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Greetings, fellow baseball enjoyers! And welcome to our thrice-weekly newsletter/blog.
We’ve got Elly De La Cruz on pace to make history, whether or not the A’s are actually good, and the Red Sox not-so-secret weapon.
My name’s AJ… and this is Two-Strike Count.
Elly De La Cruz’s chase for history
His name’s Elly, but with the way he plays baseball, it might as well be Electric. The Reds young superstar with his power, speed, and cannon arm is a ton of fun to watch on the diamond. He’s got seemingly limitless potential, and that just might include making history.
So far this year De La Cruz is hitting .281 (.968 OPS) with 7 home runs and an MLB-best 18 stolen bases. If you’re keeping score at home, that means he’s on pace for 45 home runs and 97 stolen bases. Like I said… electric.
Now, there’s never been a player who finished a season with 40 home runs and 100 stolen bases. But if anyone has a shot at being the first… it’s De La Cruz. Granted, it’s still April, and thus way too early to even guess how the rest of the season might go for any player… including Elly.
But it’s not too early to know he’s got the tools to get it done. De La Cruz has proven himself right from the get-go. And if I were Ronald Acuna Jr, who became the first-ever player to hit 40-plus homers and steal 70-plus bases just last year… I’d be lookin over my shoulder.
Are the A’s actually… good?
Raise your hand if you predicted that, at the end of April, the Oakland A’s would be ahead of the Houston Astros in the standings. Now put it down, cause you’re lyin. Nobody other than an A’s fan playing MLB The Show could’ve dreamt they'd see Oakland leading Houston.
But that’s where we are as the first month of the season draws to a close. The Astros, or Lastros, as I’ve taken to calling them, are a dismal 8-19 and a full two games behind the A’s in the AL West. Now, you could argue the Astros have too much talent to be that bad. And you’d be right. Even with all the injury issues they’ve dealt with, the Astros are too good to be where they are.
What about the A’s, though? Are they, in the midst of all the turmoil surrounding their relocation and whatnot, actually a good team?
Well, they do have some good pieces. They’ve got lights out closer Mason Miller who throws 100-mph fastballs like you or I brush our teeth. Then there’s starters J.P. Sears, Paul Blackburn, Ross Stripling, and Alex Wood. And, the A’s have already won a series against the defending World Series Champion Rangers and earned a split against the Yankees in the Bronx.
Oakland can’t score runs to save their lives, though. They’re only averaging 2.96 runs per game… second only to the White Sox at 2.24. Now, we know the A’s won’t be getting any bats anytime soon, but if they did… they could do some damage and would be a pretty good team.
Alas, with John Fisher holding the purse strings, it’s not to be. And that’s a damn shame.
The Red Sox not-so-secret weapon
In each of the last two years, the Boston Red Sox finished with a team ERA over 4.5. And, in each of the last two years, they finished in last place in the AL East. Not a coincidence.
So entering this year, Boston knew something had to change. They had to find a way to whip their pitching staff into shape and stop giving up so many runs. For teams looking to improve their pitching, a new pitching coach is usually a good start.
Enter Andrew Bailey.
Bailey’s a former pitcher who played eight years in the majors including two seasons in Boston. And while he didn’t exactly light the world on fire, it’s pretty clear he learned a lot while toeing the rubber. Since retiring in 2018, he’s put that knowledge to use as a successful bullpen coach for the Angels, pitching coach for the Giants, and now as the pitching coach in Boston.
So how’s he doing?
Pretty damn good considering the Red Sox have got a 2.63 ERA so far, which is good for best in all of baseball… about a half-run or so better than the rival Yankees. So as early as it is in the season, it’s been so far, so good for Bailey and the Sox pitching staff.
Afterall, when you don’t give up a lot of runs, you give yourself a chance to win a lot of ball games. And if the Red Sox are able to do that, a ton of credit will go to Andrew Bailey.
That’s it for this edition of Two-Strike Count, baseball fans. Until next time!
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