Kuzul

The Yankees are on fire. After tonight’s win against Toronto, they are now 56-34, holding the best record in the MLB. Their current lead in the AL East is 9 games over Tampa Bay and Baltimore.

New York is coming off a month in which they went 20-7 and outscored opponents by 44 total runs. They are playing consistently well on the road (27-17) and at home (29-17). 

There have been several integral parts to the Yankee’s success. The veterans on their bench: Andruw Jones, Raul Ibanez, Eric Chavez, Chris Stewart and Dewayne Wise are all playing well. Girardi is doing a very admirable job managing a bullpen that lost Mariano Rivera to injury. The starting pitching has also been consistent recently.

The Yankees team ERA stands at 3.79, tenth lowest in the majors. They have the most home runs (144) and highest slugging (.465) and OPS (.802) in the MLB.

A big constant for their success has been the performance of Robinson Cano. He now holds a 20 game hitting streak. Here are some details of his streak according to Ray Monell of Yahoo Sports. 

Cano has amassed 32 hits in 77 at-bats (.416), as well as six home runs, six doubles and 20 RBIs during the streak (stat includes his two at-bats vs. Toronto through 5-1/2 innings), which began at Citi Field on June 24 against the New York Mets.

Cano’s hot play is not a surprise. He has set a bar as one of the best hitters in the game.

Here’s a look at his last 3 seasons.

• 2009: .320 AVG, .872 OPS, 25 HR, 85 RBI, 204 hits
• 2010: .319 AVG, .915 OPS, 29 HR, 109 RBI, 200 hits
• 2011: .302, AVG, .882 OPS, 28 HR, 118 RBI, 188 hits

He has become a model of consistency at the second base position, going to three straight All-Star games while also winning a gold glove in 2010.

Cano, a .309 career hitter, hits for average but he also provides great power. In his first seven seasons, he has hit 40 plus doubles five times and batted over .300 five times.

Not only did he combine for 82 home runs from 2009-11, but he also hit 135 doubles. He is an extra-base hitting machine that makes consistent contact.

Cano has become a focal point of a Yankee lineup that includes Derek Jeter, Curtis Granderson, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez.

In just 89 games this year, he already boasts a .321 average, .969 OPS, 27 doubles and 21 home runs. If Cano continues to play at this high level, he could very well challenge Mike Trout for the AL MVP this year. 

Moreover, if anyone can continue to build on a 20 game hitting streak, it’s Cano.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

In yet another “Year of the Pitcher”, the Seattle Mariners‘ ace Felix Hernandez finds himself at the top of the class. 

King Felix, the 2010 Cy Young Award winner, has been lights out all season long and continues to become more dominant as the year progresses. 

On Saturday night, against Major League Baseball’s best offense, the Texas Rangers, the King tossed perhaps his most impressive game of the season. 

With some rare and very unusual first-inning run support mixed with the huge crowd in the “King’s Court“, it was a night fit for something miraculous. The 26-year-old righty did not disappoint. 

Hernandez cruised through the highly-potent offense en route to his second shutout of the season. On the way he also collected 12 strikeouts, one shy of his season high. Of the 12 k’s, three of them were handed to the AL MVP front runner Josh Hamilton, along with three more to slugger Nelson Cruz. All in all, Hernandez struck out seven of the nine Rangers’ starters. 

After this inspiring performance by Felix, his record has improved to 7-5 on the year. It’s his third win in his past five starts, and he has not pitched a loss in over a month; June 12th against the Padres, to be exact. 

For those still stuck in the past, thinking wins are all that matters, one must first realize that this is the same guy who won the Cy Young in 2010 with a record of 13-12, and then take a look at the fact that he has the third lowest run support in the entire MLB. 

This was also the 11th time, out of 19 starts, that Hernandez has given up one run or less with at least seven innings pitched. 

Along with improving his record, Hernandez also moved into the lead for overall strikeouts at 140 for the year. This moved him out of a three way tie with fire-ballers Justin Verlander and Stephen Strasburg. This was the third time he had reached the 12-strikeout plateau, including a 13 K’s against the Red Sox just four games ago. It was also his fourth double-digit strikeout game of the season. 

The complete game win also tied him for most innings pitched, also held by Verlander, at 132.2. For all the talk about how the Tigers‘ ace is a workhorse, people tend to forget that Hernandez has pitched more innings than him in the past three and a half seasons combined in the same amount of starts. 

If having a double-digit strikeout lead isn’t impressive enough, Hernandez also lowered his ERA to sub-3.00 after tonight. His 2.92 mark places him at sixth overall in the American League. It’s the firs time since his last start against Texas on May 21th that his ERA has been in the 2.00 range. His recent surge of excellence has seen his average drop from his season high 3.70 on June 12th, all the way down to where it sits now, in just six games. 

In those past six starts he’s gone 3-0 with a 1.40 ERA and recorded 56 punch outs. 

If Hernandez can continue to roll like this, only divine intervention can block him from hoisting up the Cy Young yet again. 

*Stats are from ESPN.com. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Ryan Braun had a pair of home runs in the Brewers‘ 10-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates last night.

It was Braun’s 16th career multi-HR game and the fourth this season. The Brewers are 4-0 this season in games during which Braun hits two or more home runs, and they have won the last seven games in which Braun has had multiple home runs. It is also the third multiple-home-run game for Braun in his last 21 games.

For those of you wondering if Braun’s 16 multi-HR games is a team record, the answer is no. Braun’s 16 ranks him third in team history behind Prince Fielder with 22 and Gorman Thomas with 19 multi-HR games.

Following is a look at Brewers players who have hit two or more home runs in five or more games with the Brewers.

22: Prince Fielder

19: Gorman Thomas

16: Ryan Braun

14: Robin Yount, Cecil Cooper, Greg Vaughn, Jeromy Burnitz

13: Corey Hart

12: Rob Deer, Richie Sexson

11: Dave Nilsson

10: Geoff Jenkins, Ben Oglivie

9: Don Money

7: George Scott

6: John Jaha, Johnny Briggs

5: Paul Molitor, Rickie Weeks, Sixto Lezcano

The Brewers have won 12 and lost four in the 16 games in which Braun has hit multiple home runs. Of those players who have five or more multi-HR games as a Brewer, following is a look at the team record in the games in which those players hit two or more homers.

Lezcano: 5-0, 1.000

Fielder: 19-3, .864

Scott: 6-1, .857

Briggs: 5-1, .833

Nilsson: 9-2, .818

Jenkins: 8-2, .800

Molitor: 4-1, .800

Cooper: 11-3, .786

Burnitz: 11-3, .786

Braun: 12-4, .750

Deer: 9-3, .750

Sexson: 9-3, .750

Oglivie: 7-3, .700

Thomas: 13-6, .684

Money: 5-4, .556

Vaughn: 7-7, .500

Jaha: 3-3, .500

Hart: 6-7, .462

Yount: 6-8, .429

Weeks: 1-4, .200

Braun’s four multi-HR games in 2012 puts him within reach of the team record for most multiple-home-run games in a season. Brewers Hall of Famer Robin Yount holds that record with seven in 1982. In fact, Yount had 14 career multi-HR games, with half of them coming in the ’82 season.

Here’s a look at the players who hit two or more home runs in five or more games in a season for the Brewers.

7: Robin Yount, 1982

6: Gorman Thomas, 1982; Richie Sexson, 2001

5: Prince Fielder, 2007; Prince Fielder, 2009; Jeromy Burnitz, 2001

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Billy Hamilton is on fire—fittingly, he plays for the Bakersfield Blaze, High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. Hamilton has reached a feat that would even catch Rickey Henderson’s attention. No, really.

In Monday night’s game against Lake Elsinore, Hamilton stole his 100th base of the season.

On July 2nd.

The Blaze played its 78th game on Monday. Going into the night, Hamilton had 98 steals. Nothing was going to stop him, and, over the spring and summer, nobody has had the ability to.

This kid is lightning-fast. He could run down the whole California coast as fast as it takes Mo Vaughn to go from the batter’s box to first base.

Hamilton clearly leads all of professional baseball in steals. The league he plays in is the California League. In the Cal League, the next two closest stolen base leaders combine to have 88 steals.

The top four in the steals department in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League add up to 103 steals.

In the majors, the top four in steals—Dee Gordon, Tony Campana, Michael Bourn and Mike Trout—combine for a total of 98 steals. A kid in Single-A has 100, mind you.

Like most people who will read this, not many know who Billy Hamilton is.

Well, let’s check it out.

Hamilton is currently hitting .327, going into Tuesday with 104 hits, 74 runs, 29 RBI, 17 doubles, nine triples and even has the power to hit a home run—one, in fact. He also has 142 total bases.

No one is talking about his power, though.

It’s his speed.

To no one’s surprise, right-handed pitchers don’t like this kid. Hamilton has 75 of his 100 stolen bases on righties.

Before the Cal League All-Star Break, Hamilton had 80 steals.

In the month of June, he stole a base 38 times.

If you’re wondering how many times he was caught stealing, he has been. No one is perfect. Hamilton has been thrown out on attempted steals 21 times. Not too shabby, though.

Vince Coleman has the professional record with 145, and Hamilton is on pace to fly by that record.

As for Henderson, when he broke the MLB record in 1983, he stole his 73rd base in the 78th game for the Oakland A’s.

Most experts don’t think either record could be broken, but Billy Hamilton could prove them wrong even before they blink an eye.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

If history has anything to say about the chances of the Brewers making the playoffs this year, there is a slim to none chance it is going to happen. In the two recent years that the Brewers did make the playoffs (2008 and 2011) both teams were above .500 at the All-Star break.

The Brewers are currently 34-42, eight games under .500. They have nine more games on the schedule until the All-Star break and could run off a streak of nine straight wins to get above .500 before the break. But even then, the chances of a playoff run are not looking good…again, based on history.

Since 1995, the Brewers have been at least one game above .500 at the All-Star break in six seasons and at .500 in one other season. They have been at least one game under .500 in the other ten seasons. Here are the six seasons when they were above .500 at the All-Star break and how they finished that season.

Year, games above .500 at the break, end of season

2007: +10 (finished in second place, did not make playoffs)

2008: +9 (finished in second place, made playoffs as the Wild Card)

2011: +6 (finished in first place, made playoffs)

2004: +4 (finished in sixth place, did not make playoffs)

2009: +2 (finished in third place, did not make playoffs)

1998: +1 (finished in fifth place, did not make playoffs)

In the 10 seasons where the Brewers were under .500 at the All-Star break, the team finished third four times, finished in fourth place three times, finished fifth on one occasion and was sixth at the end of the year twice.

If we look at all of Major League Baseball since 2000, we discover that of the 96 teams that made the playoffs in the last 12 years, only two teams made the playoffs in a season where they were under .500 at the All-Star break. The two: the Dodgers in 2008, who were three games under .500, and the 2003 Twins, who were five games under .500 that year.

There were six other playoff teams since 2000 that were at .500 at the All-Star break. That means that 88 of the 96 playoff teams (91.7 percent) were above .500 at the All-Star break. Taking it a step further, 56 of those 96 playoff teams (58.3 percent) were at least 10 games above .500 at the break.

Here’s a quick look at the teams since 2000 that were either at or below .500 at the All-Star break yet made the playoffs that year.

Team, year, All-Star break

Minnesota, 2003: Five games under .500

L.A. Dodgers, 2008: Three games under .500

N.Y. Yankees, 2007: At .500

Colorado, 2007: At .500

Philadelphia, 2007: At .500

Houston, 2004: At .500

Chicago Cubs, 2003: At .500

St. Louis, 2001: At .500

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Last night, Zack Greinke got the win in the Brewers’ 1-0 extra-inning win over the Chicago White Sox by tossing nine innings of three-hit ball.

Greinke improved his record to 8-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.81 for the season. With the All-Star Game a little over two weeks away, there is a distinct possibility that Greinke will represent the Brewers at this year’s game.

Brewers pitchers have actually had a great deal of success at the All-Star Game in the franchise’s 43-year history. Twenty-three Brewers pitchers have been selected to an All-Star team since 1969 with 16 of them getting a chance to pitch in the game. Brewers hurlers have a combined 0-1 record (Rollie Fingers took the loss in the 1981 contest), but they have a 1.50 ERA with 14 hits allowed and nine strikeouts in 18 innings of work.

Here’s a look at my 10 greatest pitching performances by Brewers pitchers in the All-Star Game.

10. Ben Sheets, 2007 (1.0 IP, 2 H): Sheets came on in relief during the third inning with the N.L. holding a 1-0 lead. He gave up two-out hits to Ichiro Suzuki and Derek Jeter, but retired David Ortiz to end the inning. He was credited with a hold in the game.

9. Danny Kolb, 2004 (1.0 IP, 1 H): Relieved N.L. starter Roger Clemens in the second inning after the A.L. had scored six runs in the first. Kolb retired three of the four batters he faced, giving up only a single to Ivan Rodriguez.

8. Trevor Hoffman, 2009 (1.0 IP, 1 H): Entered the game in the sixth inning with the score tied 3-3. He gave up a one-out single to Josh Hamilton, but then got Michael Young to ground into a double play to end the inning.

7. Ben Sheets, 2004 (1.0 IP, 1 K): This was the first time that two Brewers pitchers had pitched in the same All-Star Game (see Kolb above). Sheets came into the game with the N.L. down 9-4. He had a one-two-three inning.

6. Derrick Turnbow, 2006 (1.0 IP, 1 H): Turnbow entered the game with the N.L. holding a 2-1 lead. After giving up a leadoff single to Paul Konerko, Turnbow got Troy Glaus to hit into a double play. He then retired Michael Young to end the inning. He was credited with a hold in the game.

5. Ben Sheets, 2008 (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 3 K): The only time a Brewers pitcher was the starter of an All-Star Game. Sheets left the game with the score tied at 0-0. He gave up a one-out single to Jeter in the first inning, but retired Hamilton and Rodriguez to end the first. He had two walks and two strikeouts in the second inning.

4. Bob Wickman, 2000 (1.0 IP, 1 K): With the N.L. losing 3-2, Wickman had a one-two-three inning in the eighth, striking out Tony Batista sandwiched around retiring Fred McGriff and Edgar Martinez.

3. Dan Plesac, 1987 (1.0 IP, 1 K): Pitching for the A.L., Plesac entered the game in the eighth inning with the score tied 0-0. Plesac had a one-two-three inning, striking out Hubie Brooks to end the inning.

2. Teddy Higuera, 1986 (3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K): The first pitcher out of the A.L. bullpen, Higuera entered the game in the fourth inning with the A.L. ahead 2-0. He had one-two-three innings in the fourth and the sixth, and got out of a one-out, two-on jam in the fifth by retiring Dale Murphy and Hubie Brooks. He left the game with the A.L. leading 2-0.

1. Lary Sorensen, 1978 (3.0 IP, 1 H): With the score tied 3-3, Sorensen gave up a leadoff single to Larry Bowa to start the fourth inning. He then retired nine straight, sitting down Reggie Smith, Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, George Foster, Greg Luzinski, Steve Garvey, Ted Simmons, Dave Winfield and Bowa. He left the game with the score still tied at 3-3.

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

One St. Louis Cardinal is rapidly making his way toward a rather exclusive club this season. Carlos Beltran is within hitting distance, no pun intended, of the 300-300-2000 club.

This status is reserved for players who have hit 300 home runs, stolen 300 bases and amassed 2,000 hits over their career. Lots of talk has floated about Beltran hitting 300-300, but the 2,000 hasn’t gotten much attention.

As of Tuesday, June 12, 2012, Beltran has 320 home runs, 299 stolen bases and 1,977 hits. Barring a major injury, he will make the club in 2012 without breaking a sweat.

Following are the few players who have made the club, including a few near-misses.

Begin Slideshow

After Bryce Harper feasted on the Boston Red Sox Friday at Fenway Park, LA Angels rookie outfielder Mike Trout went to work against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field.

Nine innings and one Angels 7-2 victory later, Trout found himself just a few at-bats short of qualifying for the American League batting title race.

With his 3-for-4 performance against the Rockies, Trout is batting .340 (50-for-147). He also has five home runs and 22 RBI to go with nine doubles, three triples and 11 stolen bases. Trout’s OBP/SLG/OPS is .398/.544/.942.

In the last 10 games, Trout is batting .439 (18-for-41). He has six multi-hit games to just three strikeouts. In June, Trout is hitting .500 (14-for-28) with a .531/.643/1.174  line.

Pretty impressive numbers for this 20-year-old, to say the least.

For the record, Trout’s teammate Mark Trumbo is batting .330 (60-for-182). This is good for third in the AL behind Paul Konerko (.361) and Josh Hamilton (.338). Trumbo’s numbers are also impressive. In 50 games, he has 12 homers with 31 RBI. He also has 14 doubles and a .379/.615/.994 line. Only Hamilton and Joey Votto can boast a higher slugging percentage.

Could baseball fans be watching the early stages of an AL East batting race between two teammates?

Surely, it is too early to tell.

But for Angels fans, watching Trout and Trumbo develop into stars has to be exciting.

As an MLB writer, it will be fun to watch these two ballplayers to see if they can shock the baseball world.  

Related Articles:

Travis Witherspoon: Hot Angels Prospect Turning Heads

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Batting average is not an overvalued statistic. When you compare Ichiro Suzuki‘s 2004 season with Eddie Stanky’s 1950 season, it illustrates the importance of a player’s batting average when you evaluate him.

Suzuki batted .372 with a .414 on-base percentage and a .455 slugging average.

Stanky batted .300 with a .460 on-base average and a .412 slugging average.

I must point out that singles, not extra base hits, created Suzuki’s higher slugging average.

Suzuki hit 24 doubles, five triples and eight home runs. He hit 225 singles.

Stanky hit 25 doubles, five triples and eight home runs. He hit 120 singles.

Ichiro had 105 more singles than Stanky.

The difference in on-base percentage between the two came from the fact that Stanky walked 144 times and Ichiro walked 49 walks. Stanky had 95 more walks.

Adding Ichiro’s 225 singles and 49 walks results in his getting credit for reaching first base 274 times.

Adding Stanky’s 120 singles and 144 walks results in his getting credit for reaching first base 264 times.

He and Ichiro each reached first base almost the same number of times.

Now, with a runner in scoring position, Ichiro’s singles are much more valuable than Stanky’s walks.  The single will almost always score a runner from third and usually score one from second.

Batting average measures the chances a batter will hit safely. It really is that simple.

In 2004, Ichiro had a 37.2 percent chance of getting a hit when charged with an official at-bat. In 1950, Stanky had a 30.0 percent chance of getting a hit when charged with an official at-bat.

Ichiro had 762 plate appearances with 262 hits. He had a 34.4 percent chance of getting a hit when he batted.

Stanky had 692 plate appearances with 158 hits. He had a 22.8 percent of hitting safely when he batted.

 A single is more valuable than a walk. It makes little difference whether a batter singles or walks when the bases are empty. A single is often more productive when one or more runners are on base.  

A batter who doesn’t draw many walks is criticized for not “working the pitcher.” Singles hitters who don’t walk a lot can still work pitchers by taking a few pitches before offering.

The game has changed. In the 21st century, starting pitchers are held to pitch counts, which strengthens the criticism that Ichiro doesn’t walk much.

When Stanky drew his 144 walks, “working the pitcher” was not important because it didn’t matter. Starting pitchers in 1950 were expected to finish what they started, and many did just that.

Let’s say that your team is trailing in the ninth inning by one run. The team is down to its final out with the number nine batter, Max Bishop, at the plate.

Bishop was an integral part of the 1929 world champion Philadelphia Athletics. He had a .398 on-base percentage, but batted only .232.

The chance of Bishop getting a hit to tie the game is 17.8 percent. The chance of Bishop walking and keeping the game alive for the next batter, Eddie Stanky, is 20.7 percent.

If Bishop walks, Stanky has a 22.8 percent chance of tying the game.

The chance of both Bishop and Stanky drawing walks is a little more than five percent.

Your team has a better chance in such a critical situation of tying the game with a batter that has a high batting average. On-base percentage is almost irrelevant.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Fans of the Milwaukee Brewers have watched many of their favorite players on the All-Star Game stage since the team came to Milwaukee in 1970. Players like Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount and Ryan Braun have made multiple appearances in the midseason classic over the past 40-plus years.

But there have also been a handful of players who have worn the Brewers uniform who had short careers in Milwaukee; for some, their stay in the Brew City was only one season. But in that season, they represented the Brewers in the All-Star Game.

Following is a look at the 10 players who represented the Brewers in the All-Star Game, yet played in Milwaukee for only three seasons or less.

Tommy Harper, Infielder, 1970 All-Star: Harper came to Milwaukee in 1970 as a member of the Seattle Pilots. He played for the Brewers two seasons before he was traded to Boston after the 1971 season. He played 454 games as a Pilot/Brewer, hitting .264 with 54 home runs.

Marty Pattin, Pitcher, 1971 All-Star: Another member of the Seattle Pilot contingent. Won 14 games in each of two seasons in Milwaukee. Pitched in 106 games as Pilot/Brewer compiling a 35-38 record with a 3.82 ERA. Was part of the trade that sent Harper to the Red Sox.

Ellie Rodriguez, Catcher, 1972 All-Star: Came to the Brewers in a 1971 trade with the Kansas City Royals. Hit .255 in 325 games (three seasons) with the team. Hit .285 in his ’72 all-star season. Traded to the California Angels after the 1973 campaign.

Hank Aaron, Designated Hitter, 1975 All-Star: Made 11 All-Star Game appearances as a Milwaukee Brave. Spent the last two years of his career as a Brewer, serving primarily as DH. Hit 22 home runs as a Brewer, retiring after the 1976 season.

Jim Sundberg, Catcher, 1984 All-Star: Spent only one season with the Brewers, coming to the team in a trade with the Texas Rangers. Made the ’84 All-Star team in his only season with Milwaukee. Hit .261 with seven HRs and 43 RBIs. Was traded after the ’84 season to the Royals.

Dave Parker, Designated Hitter, 1990 All-Star: Another one-year stop player with the Brewers. Parker, a mainstay of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1970s, was signed as a free agent by the Brewers. He hit .289 with 21 homers and 92 RBIs in his only season with the club. Was traded to the Angels prior to the start of the 1991 season for Dante Bichette.

Danny Kolb, Relief Pitcher, 2004 All-Star: One of the many short-term relievers that had success with the Brewers. Pitched in 154 games with the team in three seasons. He had 61 saves and a 3.31 ERA with the team. Had 39 saves in his all-star season. Had two stints with the Brewers—2003-04, and 2006.

Carlos Lee, Outfielder, 2005, 2006 All-Star: Played 264 games with the Brewers in two seasons, making the NL All-Star team as a Brewer both years. Had 60 home runs as a Brewer. Was traded to Texas shortly after the 2006 All-Star Game.

Francisco Cordero, Relief Pitcher, 2007 All-Star: Had 60 saves in two seasons with the Brewers, including 44 in 2007. Left the Brewers after the 2007 season to sign as a free agent with the Cincinnati Reds.

Trevor Hoffman, Relief Pitcher, 2009 All-Star: Played two years with the Brewers, and then retired after the 2010 season. Signed as a free agent by the club prior to the ’09 season. Had 47 saves with the team, including 37 in 2009.

While the above players may have only had short careers in Milwaukee, here’s a look at the players who have the most All-Star Game appearances in a Brewers uniform.

All-Star Game appearances (as a Brewer)

5: Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor

4: Ryan Braun, Don Money, Ben Sheets

3: Prince Fielder, Ben Oglivie, Dan Plesac, Robin Yount

Follow Jerry on Twitter @StatsonTapp

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com