52 dingers. Not a bad rookie season, eh? (With two more to play.)
Alonso had a bit of a slump in July when he batted .177 with “only” six homers, but he battled right back in the following two months. There’s really no knock on the kid. His clutch stats are excellent: he actually batted better in the late innings of close games. His splits are non-existent: he hits right handers as well as southpaws. And he’s as strong as an ox.
In other MLB news, the ten playoff teams have now been determined, but there is one matter still unresolved. The Brewers and Cardinals are both in the post-season, but one of them will go in as a division champ, while the other will have to participate in the much-despised play-in game. The Cards are more likely to win the division. As I type this, they have a one-game edge and have the easier schedule. They will finish the season with two home games. The Brewers have two on the road, and to make it worse, the games are at Coors, where the Rockies are quite competent. (The Rocks are over .500 at home, but finished a pathetic 28-53 on the road.) At the risk of being drummed out of Wisconsin, I have to opine that the Cards deserve it. They have a better team even when the Brewers’ star, Christian Yelich, is healthy, which he currently is not. You do have to tip your cap to the way that the Brew-crew finished the season. Yelich is currently the NL leader in both OBP and slugging, so it was a big loss when he went down, but going into Friday’s game, they had won 13 of 15 without him, leaving the Cubs in the dust.
Condolences go to the Cleveland Indians, who have a better record than THREE of the National League’s post-season teams, but will be watching the playoffs on TV.
As of this moment, the Astros, Dodgers and Yankees are more or less co-favorites to win the World Series, according to Vegas. I have no horse in the race, but I am impressed by Houston’s formidible pitching staff. As I type this, their four regular starters are 61-18, a winning percentage of .772.
As a Mets fan, I have to say it feels weird to have a Mets player set an offensive record. No met had ever hit more than 41 homers in a season. Alonso just obliterated that record. I’m really pulling for him to hit another one so he can have the MLB record to himself. But there is a kind of symmetry in the American and National League rookie records being the same and each held by a NYC player. Pitching on the other hand is where you expect the Mets to dominate. Jacob deGrom is the favorite to win a 2nd straight Cy Young, something not even Tom Seaver was able to accomplish. I remember reading prospect evaluations that said deGrom might be able to stick as a starter, but was much more likely to be a middle reliever. The way he’s been pitching and the way the Mets have been supporting him offensively, he may be the first starting pitcher elected to Cooperstown with less than 100 career wins (he’s only at 66 now).
If only the Mets bullpen had been halfway decent, the Mets would be getting ready for the play in game instead of the Brewers. I’m looking forward to next year. Baseball wise. I think the election year stuff is going to be really ugly.
Alonso hit his 53rd in the 3rd inning. Congratulations. One game to go, but I think Barry Bonds record is safe. Getting 21 homers in one game would be something to watch though.
If the Tribe hadn’t had bad luck this year they wouldn’t have had no luck at all.
Oh well anybody but the Yankees or the Astros. Go Nats!!
As a lifetime Cards fan I two think they will squeak in. They had an amazing second half run considering their offense is really pathetic. Ozuna disappeared in September and Carpenter disappeared in 2019. Last week’s four games in Chicago might not have been the best baseball played but it was the best baseball to watch as a Cards fan; four one run wins… then they go to AZ and drop a 19 inning game and exhaust the staff.