The One-ders — Baseball Bench Coach

Probably my favorite movie of all-time is “That Thing You Do!”, a film featuring a fictional 1960s pop band who had a hit song of the same name. Tom Hanks stars in the movie as the band’s manager; it was also Hanks’ directorial debut. The band was one of many during the 1960s that had a hit song which rose to the top of the radio charts, but was never heard from again. One of the funny moments early in the band’s rise was when it was introduced as the “Oh-needers” by someone who didn’t get the pun of its name, the “One-ders” (Wonders). During the first half of the MLB season, there have been several teams and players whose early success have been surprising. Are they one-hit wonders or here to stay?

First stop, the AL East. With the Tampa Bay Rays winning the AL in the shortened season last year, it may be odd to put them in the surprising category. Each offseason it seems that the Rays trade away a star player due to the organization’s salary constraints (this time the Rays dealt its #1 starter, Blake Snell, to the Padres), but somehow they find a way to be at the top of the standings. Picked as a fourth place finisher in the AL East behind the Yankees, Red Sox, and Blue Jays, Tampa Bay is currently in a tight race with Boston. Last year’s playoff sensation, Randy Arozarena, appears to be more than a one-year wonder as he contributes at the plate (10 HRs and 38 RBIs) and in the field. Division rival Toronto clearly has more than a one-year wonder in its budding superstar, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Vlad’s stardom was of course predicted given his pedigree. Yet, I’m not sure anyone had him as a Triple Crown candidate this early, a current .339 batting average with 26 HRs and 64 RBIs.

It’s difficult for me to get excited about the AL West. I just can’t find a way yet to praise or even follow the Astros. One team though that continues to shine outside the national spotlight is the Oakland A’s. With a poor start to the season (losing their first six games), Oakland seemed destined for a mediocre 2021. The A’s turned their season around in June by winning 13 of their first 15 games. Oakland is right on the heels of Houston, and is doing so with a roster lacking household names. One player does stand out, third baseman Matt Olson. Olson has always flashed his glove, winning the AL Gold Glove in his 2018 rookie season and adding another one in 2019. This year his power and clutch hitting have propelled the A’s, contributing 53 RBIs as one of the major league leaders. Olson continues to “do that thing he does” without many recognizing his contributions.

The Central is the division I love to follow in the AL. The surprise team has been the Cleveland Indians. I thought losing shortstop Francisco Lindor to the Mets in the offseason would be the straw that breaks the Indians’ decades-long success. Yet, the Cleveland starting pitcher trio of AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber (and his 150 Ks), Zach Plesac, and surprising Aaron Civale (leading the AL with 10 wins), has kept a struggling Indians offense in the race. With all 3 pitchers on the IL now, the division crown is probably headed to Chicago. The White Sox lost stud outfielders Eloy Jiminez and Luis Robert to injury early, but were bolstered by the big bat of rookie Yermin Mercedes. Mercedes won the AL Rookie Player of April Award with a blistering start. The “Yerminator” struggled in the minor leagues for 10 seasons before getting his big league opportunity. The White Sox starting rotation of Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn, Dallas Keuchel, Carlos Rodon, and Dylan Cease is absolutely exceptional.

In the senior circuit, the NL East appears to be the land of mediocrity with only the New York Mets safely above .500 halfway into the season. While it’s typically difficult for a New York player to go unnoticed, let me throw out the name Dominic Smith. First baseman Pete Alonso gets most of the print, coming off his 2019 NL Rookie of the Year season, but Smith might be the most important piece to the Mets offense. Finding a spot in left field last year, he had an OPS of .993, tied for fourth in the NL. The 2021 version of Smith hasn’t disappointed, posting solid numbers again. But watch out for the Washington Nationals! Mired in last place for much of the first two months of the season, the Nats have rebounded in June and might be headed for a second half surge like in 2019.

The most surprising team in baseball, without question, is the San Francisco Giants, leading the NL West and the major leagues with an outstanding 50-27 record. Preseason prognisticators all had the Giants trailing the star-studded Dodgers and Padres in the division race. San Francisco has outperformed both of its California counterparts with amazing power (leading the league in HRs behind Belt, Crawford, Yastrzemski, and Posey), team defense, and superior pitching (Gausman, Wood, Cueto, and Desclafani). I love the story of Kevin Gausman, who leads the staff with an 8-1 record and an ERA of 1.49 in 15 starts. Gausman was drafted by the Orioles fourth overall in the 2012 MLB draft but never flourished until this season. Is he a one-season wonder or a Cy Young contender for years to come?

And finally, the NL Central. This division race is not surprising, but rather as jumbled as the experts thought it may be. Pitching, and the lack thereof, has been the first half theme. The Brewers are at the top mainly because of Milwaukee’s starting trio of Brandon Woodruff, Corbin Burnes, and Freddy Peralta. That threesome starts in a crucial series with Chicago early this week. The Cubs have three standout pitchers of their own, but on the backside of games. Relievers Ryan Tepera, Andrew Chafin, and Craig Kimbrel have dominated the last three innings of Cubs’ wins, posting a 50-innings scoreless streak that just ended. In many ways it’s the return of the 1990 Reds Nasty Boys. Cincinnati’s nasty boys in 2021 have been its hitting duo of Jesse Winker and Nick Castellanos, posting career batting marks with power to boot. It’s the Reds’ bullpen that’s been the problem, the worst in MLB. St. Louis, the preseason favorite after the Arenado acquisition, has been decimated with injuries to its starting pitching and is in fourth place.

The surprise player in the NL Central is Patrick Wisdom, the Cubs rookie third baseman. Similar to the Kevin Gausman story, Wisdom was drafted in the first round of the 2012 MLB draft by the Cardinals. Wisdom, much like Yermin Mercedes, spent a large majority of his professional career in the minor leagues. Due to several injuries to Cubs position players, Wisdom got the big league call-up over a month ago and has certainly delivered, an amazing 10 HRs in 82 official at bats so far. With the surprising first half success stories of Gausman, Mercedes, and Wisdom, I can’t help but think of my favorite baseball movie, “The Rookie”. Dennis Quaid starred in the portrayal of the real life story of Jim Morris, who debuted in MLB at age 35. The movie illustrates the fortitude it takes for players to reach their MLB goal, the same kind of perseverance teams need to have in baseball’s grueling 162-game schedule.

Let the second half of the season begin!

Until next Monday,

your Baseball Bench Coach