Jays hunt big game

More Toronto Blue Jays ‘Off season Targets’:
Edwin Encarnación
Dallas Keuchel
David Price
Justin Smoak
Jake Odorizzi (Accepted qualifying offer from Minnesota on Nov. 14)
Zack Wheeler
Wade Miley

Next up, Japanese first baseman/left fielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo.



Over the past several years, Yoshitomo Tsutsugo has been among the preeminent sluggers in Japanese baseball. But after 10 seasons playing in Nippon Professional Baseball, Tsutsugo wants to play in North America. Earlier this month, the 28-year-old, lefty slugger was made available to all 30 MLB clubs via the Japanese posting process.

How the posting system works:  Any MLB team is free to sign him by paying a fee to his current team, the Yokohama DeNA Bay Stars. Teams have until 5 p.m. ET Dec. 19 to agree to terms.
Tsutsugo debuted for Yokohama in 2010 at 18 but played only three games that season. By 2014, he was a full-time player appearing in 114 games and batting .300/.373/.529 with 22 home runs. In every season since then, he’s hit at least 22 home runs, including 44 in 2016 when he led the league. Tsutsugo is now the captain of his club, a respected teammate and a popular face of the franchise. He’s also represented Japan on the international stage, including at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

Off the field, calling for less tournament-style play and stricter pitch limits to protect young arms.
After the Bay Stars were eliminated in the 2019 playoffs, Tsutsugo announced his intention to play in MLB. Over his 10-year career in Japan, Tsutsugo has hit .285 with a .910 OPS and 205 home runs. As for the rest of his game, he’s not known for his baserunning skills, thanks to his stocky, 6-foot, 210-pound build. Defensively, he’s spent most of his time in left field, but he also has experience at first and third base. He’s not considered a plus-defender at any position.
Naturally, there are questions surrounding Tsutsugo’s possible move to the majors: Will his power translate? How will he fare facing more elite pitching? What position will he play?
His raw power is intriguing, so while he’s a bit of a wild card, he’ll have no shortage of off-season suitors, including perhaps Toronto.

Tsutsugo’s 2019 in review:
Statistically, this past season was Tsutsugo’s least productive since 2013. In 131 games (557 PAs), he slashed .272/.388/.511, although he still hit 29 home runs, and posted an above-average 15.8 percent walk rate. However, he stuck out more than usual — 141 times — with a career-worst strikeout rate of 25.3 percent.
Defensively, Tsutsugo moved from left field to third base for the first time since 2014 after the Bay Stars’ regular third baseman broke his finger in August. And while he wasn’t elite at the hot corner, Tsutsugo was serviceable, according to Jim Allen, who has written about Japanese baseball for more than two decades and currently writes for Kyodo News.
“It’s not that he could play it OK, but it didn’t bother his offence at all,” Allen said.
Following the season, after the second-place Bay Stars were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the third-place Hanshin Tigers, Tsutsugo was emotional — not only because of the loss, but also due to the fact he had likely played his last game of Japanese baseball.
Here’s what teammate Spencer Patton, a relief pitcher with the Bay Stars since 2017, told The Athletic about his captain.

“He felt as the leader of the team, and us getting beat out in the first round of the playoffs, he felt responsibility to stay and help the team win a championship,” said Patton, who made 52 appearances in the majors between 2014-16, before moving overseas. “But he said he wanted to come over to the States and try to get better and try to compete with the best players in the world. I think it’s about testing his skills and proving that he can do it — to himself and to everyone else. I think that’s ultimately why anybody pursues Major League Baseball; to say that you got a chance to compete with the best players in the world.”

Quote that best sums up Tsutsugo’s 2019:
“Of course, it’s baseball, so batting and defence and base running are all important,” “I can’t assess myself. But I can say for sure I’ll do the best I can.”

How is Tsutsugo trending?
Tsutsugo is a gifted fly-ball hitter with exceptional raw power. FanGraphs reported that he averaged 92 m.p.h. off the bat last season in the NPB, a number that in MLB would have placed him among the top 30 players in 2019. He’s a natural pull-hitter, but he can still hit the ball the other way with power to centre and left-centre.
Patton said Tsutsugo’s power to the opposite field is one of his most impressive attributes.
“Most guys that are pull hitters are yanking balls down the line and really driving the ball over the pull side a lot, (and) really struggle hitting good quality pitches to the other side,” Patton said. “But Tsutsugo, he’s hitting doubles off the wall to left-centre and he’ll have no problem beating shifts over there.”
How his power translates to the majors, however, is the big unknown. One of the challenges for Tsutsugo will be how he adapts to MLB pitching, specifically, facing guys who on a regular basis throw 95 and up with elite breaking stuff. In Japan, there are some pitchers who throw 95-plus, but not many.
According to Allen, Tsutsugo has struggled to hit upper-90s fastballs in his career.
“Anything 95 and up inside is probably going to eat him up,” he said.
So he’ll need to work on his timing at the plate. That said, Tsutsugo has excellent plate discipline. He can also crush breaking balls — and if you can do it in Japan, where breaking stuff tends to be nastier, you can probably do it over here — and punish mistake pitches.
“What I see from him, he’s going to force people to throw fastballs,” Allen said. “He’s going to force people who throw mediocre fastballs to throw them, and he’ll crush them. I think that 25 to 30 home runs is not an impossibility and because he’s a left-handed hitter, of course, he’ll have the platoon advantage most of the time. I see him as being a fairly useful player.”
Defensively, Tsutsugo has drawbacks. In the outfield, he has a weak arm and he’s not quick. He’s likely limited to a corner outfield spot, first base or DH. He can play third base, but ideally not on a regular basis. Because of these limitations, there are questions about where exactly Tsutsugo fits on an MLB diamond.
“I think he can play,” said Patton. “I think he can find a spot on the roster and play and be beneficial to a team — but in my opinion, I don’t know what position he would play.”
Thanks to the excellent work of colleague Eno Sarris, we have an idea of how the 28-year-old might perform in the majors.
 But briefly, by using Clay Davenport’s website to translate Tsutsugo’s Japanese stats into MLB equivalent numbers, Sarris projects Tsutsugo could slash .271/.339/.442 next season. From there, Sarris combined his offensive projections with his poor base running and defence and found that J.D. Davis, (Mets), Ji-Man Choi (Rays) and Brandon Belt (Giants) were apt comparables.

Why Tsutsugo is a fit for the Blue Jays:

Earlier this offseason, Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins expressed interest in adding a first baseman who could play multiple positions. Tsutsugo fits the bill there, even if he won’t be a Gold Glove candidate. As a lefty bat, Tsutsugo would also give the Jays’ right-handed heavy lineup some balance. Although, his addition would rule out any possible platoon with fellow lefty Rowdy Tellez.
When asked directly about Tsutsugo earlier this month at the GM meetings, Atkins admitted the team has looked at the Japanese slugger.
“He’s an exciting hitter and versatile,”  “An interesting player, for sure.”

He’s not projected to be a star, but he has the chance to be an average-to-slightly-above-average major-leaguer. Even if his home run rates drop, his ability to get on base and draw walks should hold steady, which is an area Toronto needs to improve in. In terms of intangibles, Tsutsugo is said to have an outgoing, positive personality and a strong work ethic, useful traits during a rebuild.
“I think getting used to failing at that level is probably not going to get him down,” Allen said.
That said, any team acquiring him may need to be patient. A contending club may be unwilling to wait out potential early struggles, but with a young roster, a rebuilding team like the Blue Jays may be able to offer him more runway.
According to Patton, Tsutsugo has tried to connect with his foreign teammates, picking up a few words in English and Spanish. In 2015-16, he played a season of Dominican Winter Ball.
“He’s just eager to learn other cultures and try to speak different languages and stuff like that,” Patton said. “He’s a great guy to have in the clubhouse. He’s not strict about anything or tries to be too hard on people. He likes to keep it light and play around and then once it’s time to go between the lines, then it’s all business.”

Why Tsutsugo might not be a fit for the Blue Jays:
There are a lot of unknowns regarding Tsutsugo and how he’ll fare in the majors. Because of that, there seems to be a wide variance in expectations. Allen called him a “wild card.”
“He has a high upside,” he said. “He has a super-high ceiling compared to the other guys who are (being posted). He could be a guy who could hit 30 home runs, 35, depending on the park. Or, he could be a guy who basically has no role because he’s essentially a 28-year-old Triple-A player with poor defence who can hit 25 home runs. So, there’s that gap.”
With the way the ball flies in the majors now, hitting 20-25 home runs is more commonplace and therefore, what Tsutsugo offers may not be that hard to find elsewhere. There is also a chance that he is a complete bust.
Meanwhile, the Blue Jays have also been a bottom tier defensive team over the past two seasons and must get better in that area. Tsutsugo won’t help them there.

 But currently, three of the six current Japanese major leaguers (Shohei Ohtani, Yusei Kikuchi, Kenta Maeda) play on the west coast, while Yoshihisa Hirano is in Arizona. Yu Darvish is with the Cubs, while Masahiro Tanaka plays for the Yankees.
The likely competition:
Milwaukee is a logical landing spot for Tsutsugo,  The Brewers declined a team option on Eric Thames — who himself was a successful international signing after he played three seasons in Korea — and are now in the market for another first baseman.
The Mariners, Nationals, White Sox or Angels could also be potential fits.
Dollars and Sense:
Because Tsutsugo would be acquired via the posting system, his financials are a little more complicated than merely signing a free agent. Per the revised rules of the posting system, the MLB team that signs Tsutsugo would need to pay his Japanese club a posting fee that is calculated using the guaranteed money in the contract. Teams pay 20 percent of the first $25 million, 17.5 percent of the next $25 million and 15 percent of any amount above $50 million. For a minor-league contract, the fee is a flat 25 percent. In essence, a club is playing Tsutsugo a salary, plus a little more, to acquire him.

 Kiley McDaniel projects he could earn a two-year deal at $8 million per year, while the median projection for the Japanese slugger is a four-year deal worth $40 million for an AAV of $10 million.
Whatever he ends up signing for, Allen suggested Tsutsugo could be a “bargain” because of his makeup and intangibles. “They’re going to get more, I think, than scouts see. I think because of the makeup and because of his attitude and his desire.”


Tsutsugo is a proven slugger in the NPB, but there’s no guarantee his game will succeed in North America. He has swing-and-miss in his game, and that could accelerate in the majors, where he’ll face elite pitching on a more regular basis. And with little to offer defensively, his success will rely primarily on whether he can produce offensively.
He has the chance to be an above-average hitter, although as Eno Sarris points out, he can contribute, but he likely won’t move the needle for a big-budget contender.
Not yet a contender, the Blue Jays could be a nice landing spot for Tsutsugo, where he won’t face the pressure to immediately perform, the way he might with a contending team. He fits the Atkins-preferred mould as a first baseman who can play other positions, and at 28, he’s younger than many of the free agents out there. If he pans out, he should still be in his prime years when the Blue Jays hope to become AL East contenders.
The Blue Jays could be a fit for Tsutsugo. But does the upside outweigh the potential risk?

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Brave New World

This past October the Braves came within a run of their first National League Championship Series appearance since 2001.
In the weeks since, they've set out to make sure they score more and allow fewer runs in 2020.
After seeing a 2-1 NLDS series lead against the Cardinals slip away, including a Game 4 loss in which they led after seven innings, the Atlanta club has been the most active team in free agency since the postseason ended, most recently signing catcher Travis d'Arnaud to a two-year, $16 million deal on Sunday. The deal was just the latest for the Braves, who have also inked big-name reliever Will Smith and re-signed relievers Chris Martin and Darren O'Day and catcher Tyler Flowers.

“We’ve been pretty clear about needing someone to add to the roster and we had Travis near the top,” general manager Alex Anthopoulos said. “We like the fit in the clubhouse, we like the bat as well. ... Travis is a guy we identified and tried to get a deal done with.”

Earlier this offseason the Braves re-signed Flowers, but Brian McCann retired and left the Braves with just Flowers behind the plate. The two will likely split time, but the respective deals -- Flowers got $4 million on a one-year deal, while d'Arnaud got $16 million over two years -- speaks to how the timeshare might shake out.

In the 30-year-old d'Arnaud, the Braves are getting a player whose major league career was arguably on the ropes coming into the 2019 season. After a number of injury-plagued and disappointing years with the Mets, the New York club released him in early May and he caught on with the Dodgers, who then sold him to the Rays less than a week later.
In typical Rays fashion, d'Arnaud experienced a revitalization with the club. Manager Kevin Cash wasn't afraid to use him in various roles, including at first base and designated hitter, while also moving him up and down the lineup, with the backstop even logging 69 plate appearances at leadoff. In response, d'Arnaud hit .263/.323/.459 in his 92 games with the Rays, bopping a career-high 16 homers and 67 RBI.
The Braves boast a more potent offense than the Swiss Army Rays, so d'Arnaud isn't likely to challenge Ronald Acuna Jr. for the leadoff role in Atlanta, but he could hit fifth or sixth in a lineup that figures to score plenty of runs this year. That puts him on the fantasy radar at a position as weak as catcher, even if he's part of a timeshare.
As noted, just a few runs in either direction could be the difference between a good year and an unforgettable year for the Braves in 2020.

Reddick Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

After undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder on Friday, Josh Reddick is expected to be ready for spring training in February.
What role he'll have, and whether it'll even be as a member of the Astros, remains to be seen.
Reddick underwent surgery to address the AC joint in his non-throwing shoulder, per the Astros. The team said he's expected to make a full recovery by the start of spring training.
The bigger question is what the Astros envision for the 32-year-old, who will earn $13 million in the final year of a four-year, $52 million contract in 2020 before hitting free agency at season's end. Reddick hit .275 with 14 homers and five steals in 141 games last season but has been a below-average offensive player, by wRC+, in each of the last two years.

Compound that with the fact that the Astros are stocked with position players -- Michael Brantley, George Springer, Yordan Alvarez and Jake Marisnick are all under team control through at least this upcoming season -- and that Kyle Tucker, the heir apparent in right field, appears to have finally arrived with a strong close to the 2019 season and the path to playing time for Reddick in Houston appears difficult. Of course, finding a trade partner might also prove difficult if the Astros aren't willing to eat a big chunk of the money owed to the veteran outfielder.
For their part, the Astros haven't expressed interest in or been rumored to be looking to move Reddick. But it will be interesting to see how they approach their outfield surplus heading into spring.

Evan White

M's, Prospect Agree To Historic Deal

Evan White isn't yet a household name. The Mariners appear willing to bet millions of dollars that he will be.
The M's are reportedly set to sign the 23-year-old first baseman to a six-year, $24 million contract that includes three club option years that could make the deal worth as much as $55.5 million, according to MLB.com. The Mariners didn't publicly confirm nor deny the Friday report, with expectations that a deal might be finalized Monday.
The deal would be historic in that it would be the first time a player with zero experience playing above Double-A received a long-term deal from a team. Three other players have signed long-term deals without any MLB service time, all of them in this decade: Eloy Jimenez, Scott Kingery and Jon Singleton.

White, a first-round pick of the Mariners in the 2017 MLB Draft, has done nothing but hit since becoming pro. Over three minor league seasons he owns a .296/.361/.471 line and hit .293/.350/.488 with 18 homers in 92 games with Double-A Arkansas this past season.
“Evan is a really mature kid, and we're going to give him an opportunity in Spring Training and see where he goes,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said at the end of the regular season. “We have enough depth with Vogey and with Austin Nola to believe that if it's Evan's time, we're going to give him the chance to make it his time.”
What this deal doesn't do, some were quick to point out, is guarantee that White will be the team's starting first baseman on Opening Day. Rather, it allows spring training to be treated as a meritocracy -- which it should be anyway, though we know that's not how the business side of the sport works -- where White can be given the job based on his performance without concern about service time implications.
First base isn't as deep as it once was and White's performances in the minors make him an intriguing player, but he's got a long way to go to be fantasy relevant outside of AL-only and fairly deep mixed leagues at this point. Keep an eye on the competition in spring, though.

National League Quick Hits: The Mets have interest in potentially trading for Pirates outfielder Starling Marte. The Pirates are in rebuild mode and it would make sense for them to shop Marte on the trade market. The 31-year-old is under team control for two more seasons. Marte is coming off the best season of his career in which he set new highs in home runs, RBI and runs scored. He slashed .295/.342/.503 with 23 home runs, 82 RBI, 97 runs and 25 stolen bases. In fantasy terms he is a rare five-category stud. Moving to a new team could help his fantasy value -- the Pirates play in a pitcher-friendly park and haven't been able to surround him with much talent in the batting order. The Mets were one of the most active teams last offseason and could be again. Their lineup currently projects to start J.D. Davis in left field, Brandon Nimmo in center and Michael Conforto in right ... According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, the Cubs have shown continued interest in trading for Royals' second baseman Whit Merrifield. The 30-year-old just finished the first season of an extremely team-friendly four-year, $16.25 million extension that he signed prior to the 2019 season. While he would be a perfect fit atop the Cubs' lineup, he'll require a significant haul of prospects in order to get a deal done ... Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Reds are among the clubs showing interest in Zack Wheeler. Cincinnati had interest in Yasmani Grandal and could potentially now pivot to Wheeler with Grandal off the market.

 The Reds' offense needs improvement more than their pitching, but adding Wheeler further strengthens a rotation that would look quite formidable. They'll have to fend off plenty of other suitors, though, as the market for the right-hander is looking pretty robust ... Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Phillies are pursuing Didi Gregorius. The Phillies already have Jean Segura, but if they added Gregorius the idea would be to move Segura to a different position or trade him. It's debatable whether Gregorius would be an upgrade at shortstop, but he no doubt has the endorsement of new Phils skipper Joe Girardi, who managed him in New York. The Reds have also been connected to Gregorius ... Jayson Stark of The Athletic reports that the Diamondbacks are "more open" to trading Robbie Ray than they have been in the past. Ray is projected to make more than $10 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility before hitting the free agent market next winter. Stark says that the D-backs are looking for "controllable pitching" in return for the left-hander. Ray's 4.34 ERA in 2019 was his highest in three years, but he also struck out a career-high 235 batters over 174 1/3 innings ... Cubs acquired RHP Jharel Cotton from the Athletics for cash considerations. The A's designated Cotton for assignment on Wednesday. The 27-year-old right-hander last pitched in the majors back in 2017 when he went 9-10 with a 5.58 ERA in 24 starts for Oakland. He underwent Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery in late 2017 and missed the entire 2018 season. He made 18 minor-league rehab appearances in 2019 with unimpressive results. Cotton will serve as organizational depth in the Cubs' system and could reemerge as a reliever down the road.

American League Quick Hits: White Sox signed 1B Jose Abreu to a three-year, $50 million contract extension. Abreu accepted the team's qualifying offer last week, but his new contract will replace that deal and tack two additional years on. The veteran first baseman is coming off a season that saw him put up a .284/.330/.503 batting line with 33 home runs and 123 RBI. He will turn 33 in January ... Darren Wolfson of KSTP-TV reports that the Twins have "kicked the tires" on a few third basemen, including Josh Donaldson and Todd Frazier. The Twins currently have Miguel Sano penciled in at third base, but moving him to first base and non-tendering C.J. Cron "appears to be one of many options they’re discussing," per Wolfson. Donaldson's market looks to be pretty robust, so the Twins will have to bid aggressively to get him if that's the route they decide to take ... Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Cardinals, Diamondbacks, Reds, Braves and Rangers are "pretty heavily involved" in talks with Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna has also previously been connected to the White Sox, although it's unclear whether they'd still have the budget for him after signing Yasmani Grandal. Morosi adds that Ozuna could land a contract for as long as five years. While his performance the last two years in St. Louis was up and down, Ozuna is arguably the top free agent outfielder and he just turned 29 earlier this month ... The Mariners view outfielder Domingo Santana as a trade chip this offseason. General manager Jerry Dipoto views the starting outfield as Mitch Haniger in right field, Mallex Smith in center and Kyle Lewis in left. That would leave Santana on the small side of a platoon with Dan Vogelbach at designated hitter. The 27-year-old Santana doesn't fit into the Mariners' plan to build around youth. The club has elite outfield prospects Jared Kelenic and Julio Rodriguez on the way, with Jake Fraley being yet another intriguing young outfielder who has already made his debut. Santana was limited by injury in 2019 but hit well when able to play -- slashing .253/.329/.441 with 21 home runs and 69 RBI in 451 at-bats. He chipped in eight stolen bases as well despite being one of the largest players in the league. He should have a fair amount of trade value and it wouldn't be a surprise to see him on the move in the coming weeks.

Zach Wheeler - Future Jay ?

Following two fairly tame winters in terms of activity, this one should be a different story for the Toronto Blue Jays. So over the next few weeks, we’ll be identifying and assessing players around Major League Baseball — both free agents and potential trade targets — who we think might currently find their name on some of those infamous Blue Jays whiteboards, as the front office looks to improve the club heading into the 2020 season.

Next up, free-agent starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.


Zack Wheeler, the big, hard-throwing right-hander, has overcome prolonged injury issues to prove he can be an effective front of the rotation starter. After declining the $17.8 million qualifying offer from the New York Mets, the 29-year-old is a free agent for the first time and is expected to receive a big pay raise following the two best seasons of his career.
Originally drafted sixth overall by the San Francisco Giants in 2009, Wheeler spent a season and a half pitching in the Giants’ minor league system before he was traded to the Mets in 2011 for Carlos Beltran. Two seasons later, he was among the top prospects in baseball. He debuted in June 2013, throwing six shutout innings against Atlanta and went on throw 100 innings in his rookie year with the Mets.
In 2014, his first full season in the majors, Wheeler showed promise as a future ace. In 32 starts, he had a 3.54 ERA with 187 strikeouts in 185 1/3 innings. But the following March, Wheeler underwent Tommy John surgery after he tore his ulnar collateral ligament. He missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons recovering. Wheeler returned to the majors in 2017 but would continue to deal with injuries in his right arm, pitching only 86 1/3 innings before he was shut down.
By spring training of 2018, Wheeler was finally healthy. He started the season in Triple A but was recalled by mid-April and went on to have a career season, going 12-7 with a 3.31 ERA in 29 starts. He remained healthy in 2019 and over the last two seasons, Wheeler has started 60 games, averaging a 3.65 ERA across 377 2/3 innings with a 3.37 FIP and 1.194 WHIP.
Since he rejected a qualifying offer, Wheeler will have draft pick compensation tied to his signing. Recent history suggests that could make teams wary of acquiring him. But with many clubs in need of starters, Wheeler should still attract suitors.

Wheeler’s 2019 in review:
Following a career-best season in 2018, Wheeler entered 2019 — his walk year — looking to put together another productive and, most importantly, healthy campaign. But he got off to a bad start, allowing 20 earned runs in his first six starts for a 5.05 ERA. By July 7, he had only lowered it to 4.69 through 119 innings.
Despite his poor performance, his name circulated in rumours ahead of the trade deadline as the Mets considered what direction — buying or selling — to take. During the height of speculation, Wheeler landed on the injured list with shoulder fatigue, lowering his chances of being dealt. (The Mets also reportedly had a high asking price).
Ultimately, Wheeler remained with the Mets. After 10 days on the IL, he returned with a rested shoulder and his performance improved through the second half. After a strong August, his best month was September, where he posted a 1.85 ERA in five starts. Overall, his second-half ERA of 2.83 was significantly better than the 4.69 ERA he put up in the first half. Wheeler finished the season with a 3.96 ERA, a 3.48 FIP and a 1.259 WHIP. He also threw a career-high 195 1/3 innings.
Following the season, it was an easy decision for the Mets to make Wheeler a qualifying offer; it guaranteed the club would at least receive a draft pick if he declined and signed elsewhere. Meanwhile, as Tim Britton of the Athletic, it was also a no-brainer for Wheeler to reject the offer to explore free agency, where he can seek a multi-year deal with an average annual value close to or above $17.8 million.



How is Wheeler trending?

It’s no secret Wheeler has a nasty fastball, but recently, he’s been throwing it even harder. This season, his four-seam fastball topped out at a career-best 100.59 miles per hour, while it averaged 97 mph, up about half a mile from last year, per Brooks Baseball. Of qualified starters in 2019, Wheeler’s average fastball velocity ranked fourth — behind Mets teammates Noah Syndergaard (1) and Jacob deGrom (3) and fellow free agent Gerrit Cole (2). Over the last two seasons, Wheeler has also increased the average velocity on his slider (91 mph) and his curveball (80 mph).
The right-hander has also significantly improved the command of his pitches over the last two years, lowering his walk rate from 10.4 percent in 2017 to 6.0 percent this season. His 2.30 walks per nine was also a career-best and nearly one walk less than the major-league average (3.29). Meanwhile, his strikeout rate of 23.6 percent was better than the league average, too.
Wheeler has done well limiting the home-run ball, although that’s partly because he pitches half his games at the pitcher-friendly Citi Field. Still, his 1.01 home runs per nine ranked eighth lowest in the National League, sandwiched between Walker Buehler and Steven Strasburg. His very good HR/FB ratio of 10.9 percent ranked third. Overall, Wheeler manages to limit hard contact very well. According to Statcast, his average exit velocity of 86.2 mph is in the 90th percentile league-wide, while his hard-hit rate of 32.2 percent is in the 82nd percentile.
While injury concerns may linger with Wheeler, given his history, over his last two healthy seasons, he’s been worth 8.9 WAR, per FanGraphs, which would rank him as the ninth-best pitcher in the majors over that same span.


Why Wheeler is a fit for the Blue Jays:
So, the obvious: The Blue Jays are in the market for starting pitchers, and Wheeler is a very good starter available this winter.
He won’t come cheap, but based on several projections, he also won’t demand the kind of money or term Gerrit Cole or Steven Strasburg will. In other words, if the Blue Jays are reluctant to hand over the amount it will take to sign either of those aces, perhaps Wheeler is in their price range. With just $38.4 million devoted to guaranteed salaries for next season, the Blue Jays have the room to spend and potentially outbid other teams. Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins has talked about their “financial flexibility” this offseason — but it’s only an advantage if they use it.

The Blue Jays are in search of starters that can “contribute in significant ways” and over the last two seasons, Wheeler proved he can be a dependable and successful starter. (Yes, the history of arm issues may be a red flag, but at this point, it should be a small one and the team would review his medical records before investing in him.) A healthy Wheeler has an arsenal that stacks up with the upper echelon of the league, and he would represent a significant upgrade to the team’s current rotation. At 29, he’s in the prime of his career and should remain at the top of his game for a few years to come, lining up with the Blue Jays’ potential timeline of contention in 2021 and beyond.

Why Wheeler might not be a fit for the Blue Jays:
If the Mets make Wheeler an offer he likes, he may opt to stay with the club he’s familiar with. “Honestly, I hate change,” Wheeler also told Marc Carig before the trade deadline. “I’m a homebody. I like the group of guys we’ve got here.”

Granted, choosing to sign a contract in the offseason is different from being uprooted from your home in the midst of the season. The fact Wheeler didn’t want to be traded midseason doesn’t mean he won’t sign elsewhere this winter if it’s best for his career. All we’re saying is the self-described “homebody” might be interested in remaining in Queens — especially if it means being part of a rotation that includes reigning Cy Young winner deGrom, Syndergaard and Marcus Stroman.
Even if the Mets decide not to pursue him, it’s fair to assume the Blue Jays will be competing against other teams to win over Wheeler. And selling a free agent on a rebuilding situation is always a tough task, especially when others can provide more competitive atmospheres.
With Wheeler linked to draft pick compensation, it would cost the Blue Jays their second-highest pick in the 2020 draft, plus $500,000 from their international bonus pool, to sign him. While Atkins has said publicly that surrendering a draft pick wouldn’t deter the team from signing a player, it’s an element that will have to be factored into the cost of acquiring Wheeler.

The likely competition:
There are a lot of teams in the market for starting pitchers this season. As one of the best options out there, Wheeler will be highly sought after. The teams appearing willing to spend include: the Phillies, Braves, Brewers, Cubs, Giants, Dodgers, Mets, Padres, Yankees, White Sox, Rangers, Angels and Astros.
Jim Bowden suggests  the Mets, Phillies, Brewers or Angels as potential landing spots for Wheeler.

Dollars and Sense:

Wheeler declined a $17.8 million qualifying offer from the Mets, so he’ll presumably be seeking a multi-year deal, likely with an average annual value in the range of $18-20 million.
MLB Trade Rumours  they predicted Wheeler could receive a five-year deal, worth $100 million. Fan Graph's predicts a four-year contract worth $72 million for an average annual value of $18 million. Meanwhile the Athletic guessed Wheeler could earn a $74 million, four-year deal with an AAV of $18.5 million.

In conclusion:

The Blue Jays have vowed to be aggressive this winter in pursuit of starting pitching. While they may not be players for guys like Cole or Strasburg, the Blue Jays have the financial means to go after a guy like Wheeler, who overcame injuries early in his career to finally look like the star pitcher many predicted he would be.
In the past, we’ve seen the Blue Jays make moves to raise the team’s floor — but adding a starter of Wheeler’s ilk would raise the ceiling. If the team is intent on competing in the American League East by 2021, they need to make moves that bolster their young position player core. A pitcher of Wheeler’s calibre would do that.
But the Blue Jays aren’t alone in their need for front-of-the-rotation arms and there will be other teams in the mix for Wheeler’s services, including his former team, the Mets. Wheeler will cost a draft pick plus a significant investment in terms of dollars and term. The Blue Jays have the financial flexibility to accommodate Wheeler but even if they decide to use it, will it be enough to lure Wheeler north?

Larger than Life

The ESPN personality formerly known as the Most Hated Man in Sports Media has become something altogether new: a star we can agree on.

Last week, Stephen A. Smith won two debates. The first Smith won in a rout. The $ 8 million a year contract he got from ESPN is proof that he’s the most important employee at the network, if not all of sports TV. “I consider me the American Dream,” Smith tweeted.

Smith won the second debate by virtual forfeit. . But there was almost no backlash to Smith’s contract. For a guy who was once the most polarizing man on sports TV, reactions to Smith now land somewhere between wary admiration and full-blown love. There’s a political term for that kind of turnaround. America has Strange New Respect for Stephen A.

To understand how wild this is, go back to 2005. Smith was a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist who’d just landed his first ESPN show. It was the time of the first great Stephen A. panic. A dozen think pieces asked: “Is this man the future of sports media?!”

Some of the panic was straightforwardly racial. The New York Post’s Phil Mushnick accused Smith of speaking to “urban street blacks or white street wannabes.” Another part emerged from the way Smith seemed to be bidding goodbye to the age of newspapers. He thumbed out on his Philadelphia Inquirer on a Blackberry(a crime in 2005, a skill a few years later). He had no interest in reproducing newspaper gentility on TV. Sports Illustrated called Smith’s rise “the final triumph of bluster and confidence over content, of point of view over facts, of opinion over objectivity.” Years later, a Hartford Courant writer sighed: “We are not Red Smith. We are Stephen A. Smith.”

For a guy who was supposedly reshaping the profession in his own image, Smith took a long time to achieve liftoff. His first show, Quite Frankly, was canceled. In 2009, ESPN decided to not renew Smith’s contract; two years later, the network brought him back. Smith didn’t become a true soloist until 2016, when Skip Bayless left ESPN for FS1. Smith rejiggered First Take around his own obsessions  and, with Max Kellerman, thumped Bayless in the ratings. According to media writer Michael McCarthy, Bayless is now entertaining the idea of a reunion.

As the new king of ESPN, Smith is the same opinionator he always was. We’re only five years removed from Smith suggesting, after Ray Rice’s arrest, that victims of domestic violence shouldn’t “provoke” their abusers. Last December, he predicted that a key matchup in an NFL game would involve a tight end who was out for the season and a linebacker who was out of the league.

These days, Smith powers through such gaffes and the inevitable tweets they produce. Barry Petchesky, who has plenty of unqueasiness, wrote about the pleasures of listening to one of his rants. Last year, Vinson Cunningham profiled Smith in The New Yorker.

How Smith became near bulletproof is fascinating. Part of it is the normal process that happens when TV people get famous, and reporters swap out engagement with their work for ratings reports and contract updates.

But this undersells how good Smith is at the performative parts of opinion TV. We focus on him when he’s in high rant mode, but watch the divinely sheepish the way he took his lumps from Marcus Spears after LSU beat Alabama. Way back in 2005, The New York Times’ Richard Sandomir noted that Smith was at his most watchable when he wasn’t speaking, when he wore a sly smile or skeptical frown. Smith explained then: “Somebody is saying something I don’t agree with and I have 45 seconds. I’m like, ‘Damn it, can I fit it all in?’”

The idea that Smith was crowding out “respectable” sportswriters—an idea revived during the ESPN layoffs—has more or less vanished. When I talk to ESPN reporters—the ones who still have jobs—they’re pretty Zen about the idea that First Take and other shows were subsidizing their work. After the gutting of shops like Deadspin and Sports Illustrated, few sportswriters would refuse a job because Smith worked in the same corporate biosphere.

Though he’s no longer a reporter per se, Smith maintains more reportedly cred than any other TV opinionator. “I’m a personality with credentials,” he told Cunningham. Getting Magic Johnson to call to Rob Palinka on the same day the Lakers announced Frank Vogel’s hiring was a coup most NBA writers would have been proud of.

At the height of the Stephen A. panic, there was a fear that sports TV would fill up with similar take artists. Despite numerous stand-ins (Rob Parker, Nick Wright, Kellerman), this hasn’t happened to nearly the degree many thought. Last year, ESPN replaced SC6 with regular Sports Center. High Noon’s future is unclear. Get Up got better when Smith made it his green room. What looked like the dawn of the age of argument has turned out to be mostly the dawn of the age of Stephen A. He is now the genre’s grand old man.

Smith’s appeal is helped by the fact that he became social media content, which sanded off his rough edges and made him a figure of fun. On Twitter, he morphed from a hapless user to a memeable figure to someone (with the prodding of ESPN’s social team) who leaned into self made caricature—the Al Pacino of sports TV. Social media, not TV, may be Smith’s ideal medium, because he can unleash a monologue without worrying about the artifice of a sports debate.

Stephen A at a Knicks home game

Smith also got lucky that the awfulness of the Knicks gave him a canvas for endless, wounded performances.

The problem with opinion TV is nobody believes anyone cares that much, and at that volume, about every story in sports. Smith’s greatest skill as an opinionator—and a key to renaissance—is that he makes us suspend our disbelief that every team on planet Earth could be part of his personal psychodrama.

 He proceeded to machine-gun the Knicks front office, the Jets and Giants (“I don’t give a damn what they did yesterday!”), the Cowboys (“They might not even make the damn playoffs!”), and (why not?) Alabama receiver Jerry Jeudy. There was a time when those kinds of takes were seen as all that was wrong with sports media. In the age of Strange New Respect, if anybody noticed, they were probably saluting Stephen A.’s commitment to the bit.

Free Agency kicks off

Will Smith

The consensus preeminent relief pitcher available in free agency this offseason is officially off the open market. The Braves announced the signing of left-handed reliever Will Smith to a three-year, $39 million contract on Thursday afternoon. The deal also includes a 2023 club option for $13 million. According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, the fourth-year option includes a $1 million buyout. The 30-year-old southpaw, who blossomed into one of the most underrated relievers in the game over the last few years, posted a 2.76 ERA, 1.03 WHIP and 96/21 K/BB ratio over 65 1/3 innings last year. He also converted 34 of 38 save opportunities in his final season with San Francisco.

Given the glacial pace at which free agency has unfolded in recent years, Smith’s abrupt signing at the onset of the process represents a stark departure from the broader league-wide trend we’ve grown accustomed to. The driving force behind that outlier event appears to be directly related to the Giants’ qualifying offer, according to Ken Rosenthal of MLB Network, who tweeted shortly after the signing was announced;  “Smith’s agent -- Jeff Berry of CAA -- effectively used the qualifying offer as leverage, telling interested teams he wanted a deal by today’s deadline or Smith would accept the one-year, $17.8M offer from the Giants. In the end, the Braves bit.”

The fantasy implications of the off season’s first marquee free agent signing are fascinating from a short and long-term perspective. According to multiple reports, veteran stopper Mark Melancon will remain the Braves’ closer to open the 2020 campaign, even after the club inked Smith to a hefty multi-year contract. The 34-year-old right-hander shored up the Braves’ bullpen, which had been their Achilles heel for the overwhelming majority of last season -- converting all 11 of his save opportunities -- after being acquired from the Giants at the major-league trade deadline last July. He’s owed a whopping $14 million in the final year of his contract before hitting the free agent market next offseason. It appears that Smith will open next season in a versatile fireman-type role, operating in high-leverage situations and facing elite left-handed batters. The central question for fantasy owners, which will have a colossal impact on his fantasy value, is whether he’ll be relegated to that non-traditional role for the entire season. Even if Melancon retains the closing gig for the entire year, Smith’s solid ratios and elite strikeout rate will give him tangible valuable in deeper mixed leagues. He’ll be one of the most desirable closer handcuffs in fantasy drafts next spring and a popular mid-to-late round target in all formats.

It’s unclear how the Giants -- who will receive a compensatory second-round draft pick from Atlanta -- will fill the void left by Smith’s departure at the back of their bullpen. The most likely in-house candidates would be Shaun Anderson, Jandel Gustave or Tony Watson. It would be surprising to see them acquire a veteran option on the free agent market given their current trajectory towards a full-scale rebuild. However, they may be able to find a low-cost option and flip him for a draft pick or second-tier prospect package at the trade deadline. Fantasy owners in deeper mixed leagues should keep an eye on the roles entering spring training, but this could devolve into one of the most volatile pure committees in the game, especially with new manager Gabe Kapler at the helm. This quagmire looks like an obvious stay away for fantasy owners entering the 2020 campaign.

Jose Abreu

Abreu, Odorizzi Accept Qualifying Offers

Clearly, the hot stove has officially begun to heat up. However, two impending free agents are now off the market. White Sox’ first baseman Jose Abreu and Twins’ right-hander Jake Odorizzi were the only players to accept their $17.8 million qualifying offers by Thursday’s deadline. 

The following seven players -- Gerrit Cole, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg, Zack Wheeler, Madison Bumgarner, Josh Donaldson and Marcell Ozuna -- declined their qualifying offers on Thursday, which means that teams will have to forfeit second-round selections and $500,000 of their international bonus pool to sign them to contracts in free agency this offseason.

Despite his advancing age, Abreu remains one the most consistent power producers in the game. He led the American League with 123 RBI last season and has reached the lofty 30-homer, 100-RBI thresholds in four of the previous six seasons, dating back to his arrival in Chicago back in 2014. Yet, the market for aging power hitters, especially those who don’t play a premium defensive position (and are tied to draft pick compensation, thanks to a qualifying offer), has completely evaporated in recent years. Therefore, it isn’t a total shock that the 32-year-old first baseman elected to remain in the South Side for at least one additional season. According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the White Sox are reportedly still interested in signing their primary offensive catalyst to a multi-year deal.

It’s mildly perplexing there wasn’t more of a market for Odorizzi, who ultimately decided to remain in Minnesota rather than test the free agent waters. The 29-year-old right-hander was always considered the most likely player to accept his qualifying offer, as it seemed unlikely that he'd receive an offer close in terms of average annual value from another club; especially with draft-pick compensation tied to him and the plethora of elite options on the market this offseason. He recorded a pristine 3.51 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 178/53 K/BB ratio across 30 starts (159 innings) this past season. He’s been extremely durable, making at least 28 starts in six consecutive seasons, dating back to the 2014 campaign. He should operate at-or-near the top of the Twins’ rotation next season and be among the most highly-sought free agent starters next offseason.

Trout, Bellinger Garner MVP Honors

The Baseball Writers Association of America continued handing out hardware this week, announcing the 2019 American League and National League Most Valuable Player Award winners on Thursday evening. Angels' outfielder Mike Trout was named as the junior circuit recipient and Dodgers’ outfielder Cody Bellinger took home the honor on the senior circuit.

It is the third time Trout has won the prestigious award, also taking home the honor in 2014 and 2016 as well. He’s finished among the top five in the voting in each of the last eight seasons. The 28-year-old future Hall of Famer saw his extraordinary 2019 campaign cut short due to a season-ending foot injury in early September, but he still finished second in the American League in Wins Above Replacement (8.28 WAR). He recorded an extra-terrestrial .291/.438/.645 triple-slash line with a career-high 45 homers, 104 RBI and 11 stolen bases in 134 games. Astros’ third baseman Alex Bregman finished second and Athletics’ shortstop Marcus Semien finished third in the voting.

Bellinger managed to edge out reigning National League MVP Christian Yelich for the award, the first of his young career. The 24-year-old slugger evolved into an elite middle-of-the-order force, posting a sublime .305/.406/.629 triple-slash line with 47 homers, 115 RBI and 15 stolen bases, leading the Dodgers to the senior circuit’s best record (106-56) in 2019. He also led the National League in Wins Above Replacement (9.03 WAR). Yelich finished second in the balloting while Nationals’ third baseman Anthony Rendon finished third.

Verlander & deGrom

Verlander, deGrom Capture Cy Young Awards

The Baseball Writers Association of America announced the 2019 American League and National League Cy Young Award winners on Wednesday evening. Astros' right-hander Justin Verlander narrowly edged out teammate Gerrit Cole for the junior circuit honor, while Jacob deGrom was a nearly unanimous selection on the senior circuit.

The fact that the BBWAA selected Verlander over Cole, who recorded a major league-leading 326 strikeouts over 212 1/3 innings of work, was a mild surprise. The 36-year-old fireballer added to his Hall of Fame resume, capturing the award for the second time in his illustrious career. He took home the honor as a member of the Tigers back in 2011. He led the big leagues with 21 victories, 223 innings pitched and a microscopic 0.81 WHIP across 34 starts. He finished second in strikeouts (300) and fourth in ERA (2.58). He also threw his third-career no-hitter against the Blue Jays on September 2. Verlander received 17 first place votes and 13 second place votes, while Cole received 13 first place votes and 17 second place votes. Rays’ right-hander (and former Astros’ stalwart) Charlie Morton finished a distant third, followed by Indians’ righty Shane Bieber and Rangers’ righty Lance Lynn.

Meanwhile, deGrom received 29 of the 30 first place votes -- Dodgers’ southpaw Hyun-Jin Ryu drawing the lone other first place vote -- to become just the 11th pitcher in major-league history to take home the award in back-to-back seasons. The 31-year-old righty posted a sparkling 2.43 ERA, 0.97 WHIP and 255/44 K/BB ratio over 204 innings of work this season. Nationals’ righty Max Scherzer and Ryu tied for second place, while fellow Nationals’ righty Stephen Strasburg and Cardinals’ righty Jack Flaherty tied for fourth in the balloting.

American League Quick Hits: Twins signed chief baseball officer Derek Falvey and general manager Thad Levine to contract extensions through the 2024 campaign … Scott Boras told reporters at the GM meetings in Arizona on Wednesday that the report that his client Gerrit Cole won't sign until after January was “inaccurate.” … Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Wednesday that the Rangers are making an "aggressive" push for free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson … Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Wednesday that the Indians are “receiving inquiries” on young pitchers like Shane Bieger, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale … Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Wednesday that the White Sox and Rangers are among the clubs to have expressed interest in free agent outfielder Marcell Ozuna … Bryan Hoch of MLB.com reported Wednesday that the Yankees have "checked in" on free agent right-hander Zack Wheeler … Marly Rivera of ESPN reports that the Blue Jays have met with free agent catcher Yasmani Grandal … According to Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star, "signs continue to point" toward Alex Gordon re-signing with the Royals … Bo Bichette is no longer dealing with any concussion symptoms and is able to go through full offseason workouts … Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins confirmed Tuesday that his club has an interest in Japanese hitters Yoshitomo Tsutsugo and Shogo Akiyama … Yankees general manager Brian Cashman indicated Tuesday that Miguel Andujar might switch positions next season … Red Sox released RHP Jake Cosart.

National League Quick Hits: Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports that the Nationals could be in on Gerrit Cole if they fail to re-sign Stephen Strasburg … Scott Boras -- the agent for Cubs’ third baseman Kris Bryant -- said that his client is open to discussing a long-term contract extension with the Cubs … Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman reiterated Wednesday that he expects left-hander Julio Urias to be in the team's rotation in 2020 … Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported earlier this week that the Padres will attempt to sign Fernando Tatis Jr. to a long-term contract extension … According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies have checked in on free agent southpaw Madison Bumgarner … Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Thursday that the Padres have also expressed interest in the free agent left-hander … Heyman also reported on Wednesday that the Dodgers have superstar free agent third baseman Anthony Rendon “on their radar.” … Jim Salisbury of NBC Philadelphia reported Wednesday that the Phillies have touched base with Scott Boras regarding free agent third baseman Mike Moustakas … Jorge Castillo of the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that the Dodgers are considering signing free agent third baseman Josh Donaldson … Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported Wednesday that Yadier Molina “may be seeking an extension to his contract.” … Phillies GM Matt Klentak indicated Thursday that Odubel Herrera, who received an 85-game domestic violence suspension last July, will have to compete for a spot on the club in spring training … Gordon Wittenmyer reported Wednesday that veteran right-handed reliever Brandon Morrow is interested in returning to the Cubs on a minor league deal.

Rookies Supreme

The Polar Bear "Pete Alonso"

Yordan Alvarez

One guy won the midsummer Home Run Derby, then became the first rookie to win the full-season home run derby outright. The other went third deck at Minute Maid Park amid compiling the highest OPS ever for a rookie with at least 300 trips to the plate.
What Mets first baseman Pete Alonso and Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez did in 2019 was historic, and their efforts were rightly recognized Monday night with runaway wins in the National League and American League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award voting by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

Alvarez was the unanimous selection in the AL (the 11th such selection in the history of this award), while Alonso was listed first on 29 of the 30 ballots in the NL.

“Holy expletive,” Alonso said with a laugh after the MLB Network made his selection official.

These two engendered that kind of response a lot in 2019. And while neither the 22-year-old Alvarez nor the 24-year-old Alonso was readily pegged as a Rookie of the Year favorite going into the season, by the time the ballots were cast at the end of the regular season, they were locks.
 I’m very happy, very thankful to my family, to the team, to everybody who has supported me, to everybody in Cuba,” Alvarez said through an interpreter. “I appreciate all the help everybody has given me during the season, especially my teammates and all the fans.”

Said Alonso: “This is a hell of an honor. I just really feel blessed. I’ve got to say thank you to the New York Mets for giving me the opportunity right out of Spring Training and believing in me from day one. I’d also like to say thank you to my teammates, because without such an awesome group of guys to facilitate my development, I wouldn’t have put together the season I did.”
In the AL, Orioles starter John Means finished second and the Rays’ Brandon Lowe finished third. In the NL, Braves starter Mike Soroka received the only other first-place vote and finished second, while Padres shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. finished third.
This was the first of four BBWAA announcements on MLB Network this week. The AL and NL Manager of the Year will be announced on Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET, the Cy Young Award winners will be revealed on Wednesday at 6 p.m., and the grand finale of the MVP honors comes Thursday at 6 p.m.

Alvarez didn’t debut until June 9, but in just 87 games, he hit 27 home runs with 78 RBIs. He hit .313 with a .412 on-base percentage and .655 slugging percentage. Among those with at least 300 plate appearances, the only players with a higher OPS than Alvarez’s 1.067 mark were MVP finalists Christian Yelich (1.100) and Mike Trout (1.083).
Though he made 74 of his 83 starts as the Astros’ DH in 2019, Alvarez said he hopes to have a more consistent presence in the corner outfield in 2020.
“DH was just part of last year,” he said. “Next year, I’m more focused on being an outfielder.”
Alonso, meanwhile, made the Mets’ Opening Day roster and then made the 2019 season his personal Home Run Derby. He won the actual Derby at Cleveland’s Progressive Field during the All-Star festivities, then broke the rookie home run record set by Aaron Judge (52) in 2017. In addition to leading the Majors, his total of 53 also shattered the Mets’ previous single-season franchise record, which had been set at 41 by Todd Hundley in 1996 and matched by Carlos Beltrán in 2006.


“Making the club out of spring was a really special moment, and I just wanted to build off each little moment of success,” Alonso said. “I didn’t want to prove that I could just be a regular big league ballplayer; I wanted to prove I could be a really good one. Hard work and dedication pays off.”
In addition to the heroics on the field, Alonso made an instant connection in the community and clubhouse. He donated 10% of his $1 million in Home Run Derby winnings to non-profit organizations, and he also bought customized spikes for his teammates to wear in commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Here are some more noteworthy numbers for the 2019 Rookie of the Year Award winners:
Alvarez
His 51 RBIs in his first 45 career games were the most ever for a player in that span, surpassing the 47 RBIs for Ted Williams in his first 45 games in 1939. His seven homers in his first 12 career games were an Astros franchise record. • Alvarez barreled the ball in 10.3% of his plate appearances, according to Statcast, tying for the seventh-highest rate in MLB (min. 300 plate appearances)
 On Sept. 9, he became just the second player -- and the first Astros player -- to hit a home run to Minute Maid Park’s third deck.
• He became the third Astros player to win the Rookie of the Year honor, joining Jeff Bagwell (1991) and Carlos Correa (2015).
Alonso
• He led all Major League rookies not just in homers, but also in games played (161), RBIs (120), runs scored (103), walks (72), Win Probability Added (4.49) and Wins Above Replacement (5.0 per Baseball Reference, 4.8 per FanGraphs). The 5.0 bWAR was the 10th-highest among NL position players.
• He barreled the ball on 15.8 percent of batted balls that produced a result. That was the fourth-highest rate of any player with at least 300 batted ball events.
  Alonso joined Judge (2017) as the only rookies to win the Derby in the event’s history. His total of 57 homers that night was the third-most in the event’s history.
• The 118.3-mph home run he hit on April 11 was tied for the second hardest-hit ball tracked by Statcast in 2019. The only harder-hit ball was a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. single on May 11 that was measured at 118.9 mph.
• He became the sixth Mets player to win the Rookie of the Year Award, joining Tom Seaver (1967), Jon Matlack (1972), Darryl Strawberry (1983), Dwight Gooden (1984) and Jacob deGrom (2014).


American League results
1) Yordan Alvarez, HOU: 30 (1st place) -- 150 points
2) John Means, BAL: 16 (2nd), 5 (3rd) -- 53
3) Brandon Lowe, TB: 6 (2nd), 9 (3rd) -- 27
4) Eloy Jiménez, CWS: 4 (2nd), 8 (3rd) -- 20
5) Cavan Biggio, TOR: 2 (2nd), 1 (3rd) -- 7
6) Luis Arraez, MIN: 1 (2nd), 2 (3rd) -- 5
7) Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR: 1 (2nd), 2 (3rd) -- 4
8) Oscar Mercado, CLE: 3 (3rd) -- 3


National League results
1) Pete Alonso, NYM: 29 (1st place), 1 (2nd place) -- 148 points
2) Mike Soroka, ATL: 1 (1st), 25 (2nd), 2 (3rd) -- 82
3) Fernando Tatis Jr., SD: 2 (2nd), 20 (3rd) -- 26
4) Bryan Reynolds, PIT: 1 (2nd), 6 (3rd) -- 9
5) Dakota Hudson, STL: 1 (2nd), 1 (3rd) -- 4
6) Victor Robles, WSH: 1 (3rd) -- 1