In the 21 games since Judge returned, the Yankees are 14-7. In those seven losses, Judge had three combined hits, no RBIs and one extra-base hit.
In the 21 games since he returned from a right hip strain, Judge has had 12 homers and 20 walks, was hitting .342 and had a 1.356 OPS. That catapulted him to the AL lead in homers and OPS while rising to second in Fangraphs’ Wins Above Replacement and sixth in Baseball Reference’s calculation.
I have always thought WAR should include a calculation to subtract the WAR of your replacement when you do not play. I would call it the Byron Buxton rule. I have heard, over the years, for example, mounting cases for Buxton getting listed on the MVP ballot even as he was missing lots of games due to injury. The argument was essentially that he was so valuable in the games he played that it outweighed what he missed.
In the 21 games since Judge returned, the Yankees are 14-7. In those seven losses, Judge had three combined hits, no RBIs and one extra-base hit . MLB released the All-Star ballot on Wednesday, and National League first base is going to be quite a decision. Freeman and Goldschmidt have been the preeminent first basemen in the league for the past decade, essentially taking the baton from Pujols. They have won two of the past three NL MVP awards, and they are this week’s version of “Whose career do you got?” — with the understanding that the way they continue to play in 2023 screams loudly that their careers are far from complete.
They are not lumbering first basemen, but good all-around players. Goldschmidt, for example, has 154 career steals — among the most ever for a first baseman. In this all-around way, including the ability to steal a base, Goldschmidt reminds me of Hall of Famer Jeff Bagwell. It should be noted, though, that Freeman has 74 career steals, including being 8-of-9 this year.
Neither wilts in the clutch. If I were trying to find a separator between two superb and similar players, it is that while Goldschmidt is a tough out, Freeman feels like he has been the champ for several years now as the guy I would want up in the biggest situations because he hits lefties and righties, he can hit elite stuff as well as anyone and pressure does not overwhelm him. Consider that Freeman’s career slash line with runners in scoring position — in 1,908 plate appearances — is .332/.
But then six veterans with pedigree — Andrew Chafin, Aroldis Chapman, Brad Hand, Matt Moore, Will Smith and Justin Wilson — waited. And waited. We have to toss out Wilson, whom Milwaukee signed knowing he would not pitch before July as he continued recovering from Tommy John surgery. Signed to a modest two-year deal in the offseason, Andrew Chafin has stabilized a Diamondbacks bullpen that had one of the highest ERAs in baseball last year.The Royals signed Chapman with the hopes of reviving him and trading him — Kansas City already is open for business. He might just have too much baggage for most teams to even consider adding Chapman for a pennant race, and that includes that on the mound he is still walking 15.9 percent of opposing hitters. But he also is averaging 99.
They are in a division that has been dominated by the Astros, so why don’t we do a little compare and contrast ? Houston had 2022 AL Cy Young winner Justin Verlander sign with the Mets, have yet to receive an inning from injured homegrown Lance McCullers Jr., had homegrown Luis Garcia undergo Tommy John surgery after six starts and have homegrown Jose Urquidy out due a right shoulder injury. But the homegrown trio of Brandon Bielak, Hunter Brown and J.P. France has provided support behind the homegrown excellence of Cristian Javier and Framber Valdez.
Look, if you were a conspiracy theorist who believes the “Major League” premise that A’s ownership wants to tank in Oakland to make getting out of town to Las Vegas easier, this would be a place to look. Because the same front office of Billy Beane, David Forst, Billy Owens, etc., that had done so well in the trade market for years to keep the small-payroll A’s relevant, suddenly went, what, dumb?
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Orioles confident they’ll get a different Aaron Hicks after ugly Yankees endOrioles executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias said Baltimore at more than the traditional counting numbers and that Hicks could be better than his underlying stats indicate.
Read more »
Kieran Culkin is the acting MVP of Succession's final seasonSuccession was always an embarrassment of riches, but Kieran Culkin gifted us with the show's most Emmy-worthy performance in season 4.
Read more »
How a convicted murderer's bid for freedom sparked a fight between L.A. County judgesLos Angeles County Superior Court Judge Patrick Connolly sought to disqualify a fellow justice from ruling on the resentencing of a convicted cop killer. Legal experts say the move is nearly unprecedented and deeply concerning.
Read more »
Alex Rodriguez Has Gum Disease, Talks Tobacco Use in BaseballAlex Rodriguez knows he has a megawatt smile -- but according to his dentist, he is one of millions of Americans suffering from gum disease.
Read more »
Yankees vs. Mariners prediction, odds: Clarke Schmidt aims to keep New York hotNew York clinched a series victory with Tuesday’s win, outscoring the Mariners 20-6 across the two games.
Read more »
Alex Rodriguez takes high road after Doug Mientkiewicz’s ‘die alone’ ripAlex Rodriguez had a gleaming smile for his former high school and Yankees teammate Doug Mientkewicz.
Read more »