Bryce Rainer is likely one of the sport’s most promising prospects. At the moment No. 25 on The Board and No. 3 in our Detroit Tigers rankings, the 21-year-old shortstop boasts elite bat pace — eye-opening exit velocities are a part of his profile — in addition to arm power that Eric Longenhagen has described as “unbelievable.” Our lead prospect analyst’s preseason report elaborated that Rainer was “pumping mid-90s gasoline off the mound in highschool.”
His pitching background is what I wished to listen to about after I sat down with Rainer final month. After starting the marketing campaign with a smattering of video games at Low-A Lakeland, Rainer has put up a .267/.374/.455 slash line and a 118 wRC+ with the.Excessive-A West Michigan Whitecaps. His left-handed stroke has produced a dozen residence runs throughout 358 journeys to the plate with Detroit’s Midwest League affiliate.
Simply how good was the Eleventh-overall decide within the 2024 draft when he was toeing the rubber for North Hollywood’s Harvard-Westlake Excessive Faculty?
“I don’t actually love speaking about myself,” Rainer replied when posed that query. “That’s sort of how I used to be introduced up in terms of interviews, however now that I don’t pitch anymore, I’ll say that I loved my time on the mound. It was enjoyable. I threw fairly exhausting and was profitable at it.”
Pressed for radar readings, the common-or-garden ex-hurler affirmed that he certainly sat mid-90s, including that he would sometimes attain the higher 90s. Repertoire-wise, he was fastball/curveball/slider/changeup. As you’d count on, scouts for a mess of MLB organizations had been holding shut watch when he stood atop the bump.
“There was a very good little bit of curiosity,” Rainer informed me. “I pitched so much in highschool and for a small time period there was some thought that I used to be going to pitch after I bought drafted. There have been positively some conversations with groups. I can’t bear in mind which of them, however yeah, I pitched for Crew USA in Taiwan a bit of bit, so there was speak.about me being a two-way.”
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Requested if that chance was mentioned with the Tigers, Rainer recalled that the thought of his pitching “was banged fairly early on” by the group that finally known as his identify on draft day. However what in the event that they — or some other staff he might need signed with — opted to present him that chance? Does the teen ever permit himself to surprise if he might have success as a two-way participant on the skilled stage?
“It positively crosses my thoughts,” Rainer admitted. “The aggressive side of athletes, together with baseball gamers, has you believing that you are able to do one thing. I’ve clearly by no means tried it [in pro ball], however I feel I might do it. However no. I sort of simply go day-by-day, and proper now I’m an infielder. I’m doing what the Tigers need me to do, and I’m pleased with that. I really feel that we made the appropriate choice.”
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Joe Girardi went 8 for 12 towards Mike Maddux.
Elliott Maddox went 6 for 8 towards Donnie Moore.
Dave Henderson went 8 for 13 towards Invoice Swift.
Bob Swift went 6 for 13 towards Schoolboy Rowe.
Dom DiMaggio went 8 for 17 towards Stubby Overmire.
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Carlos Cortes pitching to Anthony Seigler earlier this month could very effectively have been a primary in big-league annals. Each gamers are totally ambidextrous. Seigler will not be solely a switch-hitter, he pitched with each palms whereas in highschool. Cortes, as chronicled right here in a November 2021 Sunday Notes column, throws left-handed when taking part in the outfield, and right-handed when taking part in second base.
No back-and-forth occurred when Cortes took the mound for mop-up obligation in Boston’s 13-1 shellacking of the Athletics. He threw solely from the left facet, whereas the Purple Sox infielder remained within the right-hand batter’s field. Extra’s the pity. With apologies to these of you who would say “respect the sport,” some switcheroo shenanigans would have made the already-unique matchup much more enjoyable.
I wasn’t capable of monitor down Seigler — the erstwhile switch-pitcher — for his perspective, though I did catch as much as Cortes for his. Among the many issues I realized is that whereas he additionally took the mound as a prep, he did so solely as a southpaw.
“I throw tougher and have higher stuff,” the Orlando native defined. “I’ve higher command, too. I’ve thrown off a mound right-handed, however not in video games. I’m only a lot higher from the left facet.”
Cortes takes pitching much more critically than most place gamers who take the mound. For one factor, he doesn’t lob the ball as much as the plate. Moderately, he throws fastballs — “I’ve been as excessive as 86 [mph]” — curveballs, and sliders. Solely on uncommon event will he ship an eephus-like pitch. The rationale? In contrast to together with his different choices, he has hassle touchdown slow-balls within the strike zone.
The possibilities of his in the future throwing to a batter right-handed? Once more, extra’s the pity. It doubtless isn’t going to occur.
“It might be enjoyable,” admitted Cortes. “However the logistics are robust — the glove, for example — so doing it might be tougher than perhaps it appears. We’re additionally going to be at an enormous deficit if I’m on the market, and we’ll need to get off the sector as quick as potential. It’s higher that I simply throw left-handed, like I all the time have.”
Cortes has taken the mound eight occasions this season, permitting 13 hits and 9 runs over eight innings. Now not seeing time as an infielder, he has performed 61 video games within the outfield and put up a 109 wRC+ over 279 plate appearances.
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A quiz:
Roberto Clemente performed his complete MLB profession with the Pittsburgh Pirates. With which group did he start his skilled profession? Bonus query; During which metropolis did Clemente play his lone minor-league season?
The solutions will be discovered under.
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NEWS NOTES
Jacob Wilson broke Mike Bordick’s MLB-record errorless streak on the shortstop place final Sunday. The erstwhile Baltimore Oriole — and native of Bangor, Maine — went 110 consecutive video games with out being charged with an error in 2002. As for the Athletics infielder, he’s now at 114 straight error-free video games due to a scoring change to a play that came about on Tuesday.
Butch Huskey, an infielder/outfielder who performed for 5 groups — largely the New York Mets — in a profession that spanned the 1993-2000 seasons, died on August 1 at age 54. The Anadarko, Oklahoma native had a career-best yr in 1997 when he batted .287 with 24 residence runs and a 111 wRC+.
The Royal Oak Leprechauns gained the championship sport of the summer time collegiate Northwoods League on Thursday, edging the St. Cloud Rox by a depend of 3-1. The College of Cincinnati’s Luke Kosko drove residence a pair of runs within the decisive eighth inning.
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The reply to the quiz is the Brooklyn Dodgers, who signed Clemente out of Puerto Rico, solely to lose him to the Pirates within the 1954 Rule 5 draft. The reply to the bonus quiz is Montreal, the place Clemente batted .257 over 148 at-bats at age 19.
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The primary two appearances for Raymond Burgos in a Boston Purple Sox uniform got here earlier this month, they usually had been noteworthy. Working in aid, the left-hander pitched three innings on back-to-back days. That hadn’t occurred in fairly a while.
The final Purple Sox pitcher to go not less than three innings on consecutive days was Invoice Campbell, who was credited with saves on each June 17 and 18 in 1977. Furthermore,“Soup” had additionally gone three innings on back-to-back days a month prior, recording a save and a blown save. The rubber-armed right-hander completed that yr having hurled 140 innings over 69 aid appearances, going 13-9 with 31 saves and a 2.96 ERA.
Relievers had been used otherwise again then. Pitching for the Minnesota Twins in 1976, Campbell went 17-5 with 20 saves whereas logging 167-and-two-thirds innings over 78 aid appearances. He inked a lucrative-for-the-time free agent contract with the Purple Sox following that season.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Kenta Maeda recorded his a hundredth NPB win earlier this week. The 38-year-old Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles right-hander has gone 100-70 with a 2.41 ERA in Japan’s high league, and 68-56 with a 4.20 ERA in MLB.
Spencer Howard went six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts on Friday because the Tokyo Yomiuri Giants beat the Chunichi Dragons 1-0. The 30-year-old former MLB right-hander is 2-2 with a 1.53 ERA and a 30.5% strikeout charge over 29-and-a-third innings with the NPB membership. He pitched for the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles a yr in the past.
Riley Thompson is 5-0 with a 2.98 ERA and a 3.53 FIP over 81-and-two-thirds innings for the KBO’s NC Dinos. The 30-year-old right-hander pitched within the Chicago Cubs system from 2018-2024.
Shr Lun Chang is slashing .333/.358/.402 with two residence runs in 203 plate appearances for the Chinese language Skilled Baseball League’s CTBC Brothers. The 21-year-old second baseman/third baseman from Taichung, Taiwan was a mid-season CPBL All-Star.
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I wasn’t watching when the uncommon “fourth out” play came about in Toronto on Monday evening, though as probability would have it, I checked the rating on my iPhone instantly beforehand. Per ESPN’s play-by-play log, Boston’s Nick Sogard had simply lined right into a double play, leaving the guests with two out and a runner on base. Upon seeing that, I toggled again to the sport I had been following extra intently.
Minutes later, I found that Sogard hadn’t really lined right into a double play, however moderately grounded right into a forceout, leading to a one-out, two-on state of affairs. Ceddanne Rafaela then flied out to heart, resulting in confusion that necessitated a 17-minute delay because the umpires consulted MLB headquarters in New York for an official ruling.
Longtime coach Jerry Weinstein (@JWonCATCHING) was watching the sport, and he defined the rule on social media instantly after the play.
“The run scored earlier than the third out. It’s a time play & the run counts until the Jays enchantment the 4th out. However the protection left the sector & is unable to enchantment so the run ought to depend.”
Later within the night, I acquired a message from Lansing Lugnuts broadcaster Jesse Goldberg-Strassler, who has known as video games for the Midwest League membership for almost 20 years.
“That is the second time the fourth out rule has occurred to John Schneider. It occurred to him in Lansing in 2016, and once more the protection left the sector with out interesting at third to let the run rating.”
On the off probability the play in query escaped your consideration, SportsNet Canada’s Ben Nicholson-Smith defined what occurred in his sport recap.
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FARM NOTES
Andrew Fischer leads the minors with 36 residence runs. Drafted twentieth general final summer time by the Milwaukee Brewers out of the College of Tennessee, the 22-year-old left-handed-hitting third baseman is slashing .274/.411/.635 with a 161 wRC+ in 457 plate appearances between Excessive-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi.
Easton Shelton has 33 residence runs to go together with a .296/.400/.636 slash line and a 150 wRC+ in 437 plate appearances with the Excessive-A Nice Lakes Loons. The 22-year-old first baseman was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of a Las Vegas highschool by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022.
Jacob Kisting is 7-0 with a 1.58 ERA and a 2.84 FIP over 91 innings between Excessive-A Bowling Inexperienced and Double-A Pensacola. The 23-year-old right-hander from Madison, Wisconsin was acquired by the Miami Marlins from the Tampa Bay Rays at this summer time’s deadline as a part of the Liam Hicks commerce.
Carson Fischer is 8-1 with a 2.69 ERA and a 3.38 ERA over 103-and-two-third innings between Low-A Fredericksburg and Excessive-A Wilmington. the 23-year-old right-hander from Grand Rapids, Michigan was signed as a non-drafted free agent out of the College of Miami by the Washington Nationals final summer time.
Anthony Eyanson, whom the Orioles acquired from the Purple Sox within the Adley Rutschman deal, has logged 16 strikeouts and allowed 4 runs over 10-and-a-third innings since becoming a member of Double-A Chesapeake. At the moment No. 27 on The Board, the 21-year-old right-hander has tossed 78-and-two-thirds frames on the season and has a 36.7% strikeout charge to go together with a 6-0 report and a 1.60 ERA.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Simply over 1,000 pitchers have taken the mound for the Chicago Cubs since 1901, and Justin Berg holds a novel distinction amongst them. No pitcher in franchise historical past has toed the rubber extra occasions with out recording a win for any MLB staff. The fitting-hander from Antigo, Wisconsin made 60 profession appearances — all with the Cubs — from 2009-2011, and completed 0-1 with a 4.08 ERA over 64 innings.
His skilled ledger does embrace Ws. Berg was credited with 42 wins down on the farm, and one other seven within the impartial Atlantic League. He additionally logged a pair on international soil, these coming with T&A San Marino within the Italian Baseball League. His present endeavors have him nearer to residence. Berg is now the baseball coordinator at The 906 Sports activities Academy, in Michigan’s Higher Peninsula.
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Danae Benitis continues to place up eye-popping numbers in the WPBL. The 24-year-old New York Heights catcher has come to the plate 26 occasions and is 18-for-23 with six residence runs, two walks, and a sacrifice fly. She has additionally swiped six bases in as many makes an attempt.
Natsuki Yonetani, who likewise performs for the Heights, has been one other WPBL standout. The 24-year-old outfielder from Saitama, Japan is 13-for-24 with 4 doubles. She performed collegiately at Shobi College.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
Kelsie Whitmore turned the primary participant in WPBL historical past to homer 3 times in the identical sport, doing so for the San Francisco Firebells in an 8-2 win towards the Los Angeles Queens. Michael Clair has the story at MLB.com.
The Athletic’s Brittany Ghiroli wrote about how Buster Posey’s San Francisco Giants legacy is on the road.
Writing for CNN, Hannah Keyser checked out how the Los Angeles Dodgers are taking part in a unique sport than the remainder of MLB.
At Why I like Baseball, Cecilia Tan offered us with 9 issues she realized at SABR 54.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
The Philadelphia Phillies have shut out their opponents 15 occasions this season, whereas Cristopher Sánchez has tossed the staff’s solely full sport. In 1966, the Phillies shut out their opponents 15 occasions with their starters combining to toss 52 full video games.
A trio of Detroit Tigers pitchers mixed to toss a four-hit shutout towards the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday, they usually did so with out recording a strikeout. The final shutout sans a strikeout had been on July 1, 2014 when Detroit’s Rick Porcello scattreed 4 hits whereas blanking the Oakland Athletics.
Chicago Cubs southpaw Ken Holtzman threw a no-hitter towards the Atlanta Braves on August 19, 1969, and he did so with out logging a single strikeout. 4 days later, Holtzman fanned 10 batters in an entire sport win towards the Houston Astros.
Craig Breslow and Mike Elias had been teammates at Yale College in 2002. Breslow went 1-5 with a 2.59 ERA. Elias went 1-2 with a 4.08 ERA.
The Athletics have used 55 or extra gamers in every of the final 5 seasons. The one earlier season the franchise used as many as 55 gamers was 1915.
On August 9, 1967 — I uncared for to incorporate this in final Sunday’s column — the Washington Senators scored seven runs within the seventh inning to knot the rating, then tallied two extra within the high of the twentieth to defeat the Minnesota Twins 9-7. The decisive blow was a Ken McMullen round-tripper, and Darold Knowles tossed 10 scoreless innings in aid.
On right now’s date in 1964, Curt Flood went 8-for-9 throughout the 2 video games because the St. Louis Cardinals cut up a double-header with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sandy Koufax threw a 13-strikeout shutout within the opener, with Flood accounting for 4 of the seven hits he allowed.
On right now’s date in 1947, the adversaries mixed to swat 10 residence runs because the Pittsburgh Pirates out-slugged the St. Louis Cardinals by a rating of 12-7. A trio of Buccos mixed to blast seven round-trippers. Ralph Kiner went yard 3 times, whereas Billy Cox and Hank Greenberg every left the yard twice. Whitey Kurowski has a two-homer day for the Playing cards.
Gamers born on right now’s date embrace Larry Loughlin, a left-hander from Tacoma, Washington whose profession batting line is so much higher than his pitching line. Over three aid appearances for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1967, Loughlin logged a 15.19 ERA over five-and-a-third innings. In his lone at-bat, he lined a double off of Atlanta Braves righty Ken Johnson.
Additionally born on right now’s date was Child Doll Jacobson, an outfielder who put up a .311 batting common whereas taking part in for 5 groups — primarily the St. Louis Browns — from 1915-1927. A local of Cable, Illinois who additionally excelled with the glove, Child Doll was at his finest in 1920 when he augmented a .355/.402/.501 slash line with 34 doubles, 14 triples, 9 residence runs, and 122 RBIs.
