Zyhir Hope is without doubt one of the youngest and least skilled gamers taking part within the Arizona Fall League. Acquired by the Los Angeles Dodgers within the January deal that despatched Michael Busch to the Chicago Cubs, the 19-year-old outfielder has simply 315 skilled plate appearances, partly as a result of he missed three months this season with a shoulder damage. The uncooked instruments are spectacular. Since being chosen within the eleventh spherical of final 12 months’s draft out of Stafford, Virginia’s Colonial Forge Excessive College, Hope has slashed .289/.419/.492 with a dozen dwelling runs and a 143 wRC+.
How he would outline himself as a hitter is a query he wasn’t fairly positive easy methods to reply after I posed it to him on Wednesday.
“I attempt my finest,” responded Hope, who’s suiting up for the Glendale Desert Canines. “I’ve superb coaches and a variety of assets to type of assist me discover myself, discover my swing. I’m working day-after-day, making an attempt to remain constant, trusting the method.”
Requested if his setup and swing are primarily the identical as when he signed, he mentioned that they’re. As for a way a lot he research the intricacies of his craft, let’s simply say that Hope is a believer — not less than up to now of his younger profession — in conserving issues so simple as potential.
“I don’t actually take into consideration that stuff, about mechanics,” defined Hope, who takes his cuts from the left aspect. “I simply go on the market and swing, to be trustworthy. I like to only go on the market and swing. It’s simply feels, man. Simply feels. I’ve been that manner my complete life. See ball, hit ball.”
Hope noticed the ball effectively on Thursday, and it translated to some severe injury. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound prospect propelled a 470-foot dwelling run by the new Arizona air as a part of a two-hit effort. The blast, which soared over the batter’s eye in heart subject, had an exit velocity of 111 mph.
Hope advised me that he has “baseball in his blood,” and that’s however one among his enviable attributes. The athletically-gifted teenager has plus wheels, a robust arm — some groups had been reportedly interested by him as a pitcher — and a capability to deal with same-sided pitchers. As evidenced by the moonshot, he additionally has spectacular pop.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Alan Trammell went 11 for 23 towards Al Nipper.
Nippy Jones went 11 for 16 towards Invoice Werle.
Nap Lajoie went 6 for six towards George Cuppy.
Luke Scott went 5 for five towards Dustin Nippert.
Rabbit Nill went 2 for twenty-four towards Rube Waddell.
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Xavier Isaac is without doubt one of the high power-hitting prospects in baseball. At the moment enjoying for the Arizona Fall League’s Mesa Photo voltaic Sox, the 20-year-old, left-handed-hitting first baseman within the Tampa Bay Rays group slugged 18 dwelling runs and put up a 143 wRC+ this season over 435 plate appearances between Excessive-A Bowling Inexperienced and Double-A Montgomery. Within the phrases of our lead prospect analyst, Eric Longenhagen, Isaac has “ridiculous energy everywhere in the strike zone,” in addition to plus plate self-discipline.
I requested Isaac which of the pitchers he confronted this season offered the most important problem.
“I’ve had robust battles with Noah Schultz,” replied Issac, citing the 6-foot-9 southpaw who ranks as the highest pitching prospect within the Chicago White Sox group “Lefty-lefty is tough, and he’s from the aspect. He’s very lanky, very tall, identical to Randy Johnson. He’s throwing 96-97 [mph] and it’s just about coming at your shoulder. He’s additionally bought a sweeper that breaks just about from first base. I’ve bought a pair hits off of him, however it’s at all times a tricky at-bat. I feel he’s the hardest pitcher I’ve confronted.”
Schultz, who turned 21 in August, had a 2.24 ERA, a 2.45 FIP, and 32.1% strikeout charge this season between Excessive-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham.
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What has been the worst pitch you’ve thrown all 12 months, and why was it so dangerous? I requested that query of numerous pitchers this season, the latest being Tampa Bay right-hander Ryan Pepiot. The 27-year-old erstwhile Butler Bulldog shared two.
“I can consider one, for positive,” Pepiot advised me on the ultimate weekend of the marketing campaign. “We had been in Seattle and I had Randy Arozarena 1-2. I’d blown two fastballs by him, was making an attempt to do it once more, and I drilled him within the again, proper beneath the neck. I used to be making an attempt to climb the ladder and overcooked it. Leaky arm syndrome and it went to the precise. I felt actually dangerous, as a result of it was Randy.
“My first begin of the season could be one other one. I walked the primary two guys — a bit nerves — bought two fast outs, then hung Josh Jung a crap changeup proper down the center. He blasted it into the second deck of the Trop. I didn’t truly throw it, I simply babied it in there, and ‘Whack!’ I didn’t prefer it the way it got here out of my hand, and I positively didn’t like the place it landed.”
The place the ball landed was one thing he didn’t see in actual time.
“One of many issues I discovered in faculty was, ‘Hey, if you surrender a homer — and also you’re going to provide them up — flip round and watch it, and inform your self, ‘Rattling, I threw that one actually far,’” mentioned Pepiot, who had a 3.60 ERA and a 3.95 FIP over 130 innings on the season. “So, when it’s a solo shot and so they actually smoke it, positive. I’ll flip round and see how far I threw the ball. That one I didn’t wish to flip round and watch. I simply requested for a brand new baseball.”
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A quiz:
Two pitchers received 100 or extra video games with the Montreal Expos. Who’re they? (A touch: One made 5 All-Star groups whereas spending his whole 13-year profession with the Expos, whereas the opposite performed eight seasons in Montreal and had 245 wins over his 23-year MLB profession.)
The reply might be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
Sean Lahman has agreed to donate the Lahman Baseball Database to SABR. The announcement might be discovered right here.
Bob Speake, an outfielder/first baseman who performed for the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants from 1955-1959, died on October 3 at age 94. The Springfield, Missouri native logged 154 of his 170 hits, and 28 of his 31 dwelling runs, with Chicago’s North Aspect membership. Speake’s nickname was Spook.
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The reply to the quiz is Steve Rogers, who had 158 wins with the Expos from 1973-1985, and Dennis Martinez, who had 100 wins with the Expos from 1986-1993.
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Ought to-be Corridor of Famer Luis Tiant died earlier this week at age 83. Listed here are six Tiant info:
He hit 5 dwelling runs, all of them with the Cleveland Indians. The primary two had been off of Jim Bouton, one at Yankee Stadium, the opposite at Cleveland Stadium.
He had 15 profession saves, together with eight with the Indians in 1966.
He went 3-0 with a 2.65 ERA in 4 postseason begins with the Boston Pink Sox in 1975.
The final of his 229 profession wins got here with the California Angels, a 10-2 victory over the Pink Sox in 1982.
When Denny McLain was a unanimous AL Cy Younger Award winner in 1968, the Detroit Tigers right-hander went 31-6 with a 1.96 ERA and seven.2 WAR. Tiant went 21-9 with a 1.60 ERA and seven.4 WAR.
Corridor of Famer Catfish Hunter threw 3,449.1 innings and went 224-166 with a 104 ERA+ and 37.2 WAR. Tiant threw 3,486.1 innings and went 22-9 with a 114 ERA+ and 54.8 WAR.
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Like many present-day pitchers, Matt Bowman has a sweeper in his arsenal. The analytically-inclined right-hander shared an fascinating tackle the providing after I spoke to him within the remaining month of the common season.
“Anybody who throws one will inform you that it’s an excellent pitch,” mentioned Bowman, who was pitching out of the Baltimore bullpen on the time. “However I feel it’s perhaps dropping a bit little bit of its luster. With the orientation of the ball and the best way it spins, if somebody does put the barrel on it, it actually goes. I don’t assume that knowledge is collected, not less than not publicly — the spin of the ball off the bat — however the best way sweeper spin aligns, coming off the bat when it hits the barrel, could be very favorable to creating the ball carry and get the precise launch angle. That’s the reason you see among the worst injury on sweepers.”
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Central League’s Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks had NPB’s finest document this season, at 91-49. The second-best document belonged to the Pacific League’s Tokyo Yomiuri Giants, who went 77-59. The Seibu Lions had the worst document, 49-91.
Roki Sasaki threw eight shutout innings with 9 strikeouts because the Chiba Lotte Marines beat the Nippon Ham Fighters 2-0 in Recreation 1 of their first-stage playoff collection. Gregory Polanco and Shogo Nakamura accounted for the offense with solo dwelling runs.
NPB’s different first-stage playoff collection noticed the Yokohama DeNA BayStars outscored the Hanshin Tigers 3-1. Tyler Austin drove in two of the three runs, whereas Shugo Maki stroked three hits and crossed the plate twice.
SoftBank first baseman Hotaka Yamakawa led NPB hitters with 34 dwelling runs. Yakult Swallows third baseman Munetaka Murakami, who reportedly aspires to return to MLB however received’t be posted for not less than one other 12 months, went deep 33 occasions. The 24-year-old third baseman has 223 dwelling runs in his six full NPB seasons.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot.
Billy Bates raced a cheetah and scored the profitable run in a World Sequence sport. Highlights in in any other case an unremarkable profession, the speedy College of Texas product carried out each feats in 1990 as a member of the Cincinnati Reds. He received the race — partly as a result of his hat got here off and the unchained cheetah hesitated, mistaking it for meals — in a Riverfront Stadium promotion for the Cincinnati Zoo.
Just a few weeks later, Bates chopped a pinch-hit infield single off of Oakland’s Dennis Eckersley within the tenth inning of World Sequence Recreation 2, then proceeded to cross the plate on a Joe Oliver walk-off single. It was his remaining look in a big-league uniform. All advised, Bates performed in 32 video games (together with the postseason) and went 7-for-49 with eight stolen bases and 13 runs scored over elements of two seasons.
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Carter Jensen confronted some good pitchers this season whereas placing up stable numbers — the No. 3 prospect within the Kansas Metropolis Royals system slugged 18 dwelling runs and put up a 129 wRC+ — between Excessive-A Quad Cities and Double-A Northwest Arkansas. None of them had been as achieved as a right-hander he went up towards in mid-August.
“We confronted Justin Verlander in a rehab begin, and that was one thing else,” defined Jensen, who’s ending up his season with the Shock Saguaros. “He’s bought a special type of mound presence. I had two [plate appearances] towards him. I had a sac fly, and I’m taking that as a win for positive.”
What was he considering when he walked into the batter’s field with a future Corridor of Famer on the mound?
“Earlier than the sport I used to be making an attempt to arrange a bit bit extra, however on the identical time, as soon as I bought in there it was me versus him,” mentioned Jensen. “The one factor I may do is attempt to make good choices, put the bat on the ball, and hopefully hit it laborious someplace. I attempted to not do something particular, simply stick with my sport plan and what works for me. I didn’t wish to be within the field considering, ‘Justin Verlander is on the mound.’”
The 41-year-old veteran of 19 big-league seasons bought the higher of the 21-year-old catching prospect within the second of their two matchups. Anticipating a heater, Jensen as a substitute bought a hook that “simply saved dropping.” He swung and missed for strike three.
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FARM NOTES
Minor League Baseball named the Hartford Yard Goats its 2024 Group of the Yr. The Connecticut-based Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies drew a franchise-record 417,054 (together with playoff sport) followers, with 39 sellouts.
Luke Keaschall slashed .303/.420/.483 with 15 dwelling runs and a 158 wRC+ over 464 plate appearances between Excessive-A Cedar Rapids and Double-A Wichita earlier than present process Tommy John surgical procedure in August. Chosen within the second spherical of the 2023 draft out of Arizona State College, the 22-year-old infielder/outfielder is No. 5 on our Minnesota Twins Prime Prospects listing.
Felnin Celesten slashed .352/.431/.568 with three dwelling runs and a 150 wRC+ over 144 plate appearances within the Arizona Advanced League earlier than having hamate surgical procedure on the finish of July. No. 4 on our Seattle Mariners Prime Prospects listing, the switch-hitting shortstop from Guaymate, Dominican Republic celebrated his nineteenth birthday in September.
Leodalis De Vries slashed .237/.361/.441 with 11 dwelling runs and a 116 wRC+ over 360 plate appearances for the Low-A Lake Elsinore storm earlier than a shoulder damage ended his season prematurely in mid-August. No. 3 on our San Diego Padres Prime Prospects listing, the switch-hitting shortstop from Azua, Dominican Republic — at the moment enjoying for the Arizona Fall League’s Peoria Javelinas — celebrated his 18th birthday on Friday.
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Being a fan of baseball historical past, a latest be aware by Elias Sports activities caught my eye. The mixed common age of the gamers who appeared within the opening sport of the Tigers-Guardians ALDS was the youngest for any MLB playoff sport since Recreation 4 of the 1914 World Sequence between the Philadelphia Athletics and the Boston Braves.
Who had been the a few of gamers that took the sphere on the way back October 13 afternoon that noticed the Braves high the A’s to win the primary of the franchise’s 4 modern-era World Sequence titles? Properly, there have been 5 Corridor of Famers: Residence Run Baker, Eddie Collins, Johnny Evers, Rabbit Maranville, and Herb Pennock. Different notables included Wally Schang, a 41.0 profession WAR catcher who performed on 4 World Sequence winners, and right-hander Dick Rudolph, who went 26-10 through the common season. Rudolph was the mound when the “Miracle Braves” — they had been in final place in midseason earlier than catching fireplace — took dwelling the title.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
At Sportico, Barry Bloom wrote about how cash talks because the Mets, Dodgers, and Yankees advance within the MLB playoffs.
The Chicago Cubs are hiring longtime coach Jerry Weinstein, who has spent the final 18 years within the Colorado Rockies group. Brett Taylor has the story at Bleacher Nation.
MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian addressed Cody Bellinger’s standing and extra offseason questions for the Chicago Cubs.
Skyler Timmins chronicled the Colorado Rockies’ doubtful 2024 season for Purple Row.
The Boston Pink Sox overhauled their hitting growth program in 2024. Alex Speier defined how at Baseball America (subscription required).
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Tom Browning and Invoice Terry are the one pitchers in MLB historical past with precisely 1,000 strikeouts. Jim Bunning is the one pitcher to problem precisely 1,000 walks.
Greg Maddux issued 999 walks, 177 of them of the intentional selection.
No batter has walked precisely 1,000 occasions (Boog Powell had 1,001.) Two batters have precisely 1,000 strikeouts: Shawon Dunston and Jeffrey Leonard.
Bud Black and Bobby Valentine are tied for forty eighth place in all-time managerial wins with 1,186.
Willie McCovey had 521 dwelling runs and a .374 OBP.
Ted Williams had 521 dwelling runs and a .482 OBP.
The Boston People (Pink Sox) beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 to win the first-ever World Sequence on right now’s date in 1903. The sport was performed in a time of 1:35 in entrance of seven,455 followers at Boston’s Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds.
On right now’s date in 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates plated eight runs towards Tom Glavine within the second inning and went to beat the Atlanta Braves 13-4 in NLCS Recreation 6. Sooner or later later, Sid Bream slid dwelling safely on a Francisco Cabrera pinch-hit single that despatched the Braves to the World Sequence.
On right now’s date in 1970, Baltimore Orioles southpaw Dave McNally aided his personal trigger with a grand slam whereas going the gap in a 9-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds in World Sequence Recreation 3. Don Buford and Frank Robinson additionally went deep for the O’s, who went on to seize the Fall Traditional in 5 video games.
Gamers born on right now’s date embody George Frazier, whose declare to infamy is being tagged for 3 losses whereas pitching for the New York Yankees within the 1981 World Sequence. The one different pitcher to lose three video games within the Fall Traditional is Lefty Williams, who did so in suspicious circumstances with the 1917 Chicago “Black Sox.”
Additionally born on right now’s date was Pickles Dillhoefer, a catcher who performed for 3 groups — the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies, and St. Louis Cardinals — from 1917-1921 earlier than dying of typhoid fever at age 27. A Cleveland native, William Martin Dillhoefer was a part of two trades, one which included Corridor of Famer Grover Cleveland Alexander.