Goodbye Dr. Smooth

hello all and Happy New Year's Eve. as we're about to close the book on 2018, the time has come for me to finally say my goodbye to Michael Brantley. i don't want to, but i have to. i've written several goodbye blogs to former Cleveland Indians players in the past after they were traded or signed with another team as free agents, yet none were ever as hard for me to compose as this one. i'm still trying to accept the reality of how different everything's going to be next year and i'm simply not okay with it.😭

if you don't already know, Michael officially signed a two-year, $32 million deal with the Houston Astros on December 19. he parted ways with the Indians following a 10-year tenure because they weren't in a position to retain him. that was made clear five days after the World Series ended, on November 2, when they didn't even extend a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Michael, so he entered into free agency for the first time in his career. and it led him to the 'Stros.

Brantley Agrees to Two-Year, $32 Million Deal with Houston Astros

this is a sad day for Tribe fans, but a good day for Brantley fans. and if you're both like i am, then i'm sure you're very torn. after being with the Cleveland Indians for 10 years, he is no longer ours. today, on December 17, it was announced that Michael Brantley has agreed to a two-year, $32 million deal with the Houston Astros.

photo courtesy of @MLB on twitter

Ken Rosenthal was the first to reveal a deal was close at 6:47 pm ET. Jeff Passan disclosed that Michael had been discussing two-year deals with a vesting third-year option, according to sources, before he reported the deal was a straight two-year deal with no options at 7 pm ET. evidently, there is "still some work for it to be official, but

Brantley Wins Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award!

don't call it a comeback! wait... yes, do! hey there, Brantley fans, i have great news! remember on October 16, when Michael Brantley was named a finalist for the Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year? well tonight, on November 27, the winner was finally revealed, live from the Four Seasons in Dallas, Texas, and... Michael won the PCA for 2018 American League Comeback Player of the Year!!! congratulations, Brant!!!👏👊😀

photo courtesy of mlbplayers.com

Michael will now receive a $20,000 grant from

Brantley Does Not Receive One-Year, $17.9 Million Qualifying Offer from Indians

hi, Brantley and Indians fans. sorry, but i'm about to ruin your weekend. i regret to inform you that this afternoon, on November 2, the Cleveland Indians announced they decided not to extend a one-year, $17.9 million qualifying offer to Michael Brantley for 2019. to say i'm stunned is putting it mildly. none of the Tribe's free agents received a QO, but the news on Brant, one of the most likely candidates for the one-year offer, is particularly unsettling.😟

photo taken from mlb.com/indians article

according to Jordan Bastian's article on mlb.com/indians, Indians President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti explained in a conference call, "ultimately,

Brantley Named Finalist For Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year

hello, Brantley fans! i'm back with more news! this should come as no surprise, but it was formally announced earlier today, on October 16, that Michael Brantley was named as one of three finalists for the Players Choice Awards' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year!👏 he's nominated with right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson of the Oakland Athletics and left-handed pitcher David Price of the Boston Red Sox.

photo courtesy of mlbplayers.com

per the website, this award is described as for those who have overcome adversity and

Brantley Finishes 3rd For Sporting News' 2018 AL Comeback Player of the Year Award

hey, Brantley fans. i've got another (quick) post for you because today, on October 16, Sporting News announced their winner for AL Comeback Player of the Year. Michael received votes, but ultimately finished in 3rd place while David Price of the Boston Red Sox was named the 2018 Comeback Player in the American League.

this award, given out by Sporting News since 1965, is voted on by the players. there is no set criteria for what makes a player eligible for the Comeback Award, so the players get to decide on their own which of their peers' "career downturns" was significant enough to be considered. the fact that someone missed a year due to an injury is not always a factor in the voting for a Comeback Player. ballots were cast in early September and 14 players in the American League received at least one vote.

according to the article by Ryan Fagan, Price led the way with 20 votes. Edwin Jackson of the Oakland Athletics got 16 total votes, Michael got

Wrapping Up Brantley's 2018 Season + Postseason

hi again, Brantley fans. i'm back with a final blog to wrap up Michael's year. this was extremely hard for me to write, knowing in my heart that 2018 was his last season with the Cleveland Indians. a lot of tears have been shed since October 8 and i'm not afraid to admit it's been difficult looking back on things that we're not going to see Michael do with the Tribe ever again, so i needed extra time to put this together and i apologize that i didn't get it published sooner.😔

the culmination of my wrap up series features a selective set of Michael's final numbers, but it mostly contains a season sum-up, my favorite moments from the year, comparisons to past seasons, and a review of my preseason predictions vs. what really transpired. and at the very end, i also included countdowns to 2019 and personal thank yous to all of my top Tribe sources that i look to for news on Dr. Smooth, as well as the people who visited, read, and shared my posts in 2018!👏

before i get started, here are the previous Brantley wrap up blogs i wrote earlier this month, detailing things like Michael's daily game lines, BOP breakdowns, situational #s, career highs, team leads, league rankings, and

Brantley's 2018 ALDS #s

hi, Brantley fans. so it would appear as though we have watched Michael play in a Cleveland uniform for what most likely was the last time. that's because yesterday, on October 8, the Cleveland Indians were eliminated from postseason play when they lost the American League Division Series to the Houston Astros in a very quick three-game series. i wish i could say i didn't see this coming, but i think a lot of us did. the only thing that surprised me is that the Tribe got swept. i really thought they'd make it a close series and go the full five games. i was at Game 3, the first and only game in Cleveland, so my blog is going up a day late. my apologies.

the format of this is much like a monthly post, except i've added some pre-ALDS news to start with. also, because i only had three games to cover, i went ahead and listed out all of Michael's at bats in my redesigned Game Talk, At-Bat Details, Pictures, and Quotes section.

while many want to say that the top of the order didn't perform well, i'm about to prove that Michael was actually one of the top performers and did

Brantley's 2018 Situational #s & Statistics

what's up, Brantley fans? this is the third installment of my series of wrap up blogs detailing Michael's season and it has a lot of numbers, as it features all his situational #s and statistics for 2018. more specifically, that includes Michael's batting averages and stats against right-handed and left-handed pitchers, at home and on the road, with runners in scoring position, with runners on base, with the bases loaded, and with the bases empty. you're also going to see his team highs, career highs, offensive league rankings, and some defensive league rankings, as well as his final numbers versus every AL Central Division team and each National League team the Indians played in 2018. in addition, i've incorporated things like his K rate, LOB, types of outs he made, number of times he reached base, and number of times he was left stranded. Michael's WAR, wRC+, BsR, UZR, and DRS are all in here, too. no offense to Michael's game lines and BOP #s, but i'd bet that this is the blog you really wanna see because it's got all the meat of his 2018 numbers. enjoy!😁


in 2018, Michael had

Brantley's 2018 Batting Order Position & LF/PH/DH #s

hi, Brantley fans! hope you are well. this is the second Michael Brantley wrap up blog, which contains all of his number breakdowns based on his batting order positions and LF, PH, and DH #s for the 2018 regular season.

let's take a quick dive back into the past before i get into the present. in case you don't remember, prior to this season, Michael was the Indians' 3 hole hitter. in fact, he'd been regularly batting 3rd in the order since May 3, 2014 (minus the couple of games he played in 2016). even when Michael was out hurt, he would always return to the 3 spot, which he rightfully earned after his outstanding 2014 and 2015 seasons. even manager Terry Francona admitted to essentially building the lineup around Michael in the 3 hole. but while Michael was on the 10-Day DL battling his right ankle sprain in the second half of 2017, Jose Ramirez replaced him in the 3 hole. and Tito liked what he brought to that spot so much that he decided to continue letting Ramirez bat 3rd whether Michael was playing or not.

Michael started the 2018 campaign on the 10-Day DL and he remained in Arizona as he continued to build up endurance after spending another offseason/spring training rehabbing, this time from right ankle surgery. once he returned to the Tribe, Michael alternated between the Tribe's cleanup hitter and 5 hole hitter, depending on

Brantley's 2018 Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes

hi again, Brantley fans! it's time for my series of wrap up blogs where i break down Michael's 2018 season numbers in a couple different ways, so as not to overwhelm you all with a plethora of stats and information.🕮

i'm going to begin with a post concentrating on Michael's 2018 Game-by-Game Numbers and Notes.🖩📓


for the third straight year, Michael was behind everyone in spring as he was working to come back from an injury. this time his delay was a result of the right ankle surgery that he had in October 2017 for ankle synovitis and a deltoid ligament sprain. Michael spent most of spring training still rehabbing from his surgery while the rest of the Indians played in Cactus League games. in the middle of March, Michael finally got some game action, first with the minor leaguers before "graduating" to playing with his Tribe teammates. but since he only played in three Cactus League contests, it was decided that Michael would open the season on the 10-Day DL in order to continue building up his endurance to ensure that he'd be capable of playing full games right away upon his return.

Michael only missed the first

Brantley's Second Half 2018 #s

hello, Brantley fans! you're going to see a lot of blogs coming out this week from me containing all of Michael's final 2018 #s. but first, i have to tell you about his second half #s and statistics! the schedule after the All Star Break consisted of 67 games for the Cleveland Indians. Michael received extra rest days towards the end of the year in preparation for the playoffs, but he still played enough to be considered a qualifying player. so let's check out his performance!


post-All Star Break in 2018, Michael had a total of 259 plate appearances and 229 at bats in 59 games (481.0 innings). in total, he had 71 hits, 17 extra base hits, 54 singles, 11 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 20 RBI, 2 sac flies, 34 runs, 23 walks, 3 hit by pitches, 6 stolen bases (5 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd), 4 reached on fielder's choice, 1 reached on forceout, 2 reached on fielding error, 1 reached on catcher interference, 1 reached on passed ball, 1 sac bunt, 5 GIDP, 29 strikeouts (23 swinging, 6 looking), 13 first at bat hits, 99 total bases, 86 left on base, 97 putouts, 3 assists, and 1 double play.

2nd Half 2018 batting average:

Brantley's September 2018 #s

hello, Brantley fans! and welcome to the last regular season monthly blog about our boy! thank you to everyone who read my previous Brantley's August 2018 #s and Brantley's 2018 #s Through August blogs! i'm so grateful that you took time out of your day to come to my site and catch up on All Things Brantley!✋

now let me reveal which countries visited my blogspot the most over this past month. the #1 viewers came from... the United States!🥇 the 2nd largest audience resided in... Ukraine!🥈 and rounding out the Top 3 in September is... Spain!🥉 hello!👋 and wow! it is so humbling to see that Michael has amazing fans all over the world!🌐 you guys rock!👊

quick note: i have a new schedule regarding posts coming up before and during the postseason. make sure to read all the way to the end of this post for information about what to expect from here on out!

okay, ready to see how Michael did in September? let's go!

September Overview

this September very well could have been Michael's final regular season month as an Indian.

Brantley's August 2018 #s

what's new, Brantley crew? i'm back with the latest monthly post! but first let me express my thanks to those who read my Brantley's July 2018 #s blog and Brantley's 2018 #s Through July blog! i truly appreciate it.😊

okay, so where did my Top 3 audiences come from in August? that would be the countries of Russia, the United States, and Spain.🥇🥈🥉 hello, welcome, and thank you for stopping by!👋 not from one of those locations? let me know where you reside in a comment below!🌎 if you want to up your chances of being named one of my top viewers, share my posts on all your social medias and your friends and family. then check back here next month to see who's been reading up on Dr. Smooth the most!😉 

now let's get into Michael's performance in August!

August Overview

Michael is back, people! lol this was by far and away his best month since April and May. he improved and/or excelled in several areas. what i found particularly relieving was that

Brantley's July 2018 #s

hey, Brantley fam! i hope you're all doing well! first, as always, i want to take a minute to thank everyone who read any or all of my previous stats blogs, including Brantley's June 2018 #s, Brantley's 2018 #s Through June, and Brantley's First Half 2018 #s.🕮

secondly, i have to acknowledge my Top 3 viewer countries from the last month, those being the United States, France, and Russia.🥇🥈🥉 thanks so much for coming here to get all your Michael Brantley news! i'm so grateful for your views! if i didn't shout out your location, leave it in a comment below and let me know you stopped by!🌎 make sure you're sharing my blogs with your friends, family, and other Dr. Smooth fans because that will definitely help your chances of getting in my top 3 audiences next month!😉 

okay, now it's time to dissect Michael's July!

July Overview

Michael achieved some big milestones in his career this month. he acquired his 500th career RBI, scored his 500th career run, played in his 1,000th Major League game, and set a new career high with

Brantley's Career All Star Game #s (Through 2018)

Michael Brantley is now a three-time All Star. he was selected to every game by his peers as an American League OF reserve. his first All Star Game, back during his 2014 season, was all new to him and more about the experience than the results. in his second Midsummer Classic last year, Michael got his first career ASG hit. and most recently, just yesterday in Michael's third affair, he acquired his first ever RBI in an All Star Game.👏👍

photo courtesy of @SportsTimeOhio on twitter

this blog combines Michael's stats from

Brantley's 2018 All Star Game Experience & #s (w/ Pics & Quotes)

Michael Brantley just played in his third career All Star Game⭐ tonight during the 89th annual affair on July 17, 2018, at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., and i've got all the details!😀

note: this blog contains All Star-related information from three days total, covering July 15-17.


Prior to the All Star Break 

July 15: before the game versus the New York Yankees, Michael and his other All Star teammates received their 2018 American League All Star workout jerseys, which you can watch in this video from mlb.com/indians. (Trevor Bauer was not there/photographed because he

Brantley's First Half 2018 #s

hello, Brantley faithful! the All Star Break is finally upon us. why do i say finally? because the break is later than normal this year due to extra off days having been added to the schedule. that makes it even more ironic to call what has passed thus far as the "first half," but that's just how it goes. this part of July has always been considered the halfway point in baseball regardless of teams having played more than 81 games--the true half mark in the sport. the Indians, in particular, have already played 95 games!

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

Brantley Named to MLB's 2018 AL All Star Team!

third time's the charm! hi, Brantley fans! our boy Michael has been named an All Star for the second year in a row and is going to Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., on July 17 as an American League outfield reserve!⭐⭐⭐👏👏👏

the happy news came tonight, on July 8 during ESPN's All Star Selection Show. Mookie Betts of the Boston Red Sox, Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, and Aaron Judge of the New York Yankees are the starting outfielders for the American League team, which we basically already knew weeks ago. as soon as the very first AL All Star ballot updates came out, it was pretty apparent that those three would be starters.

Michael was in 4th place on the fan ballot for the first two updates before he fell to 5th on the third released update. then, on July 2, MLB Communications posted one last voting update and Michael remained in 5th place. though he'd gained 299,302 votes since June 26, he was 48,285 votes behind George Springer of the Houston Astros and 927,972 votes behind 3rd starter Judge. Betts held a whooping 2,025,730-vote lead on Michael, who was only ahead of 6th place Andrew Benintendi of the Red Sox by 22,241 votes. Brant was never really in the running to start, sadly.

thankfully, Michael was selected by his peers to be an AL All Star reserve player for the third time in his career! he's the only Indians outfielder to

Brantley's June 2018 #s

hello, Brantley fans! i'm back with another monthly blog. thank you for reading my previous Brantley's May 2018 #s blog and Brantley's 2018 # Through May blog. i know there was A LOT going on in Michael's May, so i hope you enjoyed all the content i provided spotlighting everything.✍

i didn't see any new viewer countries on my blog this month, but that's okay because heavy traffic continues to come through from some certain regulars.😉 in June, the United States, Germany, and Italy🥇🥈🥉 represented my top 3 visitors, specifically (with France, Brazil, and Spain very close behind!). thanks to all of you in those locations for stopping by and checking out my posts.👏 let know know you were here by leaving a comment! and if you aren't from one of the places listed, feel free to shout out your country in the comments, too.🌎 i'm sure my top audience will change over the course of the next month again, so be sure to come back at the end of July to find out which areas are reading about Brant the most! as always, you can share my posts on social media to increase your chances of being in the top and then recognized here.👍

reminder: if you haven't voted for Michael to go to the 2018 All Star Game yet, you've still got six days to cast 25 ballots.🗹 please help Brant get to his third career Midsummer Classic, and final as a Cleveland Indian.🙏 click here for details, tips, and tricks!

now let's get into Michael's June!