Jake Mangum is impressing as a 29-year-old rookie. Seven years after being drafted by the New York Mets out of Mississippi State College following 4 collegiate seasons, the switch-hitting outfielder has slashed .303/.346/.370 with a 109 wRC+ over 128 plate appearances with the Tampa Bay Rays. Furthermore, Mangum has swiped 10 baggage with out being caught.
His path to professional ball included being bypassed within the draft out of highschool, then opting to not signal after being a low-round decide following his sophomore and junior seasons. One of many groups that known as his title didn’t make a proposal a lot as want him effectively. “Good luck with college subsequent 12 months,” was their message to the high-average, low-power Bulldog.
Mangum went to complete his faculty profession with a .357/.420/.457 slash line, in addition to a Southeastern Convention-record 383 hits. He additionally completed with a level in enterprise administration — though that’s not one thing he expects to make the most of down the highway. Paying days have a shelf life, however he plans to “keep across the recreation perpetually.”
An absence of balls over fences contributed closely to the restricted curiosity he obtained from scouts. When he lastly inked a contract, the 2019 fourth-rounder had gone deep simply 5 instances in 1,200 plate appearances.
“It was at all times the ability piece,” defined Mangum, whose ledger now contains 24 dwelling runs within the minors and one within the majors. “They only didn’t see it enjoying in skilled baseball, my not having sufficient energy. I’m stronger now, however to be sincere with you, I don’t attempt to hit dwelling runs. I attempt to hit for a excessive common and assist the crew with good protection and base working.”
Kevin Money sees Mangum’s skillset as old-school.
“I believe that’s honest,” Tampa Bay’s supervisor mentioned of that label. “He’s 100 mph [with] the whole lot he does, whether or not he’s on the plate, working out a ball, going after balls within the outfield. He’s very aggressive. Typically, his at-bats are first, second, third pitch. He’s getting swings off. He’s very contact-oriented, and he’s going to attempt to beat you to all fields.”
The numbers replicate that. Mangum has a 5.5% stroll charge and a 13.3% strikeout charge, and that contact is an enormous a part of his recreation is becoming. It’s one thing his household is all too acquainted with. His father, John Mangum, performed 9 seasons with the NFL’s Chicago Bears, his brother, Kris, performed 10 with the Carolina Panthers, and his grandfather, John Mangum Sr., spent two seasons with the AFL’s Boston Patriots (now the New England Patriots). Jake Mangum tackled a special sport, and because of dogged dedication — ditto a skillset that truly does play in skilled baseball — he’s lastly made it to the highest.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Aaron Boone went 10 for 20 in opposition to Matt Clement.
Bob Boone went 10 for 19 in opposition to Bob Moose.
Ken Griffey went 10 for 17 in opposition to Rollie Fingers.
Ken Griffey Jr. went 10 for 15 in opposition to Wandy Rodriguez.
Moises Alou went 10 for 23 in opposition to John Burkett.
Felipe Alou went 10 for 21 in opposition to Jim Merritt.
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Colton Gordon is your basic old-school southpaw. The 26-year-old Houston Astros rookie doesn’t prepare dinner with fuel — his 91.3 mph heater ranks within the eleventh percentile for velocity — moderately he retains them off steadiness them with an array of choices. Profiling as a back-of-the-rotation starter, Gordon options four- and two-seam fastballs, a sweeper, a curveball, and a changeup. He additionally has a cutter, though he hasn’t taken it out of his again pocket since making his MLB debut in mid-Might.
“I’m a pitcher,” Gordon informed me earlier this spring. “I’m not essentially going to overpower you. However I’m going to have a plan, and if that takes throwing the kitchen sink, it’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to assault with my strengths whereas realizing the batter’s weaknesses. I’m a pitchability man, principally. Regardless of the at-bat requires is what I roll with.
“I name it my toolbox,” added the 2021 eighth-round pick of the College of Central Florida. ”I’ve pitches the place I can go up or down on the vertical, and out and in on the horizontal. The Astros have helped me tremendously since I acquired to professional ball, though I’ve sort of been this fashion perpetually. I’ve at all times been ‘a left-handed pitcher.’”
Six begins into his profession, Gordon has logged a 4.70 ERA and a 4.15 FIP over 30-and-two-thirds innings. He’s gained two of his three choices.
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Clarke Schmidt leans closely on his cutter — he’s featured it 44.2% of the time this season — and he throws 5 different pitches as effectively. Amongst them is a sinker that differs from final 12 months’s model.
“We modified the orientation from a two-seamer,” the New Yankees right-hander defined. “We felt that with a one-seam sinker we might induce somewhat extra vertical depth. Earlier than, I’d throw some two-seams that have been extra of a runner. They have been like 13 horizontal and [positive] eight vertical; they have been sort of simply staying up and working in. We wished to maintain the horizontal in the identical space, and add some depth. We’re actually proud of the modifications we made. In my final outing, I believe I threw a number of that have been under the damaging line. A couple of have been 15 and nil, 16 and nil. I do know that my utilization hasn’t been loopy excessive [8.6%] this 12 months, however we’re persevering with to seek out spots for it.”
Schmidt is 3-3 with a 3.60 ERA and a 3.73 FIP over 10 begins. He’s fanned 57 batters over 55 frames.
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A quiz:
Barry and Bobby Bonds mixed to hit 1,094 dwelling runs, probably the most for a father-son due in MLB historical past. Which father-son pitching duo mixed for probably the most wins?
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NEWS NOTES
Johnny O’Brien, an infielder/pitcher whose profession spanned the 1953-1959 seasons, died earlier this week at age 94. Taking part in primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates, O’Brien swatted 204 hits, together with 4 dwelling runs, and tossed 61 innings with a 5.61 ERA. His twin brother, Eddie O’Brien, additionally performed for the Pirates.
John Shulock, an MLB umpire from 1979-2002, died on June 5 at age 76. Shulock was an infielder within the Minnesota Twins system for 3 seasons earlier than turning into an arbiter.
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The reply to the quiz is Mel Stottlemyre Sr. and Todd Stottlemyre, who mixed for 302 wins. The previous, who performed for the New York Yankees from 1964-1974, had 164 wins. The latter, who performed for 5 groups — primarily the Toronto Blue Jays — from 1988-2002, had 138 wins.
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The Tampa Bays Rays ranked twenty third among the many 30 groups in starter innings final 12 months, whereas in 2023 they ranked twenty sixth, and in 2022 they have been lifeless final. This season? Going into the weekend, they ranked proper on the high.
MLB.com’s Adam Berry requested Kevin Money about it when the Rays visited Fenway Park earlier this week.
“They’ve been actually good,” Tampa Bay’s supervisor mentioned of the rotation comprising Shane Baz, Taj Bradley, Zack Littell, Ryan Pepiot, and Drew Rasmussen. “If there have been purpose for us to take them out of ballgames we might try this, however they’re making it fairly troublesome, as a result of it looks like they’re navigating by means of their 90 to 100-plus pitches. They do it fairly effectively. They’re getting deep into ballgames.”
Effectivity and effectiveness apart, has there been a philosophical change from latest seasons? I requested Money that query, and he answered within the damaging. The Rays rotation, which went into the weekend with the fifth-best ERA within the AL, has merely racked up optimistic outcomes as a rule.
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The Purple Sox rank third from the underside in starter innings over the previous month, leading to an overtaxed bullpen. With one-inning-per-reliever being the membership’s most-common utilization sample, that has meant a whole lot of outings for lots of arms. That in thoughts, I requested Alex Cora if any thought has gone into piggybacking — the starter going 5 innings, adopted by a bulk reliever for the subsequent three or 4 — on sure days.
“The place we’re at proper now, that’s arduous to do due to the personnel and the utilization,” replied Cora. “The roster flexibility. It’s very arduous to try this. Have we talked about different methods of getting by means of a recreation? After all. However I believe the place we’re proper now roster-wise, it’s powerful.”
On a associated notice, multi-inning relievers are something however commonplace in immediately’s recreation. In a single recreation I attended just lately, the 2 groups mixed to make use of 11 relievers, and 10 of them pitched precisely one inning (with largely low pitch counts). The lone exception didn’t have a possibility to complete a body, as the sport ended earlier than he was in a position to get a 3rd out. Reality be informed, I don’t absolutely perceive the one-inning logic, notably for non-closers.
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It’s common data that Jackie Robinson wore the quantity 42 on the again of his uniform, whereas Henry Aaron famously wore 44. Amongst current-day gamers, Aaron Choose’s quantity might be finest recognized, and never solely as a result of Choose is a celebrity. Whereas others have worn it, 99 is pretty unusual.
However what about different marquee gamers? Take into account this a bonus quiz: What numbers do Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and Bobby Witt Jr. put on?
The reply will be discovered under.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Hiroshima Carp left-hander Hiroki Tokoda has an NPB-best 5 full video games (in 11 begins). At whole of 26 pitchers have thrown a minimum of one CG this season.
Livan Moinelo tossed one other gem this week, fanning 13 batters because the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks outscored the Yokohama DeNA BayStars 4-1. In his previous two begins, the 29-year-old southpaw has surrendered simply six hits and one run, with two walks and 31 strikeouts over 17 overpowering innings. He has a 1.26 ERA on the season.
Andre Jackson is 6-2 with a 1.40 ERA over 70-and-two-thirds innings for the BayStars. The 29-year-old right-hander pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates from 2021-2023.
Ryan Weiss is 8-2 with a 3.09 ERA over 14 begins with the KBO’s Hanwha Eagles.The 28-year-old right-hander out of Wright State College pitched within the Arizona Diamondbacks and Kansas Metropolis Royals programs from 2018-2023, topping out in Triple-A. That is his second season in Korea.
Hyoung-woo Choi is slashing .320/.419/.551 with 10 dwelling runs for the Kia Tigers. The 41-year-old outfielder has a .310/.400/.531 slash line and 405 dwelling runs over 20 seasons. His 1,688 RBIs are probably the most in KBO historical past.
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The reply to the bonus quiz: Ohtani 17, Soto 22, Witt 7.
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Taking cash/contracts out of the equation, which of Paul Skenes and Tarik Skubal would you moderately have over the subsequent 5 seasons? I requested that query in a Twitter ballot on Friday, and the outcomes weren’t as shut as I anticipated. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace garnered 64.2% of the vote, whereas the reigning AL Cy Younger Award winner obtained simply 35.8%.
The 23-year-old Skenes, who debuted final Might, has a 1.89 ERA, a 2.46 FIP, and a 30.4% strikeout charge over 229 profession innings. For the reason that starting of final season, the 28-year-old Skubal has a 2.26 ERA, a 2.30 FIP, and a 31.0% strikeout charge over 282-and-a-third innings.
Assuming they keep wholesome, each ought to proceed to place up boffo numbers for the foreseeable future. By and enormous, this ballot was a alternative between nice and nice.
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FARM NOTES
The West Michigan Whitecaps clinched the Excessive-A Midwest League’s Japanese Division first-half title on Friday with a 20-6 win over the Lansing Lugnuts. Kevin McGonigle — No. 5 on our Detroit Tigers High Prospects record — went 5-for-6 with a double, whereas unranked Izaak Pacheco went 4-for-6 with a pair of dwelling runs.
Caleb Bonemer has a 145 wRC+ to go along with 5 dwelling runs and a .269/.412/.451 slash line over 238 plate appearances with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers. A second spherical decide final 12 months out of Okemos [MI] Excessive Faculty, the 19-year-old shortstop/third baseman is No. 13 on our Chicago White Sox High Prospects record.
Luis Peña has a 144 wRC+ to go along with six dwelling runs and a .321/.373/.516 slash line over 177 plate appearances with the Low-A Carolina Mudcats. Signed out of the Dominican Republic in January 2024, the 18-year-old shortstop/third baseman is No. 5 on our Milwaukee Brewers High Prospects record.
Alfredo Duno has a 147 wRC+ to go along with six dwelling runs and a .263/.416/.462 slash line over 238 plate appearances with the Low-A Daytona Tortugas. Signed out of Venezuela in January 2023, the 19-year-catcher is No. 2 on our Cincinnati Reds High Prospects record.
Nigel Belgrave has a 2.25 ERA, a 2.29 FIP, and a 40.5% strikeout charge over 28 reduction innings for the Double-A Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The 23-year-old right-hander was taken within the fifteenth spherical of the 2023 draft by the Miami Marlins out of the College of Maryland.
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The ABS (Automated Ball-Strike) system appears inevitable, both with or with no problem system previous it. I’m in favor, and until one thing has modified, so is Larry Andersen. Eight years in the past this summer time, the Phillies broadcaster was quoted right here in Sunday Notes saying the next:
“We’ve acquired replay, so why not get an digital factor to placed on the plate. Overlook the house plate umpire.”
Andersen has some old-school methods about him, however on this case he was forward of his time. Furthermore, his opinion is legitimate. Pretty much as good as umpires are, the expertise obtainable is healthier.
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A random obscure former participant snapshot:
Jack Doscher appeared in 27 video games throughout the 1903-1908 seasons, taking the mound for the Brooklyn Superbas, Chicago Cubs, and Cincinnati Reds. A southpaw, the Fordham College product customary a 2.84 ERA, however only a 2-10 won-lost document. On the plate, he went simply 5-for-50. His declare to fame is being MLB’s first second-generation participant. His father, Herm Doscher, performed for 5 groups, together with the Cleveland Blues and Brooklyn Atlantics, from 1872-1882.
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MLB.com’s AJ Cassavell wrote about the invaluable help that San Diego Padres slugger Gavin Sheets has been receiving from his father, former Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers outfielder Larry Sheets.
The Baltimore Banner’s Danielle Allentuck wrote about the tragic demise of Brian Matusz, and the way skilled athletes typically wrestle with the top of their careers.
New particulars have emerged, alleging that Wade Miley was an early drug supply for Tyler Skaggs. Sam Blum has the story at The Athletic (subscription required).
Who’ve been this season’s high defensive rookies? Mark Simon answered that query at Sports activities Data Options.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Jacob Wilson went into yesterday 52-for-130 (.400) in dwelling video games.
Aaron Choose went into yesterday 54-for-135 (.400) in highway video games.
In 2019, Eugenio Suárez hit 49 dwelling runs and struck out 189 instances.
In 1954, Ted Kluszewski hit 49 dwelling runs and struck out 35 instances.
In 2004, Barry Bonds had 232 walks and 60 singles.
In 2007, Ichiro Suzuki had 203 singles and 49 walks
In 1985, Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Dennis Lamp went 11-0 with a 3.32 ERA. In 1978, Lamp went 7-15 with a 3.30 ERA pitching for the Chicago Cubs.
Toby Harrah walked a minimum of as soon as in 16 consecutive video games through the 1985 seasons. Per the Rangers radio broadcast, that’s a Texas Rangers franchise document.
From 1906-1908, Chicago Cubs right-handers Mordecai “Three Fingers” Brown and Ed Reulbach mixed to go 140-36 with a 1.54 ERA through the common season, and 6-2 with a 2.05 ERA within the World Sequence.
On immediately’s date in 1925, the Philadelphia Athletics scored 13 runs within the eighth inning to beat the Cleveland Indians 17-15. Corridor of Fame outfielder Al Simmons capped the rally with a two-run, tie-breaking dwelling run.
On immediately’s date in 1952, the St. Louis Cardinals rallied from an 11-0 deficit to beat the New York Giants 14-12. Corridor of Fame outfielder Enos Slaughter doubled in a pair of runs within the seventh inning, then broke an 11-11 tie with a two-run single within the eighth.
Gamers born on immediately’s date embrace Dave Liddell, whose big-league profession comprised one recreation, and one plate look, for the New York Mets in 1990. Liddell stroked a pinch-hit single, making him considered one of simply 16 gamers in modern-era MLB historical past to document successful in his lone time on the plate.
Additionally born on immediately’s date was Dutch Schirick, whose big-league profession comprised one recreation, and one plate look, for the St. Louis Browns in 1914. Schirick drew a stroll (he additionally swiped two bases), making him considered one of simply 38 gamers in modern-era MLB historical past to obtain a free go his lone time on the plate.
