1. Alexei Ramirez is on this list for all the wrong reasons. He signed a one year, $4 million dollar contract with the San Diego Padres this past offseason and it seemed to be a low-risk, high-reward type of deal. However, the contract has been a complete failure as Ramirez currently has a -1.9 bWAR, which is the worst bWAR in baseball this season. Jim Levey‘s -3.9 bWAR in 1933 is currently the record for the worst bWAR in a season since 1901. With basically half of a season left to play, Ramirez could challenge Levey’s undesirable accomplishment.
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2. What David Ortiz has accomplished this season is nothing short of spectacular. He currently ranks first in baseball with 54 extra-base hits (XBH). Before this season, only four players at the age of 40 or older had ever recorded at least 54 XBHs in a season since 1901. Ortiz, who is 40, has achieved this feat in a mere 77 games. Dave Winfield, who recorded 62 XBHs in 1992, currently holds the record for the most XBHs in an age-40 or older season. Unless Ortiz gets hurt, he should easily surpass Winfield.
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3. By now you know that Mike Trout is really, really good at this baseball thing. It is a shame that his talent is currently being wasted in Los Angeles where the Angels are having their worst season in a long time. Nonetheless, Trout keeps doing what he does best: dominate. Trout is only the second player in baseball history to have at least 156 HRs, 126 SBs, and a .306 BA at the age of 24 or younger. The other to have these numbers at the age of 24? Alex Rodriguez. Not bad company.
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4. Marco Estrada is not a name you hear in the news very often. He did, however, get selected to the All-Star game this season and for good reason. His 5.52 H/9 ranks first among all qualified starters this season. If that is not enough to impress you, Estrada’s 5.52 H/9 would be the sixth lowest mark in a season for a starter that qualified for the ERA title. It would also be the lowest H/9 by a starter since Pedro Martinez allowed 5.31 H/9 in 2000. And let’s just say Rogers Centre is not the most pitcher-friendly park.
NOTE: The Toronto Blue Jays placed Macro Estrada on the DL earlier today.
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5. Chris Young, the pitcher, has not been very good for the Kansas City Royals this season. He has allowed a major league-leading 26 home runs this season, which, at first look, does not appear to be an absurdly high number as Max Scherzer has allowed 21 HRs this season. The only problem? Chris Young has pitched just sixty innings this season. That means that Young’s current HR/9 is 3.90, which is, well, awful. He would be the only pitcher in the history of baseball to have a HR/9 of at least 3.90 in a season in which he pitched at least 60 innings. The Royals might want to stop running him out there.
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