Additionally, he’s thrown his fastball a career-low 42.4 percent of the time, while mixing in his changeup a career-high 18.5 percent of his pitches.

Fortunately for Ogando and the Rangers, according to a separate article by Willis, the pitcher’s MRI showed no structural damage, and he could return sooner rather than later.

Washington told MLB.com’s T.R. Sullivan that deactivating Ogando was a necessary step to preserve him for the remainder of the season. “He's a starting pitcher and he's taken on a big work load. Rather than letting this drag on, we're going to nip it in the bud and get it right. Otherwise, he'll take the ball and go back out there."

It appears that other than needing a little rest, Ogando has dodged the injury bullet for now. However, since he has proven to be less than forthcoming about his health, it’s a safe bet that the Rangers will be monitoring him closer than they ever have before.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

Follow @historianandrew

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MLB's Longest Home Run Blasts of the Week

Rick Weiner — Sun, 19 May 2013 09:48:39 -0400

Over the past week of MLB action, 194 home runs have been hit by 142 different players off of 136 different pitchers, according to ESPN's Home Run Tracker.

Combined, the week's home runs would have traveled a total of 77,490 feet—roughly 14.7 miles—with your average blast landing 399.4 feet away from home plate had its path not been impeded by fans, scoreboards and the like.

Angels left fielder Mark Trumbo and Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo remain tied for the longest home runs of 2013, with each slugger hitting a 475-foot blast earlier this season.

Did anyone come close to challenging for the top spot this week?

Let's take a look.

T-10. Miguel Cabrera (439 Feet)

Date: May 14

Vs. Hector Ambriz, Houston Astros

Season HR: 8

Career HR vs. Ambriz: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 3,227 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 403.4 feet

Is it crazy to think about Miguel Cabrera not only winning back-to-back MVP awards, but back-to-back Triple Crowns?

Maybe—but I'm not going to be the one who says that Miggy can't do something on the diamond.

While his current pace has him on track to hit 32 home runs, a number that's likely too low to lead the league, it's the same pace that he was on at this point last year, when he ended up with 44.

When Cabrera flashes his power, as he did against Houston's Hector Ambriz, it serves as a reminder that the best hitter in baseball is more than capable of having a power surge at any time—and that the idea of back-to-back crowns isn't as far-fetched as it may seem.

T-10. Josh Hamilton (439 Feet)

Date: May 14

Vs. Jeremy Guthrie, Kansas City Royals

Season HR: 5

Career HR vs. Guthrie: 3

Total 2013 HR Distance: 2,032 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 406.4 feet

While we have yet to see the Angels fearsome foursome of Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, Mike Trout and Mark Trumbo all go yard in the same game, Kansas City's Jeremy Guthrie gave us a chance to see Angels history be made this past Tuesday:

For first time ever, Pujols, @trouty20 and @thejoshhamilton all homered in the same game:twitter.com/MLB/status/334…
— MLB (@MLB) May 15, 2013

Of the three, Hamilton's solo-shot was by far the most impressive, landing about halfway up the grassy patch beyond the outfield wall in straightaway center field at Angels Stadium and giving the home team a 4-2 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning.

T-10. Travis Snider (439 Feet)

Date: May 16

Vs. Hiram Burgos, Milwaukee Brewers

Season HR: 1

Career HR vs. Burgos: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 439 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 439 feet

Since Travis Snider hit 14 home runs in 82 games for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, the long ball has been an elusive accomplishment for 25-year-old outfielder, who heading into the week had hit only seven big league home runs since then.

We can make that eight bombs for Snider, who took hold of a fastball from Hiram Burgos and promptly deposited it in the Allegheny River beyond the right-center field seats, giving the Pirates a 3-1 lead over Milwaukee in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Both of the home runs that Snider has hit in a Pirates uniform have traveled more than 420 feet, with four of the last five home runs that he's hit in his career eclipsing the 400-foot mark.

7. Justin Upton (440 Feet)

Date: May 13

Vs. Wade Miley, Arizona Diamondbacks

Season HR: 13

Career HR vs. Miley: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 5,983 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 427.4 feet

Justin Upton's return to Arizona couldn't have gone much better.

The Braves won convincingly, 10-1, with Upton picking up four hits, including this mammoth blast off of former teammate Wade Miley.

Justin Upton's 6th inning home run traveled 440 feet, his second-longest of the season (460-foot HR on April 1)
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 14, 2013

Spoiler alert: This isn't Upton's only appearance on this week's list, and as a result, what was Upton's second-longest home run in a Braves uniform no longer is.

6. Mark Trumbo (441 Feet)

Date: May 18

Vs. Hector Santiago, Chicago White Sox

Season HR: 10

Career HR vs. Santiago: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 4,174 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 417.4 feet

When Mark Trumbo unleashed a massive solo shot off of Chicago's Hector Santiago for his 10th home run of the season, CSN Chicago's Dan Hayes made this comparison:

Mark Trumbo just rivaled Alex Rios' homer from two nights ago. Solo shot cuts #WhiteSoxlead to 4-1.

— Dan Hayes (@DanHayesCSN) May 18, 2013

Not only did Trumbo's bomb against Chicago's Hector Santiago rival this 438-foot blast from Rios (off of the Angels' Jerome Williams), but it traveled far enough to bounce Rios from this week's Top 10 list, clearing both left field bullpens at Angel Stadium on the fly.

5. Brian McCann (444 Feet)

Date: May 13

Vs. Tony Sipp, Arizona Diamondbacks

Season HR: 3

Career HR vs. Sipp: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 1,239 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 413 feet

Remember last season when people were saying that Brian McCann was washed up?

Well, Atlanta's All-Star catcher has returned from offseason shoulder surgery and silenced his detractors with mammoth blasts like this one off of Arizona's Tony Sipp this past Monday, which at the time was his third home run in his first 26 at-bats of the season and the third-longest blast for the Braves this year.

McCann hasn't gone yard in 12 at-bats since, and his impressive 444-foot bomb has been outdone by, you guessed it, Justin Upton, who hit an even more impressive blast later in the week that is coming up.

4. Brandon Moss (449 Feet)

Date: May 13

Vs. Justin Grimm, Texas Rangers

Season HR: 6

Career HR vs. Grimm: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 2,446 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 407.6 feet

Things were looking grim for Texas starter Justin Grimm before Oakland's Brandon Moss came to the plate with one out in the bottom of the third inning at the O.co Coliseum.

The A's put two runs across the board in the bottom of the second, and the A's Yoenis Cespedes had just taken the Rangers rookie deep, giving Oakland an early 3-1 lead. Moss, who struck out swinging an inning earlier, worked a 2-and-2 count on six pitches.

Then came the seventh, a fastball that Moss sent screaming to straightaway center field, setting a bit of team history in the process:

Brandon Moss follows with the 7,000th home run in Oakland history. #Athletics lead is now 4-1.

— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) May 14, 2013

3. Pedro Alvarez (456 Feet)

Date: May 17

Vs. Hector Ambriz, Houston Astros

Season HR: 7

Career HR vs. Ambriz: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 2,901 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 414 feet

Things haven't gone according to plan when it comes to Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez, who has consistently failed to live up to the lofty expectations that the team had for him when selecting him second overall in the 2008 draft.

He doesn't hit for average, doesn't get on base consistently, plays mediocre defense and is allergic to drawing a walk—but he's got power, something that Astros reliever Hector Ambriz became all-too familiar with this past Friday night.

Alvarez hit the ball with so much force that the Pirates dispute the official distance on this tape-measure shot:

The @pirates estimate this Pedro Alvarez bomb at 462 feet. It nearly hit the river on the fly, so, yeah: atmlb.com/12iiPhd

— MLB (@MLB) May 18, 2013

2. Justin Upton (461 Feet)

Date: May 17

Vs. Paco Rodriguez, Los Angeles Dodgers

Season HR: 14

Career HR vs. Rodriguez: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 5,983 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 427 feet

Justin Upton's second appearance on this week's Top 10 list was even more impressive than the first, absolutely crushing a pitch from Paco Rodriguez deep into the left field stands at Turner Field for a grand slam, giving the Braves a 6-4 lead over the Dodgers.

Upton's torrid start to the season continues, and he has quickly become this year's most prodigious slugger, a fact that ESPN Stats and Info helps to confirm:

Justin Upton's average HR for @braves is traveling 427.4 feet this season, the longest average distance for any player with 5+ HR
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 18, 2013

If that wasn't enough evidence of how much Upton loves wearing a Braves uniform, consider this:

Justin Upton has 10 HR this season of 420 feet or longer.Last season he had 5 HR of 420 feet or longer.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 18, 2013

That MVP award that we've been waiting for Upton to finally win?

With the way he's been swinging the bat, you have to like his chances in 2013.

1. J.D. Martinez (464 Feet)

Date: May 15

Vs. Max Scherzer, Detroit Tigers

Season HR: 3

Career HR vs. Scherzer: 1

Total 2013 HR Distance: 1,218 feet

Average 2013 HR Distance: 406 feet

While J.D. Martinez continues to struggle to hit for average in the big leagues, recording only seven hits in 28 at-bats (.250 BA) since being recalled from Triple-A on May 7, the 25-year-old left fielder is making his hits count.

Of those seven hits, five have gone for extra bases—four doubles and this massive 464-foot blast off of Detroit's Max Scherzer, a bomb that ties Martinez with David Wright of the Mets for the sixth-longest home run in baseball this season and made a bit of history as well, courtesy of Fox Sports' Dave Hogg:

J.D. Martinez's homer (464 feet) was the longest by a visiting player at Comerica since ESPN's HR tracker started in 2006.

— Dave Hogg (@Stareagle) May 16, 2013

For Martinez, the blast was the longest of his career and only the fifth time that he's had a home run travel at least 400 feet.

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Atlanta Braves: Bullpen Issues Continue with Injuries to Lefties

Joe Tansey — Sat, 18 May 2013 22:03:23 -0400

The Atlanta Braves were handed a double dose of bad injury-related news this week as Jonny Venters' second Tommy John surgery was announced and Eric O'Flaherty was put on the disabled list with a torn UCL.

Over the last few seasons, both left-handed relievers were heavily relied on in the Braves' chase for the playoffs.

While the duo were pitching in a combined 293 games over the last two seasons, the concerns about the longevity of both players' have been ever-present.

Both Venters and O'Flaherty have provided the Braves with some superb work in relief and they formed one of the most feared bullpen combinations in the majors with closer Craig Kimbrel.

But with both relievers out for the foreseeable future, the criticism of how the two pitchers were used can be heard even more than it was in the past.

Throwing a reliever over 60 games in just one season can do some damage, especially combined with two seasons of stress-filled situations on the mound in the latter innings.

Manager Fredi Gonzalez now faces a situation that he created himself. His two best left-handed relievers are most likely out for the season and now he has to find capable relievers to fill that void.

Luis Avilan and Cory Gearrin will assume the "next man up" mentality for now. And the addition of veteran left-hander Joe Beimel, who is on the road to recovery from Tommy John surgery himself, will help the ball club if he reaches the majors.

There is also be some concern about the right arm of Kimbrel, who has appeared in 142 games over the last two seasons and 16 games already this season.

If Kimbrel begins to experience arm issues, the World Series and even playoff hopes of the Braves could go down the drain in a heartbeat.

For now, Braves fans can focus on the terrific job that Gearrin and Avilan have done in relief so far this season. But if they fold under pressure in the seventh and eighth inning roles in front of Kimbrel, the criticism will grow around Gonzalez on how he managed his bullpen over the past few seasons.

Follow me on Twitter, @JTansey90.

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Milwaukee Brewers: Like It or Not, Rickie Weeks Is Here to Stay

Pete Dymeck — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:36:59 -0400

The Milwaukee Brewers are mired in a Catch-22 with Rickie Weeks. The 30-year-old second baseman is flatlining on a club that was expected to contend heavily in the National League Central division. Instead, the Brewers are more than 10 games out of first place with a record of 16-24.

Concerning the Brew Crew's woes, there is plenty of blame to throw around.

Predictably, the bullpen has looked atrocious at times.

Ace Yovani Gallardo is struggling mightily, watching his strikeout rate dip to a career low while suffering through a 1.46 WHIP.

Starters Marco Estrada and Wily Peralta were expected to have large, positive roles with the staff this year. Instead, they have combined for a 6-6 record and 5.63 ERA.

Let's not forget the injured Corey Hart, who has yet to hit the diamond thus far.

The disappointment of the Brewers is amplified by the sluggish Weeks, though.

As most fans in Milwaukee know, Weeks is touting a .176 batting average. He has driven in only 10 runs while smacking three home runs. Weeks is also striking out in a career-high fashion.

Additionally, Weeks's fly-ball rate on batted balls has dipped to 23.4 percent, down from an average of 38.13 percent over the course of the previous four seasons.

So what should the Brewers do with Weeks?

Mind you, making a decision on Weeks is a difficult task for the frugal Brewers since he is the third highest-paid player on the club.

According to Spotrac, the Brewers second baseman will earn a total salary of $11 million this year. His salary will jump by $1 million in 2014 with a team option for 2015 worth $11.5 million. According to ESPN's Jack Moore, the Brewers can opt out of the contract prior to 2015 "if Weeks isn't a full-time player in 2013 and 2014."

Weeks' current contract came off of a career year in 2010, when he tallied 29 HR and 83 RBI. Since then, everything has been downhill. He currently possesses a wins above replacement (WAR) of -0.5. Since his peak WAR of 5.8 in 2010, his WAR has dropped an average of 2.1 points per season since.

Those familiar with MTV would agree that Weeks "catfished" the Brewers with the five-year contract he signed in 2011.

To compound matters, the Brewers are limited in their options.

Sure, they could platoon Weeks with utility infielder Jeff Bianchi, but Bianchi himself carries little swag at the plate.

The front office could turn inward and snag Scooter Gennett from Triple-A, but that would only initiate his service clock, something the organization wants to prevent. Gennett himself is proving to lack substantial power at the plate, accumulating zero home runs thus far in the minors.

Since the two aforementioned options are not viable, maybe Milwaukee will look at the available free agents.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the most enticing free-agent second basemen include Ryan Theriot, Freddy Sanchez, Orlando Hudson and Adam Kennedy. No one can fault the Brewers for turning the other way in this circumstance.

At the end of the day, Milwaukee fans need to brace themselves for the worst and hope for the best. They are stuck with Weeks at second base.

It's unfortunate, too. Brewers fans are witnessing breakout seasons from Jean Segura and Carlos Gomez. Ryan Braun continues to produce at a lofty level while Aramis Ramirez remains one of the game's best corner infielders.

Weeks' lack of production is reflective of a season that has gone awry early on. No one can seriously believe Weeks will turn it around. He has been in decline since hitting his zenith in 2010. Therefore, fans in Milwaukee must continue to swallow those bitter pills as they watch a club with extensive potential continue to plummet in the NL Central.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Boston Red Sox's Andrew Miller Okay After Being Hit in the Head by a Foul Ball

Andrew Martin — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:34:13 -0400

Boston Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller recently dodged a major injury after he was hit in the head by a foul ball while standing in the dugout.

The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham reported that Miller was in the dugout during the top of the ninth inning of Friday’s 3-2 10-inning win against the Minnesota Twins when the scary moment happened. A foul ball off the bat of teammate Jarrod Saltalamacchia ricocheted off a wall and struck the left-hander in the forehead.

Miller had been searching for a piece of gum at the time and never saw the ball coming. He described to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, "I heard something like whistling, and then, the next thing I know, I was like, 'I think something just hit me in the forehead.' I'm fine—I think."

Typically, Miller would have been sitting in the bullpen. However, he had just finished setting down the Twins in order in the eighth inning and was waiting to go back to the mound after the Red Sox finished hitting.

Despite the scare, Miller returned to the game and retired two more batters.

The game marked the southpaw’s finest performance of the year, as he went a season-long 1.2 innings—striking out three without allowing a base runner.

Miller’s performance is part of a hot streak dating back to April 21, when his ERA stood at 6.75. Since that time, he has allowed just three runs and seven hits in his last nine innings (12 games), while striking out 16.

For the season, Miller is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 19 relief appearances. He has also averaged an impressive 15.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Since Miller wasn’t hurt by the foul ball, his near miss is something that can be laughed off. If nothing else, he proved that not even a blow to the head can stop his recent momentum towards establishing himself as a dominant reliever.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

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An Early Look at 4 Realistic Moves New York Mets Could Make at the Deadline

Sam R. Quinn — Sat, 18 May 2013 16:12:29 -0400

This just in: The New York Mets are unwatchable on days that Matt Harvey isn't pitching.

Terry Collins is working with a lineup that, on any given night, has six or seven automatic outs sprinkled in among a couple of major league hitters. David Wright and Co.—though this is no fault of the captain's—are 28th in the league in hitting and last in on-base percentage, a part of the game that Collins and Sandy Alderson have attempted to make of paramount importance.

His pitching staff, outside of the aforementioned phenom and the sporadic, solid Jonathon Niese start, has been abysmal. The team is 7-2 in games started by Harvey, and 9-22 in others. Outside of Harvey, everyone has been serving up a nice buffet of batting practice and gopher balls.

No team in baseball swoons like the Mets swoon. Their slides are a perfect storm of anemic hitting and pathetic pitching.

But, just as all teams do every summer, the Mets have an opportunity to make improvements at the trade deadline. The team has sat idly by as the deadline has come and gone these last few seasons. Even a marginal improvement is necessary this time around.

While it may be two months before the trade deadline, it's never too early for speculation. Here are four possible trades the Mets could make in late July.

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5 Early Surprise Teams That Have the Best Chance of Making Playoffs

Jason Lempert — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:57:51 -0400

Before the beginning of each regular season, supposed experts and gurus from around the sport make predictions, guessing on who they think will make the postseason in the coming year. Many of these predictions are made based on expectations of teams, primarily looking at the talent that resides on the roster.

Of course, baseball is mostly an unpredictable sport, so any predictions can be considered "bold". And every year there is at least one team that surpasses expectations, making these experts look uninformed sometimes.

In 2012, the Oakland A's and Baltimore Orioles both unexpectedly made the playoffs. Neither club was supposed to be relevant in the standings, but nevertheless played baseball in October.

With about a quarter of the 2013 season in the books, let's take a look at some of the big surprise teams that have the chance to be this year's version of the A's and O's.

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5 Big-Name Starting Pitchers in Danger of Losing Their Jobs

Nathan Palatsky — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:48:01 -0400

Most teams pay their big-name starting pitchers a fortune to provide 200 innings this season. But for a few of those pitchers, their performance is crippling teams that hope to contend, and that brings their job security into question.

Some of these pitchers have long track records that afford them a longer leash. They may not lose their jobs based on a bad first month, but if the struggles continue into June, teams may begin looking for alternatives.

Some of these pitchers will turn it around and finish just fine, but others will either be demoted, traded or pushed to the bullpen.

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Yankees Acquire Infielder Reid Brignac from Colorado

Matt Barbato — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:12:31 -0400

According to a report from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the New York Yankees have acquired infielder Reid Brignac from the Colorado Rockies. Brignac, a utility infielder, was designated for assignment by the Rockies earlier in the week. According to NBC Sports, Heyman later tweeted that the Rockies will receive $75,000 in return.

Brignac has been in the majors for six seasons, five in Tampa Bay. In his first season in Colorado, he hit .250 with a .294 OBP, with one home run and six RBI.

Brignac's best quality is that he is a guy who can play almost everywhere on the diamond. He primarily plays at second base or shortstop, but has also played in left field, right field and third base. With Derek Jeter, Eduardo Nunez, Kevin Youkilis and Alex Rodriguez all on the disabled list, Brignac could be used in numerous situations to give the healthy players a much-needed rest.

This is another nice move by GM Brian Cashman. Brignac adds depth at three of the four infield positions and can even play in the outfield if necessary.

Brignac is the second player the Yankees have acquired from the Rockies this season, the first being Chris Nelson. It is unknown when Brignac will join the Yankees.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

New York Mets 2013: The Good and the Bad so Far

Jocelyn Taub — Sat, 18 May 2013 12:01:22 -0400

It's been four weeks since I looked at the numbers put up by the New York Mets in the early part of the 2013 season. A month is a long time in baseball, and player performance can fluctuate over time. Unfortunately for the Mets, many of the early season positives have evaporated. Additionally, some of the negative stats from the first few weeks of the season haven't improved.

On the optimistic side, the season is still young, and there is plenty of time for the Mets to turn things around. If they hope to be competitive, they are going to have to address a number of issues.

Here's a look at some of the good signs so far for the Mets and some of the less-than-inspiring ones through the first six weeks of the campaign.

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Report: New York Yankees Acquire INF Reid Brignac in Trade with Colorado Rockies

Kenny DeJohn — Sat, 18 May 2013 11:58:51 -0400

The New York Yankees continue to make moves in order to maximize the effectiveness of a roster decimated by injuries.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports that New York has acquired infielder Reid Brignac from the Colorado Rockies. According to NBC Sports, Heyman reported the Rockies will receive $75,000 in the deal for Brignac.

No corresponding roster moves have been announced just yet, but Alberto Gonzalez will likely be the odd man out in this equation. There's no reason to have two versatile reserve infielders on the roster. Brignac also has much more upside than Gonzalez.

Yankees fans will remember Brignac from his days with the Tampa Bay Rays (2008 to 2012). During his time there, he hit .227/.268/.317 with 10 home runs and 67 RBI. He played 113 games in 2010 and hit eight home runs and drove in 45—his best season to date.

General manager Brian Cashman has been notorious for making these scrappy deals this season. He acquired infielder Chris Nelson from the Rockies just a few weeks ago, though he's already been designated for assignment as well.

The Yankees won't be looking to get much out of Brignac, but his experience in a bigger role (2010) likely prompted the move. He has the potential to at least hold his own at the plate, whereas Gonzalez often seems lost in the batter's box.

We'll have to wait to see how this move pans out, but it has all the makings of another Cashman steal. Maybe Brignac can end up challenging Jayson Nix for the reserve infielder's role when the injured stars return.

Even if he can't, the Yankees likely won't have given up much in the process. This is another smart move by the Yankees GM.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Oakland A's Pitcher Brett Anderson out at Least a Month with a Fractured Foot

Andrew Martin — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:51:44 -0400

The Oakland A’s received some bad news Friday about the ace of their pitching staff, Brett Anderson. He was already on the disabled list with a sprained ankle, but was determined to have a fractured foot and will be out for at least another month.

Oakland announced that the 25-year-old left-handed Anderson has a navicular stress fracture in his right foot via their official Twitter account:

The #Athletics announced that LHP Brett Anderson has a navicular stress fracture of his right foot. He will be reevaluated in four weeks.
— Oakland Athletics (@Athletics) May 17, 2013

The San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser confirmed the story, while indicating Anderson will be re-evaluated in four weeks. In an update to her story, she reported that he is expecting to pitch again this year, but if it is determined he needs surgery, it would likely end his season.

Now in his fifth major league season, Anderson has been consistently plagued by injuries since a successful rookie campaign in 2009 that saw him go 11-11 with a 4.06 ERA in 30 starts. He has appeared in just a combined 44 games (43 starts) in the four years since, and been on the disabled list a number of times, including undergoing Tommy John surgery in 2011.

Anderson is 1-4 with a 6.21 ERA this year in six games. He has been on the disabled list with a sprained ankle since May 1, and was nearing a return when he found out about his most recent injury.

According to an Associated Press Report on ESPN.com, the southpaw was bitterly disappointed about his most recent setback:

It's pretty frustrating, disappointing and all the other similar adjectives. I was two days away from making another rehab start and now I'm in a walking boot with a fracture in my foot…

I'd pitched in San Antonio and felt good after that. I was running Monday in the outfield and all of a sudden my foot started hurting. I got it checked out and this is the result. I'm still processing it. I should take up a hobby, maybe play darts or something.

Slusser reported Anderson is in a walking boot and on crutches. She believes that even in the best case scenario, between healing and necessary rehab, he would miss at least two months with his fracture.

Young right-hander Dan Straily replaced Anderson in the Oakland rotation, but his poor performance so far suggests the team could look at other options. He is 1-2 with a 7.27 ERA in five starts, while walking 4.2 batters per nine innings.

In a separate article, Slusser suggests the A’s could look at minor leaguers Sonny Gray or Andrew Werner to step in for Straily if needed.

The right-handed Gray was the team’s first-round draft choice in 2011. He has dominated at Triple-A so far this season, going 4-2 with a 2.47 ERA in seven starts.

Werner, a left-hander, pitched briefly in the majors with the San Diego Padres last year before being traded to Oakland during the offseason. He is just 4-5 with a 6.92 ERA at Triple-A this season, but had a 3.57 career minor league ERA the previous four years combined.

Anderson told Slusser that while he is frustrated, he can’t dwell on his string of injuries or his current situation:

I can’t feel sorry for myself. That would be a waste of time. I’m still young, I’m 25. You never want to be labeled injury prone, but hopefully, I’ll get out there and make consecutive starts. I have the highest expectations for myself and I think I’m one of the better pitchers in the game when I’m healthy.

In baseball, players’ reputations are made from production. If Anderson can come back and pitch to his fullest potential, his snake-bitten past will recede from memory, which would surely be welcomed by both Oakland and the hobbled pitcher.

Statistics via Baseball-Reference

Follow @historianandrew

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

10 Newly Signed Players Who Have Yet to Win over New Fanbase

Ben Stepansky — Sat, 18 May 2013 09:41:05 -0400

The joys of signing a brand-spanking new contract can quickly subside due to a luke-warm start to the season.

A lucrative contract is only worthwhile when the on-the-field production is present, and for some newly signed players, the transition to a new team has come with a price.

Whatever the reason may be—a new park, a new hitting coach, the pressure to perform or simply an early season slump—the thought of winning over hundreds of thousands of loyal fans can weigh heavily on a player's psyche.

It's easy to play well as a hometown favorite. Sometimes it's reaching that recognition which proves challenging.

Here are 10 players with new teams fighting for acceptance.

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Power Ranking MLB's 6 Divisions by Difficulty

Chris Stephens — Sat, 18 May 2013 08:00:01 -0400

Coming into the 2013 Major League Baseball season, it was obvious which divisions would be the best.

The NL East had the Atlanta Braves and the Washington Nationals, while the AL West had the Los Angeles Angels, Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics.

However, through the first quarter of the season, those thoughts can be thrown out the window, as only one of those five teams has met expectations.

But what about the divisions? Has each division met or exceeded its expectations for the season?

Are there any surprises?

Here's a ranking of every division in baseball.

Note: Best hitter/pitcher/rookie selections are based on players that are having the best 2013 seasons thus far. Previous seasons were not taken into account.

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Making the Case for WAR as Baseball's Most Perfect Statistic

Jason Catania — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:30:00 -0400

Who needs peace when we've got WAR?

Wins Above Replacement, that is.

With sites like Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus making all sorts of statistics easily accessible and readily available, there's no shortage of interesting, intriguing, intelligent—even fun—metrics to consider.

But in the battle to be baseball's best stat, WAR wins.

While the advanced metric may be a bit perplexing to some and certainly isn't as popular or widespread as ol' reliables like batting average, or runs batted in or even more new-age numbers like on-base percentage, WAR has it over all of them.

Here's why...

One Stat Fits All

The biggest notch in WAR's belt is that it's one of the few stats that actually encompasses all aspects of any and all player performance.

By comparison, on-base percentage (OBP) is an offense-only number.

Defensive Runs Saved (DRS), for instance, expresses solely how good a player is on defense.

Ultimate Baserunning Runs (UBR) meanwhile, measures a player's proficiency on the basepaths alone.

And Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) puts a pitcher's performance into context.

WAR, on the other hand, is one-stop shopping for rating baseball players in all of the above: offense, defense, baserunning and pitching.

The fine folks at FanGraphs explain it as well as anyone:

Wins Above Replacement (WAR) is an attempt by the sabermetric baseball community to summarize a player’s total contributions to their team in one statistic. You should always use more than one metric at a time when evaluating players, but WAR is pretty darn all-inclusive and provides a handy reference point. WAR basically looks at a player and asks the question, “If this player got injured and their team had to replace them with a minor leaguer or someone from their bench, how much value would the team be losing?” This value is expressed in a wins format, so we could say that Player X is worth +6.3 wins to their team while Player Y is only worth +3.5 wins.

A Unified WAR

While the two sources for WAR, FanGraphs (a.k.a. fWAR) and Baseball Reference (a.k.a., rWAR), previously had slightly different methods of calculation that caused frustration and confusion, there's now a unified replacement level, as Dave Cameron of FanGraphs wrote back in March.

In other words, it's another win for WAR, as HardballTalk's Craig Calcaterra wrote:

[The separate methods] led to at least some confusion among more casual observers and led to a lot of potshots from the fans and the press looking to take issue with any stat more complicated than batting average. “Hey, why should we care about WAR if you guys can’t even agree what it is,” they would say...

Basically, baseball's best stat just got even better.

Don't Get Caught Up

The blank looks one gets while trying to explain Wins Above Replacement are understandable, because the metric inherently raises the question: "What the heck is replacement level?"

Here's a quick-and-dirty answer from Baseball Prospectus' Sam Miller, who wrote a piece on WAR for ESPN The Magazine's March issue:

A measure of the average production of a bench or minor league player who can be acquired freely at minimum cost. Used as the baseline for calculating WAR.

If that still leaves you scratching your head, the important thing is not to get caught up in the concept and construct of the statistic—if you want more on those aspects, though, feel free to click any of the links we've included to this point and read through. Instead, focus on how to use it.

What WAR Is Good For

This is where WAR really shines.

You see, WAR puts a number to the amount of wins a player adds to his team's win total, and well, what's a more basic stat than a "W?"

Let's put it in simple terms with a player everyone can agree is great: Ryan Braun.

In 2011, Braun posted a 7.3 WAR (per FanGraphs)—meaning he was worth seven wins more than a run-of-the-mill waiver-wire player or minor leaguer. That year, Braun ranked fifth-best in FanGraphs' WAR and second-best in the NL to Matt Kemp's 8.4.

You'll remember that the 2011 NL MVP race was a heated battle between—no real surprise here—Braun and Kemp, which Braun ultimately won in an extremely close vote.

Point being, regardless of which of the two you think the winner should have been, WAR pretty much told us who the top two players were.

Putting WAR in Context

So Kemp's 8.4 WAR and Braun's 7.3 WAR in 2011 were great, but let's put those numbers in context.

For this, once again, we'll turn to FanGraphs, which breaks down the general guidelines for what each range of WAR translates to in terms of performance in a single season:

That shows just how great Braun and Kemp were in 2011.

Comparisons Made Easy

Another reason WAR is fun—if you'll pardon the pun...and the rhyme?

"WAR is context, league, and park neutral. This means you can use WAR to compare players between years, leagues, and teams," as the FanGraphs glossary page points out.

Wanna know how great Mike Trout's rookie season was? Try all-time great: It was the 31st-best year ever at 10.0 WAR.

How about comparing two of the best center fielders in MLB history? In their careers, the Say Hey Kid was worth almost twice as many wins as The Kid.

Curious about where Justin Verlander—who's widely considered the best pitcher in the game—actually ranks among all active pitchers for his career? Try 12th-best and rising quickly.

We should point out here that WAR is a cumulative metric, both over the course of a single season and over a career, and Verlander has dozens or even hundreds of fewer career starts than the 11 hurlers ahead of him.

Not Perfect, But Pretty Close

So is WAR the perfect baseball statistic? Of course not.

There are so many aspects, layers and underlying statistics that get rolled into one single, solitary number—and depending on whether you use FanGraphs' WAR or Baseball Reference's WAR, even that one number is different for any given player in any given season or career.

Put another way: WAR is neat, but it isn't always tidy.

Still, the concept of Wins Above Replacement and all that goes into it—especially the metric itself—makes for a pretty remarkable stat.

If you were already familiar with WAR before reading this, then hopefully you learned something or at least appreciated the journey.

If you hadn't really paid attention to or even heard of WAR prior to this, well, here's hoping you'll at least do one thing going forward:

Give WAR a chance.

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2013 MLB Rookie of the Year Stock Watch at the One-Quarter Mark

Mike Rosenbaum — Sat, 18 May 2013 07:00:02 -0400

It’s hard to believe that we’ve already reached the one-quarter mark for the 2013 season.

However, with most teams having played around 40 games, league standings and stats are now relevant and based on something other than a small sample size.

With that being said, it’s only appropriate to take this opportunity to reflect on the performances of the game’s top Rookie of the Year candidates. As you will see, the collection of the talent in the National League is infinitely better than the American’s. Though it may not be long until there’s an infusion of young players through the AL.

So, here’s a look at the respective stocks of the current top rookies in the major leagues.

American League

1. Oswaldo Arcia, OF, Minnesota Twins

2013 Stats: .276/.315/.460, 9 XBH (3 HR), 13 RBI, 27/5 K/BB (24 G)

After he went 1-for-3 in his major-league debut on April 15, the Twins sent Arcia back to Triple-A to make room on the 25-man roster for a player returning from the bereavement list. However, the 22-year-old’s stay in the minors was short lived, as he was ultimately recalled him just a few days later.

Arcia scuffled during his first week in the major leagues, but as April came to an end, the left-handed hitter’s bat began to heat up. He opened May with an eight-game hitting streak during which he batted .438 with five extra-base hits. Overall, Arcia has posted an .846 OPS through 13 games this month.

Although he’s struck out 27 times in 24 games, Arcia has still emerged as a key run-producer for the Twins this season, as he currently owns a .917 OPS with 11 RBI when batting with runners in scoring position. Additionally, he’s demonstrated a knack for mashing right-handed pitching with an .852 OPS and eight extra-base hits in 63 at-bats.

Stock: Up

2. Nick Tepesch, RHP, Texas Rangers

2013 Stats: 3-3, 38 IP, 4.03 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, .255 BAA, 30/10 K/BB (7 GS)

Having never pitched above Double-A prior to the 2013 season, it’s safe to say that Nick Tepesch has easily surpassed all expectations.

Due to various injuries to a host of Rangers pitchers this spring, the 24-year-old right-hander ultimately broke camp as the team’s fifth starter.

After an impressive first month in the major leagues during which he registered a 2.53 ERA with 14/3 K/BB over four starts, Tepesch began to struggle as the calendar turned over to May. In his two outings against the White and Cubs on May 1 and May 6, respectively, he allowed 10 earned runs on 14 hits and six walks over 10.2 painful frames.

However, with his spot in the rotation in jeopardy, Tepesch has made noticeable adjustments in his approach and sequencing in each of his last two outings. Between those two starts, the right-hander has allowed only three earned runs on 10 hits while posting 9/4 K/BB over 11 innings.

While it’s easy to identify flaws in an inexperienced pitcher forced to perform at the highest level, Tepesch has been surprisingly solid through eight starts in the major leagues. That being said, one aspect of his game that needs improvement is his approach against left-handed hitters.

So far this season, he’s posted a 5.14 ERA and .308 BAA (four home runs allowed) over 21 collective inning against them—which is staggering considering he owns a 2.86 ERA and .205 BAA against right-handed hitters.

Stock: Up

3. Conor Gillaspie, 3B, Chicago White Sox

2013 Stats: .295/.359/.448, 9 XBH (3 HR), 25/11 K/BB (37 G)

Had someone told me during spring training that Conor Gillaspie would be in the American League rookie of the year discussion by mid-May, I might have laughed right in their face. Understandably.

However, the combination of unexpected injuries (Gordon Beckham) and poor performance (Jeff Keppinger) opened the door for the 25-year-old third baseman—an opportunity that he hasn’t relinquished. More significantly, Gillaspie emerged as one of the team’s more consistent hitters with an .859 OPS in 24 April games.

He’s cooled off some since the start of May with a .273 batting average over the last 13 games, but the left-handed hitter is still holding his own with and seeing consistent playing time at the hot corner. It certainly helps that he hammers right-handed pitching, against whom he’s batting .311/.384/.394 with three home runs in 87 at-bats this season.

It’s also wroth noting that Gillaspie’s defense has been considerably better than expected, as he currently ranks fifth among all qualified third baseman with a 2.4 UZR, while his three defensive runs saved is tied for second.

Stock: Hold

4. Carter Capps, RHP, Seattle Mariners

2013 Stats: 2-1, 22.1 IP, 4.03 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, .264 BAA, 29/4 K/BB (17 G)

Capps needed only 69.1 innings in the minors before receiving a promotion to the major leagues last summer. Since then, the 6'5" right-hander has established himself as one of the top late-inning strikeout artists in the game thanks to an unorthodox delivery and fastball that sits in the mid- to upper-90s.

At face value, Capps’ current ERA of 4.03 suggests an inconsistent start the season. However, that’s not entirely accurate. The right-hander has been plagued by the long ball this season, and has now allowed five home runs in 17 appearances. More significantly, of the six appearances in which Capps has given up an earned run, four have been the direct result of a home run.

Other than that, he’s actually dominated this season as the Mariners’ setup man with 29/4 K/BB through 22.1 innings. In fact, Capps has fanned at least one batter in each outing this season.

Stock: Up

5. Justin Grimm, RHP, Texas Rangers

2013 Stats: 2-3, 33.2 IP, 4.28 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, .270 BAA, 34/13 K/BB (6 GS)

Called up in early April to replace the injured Matt Harrison in the starting rotation, Grimm went 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA and 15/4 K/BB in 17 innings spanning three starts. As a result, the right-hander was named the American League rookie of the month for April ahead of teammate Nick Tepesch. Since then, however, Grimm has lost three consecutive starts during which he’s registered a 7.02 ERA, allowed four home runs and walked nine batters over 16.2 innings.

The good news is that Grimm is still missing bats with consistency, as he’s tallied 34 strikeouts through 33.2 innings this season.

Stock: Down

On the bubble: Aaron Hicks (Twins), Cody Allen (Indians)

National League

1. Shelby Miller, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals

2013 Stats: 5-2, CG/SHO, 51.1 IP, 1.40 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, .182 BAA, 57/12 K/BB (8 GS)

I really don’t even know where to start with Shelby Miller. After getting off to a terrific start in April with a 2.05 ERA, .189 BAA and 33/10 K/BB through five starts, the 22-year-old right-hander has been nearly unhittable in May.

His shining moment came on May 10 at home against the Rockies, when Miller allowed a leadoff single to Eric Young Jr., and then retired the final 27 batters en route to his first shutout. Although he wasn’t as sharp in his follow-up outing on Wednesday, the right-hander still fired 5.2 scoreless frames. Overall, Miller has registered a 0.44 ERA and .171 BAA with 24/2 K/BB this month.

And it gets better. Miller currently ranks second in the majors with a 1.40 ERA, fifth with a 0.88 WHIP and sixth with a .182 BAA.

Yeah—pretty good.

Stock: Up

2. Jose Fernandez, RHP, Miami Marlins

2013 Stats: 2-2, 44 IP, 3.48 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, .211 BAA, 44/17 K/BB (8 GS)

After back-to-back electric starts to begin his career in the major leagues, Fernandez was forced to battle through an adjustment period over the final weeks in April. During that stretch, the 20-year-old failed to make it past the fifth inning in three consecutive outings, as hitters began taking at-bats with an idea of what to expect.

However, Fernandez deserves enormous credit for how quickly he made the necessary adjustments to his approach. In his three starts this month, he’s 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA, .194 BAA and 21/6 K/BB over 20 innings. There’s no question about it; the kid is special.

Stock: Up

3. Didi Gregorius, SS, Arizona Diamondbacks

2013 Stats: .342/.392/.575, 13 R, 10 XBH (3 HR), 12/5 K/BB (19 G)

Gregorius didn’t make his season (and Diamondbacks) debut until April 18 after suffering a right elbow injury during spring training, but immediately began to make up for lost time by homering in his first plate appearance—which also marked the beginning of a modest 10-game hitting streak.

In general, the 23-year-old has quickly emerged as one of the better shortstops in the game. On defense, Gregorius has made highlight-reel plays on what seems like a nightly basis. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that his UZR/150 of 26.8 is the second highest among all big-league shortstops, trailing only the spectacular Andrelton Simmons (28.5).

Meanwhile, his left-handed bat continues to improve; Gregorius has made noticeable strides in his pitch recognition, and is driving the ball for extra-bases from line to line.

Stock: Up

4. Hyun-Jin Ryu, LHP, Los Angeles Dodgers

2013 Stats: 4-2, 55.1 IP, 3.42 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, .246 BAA, 56/20 K/BB (9 GS)

Although the first quarter of the 2013 season hasn’t gone as planned for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Ryu has been consistent every fifth day in middle of the team’s starting rotation. Of his nine outings thus far, the left-hander has lasted at least six innings in all but one—his most recent outing on Friday against the Braves in which he issued a career-worst five walks.

It’s also worth noting that Ryu and his deep arsenal has benefited from playing at Dodger Stadium. In his four home starts this season, he’s registered a 2.13 ERA, .228 BAA and 26/7 K/BB over 25.1 innings. On the other hand, he owns a 4.50 ERA on the road this season through five starts, as well as a .261 BAA and 30/13 K/BB.

Stock: Hold

5. Evan Gattis, C/OF, Atlanta Braves

2013 Stats: .243/.294/.513, 10 2B, 7 HR, 20 RBI, 31/8 K/BB (33 G)

The feel-good story of the 2013 season thus far, Gattis came out of the gates on fire and took the baseball world by storm. The 26-year-old ultimately batted .250/.310/.566 with six doubles, six home runs and 16 RBI in April, and was subsequently named the National League’s rookie of the month.

Although he’s swung the bat relatively well in May, Gattis’ playing time has diminished since the activation of catcher Brian McCann from the disabled list. And now with Jason Heyward also back in action, it’ll be interesting to see how Fredi Gonzalez works him into the lineup.

Stock: Down

On the bubble: Jedd Gyorko (Padres), Trevor Rosenthal (Cardinals), Tony Cingrani (Reds)

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2013 MLB Draft: Notes on Stanford Top Prospects Mark Appel and Austin Wilson

Mark Reynolds — Sat, 18 May 2013 04:18:11 -0400

Stanford ace Mark Appel is projected to be one of the top picks in the 2013 MLB Draft next month. His teammate Austin Wilson will also likely be a first-round pick.

Dave Perkin of Sports Illustrated has Appel going second to the Chicago Cubs and Wilson going 28th in his mock draft. Keith Law of ESPN also has the Cubs taking Appel with the second pick and Wilson going later in the first round in his mock draft (subscription required).

I was on hand to watch Appel and Wilson on Friday night against California.

Appel allowed nine hits, five runs, one home run, one walk and one hit batsman over seven innings of work. He also struck out 11 of the 34 hitters he faced.

Most of Appel's strikeouts on Friday night came on his slider, which is his best pitch right now. Whenever he gets in trouble, he leans on it heavily. He has excellent command of his slider and he changes speeds effectively with it.

Appel's slider sat between 83-88 miles per hour. He throws straight over the top, so it looks like an extremely hard curveball more than a typical slider.He can throw it to steal strikes early in the count and he can also throw it below the zone to put hitters away in two-strike counts. He can throw it effectively against both righties and lefties.

He did throw a few hangers on Friday night—one of which was blasted for a home run by Cal catcher Andrew Knapp. Even though Appel made a few mistakes with the slider, it's clearly his best pitch. It's currently worthy of a 60 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale, with a chance for more improvement as he gains additional experience.

His changeup was erratic on Friday night. He didn't use the pitch very often. When he did throw it, he tended to bounce it too far in front of the plate or cast it off well above and beyond the strike zone. He did throw a few good ones to induce some swing-throughs, but it wasn't a pitch he could count on consistently.

After seeing Appel pitch three times this year, it's clear to me that his changeup is still a work in progress. It's currently worthy of a 45 grade. The improvement of his changeup in the minor leagues will go a long way towards determining whether or not he becomes a future ace.

His fastball velocity was outstanding. His four-seam fastball sat between 94-97 miles per hour. It also looked like he was mixing in a 92-94 mile-per-hour two-seam fastball.

He did a good job of pounding lefties in on the hands with fastballs to set up his back-foot slider. He was able to change the hitters' sight lines by throwing the fastball down in the zone and then going above the letters with high heaters.

He showed very good control of all of his pitches. He only walked one hitter on Friday night and he's only walked 21 for the entire year. However, his command of the fastball within the strike zone was a problem. Thus, despite the velocity on his fastball, it only grades out as a 55 right now—slightly above-average.

He had a hard time throwing his four-seam fastball to his arm-side—away from lefties. He gave up a double to Knapp on a fastball right down the middle with his catcher setting up on the outside corner. His lack of fastball command was part of the reason why Cal hitters only swung and missed against it a few times all game.

Appel's lack of dominance with the fastball was the most disconcerting aspect of his outing. He was throwing his fastball in the mid-90s all night, but he wasn't dominating the Cal hitters with that exceptional velocity. He lacks command of the fastball within the zone at times and he doesn't get a lot of movement on it unless he goes to the two-seamer. His over-the-top delivery doesn't seem to create much deception, either.

There's a lot to like about Appel. His slider would play in the big leagues right now. He has exceptional velocity. He has a developing changeup that will flash at times. He's a big kid that maintains his velocity deep into the game.

However, he's simply not as dominant in his final collegiate season as some recent top draft picks like Stephen Strasburg and Tim Lincecum.

Strasburg struck out 195 hitters in 109 innings in his final year in college. Tim Lincecum struck out 199 hitters in 125.1 innings in his final year at Washington. In comparison, Appel has struck out 121 in 98.1 innings so far this season.

He has elite velocity, but he's not quite as dominant as he should be given his tremendous stuff. The development of his changeup and fastball command will be the keys to determining whether or not he ultimately reaches his high ceiling.

Cal was careful with Stanford's other projected first round pick, Austin Wilson. He hit into a double play, lined a single to left and then walked in each of his final three plate appearances. He got out of the box slowly on the double play, but later showed excellent speed going first-to-third on a single and then scoring on a sacrifice fly.

Wilson has an impressive .333/.436/.570 slash line so far this season. He's hit seven doubles and five home runs in 25 games. He's shown good control of the strike zone by walking 12 times against 15 strikeouts.

Wilson has all of the tools: power, size (6'5", 240 pounds), speed, patience, arm strength and hitting ability. However, he suffered an elbow injury earlier in the year that probably caused his draft stock to drop some.

He shows legitimate power in batting practice but that pop doesn't always carry over into games. He's struggled with breaking balls away in both of the games that I've seen him in this year. His ability to take breaking balls the other way instead of rolling over on them will be a key factor in his future development.

Stanford has two of the most impressive prospects in this draft. Appel has the tools to be a future ace and Wilson has the talent to be a middle-of-the-order run-producer.

However, both players will still have things upon which to improve in the minor leagues after their names are called in the first round of the 2013 MLB Draft next month.

(All scouting grades on Appel's pitches in this article are the author's).

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