[Shortstop]

Kershaw matches season high in K's

Clayton Kershaw had 14 strikeouts in Friday's win.

It was his 11th game this season with at least 10 K's, tied for third-most by a Dodgers pitcher since 1900, according to Elias.

Only Sandy Koufax (21 in 1965, 15 in 1966) had more.

What makes it even sweeter is that he did it against the Scrubs! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[BigSpoon]

Edwin Encarnacion hits 3 HRs with 9 RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 24 games.

[Shortstop]

J.A. Happ's last 4 starts:

3-0 W-L, 0.78 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, .212 OBA

Common Get HAPPy!

[Shortstop]

Edwin Encarnacion hits 3 HRs with 9 RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 24 games.

Hey Spoon! How 'bout a Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays World Series this October?!?!

[EmpireMaker]

The Mets should have made a move for K-Rod instead of claiming Addison Reed.

[MexicanStallion]

The Mets should have made a move for K-Rod instead of claiming Addison Reed.

K Rod looked good getting lit up by the Reds. Surprised they even won.

[Otters27]

Edwin Encarnacion hits 3 HRs with 9 RBIs, extending his hitting streak to 24 games.

Watched that game. Guy was on a tear. Blue Jays are Killing it. How many losses since Tulo Trade. Tulo isn't even hitting that good

[koz-man]

The Blue Jays have scored 10+ runs in 21 games this season,
9 more than any other team & more than double the number they had last year.

[MexicanStallion]

Everybody has been getting skipped around lately.

Felix Hernandez will have his next turn in the rotation skipped.

Vidal Nuno will start on Monday in Houston instead. King Felix pitched well his last time out but overall has struggled for the last month, so getting him some extra rest probably isn't a bad idea. "I did the same thing last year," Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon said. "I freshened my pitchers up, and Felix had the best September of his career. Everybody thought I was nuts when I did it. I’ll do it again because it’s the right thing to do."

[EmpireMaker]

AL ROY

Carlos Correa, Astros
Only 20 years old, Correa doesn't necessarily lead AL rookies in statistical categories across the board, but he certainly looks like the best rookie out there on both sides of the ball. His stats measure up, too. He's batting .282 with an .865 on-base plus slugging percentage -- which is tops among rookies with at least 200 plate appearances. He's also got 15 home runs, tied for best among rookies, and 11 stolen bases. The advanced defensive metric stats at shortstop aren't as good as those of, say, Francisco Lindor, but they buttress his case at the best overall rookie out there.
Correa's glove has been a plus at shortstop. (USATSI)

IN THE MIX

Francisco Lindor, Indians
He's sneaked onto this list by hitting .352 with a .503 slugging percentage in the second half, adding to his defensive value at a premium position. He slugged only .384 in 1,880 career plate appearances in the minors, so perhaps his power surge is temporary and just for show. But they only call the award "Rookie" of the Year, so all he needs to do is keep hitting extra-base hits and making great plays at short and, if Correa falters, he could win it.
Roberto Osuna, Blue Jays
In a weak season for rookies (which this is not), a 20-year-old closer for a playoff contender with a 1.94 ERA might be in line to get the award. There are just too many players who contribute more because of their roles. He has been great, though.
Miguel Sano, Twins
Sano continues to make strides at the plate, hitting 11 homers and drawing 29 walks in 184 plate appearances. He would likely be among the front-runners if he had more playing time in the majors. He's also been OK with limited time at third base (most of his appearances have been as a designated hitter). Thinking about having Sano and Byron Buxton for a full season must put a smile on the face of many a Twins fan. They're going to be twin terrors for years to come.

ON THE PERIPHERY

Billy Burns, Athletics
He's batting .295 with a .719 OPS and 24 stolen bases. The average and steals will get him votes. His defensive metrics in center field are not great.
Nathan Karns, Rays
He's posted 133 strikeouts in 136 innings, the most prolific numbers in those categories for any AL rookie pitcher, along with a 3.44 ERA. He's fading a bit in the second half, but looks good in the long term.
Lance McCullers, Astros
Just now getting back after missing most of August because of an injury, McCullers' chances of winning the award have all but faded because of playing time. Still, he can make a big impact on the pennant race with a strong final five weeks, and might get to make a key postseason appearance (or appearances). His 3.12 ERA is best among rookies with at least 80 innings pitched.
Carlos Rodon, White Sox
His below-average 4.22 ERA, along with his 58 walks allowed in 106 innings, will hurt him in the voting booth. But if he keeps improving, Rodon easily could have the best expected fielding independent pitching of any AL rookie starter with at least 100 innings logged by the end of the season. The indications are that he'll be the best rookie pitcher of this bunch in the future, even if he doesn't do so well in ROY voting.
Carson Smith, Mariners
Having nearly just as good of a season as Osuna, it's just that the Mariners aren't in a pennant race, which voters will account for if the stats are close (and maybe if they're not that close). Smith strikes out more per inning than Osuna (walks more too), but strands fewer baserunners. He has one fewer save. His xFIP is better than that of Osuna, and his line-drive rate is better. But it's all close.
Devon Travis, Blue Jays
He got off to a hot start, and the stats he accumulated have staying power (despite a shoulder injury that's kept him sidelined since the end of July). Going by Fangraphs' wins above replacement, he's still the second-most productive player (tied with McCullers) to Correa. The thing is, he's still hurt (he's set to see a specialist in Texas soon) and he's running out of time. As we noted two weeks ago, in 239 plate appearances he has batted .304/.361/.498, while the average second baseman this season has a line of .262/.318/.383.

[BigSpoon]

Hey Spoon! How 'bout a Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Toronto Blue Jays World Series this October?!?!

Would be great but I'm not getting too carried away here. Just hope the Blue Jays can keep playing good ball and win the AL East and avoid the Wild Card game.

[BigSpoon]

Watched that game. Guy was on a tear. Blue Jays are Killing it. How many losses since Tulo Trade. Tulo isn't even hitting that good

They are 24-5 since the Tulo trade I think. He got dropped from the lead off spot yesterday down to the 5 spot.

[MexicanStallion]

None of this big claims really seem to happen, but it is what it is.

According to CBS Sports' Jon Heyman, the Yankees have claimed David Robertson off revocable waivers.

Now the Yankees and White Sox have until Monday at 2 p.m. ET to work something out. Heyman says there is "no evidence of trade talks between the teams," which is typical of waiver claims this time of year. Robertson, who saved 39 games for the Yankees in 2014, has registered a 2.60 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and 71/11 K/BB ratio in 52 innings this season for Chicago. He signed a four-year, $46 million free agent contract last winter.

[koz-man]

Would be great but I'm not getting too carried away here. Just hope the Blue Jays can keep playing good ball and win the AL East and avoid the Wild Card game.

Agree.

U can can never count out those f@@ken Yankees.!!!

[koz-man]

On this day 25 years ago,
Ken Griffey & Ken Griffey Jr. became 1st father-son duo to play on same team (Mariners)

[koz-man]

Rockies have hit 149 HR this month, tied for the most in a month in MLB history (Sept. 2006)

[Shortstop]

Rockies have hit 149 HR this month, tied for the most in a month in MLB history (Sept. 2006)

This stat made me immediately think of this song...

[Shortstop]

Would be great but I'm not getting too carried away here. Just hope the Blue Jays can keep playing good ball and win the AL East and avoid the Wild Card game.

I hear ya! The dreaded one-game Wild Card - I just can't embrace and agree with it.

MLB, please change it to a 3-game series!

[EmpireMaker]

Talk about hard luck:
Braves SP Shelby Miller's winless streak up to 19 starts

Braves starter Shelby Miller once again pitched very effectively, but ultimately was left without a win in the 4-0 loss to the Marlins on Monday. Miller went seven strong innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Miller (5-12, 2.56 ERA) has not won a game in his last 19 starts, despite allowing two runs or fewer in 12 of those outings.

[BarkingToad]

Kiermaier looked like Trout with his home run robbing catch last night.

[EmpireMaker]

Kiermaier looked like Trout with his home run robbing catch last night.

I like the way he plays, I think he could turn into a star.

[Shortstop]

AL ROY

Carlos Correa, Astros
Only 20 years old, Correa doesn't necessarily lead AL rookies in statistical categories across the board, but he certainly looks like the best rookie out there on both sides of the ball. His stats measure up, too. He's batting .282 with an .865 on-base plus slugging percentage -- which is tops among rookies with at least 200 plate appearances. He's also got 15 home runs, tied for best among rookies, and 11 stolen bases. The advanced defensive metric stats at shortstop aren't as good as those of, say, Francisco Lindor, but they buttress his case at the best overall rookie out there.
Correa's glove has been a plus at shortstop. (USATSI)

IN THE MIX

Francisco Lindor, Indians
He's sneaked onto this list by hitting .352 with a .503 slugging percentage in the second half, adding to his defensive value at a premium position. He slugged only .384 in 1,880 career plate appearances in the minors, so perhaps his power surge is temporary and just for show. But they only call the award "Rookie" of the Year, so all he needs to do is keep hitting extra-base hits and making great plays at short and, if Correa falters, he could win it.
Roberto Osuna, Blue Jays
In a weak season for rookies (which this is not), a 20-year-old closer for a playoff contender with a 1.94 ERA might be in line to get the award. There are just too many players who contribute more because of their roles. He has been great, though.
Miguel Sano, Twins
Sano continues to make strides at the plate, hitting 11 homers and drawing 29 walks in 184 plate appearances. He would likely be among the front-runners if he had more playing time in the majors. He's also been OK with limited time at third base (most of his appearances have been as a designated hitter). Thinking about having Sano and Byron Buxton for a full season must put a smile on the face of many a Twins fan. They're going to be twin terrors for years to come.

ON THE PERIPHERY

Billy Burns, Athletics
He's batting .295 with a .719 OPS and 24 stolen bases. The average and steals will get him votes. His defensive metrics in center field are not great.
Nathan Karns, Rays
He's posted 133 strikeouts in 136 innings, the most prolific numbers in those categories for any AL rookie pitcher, along with a 3.44 ERA. He's fading a bit in the second half, but looks good in the long term.
Lance McCullers, Astros
Just now getting back after missing most of August because of an injury, McCullers' chances of winning the award have all but faded because of playing time. Still, he can make a big impact on the pennant race with a strong final five weeks, and might get to make a key postseason appearance (or appearances). His 3.12 ERA is best among rookies with at least 80 innings pitched.
Carlos Rodon, White Sox
His below-average 4.22 ERA, along with his 58 walks allowed in 106 innings, will hurt him in the voting booth. But if he keeps improving, Rodon easily could have the best expected fielding independent pitching of any AL rookie starter with at least 100 innings logged by the end of the season. The indications are that he'll be the best rookie pitcher of this bunch in the future, even if he doesn't do so well in ROY voting.
Carson Smith, Mariners
Having nearly just as good of a season as Osuna, it's just that the Mariners aren't in a pennant race, which voters will account for if the stats are close (and maybe if they're not that close). Smith strikes out more per inning than Osuna (walks more too), but strands fewer baserunners. He has one fewer save. His xFIP is better than that of Osuna, and his line-drive rate is better. But it's all close.
Devon Travis, Blue Jays
He got off to a hot start, and the stats he accumulated have staying power (despite a shoulder injury that's kept him sidelined since the end of July). Going by Fangraphs' wins above replacement, he's still the second-most productive player (tied with McCullers) to Correa. The thing is, he's still hurt (he's set to see a specialist in Texas soon) and he's running out of time. As we noted two weeks ago, in 239 plate appearances he has batted .304/.361/.498, while the average second baseman this season has a line of .262/.318/.383.

If Carlos Correa isn't named AL ROY something is definitely wrong...

[Shortstop]

Talk about hard luck:
Braves SP Shelby Miller's winless streak up to 19 starts

Braves starter Shelby Miller once again pitched very effectively, but ultimately was left without a win in the 4-0 loss to the Marlins on Monday. Miller went seven strong innings, allowing one run on six hits. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.
Miller (5-12, 2.56 ERA) has not won a game in his last 19 starts, despite allowing two runs or fewer in 12 of those outings.

Wow! That is some hard luck right there! The lack of run support must really be playing in his head by now...

[koz-man]

I hear ya! The dreaded one-game Wild Card - I just can't embrace and agree with it.

MLB, please change it to a 3-game series!

Totally agree.

These one game playoff games have been cruel to the Reds in the past.

The one that scars me the most was in 1999. Al Leiter of Mets pitched the game of his season. Throwing a complete game 2 hit shut-out. Downing the Reds 5-0 in Cincinnati.

That was painful just typing that

[BigSpoon]

September baseball, its been so long since the Blue Jays played meaningful games in this month. What a time to be alive.

[Chi_archie]

September baseball, its been so long since the Blue Jays played meaningful games in this month. What a time to be alive.

amen

go encarnacion!

[Shortstop]

Totally agree.

These one game playoff games have been cruel to the Reds in the past.

The one that scars me the most was in 1999. Al Leiter of Mets pitched the game of his season. Throwing a complete game 2 hit shut-out. Downing the Reds 5-0 in Cincinnati.

That was painful just typing that

To be very honest k-m, I don't remember ANY Wild Card games prior to 2013...

What year did the Wild Card games begin? (This would be a great SBR Trivia question!)

[EmpireMaker]

Royals chicken pox outbreak: Alex Rios and Kelvin Herrera infected

By David Brown | Baseball Writer

September 1, 2015 5:14 pm ET

• 
  

How'd you like to be Jonny Gomes, recently acquired by the Kansas City Royals, and joining your new team at Kauffman Stadium amid an outbreak of chicken pox? Not to worry, Gomes told the media Tuesday, including Andy McCullough of the Kansas City Star:
Gomes was being tongue-in-cheek in vouching for his own health, but the same cannot be said for outfielder Alex Rios and right-hander Kevin Herrera, who each will miss at least two weeks because of the illness.
McCullough writes that teammates who don't remember with certainty are contacting their parents to see if the players had chicken pox as children, when it typically strikes. It's a bit amusing on the surface, but -- as the sacking of Rios and Herrera show -- it's also a serious situation.
The Royals believe Rios is their patient zero, though they're not sure how he contracted the virus. For public health reasons, they sent him home on a private plane Sunday. Shortly thereafter, Herrera came down with symptoms. It's too soon to know if he'll be the only other player affected.
Alex Rios (left) is the Royals' chicken pox patient zero. (USATSI)Via the Kansas City Star:

Team officials are expected to address the situation before Tuesday's game against the Tigers. The Royals believe the infections are limited to only Herrera and Rios. The most at-risk players are those from countries in Latin America, where the chances of childhood inoculation are lower, experts say.
Even in the hothouse of a major-league clubhouse, where players mingle in close quarters for upwards of nine months, the situation is unusual. Members of the Royals front office and big-league staff greeted the news with incredulity. Though the scenario sounds more amusing than worrisome — a potential World Series contender stricken by a children's illness — the reality is far more insidious, given the severity of the virus when adults catch it.

The Royals, with an 80-50 record, have a 13-game lead on the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central. Like the other teams in MLB, they also have roster flexibility because of September expansion. They just added Gomes.
Those factors, along with the illness being confined to two players at the moment, are blessings. Everything else is wait-and-see.

[MexicanStallion]

Moss finally catching that Cardinals charm. Took some time, but he's producing now.

Brandon Moss hit a three-run, walk-off home run as the Cardinals came back to beat the Nationals 8-5 on Tuesday.

Moss finished 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, but it was the homer off Casey Janssen with two outs in the ninth inning that was the difference. It was the third homer in the last six games for Moss, who is finally starting to show why the Cardinals dealt for him at the trade deadline. He's still hitting just .220/.301/.413 with 18 homers and 57 RBI overall, but Moss is capable of continuing his recent power surge through the final few weeks of the season.

[Chi_archie]

Moss finally catching that Cardinals charm. Took some time, but he's producing now.

Brandon Moss hit a three-run, walk-off home run as the Cardinals came back to beat the Nationals 8-5 on Tuesday.

Moss finished 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored, but it was the homer off Casey Janssen with two outs in the ninth inning that was the difference. It was the third homer in the last six games for Moss, who is finally starting to show why the Cardinals dealt for him at the trade deadline. He's still hitting just .220/.301/.413 with 18 homers and 57 RBI overall, but Moss is capable of continuing his recent power surge through the final few weeks of the season.

former bucco

[BigSpoon]

I'm a bit shocked at the collapse of the Orioles in the last 2 weeks. 1-12 record in that span, record gone from 62-57 to 63-69. Now 6 games out of the 2nd wild card spot. Still plenty of games left, but it looks like they are done.

[koz-man]

To be very honest k-m, I don't remember ANY Wild Card games prior to 2013...

What year did the Wild Card games begin? (This would be a great SBR Trivia question!)

MLB had One wild card per league (1994–2011). There were 3 divisions in the AL & NL. East, West, Central and one wildcard.

And in 1999 the Reds & Mets tied for the NL wildcard spot 96-66. So they played a one game playoff to determine the representative of the NL wildcard.

Two wild cards per league (2012–present)

[EmpireMaker]

Back in spring training, the Blue Jays suffered a significant blow when young right-hander Marcus Stroman tore his ACL during a fielding drill. His rehab went well over the summer -- Dr. James Andrews was "stunned" by his progress -- and Stroman is now moving close to rejoining the team.
Wednesday night, Stroman made his first official minor league rehab start with Toronto's Low Class A affiliate, the Lansing Lugnuts. How did it go? Let's look (via MiLB.com):
Yep, that works. Stroman threw 44 of 69 pitches for strikes (64 percent) according to MLB.com's Gregor Chisholm, by the way.
Stroman threw a pair of simulated games to shake off the rust prior to the rehab start. Chisholm says Stroman will throw a bullpen session Friday before making what is tentatively scheduled to be his final rehab start Monday. That start will be with the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Assuming everything goes well over the next five days or so, Stroman will rejoin the Blue Jays next week, manager John Gibbons told Chisholm. Where does Stroman fit onto the staff? That's the real question. Gibbons and the Jays have lots of options with the young right-hander. Let's run them down.
Stroman to the rotation, Hutchison to the bullpen
For many reasons, the quartet of David Price, R.A. Dickey, Mark Buehrle and Marco Estrada are locked into their rotation spots. All four have pitched very well, either all season or of late. The final rotation spot currently belongs to Drew Hutchison, who has a 4.87 ERA (81 ERA+) and a 1.41 WHIP despite a 13-2 record. He's getting wins despite not pitching all that well thanks to Toronto's juggernaut offense.
When Stroman returns, the Blue Jays could simply stick him in the rotation and move Hutchison to the bullpen. It's the old "replace the worst starter" strategy, which is never a bad one. Hutchison has never pitched out of the bullpen with regularity, so that would be a new experience for him. Still, at this time of the season, the Blue Jays have to put their best foot forward, and that likely means Stroman in the rotation.
Six-man rotation
I'm convinced six-man rotations will be the norm within 10 years or so. Everything in baseball is trending toward using pitchers less and less, and we've seen a few teams use six-man rotations for short stretches in recent years. Eventually more teams will use it, then before you know it, everyone will use it all the time.
Anyway, the Blue Jays could always insert Stroman into the rotation and not remove Hutchison or anyone else. Stroman is coming off his injury, so surely they want to take it easy on him, plus both Buehrle and Dickey are on the wrong side of 35, so the extra rest could benefit them. Heck, it could even help Price, who is a Grade A workhorse with a ton of innings on his arm.
We're in September now, so rosters are expanded. It would be much easier to carry a six-man rotation since Toronto wouldn't have to play with a short bullpen or a short bench. September is definitely the time to use six-man rotations. It has to be an option for the Jays.
Stroman to the bullpen
Of course, the Blue Jays could simply leave their rotation as is -- it does have them in first place, after all -- and move Stroman to the bullpen. He initially broke into the big leagues as a reliever last year, so it wouldn't be new to him. That said, the team has gone through all the trouble of getting him stretched out during his rehab assignment. It seems like it would be a waste to move him back into a one or two-inning role. (I suppose Stroman could serve as a three or four-inning setup man, but relievers aren't used like that these days.)
Hybrid six-man rotation
This is a longshot but it is worth mentioning. Hutchison has remarkable home/road splits -- he has a 2.46 ERA in 87 2/3 inings at home this season and a 9.00 ERA (!) in 51 innings on the road -- so perhaps the solution is starting Hutchison at home and Stroman on the road. That way the Blue Jays stick to a five-man rotation, keep all their starters, and maximize their output by hiding Hutchison on the road. It sounds like a wonderful idea. Could they actually pull it off? It's easier said than done.
Either way, the Blue Jays are close to getting Stroman back from his knee injury, which is incredible all by itself. He was expected to miss the entire season after pitching to a 3.65 ERA (105 ERA+) in 130 2/3 innings last year, but instead he is close to return. However they decide to use Stroman, the Blue Jays are getting a very good pitcher back, and he'll help them in a big way in some capacity down the stretch.

[Shortstop]

MLB had One wild card per league (1994–2011). There were 3 divisions in the AL & NL. East, West, Central and one wildcard.

And in 1999 the Reds & Mets tied for the NL wildcard spot 96-66. So they played a one game playoff to determine the representative of the NL wildcard.

Two wild cards per league (2012–present)

Thanks, k-m! I didn't realize how young the current two wild cards per league format is.

[Shortstop]

I'm a bit shocked at the collapse of the Orioles in the last 2 weeks. 1-12 record in that span, record gone from 62-57 to 63-69. Now 6 games out of the 2nd wild card spot. Still plenty of games left, but it looks like they are done.

Yeah, they've definitely been going through a season-long hangover it seems after their magical 2014 campaign...