Newsletter for games through 5-2-21

PROPS: If you are interested in ASFBL newcomer Josh Mitchell’s honor thesis on franchise building strategies analyzed through computer simulations, the link is here. It checks in at a pretty tight 11 minutes, or roughly the amount of time it takes A Mike Trout home run to land. It’s pretty good work and he had to overcome some pretty lame advising to finish, so congrats to Josh! Josh has also pulled off 2 trades so far… And, in case your email inbox looks like mine and you missed it, Leo Leckie has compiled a list of trades by owner…three new trades this week…

MUSINGS: Yesterday the Mets and Cardinals were scheduled and both Jacob deGrom and Blake Hicks came up with injuries…the game was rained out and nobody ever took the field…baseball is a dangerous tame.

COMMENTS: This is our first week on the regular 7-day schedule…four of five teams in the AL East had winning records last week…the Mark Yee’s Yankees went an impressive 6-1, no doubt bolstered by all the digital fans who bought tickets just to boo the Astros…but nobody booed Jim Casey and the Astros had a winning week themselves…Mike’s Royals and Leo’s Chisox are lockstep at the top of the AL central…and the division is super-competitive, with four of five teams 2.5 games ahead of the actual club, or even more…John’s Oakland club put together a winning week, and Greg’s Angels keep out-performing the real bunch and hung onto first for another week…the Angels have the only plus-WOR record in the division…I don’t know that’s I’ve seen this before, but on a per-division basis the AL central is ahead of the actual clubs, the AL west is generally behind them, and the AL east is almost dead even…the actual Dodgers are crashing, but not Rick Wynne’s group…as always, Rick’s club is constantly tweaked and upgraded…his bullpen has allowed only 2 of 27 inherited runners to score…Rob’s Pirates had the only winning week in the NL central…don’t overlook Al’s Padres in the west; the real team thinks they have a shot and Al’s club is taking the same approach…they were 4-1 this week…Danny Wildes‘ Braves are a sleeper in the NL; they’re +3 WOR, strong overall, and are ready to pounce if the Steve Clemmons’ fish falter…Ranger pitchers have issued the lowest percentage of actual walks…Angels actual batting average is .270, tops in the ASFBL…Mark Chen’s Orioles have only allowed 5 of 39 inherited runners to score…Philly and Dodger pitchers have left the fewest runners for others to deal with at 27…league high is 62

FEATS AND FAILURES

Gerrit Cole (New York (NYY)) struck out 12 batters (on 4/26/2021 against Baltimore) 
Tyler Glasnow (Tampa Bay) struck out 14 batters (on 4/26/2021 against Oakland) 
Ty France (Seattle) struck out 4 times (on 4/26/2021 against Houston) 
Lance McCullers Jr. (Houston) struck out 12 batters (on 4/26/2021 against Seattle) 
Kevin Gausman (San Francisco) struck out 12 batters (on 4/26/2021 against Colorado) 
Brandon Lowe (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 4/27/2021 against Oakland) 
Eli White (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 4/27/2021 against Anaheim) 
Adam Duvall (Miami) struck out 4 times (on 4/28/2021 against Milwaukee) 
Alec Bohm (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 4/29/2021 against St. Louis) 
Javier Baez (Chicago (CC)) hit 6 RBI (on 4/29/2021 against Atlanta) 
Julio Urias (Los Angeles) struck out 12 batters (on 4/29/2021 against Milwaukee) 
Nick Heath (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 4/29/2021 against Colorado) 
Nick Heath (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 4/30/2021 against Colorado) 
Gerrit Cole (New York (NYY)) struck out 15 batters (on 5/1/2021 against Detroit) 
Freddy Galvis (Baltimore)  hit for the cycle! (on 5/1/2021 against Oakland) 
Nick Maton (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 5/1/2021 against New York (NYM)) 
Jacob Nottingham (Milwaukee) struck out 4 times (on 5/2/2021 against Los Angeles) 
Sam Hilliard (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 5/2/2021 against Arizona) 
Jacob deGrom (New York (NYM)) struck out 18 batters (on 5/2/2021 against Philadelphia) 
Jacob deGrom (New York (NYM))  threw a no-hitter! (on 5/2/2021 against Philadelphia) 
Pete Alonso (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 5/2/2021 against Philadelphia) 

Newsletter for games through 4-25-21

APOCRYPHAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: In addition to this missive I also edit the Senate Forum at Cal. State Fullerton, a turgid yet rabid publication dedicated to topics like state budgeting, general education requirement changes, and any other matter of academic trivium….it’s also where, for the first 3 hours of its existence, I had posted last week’s ASFBL newsletter…The Mets activated Stephen Tarpley last week who made his first MLB appearance and faced the required 3 batters…and thanks to Rick Wynne’s dog Fenway, who has recorded the same number of MLB innings/outs as Mr. Tarpley…seriously, best wishes to Fenway…I just love any infinity sign in the record books…shout out to ASFBL newcomer Josh Mitchell, who this week will be presenting his honor’s thesis at CSUF…the topic is “modern-day moneyball” and he ran 400 simulations using 4 different management strategies…that’s doing college right…the main conclusion was that home-grown approaches seem to do the best…develop those minor leagues…

RARITIES: Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) threw a no-hitter! against Pittsburgh on the 18th, striking out 17 batters along the way. Of course, Madison Bumgarner might have done that if they’d have let him go all 9….as an even more rare feats David Peralta (Arizona) hit for the cycle on April 22….

COMMENTS: The weekly records are off a tick because they are designed for a 7-day week, but Steve Clemmons’ Marlins are killing it…tied with the Dodgers for the best NL record…Chris Zewiske’s Brewers are also on fire…8-2 over the last 10…and dead even with the actual club…I don’t even know what to say to John Weerts because I have no idea how the actual Oakland club has won 13 of 14…when I last checked the box score 7 of the hitters had batting averages below .250…3 were under .200…how do those stats add up to a win streak?….filing this under the “it’s a long season” category…the SD/LA rivalry is causing a bit of stir out here in LA…and both Rick Wynne’s Dodgers and Al Benedek’s Padres are ahead of the actual club…it’s a race to watch…top 2 WOR spots in the NL go to the aforementioned Marlins and Danny Wildes’ Braves…and I know in my heart Andy Somers is going to have the Nationals firing on all cylinders before this is over…Steve Leslie’s Bosox lead the AL East, but the Jays, Yankees, and Orioles all have plus-WOR records…keeping the pressure up…4 of 5 teams in the AL central are plus-WOR…Mike Mendoza’s Royals and Leo’s Chisox set the pace with 5 wins each…hats off to Greg Achten who has the Angels on top the the AL west and a game and a half ahead of the actual Angels…and from his in-game text messages you’d think the Angels were in last place…teams named after sock colors are first (Boston, .276) and second (Chicago, .269) in real batting average…best actual HR percentages go to the Yankees and Tigers….best control as measured by lowest walk percentages are the Twins and Rays…one more tip of the cap to Greg Acthen…the Angels have the lowest actual ERA of any ASFBL team…pretty impressive to be in first place while sitting on that stat….

FEATS AND FAILURES:

Gerrit Cole (New York (NYY)) struck out 11 batters (on 4/16/2021 against Tampa Bay) 
Tyler Naquin (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 4/16/2021 against Cleveland) 
Tucker Barnhart (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 4/16/2021 against Cleveland) 
Sandy Alcantara (Miami) struck out 11 batters (on 4/16/2021 against San Francisco) 
Brandon Woodruff (Milwaukee) struck out 14 batters (on 4/16/2021 against Pittsburgh) 
Gary Sanchez (New York (NYY)) struck out 4 times (on 4/17/2021 against Tampa Bay) 
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 13 batters (on 4/17/2021 against Cincinnati) 
Freddy Peralta (Milwaukee) struck out 11 batters (on 4/17/2021 against Pittsburgh) 
Andrew Heaney (Anaheim) struck out 12 batters (on 4/17/2021 against Minnesota) 
Yonathan Daza (Colorado)  had 5 hits (on 4/18/2021 against New York (NYM)) 
Niko Goodrum (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 4/18/2021 against Oakland) 
Ian Kennedy (Texas) struck out 13 batters (on 4/19/2021 against Anaheim) 
Luke Raley (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 4/20/2021 against Seattle) 
Luis Robert (Chicago (CWS))  hit for the cycle! (on 4/20/2021 against Cleveland) 
Rhys Hoskins (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 4/20/2021 against San Francisco) 
Alex Dickerson (San Francisco) struck out 4 times (on 4/21/2021 against Philadelphia) 
Trevor Story (Houston)  had 5 hits (on 4/21/2021 against Colorado) 
Max Scherzer (Washington) struck out 12 batters (on 4/21/2021 against St. Louis) 
José Iglesias (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 4/21/2021 against Texas) 
Carlos Rodon (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 12 batters (on 4/21/2021 against Cleveland) 
Gerrit Cole (New York (NYY)) struck out 13 batters (on 4/21/2021 against Atlanta) 
Jacob deGrom (New York (NYM)) struck out 11 batters (on 4/21/2021 against Chicago (CC)) 
Josh Rojas (Arizona) hit 7 RBI (on 4/22/2021 against Cincinnati) 
Shohei Ohtani (Anaheim) hit 6 RBI (on 4/22/2021 against Houston) 
Dustin May (Los Angeles) struck out 11 batters (on 4/22/2021 against San Diego) 
Javier Baez (Chicago (CC)) struck out 4 times (on 4/23/2021 against Milwaukee) 
Wyatt Mathisen (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 4/23/2021 against Atlanta) 
Kyle Tucker (Houston) hit 7 RBI (on 4/23/2021 against Anaheim) 
Willie Calhoun (Texas)  had 5 hits (on 4/23/2021 against Chicago (CWS)) 
Rhys Hoskins (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 4/23/2021 against Colorado) 
Trevor Rogers (Miami) struck out 11 batters (on 4/23/2021 against San Francisco) 
Sheldon Neuse (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 4/23/2021 against San Diego) 
Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 13 batters (on 4/24/2021 against Chicago (CC)) 
Gary Sanchez (New York (NYY)) struck out 4 times (on 4/24/2021 against Cleveland) 
Nick Maton (Philadelphia)  had 5 hits (on 4/24/2021 against Colorado) 
Niko Goodrum (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 4/25/2021 against Kansas City) 
Danny Duffy (Kansas City) struck out 12 batters (on 4/25/2021 against Detroit) 
Xander Bogaerts (Boston)  had 6 hits (on 4/25/2021 against Seattle) 
Rafael Devers (Boston) hit 6 RBI (on 4/25/2021 against Seattle) 
Rhys Hoskins (Philadelphia) hit 6 RBI (on 4/25/2021 against Colorado) 
Chad Wallach (Miami) struck out 4 times (on 4/25/2021 against San Francisco) 

ASFBL Opening Day 2021!!

Decorative Note: Please appreciate our opening day bunting 🙂

No Hitter! Two in actual MLB, and the ASFBL gem was thrown by Ryan Weathers (San Diego) on 4/5/2021 against San Francisco. Different guys, same team with MLB-ASFBL karma…

Comments: Congrats to Mark’s Yankees, Tim’s Twins, and Steve’s Marlins, who take the top 3 WOR spots out of the gate…bummer for the Dodgers, Bosox, and A’s…when a real team goes on a hot streak it rarely shows up in cumulative stats, and it’s hard to overcome the hot start of a real team…of course, the real teams are still 3 games ahead of the ASFBL at this point, so the numbers don’t quite add up….the best and worst newcomer performances go to…Josh Mitchell, our only entirely new owner, and he’s in a 3-team logjam for third in the AL west…which is a more competitive division than it’s been in the past…special shout-out to Rick’s Dodgers, who have the only double-digit win to start…8 trades have already been completed, two on the lineup deadline day, and both by Jim Casey…Jim’s in first…the Yerminator is hitting .475 in the ASFBL…and is still by Byron Buxton’s .481…Buxton also leads the ASFBL in homers…one-third of all his hits in MLB this year have left the park…deGrom has 5 more ASFBL strikeouts than Beiber…Beiber has pitched 7 fewer innings…Cleveland and San Francisco have the best real power numbers…look for them to adjust upward in coming weeks…Toronto has the best real-ERA of any fantasy team…it’s under 2.00…the AL East has no team under .500…Philly had a tough start but split 2 with the Mets, who currently lead the division…and are likely to stay competitive right up to the point deGrom’s arm falls off…Dodgers and Twins were both undefeated in inter-league play…

Reminder: Be sure to set the rotation in addition to naming your starters…updating them on the roster page doesn’t assign them to starts…you can do all this automatically by clicking the link on the rotation page, if you wish.

Feats and Failures:

Gerrit Cole (New York (NYY)) struck out 11 batters (on 4/1/2021 against Toronto) 
Akil Baddoo (Detroit) struck out 5 times (on 4/1/2021 against Cleveland) 
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 4/1/2021 against Detroit) 
Willson Contreras (Chicago (CC)) struck out 4 times (on 4/1/2021 against Pittsburgh) 
Alec Bohm (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 4/1/2021 against Atlanta) 
Tyler Glasnow (Tampa Bay) struck out 13 batters (on 4/1/2021 against Miami) 
Jacob deGrom (New York (NYM)) struck out 15 batters (on 4/1/2021 against Washington) 
Carlos Rodon (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 11 batters (on 4/1/2021 against Anaheim) 
Evan Longoria (San Francisco)  had 5 hits (on 4/1/2021 against Seattle) 
Zach McKinstry (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 4/2/2021 against Colorado) 
Pavin Smith (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 4/2/2021 against San Diego) 
Victor Caratini (San Diego) struck out 4 times (on 4/2/2021 against Arizona) 
Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 11 batters (on 4/3/2021 against Minnesota) 
Mike Trout (Anaheim)  had 5 hits (on 4/3/2021 against Chicago (CWS)) 
Austin Dean (St. Louis) struck out 4 times (on 4/4/2021 against Cincinnati) 
Byron Buxton (Minnesota) hit 8 RBI (on 4/4/2021 against Milwaukee) 
Dom Nunez (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 4/4/2021 against Los Angeles) 
Dustin May (Los Angeles) struck out 12 batters (on 4/4/2021 against Colorado) 
Renato Nunez (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 4/5/2021 against Minnesota) 
Justin Turner (Los Angeles) hit 8 RBI (on 4/5/2021 against Oakland) 
Justin Turner (Los Angeles)  had 5 hits (on 4/5/2021 against Oakland) 
Jonathan Villar (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 4/6/2021 against Philadelphia) 
Jacob deGrom (New York (NYM)) struck out 13 batters (on 4/6/2021 against Philadelphia) 
Steven Matz (Toronto) struck out 11 batters (on 4/6/2021 against Texas) 
Mark Canha (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 4/6/2021 against Los Angeles) 
Trevor Bauer (Los Angeles) struck out 14 batters (on 4/6/2021 against Oakland) 
Jorge Soler (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 4/7/2021 against Cleveland) 
Danny Duffy (Kansas City) struck out 11 batters (on 4/7/2021 against Cleveland) 
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 12 batters (on 4/7/2021 against Kansas City) 
Joe Musgrove (San Diego) struck out 11 batters (on 4/7/2021 against San Francisco) 
Jose Berrios (Minnesota) struck out 11 batters (on 4/8/2021 against Seattle) 
Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 11 batters (on 4/8/2021 against St. Louis) 
Zach McKinstry (Los Angeles) struck out 4 times (on 4/9/2021 against Washington) 
Wade Miley (Cincinnati) struck out 12 batters (on 4/9/2021 against Arizona) 
Zack Collins (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 4/10/2021 against Kansas City) 
Aaron Civale (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 4/10/2021 against Detroit) 
Tucker Barnhart (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 4/10/2021 against Arizona) 
Anthony Bemboom (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 4/11/2021 against Toronto) 
Jacob deGrom (New York (NYM)) struck out 12 batters (on 4/11/2021 against Miami) 
Carlos Rodon (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 11 batters (on 4/11/2021 against Kansas City) 
Brandon Woodruff (Milwaukee) struck out 11 batters (on 4/11/2021 against St. Louis) 
Trea Turner (Washington) struck out 4 times (on 4/11/2021 against Los Angeles) 
Huascar Ynoa (Atlanta) struck out 11 batters (on 4/11/2021 against Philadelphia) 
Rhys Hoskins (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 4/11/2021 against Atlanta) 
Bo Bichette (Toronto) struck out 4 times (on 4/12/2021 against New York (NYY)) 
Victor Robles (Washington)  had 5 hits (on 4/12/2021 against St. Louis) 
Kyle Isbel (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 4/12/2021 against Anaheim) 
Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 12 batters (on 4/12/2021 against Chicago (CWS)) 
Cavan Biggio (Toronto) struck out 4 times (on 4/13/2021 against New York (NYY)) 
Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 11 batters (on 4/13/2021 against Chicago (CC)) 
Javier Baez (Chicago (CC)) struck out 4 times (on 4/13/2021 against Milwaukee) 
Jake Cave (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 4/14/2021 against Boston) 
Jose Trevino (Texas)  had 5 hits (on 4/15/2021 against Tampa Bay) 

World Series results: Braves are the champs!

The Chisox were on a white-hot tear and hadn’t lost a single playoff game going into the series…where they traded gut-punches for the first 3 games, losing in a game they allowed 10, winning while scoring 9, losing while giving up 8. In a decisive game 4, the Braves got 7 scoreless innings out of the bullpen combination of Minter, Dayton, and Webb, and in the final game of the series Fried out-dueled Keuchel 2-1…of owners with 1,000 games, Leo Leckie has the 3rd best winning percentage all-time, behind only Rick Wynne and Micahel Gortenburg…He’s been in the league since 1994, won it all in 2008, has been in the top 10 of either WOR or the playoffs for every year since 2004…turned in a +29 WOR in his second year in the league…he’s been a great friend for 3 decades and there is no way I could do this without him…great year for a great guy.

Danny Wildes is our new champ! He’s got 100 more wins than losses lifetime…this is is 14th season and he’s only getting better…after making the playoffs in 3 of his first 6 years he’s been in top-WOR spots or the playoffs for 7 of the past 8 seasons…after enduring through a truly wretched Atlanta team in 2016 (actual team had 69 wins) he turned the corner, posted 99 wins in 2018 and 2019 and won it all this year! His 42 wins gave him a stunning 70% win percentage this year and he made 2 early trades that netted him DJ LaMahieu who scored half the runs in the final game…great to have Danny in the league for so long, and great to see him do so well. Good luck defending your title next year, Danny!

That’s a wrap on the season…thanks to all of your for patience and energy during the strangest season this league or the real one has ever seen. I’m excited that the new system has made such progress and it will be awfully fun to play things out for an entire schedule next year. Thanks for helping me pass the time during the lockdown, and let’s enjoy the rest of the playoffs MLB has for us. See you all next spring!

LCS results 2020

NL: PADRE MAGIC RUNS OUT

After dropping game one 2-1, the Padres exploded for 16 runs in game #2. But the Atlanta bats averaged better than 5 runs over the final 3 games and the bullpen tandem of Minter and Webb combined for 4 hitless innings in game five. Acuna Jr. knocked in 2 on a homer and DJ Mathieu had 3 hits in the leadoff spot to pace the Braves in the clincher. Al Benedek started the league in 2000 and promptly won division titles in 2 of his first 3 years. He took a 3 year hiatus between 2015-17, and just finished his 17th ASFBL season. Since returning to take the Padres in 2018 he’s finished in the top-10 WOR or made the playoffs for each of 3 years in a very tough division. It’s great to see such an ASFBL long-timer turn in one of his best seasons, notch an impressive series win against a historically good opponent, and push all the way to the final four. Glad you returned to the league, Al, and looking forward to seeing you next year!

AL: TWIN MAGIC RUNS OUT

With the actual Minnesota club facing epic playoff droughts, Tim got his team past two playoff rounds. The Twins scored in every game and never allowed more than 6 runs, but the Chisox juggernaut was too much; Yolmer Sanchez set the tone with 3 homers in the first game of the series and Leo’s crew never looked back. Tim Walsh is a true Minnesotan who’s been in the league since 1998 and but for a quick trip to San Diego in 1999 has skippered the hometown Twins for the duration. Over the years he’s added two division titles to this, his third League Championship appearance. A clever manager, he improved on his actual team 5 of his first 6 years in the league. He usually keeps the bulk of the Twin roster in tact and uses subtle lineup changes and pitching maneuvers to keep the group competitive. I still have fond memories of meeting Tim, his son, Leo and Rick at spring training in Phoenix. Thanks for representing your team so well for so long, Tim, and I’ve really enjoyed sharing some baseball with you!

WORLD SERIES PREVIEW

After tough seasons with Kansas City and Detroit, where he put up good WOR numbers but missed the playoffs, Leo is competing for what would be his second World Series championship after winning it all in 2008. Danny Wildes made the LCS in his second year in the league with the Padres in 2007 and after taking this Brave team to the playoffs for three years he’s ridden the success to his first World Series appearance. Enjoy this, guys, it’s been a nutso year but these World Series games are hard to come by — send me an email as soon as you have your lineups in. Home field advantage has been a bit of a beast to figure out this year, but the Braves have both the higher original seed and the better regular-season record, so they enjoy home field advantage. Good luck to both teams, and we’ll wrap this up no later than Wednesday!

DCS results!

PADRES NUDGE DODGERS

The Dodgers dropped the first game and then won 3 of the next 4 before the Wunderkid Padres snuck past in the last 2. Rick Wynne is a league fixture, the all-time winningest manager by about 500 games, highest lifetime winning percentage for anyone with more than one season, has made the playoffs for 23 straight seasons, six World Series appearances and three championships. There’s little doubt he’s the best manager in league history, and if there is ever an ASFBL Hall of Fame he’s entry #1. More than all that, he’s got a calm demeanor, a big heart, a great singing voice, and I genuinely believes he makes trades designed to make both teams better. It really seemed like he was destined to take it all this year, but sometimes the random numbers don’t come up in your favor. He’s made more sage and friendly suggestions to improve the game than anyone. Thanks for another great year, Rick!

BRAVES SWEEP

The mighty Atlanta pitching held the Cubbies to no more than a single run in any game, and the bats showed up enough to keep the leads comfortable. Gordon is part of the Leckie Family Dynasty and has 300 more wins than losses over 26 seasons. He won it all with the Chisox in 1995 and is a Chicago guy down to his bones. He’s made the playoffs 12 times including this year and has finished in plus-WOR ground 7 of the last 8 seasons. I’m just sayin’, 11 years before I had my son and 9 years before I got married I’ve known Gordie…the baseball ties that bind are strong. Looking forward to next year, Gordie!

ORIOLES PUSH THE TWINS TO 7!

Baltimore was the only non-MLB-playoff standing in the final 8, and they wouldn’t go without a fight. They made it to game 7 when the bats finally ran out of gas and they lost 3-0 when Buxton hit a 2-run homer and the Twins never relinquished the lead. Mark Chen has turned in 18 ASFBL seasons and over 2,700 games…he made the playoffs in 2 of his first 10 years but 6 of his last 8, including the World Series in 2017 and a WOR championship in 2018. This was an inspiring season as Mark got more out of less than any other owner. Thanks for your time in the league, Mark, and looking forward to another season with Orioles next year!

CHISOX SWEEP

The White Sox pitching core held the Jays to 3 runs in 4 games, including 3 straight shutouts. That ended a great season for John MacDonald, who finished his 16th ASFBL season. More than any other owner he’s been in and out of the league and skippered 8 different teams…while Mark Chen has been with Baltimore throughout, Johnny Mac is just a fan of the game…he won it all in 2006 and has been in the top-8 WOR spots four times…he’s getting better with time and has been in plus-WOR territory for 8 of the last 9 years. Don’t know what team will catch your fancy next year, John, but I’m glad you’ll be at their helm.

LCS is up next; Chisox at Twins, Braves at Padres (this year, the higher seed and not the better record determine home field). Owners, please get me your lineups by Friday night. Good luck to our final four!

2020 playoffs: Wildcard results!

Before getting into the ASFBL results, let’s reflect on the craziness of actual MLB: The Twins have lost 18 consecutive playoff games, the Reds went 22 innings without scoring, and the mighty Miami Marlins have literally never lost a playoff series. Things I couldn’t simulate if I wanted to! Here’s how the ASFBL went:

MILWAUKEE TAKES THE DODGERS THE DISTANCE: No fun being the #8 seed and having to take on the team with the best record in the league, but Bret Anderson beat the playoff-snakebitten Clayton Kershaw 2-1 in game one and they took a 2-1 series lead by walking off in 11 innings in game 3. But the Dodgers put up 11 runs over the next 2 games and clinched at home 4-1. Chris Zewiske has a lifetime winning record and has made the playoffs 3 of the last 4 years…he’s finished in the top 3-WOR places 3 times and including a +14 in his second year in the league…and he’s been in the league since 2001. He’s finished better than the actual club three times as often as he’s fallen behind them…Chris is just a great ASFBLer with 19 seasons in the league; great work for a great guy!

PITTSBURGH PUSHES THE BRAVES: After taking a 6-5 loss in game 1 the Pirates shows some fight and beat the Braves 7-2, tying the series up and giving them a combined 12-8 scoring advantage over the first 2 games. The Braves pitching then clamped down and held the Bucs to 1 run over the next 18 innings, with 3 pitchers combining for a 5-hit shutout in the clincher. Mike Mendoza, in true Bull Durham fashion, announced is presence in the league with authority and had a heckuva run as a rookie owner, with his +WOR figure especially impressive. Here’s looking to a long and successful ASFBL run, Mike!

CUBS OUTLAST THE REDS: Neither team advanced in real life and something had to give; both ASFBL teams substantially out-performed their MLB counterparts. The Cubs took the first 2 games before the Reds shut them down for 2 runs over the next 2 games to even the series. The crucial final game was in Cincinnati, but an upward-adjusting Sonny Gray was out-dueled by Yu Darvis and by the time Wade Miley pitched 3 scoreless innings to close it out the damage was done and the Cubs advanced. Raph Malveaux has one of the highest scrabble-value last names in league history, had 6 top-8 WOR finishes in his first 16 seasons including first place with +30 in 2015, and is a Red guy to his core never having managed anyone else. He’s a frequent facebooker and, well, a guy with 16 seasons under his belt. Looking forward to having you back at the Cincinnati helm in 2021!

OLD-SCHOOL SERIES GOES TO THE PADRES: In the only real offensive display of the series Adam’s Phils scored 8 runs in the first game. Neither team scores more than 3 in any other game but the Padres had the small ball game down in the closest-seeded series in the NL. Adam Symonds took a team from a city he hasn’t lived in for the first time this year…he’s ahd more double-digit positive WOR seasons (7) than total negative WORs (3)…he won his division in his first season (2003) and never looked back and capped a 3-season playoff run between 2013 and 2015 with a series championship. A good guy having a tough health run, the posts of he and his daughter are a constant bright spot. He didn’t advance this week, but he was able to use the phrase “Ellie, can you get me another beer?” for the first time. We should all be so lucky as we age. Adam is a great baseball fan and a better friend.

NLDS: Dodgers host Padres, Braves host Cubs.

JAYS UPSET REIGNING CHAMPS! Having won one more playoff game than the actual Indians, the Indian hitters slammed into a Ryu-shaped wall in game 4 after getting taking a 1-0 loss in game 3. One pitch decided game 3 as the only run scored was a solo shot by Alejandro Kirk. Steven Skrovan is an A+ guy who has had an enviable media career in that most all of his work has had both integrity and success — a professional comedy writer, his daily facebook recaps of lockdown days (we’re on 200, I think) are worth the effort. A native Clevelander, he can also tell you the off days and travel schedule of the Indians at any point in the season. And as a testament to his generosity, he usually shares a seat in the Cleveland owner’s box with me every time the club rolls through Anaheim. This is his 9th year in the league and after 5 campaigns with little success he’s made the playoffs for 5 straight years. Another great one, Steve!

TWINS BREAK THE CURSE: Tim Walsh did what the actual club hasn’t been able to do in 18 tries and not only won a game but the series. The Astros took a 1-game lead before the Twin Hitters took over, and they broke through in a big way for a 14-3 game 4 win that had 5 different players homer. Jim Casey literally saved this league from extinction in the early 2000s by pushing me forward when I was ready to throw in the towel, and materially contributing to making the league happen. He’s been in the league since 1995 — that’s 25 seasons — and in the playoffs for each of the last 4. He’s been in the world series twice and won the WOR championship with the Cubs and passed 100 wins on three occasions. Jim is they kind of guy that forms the backbone of the ASFBL, and it’s been great having him, his good nature, and his sense of humor this season. Congrats on a great year, Jim!

BALTIMORE BESTS ANAHEIM IN A SERIES OF OVERACHIEVERS: Winning the first game was a curves in the ALWS, and the Angels rode Jacob deGrom’s afrm to a 4-2 game 1 win on the road. The Baltimore bullpen out-did Andrew Haney in game 4 as the top seed advanced. I have seen more baseball games in person with Greg Acthen than any other person on the planet, he sends me books about baseball out of the blue that shape my thinking about life, and we can share 1-word jokes about something that happened 10 years ago without missing a beat. He is the only league owner who has twice faced the question: Can you use a pitcher who is still under his real IP but is now deceased? Life demands and hobby interest wax and wane, but Greg has been a fixture in the league since 1999 and was the 2012 league champ. I’m really glad he came back for another year.

CHISOX ADVANCE IN 4-5 MATCHUP: The Yankees became the 4th of 4 AL playoff teams to win game 1 and lose the series…after winning game one 7-6 they didn’t get their bats working until game 4, and in that contest the Chisox got to Chad Green for 4 tuns in 5 hits. Codi Heuer got a 2-inning close-out that didn’t register as a save. Mark Yee ranks 5th in all-time ASFBL wins with 2,034 and he only trails me, Leo, and Rick Wynne. One of the very first to sign up for the league, I can still remember his envelope arriving with the registration info back in 1992; by 1996 he was the league champ. He’s made the playoffs with 6 different teams, and has managed over 4,000 ASFBL games. Literally the only bowling results I follow at all are Mark’s posts on facebook, and I’ll take him over Jesus Quintana any time. He’s been in the league for more years than the combined ages of my children. He’s a fixture in the league, and it was great to have him back for a 28th year.

WRAPPING UP

ALDS: Toronto steals the top seed and hosts the Chisox; The Twins host Baltimore. Only one upset in the NL but with the top 2 seeds gone the AL is wide open! Next set of series are 7 games. I’ll get the schedule entered by tomorrow and ask the owners to submit lineups by Tuesday…next series is 7 games, and by this time next week we should be crowning a new league champ.

Newsletter for games through 9-28: End of regular season

Here we go with the playoffs in the first season in MLB to conclude without a single fan interference call! Below are the seedings and notes; observe that seeds 1-3 go to the division champs, 4-6 go to the second place teams, and 7 and 8 go to the wildcards.

ITEMS OF NOTE

Top WOR finishes for a teams not in the playoffs are to Ben Leckie of Arizona, Pat Walsh of the Tigers, and Ben Brockreide of the Rangers. None of the those actual teams was very good and all these managers did good work with a short hand. Special kudos to Pat who was also a first-year owner. This league can take some getting used to, so congrats to Gary and Steve for staying competitive until the end — each club scratched out wins in the final week and all games mattered given how tight the races were. Finally, congrats to Andy of the Nats, who finished strong (4-1) and was in a 3-way tie for the last spot out in the NL. In the AL, Alan and his Rays deserve notice for a strong finish and climbing to within one game of the final spot, and ditto to John and the Athletics who gained 2 games in the final week but came up 1 game short of the second spot in the AL West. Long-timers Hugh Brown and Jeremy Moore had tough seasons but each was competitive with their actual clubs. And another great time with Steve Leslie, Josh Clark, and Rob Perkins, who are always a pleasure to interact with during the season.

Finally, I just want to thank everyone for sticking with this and with me through the end. This season was truly an experiment and between the cancellations, makeups, lack of AAA players, new sim, record-DL moves and general chaos this was an ASFBL season like no other, and you’ve all made it a lot of fun for me and helped make it better. Final technical note; the “weekly” stats count back 7 days and this week had an extra day, so the Monday games aren’t counted in the weekly numbers on the standings but are, of course, counted in the overall win totals.

NL DIVISION WINNERS

Seed #1: Dodgers (46 wins). Finished with a strong 4-1, kept alive Rick’s streak of positive-WOR finishes, and had the best regular-season record.

Seed #2: Braves (42 wins). 70% win percentage is no joke, it’s 10 points better than Danny’s best finish ever, and that Braves club has some players on it.

Seed #3: Reds (34 wins). It means something to win a division where 4 teams make the playoffs and Raph finished with a good week….great cap to his 15th season…

NL SECOND-PLACE TEAMS

Seed #4: Padres (36 wins). This is the feel good team of the season and one Al Benedek has captained to strong WOR finishes each of the last 2 years…dangerous in any 5-game series.

Seed #5: Phillies (35 wins). Adam Symonds always makes his teams better, and in this case 7 games better over only a 60-game span. It’s his first playoff appearance since he won it all in 2015…

Seed #6: Cubs (32 wins). Gordon…good to see a Chicago guy manage this team into the playoffs…3rd appearance for Gordie at the head of the Cubs in the last 4 years.

NL WILD CARD

Seed #7: Pirates (29 wins). Up and down week but Mike nudged to the front of the wildcard pack…completed 2 trades with the Phillies, including the last of the year, and added Gurriel from the Astros. Phenomenal first-year finish.

Seed #8: Brewers (28 wins). It’s not how good you were over the season, it’s how hot you are in September/October, and the Brewers were 7-3 over the last 10…Chris has been in the league since 2001 and has a lifetime above-.500 record…been with the Brewers since 2002, and this is his 3rd playoff trip in 4 years.

AL DIVISION WINNERS

Seed #1: Cleveland (37 wins). First place and top seed thanks to a 5-game flip in the standings on the last week…hard to finish better than that. Strong lead-in for the returning champ.

Seed #2: Houston (35 wins). Finished on a 5-0 run and winning 8 of the last 10…traded for Clevinger but he’s had enough pitching so far.

Seed #3: Baltimore (32 wins). Mark is simply having a great year in a tough division…stumbled over the last week a little but still finished +7 WOR.

AL SECOND PLACE

Seed #4: Chisox (35 wins). Tough finish for Leo but if you were looking to adjust up you’d rather do it in the playoffs than the final week. All his trades this year were with teams from Los Angeles; goes into the playoffs with Tommy LaStella.

Seed #5: Yankees (31 wins, better intra-divisional record than Toronto). Biting and clawing into the playoffs and finishing with 14 wins over the last 20 games, Mark Yee nudged the Jays by a single within-division game. Pulled the trigger on 3 trades in the first week and then stood pat…and the formula payed off as the season went on.

Seed #6: Angels (28 wins). This team collapsed in real life but Greg had them at +2 WOR and the division was wide-open…didn’t have the strongest finish but won 12 of the last 20 and held off a charging Oakland team…active right up until the trade deadline and added some pitching, which could be key in the shorter series.

AL WILDCARD

Seed #7: Twins (34 wins). A step behind the actual club but enter the playoffs with a winning record over the past 10 games…held a good hand and goes into the playoffs fully stocked with actual Twins, and is riding in on his second consecutive playoff appearance…Tim’s been in the ASFBL since the last century.

Seed #8: Toronto (31 wins). Life, taxes, and Johnny Mac…always around fantasy sports, always doing good things with his teams. Held off a charging Rays team and came within 1 intra-divisional game of 2d place and only 2 games from first place outright.

PLAYOFF NOTES AND RULES

In all games, the higher seed is the home team and its 1 vs 8, 2 vs 7, 3 vs 6, and 4 vs 5. You can review the playoff rules, but as a quick review the WCS series are best-of-5 games, the DCS, LCS, and World Series are all best-of-7. Stats and overuse figures are now frozen; adjustments continue. You can use a 3-starter rotation, and all games have the DH.

I’ll enter the series today and all lineups are due by Friday at midnight (your time; as usual, courtesy changes are accepted until I wake up Saturday morning). I’ll run the games as soon as I can over the weekend adjusting for my high school senior’s SAT exam (or its probable cancellation) and making sure the new sim knows what to do with playoff stats. We’ll anticipate results by Sunday, and we generally take lineups every 2-3 days from the winners.

Let the playoffs begin! Good luck to all the remaining teams!

Newsletter for games through 9-20-20

ON MOURNING

Just taking a moment to reflect on life, baseball, and everything. A few of us have posted on email how this baseball season seems…distant? Hollow? I was struck that as I was reading those emails yesterday the LA Times re-posted on ESPN a column on almost exactly the same topic (headline in the same section today: “Why can’t the Angels win?”) but it was based on the players’ perspective. My own thought, which is slightly more hopeful, is that it definitely feels different but I still put the day games on the tablet next to my computer so I can follow along…I like opening the baseball app on my phone to take my mind off whatever misery is playing across the evening news on my TV. Baseball is still something I enjoy following and thinking about. Anyway, Andy is right, and both the 2020 MLB and ASFBL seasons are best thought of as experiments, but I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for sticking with it and giving me a much-needed distraction in a crazy time.

COMMENTS AND UPDATES

As a coding note, the feedback you all sent me did help me find a bug in the longevity calculations…basically, in some situations it vaulted guys (who weren’t) into max-starter pitch count limits…fix will appear next week…Mike Mendoza has the best win percentage of any newcomer, and a very impressive +10 WOR…that’s first place in the ASFBL…Gary and Pat also have positive-WOR figures in their first year in the league….Steve’s Miami club was 4-2 on the week and is .500 in a very competitive division…St. Louis actually has the best record in the NL central over the last 30 games…The Dodgers keep rolling, and Rick is back to +3 WOR with one week to go…Danny’s Braves are the juggernaut to challenge the Dodgers; they’ve got the second-best record in the ASFBL and their current win percentage is Danny’s all-time best…the Padres and Phillies have also been strong over the last 30…the Yankees continue to charge in AL East and the Rays put together another winning week…they’re 1.5 behind Toronto, but they gained 2 games last week…Baltimore and their +7 WOR continue to hold the top of the division…The top 4 teams in the AL central are all within 2 games of their actual team performance…Leo’s holding the top spot with the Chisox, Tim gained the most ground this week with the Twins, and returning champ Steve has the best WOR in the group…the AL west is absolutely fascinating; the second-place team will make the playoffs and will almost certainly do so with a losing record …Greg’s Angels and John’s A’s are locked up for the second spot…Angels finish against the Padres and Dodgers, A’s finish with the Dodgers and Mariners…and hats off to both, since it would have been easy to mail it in for both of them…the second AL wildcard spot has 27 wins right now, and five teams have 23 wins or more…those teams gotta run the table, but two teams in the AL had 5 wins last week…quick summary of the NL wildcard situation: literally every team is not only in the running but within 2 games of the second spot…breaking out my tiebreaker abacus right now…near this old monopoly game…the ouija board…old TI 99 computer…you know what? I’m just gonna use the ouija board….

FEATS AND FAILURES

Tyler Stephenson (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 9/14/2020 against Pittsburgh)
Nick Tropeano (Pittsburgh) struck out 15 batters (on 9/14/2020 against Cincinnati)
Giancarlo Stanton (Washington) struck out 4 times (on 9/15/2020 against Tampa Bay)
Alex Avila (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 9/15/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Dansby Swanson (Atlanta) struck out 5 times (on 9/16/2020 against Baltimore)
Chance Sisco (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2020 against Atlanta)
Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2020 against Baltimore)
Ian Anderson (Atlanta) struck out 11 batters (on 9/16/2020 against Baltimore)
Wilson Ramos (New York (NYM)) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2020 against Philadelphia)
Aaron Nola (Philadelphia) struck out 11 batters (on 9/16/2020 against New York (NYM))
Dane Dunning (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 11 batters (on 9/16/2020 against Minnesota)
Anthony Bemboom (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 9/16/2020 against Arizona)
Kenta Maeda (Minnesota) struck out 11 batters (on 9/17/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Gio Gonzalez (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 11 batters (on 9/17/2020 against Minnesota)
Tyler Glasnow (Tampa Bay) struck out 11 batters (on 9/17/2020 against Baltimore)
Cameron Maybin (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 9/17/2020 against Cleveland)
Mike Clevinger (Houston) struck out 11 batters (on 9/17/2020 against Texas)
Yoan Moncada (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 9/18/2020 against Cincinnati)
Tyler Stephenson (Cincinnati) struck out 5 times (on 9/18/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Jake Cave (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 9/18/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Jared Walsh (Anaheim) struck out 4 times (on 9/18/2020 against Texas)
Kevin Gausman (San Francisco) struck out 12 batters (on 9/18/2020 against Oakland)
Zach Plesac (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 9/19/2020 against Detroit)
Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 16 batters (on 9/19/2020 against Kansas City)
Justin Turner (Los Angeles) had 5 hits (on 9/19/2020 against Colorado)
Rafael Devers (Chicago (CC)) struck out 4 times (on 9/19/2020 against Minnesota)
Jose Berrios (Minnesota) struck out 11 batters (on 9/19/2020 against Chicago (CC))
Eric Hosmer (San Diego) had 5 hits (on 9/19/2020 against Seattle)
DJ Stewart (Baltimore) struck out 4 times (on 9/20/2020 against Tampa Bay)
Luis Castillo (Cincinnati) struck out 13 batters (on 9/20/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
Maikel Franco (New York (NYY)) hit 8 RBI (on 9/20/2020 against Boston)
Kyle Lewis (Seattle) struck out 4 times (on 9/20/2020 against San Diego

Newsletter for games through 9-13-20

SCHEDULE TWEAKS

The Pittsburg-St. Louis series that was cancelled earlier this year will be made up with one game on 9/18 and two games the day after the last regularly scheduled game of the year on 9/28. MLB scheduled that double-header on 8/27, but we’ve bumped it to the end of the season since that should have the least impact on the overuse issues. And also because I forgot to make the change on August 27.

BIG GAME

Dakota Hudson (St. Louis) threw a no-hitter on 9/11/2020 against Cincinnati…no help with great plays on defense and no errors…struck out 13 and only walked two…strange karma to throw your best on 9-11 and get 13 strikeouts on an Friday…

COMMENTARY

Rick Wynne ran the table in the NL West and is now +2 WOR…as of now, his streak of never having hit negative WOR is in tact…he also has a 5 game lead over the Padres and the best record in the ASFBL…and those Padres were 5-2…but the best job in that division might be Ben Leckie who has the Dbacks 5.5 games over the actual club…newcomer Gary Ruud seems to have caught the hang of things and is now within 2 games of the actual Giants…Atlanta and Philly are racing in the NL East, with Danny Wildes getting the better of the division this week and inching out by another game…He’s 8-2 over the last 10, tied with the Dodgers…Danny has made the playoffs 6 of the last 7 years, turned in consecutive 99 win seasons, and actually skippered the Phillies (who are now chasing him) between 2009-2012…Raph has turned the Reds into a big machine, but Gordon Leckie‘s Cubs and Jeremy Moore’s Cards each gained ground this week…Raph is having a phenomenal season but Gordon could catch him…in fact, every team in the NL central had a winning record this week except for the Reds…that rushing sound you hear from the AL East are Alan Minsky’s Rays and Mark Yee’s Yankees charging toward the top of the division…but right now Mark Chen has the Orioles in the top spot by virtue of a +7.5 WOR…and is the only owner in the East to be in positive territory other than Steve Leslie’s Bosox…Leo Leckie rounds out the Leckie family sweep with the top spot in the AL Central and the best record in the senior circuit…he’s in a dogfight with Steven Skrovan who has the Indians 3 games up on the real club, the only AL central team who’s ahead of the actual team…Jim Casey’s Astros lead the west, but this week went to Ben Brockreide’s Rangers, who went 6-1 and immediately turned from also-rans to serious contenders for that last wildcard spot…as things stand now, Tim Walsh’s Twins have a solid bead on the top AL wildcard spot, but 8 teams have between 20 and 22 wins and are vying for the final playoff berth…in the NL the logjam is tighter and literally every single team has a shot at the wildcards…all 9 teams who aren’t in first or second have between 18 and 23 wins, so one big week could swing it all…oddity of the week: The Twins are only 16-18 within their division but are 11-3 in inter-league play…road takeout must be tastier than home cooking…

FEATS AND FAILURES

• Shane Bieber (Cleveland) struck out 11 batters (on 9/7/2020 against Kansas City)
• Stephen Piscotty (Oakland) struck out 4 times (on 9/7/2020 against Houston)
• Christian Walker (Arizona) struck out 4 times (on 9/7/2020 against San Francisco)
• Manuel Margot (Tampa Bay) struck out 4 times (on 9/8/2020 against Washington)
• Miguel Rojas (Miami)  had 5 hits (on 9/8/2020 against Atlanta)
• Garrett Cooper (Miami) hit 6 RBI (on 9/8/2020 against Atlanta)
• Lewis Brinson (Miami) hit 6 RBI (on 9/8/2020 against Atlanta)
• Lewis Brinson (Miami)  had 5 hits (on 9/8/2020 against Atlanta)
• Corbin Burnes (Milwaukee) struck out 13 batters (on 9/8/2020 against Detroit)
• Miguel Sano (Minnesota) struck out 4 times (on 9/8/2020 against St. Louis)
• Joey Gallo (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 9/8/2020 against Anaheim)
• Jacob deGrom (Anaheim) struck out 12 batters (on 9/8/2020 against Texas)
• Anderson Tejeda (Texas) struck out 4 times (on 9/8/2020 against Anaheim)
• Erick Mejia (Kansas City) struck out 4 times (on 9/9/2020 against Cleveland)
• Patrick Corbin (New York (NYY)) struck out 11 batters (on 9/9/2020 against Toronto)
• Yoan Moncada (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 9/9/2020 against Pittsburgh)
• Sixto Sanchez (Miami) struck out 12 batters (on 9/9/2020 against Atlanta)
• Ian Anderson (Atlanta) struck out 11 batters (on 9/9/2020 against Miami)
• Cameron Maybin (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 9/9/2020 against Milwaukee)
• Willi Castro (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 9/9/2020 against Milwaukee)
• Dinelson Lamet (San Diego) struck out 11 batters (on 9/9/2020 against Colorado)
• Curt Casali (Cincinnati) struck out 4 times (on 9/9/2020 against Chicago (CC))
• Blake Snell (Tampa Bay) struck out 14 batters (on 9/10/2020 against Boston)
• Mike Kickham (Boston) struck out 14 batters (on 9/10/2020 against Tampa Bay)
• Aaron Nola (Philadelphia) struck out 12 batters (on 9/10/2020 against Miami)
• Trevor Bauer (Cincinnati) struck out 16 batters (on 9/10/2020 against Chicago (CC))
• Dakota Hudson (St. Louis) struck out 13 batters (on 9/11/2020 against Cincinnati)
• James McCann (Chicago (CWS)) hit 6 RBI (on 9/12/2020 against Detroit)
• Eloy Jimenez (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 4 times (on 9/12/2020 against Detroit)
• Franmil Reyes (Cleveland) struck out 4 times (on 9/12/2020 against Minnesota)
• Adam Duvall (Atlanta) struck out 4 times (on 9/13/2020 against Washington)
• Max Scherzer (Washington) struck out 12 batters (on 9/13/2020 against Atlanta)
• Deivi Garcia (New York (NYY)) struck out 13 batters (on 9/13/2020 against Baltimore)
• Ke’Bryan Hayes (Philadelphia) struck out 4 times (on 9/13/2020 against Miami)
• Lucas Giolito (Chicago (CWS)) struck out 11 batters (on 9/13/2020 against Detroit)
• Willi Castro (Detroit) struck out 4 times (on 9/13/2020 against Chicago (CWS))
• Matt Kemp (Colorado) struck out 4 times (on 9/13/2020 against Anaheim)
• Jacob deGrom (Anaheim) struck out 11 batters (on 9/13/2020 against Colorado)