MLB's top players, stories and moments from 2016's first half
Bench-clearing brawls and pitchers hitting homers grab headlines
The unofficial midway point of the MLB season is here and it's provided us with plenty to talk about so far.
Here are some of the top stories, moments and players from the season's first half.
#PitchersWhoRake
When the San Francisco Giants played in Oakland on June 30, they forwent the designated hitter and allowed pitcher Madison Bumgarner to hit for himself, the first team to do so since 1976. He promptly doubled in his first at-bat.
That was just the culmination of the #PitchersWhoRake phenomenon this season that has seen fans and players alike go crazy over pitchers' abilities to hit and hit well.
Bartolo Colon hit his first career home run at 42 years old, prompting a local broadcaster to call it "one of the great moments in the history of baseball." Noah Syndergaard blasted two home runs and four RBI in a 4-3 win over the Dodgers in May. Back in April, Jake Arrieta hit a 440-foot bomb. He's batting .282 on the season.
All of this has left open the possibility of pitchers being allowed to enter the home run derby next season (or even a separate pitcher's derby), after Arrieta and other Major League pitchers expressed interest in the idea.
Brawl, baby, brawl
When Rougned Odor clocked Jose Bautista after the Blue Jay aggressively slid into him at second base, it incited one of the biggest brawls in recent memory.
Tensions had been high since their ALDS playoff series last season, and the Rangers decided to hit Bautista in his final at-bat against the team this year.
Then, not even a month later, Yordano Ventura threw at Manny Machado *twice*, causing the Orioles' third baseman to charge the mound and throw fists at the Royals' pitcher.
All four players in question received suspensions, with Ventura getting the biggest punishment at eight games.
Unfortunately, the bad blood between the Rangers and Blue Jays, and Royals and Orioles, may have to wait for next season to settle, as none of the teams play against each other for the rest of the season.
All four teams are in playoff contention however, so sparks could come in October if the baseball gods match them up against one another.
Mid-season MVP candidates
Josh Donaldson and Jose Altuve have been terrorizing opposing pitchers all season long, en route to leading the American League MVP discussion at the all-star break.
The Blue Jays' third baseman has arguably been the best player in baseball after a shaky start to the season, entering the break with 23 home runs, 63 RBI and a .304 batting average. Since June 1 he's batting .375 while hitting safely in 28 of 36 games, leading Toronto to their best record (51-40) heading into the all-star break since 1992.
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlueJays?src=hash">#BlueJays</a> Josh Donaldson becomes the 6th player in AL History with 80+ runs & 20+ HR prior to the All-Star break.
—@SNstatsThe Astros' all-star second baseman is having a career-year of his own, leading the AL in batting average at .341 while sitting in second with 23 stolen bases. The pint-sized Houston leadoff man has also added a power aspect to his game. Through the season's first half he already has 14 HRs and 51 RBI, both on pace to shatter last year's career marks (15 HRs and 66 RBI).
In the National League, Chicago Cubs third baseman/left fielder Kris Bryant has been putting up meteoric numbers, much like Bryce Harper did last season. He enters the midsummer classic with 25 HRs and 65 RBI, while leading the Cubs to the second-best record in baseball. He's also put up the best single-game performance of the season (keep reading to see what he did).
Best single-game performances so far
Max Scherzer matched history when he struck out 20 Detroit Tigers on May 11.
Mad Max became the first person since Randy Johnson in 2001 to accomplish the feat, tying a Major-League record that had only been accomplished four times before in a nine-inning start (Tom Cheney had 21 strikeouts in 16 innings in 1962).
On June 27, Kris Bryant made history when he became the first player to ever hit three home runs and two doubles in a single game.
Bryant went 5-for-5 with six RBI, leading his team to an 11-8 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Craziest stat of the year
Triple plays have become rarer than no-hitters lately, with 26 being recorded since 2010, compared to 32 no-nos. That makes what the Chicago White Sox have accomplished this season even more impressive.
The White Sox have recorded three triple plays in 2016, becoming the first team to do so since the 1979 Boston Red Sox.
Their first one of the season was especially fun. Instead of us explaining what happened, just watch the craziness ensue below.
Here are some other notable stats and streaks from the season's first half:
- Boston outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr.'s 29-game hit streak, the longest of the season so far. Teammate Xander Bogaerts has the second longest with 26
- Cleveland Indians' 14-game win streak, the longest since the Oakland Athletics won 20 in a row in 2002
- Boston outfielder Mookie Betts tied MLB record with five HRs in two games
- Colorado shortstop Trevor Story set MLB record with seven HRs in first six games of his career
- Jake Arrieta threw season's lone no-hitter against Cincinnati in April