it won't be much of a break for those players who are going to the Midsummer Classic in Washington, D.C., however, and that includes our boy, Michael Brantley! in case you missed it, Michael was selected as an OF reserve for the American League team for the second straight ASG, third time overall in his career. so while he and the other All Stars prepare for the 89th annual affair, i shall provide you with Michael's first half numbers of 2018.
so far in 2018, Michael has 372 plate appearances and 341 at bats in 84 games (655.1 innings). in total, he has 105 hits, 38 extra base hits, 67 singles, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 12 home runs (2 grand slams), 56 RBI, 4 sac flies, 55 runs, 25 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 6 stolen bases (2nd), 3 caught stealing (2 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd), 3 reached on fielder's choice, 1 reached on forceout, 2 reached on fielding error, 1 reached on throwing error, 10
GIDP, 31 strikeouts (23 swinging, 8 looking), 26 first at bat hits, 168 total bases, 118 left on base, 124 putouts, 3 assists, 1 error, and 1 double play.
1st Half 2018 batting average: .308 (105-341)
OBP: .355
SLG: .493
OPS: .848
March/April BA: .343 (not a qualifying player)
May BA: .333
June BA: .250
July BA (so far): .316
Michael's .308 batting average is currently the highest on the team out of all the qualifying players. Jose Ramirez is very close behind him with a .302 batting average.
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| screenshot cropped from indians.com |
for reference, Michael's BAs at the break from the past six seasons were:
.304 in 2017
.231 in 2016 (11 games played)
.292 in 2015
.322 in 2014
.279 in 2013
.288 in 2012
Quick Overview
Michael opened the 2018 season on the disabled list because he was finishing up his rehab from the right ankle surgery he had in October of 2017 for his ankle synovitis and deltoid ligament sprain. he'd only played in three Cactus League games with the Tribe, and therefore needed more time to build up his endurance in order for him to be ready to play every day in left field. so he stayed back in Arizona for extended spring training while the team went on their first road trip. he missed six games before he was activated for the Indians Home Opener on April 7. Michael received a couple days off, playing only three or four games in a row, so as not to push him too hard, too fast. but when he did play, he picked up right where he left off, putting up strong numbers just like we're used to. he was vintage Michael Brantley. this was even more impressive considering Michael's spot in the batting order changed this year--he bat 4th against righty starters and 5th against lefties.
Michael's success continued into May as well. highlights included his first career grand slam on May 1, and his second career grand slam on May 11, the latter of which just happened to coincide with Michael getting moved up into the 2 hole in the lineup. after that game concluded, Michael became a qualifying player and has officially boasted the highest batting average on the team every since. he also put together a tremendous 19-game hitting streak (.366 BA) and had other various on-base streaks as well. overall, Michael totaled a career high seven home runs and 26 RBI in May. he even received a few AL Player of the Month votes for his production!
on the contrary, when the calendar flipped to June, that's when some problems arose. Michael began to struggle and it spanned for almost the entire duration of the month. he was having trouble in close to every facet of situational hitting. it was definitely not what we're used to seeing from Michael, and certainly not how he's used to performing. his biggest accomplishment for the month was when he set a new career high by reaching safely in 24 straight home games. he extended his record later in July, and it now stands as a career high 27-game on-base streak at home.
so far in July, he's done well. he got his 500th career RBI on July 4 and was named to the 2018 AL All Star team as an outfield reserve on July 8, making him a three-time All Star!⭐⭐⭐ in the final game before the break, he also hit a nice go-ahead home run, his first homer since June 11, to win the game! i have noticed he's still having some difficulty with RISP and against lefties, but i remain hopeful that he will turn things around in that regard in the second half of 2018.
while it wasn't the ideal way to start his last campaign with the Tribe, what with having to rehab and recover from yet another surgery prior to Opening Day, he did everything he needed to and came back as if nothing ever happened. for a guy that most fans and some media members didn't think could stay healthy and didn't want back in Cleveland for this year, i'd say he's doing pretty damn good. yes, Michael read all the negative posts in the offseason and he's aware of the critics. he's sure showing them now and i love it. i told y'all so!😤
i can't believe there's only two and a half months left of Michael's final regular season with the Cleveland Indians. that's so depressing.😞 i wish him the best second half ever and that the Indians go far in the October playoffs!🤞
what were your most memorable moments from Michael's first half? leave them in a comment!
Areas of Concern
Michael's numbers with RISP are well below his average, and that's almost completely due to his performance with RISP and 2 outs. aside from hitting both his grand slams with 2 outs, he's been an inning-ender more often than not. i need this to improve in the second half!
aside from that, his 2-out hitting has gone from great to not to just okay. this has been a category where Michael's struggled in the last couple years, but he was actually having success here up until June. he's slowly climbing back uphill and i hope that can continue going forward.
i'm very surprised to report that left-handed pitchers have really been challenge for Michael this season. ordinarily, he can hit either type pitcher well, and though he's always been better against righties, it's odd for him to have trouble with southpaws like he has been this season.
another thing that's very uncharacteristic of Michael is his inability to consistently hit on the road. it's never mattered before whether Michael was playing at Progressive Field or away from it, so i can't explain why his splits have been so drastically different and significantly worse on the road in 2018. if this trend continues, it's not going to bode well for him considering he likely won't be playing his home games at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario after this year ends...
i'll take a second to mention that his assists total is down in 2018. i'm not quite sure why that is. maybe players know not to run too much on him anymore, or maybe on those balls that are getting hit off the left field wall, it's just not possible to get a quicker/better throw in to the cutoff man to nab the runner. not counting 2016, the last time Michael had less than five assists at the break was 2012!
also, a final observation i want to note is that Michael isn't getting as many go-ahead hits or go-ahead RBI lately. i think that is mainly due to his new BOP this season. being in the 3 spot, you have more of a chance to rack up those kinds or stats, or RBI in general.
Michael has many things he can work on when the season gets back underway. i'm confident he'll close out the year strong.💪
do you agree with my concerns? tell me yours in the comment section below!
Team Leads and Career Highs
in the first half of 2018, Michael leads the team with 67 singles and a .308 batting average. he's tied for the team lead with 2 grand slams and 4 sac flies. also, among qualifying players, he has the least strikeouts with 31.
Michael is 3rd on the team with 105 hits, 38 extra base hits, 25 doubles, 55 runs, 168 total bases, 372 plate appearances, 341 at bats, .355 OBP, .493 SLG, and .848 OPS. in addition, he's tied for 3rd with 1 triple.
he leads the outfielders with 100 putouts, 545.1 innings, and 63 games played. he's tied for 1st with 1 double play and 2nd with 3 assists as well.
when i looked over my personal documentation of Michael's numbers, i found that he set career highs in the first half with 25 doubles and 2 grand slams.
it's funny because you would think that with the longer length of this first half of the season, and the additional games that aren't usually there, that Michael would have more career highs. it's not like he hasn't been hitting or playing well. however, the fact that he did miss time early on in March/April and had a subpar June, combined with the fact that he had a tremendous all-around season in 2014, well, that explains why his totals so far are not new records.
League Rankings
now let's check out which stats of Michael's rank in the Top 10 around the AL and MLB at the All Star Break (via mlb.mlb.com/stats).
among qualifying left fielders in the American League, Michael's ranked tied for 1st in doubles (25); 2nd in singles (67); 3rd in hits (105) and batting average (.308); tied for 3rd in sac flies (4); 4th in OBP (.355); 5th in RBI (56), total bases (168), and OPS (.848); tied for 5th in runs (55); 6th in at bats (341); tied for 6th in stolen bases (6); 7th in extra base hits (38), plate appearances (372), and SLG (.493); tied for 8th in home runs (12); and 10th in games played (84). Michael's also ranked 14th out of 14 players in strikeouts (31), making him the hardest AL LF to strike out right now.
among qualifying outfielders in the American League, Michael is tied for 4th in doubles and sac flies; 5th in hits, singles, and batting average; tied for 8th in RBI; tied for 9th runs; and 10th in OBP and OPS. besides that, out of 33 players, he's 33rd in strikeouts, meaning he's the toughest outfielder to strike out in the American League.
among qualifying players in the American League, Michael ranks 83rd in strikeouts out of 84 players, so he's currently the 2nd hardest AL player to K.
among all qualifying left fielders in the Major Leagues, Michael is tied for 1st in doubles, 3rd in hits, 4th in singles and batting average, tied for 4th in sac flies, 6th in total bases, tied for 6th in runs, 7th in extra base hits, tied for 7th in RBI, 8th in OBP and OPS, 9th in at bats, 10th in plate appearances and SLG, and tied for 10th in stolen bases. he's also 30th of 30 players in strikeouts, or the toughest left fielder in MLB to strike out.
among all qualifying outfielders in the Major Leagues, Michael ranks tied for 5th in doubles, tied for 6th in hits, 8th in batting average, tied for 9th in sac flies, and tied for 10th in singles. he additionally ranks 69th out of 69 players in strikeouts, meaning he's the hardest MLB OF to strike out.
among all qualifying players in the Major Leagues, Michael's strikeouts are 163rd out of 164 players, making him the 2nd hardest player to strike out in all of Major League Baseball.
HR:RBI Ratio, K Rate, LOB, and Outs
in the first half of the season, Michael has 12 home runs. i think that's great for someone who is not a power hitter. he finished the break hitting his first homer since June 11, so he went through a bit of a drought, but i'm not going to complain. i still think he'll end the year with at least 18 long balls. the team leader in home runs right now is still Jose Ramirez with 29. Francisco Lindor is 2nd with 25, Edwin Encarnacion is 3rd with 22, and Yonder Alonso is 4th with 13. Michael's 12 rank 5th and Yan Gomes is 6th with 10. no one else on the team has double digit homers yet.
at the break, Michael has 56 RBI versus 118 men left on base. that's not bad, but he really could have more ribbies than he does. as i've already mentioned, he's been having a tough time with runners in scoring position and therefore has stranded a lot of guys. Ramirez currently leads the Tribe with 70 RBI. Encarnacion is next with 65 and Lindor is also over 60 with 62. Michael is 4th and Alonso is after him with 53 runs batted in.
the HR:RBI ratio for the first half is as follows: nine of Michael's 12 home runs were solo, one was a 2-run bomb, and two were grand slams. therefore, 16.1% of his 56 RBI have come from his solo homers, while 33.9% of his 56 RBI have come from all 12 of his home runs.
Michael's K rate at the break is 8.3% (31 K/372 PA). he currently averages 1 strikeout for every 12 plate appearances. talk about a contact hitter. that's remarkable.
also to this point, Michael has 111 groundouts, 45 flyouts, 36 lineouts, and 13 pop outs versus 31 strikeouts. so if you add up all his fly ball outs, liners, and pop ups, he's still grounding out at a higher rate than all the other types of outs combined. on the other hand, he has a lot of hits that have come from ground balls. as much as i'd like for him to get more balls up in the air, maybe he doesn't necessarily need to after all.
Reached Base vs. Left Stranded
through the first half of 2018, Michael has reached base a total of 139 times via hits, walks, hit by pitches, fielder's choices, forceouts, fielding errors, and throwing errors. he's scored 55 runs total, 12 of which came from his own home runs. he's been driven in 43 times by other players and left stranded 75 times. (he was lifted for a pinch runner four times, caught stealing three times, caught in a rundown once, and thrown out at 3rd base once, so i had to subtract nine from the total count here.) his teammates have been doing a much better job lately of getting him home after he gets on so i hope to see that continue when play resumes after the break.
Streaks and Situational Statistics
Michael hit in 66 of the 84 games he's played in the first half of 2018 and reached base safely in 75 games. he has 18 hitless games, but still reached base in 9 of those. Michael has 30 multi-hit games, 8 three+ hit games, and 13 multi-RBI games. he has at least 1 RBI in 38 games. in addition, he has 10 go-ahead hits and 11 go-ahead RBI. the Indians are now 48-36 in games that Michael's played in and 4-7 in the games he's missed/sat out.
Michael's had several streaks in this 1st half of the year, including:
--an 18-game on-base streak on the road between July 1 - August 1, 2017, and April 16-22, 2018. it spanned over July 1-2, July 14-19, July 28-29, and July 31 - August 1, 2017, and April 16-17 and April 20-22, 2018.
--a 14-game hitting streak on the road between July 15 - August 1, 2017, and April 16-22, 2018. it spanned over July 15-19, July 28-29, and July 31 - August 1, 2017, and April 16-17 and April 20-22, 2018.
--5 consecutive multi-hit games between April 11-20. they spanned over April 11-12, April 17-18, and April 20.
--a 9-game on-base streak between April 8-22. it began on April 8, then continued over April 10-12, April 17-18, and April 20-22.
--a modest 7-game hitting streak between April 11-22 (over 12 days). it spanned over April 11-12, April 17-18, and April 20-22.
--a 9-game on-base streak at home between April 8-29. it began on April 8, then continued over April 10-12 and April 25-29.
--a 7-game hitting streak at home between April 11-29. it spanned over April 11-12 and April 25-29.
--a 9-game hitting streak on the road between May 9-23. it began on May 9, then continued over May 14-16, May 18-20, and May 22-23.
--a 19-game hitting streak, in which he bat .366, between May 9-30 (over 22 days).
--a 21-game on-base streak between May 8-31. it spanned over May 8-9, May 11-16, May 18-20, and May 22-31.
--an 11-game on-base streak on the road between May 8-31. it spanned over May 8-9, May 14-16, May 18-20, May 22-23, and May 31.
--a 16-game hitting streak at home, in which he bat .394, between May 1 - June 6. it spanned over May 1-3 (including a doubleheader on May 3), May 11-13, May 24-30, and June 5-6.
--a 15-game on-base streak between June 11-27. it spanned over June 11-13, June 15-20, and June 22-27.
--a career high 27-game on-base streak at home between May 1 - July 7. it spanned over May 1-3 (including a doubleheader on May 3), May 11-13, May 24-30, June 5-6, June 15-20, June 22-24, and July 6-7.
--a modest 7-game hitting streak between June 30 - July 7. it spanned over June 30 - July 4 and July 6-7.
--a 7-game on-base streak between June 30 - July 7.
he will start the second half with a 5-game hitting steak, 5-game on-base streak, 5-game hitting streak at home, and 5-game hitting streak on the road as well.
at the break, Michael is batting .325 (81-for-249) against right-handed pitchers and .261 (24-for-92) against left-handed pitchers. i don't know why lefties are giving Michael trouble this year, but right now, he's really only effective when facing right-handers. i hope he can get that average against southpaws up in the second half of the season.
Michael's hitting .346 (65-for-188) with 41 RBI at home. he has 18 doubles, 1 triple, and 7 home runs (26 extra base hits) at Progressive Field, along with 2 sac flies, 36 runs, 11 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 6 stolen bases (2nd), 1 caught stealing (3rd), 5 GIDP, 14 strikeouts (8 swinging, 6 looking), and 106 total bases while playing 47 out of 50 total home games. he reached base on 3 fielder's choices, 1 forceout, 2 fielding errors, and 1 throwing error as well. he hit safely in 39 of the 47 home games he's played in and safely reached base in 43 of them. he has 8 hitless games at home, reaching base in 4. he has at least 1 RBI in 25 home games. his 65 hits at home currently rank tied for most in the majors.
Michael's hitting .261 (40-for-153) with 15 RBI away from Progressive Field. he has 7 doubles and 5 home runs (12 extra base hits) on the road, along with 2 sac flies, 19 runs, 14 walks, 2 caught stealing (2nd), 5 GIDP, 17 strikeouts (15 swinging, 2 looking), and 62 total bases while playing 37 out of 45 total road games. he hit safely in 27 of the 37 road games he's played in and safely reached base in 32 of them. he has 10 hitless games away from home, reaching base in 5. he has at least 1 RBI in 13 road games.
Michael's now batting .273 (24-for-88) with runners in scoring position with 41 RBI at the break. to be more specific, he's batting .368 (7-for-19) with RISP and 0 outs, .276 (8-for-29) with RISP and 1 out, and .225 (9-for-40) with RISP and 2 outs. he actually improved with 2 outs thus far in July to bring that average up a bit, but it's killing his overall average with RISP, to the point where if he has any difficulty with 0 outs or 1 out, it's going to make things worse. i desperately hope he can figure out a way to do better here in the next two and a half months because this is not what he's capable of. not in the least.
with 2 outs in an inning, Michael is batting .278 (27-for-97). he now has 7 doubles, 1 triple, 3 home runs, 21 RBI, 6 walks, 1 hit by pitch, and 9 strikeouts (8 swinging, 1 looking). i think he's starting to get back on the right track in these instances, so i look forward to more improvement when the All Star Break is over.
additionally, he's hitting .333 (48-for-144) with 47 RBI with runners on base and .750 (6-for-8) with 16 RBI with the bases loaded so far this season. he's doing outstanding here, especially when the ducks are on the pond. will he be able to hit another grand slam in the second half (to go with the two he's hit already this year)?
finally, Michael's hitting .289 (57-for-197) with the bases empty right now. he has 10 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 9 RBI, 15 walks, 2 hit by pitches, and 22 strikeouts (15 swinging, 7 looking) when batting with nobody on base.
at the break, Michael has a 1.5 fWAR (wins above replacement), a 129 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus--the ability to create runs compared to the league average), a -2.2 BsR (baserunning runs above average with stolen bases and caught stealings), and -4.4 UZR (ultimate zone rating), and a -10 DRS (defensive runs saved). among 14 qualifying AL left fielders, Michael's wRC+ ranks 5th, his fWAR ranks 7th, and his BsR ranks last. likewise, his UZR and DRS rank 6th out of seven total qualifiers. [these stats all came courtesy of fangraphs.com.]
Versus AL Central Division Teams
vs. the Minnesota Twins, Michael's batting .243 (9-for-37) in 9 games--6 on the road and 3 at home. the Indians are 3-6 in the games he's played in. overall, Michael has 5 singles and 4 extra base hits, including 2 doubles and 2 home runs, as well as 4 RBI, 1 sac fly, 4 runs, 4 walks, 1 stolen base (2nd), 1 first at bat hit, and 17 total bases. he's also grounded into 2 double plays, has 2 strikeouts swinging, and left 14 men on base. furthermore, he has a .310 OBP, .459 SLG, and .769 OPS. in left field, Michael's recorded 18 putouts and acquired 1 assist while playing 73 innings, but only 6 complete games. he was subbed out defensively after 8 innings in 1 game in March/April because the Indians were winning and Michael had done more than enough in the game, and he was subbed out defensively after 8 innings in 1 game in June because the Indians were losing. he was the DH for 1 game.
vs. the Chicago White Sox, Michael's batting .342 (13-for-38) in 9 of 10 games--6 at home and 3 of the 4 on the road. (he had 1 scheduled day off during one June road series.) the Indians are 7-2 in the games he played in and won the game he did not play in. overall, Michael has 10 singles and 3 extra base hits, including 1 double and 2 home runs, as well as 4 RBI, 9 runs, 2 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 1 stolen base (2nd), 1 caught stealing (3rd), 5 first at bat hits, and 20 total bases. he's also reached base on 1 fielder's choice, reached base on 1 fielding error, grounded into 3 double plays, has 4 strikeouts swinging, and left 25 men on base. furthermore, he has a .390 OBP, .526 SLG, and .917 OPS. in left field, Michael's recorded 17 putouts while playing 73 innings, but only 7 complete games. he was subbed out defensively after 5 innings in 1 game in May because the Indians were winning, and he was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 7th inning in 1 game in June because the Indians were winning.
vs. the Detroit Tigers, Michael's batting .327 (16-for-49) in 12 of 13 games--6 of the 7 at home and 6 on the road. (he had 1 scheduled day off during one March/April home series.) the Indians are 9-3 in the games he's played in and won the game he did not play in. overall, Michael has 12 singles and 4 extra base hits, including 3 doubles and 1 home run, as well as 6 RBI, 5 runs, 4 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 2 stolen bases (2nd), 3 first at bat hits, and 22 total bases. he's also reached base on 1 fielder's choice, has 3 strikeouts swinging, and left 13 men on base. furthermore, he has a . 389 OBP, .449 SLG, and .838 OPS. in left field, Michael's recorded 11 putouts while playing 74 innings, but only 6 complete games. he was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 6th inning in 1 game in March/April because the Indians were winning a blowout and Terry Francona wanted to give him some extra rest, he was lifted for a pinch runner in the top of the 9th inning in 1 game in May because the Indians were winning, and he was subbed out defensively after 7 innings in 1 game in June because he Indians were winning. he was the DH for 3 games.
vs. the Kansas City Royals, Michael's batting .297 (11-for-37) in 9 games--6 at home and 3 on the road. the Indians are 7-2 in the games he's played in. overall, Michael has 7 singles and 4 extra base hits, including 2 doubles and 2 home runs (1 being a grand slam), as well as 13 RBI, 1 sac fly, 8 runs, 2 walks, 6 first at bat hits, and 19 total bases. he's also reached base on 1 fielder's choice, grounded into 2 double plays, has 2 strikeouts looking, and left 14 men on base. furthermore, he has a .325 OBP, .514 SLG, and .839 OPS. in left field, Michael's recorded 12 putouts while playing 70 innings, but only 7 complete games. he was subbed out defensively after 7 innings in 1 game in July because the Indians were winning a blowout. he was the DH for 1 game.
what are your thoughts on Michael's divisional play so far? let me know below!
Interleague Play
the Indians have played a total of 14 games against four National League teams in the first half of 2018. Michael has played in 13 of those games. the Indians are 8-5 in the games he's played in and lost the game he did not play in. overall, Michael's batting .306 (15-for-49) in Interleague Play.
vs. the Chicago Cubs at Progressive Field and Wrigley Field (no designated hitter allowed), Michael bat .385 (5-for-13) in 3 of the 4 games--1 of the 2 home games in March/April and 2 road games in May. (he had 1 scheduled day off during March/April home series.) the Indians went 3-0 in the games he played in and lost the game he did not play in. overall, Michael had 5 singles, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 1 walk, 1 caught stealing (2nd), 1 first at bat hit, and 5 total bases. he also had 1 strikeout swinging and left 6 men on base. furthermore, he had a .429 OBP, .385 SLG, and .813 OPS. in left field, Michael played 26 innings, but only 2 complete games. he was subbed out defensively after 8 innings in 1 game in May because the Indians were winning and Michael had done more than enough in the game. he recorded 6 putouts and acquired 1 assist and 1 double play as well.
vs. the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park (no designated hitter allowed) and Progressive Field, Michael bat .286 (4-for-14) in 4 games--2 road games in May and 2 home games in June. the Indians went 3-1 in the games he played in. overall, Michael had 3 singles, 1 extra base hit--a double, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 2 walks, 1 first at bat hit, and 5 total bases. he also reached base on 1 throwing error, had 1 strikeout looking, and left 4 men on base. furthermore, he had a .375 OBP, .357 SLG, and .732 OPS. in left field, Michael played 35 innings/4 complete games and recorded 6 putouts.
vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium (no designated hitter allowed), Michael bat .200 (2-for-10) in 3 road games in June. the Indians went 1-2 in the games he played in. overall, Michael had 1 single, 1 extra base hit--a double, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 3 total bases. he also had 1 strikeout swinging and left 2 man on base. furthermore, he had a .385 OBP, .300 SLG, and .685 OPS. in left field, Michael played 24 innings, but only 2 complete games. he was subbed out defensively after 7 innings in 1 game because the Indians were losing a blowout. he recorded 4 putouts and committed 1 error as well.
vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Progressive Field, Michael's batting .333 (4-for-12) in 3 home games in July. the Indians are 1-2 in the games he's played in. overall, Michael has 3 singles, 1 extra base hit--a double, 3 RBI, 3 runs, 1 walk, 1 first at bat hit, and 5 total bases. he's also reached base on 1 fielding error, has 1 strikeout looking, and left 2 men on base. furthermore, he has a .385 OBP, .417 SLG, and .801 OPS. in left field, Michael's played 22 innings, but only 2 complete games. he was subbed out defensively after 4 innings in 1 game because the Indians were winning a blowout. he's recorded 4 putouts as well. (the Indians have one more series with this team at Great American Ball Park in August.)
knowing that Interleague games have typically been a bit of a weakness for Michael in his career, are you pleased with his performance against NL teams thus far? tell me why or why not in a comment.
In The Field & Defensive League Rankings
at the end of the first half, Michael has 124 putouts, 3 assists, and 1 error in 128 total chances. he currently has a .992 fielding percentage. he's also turned 1 double play.
presently, he has a 16-game errorless streak in the outfield. an error in late June ended his bid for perfect defense this year. in addition, he's once again very far away from his career high/franchise record of 247 consecutive games without an error that he set back in 2014.
here are where some of his defensive stats rank around the league at the All Star Break:
among AL left fielders, Michael's 3 assists at the break rank tied for 11th with 5 other players. Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals and Eddie Rosario of the Minnesota Twins have the most assists right now with 8. in addition, Michael's 1 double play ranks tied for 2nd with 12 other players.
among all MLB left fielders, Michael's 3 assists rank tied for 17th (with 9 other players).
among all AL outfielders, Michael's 3 assists rank tied for 29th (with 11 other players).
among all MLB outfielders, Michael's 3 assists rank tied for 49th (with 24 other players).
the current MLB OF assist leader is Lorenzo Cain of the Milwaukee Brewers with 10.
now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his 1st Half 2018 #s, the 2nd spot #s, the 4th spot #s, the 5th spot #s, the 6th spot #s, the PH #s, and the DH #s, as well as the left field #s, BOP + left field #s, and overall outfield #s.
1st Half 2018 batting average: .308
OBP: .355
SLG: .493
OPS: .848
Michael played in 84 (of 95) games, 68 complete, before the All Star Break.
he started and played left field in 76 games, completing 61 of those games, appearing in 76 total.
he was lifted for a PR in 4 games after playing a total of 28 innings; 1 game in the bottom of the 6th inning because the Indians were winning a blowout, 1 game in the bottom of the 7th inning because the Indians were winning a blowout, 1 game in the top of the 9th inning because the Indians were winning, and 1 game in the bottom of the 7th inning because the Indians were winning.
he was subbed out defensively in 11 games after playing a total of 77 innings; 8 games after playing a total of 54 innings (8 innings/8 innings/8 innings/5 innings/7 innings/7 innings/7 innings/4 innings per game) because the Indians were winning and he had done more than enough in the game, and 3 games after playing a total of 23 innings (8 innings/8 innings/7 innings per game) because the Indians were losing.
he came in to PH in the bottom of the 7th inning in 1 game.
he was the DH in 7 games.
he missed 6 games while he was on the 10-Day DL as he continued to rehab from offseason right ankle surgery and build up his endurance in extended spring training.
he got 5 scheduled games off.
Michael bat 2nd in 58 games.
Michael bat 4th in 21 games.
Michael bat 5th in 4 games.
Michael bat 6th in 1 game. (1 PH)
Michael played left field in 76 games. (61 complete, 4 lifted for PR: 28 innings, 11 subbed out: 77 innings)
Michael was a PH in 1 game.
Michael was the DH in 7 games.
Michael played in 68 complete games.
in the 1st Half of 2018, Michael had a total of 372 plate appearances and 341 at bats in 84 games. here is how he fared:
105 hits
38 extra base hits
67 singles
25 doubles
1 triple
12 home runs
56 RBI
4 sac flies
55 runs
25 walks
2 hit by pitches
6 stolen bases (2nd)
3 caught stealing (2 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd)
3 reached on fielder's choice
1 reached on forceout
2 reached on fielding error
1 reached on throwing error
10 GIDP
31 strikeouts (23 swinging, 8 looking)
26 first at bat hits
168 total bases
118 left on base
124 putouts
3 assists
1 error
1 double play
655.1 innings, 84 games
(68 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average: .308 (105-341) (84 games)
now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.
when Michael bat 2nd in the 1st Half, he had a total of 261 plate appearances and 239 at bats in 58 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
72 hits
25 extra base hits
47 singles
16 doubles
9 home runs
38 RBI
2 sac flies
45 runs
19 walks
1 hit by pitch
5 stolen bases (2nd)
2 caught stealing (1 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd)
2 reached on fielder's choice
1 reached on forceout
2 reached on fielding error
1 reached on throwing error
8 GIDP
22 strikeouts (17 swinging, 5 looking)
18 first at bat hits
115 total bases
86 left on base
91 putouts
3 assists
1 error
1 double play
441.0 innings, 58 games
(47 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 2nd spot: .301 (72-239) (58 games)
when Michael bat 2nd and played left in the 1st Half, he had a total of 232 plate appearances and 213 at bats in 52 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
66 hits
23 extra base hits
43 singles
15 doubles
8 home runs
35 RBI
2 sac flies
41 runs
16 walks
1 hit by pitch
4 stolen bases (2nd)
2 caught stealing (1 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd)
1 reached on fielder's choice
1 reached on forceout
2 reached on fielding error
1 reached on throwing error
7 GIDP
20 strikeouts (15 swinging, 5 looking)
17 first at bat hits
105 total bases
74 left on base
91 putouts
3 assists
1 error
1 double play
441.0 innings, 52 games
(41 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 2nd spot while playing left: .310 (66-213) (52 games)
when Michael bat 2nd and was the DH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 29 plate appearances and 26 at bats in 6 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
6 hits
2 extra base hits
4 singles
1 double
1 home run
3 RBI
4 runs
3 walks
1 stolen base (2nd)
1 reached on fielder's choice
1 GIDP
2 strikeouts swinging
1 first at bat hit
10 total bases
12 left on base
(6 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 2nd spot as the DH: .231 (6-26) (6 games)
when Michael bat 4th in the 1st Half, he had a total of 95 plate appearances and 87 at bats in 21 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
30 hits
13 extra base hits
17 singles
9 doubles
1 triple
3 home runs
16 RBI
2 sac flies
9 runs
6 walks
1 stolen base (2nd)
1 caught stealing (2nd)
1 reached on fielder's choice
2 GIDP
7 strikeouts (5 swinging, 2 looking)
7 first at bat hits
50 total bases
28 left on base
27 putouts
178.1 innings, 21 games
(17 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 4th spot: .345 (30-87) (21 games)
when Michael bat 4th and played left in the 1st Half, he had a total of 89 plate appearances and 82 at bats in 20 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
26 hits
10 extra base hits
16 singles
6 doubles
1 triple
3 home runs
15 RBI
2 sac flies
7 runs
5 walks
1 stolen base (2nd)
1 caught stealing (2nd)
1 reached on fielder's choice
2 GIDP
7 strikeouts (5 swinging, 2 looking)
7 first at bat hits
43 total bases
28 left on base
27 putouts
178.1 innings, 20 games
(16 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 4th spot while playing left: .317 (26-82) (20 games)
when Michael bat 4th and was the DH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 6 plate appearances and 5 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
4 hits
3 extra base hits
1 single
3 doubles
1 RBI
2 runs
1 walk
7 total bases
(1 complete game)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 4th spot as the DH: .800 (4-5) (1 game)
when Michael bat 5th in the 1st Half, he had a total of 15 plate appearances and 14 at bats in 4 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
3 hits
3 singles
2 RBI
1 run
1 hit by pitch
2 strikeouts (1 looking, 1 swinging)
1 first at bat hit
3 total bases
2 left on base
6 putouts
36.0 innings, 4 games
(4 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 5th spot: .214 (3-14) (4 games)
when Michael bat 5th and played left in the 1st Half, he had a total of 15 plate appearances and 14 at bats in 4 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
3 hits
3 singles
2 RBI
1 run
1 hit by pitch
2 strikeouts (1 looking, 1 swinging)
1 first at bat hit
3 total bases
2 left on base
6 putouts
36.0 innings, 4 games
(4 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 5th spot while playing left: .214 (3-14) (4 games)
when Michael bat 6th in the 1st Half, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
2 left on base
1 game
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 6th spot: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
when Michael bat 6th and was a PH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
2 left on base
1 game
1st Half 2018 batting average in the 6th spot as a PH: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
when Michael came in to PH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
2 left on base
1 game
1st Half 2018 batting average as a PH: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
when Michael was the DH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 31 at bats in 7 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
10 hits
5 extra base hits
5 singles
4 doubles
1 home run
4 RBI
6 runs
4 walks
1 stolen base (2nd)
1 reached on fielder's choice
1 GIDP
2 strikeouts swinging
1 first at bat hit
17 total bases
12 left on base
(7 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average as the DH: .323 (10-31) (7 games)
when Michael played the outfield in the 1st Half, he had a total of 336 plate appearances and 309 at bats in 76 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
95 hits
33 extra base hits
62 singles
21 doubles
1 triple
11 home runs
52 RBI
4 sac flies
49 runs
21 walks
2 hit by pitches
5 stolen bases (2nd)
3 caught stealing (2 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd)
2 reached on fielder's choice
1 reached on forceout
2 reached on fielding error
1 reached on throwing error
9 GIDP
29 strikeouts (21 swinging, 8 looking)
25 first at bat hits
151 total bases
104 left on base
124 putouts
3 assists
1 error
1 double play
655.1 innings, 76 games
(61 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average while playing the outfield: .307 (95-309) (76 games)
now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.
when Michael played left field in the 1st Half, he had a total of 336 plate appearances and 309 at bats in 76 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
95 hits
33 extra base hits
62 singles
21 doubles
1 triple
11 home runs
52 RBI
4 sac flies
49 runs
21 walks
2 hit by pitches
5 stolen bases (2nd)
3 caught stealing (2 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd)
2 reached on fielder's choice
1 reached on forceout
2 reached on fielding error
1 reached on throwing error
9 GIDP
29 strikeouts (21 swinging, 8 looking)
25 first at bat hits
151 total bases
104 left on base
124 putouts
3 assists
1 error
1 double play
655.1 innings, 76 games
(61 complete games)
1st Half 2018 batting average while playing left field: .307 (95-309) (76 games)
1st Half 2018 #s while playing left field: 124 putouts, 3 assists, 1 error, 1 double play, .992 fielding percentage (655.1 innings, 76 games)
1st Half 2018 #s while playing the outfield: 124 putouts, 3 assists, 1 error, 1 double play, .992 fielding percentage (655.1 innings, 76 games)
now here are my 1st Half game-by-game numbers and notes.
March 28: played in a minor league game with the Columbus Clippers in Goodyear, Arizona.
**THIS IS WHEN THE INDIANS BEGAN THEIR 2018 SEASON.**
Game /1, March 29: officially placed on 10-Day DL, retroactive to March 26.
Game /2, March 31: still on DL.
Game /3, April 1: still on DL.
Game /4, April 2: still on DL, played in a rookie league game with Double A/Triple A pitching in Goodyear, Arizona.
Game /5, April 3: still on DL, played in a rookie league game with Double A/Triple A pitching in Goodyear, Arizona.
Game /6, April 4: still on DL.
**THIS IS WHEN MICHAEL WAS ACTIVATED FROM THE DL.**
Game 1/7, April 6: 1-4, 2-run single (first at bat). AVG: .250
[5th/LF/CG9]
Game 2/8, April 7: 0-4. AVG: .125
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game 3/9, April 8: 1-3, single (first at bat), walk. AVG: .182
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game /10, April 9: scheduled day off.
Game 4/11, April 10: 0-2, hit by pitch. AVG: .154
[5th/LF/CG9]
Game 5/12, April 11: 2-for-4, single, stolen base (2nd), run, RBI single. AVG: .235
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game 6/13, April 12: 2-for-4, reached on fielder's choice (first at bat), RBI double, single. AVG: .286
[4th/LF/GS6]
^^Michael was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 6th inning after hitting a single.^^
Game /14, April 13: scheduled day off.
April 14: game postponed, to be made up May 3 at 1:10 pm.
[5th/LF]
April 15: game postponed, to be made up May 3 at 1:10 pm in a traditional DH.
Game 7/15, April 17: 3-5, double, home run, run, RBI single. AVG: .346
[4th/LF/GS8]
Game 8/16, April 18: 2-7, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .333
[4th/LF/CG15]
Game 9/17, April 20: 2-4, single (first at bat), double. AVG: .351
[4th/LF/CG8]
**Michael's 5 consecutive multi-hit games streak ends**
Game 10/18, April 21: 1-4, RBI groundout (first at bat), single, caught stealing (2nd). AVG: .341
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game 11/19, April 22: 2-5, RBI single, double. AVG: .348
[4th/LF/CG9]
**Michael's 18-game on-base streak on the road, 14-game hitting streak on the road, 9-game on-base streak, and 7-game hitting streak end**
Game 12/20, April 23: 0-4. AVG: .320
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game /21, April 24: scheduled day off.
Game 13/22, April 25: 1-4, single. AVG: .315
[5th/LF/CG9]
Game 14/23, April 26: 1-4, single, run. AVG: .310
[5th/LF/CG9]
Game 15/24, April 27: 3-3, home run (first at bat), run, RBI sac fly, triple, single. AVG: .344
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game 16/25, April 28: 2-4, single, run, double. AVG: .354
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game 17/26, April 29: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .348
[4th/LF/CG9]
**Michael's 7-game hitting streak at home and 9-game on-base streak at home end**
Game 18/27, April 30: 0-1. AVG: .343
[6th/PH]
^^Michael did not start this game, but came in to pinch hit in the bottom of the 7th inning.^^
Game 19/28, May 1: 1-6, grand slam, run. AVG: .329
[4th/LF/CG12]
Game 20/29, May 2: 2-5, RBI single (first at bat), run, double. AVG: .333
[4th/LF/GS8]
Game 21/30, May 3 (Game 1): 4-5, single, run, walk, double,
[4th/DH/CG11]
Game 22/31, May 3 (Game 2): 1-3, single (first at bat), RBI sac fly, walk. AVG: .360
[4th/LF/GS7]
^^Michael was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 7th inning after drawing a walk.^^
Game /32, May 4: scheduled day off.
Game 23/33, May 5: 0-3, walk. AVG: .348
[4th/LF/CG8]
Game 24/34, May 6: 0-4. AVG: .333
[4th/LF/CG8.1]
Game 25/35, May 8: 0-3, walk. AVG: .323
[4th/LF/CG8]
Game 26/36, May 9: 1-3, walk (first plate appearance), RBI single, run. AVG: .324
[4th/LF/CG9]
Game 27/37, May 11: 2-5, single (first at bat), run, grand slam, run. AVG: .327
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 28/38, May 12: 3-4, RBI single (first at bat), RBI double, run, single, run. AVG: .342
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 29/39, May 13: 1-5, RBI fielder's choice, run, 2-run home run, run. AVG: .336
[2nd/DH/CG]
Game 30/40, May 14: 1-5, single. AVG: .331
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 31/41, May 15: 1-4, walk (first plate appearance), run, single, walk. AVG: .328
[2nd/DH/CG]
Game 32/42, May 16: 3-5, single (first at bat), run, home run, run, single. AVG: .338
[2nd/LF/GS8]
^^Michael was lifted for a pinch runner in the top of the 9th inning after hitting a single.^^
Game 33/43, May 18: 1-4, single. AVG: .336
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 34/44, May 19: 1-4, home run (first at bat), run. AVG: .333
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 35/45, May 20: 1-4, double, run. AVG: .331
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 36/46, May 22: 2-6, single, run, single, run. AVG: .331
[2nd/LF/GS8]
Game 37/47, May 23: 2-3, single (first at bat), caught stealing (2nd), RBI single, walk. AVG: .338
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 38/48, May 24: 1-4, 2-run single. AVG: .335
[2nd/LF/GS8]
Game 39/49, May 25: 2-5, double, run, single, stolen base (2nd), reached on forceout. AVG: .338
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 40/50, May 26: 1-5, home run, run. AVG: .333
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 41/51, May 27: 2-5, single, RBI single, walk. AVG: .335
[2nd/LF/CG14]
Game 42/52, May 28: 1-4, single (first at bat), walk, run. AVG: .333
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 43/53, May 29: 3-4, single (first at bat), run, home run, run, RBI single. AVG: .343
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 44/54, May 30: 1-3, single (first at bat), run, hit by pitch, run. AVG: .343
[2nd/LF/GS5]
**Michael's 19-game hitting streak and 9-game hitting streak on the road end**
Game 45/55, May 31: 0-3, walk (first plate appearance), run, walk. AVG: .337
[2nd/LF/CG9]
**Michael's 21-game on-base streak and 11-game on-base streak on the road end**
Game 46/56, June 1: 0-3, RBI sac fly. AVG: .332
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 47/57, June 2: 0-4, walk. AVG: .325
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 48/58, June 3: 1-4, home run, run. AVG: .323
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 49/59, June 5: 1-4, double. AVG: .322
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 50/60, June 6: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI single, run, reached on throwing error. AVG: .325
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 51/61, June 8: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .324
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 52/62, June 9: 2-4, single (first at bat), single, walk. AVG: .327
[2nd/DH/CG12]
Game 53/63, June 10: 0-5. AVG: .319
[2nd/DH/CG]
Game 54/64, June 11: 1-5, home run, run. AVG: .317
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 55/65, June 12: 1-4, single. AVG: .316
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 56/66, June 13: 3-5, single (first at bat), single, single, run. AVG: .322
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game /67, June 14: scheduled day off.
**Michael's 16-game hitting streak at home ends**
Game 57/68, June 15: 0-3, walk (first plate appearance). AVG: .318
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 58/69, June 16: 1-4, single. AVG: .316
[2nd/LF/GS8]
Game 59/70, June 17: 2-4, double, run, single, stolen base (2nd). AVG: .320
[2nd/DH/CG]
Game 60/71, June 18: 2-5, single (first at bat), stolen base (2nd), single. AVG: .321
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 61/72, June 19: 1-4, RBI double, run. AVG: .320
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 62/73, June 20: 0-4, reached on fielding error (first at bat), run, walk, caught stealing (3rd), reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .315
[2nd/LF/GS7]
^^Michael was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 7th inning after reaching on a fielder's choice.^^
Game 63/74, June 22: 1-4, RBI double. AVG: .314
[2nd/LF/GS7]
Game 64/75, June 23: 0-3, walk (first plate appearance). AVG: .310
[2nd/LF/CG9]
^^Michael sets new career high with 24-game on-base streak at home^^
Game 65/76, June 24: 3-5, 2-run single, stolen base (2nd), single, double, run. AVG: .316
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 66/77, June 25: 0-2, walk, walk. AVG: .313
[2nd/LF/CG8]
**Michael's 95 consecutive errorless games in the outfield streak ends**
Game 67/78, June 26: 1-3, walk (first plate appearance), run, single. AVG: .314
[2nd/LF/GS7]
Game 68/79, June 27: 1-5, double, run. AVG: .312
[2nd/LF/CG9]
**Michael's 15-game on-base streak ends**
Game 69/80, June 29: 0-4. AVG: .307
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 70/81, June 30: 1-4, single. AVG: .306
[2nd/LF/CG8]
Game 71 of 82, July 1: 2-5, double (first at bat), run, 2-run single, run. AVG: .308
[2nd/LF/GS7]
Game 72 of 83, July 2: 1-4, RBI sac fly, single. AVG:
.307
[2nd/LF/GS7]
Game 73 of 84, July 3: 1-5, single (first at bat), run. AVG:
.305
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 74 of 85, July 4: 1-3, RBI double (first at bat), run,
walk. AVG: .306
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 75 of 86, July 6: 2-4, double, run, RBI double, run. AVG:
.308
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 76 of 87, July 7: 2-5, double (first at bat), single. AVG:
.310
[2nd/LF/CG11]
**Michael's career high 27-game on-base
streak at home ends**
Game 77 of 88, July 8: 0-4. AVG: .306
[2nd/DH/CG]
Game 78 of 89, July 9: 2-4, walk (first plate appearance),
single, RBI double. AVG: .308
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 79 of 90, July 10: 0-4. AVG: .304
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 80 of 91, July 11: 2-4, single (first at bat), run,
reached 2nd base on fielding error, run, 2-run single, run. AVG: .307
[2nd/LF/GS4]
Game 81 of 92, July 12: 1-4, single, stolen base (2nd), run. AVG: .306[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 82 of 93, July 13: 2-4, walk (first plate appearance), 2-run double, single, run. AVG: .308
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 83 of 94, July 14: 1-4, RBI groundout, single, run. AVG: .308
[2nd/LF/CG9]
Game 84 of 95, July 15: 1-3, walk, run, home run, run. AVG: .308
[2nd/LF/CG9]
~~Michael finishes the first half with a 5-game hitting streak, 5-game on-base streak, 5-game hitting streak at home, and 5-game hitting streak on the road~~
thanks to a late All Star Break, the Indians only have 67 games left to play before the postseason begins. now that Michael's rest days are behind him, i expect he'll play the majority of those as long as he remains healthy. he might sit out a game or two when a lefty starts, but otherwise, he'll be in the lineup almost daily in the second half. hopefully Michael can improve in the areas where he's been struggling after the break and finish out his final year with the Tribe strong.😟 good luck, Michael!
if you have any thoughts about Michael's first half, leave them in the comment section!
for the second straight year and third time in his career, Michael will be spending his break at the All Star Game! i'll be keeping my eyes open for all the news, interviews, and pictures i see from Michael's time in Washington, D.C., and of course i'll also be live tweeting his at bat(s) in the game. make sure you're following me on twitter @clevelandgirl23 for all of that.
i've also been #CelebratingMichaelBrantley on my account this year as well! every Monday, plus some bonus days, i post a special moment from Michael's career to celebrate his time with the Indians. if you haven't been keeping up or may have missed something, just search the hashtag and it will take you to the thread so you can view the entire series. and feel free to contribute your own thoughts and memories of Michael, too!🎉
are you on my subscription list yet? if not, and you want to receive notifications when i publish new stuff, you can join by entering your email address in the box underneath the Blog Archive sidebar over on the upper right side of this page. never miss a post of mine again!📧
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