Christian Yelich, Cody Bellinger headed for epic MVP battle

One place baseball shouldn’t be struggling to attract followers: Milwaukee. Earlier than 45,375 at Miller Park on Sunday, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-2 to finish a three-game sweep. One of many highlights for the Brewers: Christian Yelich hit his MLB-leading 24th dwelling run in going 2-for-Four to boost his season line to .340/.446/.745.

In San Francisco, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the San Francisco Giants 1-Zero behind Walker Buehler’s seven shutout innings and Max Muncy’s dwelling run into McCovey Cove off Madison Bumgarner. Cody Bellinger went Zero-for-Four, however he is nonetheless ripping the ball at a .355/.449/.693 clip, with 20 dwelling runs.

Since hitting .400 for the final time on Could 21, Bellinger has hit simply .226 and has now had three hitless video games in a row after not having two in a row earlier than. Yelich has handed Bellinger in slugging proportion and OPS, and the doubtless epic MVP race is again on. (To be truthful, Bellinger’s hunch is absolutely simply these three video games. He had hit safely in his earlier 12 video games and hit .286/.375/.571. It is solely a hunch as a result of he was hitting .404 a pair weeks in the past.)

Anyway, how epic might this MVP battle turn out to be? Take into account their on-pace stats:

Yelich: .340/.446/.745, 59 dwelling runs, 130 RBIs, 123 runs
Bellinger: .355/.449/.693, 49 dwelling runs, 133 RBIs, 125 runs

2 Associated

Extra spectacular, each gamers are on observe for 10-WAR seasons in the event that they preserve hitting and defending like they’ve executed up to now. Bellinger entered Sunday with 5.6 WAR by way of Baseball-Reference.com and Four.6 on FanGraphs. Yelich entered at Four.Zero on each websites and might be at Four.2 after Sunday’s recreation. Each the Dodgers and Brewers have performed 66 video games, so Bellinger is comfortably forward of 10-WAR tempo whereas Yelich is at 10.1 — and the on-pace projections promote him slightly brief since he missed just a few video games and is on tempo to play solely 147 video games.

What defines an epic MVP race? I am not considering of controversial MVP votes — reminiscent of Miguel Cabrera versus Mike Trout in 2012 and 2013 — and even shut MVP votes, reminiscent of 2017, when Giancarlo Stanton edged out Joey Votto by two factors. I am considering of races when each gamers had historic seasons. Stanton and Votto, for instance, had been wonderful in 2017, however Stanton’s 7.9 WAR and Votto’s 7.Four (utilizing Baseball-Reference numbers right here) had been fairly commonplace WAR totals for MVP winners.

Seasons of 10 WAR for place gamers are extraordinarily uncommon. There have been solely 15 up to now 50 seasons. What if we use the next definition for an epic MVP race: Each gamers have 10.Zero WAR and end 1-2 within the MVP voting. Here is what we discover:

2018 American League: Mookie Betts (10.9) and Trout (10.2). The actually wonderful facet to those seasons is that Betts performed solely 136 video games and Trout simply 140 as each missed time. The MVP vote wasn’t shut, nonetheless, as Betts performed on a crew that received 108 video games whereas the Angels completed beneath .500. Betts acquired 28 of the 30 first-place votes.

2001 Nationwide League: Barry Bonds (11.9) and Sammy Sosa (10.Three). Sosa hit .328 with 64 dwelling runs and 160 RBIs — and acquired simply two first-place votes. That is as a result of Bonds hit .328/.515/.863 with a record-breaking 73 dwelling runs. (Randy Johnson additionally had 10.1 pitching WAR that season, though he completed simply 11th within the MVP voting.)

That is it because the Baseball Writers’ Affiliation of America started voting on MVP winners in 1931. The one different season with two place gamers (retroactively, in fact) credited with 10 WAR was 1948, however one was within the NL (Stan Musial) and the opposite within the AL (Lou Boudreau). Each received their respective MVP awards.

Flashback: What if Cody Bellinger goes to hit 763 dwelling runs and we simply do not know it but? Sam Miller »

If we decrease our requirements to 9.Zero WAR, we get a a lot larger pattern, though not many the place the gamers completed 1-2 within the MVP voting. For instance, in 1996, Mariners teammates Ken Griffey Jr. and Alex Rodriguez every handed 9.Zero WAR, however Juan Gonzalez received the MVP.

Here is that checklist of 9.Zero-plus WAR and 1-2 within the MVP race:

2016 AL: Trout (10.5) and Betts (9.Zero). Trout hit .315/.441/.550 with 29 dwelling runs and 30 steals and Betts hit .318/.363/.534 with 31 dwelling runs, 113 RBIs, 26 steals and nice protection. Trout picked up 19 first-place votes to 9 for Betts.

2004 NL: Bonds (10.6) and Adrian Beltre (9.6). Beltre had the perfect season of his profession, hitting .334 with a league-leading 48 dwelling runs. Bonds, nonetheless, hit a ridiculous .362/.609/.812 with 45 dwelling runs. The person posted a .600 OBP. Insane. Bonds bought 24 of 32 first-place to 6 for Beltre. Albert Pujols (Eight.5 WAR) and Scott Rolen (9.2) picked up one apiece.

1958 NL: Ernie Banks (9.Three) and Willie Mays (10.Three). On this case, the participant with the decrease WAR received MVP honors. Banks, who hit .313/.366/.614 with 47 dwelling runs, received although the Cubs completed beneath .500. Mays hit .347/.419/.583 with 29 dwelling runs and led the league in OPS and runs and steals. It most likely got here right down to RBIs: Banks had 129 and Mays 96.

1957 AL: Mickey Mantle (11.Three) and Ted Williams (9.7). Williams hit .388/.526/.731, main the circuit in all three triple-slash classes. However Mantle hit .365/.512/.665. The vote was controversial on the time, as batting common was nonetheless the king of stats, however the voters bought it proper (I imply, we’re additionally speaking a couple of 24-year-old heart fielder versus a 38-year-old left fielder). The bizarre half is the first-place votes had been cut up amongst 5 gamers: Mantle (6), Williams (5), Roy Sievers (Four), Nellie Fox (5) and Gil McDougald (Four).

1949 NL: Jackie Robinson (9.6) and Musial (9.2). Musial had one among his greatest energy seasons, hitting .338 with 36 dwelling runs, however Robinson hit .342, drove in 124 runs, stole 37 bases and Brooklyn received the pennant.

1941 AL: Joe DiMaggio (9.1) versus Williams (10.6). This not the well-known 1942 vote, when Williams received the Triple Crown however misplaced to DiMaggio by one level, however remains to be one of many extra controversial MVP ends in historical past. Williams hit .406 and led the AL with 37 dwelling runs and 135 runs. DiMaggio hit .357 with 30 dwelling runs and had his report 56-game hitting streak. If each these occasions occurred in 2019, which might be larger? (The Yankees received the pennant, which was most likely the tiebreaker on the time.)

That is one checklist of epic MVP races. Will we add Yelich and Bellinger by the top of the season?

Nothing like a house run and a sequence sweep in your bobblehead day! #ThisIsMyCrew #ThisIsMyMVP pic.twitter.com/QvVxMBpESD

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) June 9, 2019

Again to again to again to again: Tied 1-1 within the prime of the eighth inning Sunday, the San Diego Padres introduced in reliever Craig Stammen and the Washington Nationals made historical past when this occurred:

Howie Kendrick homered.
SEE. YOU. LATER.
Trea Turner homered.
SEE. YOU. LATER.
Adam Eaton homered.
SEE. YOU. LATER.
Anthony Rendon homered.
SEE. YOU. LATER.

BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK! pic.twitter.com/LYiJL0phqp

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 9, 2019

The 4 dwelling runs got here in a span of seven pitches, all off Stammen, who had allowed 5 dwelling runs in 33 innings coming into the sport.

“You do not need to be the one who would not hit one. It was fairly loopy. It would not occur loads. You are simply glad you are on this facet and never the opposite facet,” Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon stated after the sport.

Certainly, it is simply the ninth time a crew has hit 4 consecutive dwelling runs. The Nationals had been really the earlier crew to do it, in 2017. The eight different occasions:

Nationals, July 27, 2017, vs. Brewers (Brian Goodwin, Wilmer Difo, Bryce Harper, Ryan Zimmerman). All off Michael Blazek. Actually, after the 4 in a row, Daniel Murphy flew out after which Rendon hit the fifth dwelling run of the inning off Blazek. It was Blazek’s remaining recreation within the majors (though he is at the moment in Triple-A with the Nationals).

Arizona Diamondbacks, Aug. 11, 2010, vs. Brewers (Adam LaRoche, Miguel Montero, Mark Reynolds, Stephen Drew.) All off Dave Bush.

Chicago White Sox, Aug. 14, 2008, vs. Kansas Metropolis Royals (Jim Thome, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, Juan Uribe). Off Joel Peralta (three) and Rob Tejeda (one).

Boston Crimson Sox, April 22, 2007, vs. New York Yankees (Manny Ramirez, J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell, Jason Varitek). All off Chase Wright (who would pitch only one extra recreation in a short three-game MLB profession).

Dodgers, Sept. 18, 2006, vs. Padres (Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, Marlon Anderson). Off Jon Adkins (two) and Trevor Hoffman (two). This was the well-known recreation by which the Dodgers hit 4 in a row within the ninth to tie the sport after which received it on Nomar Garciaparra’s walk-off homer within the 10th. Additionally word that Drew is the one participant to homer in two separate four-in-a-row streaks.

Minnesota Twins, Could 2, 1964, vs. Oakland Athletics (Tony Oliva, Bob Allison, Jimmie Corridor, Harmon Killebrew). Off Dan Pfister (three) and Vern Handrahan (one). The house runs got here within the 11th inning.

Cleveland Indians, July 31, 1963, vs. Los Angeles Angels (Woodie Held, Pedro Ramos, Tito Francona, Larry Brown). All off Paul Foytack.

Milwaukee Braves, June Eight, 1961, vs. Cincinnati Reds (Eddie Mathews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock, Frank Thomas). Off Jim Maloney (two) and Marshall Bridges (two). The Braves are the one four-in-row crew to lose the sport because the Reds received 10-Eight.

MadBum will get slightly mad: It is attainable that Sunday’s begin for Bumgarner shall be his remaining one towards the Dodgers as a member of the Giants. The Giants play the Dodgers subsequent Monday by way of Thursday, however with two off days this week, Bumgarner may not pitch once more till Saturday or Sunday towards Milwaukee, thus might miss the Dodgers sequence. Then the 2 groups do not play one another once more till September — by which era Bumgarner is likely to be sporting one other uniform.

If that’s the case, it was becoming that Sunday’s recreation featured a robust begin from Bumgarner — plus a signature Bumgarner. The one run within the 1-Zero recreation was Muncy’s first-inning dwelling run into the kayaks:

MAD. MAX. pic.twitter.com/65q7saXtgl

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 9, 2019

Bumgarner did not like that Muncy loved the flight of the ball slightly an excessive amount of and the 2 exchanged cellphone numbers as Muncy rounded the bases. Muncy supplied the basic comeback after the sport: “If you do not need me to observe the ball, you will get it out of the ocean.”

Bumgarner is 15-13 towards the Dodgers in his profession, however with a 2.52 ERA. He ought to be higher than 15-13, however the Giants have scored greater than three runs simply 10 occasions in his 34 profession begins towards the Dodgers. This recreation, nonetheless, is a sign of why Bumgarner shall be in demand on the commerce deadline: The assumption that he can step it up in massive video games, as he has executed in October up to now — plus that little little bit of perspective that makes him MadBum.

Encarnacion hits No. 400: Possibly essentially the most underrated energy hitter of the previous decade, Edwin Encarnacion hit the 400-homer mark for the Seattle Mariners on Sunday:

🦜 Four️⃣ Zero️⃣ Zero️⃣ 🦜#TrueToTheBlue x @Encadwin pic.twitter.com/k7mhiICSfE

— Seattle Mariners (@Mariners) June 9, 2019

Congrats to Encarnacion and his parrot. Encarnacion is as much as 20 dwelling runs and might be an attention-grabbing pickup for a crew needing a delegated hitter (such because the Houston Astros) or bat off the bench for an NL crew. He is making $20 million this 12 months and there’s a $5 million buyout, so the Mariners would most likely have to select up a number of the wage.

Or possibly the Astros do not want a DH: The Astros lastly known as up Yordan Alvarez, who was solely hitting .343/.443/.742 at Triple-A Spherical Rock with 23 dwelling runs. The massive Cuban did this in his second at-bat in a Four-Zero win over the Baltimore Orioles:

Air Yordan taking off! 🚀#TakeItBack pic.twitter.com/aJ9eiGYGwY

— Houston Astros (@astros) June 9, 2019

If Alvarez proves to be a pressure, including one other left-handed bat to Michael Brantley and Josh Reddick will present extra steadiness to the Houston lineup — and make the Astros that a lot harder.

Lastly, a non-home run spotlight: OK, that is lots of dwelling runs. Here is Rougned Odor with a straight steal of dwelling to assist remind as that baseball wants extra bash and sprint as a substitute of simply bash and mash:

“He is hit the filth!
He is secure! Secure!” pic.twitter.com/NrsUOtPAAb

— Texas Rangers (@Rangers) June 9, 2019

Bryce Harper additionally tried a straight steal of dwelling with Eugenio Suarez enjoying off the bottom and Sonny Grey working from a full windup, however was known as out:

Bryce Harper tried to steal dwelling on the right-handed Sonny Grey.

It did not work out effectively for Harper.pic.twitter.com/Lw0oFMC1UU

— CBS Sports activities HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) June 9, 2019

Harper’s sprint got here with two strikes and two out with Rhys Hoskins batting, however in case you watch the replay, the pitch really ought to have been known as strike three, which might have nullified the steal try. Actually, it seems Hoskins and home-plate ump Jordan Baker each forgot to do their jobs as Harper broke dwelling. If Baker had known as strike three as Hoskins stepped away from the pitch, Harper’s run would not have counted even when he had overwhelmed the throw.

In different phrases: Do not attempt to steal dwelling with two out and two strikes and your greatest hitter up. It was a fairly boneheaded play by Harper, even when it was a hustle play. Oh, the Phillies misplaced Four-Three.