Mazel tov
- Max Fried was named N.L. Pitcher of the Month for September/October, the first Brave to win the monthly honor since 2013 (see Joc Pederson (Braves) drew double-takes and cheers last week when he began wearing a pearl necklace during games, including while hitting a home run on the final day of the regular season. Pederson’s easygoing nature appears to be a competitive advantage during postseason play, a time when many other players freeze at the gravity of the moment. In World Series games with the Dodgers, for example, Pederson hit .275 (11-for-40) with 5 HRs, 2 doubles, and 9 RBIs. “Joc Pederson has been described as a carefree, comical teammate who can keep a clubhouse loose,” MLB.com wrote.
- P Rob Kaminsky, a free agent who pitched for the Cardinals in 2020, says he is “100% healthy” and ready to play again.
- Josh Rawitch, a long-time front office staffer with the Dodgers and the Diamondbacks, was named president of the Baseball of Hall of Fame this summer. Click here to listen to a recent podcast interview.
Stats to share
- P Max Fried (Braves) racked up some stellar stats this season:
- In his final 11 starts, Fried went 7-0 with a 1.46 ERA, held opposing batters to a .183 average, and recorded 64 strikeouts against just 9 walks. In four of the games, Fried allowed no runs. Most important, Atlanta went 10-1 during the stretch.
- During his final 3 starts, Fried recorded a 17.2-inning scoreless streak.
- Fried’s final game of the regular season, on September 29, marked his 12th consecutive quality start, a Major League high in 2021.
Weekly overview
- In the final week of the 2021 regular season, Jewish batters hit a combined .188 (9-for-48) with 2 HRs, a triple, 2 doubles, 6 RBIs, 4 walks, 9 strikeouts, and a .250 OBP (on-base percentage). The performance trimmed their collective batting average from .245 to .243, identical to the Major League average of .243.
- In the final week of the 2021 regular season, Jewish pitchers went 1-0 with 4 holds, a blown save, and a 1.32 ERA over 13.2 combined innings, yielding 8 hits and 2 walks while hitting one batter and striking out 11. The performance shrank their collective ERA from 4.22 to 4.08, better than the Major League average of 4.22.
At the plate
- CF Kevin Pillar (Mets) hit .364 (4-for-11) last week with a triple, 2 RBIs, a .364 OBP, and a .909 OPS.
- 1B Rowdy Tellez (Brewers), fresh off the injured list, hit .333 (2-for-6) with 2 doubles, an RBI, a .429 OBP, and a 1.095 OPS.
- LF Joc Pederson (Braves) hit .222 (2-for-9) with a solo HR, RBI, a .300 OBP, and an .856 OPS.
- 3B Alex Bregman (Astros) hit .050 (1-for-20) with a HR, 2 RBIs, a .136 OBP, and a .336 OPS.
- P Max Fried (Braves) went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice in a September 29 start.
On the mound
- Max Fried (Braves) earned his 7th win in a row on September 9, yielding one earned run on 4 hits and a walk over 7 innings while striking out 6.
- Richard Bleier (Marlins) earned 3 holds in 3 scoreless appearances last week, yielding one hit and no walks over 3 combined innings while striking out 2.
- Ryan Sherriff (Rays) tossed 1.2 scoreless innings on September 29, yielding a hit and a walk while hitting one batter and striking out 2.
- Scott Effross (Cubs) went 0-0 with a 4.50 ERA, yielding one earned run on 2 hits and a walk over 2 combined innings while striking out one. He earned a hold as well as a blown save.
Players to watch
- SS Zack Gelof (Athletics/Triple-A/Las Vegas Aviators), a 2nd-round pick in the 2021 draft, hit .667 (6-for-9) with a double and 6 RBIs. Sadly, the Aviators’ final 4 games of the 2021 season were cancelled due to COVID-19.
- OF Hunter Bishop (Giants/Low-A/San Jose Giants) was selected to play in the prestigious Arizona Fall League. The 10th overall pick in the 2019, Bishop has seen limited play since then, including a total of just 45 at-bats for San Francisco’s rookie, Low-A, and High-A teams in 2021. But the Giants must see promise in the 6’5″ lefty.
Transactions
- P Dean Kremer (Orioles) was called up from Triple-A on October 5.
- 1B Rowdy Tellez (Brewers) was activated from the injured list on October 2.
- P Ryan Sherriff (Rays) was called up from Triple-A on September and sent back down on September 30.
Injured list
- P Robert Stock (Mets), right hamstring strain, since July 21. Out for the season.
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