Brantley's Career Batting Order Position & LF/CF/PH/DH #s as an Indian

hello again, Brantley fans! this is the second blog in my series analyzing Michael Brantley's career numbers and stats from his 10 years as a Cleveland Indian. it consists of his batting order position numbers, along with his left field, center field, PH, DH, PH for DH, and PR numbers. the format is the same as my typical BOP wrap up blogs, though keen-eyed readers will be quick to spot that there are a few changes.

the thing is, as i mentioned in my previous post, from 2009-2011, i did not document and personally calculate Michael's game stats during his first 214 games in the majors. i very recently researched back through those to complete this. and again, my writing and coverage of Michael's numbers expanded as time went by, so there are certain things that i've been keeping track of in his last few campaigns that i didn't take notes on in the early days even when i was documenting his stats. therefore, i was unable to get an accurate total count for various data and, unfortunately, the following had to eliminated from this blog:
--first at bat hits,
--runners left on base,
--which specific bases Michael stole and which specific bases

Brantley's 2017 Batting Order Position & LF/PH/DH #s

let's keep this series of wrap up blogs going with my breakdowns of Michael Brantley's BOP numbers for 2017.

not one Cleveland Indians player bat in the same spot in the lineup for the entire year, but Michael sure came close. when he was healthy, he owned the 3rd spot--at least until the end of the season, that is. Terry Francona really liked Michael batting in the 3 hole, so much so that he repeatedly defended his choice to critics. the guys hitting in front of and behind Michael, however, changed numerous times throughout the 2017 campaign.

Carlos Santana was batting leadoff for the team when the season got underway. Francisco Lindor bat 2nd ahead of Michael, with Edwin Encarnacion batting cleanup and Jose Ramirez hitting in the 5th spot. Yandy Diaz, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Jason Kipnis all got their turns batting 6th in April.

in May, Tito settled on a lineup with Kip leading off, and Lindor, Brant, Santana, Encarnacion, and Ramirez batting consecutively after him. June's main lineup was similar to what it was in May until Michael went

Brantley's 2017 Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes

hey, Brantley fans! the final numbers are in! well actually, they've been in, but i've had such a busy schedule lately that couldn't write much until now. my apologies!😳

if you're a long-time reader of All Things Brantley, All Things Tribe, then you know that i like to post a series of wrap up blogs when presenting Michael's yearly numbers. i prefer to do it this way in order to keep things more organized and cut down on the length, because my posts can get pretty long and wordy.🕮

as usual, i'm starting with a blog that mainly focuses on Michael's 2017 Game-by-Game numbers and notes.🖩📓


coming into 2017, the biggest question on everyone's mind was if Michael's right shoulder and biceps were going to be okay. the second biggest question was if Michael could get back to being the player he was in 2014 and 2015. happily, the answers to those inquiries were yes and yes! Michael was a little behind in spring training while he continued to finish his rehab work and progressions following his biceps tenodesis (surgery) from August 2016, but he did manage to

Brantley's Second Half 2017 #s

before i start rolling out all my upcoming Michael Brantley's 2017 final #s blogs, it's time to review his second half #s and stats. in this portion of the season, the Indians played 75 games. Michael, however, did not play nearly that much following the All Star Break, so let's see how he did in limited action on the field.


post-All Star Break in 2017, Michael had a total of 97 plate appearances and 88 at bats in 24 games (180.0 innings). in total, he had 25 hits, 7 extra base hits, 18 singles, 3 doubles, 4 home runs, 15 RBI, 2 sac flies, 16 runs, 6 walks, 1 intentional walk, 1 hit by pitch, 3 stolen bases (2nd), 2 GIDP, 10 strikeouts (7 swinging, 3 looking), 6 first at bat hits, 40 total bases, 45 left on base, 32 putouts, 3 assists, and 1 double play.

2nd Half 2017 batting average: .284 (25-88)

OBP: .330

SLG: .455

OPS: .784


2nd Half of July BA:

Brantley's September/October 2017 #s

hi there, Brantley fans! i want to thank everyone who took the time to read my Brantley's August 2017 #s (w/ DL Updates) blog and Brantley's 2017 #s Through August blog. i know they weren't the most interesting because he did not play much in August, so i really appreciate the views. speaking of, i got more new readers this past month from South Africa, specifically in Angola, and also Thailand! welcome and i hope you enjoy my posts on Mr. Michael Brantley!👋


notes: here's where i take a minute to remind everyone that when regular season games stretch into October, September and October are considered to be one month. it's exactly like when the season starts at the end of March, and March and April are combined as one month. this is done because there's not much point in having just one or two days of stats recognized by themselves in a regular season baseball month. therefore, when you see me write "the/this month" throughout this blog, i am referencing to both September and October as one month. i also used the "September/October" label in each section of this post, regardless of if the topic i'm discussing only occurred in one of the two months and not the other, to remain consistent.

i also want to address that, once again, i will be blogging about the postseason! i am going write about each

Brantley's 2014 Batting Order Position & LF/CF/DH/PH #s

Michael only bat in 4 different spots in the order this season, a dramatic decrease from last year. it would have been just 3 spots if not for coming in to pinch hit for a pitcher in one National League game that he was originally supposed to have off. and like most years, the Indians' starting lineup in March/April was very different from September, including Michael's place in it. so let's get into the details.

when the season began, Francona had Michael batting 5th and playing left field against right-handed pitchers, while batting 6th and playing center field against left-handed pitchers. the left field-center field switch off was due to Michael Bourn being out injured to start the year, and his CF replacement--Nyjer Morgan--not being able to hit lefties. when Bourn came back, the formula wasn't always so cut and dry, but Michael continued to rotate between left and center as well as the 5th and 6th spots. he had 20 hits in 19 games in the 5th spot, driving in 18 runs and scoring 10 runs. in only 10 games batting 6th, Michael had 9 hits and 5 RBI. his overall batting average in this spot wasn't very high, but i'm sure that wouldn't have been the case had he hit more there throughout the season.

on May 2, Michael began hitting in the 3rd spot. that started because Jason Kipnis suffered an oblique injury and went on the DL. but even when Kip came back on May 28, Francona did not want to move Michael and actually kept him in the 3 hole. and that's where he found his home for the rest of the season (minus 2 PH appearances in the 9th and 5th spots.) i was so grateful that Michael finally had some regularity in the lineup and wasn't being jumbled around anymore. i do question whether or not he will "own" the 3rd spot next year, or if Francona will decide he wants someone else 3rd. considering that Michael did such a phenomenal job there, i'm hoping that's now where he'll stay. in 126 games, Michael had 170 hits, 39 doubles, 15 home runs, 74 RBI, 78 runs scored, and 19 stolen bases while batting 3rd. so i think he's earned it to at least start out there next year and see how things go.

Bourn had another DL stint from July 6 to August 15, giving Michael more playing time in center field. in 46 total games, Michael compiled 46 hits, including 10 doubles, and 24 RBI. his CF batting average was respectable, but 51 points lower compared with LF. and Michael went through both of his slumps this year all while playing left field, if you can believe that. the overall numbers mask those slumps quite well, as he had 138 hits in 107 games, along with 31 doubles, 14 homers, and 66 RBI.

in 2 games as a PH, Michael got on base both times, once with a single and once with a double. he also did very good in 8 games as a DH. he had 14 hits, including 3 doubles and 2 home runs, drove in 7, scored 6 times, and drew 5 walks, all in the designated hitter role.

no matter where Michael hit in the order or played in the outfield (if he played in the outfield), one thing remained consistent--his ability to hit in the clutch. this year, he had the highest batting average on the team with RISP at .376. that was also 1st in the American League. additionally, he had 76 RBI. last season, Michael bat .375 with RISP and had 59 RBI. so 2014 showed an increase on both counts.

Michael also performed well against both right-handed pitchers and left-handed pitchers. he ended the year batting .337 against righties and .307 against lefties, both outstanding averages. in 2013, he bat .288 and .276, respectively. Michael's clearly starting to develop more power and his swing has gotten even smoother, if that's possible, resulting in more hits and therefore better batting averages. for the third straight season, Michael finished with the highest batting average on the team, this time a career best .327.



Michael played in 156 (of 162) games in 2014.


Michael bat 3rd in 126 games. (3 left early w/ injury: 14.1 innings, 4 subbed out: 27 innings, 1 lifted for PR: 8 innings, 8 DH)

Michael bat 5th in 19 games. (1 PH/defensive sub: 1 inning)

Michael bat 6th in 10 games.

Michael bat 9th in 1 game. (PH)


Michael was the DH in 8 games.

Michael was the PH in 2 games.

Michael played in 146 complete games.


Michael played left field in 107 games, for a total of 931.1 innings. (106 started, 95 complete, 5 started: 31 innings, 1 defensive switch: 1 inning, 2 left early w/ injury: 8 innings, 3 subbed out: 22 innings, 1 lifted for PR: 8 innings)

Michael played center field in 46 games, for a total of 373 innings. (40 started, 37 complete, 1 started: 8 innings, 5 defensive switches: 15 innings, 1 defensive sub (PH): 1 inning, 1 subbed out: 5 innings, 1 left early w/ injury: 6.1 innings)

Michael missed 3 games due to injury. he missed 1 game with mid-back tightness from playing on astroturf and he missed 2 games with a mild concussion.

Michael had 3 complete games off. 



in 2014, Michael had a total of 676 plate appearances and 611 at bats in 156 games. here is how he fared:

200 hits

133 singles

45 doubles

2 triples

20 home runs

97 RBI

5 sac flies

94 runs scored

52 walks

4 intentional walks

8 hit by pitches

23 stolen bases

1 caught stealing

16 GIDP

56 strikeouts (38 swinging, 18 looking)

51 first at bat hits

309 total bases


211 left on base

271 putouts

12 assists

2 double plays

1 error

1304.1 innings, 156 games

(146 complete games)

2014 batting average: .327 (200-611) (156 games)


now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.


when Michael bat 3rd in 2014, he had a total of 559 plate appearances and 506 at bats in 126 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

170 hits

114 singles

39 doubles

2 triples

15 home runs

74 RBI

4 sac flies

78 runs scored

42 walks

4 intentional walks

7 hit by pitches

19 stolen bases

1 caught stealing

13 GIDP

47 strikeouts (32 swinging, 15 looking)

43 first at bat hits

258 total bases


161 left on base

224 putouts

9 assists

2 double plays

1060.1 innings, 126 games

(118 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 3rd spot: .336 (170-506) (126 games)


when Michael bat 5th in 2014, he had a total of 76 plate appearances and 69 at bats in 19 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

20 hits

12 singles

5 doubles

3 home runs

18 RBI

1 sac fly

10 runs scored

5 walks

1 hit by pitch

3 stolen bases

1 GIDP

5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking)

4 first at bat hits

34 total bases


39 left on base

29 putouts

3 assists

1 error

158.2 innings, 19 games

(18 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 5th spot: .290 (20-69) (19 games)


when Michael bat 6th in 2014, he had a total of 40 plate appearances and 35 at bats in 10 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

9 hits

6 singles

1 double

2 home runs

5 RBI

6 runs scored

5 walks

1 stolen base

2 GIDP

4 strikeouts (3 swinging, 1 looking)

3 first at bat hits

16 total bases


11 left on base

18 putouts

85.1 innings, 10 games

(10 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 6th spot: .257 (9-35) (10 games)


when Michael bat 9th in 2014, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 first at bat

1 total base


1 game

(0 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 9th spot: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)



defensively, Michael played both left and center field this season, but mainly left field. and because he played several games as a DH and was a PH twice, his numbers while playing the outfield are not all the same as the numbers above. so next i will get into the break down of his numbers based on where he played in the outfield, along with where he hit in the lineup while playing left field, center field, as a DH, and PH.

Michael played 147 games total where he was in the outfield for some portion of the game. he started 146 games in the outfield, completing 138 of those games. he left 3 games early with injury after playing a total of 14.1 innings. he was subbed out of 4 games after playing a total of 27 innings. he was lifted for a pinch runner in 1 game after playing 8 innings. he was a defensive substitute into the outfield in 1 game after PHing and played 1 inning.

Michael played 107 games total where he was the left fielder for some portion of the game. he started and played left in 106 games, completing 95 of those games. he was part of a defensive switch into left field (from center) for 1 game and played 1 inning with no official at bats. he left 1 game early with mid-back tightness after playing 4 innings. he left 1 game early after a blow to the head/neck after playing 4 innings. he was subbed out of 1 game after 7 innings because the Indians were winning a blowout. he was subbed out of 1 game after 7 innings because the Indians were getting blown out. he was subbed out of 1 game after 8 innings because the Indians were losing. he was lifted for a pinch runner in 1 game after hitting a double and playing 8 innings in left field prior to his final at bat of the night in a game where the Indians were getting blown out.

Michael played 46 games total where he was the center fielder for some portion of the game. he started and played center in 40 games, completing 37 of those games. he came in to PH in the top of the 8th inning for 1 game, and then played 1 inning in center field as part of a defensive substitution. he was subbed out of 1 game after 5 innings because the Indians had a solid lead. he left 1 game early after banging his right knee into the right-center field wall and played 6.1 innings.

additionally, Michael was part of a defensive switch into center field (from left) for 5 games and played 15 innings with 6 official at bats. breaking those 5 games down are as follows. he played 4 innings and had 2 official at bats in 1 game. he played 6 innings and had 2 official at bats in 1 game. he played 2 innings and had 1 official at bat in 1 game. he played 2 innings and had 1 official at bat in 1 game. he played 1 inning and had no official at bats in 1 game.

Michael started and was the DH for 8 complete games.

Michael was a PH in 2 games. he came in to PH in the top of the 8th inning in 1 game, and then played 1 inning in center field as part of a defensive substitution. he also came in to PH in the bottom of the 9th inning in 1 game.



when Michael played in the outfield in 2014, he had a total of 637 plate appearances and 578 at bats in 147 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

184 hits

123 singles

41 doubles

2 triples

18 home runs

90 RBI

4 sac flies

87 runs scored

47 walks

4 intentional walks

8 hit by pitches

23 stolen bases

1 caught stealing

16 GIDP

53 strikeouts (36 swinging, 17 looking)

46 first at bat hits

283 total bases


204 left on base

271 putouts

12 assists

2 double plays

1 error

1304.1 innings, 147 games

(138 complete games)

2014 batting average while playing in the outfield: .318 (184-578) (147 games)


when Michael played the outfield and bat 3rd in 2014, he had a total of 522 plate appearances and 475 at bats in 118 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

156 hits

105 singles

36 doubles

2 triples

13 home runs

67 RBI

3 sac flies

72 runs scored

37 walks

4 intentional walks

7 hit by pitches

19 stolen bases

1 caught stealing

13 GIDP

44 strikeouts (30 swinging, 14 looking)

40 first at bat hits

235 total bases


154 left on base

224 putouts

9 assists

2 double plays

1060.1 innings, 118 games

(110 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 3rd spot while playing the outfield: .328 (156-475) (118 games)


when Michael played the outfield and bat 5th in 2014, he had a total of 75 plate appearances and 68 at bats in 19 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

19 hits

12 singles

4 doubles

3 home runs

18 RBI

1 sac fly

9 runs scored

5 walks

1 hit by pitch

3 stolen bases

1 GIDP

5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking)

3 first at bat hits

32 total bases


39 left on base

29 putouts

3 assists

1 error

158.2 innings, 19 games

(18 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 5th spot while playing the outfield: .279 (19-68) (19 games)


when Michael played the outfield and bat 6th in 2014, he had a total of 40 plate appearances and 35 at bats in 10 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

9 hits

6 singles

1 double

2 home runs

5 RBI

6 runs scored

5 walks

1 stolen base

2 GIDP

4 strikeouts (3 swinging, 1 looking)

3 first at bat hits

16 total bases


11 left on base

18 putouts

85.1 innings, 10 games

(10 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 6th spot while playing the outfield: .257 (9-35) (10 games)


now let's break down the numbers based on where he hit in the lineup while playing left field.


when Michael played left field in 2014, he had a total of 458 plate appearances and 415 at bats in 107 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

138 hits

92 singles

31 doubles

1 triple

14 home runs

66 RBI

2 sac flies

67 runs scored

33 walks

3 intentional walks

8 hit by pitches

19 stolen bases

9 GIDP

37 strikeouts (27 swinging, 10 looking)

34 first at bat hits

213 total bases


151 left on base

165 putouts

10 assists

2 double plays

931.1 innings, 107 games

(95 complete games)

2014 batting average while playing left field: .333 (138-415) (107 games)


when Michael played left and bat 3rd in 2014, he had a total of 375 plate appearances and 340 at bats in 86 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

117 hits

79 singles

27 doubles

1 triple

10 home runs

49 RBI

1 sac fly

56 runs scored

27 walks

3 intentional walks

7 hit by pitches

15 stolen bases

8 GIDP

31 strikeouts (23 swinging, 8 looking)

30 first at bat hits

176 total bases


110 left on base

135 putouts

8 assists

2 double plays

759.2 innings, 86 games

(76 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .344 (117-340) (86 games)


when Michael played left and bat 5th in 2014, he had a total of 70 plate appearances and 63 at bats in 17 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

17 hits

10 singles

4 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

8 runs scored

5 walks

1 hit by pitch

3 stolen bases

1 GIDP

5 strikeouts (3 swinging, 2 looking)

3 first at bat hits

30 total bases


38 left on base

28 putouts

2 assists

144.2 innings, 17 games

(16 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 5th spot while playing left: .270 (17-63) (17 games)


when Michael played left and bat 6th in 2014, he had a total of 13 plate appearances and 12 at bats in 4 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

4 hits

3 singles

1 home run

3 RBI

3 runs scored

1 walk

1 stolen base

1 strikeout (swinging)

1 first at bat hit

7 total bases


3 left on base

2 putouts

27 innings, 4 games

(3 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 6th spot while playing left: .333 (4-12) (4 games)


now let's break down the numbers based on where he hit in the lineup while playing center field.


when Michael played center field in 2014, he had a total of 179 plate appearances and 163 at bats in 46 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

46 hits

31 singles

10 doubles

1 triple

4 home runs

24 RBI

2 sac flies

20 runs scored

14 walks

1 intentional walk

4 stolen bases

1 caught stealing

7 GIDP

16 strikeouts (9 swinging, 7 looking)

12 first at bat hits

70 total bases


53 left on base

106 putouts

2 assists

1 error

373 innings, 46 games

(37 complete games)

2014 batting average while playing center field: .282 (46-163) (46 games)


when Michael played center and bat 3rd in 2014, he had a total of 147 plate appearances and 135 at bats in 36 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

39 hits

26 singles

9 doubles

1 triple

3 home runs

18 RBI

2 sac flies

16 runs scored

10 walks

1 intentional walk

4 stolen bases

1 caught stealing

5 GIDP

13 strikeouts (7 swinging, 6 looking)

10 first at bat hits

59 total bases


44 left on base

89 putouts

1 assist

300.2 innings, 36 games

(30 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 3rd spot while playing center: .289 (39-135) (36 games)


when Michael played center and bat 5th in 2014, he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 5 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

2 hits

2 singles

4 RBI

1 run scored

2 total bases


1 left on base

1 putout

1 assist

1 error

14 innings, 3 games

(1 complete game)

2014 batting average in the 5th spot while playing center: .400 (2-5) (3 games)


when Michael played center and bat 6th in 2014, he had a total of 27 plate appearances and 23 at bats in 7 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

5 hits

3 singles

1 double

1 home run

2 RBI

3 runs scored

4 walks

2 GIDP

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

2 first at bat hits

9 total bases


8 left on base

16 putouts

58.1 innings, 7 games

(6 complete games)

2014 batting average in the 6th spot while playing center: .217 (5-23) (7 games)




2014 #s while playing the outfield: 271 putouts, 12 assists, 2 double plays, 1 error, 0.996 fielding percentage (1304.1 innings, 147 games)

2014 #s while playing left: 165 putouts, 10 assists, 2 double plays, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (931.1 innings, 107 games)

2014 #s while playing center: 106 putouts, 2 assists, 1 error, 0.991 fielding percentage (373 innings, 46 games)




now let's break down his DH numbers.

when Michael was the DH in 2014, he had a total of 37 plate appearances and 31 at bats in 8 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

14 hits

9 singles

3 doubles

2 home runs

7 RBI

1 sac fly

6 runs scored

5 walks

3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

3 first at bat hits

23 total bases


7 left on base

(8 complete games)

2014 batting average as the DH: .452 (14-31) (8 games)


when Michael was the DH and bat 3rd in 2014, he had a total of 37 plate appearances and 31 at bats in 8 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

14 hits

9 singles

3 doubles

2 home runs

7 RBI

1 sac fly

6 runs scored

5 walks


3 strikeouts (2 swinging, 1 looking)

3 first at bat hits

23 total bases


7 left on base

8 games

(8 complete games)

2014 batting average as the DH in the 3rd spot: .452 (14-31) (8 games)


now let's break down his PH numbers.


when Michael came in to PH in 2014, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 2 at bats in 2 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

2 hits

1 single

1 double

1 run scored

2 first at bat hits

3 total bases


2 games

(0 complete games)

2014 batting average as a PH: 1.000 (2-2) (2 games)


when Michael came in to PH and bat 5th in 2014, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 double

1 run scored

1 first at bat hit

2 total bases


1 game

(0 complete games)

2014 batting average as a PH in the 5th spot: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)


when Michael came in to PH and bat 9th in 2014, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 first at bat hit

1 total base


1 game

(0 complete games)

2014 batting average as a PH in the 9th spot: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)



the next blog i will be writing is a "wrap-up" of Michael's season, if i can somehow manage to wrap up all the amazing things he did this year lol, and it should be posted in a few days.

previous blogs:
Brantley's 2014 Career Highs, Career Firsts, & Franchise Records
Brantley's 2014 Game-by-Game Numbers and Notes

Brantley's 2014 Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes

this blog mainly focuses on all of Michael's game-by-game numbers and notes for 2014. he had an incredible year, setting career highs in almost every offensive category. he was arguably the MVP of the Indians, leading his teammates not only with a plethora of stats, but also with his words. his season was not all sunshine and roses, however, as he did go through 2 slumps--one at the end of April, and one that lasted for 11 games in August. other than that, he excelled and finished with the highest batting average (.327) on the team for the 3rd straight year.

Michael played in 156 of 162 games this season and had a hit in 123 of the 156 games that he played. Michael had many significant hitting streaks, including two 9-game, an 11-game, a 12-game, and two 15-game hitting streaks. he also had three 5-consecutive multi-hit games, along with a 9- and 10-game road hitting streak, and a franchise record 19-game home hitting streak.

Michael reached base safely in 139 games. he had several long reached base streaks during the year as well. his 28-game on-base streak from August 28 - September 24 is the second longest of his career.

Michael started 154 games and played in 146 complete games. he played 147 games total in the outfield, starting 146 games and completing 138 of those.

he played left field in 107 games, for a total of 931.1 innings. as the left fielder, he started 106 games and completed 95 of those. he started 5 games and played a total of 31 innings, he left 2 games early with injury and played 8 innings, he was subbed out of 3 games and played 22 innings, he was lifted for a pinch runner in 1 game after 8 innings, and was a defensive switch (into left field) for 1 inning in 1 game.

Michael played center field in 46 games, for a total of 373 innings. as the center fielder, he started 40 games and completed 37 of those. he started 1 game and played 8 innings, he was subbed out of 1 game after 5 innings, he left 1 game early with injury after 6.1 innings, he was a defensive substitute in 1 game for 1 inning, and was a defensive switch (into center field) in 5 games totaling 15 innings.

he was a PH in 2 games, playing 1 inning in center field as a defensive sub in 1 of them. he started and was the DH for 8 complete games. he missed 3 games due to injury, 1 because of mid-back tightness from playing on astroturf and 2 because of a mild concussion. Michael had 3 complete games off.

defensively, Michael put together a year worthy of Gold Glove consideration. despite his 1 error and .996 fielding percentage, he acquired 12 outfield assists, 2 double plays, and was part of his very first triple play. additionally, he played a franchise record 247 consecutive games in the outfield without an error, a streak that spanned from June 5, 2012 to April 2, 2014.


now here are my game-by-game numbers and notes for Michael Brantley's 2014 season:

Game 1, March 31: 2-4, double, double. AVG: .500
(batting 5th/LF/CG9)

April 1: game postponed, to be made up April 2.
(6th/CF)

Game 2, April 2 (Day Game): 1-3, single (first at bat). AVG: .429
(6th/CF/CG8) 

^^Michael sets new franchise record with 247 consecutive errorless games in the outfield^^
**Michael's 247 consecutive errorless games streak ends**

Game 3, April 2 (Night Game): 1-4, walk, RBI groundout, 2-run single. AVG: .364
(5th/LF - 5 innings, CF - 4 innings/CG9)

Game 4, April 4: 1-4, reached on fielder's choice, 2-run single. AVG: .333
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 5, April 5: 1-4, single, run scored. AVG: .316
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 6, April 6: 3-5, single (first at bat), run scored, RBI single, single. AVG: .375
(5th/LF/CG9)

April 7: game postponed, to be made up April 9 in a traditional DH.
(6th/CF)

**Michael's 6-game hitting streak ends**

Game 7, April 8: 0-4. AVG: .321
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 8, April 9 (Game 1): 1-3, single (first at bat). AVG: .323
(6th/CF - 8 i, LF - 1 i/CG9)

Game 9, April 9 (Game 2): 0-3, walk. AVG: .294
(6th/CF/CG9)

Game 10, April 10: 1-4, double. AVG: .289
(6th/CF/CG8)

Game 11, April 11: 1-4, walk, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .286
(6th/CF/CG8)

Game 12, April 12: 1-3, 2-run single (first at bat), walk, walk, run scored. AVG: .289
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 13, April 13: 1-3, walk (first at bat), home run, run scored, reached on fielder's choice, reached on fielding error, run scored. AVG: .292
(6th/CF/CG8.1)

April 15: game postponed due to cold, to be made up July 19 in a day-night DH.

Game 14, April 16: 0-3, hit by pitch, stolen base. AVG: .275
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 15, April 17: 2-5, 2-run single, 2-run home run, run scored. AVG: .286
(5th/LF/CG8)

Game 16, April 18: 1-5, single, stolen base. AVG: .279
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 17, April 19: 0-3, walk. AVG: .266
(6th/CF/CG9)

Game 18, April 20: 2-3, home run (first at bat), run scored, RBI double, walk, run scored. AVG: .284
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 19, April 21: 1-4, 2-run home run, run scored. AVG: .282
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 20, April 22: 2-4, single, stolen base, run scored, single. AVG: .293
(5th/LF/CG9)

Game 21, April 23: 1-3, single, stolen base, run scored, walk. AVG: .295
(6th/LF/CG9)

Game 22, April 24: 1-3, RBI single, run scored. AVG: .296
(5th/CF/CG9)

**Michael's 15-game on base streak ends**

Game 23, April 25: 0-4. AVG: .282
(5th/LF/CG8)

Game 24, April 26: 0-3, walk. AVG: .273
(5th/LF/CG8)

Game 25, April 27: 0-3. AVG: .264
(5th/LF/CG8.2)

Game 26, April 28: 0-4, reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .253
(6th/LF/CG8)

Game 27, April 29: 1-3, double, RBI sac fly. AVG: .255
(5th/LF/CG8)

April 30: not in lineup.

Game 28, May 2: 3-5, single (first at bat), run scored, home run, run scored, 2-run single. AVG: .272
(6th/LF/CG9)

Game 29, May 3: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .271
(3rd/LF – 3 i, CF – 6 i/CG9)

Game 30, May 4: 1-5, single, run scored. AVG: .268
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 31, May 5: 1-4, double (first at bat). AVG: .267
(3rd/LF – 8 i, CF – 2 i/CG10)

Game 32, May 6: 1-3, RBI single (first at bat), run scored, walk. AVG: .269
(3rd/LF – 7 i, CF – 2 i/CG9)

Game 33, May 7: 2-4, 2-run double, single. AVG: .276
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 34, May 8: 3-5, double (first at bat), run scored, single, 2-run home run, run scored, RBI fielder's choice. AVG: .289
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 35, May 9: 1-5, reached on fielding error (first at bat), home run, run scored. AVG: .286
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 36, May 10: 1-3, walk, single. AVG: .287
(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 37, May 11: 1-4, walk (first at bat), single. AVG: .286
(3rd/DH/CG)

**Michael's 11-game hitting streak and 12-game reached base streak end**

Game 38, May 13: 0-4. AVG: .278
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 39, May 14: 1-3, double. AVG: .279
(3rd/LF/GS4)

^^Michael left the game after the top of the 5th inning with mid-back tightness and is day-to-day^^

May 15: precautionary day off, should play tomorrow.

Game 40, May 16: 1-4, single. AVG: .278
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 41, May 17: 1-3, walk (first at bat), single, run scored. AVG: .279
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 42, May 18: 2-3, walk (first at bat), single, home run, run scored, RBI walk. AVG: .287
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 43, May 19: 2-4, double, walk, hit by pitch, home run, run scored. AVG: .292
(3rd/LF/CG10) 

^^Michael hits first career walk-off home run^^

Game 44, May 20: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .291
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 45, May 21: 4-7, 2-run single, stolen base, run scored, double, single, stolen base, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG13)

Game 46, May 22: 2-6, RBI triple, run scored, single, run scored. AVG: .303
(3rd/LF/CG13)

Game 47, May 23: 1-4, single, run scored. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 48, May 24: 1-3, walk (first at bat), stolen base, RBI hit by pitch, single, run scored. AVG: .303
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 49, May 25: 1-4, single. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 50, May 26: 2-3, RBI single, walk, stolen base, run scored, single. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 51, May 27: 1-4, single. AVG: .306
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 52, May 28: 2-4, single, single, run scored. AVG: .310
(3rd/LF/CG8.1)

Game 53, May 30: 1-4, reached on fielder's choice (first at bat), run scored, double, run scored. AVG: .309
(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael sets new franchise record with 19-game home hitting streak^^
**Michael's 15-game hitting streak and 19-game home hitting streak end**

Game 54, May 31: 0-4. AVG: .303
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 55, June 1: 2-4, RBI single (first at bat), run scored, double, run scored. AVG: .307

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 56, June 2: 0-3, walk (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 57, June 3: 1-4, RBI single (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .301
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 58, June 4: 3-5, RBI single (first at bat), single, single, run scored. AVG: .308
(3rd/LF/CG12)

Game 59, June 6: 1-4, walk (first at bat), single. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 60, June 7: 1-5, double, run scored. AVG: .305
(3rd/LF/CG9) 

**Michael's 10-game road hitting streak and 10-game road on-base streak end**

Game 61, June 8: 0-5, reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .298
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 62, June 9: 3-3, walk (first at bat), run scored, walk, run scored, home run, run scored, single, run scored, single, run scored. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/GS7)

Game 63, June 10: 1-3, double (first at bat), hit by pitch, hit by pitch, run scored. AVG: .307
(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 64, June 11: 2-4, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .310

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 65, June 12: 2-4, single, double, run scored. AVG: .313
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 66, June 13: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI double, reached on fielding error. AVG: .316
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 67, June 14: 2-4, hit by pitch, stolen base, single, run scored, single. AVG: .319
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 68, June 15: 2-4, home run (first at bat), run scored, single, walk. AVG: .322
(3rd/LF/CG11) 

^^Michael sets new career high in home runs with 11^^

Game 69, June 16: 1-2, RBI single. AVG: .323
(3rd/LF/GS4)

^^Michael was removed from the game after the top of the 4th inning for precautionary reasons after taking a blow to the head/neck from John McDonald on slide into 2nd base while trying to break up a double play ^^

June 17: scratched from lineup at 4 pm. went through his pregame baseball activities and felt stiffness in his neck and pressure in his head. went to Cleveland Clinic for further evaluation and is currently day-to-day with head/neck soreness.
(3rd/LF)

June 18: has mild concussion, passing tests each day, hit off tee and played catch. might be back on field tomorrow, hopes to play June 21. game postponed, to be made up September 8.

June 19: ran on the field and threw before game, plus hit in the cage. tentative return still June 21.

June 20: ran the bases at full speed and took batting practice on the field. no ill effects. he was cleared to play in the 3rd/4th inning tonight, so…

Game 70, June 20: 1-1, single (first at bat). AVG: .326
(9th/PH)

**Michael's 9-game hitting streak and 16-game reached base streak end**

Game 71, June 21: 0-5. AVG: .320
(3rd/LF/CG10)

Game 72, June 22: 3-5, single (first at bat), RBI double, 2-run double. AVG: .325
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 73, June 24: 1-5, single, run scored, walk, walk, run scored. AVG: .323
(3rd/LF/CG13.1)

Game 74, June 25: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI groundout, home run, run scored, walk, run scored. AVG: .325
(3rd/LF/CG9) 

**Michael's 9-game road hitting streak and 20-game road reached base streak end**

Game 75, June 27: 0-3, RBI sac fly. AVG: .322
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 76, June 28: 1-4, RBI single (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .321

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 77, June 29: 0-3, walk (first at bat). AVG: .318

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 78, June 30: 0-3. AVG: .314

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 79, July 1: 2-5, RBI double (first at bat), run scored, single. AVG: .316
(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael starts triple play with his 10th OF assist^^

Game 80, July 2: 0-4, reached on fielding error (first at bat), walk, stolen base, run scored. AVG: .312
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 81, July 4: 2-4, single, home run, run scored. AVG: .312
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 82, July 5: 3-5, single (first at bat), single, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .319
(3rd/LF – 8 i, CF – 1 i/CG9)

Game 83, July 6: 2-4, single, RBI single. AVG: .321
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 84, July 7: 2-4, single, single. AVG: .323
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 85, July 8: 3-4, RBI double (first at bat), RBI double, home run, run scored. AVG: .328
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 86, July 9: 1-6, single (first at bat), run scored, walk. AVG: .325

(3rd/CF/CG14)

Game 87, July 10: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI sac fly, RBI single, run scored. AVG: .327
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 88, July 11: 1-4, single, run scored. AVG: .327

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 89, July 12: 1-4, home run, run scored. AVG: .326
(3rd/CF/CG9)

**Michael's 9-game hitting streak and 11-game reached base streak end**

Game 90, July 13: 0-4. AVG: .322

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 91, July 18: 4-5, single, single, stolen base, run scored, single, double, run scored. AVG: .329

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 92, July 19 (Day Game): 1-5, bunt single (first at bat), caught stealing. AVG: .327
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 93, July 19 (Night Game): 2-4, double (first at bat), single, intentional walk, run scored. AVG: .329
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 94, July 20: 0-3, walk. AVG: .326

(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 95, July 21: 1-1, double (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .328
(5th/PH-CF – 1 i/8-GF)

^^Michael sets new career high in runs scored with 67^^

Game 96, July 22: 0-4, walk. AVG: .324
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 97, July 23: 0-4. AVG: .321

(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 98, July 24: 0-6. AVG: .316
(3rd/CF/CG13.1)

Game 99, July 25: 1-4, single, run scored. AVG: .315

(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 100, July 26: 2-5, RBI double, single. AVG: .316

(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 101, July 27: 2-4, RBI sac fly, single, run scored, double, run scored. AVG: .318

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 102, July 29: 0-3, walk (first at bat). AVG: .316

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 103, July 30: 0-3, walk. AVG: .313

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 104, July 31: 2-3, RBI single (first at bat), triple, run scored, walk, stolen base, walk. AVG: .316
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 105, August 1: 3-4, RBI double (first at bat), single, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .320

(3rd/CF/GS5)

Game 106, August 2: 2-4, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .322
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 107, August 3: 2-6, double, home run, run scored. AVG: .322

(3rd/CF/CG12) 

^^Michael passes his father's career high HR total with his 2nd career walk-off home run^^

Game 108, August 4: 2-4, RBI groundout (first at bat), single, run scored, RBI single, stolen base. AVG: .324

(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 109, August 5: 1-4, RBI single (first at bat). AVG: .323

(3rd/CF/CG9) 

**Michael's 11-game reached base streak ends**

Game 110, August 6: 0-3. AVG: .321

(3rd/CF/GS6.1) 

^^Michael was removed from the game as part of a double switch during the top of the 7th inning. he banged his right knee into the wall in right-center field after making a running catch in the bottom of the 3rd inning^^

Game 111, August 7: 1-4, double (first at bat). AVG: .320

(3rd/CF/CG8) 

^^Michael sets new career high in extra base hits with 48^^

Game 112, August 8: 1-3, walk, double, run scored, RBI walk, run scored. AVG: .320
(3rd/DH/CG) 

^^Michael sets new career high in total bases with 223^^

Game 113, August 9: 3-4, single (first at bat), single, home run, run scored. AVG: .324
(3rd/DH/CG) 

^^Michael sets new career high in RBI with 74^^

Game 114, August 10: 1-3, RBI single (first at bat), RBI sac fly, reached on fielder's choice, walk. AVG: .324

(3rd/DH/CG)

August 12: rain delay/game postponed, to be made up August 13 at 4 pm in a traditional DH.

(3rd/CF)

Game 115, August 13 (Game 1): 1-4, 2-run single, reached on fielding error. AVG: .324
(3rd/CF/CG9)

Game 116, August 13 (Game 2): 2-5, single, double. AVG: .325

(3rd/DH/CG)

Game 117, August 15: 0-4. AVG: .322

(3rd/CF/CG11)

Game 118, August 16: 1-4, 2-run home run, run scored. AVG: .321

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 119, August 17: 0-3, walk (first at bat), stolen base. AVG: .319

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 120, August 19: 1-3, walk (first at bat), single, stolen base. AVG: .319

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 121, August 20: 0-4. AVG: .316

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 122, August 21: 0-4, reached on fielding error. AVG: .314

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 123, August 22: 0-4. AVG: .311

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 124, August 23: 1-4, RBI single. AVG: .311
(3rd/LF/CG9)

August 24: not in lineup.

Game 125, August 26: 1-4, hit by pitch (first at bat), run scored, RBI double. AVG: .310
(3rd/LF/CG10)

Game 126, August 27: 0-4. AVG: .308

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 127, August 28: 1-4, RBI single, stolen base, intentional walk. AVG: .307

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 128, August 29: 3-5, single, run scored, double, double. AVG: .310

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 129, August 30: 2-5, double (first at bat), RBI single, stolen base, run scored. AVG: .311

(3rd/LF/CG11)

Game 130, August 31: 1-5, RBI double. AVG: .310

(3rd/LF/CG10)

^^game suspended due to rain, resumed at 6 pm on September 22 in the bottom of the 10th inning.

Game 131, September 1: 1-3, single (first at bat), run scored, walk. AVG: .310

(3rd/LF/GS5)

Game 132, September 2: 2-4, single (first at bat), run scored, walk, single. AVG: .311

(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael sets new career high in hits with 160^^

Game 133, September 3: 1-4, RBI single. AVG: .311

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 134, September 4: 2-5, double, run scored, RBI double. AVG: .312

(3rd/LF/CG11) 

^^Michael sets new career high in doubles with 38^^

Game 135, September 5: 1-4, single (first at bat), stolen base, run scored, reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .311

(3rd/LF/CG10)

^^Michael sets new career high in stolen bases with 18^^

Game 136, September 6: 3-4, single (first at bat), stolen base, single, RBI single. AVG: .315

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 137, September 7: 2-3, RBI single (first at bat), single, intentional walk. AVG: .317

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 138, September 8: 1-4, single. AVG: .316

(3rd/LF/GS8) 

**Michael's 12-game hitting streak ends**

Game 139, September 9: 0-3, walk. AVG: .314

(3rd/LF/CG9)

September 10: game postponed, to be made up September 11 at 12 pm in a traditional DH.

(3rd/LF)

Game 140, September 11 (Game 1): 2-3, walk (first at bat), run scored, RBI single, run scored, RBI single. AVG: .316

(3rd/DH/CG)

Game 141, September 11 (Game 2): 1-3, single (first at bat), walk. AVG: .316

(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael sets new career high in outfield assists with 12^^

Game 142, September 12: 2-4, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .318

(3rd/DH/CG) 

^^Michael sets new career high in plate appearances with 612^^

Game 143, September 13: 2-4, 2-run home run (first at bat), run scored, single, stolen base. AVG: .319

(3rd/LF/CG8) 

^^Michael sets new career high in at bats with 557^^

Game 144, September 14: 2-4, single, stolen base, RBI hit by pitch, single, run scored. AVG: .320

(3rd/LF/CG8) 

^^Michael sets new career high in singles with 120^^

Game 145, September 15: 2-4, double, single. AVG: .322

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 146, September 16: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .321

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 147, September 17: 2-4, bunt single, run scored, single, stolen base. AVG: .322

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 148, September 18: 1-5, reached on fielder's choice, single, intentional walk. AVG: .321

(3rd/LF/CG13)

Game 149, September 19: 2-5, home run, run scored, double, reached on fielding error. AVG: .322

(3rd/DH/CG) 

^^Michael joins 20-20 club for the first time in his career^^

Game 150, September 20: 2-4, walk (first at bat), double, run scored, single. AVG: .323

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 151, September 21: 3-5, RBI double, reached on force attempt/error, run scored, RBI single, single. AVG: .325

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 152, September 22: 1-3, single (first at bat), walk, stolen base. AVG: .326

(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael sets new career high in games played with 152^^

Game 153, September 23: 2-4, single (first at bat), reached on fielder's choice, double. AVG: .327

(3rd/LF/GS8)

Game 154, September 24: 3-4, single (first at bat), run scored, single, double. AVG: .329

(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 155, September 26: 0-3. AVG: .328

(3rd/LF/CG9) 

**Michael's 15-game hitting streak and 28-game on-base streak end**

Game 156, September 27: 1-4, single. AVG: .327

(3rd/LF/CG9) 

^^Michael sets new career high in innings played with 1297.2^^

^^Michael sets franchise record with 200th hit^^

September 28: not in lineup.

**Michael finishes season with career high .327 BA, .385 OBP, .506 SLG, and .890 OPS**
**Michael sets new career high in SB:CS with 23:1 and new career low in CS with 1**

**Michael Brantley finishes the 2014 season with a batting average of .327**

in 2014, Michael had a total of 676 plate appearances and 611 at bats in 156 games (1304.1 innings). in total, he had 200 hits, 133 singles, 45 doubles, 2 triples, 20 home runs, 97 RBI, 5 sac flies, 94 runs scored, 52 walks, 4 intentional walks, 8 hit by pitches, 23 stolen bases, 1 caught stealing, 16 GIDP, 56 strikeouts (38 swinging, 18 looking), 51 first at bat hits, 309 total bases, 211 left on base, 271 putouts, 12 assists, 2 double plays, and 1 error.

2014 batting average: .327 (200-611)

OBP: .385

SLG: .506

OPS: .890

next up: a blog breaking down Michael's #s according to where he hit in the lineup.

previous blog:
Brantley's 2014 Career Highs, Career Firsts, & Franchise Records

Brantley's June 2014 #s

my blog got a lot of views last month from outside the United States, which was very surprising to me. i'm glad to know that Brantley has fans all over the world and i'm grateful that they have found my blog. so i just want to take a minute to say HI! and thank you to my readers in Russia and Germany. you guys rock! ;D

Michael's May was so outstanding, i knew that it would be hard to keep up. but to my delight, he started out June very hot and it seemed like it would never end. unfortunately, it did when Michael was diagnosed with a mild concussion and had to miss a few games. (more on that later.) shortly after he was cleared to play again, the hot streak died off. he had some ups and downs, faced some tough pitching, and was robbed of a few would-be hits. for the third month in a row, he struggled during his last few games of the month, including an interleague game on June 30. (why do we always play IL games at the end of the month?!) and so his batting average and OPS were noticeably lowered before i could start all my June calculations.

he's still doing well as a whole, don't get me wrong. once again his batting average has improved, up .011 since the end of May. and he still leads the team in all the major categories. so how can i really be upset with a guy batting .314 after 3 months of the season? a .314 batting average that ranks 5th in the American League, tied for 8th in the majors, and tied for 1st among major league outfielders, no less?

well it's because he got his batting average up as high as .326 this month, and it was .325 before the end of the month road trip. not to mention his June OPS was .991 ten days ago. when you bat .182 (4-for-22) in 6 games at the end of the month, and go 1-for-13 in your last 4 games, that's not finishing the month strong. he peaked (then "plummeted") and that spoiled me lol i'm so proud of Michael and everything he's accomplished so far, of course. but there's part of me that just can't help but wonder, if he hadn't missed some time with a concussion, would the month have ended differently? probably not, yeah i know.

this month differed from May in that Michael had a lot of "loud" outs, otherwise known as line drive outs. he hit balls hard, no question. but loud or not, an out is still an out lol and the majority of his outs continue to come via grounders rather than fly balls; he now has 109 groundouts compared to 76 flyouts through June. the good news is you can normally count on Michael to make contact at the plate, as he remains one of the hardest batters in the league to strike out.

Michael almost played the entire month in the 3 hole, where he continued to do well. but he did enter one game as a pinch hitter when he was coming back from a minor concussion, and hit in the 9th spot (where he recorded a single). but that shouldn't ever happen again. so it looks like Michael's new BOP is going to be 3, barring major injury or regression. i'm so glad Francona did not move Michael down after he missed a few games with the concussion and that there's finally some regularity for him in our lineup.

because of the sporadic hitting of Bourn and Cabrera ahead of him, Michael had a lot of at bats with no one on base and 2 outs in June. this partially explains why he didn't get as many RBI this month as he did in the last 2 months. 21-ish% of his RBIs in June came from his 3 solo home runs. but the hits kept on coming regardless, as evidenced by his improved batting average and on-base percentage. and with Santana heating up this month behind Michael, that really helped Michael add to his runs scored total.

Michael's 2-out hitting is good, yet when there are RISP and 2 outs, he's not hitting as much. it could just be the way he's being pitched to when someone is on base as opposed to when the bases are empty. maybe he's seeing tougher pitches to hit in those instances. or it could be due to a different strategy employed by Michael at the plate. in any case, this is certainly something i'd like to see him improve on as the second half of the season starts.

some quick at bats is another reason Michael didn't rack up many RBI in June. Michael had his share of opportunities to drive guys in this month, trust me. it seemed like he either had at bats with 2 outs and no one on, or when runners were in scoring position. there wasn’t much in between. anyways, instead of taking his time, working the count and having a quality at bat, he'd be first pitch swinging a lot. and before i knew it, his at bat was over and he got out. he started doing this last month, and it didn't seem to hurt his numbers too much, but he definitely missed out on adding more RBIs to his total this month.

says Michael, "that comes down to being comfortable at this level and having a different mindset. the game kind of dictates what you need to do, whether it's driving guys in or working the count. i've tried to be more aggressive this year at times, putting good swings on quality pitches, maybe earlier than i did in the past. the more you play, the more you understand the game, and you pick out your times."

this new aggressive attitude that he's adopted at the plate doesn't always work out. i understand sometimes you get a good pitch to hit early in your AB and you have to go for it. but i'd prefer he work the count more when guys are in scoring position. i was rightfully concerned the more i saw how quick some of his ABs were going this month. he left several guys on base in crucial game situations, an area of the game he usually excels at. i think it'd be more advantageous for him if he stopped being so antsy in certain situations in the future.

Michael had a hit in 18 of the 24 games he played in June and reached base safely in 21 games. Michael reached base in 16 straight games (over 20 days) from June 1-20.

Michael had a modest 9-game hitting streak this month from June 9-20 (over 12 days). during his streak, he bat .552 (16-for-29) with 16 hits, 5 for extra bases. he hit 3 doubles and 2 home runs, giving him 25 total bases. he had 4 RBI, 9 runs, 3 walks, 3 hit by pitches, 1 stolen base and just 3 strikeouts. his OBP was .629, his SLG was .862, and his OPS was 1.491. he also recorded 2 more outfield assists. this was all very good, but in the back of my mind i will always question how much longer his streak could have gone on had he not sat out a few days with a concussion…

additionally, Michael had 5-straight multi-hit games from June 11-15. during this streak, he bat .500 (10-for-20) with 10 hits and 15 total bases. he hit 2 doubles and 1 home run, giving him 3 extra base hits. he also had 2 RBI, 3 runs, 1 walk, 1 hit by pitch, 1 stolen base, and only 2 strikeouts. his OBP was .545 and his SLG was .750, making his OPS 1.295. he recorded 2 of his 3 outfield assists for the month during this time as well. this streak ended when Michael left the June 16 game early (after 2 at bats) with the concussion.

Michael had a 10-game road hitting streak that began back on May 14, continued from May 22-28, and ran through June 6-7. he bat .325 (13-for-40) throughout this streak with 10 singles, 2 doubles, and 1 triple for 13 hits--3 extra base hits--and 17 total bases. Michael also totaled 3 RBI, 8 runs, 3 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 2 stolen bases, 3 GIDP, and 4 strikeouts. in left field, he recorded 1 assist.

shortly thereafter, Michael put together a 9-game road hitting streak from June 9-15 and June 24-25. he bat .486 (17-for-35) during the streak with 17 hits, including 3 doubles and 3 home runs, totaling 6 extra base hits and 29 total bases. he also had 5 RBI, 13 runs, 5 walks, 3 hit by pitches, 1 stolen base, and 3 strikeouts. he had an OBP of .581, a SLG of .829, and OPS of 1.410. defensively, he had 2 assists too.

he also had a 12-game reached base streak on the road that spanned from June 6-15 and June 24-25. add that to his 8-game reached base streak on the road from May 14 and May 22-28, and he had a grand total 20-game reached base streak on the road.

Michael is now batting .327 (67-for-205) against right-handed pitchers and .287 (27-for-94) against left-handed pitchers. his average against righties increased nicely, whereas his lefty BA more or less remained the same. although it may seem like Michael's been struggling against lefty pitchers, the wider difference between the two is mainly due to Michael having faced more righties than lefties in the month of June. Francona always plays Michael against the tough lefties, and the fact that he only has 94 at bats against them shows that we tend to face more righties than lefties. if Michael faced as many lefties as righties, the batting averages would probably be closer together.

Michael's batting .350 (49-for-140) at home and .283 (45-for-159) on the road. prior to June, he had a conspicuously lower batting average on the road. thankfully, this month he started hitting exceptionally better away from Progressive Field, giving his road BA a 40 point jump despite his end of the month road troubles.

Michael continues to put up good numbers when the team needs him. he's now batting .338 (25-for-74) with runners in scoring position, producing 40 RBI, a nice increase from the end of May. he's also hitting .400 (6-for-15) with 0 outs and runners in scoring position and .407 (11-for-27) with 1 out and RISP, also both an increase. he stays put batting .250 (8-for-32) with 2 outs and RISP and 14 RBI. Michael increased his batting average to .355 (44-for-124) with 44 RBI with runners on base, but went all the way to down .600 (6-for-10) with 17 RBI when the bases are loaded lol as i pointed out before, Michael had quite a few ABs this month with 2 outs in an inning, and is still batting a respectable .294 (30-for-102) with 19 RBI.

Michael's power potential was put on display again this month. he hit 3 more (solo) home runs in June. he tied his career high in homers on June 9, then set a new career high on June 15 with his 11th home run. any other home runs he hit from that day on would only add to his new career high. he's now tied for the team lead with 12 home runs. Michael is well on his way to passing his father’s career high HR total (15).

Michael remains the team leader with 53 RBI, also a career high for him through June. his 53rd RBI didn't come last year until August 4. he's ranked 5th among major league outfielders, 10th in the American League, and tied 12th overall in the majors with his 53 RBI as well. but compared to how many RBI he had in March/April (20) and May (19), his 14 for this month is a bit of a drop. as i mentioned earlier, that's a result of both Michael going to bat without any runners in scoring position, and also him missing a lot of chances to bring guys home because he'd first pitch swing/get out fast. maybe i'm just being greedy now because Michael had so many career high RBI in April and May, but 14 RBI this month seems low lol let's try for 15 or more next month ;D

have you noticed that Michael mostly hits solo home runs? 9 of his 12 have been solo, and the other 3 were 2-run homers. therefore, 9 of his 53 RBI have come from solo homers, and 15 of his 53 RBI (just under 30%) have come from all 12 of his home runs. i think the reason is twofold. first, Michael's had the majority of his at bats (175) when no one was on base. and second, again, i believe that pitchers pitch to him differently when the bases are empty. this allows him to hit more line drive homers. however, i would love to see Michael hit a 3-run homer sometime this year. and if he ever hits his first granny, i will cry lol (and then blog LOL)

aside from once again leading the team in home runs (12)* and RBI (53)*, Michael also leads the team with: 94 hits*, 32 extra base hits*, 151 total bases*, 54 runs*, 6 hit by pitches (tied)*, 9 stolen bases, 78 games*, 335 plate appearances*, 299 at bats*, .314 BA*, .382 OBP*, .505 SLG*, and .887 OPS*. he also leads the outfielders with 9 assists*.

he's tied for 2nd on the team with 19 doubles, and is 3rd with 28 walks. he has the least amount of strikeouts with 30 as well.

(*denotes these are also career highs for Michael through June. these rankings include qualifiers only.)

this was by far the best June that Michael's had in the big leagues. after doing more extensive research, i found that Michael set career highs for himself in the month of June with the following: 31 hits, 10 extra base hits, 47 total bases, 20 runs, 3 hit by pitches, 0 caught stealing, 3 assists, .341 BA, .413 OBP, .516 SLG, and .930 OPS.

now let's get into some other facts about Michael's season up to this point. he's hit safely in 30 of 36 home games overall. he now has 24 multi-hit games and 13 multi-RBI games. he also has 17 go-ahead hits and 17 go-ahead RBI this season. plus, his 17 go-ahead RBI rank towards the top of the American League.

Michael had a few big moments this month, the first taking place on June 9 when he hit his 10th home run, tying his career high. but the bigger highlight of this game was that he scored a career high 5 runs in the game. his 5 runs tied the Indians single-game club record and were the most runs scored in a game since Joe Carter's 5 runs scored on September 6, 1986 at Milwaukee. in addition, Michael joined Charlie Jamieson as the only Indians hitter to have at least 1 home run, 5 runs, and 2 walks in one game. Charlie accomplished this all the way back on September 15, 1921.

on June 10, Michael set a new career high in hit by pitches, when he was hit by 2 pitches in a game against the Kansas City Royals. he first got hit by Jason Vargas with 1 out in the top of the 6th inning, then was hit for a second time by Vargas with 2 outs and Asdrubal Cabrera on 1st base in the top of the 8th inning. that 2nd hit by pitch gave Michael his 5th HBP of the year and a new career high.

a career benchmark occurred for Michael on June 15. on the 7th pitch of a 2-2 count from Brandon Workman of the Boston Red Sox and 2 outs in the top of the 1st inning, Michael hit home run #11, a new career high at that time. his 10th home run also came against Workman, so i felt like Michael would hit another one. because this was a momentous occasion for someone not projected to be much of a home run hitter, i wrote a special blog about this here.

Michael followed that up with his 8th OF assist (2nd most in the AL at that time) in the bottom of the 1st inning of the same game. he got his 8th assist last year on July 10. he played that left field green monster wall perfectly, catching the ball off the carom and then firing it in to get David Ortiz out at 2nd base.

and there's one more thing that happened on June 15 worth mentioning. Michael had an at bat in the 8th inning versus left-handed pitcher Andrew Miller. the count was 3-2 when Michael fouled off a slider. then the next pitch, another slider, away, was called strike 3 and Michael was out looking. and it was crystal clear on my Gameday that the home plate umpire fucked up the ball 4 call. if you look at Michael's track record, you know he rarely strikes out looking. hell, he doesn't strike out much period. he's a very smart player with a good eye and knows enough when and when not to swing. that slider was so far outside i don't know how anyone could have missed it. but the ump did and Michael was robbed of a walk.

another thing you know about Michael if you've been following him for any time at all is that he's not one to verbally complain about calls to home plate umpires. but this time, in this case, he spoke up, saying, "there's no way that's a strike." and his complaint was warranted. so much so that Francona brought his ass out of the dugout to defend Michael and also give the ump a what for. even while walking back to the dugout, Michael was still pissed, yelling, "come on!" and it pissed me off as well because that's one bullshit strikeout now in his statistics. can we just put an asterisk next to that? =/ umpires make bad calls in baseball all the time, that's nothing new. but this blown call cost the Indians a leadoff runner late in a tie game. luckily, we still managed to come back and win it, although the game did take 11 innings.

on June 16, Michael was named American League Player of the Week for June 9-15. this was the first time in his career that he'd ever been given this honor. Michael bat .538 (14-for-26) with 3 doubles, 2 homers, 3 RBI, 3 walks, and 9 runs scored during this time period. he led all major leaguers in batting average, runs scored, and OBP (.665). he led all AL hitters in hits (14), total bases (23), and times on base (20). Michael was the first Indians player to be named AL POTW since Jason Kipnis was named POTW on July 1, 2013. i wrote a blog with more information about this here.

on the same day Michael was named AL POTW, he got hurt and left that night's game after 4 innings. he hit a go-ahead RBI single in the bottom of the 3rd inning. then when Kip grounded into an inning ending double play, Michael had some kind of grimace on his face after he was called out at 2nd. i was fortunate enough to have a live look-in of that on my computer as it happened and it worried me. he did play the top of the 4th inning, but did not go back out there for the top of the 5th. it was later announced that he took a blow to the head/neck area (from former Cleveland Indian John McDonald) while sliding into 2nd base trying to break up the double play, and was taken out of the game as a precaution. immediately i thought worst case scenario he'd end up on the 7-day concussion DL. but i wasn't actually prepared for that reality.

Michael had originally been listed in the starting lineup on June 17, but after going through his pregame baseball activities, he said he wasn't 100%. his neck felt stiff and he felt pressure in his head, so they sent him to the Cleveland Clinic for more evaluation. the Indians listed him as day-to-day with head/neck soreness, but i had that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach that he had a concussion and that the DL was coming. on June 18, i learned that Michael just had a mild concussion. the Indians decided not to put him on the 7-day concussion DL because they believed he would progress quickly and would not need a full 7 days off. if all that wasn't enough explanation for ya, read my blog about Michael's concussion here.

Michael has never had a concussion of any kind in the big leagues, so i wasn't sure how he'd respond. my biggest worry was that he'd lose all the momentum he had built before the head injury. i was nervous that the streaks he was on would quickly end as well, fearing he would need several at bats to get his timing back and possibly have a few 0-for games. i also had concerns that once he came back, Francona wouldn't put him back in the 3 hole, where he'd been thriving so much for the last 6 weeks, and that he'd end up in his original 5th spot in the order. not to mention i feared he would lose out on an All Star nod if the injury messed his numbers up once he returned. it was so much unnecessary drama!

sadly, some of my worries did materialize. on June 20, the day before Michael was supposed to return to the starting lineup, he pinch hit in the bottom of the 9th inning. to my surprise and delight, he got a hit. but the next day, he looked rusty. on June 21, he was reinserted into the 3 spot in the lineup, but went 0-for-5 at the plate, and i could clearly see that the downtime from the concussion was affecting him. his 9-game hitting streak and 16-game reached base streak ended, and with me there of course.

once the Indians began their end of the month road trip, Michael was not like his usual self. he did well enough in Arizona, but slumped in Seattle. then as irony would have it, the final game in June began another interleague series, an area where Michael has not performed well this year. (remember, interleague play in April killed his numbers towards the end of that month, and his home and overall hitting streaks ended on the last day of May during an interleague game as well.) so typically, Michael went 0-for-3 in that game, bringing his overall numbers for June down. and while i don't really believe his recent poor play was a result of the concussion, i still wish that accident had never happened so i'd know for sure that it had no bearing whatsoever on his game play.

as Michael's offensive numbers continue to go up, his trip to the All Star game this year is almost a given. when the first All Star ballot was released, Michael was unranked among AL outfielders. then on June 2, he was the 9th ranked outfielder on the AL ballot. he moved up to 7th on June 8, and then to 6th on June 22. he's currently 222,806 votes behind Adam Jones, who's in 5th place, and 311,101 votes behind Yoenis Cespedes, who recently moved into the 3rd and final starting spot. it's unlikely that Michael will get bumped up to 3rd in these last couple of days, so he's not going to be a starter, but i highly expect him to be named as a reserve player to the American League team. and he deserves it.

compared with other qualifying outfielders in the American League, Michael is tied for 1st in batting average (.314), tied for 1st in runs scored (54), 4th in RBI (53), 4th in OBP (.382), 4th in SLG (.505), 4th in OPS (.887), 5th in doubles (19), 6th in total bases (151), tied for 6th in extra base hits (32), and 7th in home runs (12). (and unlike last month, these rankings do include Nelson Cruz, although i still don't think that's fair when he's only played 45 games in the OF and 36 as a DH.)

switching gears now to defense, Michael spent all his time in June in left field. and for a second straight month, he did not commit one error, giving him a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage in June. however, he only had 28 putouts this month. there were several games where he didn't record any putouts, not necessarily due to missed catches, but due to the majority of balls being hit out to center or right and ground balls being hit on the infield. a prime example of this came on June 24, when Michael played 13.1 innings in left field without recording any putouts. that's 0.1 innings more than the 13 inning game he played in last month where he also had zero putouts. but he's still a ways away from the major league record held by Chuck Hinton (zero putouts in 18 innings on June 14, 1963.)

continuing to prove that his arm is strong, Michael had 3 more assists. his 9 total outfield assists are tied for the 2nd most in the American League and in the major leagues, and are a career high. all of his assists this month came on the road, and 2 of them came when he was playing left field at Fenway Park, which i think makes them extra impressive.

on June 27, Michael was part of his first double play this season. he jumped up, prematurely according to him, at the left field wall in Safeco Field to make the catch, then fired the ball in to Cabrera, who relayed it to Santana at 1st base to complete the double play. as Michael was walking back towards his place in left, he pointed to Cabby on the infield and said, "that a boy." but i think the credit there should start with Michael. if he doesn't make that catch at the wall, no dp can be turned. he's so modest and i love that about him. if this keeps up, he'll have to be considered for a Gold Glove this year.



now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his June #s, the 3rd spot #s, the 9th spot #s, and the PH #s, as well as the left field #s and overall outfield #s.

June batting average: .341

OBP: .413

SLG: .516

OPS: .930


Michael played in 24 (of 26) games, 21 complete, in June. he started and played left in 23 games, completing 21 of those games. he was subbed out of 1 game after 7 innings because the Indians had a solid lead. he left 1 game early after a blow to the head/neck area and played 4 innings. he came in to PH in the bottom of the 9th inning for 1 game. he missed 2 full games due to a mild concussion from the blow.

Michael bat 3rd in 23 games.

Michael bat 9th in 1 game. (PH)


Michael played left field in 23 games. (21 complete, 2 started: 11 innings)

Michael was the PH in 1 game.

Michael played in 21 complete games.



in June, Michael had a total of 104 plate appearances and 91 at bats. here is how he fared:

31 hits

21 singles

7 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

20 runs scored

9 walks

3 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

11 strikeouts (9 swinging, 2 looking)

11 first at bat hits

47 total bases


22 left on base

28 putouts

3 assists

1 double play

202.1 innings, 24 games

(21 complete games)

June batting average: .341 (31-91) (24 games)


now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.


when Michael bat 3rd in June, he had a total of 103 plate appearances and 90 at bats in 23 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

30 hits

20 singles

7 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

20 runs scored

9 walks

3 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

11 strikeouts (9 swinging, 2 looking)

10 first at bat hits

46 total bases


22 left on base

28 putouts

3 assists

1 double play

202.1 innings, 23 games

(21 complete games)

June batting average in the 3rd spot: .333 (30-90) (23 games)

overall batting average so far in the 3rd spot: .333 (65-195) (49 games) (425.2 innings)


when Michael bat 3rd and played left in June, he had a total of 103 plate appearances and 90 at bats in 23 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

30 hits

20 singles

7 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

20 runs scored

9 walks

3 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

11 strikeouts (9 swinging, 2 looking)

10 first at bat hits

46 total bases


22 left on base

28 putouts

3 assists

1 double play

202.1 innings, 23 games

(21 complete games)

June batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .333 (30-90) (23 games)

overall batting average so far in the 3rd spot while playing left: .342 (63-184) (47 games) (407.2 innings)


when Michael bat 9th in June, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 first at bat hit

1 total base


1 game

June batting average in the 9th spot: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)


when Michael bat 9th, he was the PH in June for 1 game. he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 first at bat hit

1 total base


1 game

June batting average as a PH in the 9th spot: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)


when Michael came in to PH in June, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

1 hit

1 single

1 first at bat hit

1 total base


1 game

June batting average as a PH: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)
overall batting average so far as a PH: 1.000 (1-1) (1 game)

now let's break down his outfield numbers.

when Michael played the outfield in June, he had a total of 103 plate appearances and 90 at bats in 23 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

30 hits

20 singles

7 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

20 runs scored

9 walks

3 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

11 strikeouts (9 swinging, 2 looking)

10 first at bat hits

46 total bases


22 left on base

28 putouts

3 assists

1 double play

202.1 innings, 23 games

(21 complete games)

June batting average while playing the outfield: .333 (30-90) (23 games)
overall batting average so far while playing the outfield: .313 (92-294) (76 games) (668.2 innings)


now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.


when Michael played left in June, he had a total of 103 plate appearances and 90 at bats in 23 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

30 hits

20 singles

7 doubles

3 home runs

14 RBI

1 sac fly

20 runs scored

9 walks

3 hit by pitches

1 stolen base

1 GIDP

11 strikeouts (9 swinging, 2 looking)

10 first at bat hits

46 total bases


22 left on base

28 putouts

3 assists

1 double play

202.1 innings, 23 games

(21 complete games)

June batting average while playing left: .333 (30-90) (23 games)
overall batting average so far while playing left: .324 (84-259) (68 games) (579.1 innings)


 
June #s while playing left: 28 putouts, 3 assists, 1 double play, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (202.1 innings, 23 games)

overall #s so far while playing left: 96 putouts, 8 assists, 1 double play, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (579.1 innings, 68 games)

overall #s so far while playing center: 24 putouts, 1 assist, 1 error, 0.962 fielding percentage (89.1 innings, 13 games)

June #s while playing the outfield: 28 putouts, 3 assists, 1 double play, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (202.1 innings, 23 games)

overall #s so far while playing the outfield: 120 putouts, 9 assists, 1 double play, 1 error, 0.992 fielding percentage (668.2 innings, 76 games)



now my game-by-game numbers and notes.

Game 55/Game 1, June 1: 2-4, RBI single (first at bat), run scored, double, run scored. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 56/Game 2, June 2: 0-3, walk (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .302
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 57/Game 3, June 3: 1-4, RBI single (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .301
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 58/Game 4, June 4: 3-5, RBI single (first at bat), single, single, run scored. AVG: .308
(3rd/LF/CG12)

Game 59/Game 5, June 6: 1-4, walk (first at bat), single. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 60/Game 6, June 7: 1-5, double, run scored. AVG: .305
(3rd/LF/CG9) 

**Michael's 10-game road hitting streak and 10-game road on-base streak end**

Game 61/Game 7, June 8: 0-5, reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .298
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 62/Game 8, June 9: 3-3, walk (first at bat), run scored, walk, run scored, home run, run scored, single, run scored, single, run scored. AVG: .307
(3rd/LF/GS7)

Game 63/Game 9, June 10: 1-3, double (first at bat), hit by pitch, hit by pitch, run scored. AVG: .307
(3rd/CF/CG8)

Game 64/Game 10, June 11: 2-4, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .310

(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 65/Game 11, June 12: 2-4, single, double, run scored. AVG: .313
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 66/Game 12, June 13: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI double, reached on fielding error. AVG: .316
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 67/Game 13, June 14: 2-4, hit by pitch, stolen base, single, run scored, single. AVG: .319
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 68/Game 14, June 15: 2-4, home run (first at bat), run scored, single, walk. AVG: .322
(3rd/LF/CG11) 

^^Michael sets new career high in home runs with 11^^

Game 69/Game 15, June 16: 1-2, RBI single. AVG: .323
(3rd/LF/GS4)

^^Michael was removed from the game after the top of the 4th inning for precautionary reasons after taking a blow to the head/neck from John McDonald on slide into 2nd base while trying to break up a double play^^

June 17: scratched from lineup at 4 pm. went through his pregame baseball activities and felt stiffness in his neck and pressure in his head. went to Cleveland Clinic for further evaluation and is currently day-to-day with head/neck soreness.
(3rd/LF)

June 18: has mild concussion, passing tests each day, hit off tee and played catch. might be back on field tomorrow, hopes to play June 21. game postponed, to be made up September 8.

June 19: ran on the field and threw before game, plus hit in the cage. tentative return still June 21.

June 20: ran the bases at full speed and took batting practice on the field. no ill effects. he was cleared to play in the 3rd/4th inning tonight, so...

Game 70/Game 16, June 20: 1-1, single (first at bat). AVG: .326
(9th/PH)

**Michael's 9-game hitting streak and 16-game reached base streak end**

Game 71/Game 17, June 21: 0-5. AVG: .320
(3rd/LF/CG10)

Game 72/Game 18, June 22: 3-5, single (first at bat), RBI double, 2-run double. AVG: .325
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 73/Game 19, June 24: 1-5, single, run scored, walk, walk, run scored. AVG: .323
(3rd/LF/CG13.1)

Game 74/Game 20, June 25: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI groundout, home run, run scored, walk, run scored. AVG: .325
(3rd/LF/CG9)

**Michael's 9-game road hitting streak and 20-game road reached base streak end**

Game 75/Game 21, June 27: 0-3, RBI sac fly. AVG: .322
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 76/Game 22, June 28: 1-4, RBI single (first at bat), run scored. AVG: .321
(3rd/LF/CG9)

Game 77/Game 23, June 29: 0-3, walk (first at bat). AVG: .318
(3rd/LF/CG8)

Game 78/Game 24, June 30: 0-3. AVG: .314
(3rd/LF/CG8)



so far in 2014, Michael has a total of 335 plate appearances and 299 at bats in 78 games (668.2 innings). in total, he has 94 hits, 62 singles, 19 doubles, 1 triple, 12 home runs, 53 RBI, 2 sac flies, 54 runs scored, 28 walks, 6 hit by pitches, 9 stolen bases, 8 GIDP, 30 strikeouts (23 swinging, 7 looking), 23 first at bat hits, 151 total bases, 111 left on base, 120 putouts, 9 assists, 1 double play, and 1 error.

2014 season batting average: .314 (94-299)

OBP: .382

SLG: .505

OPS: .887