Welcome to Ronnie’s Run Down! This column looks at some fascinating matchups and facts that might pique the interest of the reader as that day’s games are reviewed. This is just my attempt at creating come compelling thought on any given day. There are nine innings in baseball, and nine points in my daily run down.
- Ketel Marte is one of the leading NL hitters against left handed pitching. On the season against southpaws Marte has a 147 wRC+, a .248 ISO and he’s making 45.1% HC. He’ll step in today against left hander Madison Bumgarner of the Giants. Maddy is having arguably the worst season of his career, through 93.2 frames he has a 3.27 walk rate and a 4.42 SIERA. In his last 5 starts he’s allowed a league worst 49.5% HC.
- Blue Jays Billy McKinney has a .733 ISO in his last 20 PA. He has a 20% walk rate and a .647 wOBA while making 63.6% HC. He’s smashing sinkers right now with a 3.1 wSI in his last 6 games.
- The Indians Carlos Carrasco leads the Majors with a 2.36 SIERA in the last 30 days. In that time he’s made 5 starts with a 31.2% strikeout rate and just a 2.4% walk rate. In 31.1 innings, Carrasco has a fantastic 54.9% GB and just a 9.5% HR/FB. His opponents tonight, the Minnesota Twins, are making just 28.8% HC in their last 6 games.
- Jose Urena throws the leagues 5th highest volume of fourseam fastballs at 58.2%. He faces the Boston Red Sox today, a team that just happens to have the best fourseam fastball hitter in the Majors. J.D. Martinez is leading all of baseball with a 25.5 wFA on the season. The Red Sox outfielder is making 41.2% HC in his last 28 PA with a .450 wOBA.
- The Athletics Edwin Jackson is allowing 45.5% HC in his last 5 starts, that’s the 3rd worst in the AL over the last 30 days. In 28.3 innings he has a 5.46 SIERA and a 3.77 B/9. He’s throwing tonight against the Astros; the Houston club is 4th in the AL with 130 wRC+ in their last 6 games.
- The Padres Franmil Reyes is making 75.0% HC in his last 19 PA. He’s hitting .400/.526/.867 in 6 games with a 21.1% walk rate. He has a 25.0% LD in that time and he’s crushing fastballs with a 2.7 wFA.
- Teams are just not making good contact against Aaron Nola. In his last 35 innings, his opposition is making 27.4% SC and just 22.1% HC. That contact has helped him to a 3.21 xFIP in his last 5 starts. Tonight he takes the hill against the Nationals, an offense that has a 23.3% strikeout rate and just a 6.9% walk rate over the last week.
- Mike Trout could be on every one of these lists. Sometimes I have to find reasons not to include him, he is that consistently fantastic. Tonight he has an exceptional matchup at Trout faces lefty Kyle Freeland of the Rockies at home in LA. Trout is 3rd in the AL with a 192 wRC+ against left handed pitchers. He has a .298 ISO against left handed pitching on the year with a 28.8% LD.
- Melky Cabrera has a 50.0% HC in his last 24 PA. In 7 games he has a 301 wRC+ and a .615 wOBA. He’s been worth 5.5 oRAA in that time while making just 7.1% SC.
