Skenes went 6 full innings striking out 11 batters while giving up only 1 walk, 0 hits, 0 earned runs. He earned a win for his efforts.
Even if you don't watch the whole video, I posted--check out a few minutes. It's incredible that Skenes is throwing these nasty pitches--very often over 100 miles per hour--and makes it look so effortless. I've said before that one of the problems with selecting pitchers for this blog is that they often don't look so great when they are actually pitching. Their faces scrunch up and their bodies get into weird contortions. No so with Skenes. There so many pictures to choose from of him looking really good on the mound.
Speaking of how Skenes looks... Maybe it's the mustache, but he doesn't look like a rookie player in 2024. I'm not saying he looks older than his 21 years--he just looks like a 21 year-old from another era.
Congratulations, Paul Skenes! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.
On Tuesday, May 8, Keller went a full 9.0 innings against the Rockies. He struck out 8, gave up only one walk and 4 hits with no runs scored against him.
Keller had another killer game on Sunday, May 14. In 7.0 innings, he had 13 strikeouts and gave up 4 hits and zero bases on balls--again, with no runs scored against him. Here's a breakdown of his pitching in that game. (Warning: this video is for true baseball nerds only.)
Keller ends the week with 2 wins, a very low 0.56 WHIP, and 0.00 ERA. While this is, by far, the best week of his season so far, he has been off to a very good start with 5 wins, only one loss, and a respectable 2.38 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. Bonus fun stat: Keller has the most strikeouts ending with a called strike of any MLB pitcher so far this season. He has struck out 30 batters looking--8 more than his closest competition, Gerrit Cole.
Bryan Reynolds had a very good week last week. He had a .391 average and 1.418 OPS with 8 runs, 11 RBI, and 4 home runs.
On Thursday, August 18, Reynolds hit two home runs in one game. His first homer was the 2,999th in the history of his home field, PNC Park. I'll let the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette take it from there:
Who better to hit No. 3,000 than Reynolds? In the fifth, he stepped up again, after another Newman single, and ripped an even more majestic shot to right. That got Reynolds’ home stadium to 3,000, got Reynolds to 20 on the season and gave him the third multi-homer game of his career. For a little bit of extra symbolism, the 3,000th home run came on what would have been legendary outfielder Roberto Clemente’s 88th birthday.
“I didn’t know about it [beforehand], but it’s pretty crazy to be a little part of that history,” Reynolds said.
The second homer, which came on a 3-0 count, also gave Reynolds four homers in his past four games, as he continues to prove that he is the straw that stirs the Pirates’ offensive drink when his swing is going well.
Reynolds also happens to look very handsome as he rounds the bases.
Congratulations, Bryan Reynolds! You are my MLBoyfriend of the week.
My mother, Jane, passed away just a couple of weeks before the MLB season was supposed to begin. This Mothers Day, I'm missing her terribly, and I don't have her beloved sport of baseball to keep me company. So, in her honor, I'm crowning her all-time MLBoyfriend.
First, let's give some honorable mentions to some worthy candidates for the title of Mom's MLBoyfriend.
Minnesota Classic: Tony Oliva
Mom was born and raised in Minnesota. Although she moved (all the way to Iowa!) well before the MLB franchise came to the state, she always had a soft spot for the Twins. Growing up, I heard a lot about great Minnesota players including Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, and, Tony Oliva. Later, I was a little surprised to discover that Oliva is not a household name even among serious baseball fans.
Oliva played all 15 years of his career with the Twins, and for eight of them, he was one of the best hitters in baseball. He was the 1964 American League Rookie of the Year, won 4 AL batting titles, went to 8 All-Star Games, and ended up with some very respectable career stats, Oliva remains Twins royalty. Last year, at age 80, he went on a road trip with the team as a special bench coach.
The Pretty Boys: Trevor Plouffe & Eric Hosmer
Plouffe & Hosmer
Mom appreciated talented players, but she also liked a little eye candy on the field--the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. For example, Trevor Plouffe was a good player who had a few solid years with Minnesota....
....However, it wasn't his numbers that made him Mom's favorite Twins player in the early 2010s.
Mom started watching most of the Kansas City's games because that's the team the local sports channel carried. Eric Hosmer quickly became her favorite of the Royals. He had good stats...
....But he gave really good face.
I named Hosmer as my MLBoyfriend a few years ago, and I strongly urge you to read that post to find out how Mom revealed her crush on him to me in the funniest emails I've ever received from anyone. Seriously, click here and check it out.
The Slugger: David Ortiz
Mom and Dad co-owned a team in our family fantasy baseball league. She was mostly a silent partner, but she insisted that they draft David Ortiz every season he played. Even though many of us (including Dad) doubted the choice thinking he was bound to go into decline. Mom knew what she was doing though. He was an excellent hitter right up to the end of his career.
Mom was quick to remind you that she spotted Ortiz early--his rookie year when he was playing as "David Arias" in Minnesota. She never really forgave the Twins for trading him.
Mom's #1 MLBoyfriend: Roberto Clemente
I emailed my siblings asking for suggestions for a list of Mom's favorite baseball players. My brother John replied, "Doesn't that list begin and end with Roberto Clemente?"
More importantly, Roberto Clemente was one of the greatest people ever to play baseball. His biggest legacies are his advocacy for civil rights and his humanitarian work. He literally died serving others. He was on his way to deliver relief supplies to Nicaragua after a devastating earthquake when the small plane he was on crashed into the ocean.
Roberto Clemente holding a baseball clinic for low-income
children in Puerto Rico.
MLB's Roberto Clemente Award is given to the player who "best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field". If you want to know more about why Roberto Clemente was a hero both on and off the baseball field, check out this short video that pieces together clips from a variety of sources. (Thankfully, someone else has risked copyright infringement, so I didn't have to.)
An incredibly talented baseball player who fights for social and economic justice was totally Mom's perfect man. Apologies to her husband of 63 years, my father, but even he would tell you that Roberto Clemente was her all-time favorite. I know it's trivial compared to everything else, but it certainly didn't hurt that he was really handsome.
Congratulation, Roberto Clemente! You were Jane Hogan's All-Time #1 MLBoyfriend. Certainly, this must rank as one of the greatest honors of your career.
In six complete innings, Williams struck out seven batters and gave up just two hits, two walks and no earned runs. He ended the game with a 0.67 WHIP, a 0.00 ERA, a quality start and a win.
Pittsburgh called up Ngoepe hoping his fielding prowess to help their struggling defense. The Pirates got a bonus of some decent offense from Gift in his two games. In addition to his hit in his first game, he drew a walk. Then in his first start on Friday, April 28th, Ngoepe went 3 for 3 with a triple, two walks and two runs in the Pirates 12-2 win over the Miami Marlins.
Even though Ngoepe literally grew up in a baseball park--his mother worked for a recreation-league team in Randburg, South Africa, and his family lived in a room attached to the clubhouse--it's amazing that he set his sites on playing in the Major Leagues at a young age. He told the Pittburgh Gazette:
It’s a dream come true for me. It’s something I always wanted as a little kid. I told someone when I was 10 or 12 years old I was going to make it to the big leagues. That day has come.
