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Greetings, fellow baseball enjoyers! And welcome to our thrice-weekly newsletter/blog.
In this issue: why you can’t help but cheer for Shota Imanaga, where do the Marlins go after trading Luis Arraez, whether or not we’ve seen the last of Alek Manoah, and a look at some of baseball’s best AAPI players.
My name’s AJ… and this is Two-Strike Count.
Shota Imanaga: MLB’s Mr. Congeniality
There are some players you just can’t help but cheer for. Some players so down-to-earth and likable that, even if they play for a rival team, you have to grudgingly root for them. And Shota Imanaga is one of them… but maybe not for the reason you think.
Sure, the Cubs’ lefty has been tearing it up since coming stateside with a 5-1 record and 0.78 ERA (good for best in the majors) through his first 6 starts. It’s also true Imanaga was named April NL Rookie of the Month and Cubs Player of the Month for March/April. But it’s his off-field presence that makes him so likable.
When asked what it was like to pitch in New York for the first time (as the Cubs were visiting the Mets), Imanaga said “The view from the hotel, I recognize from Spider-Man. So I was just like, oh, this is where Spider-Man was.” And he told MLB Network’s MLB Central the biggest surprise of living in the US is being able to turn right on red.
Shota Imanaga might be a superstar in the making. He might have the best ERA by a pitcher through their first 6 career starts since 1913, but at the end of the day he’s a regular, extremely likable dude. And that makes it pretty much impossible not to root for him.
Even if you’re a White Sox fan.
Where do the Marlins go from here?
Two-time batting champ Luis Arraez made quite the impression in his San Diego Padres debut, going 4-for-6 (including a double) and powering his new team to a 13-1 drubbing of the rival Diamondbacks. But what about Arraez’s former team, the Miami Marlins? Where do they go from here?
It sure seems like they’re entering rebuild mode. Their President of Baseball Operations Peter Bendix said after the trade “We are unlikely to make the playoffs this year.” While I’m not crazy about anyone writing off a season (especially when it’s only May and there’s so much baseball left to play)... Bendix is probably right. The Marlins have a laundry list of injuries including ace Sandy Alcantara, pitchers Jesus Luzardo and AJ Puk, and outfielder Avisail Garcia.
That’s a lot of bodies to be down, so yeah, a second-straight playoff appearance looks pretty unlikely. It’s also why swapping Arraez for solid prospects like outfielders Dillon Head and Jakob Marsee, first base prospect Nathan Martarella, and reliever Woo–Suk Go makes sense for Miami.
They weren’t going anywhere with Arraez this year. And he’s eligible for salary arbitration this winter. So unloading that salary and scooping up prospects who could help in the rebuilding process is a smart move.
And, I know things look bleak right now, Marlins fans, but hang in there… better days are ahead.
Alek Manoah struggles in MLB return
On Sunday, Blue Jays righty Alek Manoah made his first MLB start since last August…and it did not go well. Manoah only lasted 4 innings, giving up 7 runs (6 of them earned) and 4 walks to the Nationals. It’s the latest in a long line of struggles for the former All Star.
Last year, after posting a 6.36 ERA in his first 13 starts, Manoah was demoted to the Florida Complex League where he continued to struggle. Eventually, he was shut down for the season. So here it is a year later and, unfortunately, it's a new year but the same story for Manoah.
It’s really a shame to see such a talented player go from being one of the best young pitchers in baseball to struggling this much. There’s no doubt he and the Blue Jays have some tough issues to face and tough questions to answer, because something’s clearly not right with him.
And the biggest question is whether or not he can get right and get back to the pitcher everyone knows he can be.
Here’s hoping.
Celebrating MLB’s AAPI past and present
What do Lars Nootbar, Tommy Edman, Dane Dunning, Connor Wong, and Steven Kwan all have in common? They’re part of the 4 percent of Asian American Pacific Islander players that make up MLB rosters… they’re also all young, talented, and up and coming.
Nootbar is a sparkplug in the Cardinals lineup, and was a key part of their 2021 run to a Wild Card spot. His teammate, Edman, has turned heads in St. Louis with his speed, defense, and ability to do damage at the plate. Dunning, meanwhile, has been a fixture in the Rangers rotation since being traded to Texas in 2021.
Connor Wong (no relation to Kolten), a switch-hitting utility player acquired by the Red Sox in the Mookie Betts trade, is a strong defender and has already impressed Boston manager Alex Cora. And Steven Kwan has become a major piece of Cleveland’s lineup with a .903 OPS, 3 home runs, 11 RBI, and 3 stolen bases this year.
As you can see, MLB has no shortage of AAPI talent. These players and many more are making an impact all over baseball. But they wouldn’t have had the opportunity had it not been for the AAPI stars that came before them.
Players like Benny Agbayani, Ron Darling, Johnny Damon, Tim Lincecum, Shane Victorino, and even current Dodgers manager Dave Roberts paved the way for today’s AAPI players to leave their mark on baseball. And, as is so often the case (especially in baseball), it’s the success of players past that’s led to success of players in the present.
That’s it for this edition of Two-Strike Count, baseball fans. Until next time!
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