Ryan Braun Announces Retirement After 14 Seasons with Brewers
Sep 14, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun celebrates his two-run home run during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Outfielder Ryan Braun, who played his entire 14-year MLB career with the Milwaukee Brewers, announced his retirement Tuesday.
Today, more than 14 years after I first took the field as a Milwaukee Brewer, I’ve decided to retire. While it’s impossible to summarize my emotions, what I feel most is one, simple thing – gratitude.
I just wanted to take a moment to say ‘thank you’.
The 37-year-old, whose last appearance came in the 2020 NL Wild Card loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, suggested in March that retirement was a possibility.
"Look, obviously I'm strongly leaning in that direction [retirement], but until I get to a point where I've completely made my mind up, I just don't see any sense in making it official at this point," Braun said. He added that he didn't envision himself playing for any team besides the Brewers.
Braun also strongly hinted at retirement to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times in May.
Milwaukee picked the former University of Miami star with the fifth overall selection in the 2005 MLB draft. He made his debut two years later and retires as one of the best players in franchise history.
Braun finished his career with 352 home runs (including a career-high and league-high 41 in 2012), 1,154 RBI (including 100 or more RBI from 2008 to 2012), a .296 batting average and .891 OPS. He won the 2011 National League MVP Award and made six All-Star teams. He also led the league in OPS in 2011 and OPS and homers in 2012.
His Milwaukee legacy is nearly unmatched in franchise history, which dates back to 1970. However, it is not without controversy.
Braun admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during the 2011 campaign after previously denying his PED use, and he was suspended for 65 games in 2013. Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Braun said he took a cream and lozenge with banned substances during injury rehab.
He was initially suspended in October 2011 for 50 games, but that was overturned when an arbitrator ruled that his urine sample was not handled appropriately.
The latter half of Braun's career featured the team's greatest success during his tenure. Milwaukee went to the playoffs five times in that span, including a National League Championship Series appearance in 2018.
The Brewers took the Dodgers to seven games in that NLCS before falling to the NL champions. Milwaukee made the postseason each year from 2018 to 2020.
Braun is third in Brewers history behind Robin Yount and Paul Molitor with 47.1 WAR (wins above replacement), per Baseball-Reference.
Brewers' Corbin Burnes, Josh Hader Combine for No-Hitter vs. Cleveland
Sep 12, 2021
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 11: Starting pitcher Corbin Burnes #39 of the Milwaukee Brewers pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field on September 11, 2021 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The ninth no-hitter of the 2021 MLB season belongs to Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes and star reliever Josh Hader. For the third time this season, it was Cleveland watching its opponent celebrate the feat.
Burnes was lights-out with 14 strikeouts and one walk over eight innings in a 3-0 victory at Progressive Field. Hader came on to finish the job in the ninth inning, needing just nine pitches to earn the save. Even with the Brewers gearing up for the postseason, Burnes still tossed 115 pitches as he mowed down the Cleveland lineup.
It's the second no-hitter in Brewers history, joining Juan Nieves' effort against the Baltimore Orioles in 1987. It's also the 16th combined no-hitter in MLB history and the second one this season.
The 3 Jim Perry games, along with the pitcher who threw the no-hitter:
9/21/70: Vida Blue, OAK vs MIN 4/27/73: Steve Busby, KC at DET 7/15/73: Nolan Ryan, CAL at DET
Again, Plesac will join this if the Indians are no-hit tonight. And Plesac will have had all 3 happen this year.
Nine no-hitters in one season stands as an all-time MLB record. Joe Musgrove, Carlos Rodon, John Means, Wade Miley, Spencer Turnbull, Corey Kluber and Tyler Gilbert previously recorded no-hitters this year while Zach Davies, Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin and Craig Kimbrel of the Chicago Cubs combined to toss a no-hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in late June.
Corbin Burnes and Josh Hader combine for the 9th no-hitter in MLB this season, the most in a season in MLB history (pending inclusion of Negro League stats).
Burnes and Hader combined for 16 strikeouts, the most ever in a combined no-hitter. pic.twitter.com/76zJFuLBS3
Burnes did the majority of his damage with a cutter-curveball combination that had Cleveland completely mystified. Of the 56 cutters thrown, 22 of them went for called strikes of whiffs, according to Baseball Savant. Only four of the cutters were put in play.
The curveball was even more effective, getting 18 combined called strikes and whiffs on 34 pitches with only two balls in play.
Burnes went to his fastball just once in eight innings, deferring to his changeup, slider and sinker when he needed to switch things up.
Both pitchers benefited from some extraordinary defense late with Lorenzo Cain making a diving grab in the eighth inning before Jace Peterson landed in the seats to snag a pop-up into foul territory.
It's certainly a low point for Cleveland, which had already punted on the season by dealing infielder Cesar Hernandez within the division to the Chicago White Sox and remains two games under .500 on the year.
The franchise that has tossed 14 no-hitters itself has now been the victim of 12 no-nos against.
The 2021 World Series Contender Nobody Is Talking About
Aug 20, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers' Avisail Garcia celebrates as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
The National League conversation has (rightfully) been dominated by the NL West all year. This was expected coming into the season, considering the Los Angeles Dodgers are the defending World Series champs and the San Diego Padres loaded up over the winter with the intent to compete with their neighbors to the north.
But the San Francisco Giants' ascent was quick and got plenty of people talking. Out east, the New York Mets and their new owner, Steve Cohen, kept things interesting regardless of where they were in the standings, the Atlanta Braves aggressively retooled after losing their best player, Ronald Acuna Jr., to injury and the Washington Nationals tore their 2019 World Series team down to the studs.
Somewhere in the middle of it all—geographically and standings-wise—are the Milwaukee Brewers, the leaders of the NL Central and the potential World Series team that isn't garnering the same headlines as the others. At the start of the season, much of Milwaukee's attention was on the Bucks' championship run. Now, it's football season in Green Bay. The Brewers haven't had any drastic highs or lows and Wisconsin fans are likely taking in the final days of summer.
But Milwaukee is deserving of some headlines and of its status as a pennant contender. The Brewers execute in all three facets of the game, the front office brought in the right reinforcements at the trade deadline and their organizational depth has helped them withstand injuries to key players this season.
It starts with pitching for the Brew Crew, something that's been true dating back at least four years. The bullpen was the star in that electric seven-game NLCS loss to the Dodgers in 2018. The Brewers got enough starting pitching, but it was the bullpen that kept them in games. Josh Hader became a household name, throwing 7.2 innings in that series without allowing a single earned run. He didn't allow any in the NLDS, either, and has only allowed two in 12.1 postseason innings.
Milwaukee had the fifth-best bullpen in baseball that year. This year, its bullpen is the eighth-best in baseball, with a Big Three of left-handers Hader (1.66 ERA, 24 saves in 25 opportunities, 2.0 fWAR) and Brent Suter (12-5, 2.86 ERA, most wins for a reliever in baseball, 12th-most relief innings pitched) and right-hander Brad Boxberger (5-3, 2.47 ERA).
Right-handers Devin Williams, Miguel Sanchez and Hunter Strickland, a savvy addition made in June, have all helped things down in the bullpen. Jake Cousins was plucked from relative obscurity in independent ball and has yet to allow an earned run in 17 innings.
Milwaukee boasts the second-best ERA in baseball (3.09), and it's been largely due to the dominance of the starting rotation. Corbin Burnes, Brandon Woodruff and Freddy Peralta have formed an even more dominant trio.
Burnes had an ERA of nearly 9.00 in 2018, but he saw better results when he increased his cutter usage in 2020: 4-1, 2.13 ERA. Now, he's using it more than ever, more than 50 percent of the time according to Fangraphs, and he complements it with a curveball and a slider. There is more movement on the cutter, more drop on the curveball and his fastball velocity increased this season as well.
Earlier this month, Burnes struck out 10 straight hitters in a win over the Chicago Cubs. Watching them all back-to-back is sort of mesmerizing. Only two others have accomplished the feat: former Mets hurler Tom Seaver and current Philadelphia Phillies starter Aaron Nola.
Mets ace Jacob deGrom might not throw another inning this season, which would position Burnes, who has the highest fWAR of all starting pitchers (5.8),as the frontrunner for NL Cy Young.
Peralta recently hit the IL with right shoulder inflammation, but with the Brewers holding a 9.5-game lead over the Cincinnati Reds, they can use some of their organizational depth to allow him—and others on the IL—to get healthy for the postseason. That combination of depth and sufficient recovery time could be especially beneficial for a team that has seen some of its top talent land on the injured list this season.
The other strength of this team is its defense, which Fangraphs ranks second in baseball. They've prevented 44 runs this season, which is the seventh-most in the league. Strong pitching and defense can help the Brewers overcome their biggest weakness: their offense.
General manager David Stearns and his front office made some smart acquisitions at the trade deadline to try to bolster an underperforming offense.
Between a back injury and a bout with COVID-19, Christian Yelich hasn't looked like himself this season. Though the former MVP is still capable of heating up down the stretch, the club didn't bank on it.
Instead, they acquired shortstop Willy Adames, who has a 150 OPS+ since being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays. They also traded for Rowdy Tellez to get more offensive production out of first base. Tellez gives them a left-handed bat and takes the pressure off of Keston Hiura, who was hitting just .166 before being placed on the COVID IL.
This is what the best front offices do: Develop enough talent so they have the capital to make trades and fill in the holes without depleting the farm system or even the active roster. That depth is needed to withstand injuries, and it's needed in September to get everyone primed and ready to play deep into October.
And as of right now, there's reason to picture October baseball in Milwaukee. Fangraphs gives the Brewers a 10.3 percent chance of winning the World Series, the fourth-best odds in baseball.
It's easy for teams in smaller markets to get lost in the regular-season shuffle, especially once preseason football begins. So while everyone else is talking about Fernando Tatis Jr. playing in the outfield and debating the merits of Zack Wheeler out in Philadelphia, here's some appreciation for one of the steadiest, most consistent teams in the National League.
The Brewers have been just as good as the teams out west, if not better, even if they're not dominating the conversation.
Brewers' Corbin Burnes Ties MLB Record With 10 Consecutive Strikeouts vs. Cubs
Aug 12, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes throws to a Chicago Cubs batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Corbin Burnes tied an MLB record with 10 consecutive strikeouts during his appearance against the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday.
Per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, that mark has been reached twice before. New York Mets ace Tom Seaver got it done on April 22, 1970 against the San Diego Padres, and Philadelphia Phillies right-hander Aaron Nola did so versus the New York Mets on June 25, 2021.
Burnes struck out the side in the second, third and fourth innings before punching out Frank Schwindel to lead off the fifth. All 10 Cubs batters went down swinging.
Matt Duffy broke the strikeout streak with a one-out single following Schwindel's at-bat.
Burnes finished the night with 15 strikeouts over eight shutout innings, and Milwaukee won 10-0 in Wrigley Field.
The Brewer right-hander is now 7-4 with 2.23 ERA and 172 strikeouts in 121.0 innings. The National League All-Star's 12.79 strikeouts per nine innings leads MLB.
Eduardo Escobar Traded to Brewers from Diamondbacks for 2 Prospects
Jul 28, 2021
Arizona Diamondbacks' Eduardo Escobar saints to third during a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Tuesday, July 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)
The Milwaukee Brewers have announced that they have acquired Arizona Diamondbacks infielder Eduardo Escobar in exchange for a pair of minor league prospects in outfielder Cooper Hummel and infielder Alberto Ciprian.
Escobar is hitting .246 (.778 OPS) with 22 home runs and 65 RBI this season, which marked his first-ever All-Star Game appearance. The 11-year MLB veteran has played for the Chicago White Sox, Minnesota Twins and D-backs.
Zach Buchanan of The Athletic provided more insight on the prospects:
Hummel has impressive numbers at Triple-A, but he's 26. Ciprian is 18 and in the DSL, where he's raked for 12 games. Neither appears among the Brewers' Top 30 prospects, which says something about rental bat value.
Although it's possible the Diamondbacks really like Ciprian.
Escobar is going from the National League West basement to the NL Central penthouse. The Diamondbacks sport an MLB-worst 31-71 record, while the 59-42 Brewers lead their division by seven games.
He sent his regards to the Diamondbacks organization and the team's fans as his four-year stint with Arizona came to a close:
Thank you to all the fans, teammates, trainers, coaches for always being there and giving us that great motivation. I feel proud that I gave it my absolute best. You are the best. God always has the perfect plan for my family and me. I send my blessing to all of you. Thank You… pic.twitter.com/4nr6GhcF6K
— eduardo jose escobar (@escobardelapica) July 29, 2021
As Adam McCalvy of MLB.com noted, the Brewers could use Escobar at first base against left-handed pitching.
Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel also noted that Escobar, who can play second and third, could split time with Luis Urias at third base.
Escobar has never played first base, but Haudricourt also posited that he can see time there as well.
McCalvy also reported that Escobar should be a good addition to the clubhouse too.
"Talking to baseball people about Eduardo Escobar recently, you hear a lot about what he brings to the clubhouse in addition to the batter's box and the field," McCalvy tweeted. "The Brewers obviously hit big in that department with Willy Adames, too."
Milwaukee, which has made the playoffs each of the last three years, is in search of its first pennant since 1982, when it represented the American League against the St. Louis Cardinals in the Fall Classic.
The Brewers are in good position to now represent the National League, especially with this key pickup. Milwaukee's lineup has struggled this year to the tune of a .699 OPS, the fifth-worst mark in the National League.
Adding Escobar to bolster the lineup can only help as the Brewers look to ward off any teams below them in the NL Central standings and look to position themselves for a higher seed in the playoffs.
Brewers' Christian Yelich Tests Positive for COVID-19, Placed on Injured List
Jul 27, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers' Christian Yelich grounds out but drives in a run against Colorado Rockies pitcher Jhoulys Chacin during the third inning of a baseball game Saturday, June 19, 2021, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Teammate Jace Peterson was also added to the injured list because of contact tracing.
Yelich has mild symptoms and will miss a minimum of 10 days, via Will Sammon of The Athletic.
During the shortened 2020 season, Yelich saw his performance drop compared to his first two years with the Brewers when he won a National League MVP and then finished runner-up. He batted .205 and slugging .430 in 58 games.
A small sample can yield somewhat skewed numbers, but the two-time All-Star has continued to struggle into 2021. Through 67 games, he has a .235/.382/.367 slash line to go along with six home runs and 28 RBI.
Yelich battled back trouble, which landed him on the injured list in May and can help partially explain his relative lack of power.
Despite that, the Brewers entered Tuesday in first place in the National League Central at 58-42, seven games up on the Cincinnati Reds. A fourth straight trip to the postseason is well within reach.
The pitching staff has been a big reason for the team's success. Yelich's absence will put even more of the burden on Milwaukee's arms since the lineup will likely take a step backward.
MLB Trade Rumors: Brewers Have Inquired About Josh Donaldson, Trevor Story
Jul 26, 2021
Minnesota Twins' Josh Donaldson (20) warms up on deck against the Los Angeles Angels in a baseball game, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)
The Milwaukee Brewers have "checked in" with the Minnesota Twins on third baseman Josh Donaldson and Colorado Rockies shortstop Trevor Story, per Jon Heyman of MLB Network and The Score.
However, Heyman noted that a Twins-Brewers agreement for Donaldson "seems like a long shot" considering the money left on the 2015 American League MVP's contract.
Donaldson, who signed a four-year, $92 million deal before the 2020 campaign, is owed $21,750,000 in 2022 and 2023.
The 35-year-old has 15 home runs, 42 RBI and a .249 batting average (.828 OPS) through 80 games this year for Minnesota.
As Heyman tweeted, the Brewers were in the market for a third baseman this offseason when they put themselves in the mix for Justin Turner, who decided to return to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Regarding Story, Heyman reported that the Brewers are in the market for a big bat. The Rockies infielder has 12 home runs, 46 RBI and a .242 batting average (.737 OPS).
He's having an off-year for his standards, but from the 2018-2020 seasons, Story had a 162-game average of 38 home runs and 100 RBI, per Baseball Reference. He also had a .292 batting average (.909 OPS).
Robert Murray of FanSided also reported on the Brewers, writing that the team has looked into "third base upgrades." Murray also mentioned Donaldson as an option but referenced that the contract could be a roadblock.
Regarding Story, Murray posited him as an option at third base with the Brewers already having a shortstop in the recently acquired Willy Adames. Acquiring the 28-year-old wouldn't be easy, though.
"The Brewers, or any other team, would have to submit an offer more valuable than the compensatory pick the Rockies would receive if Story left in free agency to entice them to pull the trigger on a trade," Murray wrote.
The Twins sit dead-last in the American League Central with a 42-58 record, and they appear to be playing out the string at this point. The same goes for the Rockies, who sit fourth in the NL West at 43-56.
As for the Brewers, they are first in the National League Central with a 58-42 record, good enough for a 6.5-game lead over the second-place Cincinnati Reds.
Donaldson or Story would be an upgrade over the Brewers' incumbent third baseman, Luis Urias. However, the 24-year-old has still performed well, amassing 13 home runs, 45 RBI and a .236 batting average (.751 OPS) in 94 games.
Milwaukee's phenomenal starting pitching has gotten the Brewers to the top of the division, with Brandon Woodruff, Freddy Peralta and Corbin Burnes all posting sub-three ERA thus far.
The Brewers' hitting has not fared as well, with the team last in the 15-team National League in batting average (.223) and 11th in OPS (.697).
Inserting Donaldson or Story into the mix would certainly help, although the aforementioned contract could lead to Milwaukee eventually landing on other options.
Like Jacob deGrom, All-Stars Josh Hader and Craig Kimbrel Are Chasing ERA History
Jul 6, 2021
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JUNE 25: Josh Hader #71 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after striking out a batter in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at American Family Field on June 25, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images)
Through the first half of the 2021 Major League Baseball season, all eyes have been on New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom as he seeks to break the late, great Bob Gibson's modern ERA record of 1.12 from 1968. That effort is going well, as deGrom is at 0.95 through 14 starts.
Yet there's also another ERA chase going on, and this one involves two All-Star closers: Milwaukee Brewers left-hander Josh Hader and Chicago Cubs right-hander Craig Kimbrel.
Through 33 appearances that span 32.2 innings, Hader's ERA is a razor-thin 0.55. After 32 appearances and 30.2 innings of his own, Kimbrel isn't far behind with an ERA of 0.59.
Thus are both pitchers in range of the 0.54 ERA that Zack Britton put up for the Baltimore Orioles in 2016. Though it's debatable as to where the line should be drawn for rate stats among relief pitchers, that's the lowest such mark for any reliever who made at least 50 appearances and/or pitched 60 innings in a single season.
There's obviously a lot of season left, and it certainly bears mentioning that neither Hader nor Kimbrel is even on pace for a record-low ERA for a reliever just in the first half of a season. Scott Downs had a 0.30 ERA through 32 appearances for the Los Angeles Angels in the first half of 2012, and it's perhaps a bad omen that he finished with a modest 3.15 ERA.
But from looking at how, exactly, they're doing it, both Hader and Kimbrel seem more likely to keep going the way of Britton than to veer off in the direction of Downs.
Josh Hader, to the Max
Hader was a sensation when he first debuted for Milwaukee in 2017, and he went on to tally a 2.54 ERA with 15.3 strikeouts per nine innings between then and 2020. He was an All-Star in 2018 and 2019, and even a down-ballot Cy Young Award contender in the former season.
But while all this is basically another way of saying that 2021 isn't Hader's first rodeo, the 27-year-old is now tapping into something that just wasn't there in his first four with the Brewers.
Particularly between 2018 and 2020, Hader came to have problems with home runs as he served up 27 long balls over just 176 innings. All but one of those taters were off his fastball, which generally speaks to how he was a little too prone to throwing center-cut meatballs.
Well, Hader isn't doing that anymore as only 5.8 percent of his fastballs have found the exact middle of the strike zone in 2021. This is also an even more high-octane version of the heater he was throwing in his first four seasons. He's averaging a career-best 96.2 mph and even hit 100 mph for the first time on Opening Day:
Factoring in how the 6'3", 180-pounder also throws with extraordinary extension and is able to get above-average rising action on his fastball, his heater has an otherworldly nastiness just based on its tangible measurements.
So, go figure that its results are equally eye-popping. Hitters are just 5-for-61 with 31 strikeouts against it, numbers which contribute to its league-best run value on a per-100-pitch basis.
Yet now more than ever, Hader is also more than just a fastball pitcher.
He's been keeping right-hander hitters honest by showing them occasional changeups, and he's also throwing a slider that's unlike the one he featured through 2020. It's faster at an average of 83.8 mph, and with less movement both vertically and horizontally.
Though the latter might sound like a change for the worse, it's not so bad once you see it and realize that Hader's new slider is something like an extreme cutter:
Whereas hitters seemed to get more comfortable facing Hader after his scintillating debut in 2017, the discomfort that now marks their at-bats against him is best encapsulated in how he's drawing swings outside the strike zone at a career-best rate of 40.1 percent.
Ultimately, Hader's 0.55 ERA is backed up by 55 strikeouts and just 12 hits allowed even as he's faced 121 batters. Crucially, none of those dozen hits has left the yard.
Craig Kimbrel, Resurrected
This likewise isn't Kimbrel's first rodeo, but you knew that. He's literally Craig Kimbrel, in that he literally is an eight-time All-Star whose next save will move him into sole possession of ninth on the all-time list.
Kimbrel's three seasons with the Cubs, however, has been a tale of two Kimbrels:
First 33 G:28.2 IP, 28 H (11 HR), 45 K, 24 BB, 7.53 ERA
Next 40 G:38.0 IP, 13 H (1 HR), 66 K, 10 BB, 0.47 ERA
Because the 33-year-old's disastrous first impression as a Cub came on the heels of an unceremonious end to his three-year tenure with the Boston Red Sox, it seemed then like the veteran had exhausted his excellence.
But looking back now, it's frankly little wonder that Kimbrel had a hard time getting in a groove. He didn't sign with the Cubs until June 2019, and he was subsequently dogged by knee and elbow injuries. Then came 2020, in which the pandemic kept him and everyone else out of action until late July.
As for how Kimbrel has gotten his groove back, it's helped that he's rediscovered some lost fastball velocity. After sitting at 96.4 mph in his first 33 outings as a Cub, he's been working at 97.1 mph since last September.
The real key, however, has been the resurgence of Kimbrel's knuckle-curveball. It had a subpar 1.4 run value through his first 33 appearances as a Cub but has since high-tailed in the other direction to a superb minus-9.3.
As Kimbrel himself explained to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian in April, the difference is an uncomplicated matter of location:
Not to be overlooked, though, is that Kimbrel has basically turned his curveball into a slider. He stills throws it hard at an average of 86.4 mph, but from a lower arm angle that has contributed to it having less vertical drop than it used to.
This is to say that Kimbrel's hook is more so defined by its glove-side horizontal movement, which works well in tandem with the arm-side run he gets on his heater:
Though those two pitches are all Kimbrel has, he's about as close to being unhittable as a pitcher can be. His 58.7 contact percentage is not only the lowest of the 2021 season, but also within the top 10 of the lowest contact rates on record since the early 2000s.
So if anything, Kimbrel deserves even better than the rate of 15.6 strikeouts per nine innings that currently sits next to his name.
Oh, and They're Both Sticking to It
Once it started to become clear in May that Major League Baseball was serious about cracking down on pitchers using sticky foreign substances on the ball, some fans might have immediately thought about Kimbrel and the notorious blemish on the bill of his cap.
Sure enough, Kimbrel was confronted by umpire Joe West and was made to change his cap during a game against the Cincinnati Reds on May 28. Ever since then, his average spin rate has been down from 2,414 to 2,293 revolutions per minute.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 24: Craig Kimbrel #46 of the Chicago Cubs reacts after throwing a combined no hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers following the ninth inning at Dodger Stadium on June 24, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. The Chicago Cubs won, 4-0. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Within this same span, however, Kimbrel has also racked up 11 straight scoreless appearances while whiffing 18 of the 31 batters he's faced. So in spite of his notoriously blemished cap, his non-guilty plea actually holds some water.
“I don’t use any of that stuff that they’re trying to get out of the game, anyways,” Kimbrel said in June, according to Maddie Lee of NBC Chicago.
For his part, Hader's spin rate has also diminished from 2,129 RPM through May to 2,058 RPM since the start of June. Yet he wasn't much of a spin rate guy to begin with, so there's at least one reason not to read too much into that.
For good measure, here's another: Like Kimbrel, Hader has been on a roll with 17 consecutive scoreless appearances in which he's struck out 27 of the 60 batters he's faced.
The short version of all this is that both Hader and Kimbrel are dominating the competition just as much as their ERAs say they are, and that they seem notably unaffected by the recent change in MLB's attitude toward sticky stuff.
And that, of course, means their pursuit of ERA history should be taken just as seriously as deGrom's.
Lorenzo Cain Placed on 10-Day IL by Brewers with Hamstring Injury
Jun 1, 2021
Milwaukee Brewers' Lorenzo Cain walks back to the dugout after striking out during the third inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres Wednesday, May 26, 2021, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)
Cain has hit .223 with three home runs and four stolen bases so far in 2021.
The 35-year-old has struggled to stay on the field, dealing with quad and oblique injuries while spending a few weeks on the injured list. The offseason addition of Jackie Bradley Jr. also seemingly took away an everyday role in center field, though Bradley has cycled through all three outfield positions.
Another injury could be even more damaging for Cain's attempts to return to his previous form.
It's been a few years since we have seen the veteran at his best at the plate. He opted out of the 2020 campaign after just five games, hitting .333 with a .429 on-base percentage in 21 at-bats. This came after a disappointing 2019, producing just a .260 average and .325 on-base percentage. His 81 OPS+ was his lowest since 2013, although he did win a Gold Glove award.
Cain has proved himself in the past, including his first year in Milwaukee when he had a .308 average, 30 stolen bases and a .813 OPS. Adding in his defensive contributions, he ranked eighth among position players in 2018 with 6.7 wins above replacement, per Baseball Reference.
Milwaukee will hope for more of this from the two-time All-Star with $17 million owed this year and another $18 million in 2022.
Former MLB Catcher Erik Kratz Alleges Rockies Used System to Steal Signs in 2018
May 21, 2021
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 06: New York Yankees catcher Erik Kratz (38) tosses a foul ball out of play during the game against the Baltimore Orioles on September 6, 2020, at Orioles Park at Camden Yards, in Baltimore, MD. (Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
The Houston Astros may not have been the only team using technology to steal signs in the last few years—just the most effective at it.
According to former catcher Erik Kratz, the Colorado Rockies may have also devised a system to use monitors near the dugout to help relay which pitches were coming with the help of a massage gun and a metal bench.
Here's how Kratz, who played for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018, explained the scheme on YES Network's Curtain Call podcast on Friday (h/t/ Brendan Kuty of NJ Advanced Media):
“And I can also tell you because I don’t care, I don’t really know anybody over there, the Colorado Rockies were doing the exact same thing in 2018, and we caught them, and we played them in the playoffs. Know how many runs they scored in a three-game playoff series in 2018? Not many people watched the NLDS. They scored two runs in the ninth inning of Game 2. They used to take a Theragun and bang it on their metal bench. And they were doing the exact same thing, from the TV. So, there you go. If you think no one else was doing it, you are wrong. The difference is, the Astros may have taken it a little too far. Maybe a little bit too far. Maybe continued to do it. Or maybe it’s just the fact that they won the World Series and everybody’s pissed about that.”
⬇️ Just one of the comments that makes the Erik Kratz episode of Curtain Call a MUST-LISTEN⬇️
Despite the alleged cheating, Colorado didn't find much success against the Brewers in that Division Series. Milwaukee swept the Rockies, 3-0, giving up just two runs and 12 total hits with two shutouts.
That same postseason the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox were implicated in a sign-stealing scandal that would—temporarily—cost manager Alex Cora his job. He served a one-year suspension and was hired back the following year.
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has taken steps to scale back the use of technology in the dugouts over the last two years, but it seems players like Kratz aren't ready to let go of the schemes various clubs devised to get an edge.
It doesn't matter whether the alleged perpetrators wound up winning the World Series or not.
