Brantley's First Half 2017 #s

hey everyone! can you believe we're already at the All Star Break? it's definitely needed, if you ask me. except, it won't be much of a break for some ballplayers, including Michael Brantley, who was selected as an American League OF reserve for this year's Midsummer Classic! so as Michael heads down to Miami, Florida, for the 88th annual All Star Game, let me share his first half numbers of 2017 with you. and keep in mind, even though teams have played more than 81 games--the technical halfway point in baseball--all games preceding the All Star Break are considered to be part of the "first half" of the sport.


so far in 2017, Michael has 278 plate appearances and 250 at bats in 66 games (551.0 innings). in total, he has 76 hits, 23 extra base hits, 53 singles, 17 doubles, 1 triple, 5 home runs, 37 RBI, 2 sac flies, 31 runs, 25 walks, 2 intentional walks, 1 hit by pitch, 8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd), 1 caught stealing (2nd), 6 GIDP, 40 strikeouts (33 swinging, 7 looking), 18 first at bat hits, 110 total bases, 94 left on base, 103 putouts, 5 assists, and 1 error.


1st Half 2017 batting average:
.304 (76-250)

OBP: .367

SLG: .440

OPS: .807


April BA: .308

May BA: .293

June BA: .326 (not a qualifying player)

July BA (so far): .294


Michael's .304 batting average is currently the 2nd highest on the team out of all the qualifying players. Jose Ramirez is still ahead of him and now boasts a .332 batting average.

for reference, Michael's BAs at the break from the past five seasons were:
.231 in 2016 (11 games played)
.292 in 2015
.322 in 2014
.279 in 2013
.288 in 2012


Quick Overview

after playing just eight games with the Indians in spring training, Michael was declared ready to open the season with the Tribe on time. and he put together a very impressive showing in April with five home runs and 17 RBI. not to mention he also hit a walk-off double at the Tribe's Home Opener on April 11. it was particularly extraordinary for someone who'd played in a minute 11 games in 2016. but he proved that he could, in fact, overcome his biceps tenodesis (surgery) and return as the reliable player that everybody knew prior to his shoulder and biceps woes.

Michael wasn't as productive in May. he suffered a right ankle sprain, but only missed one three-game series. unfortunately, he really labored with runners in scoring position, which is why he tallied a mere five RBI for the month. he was swinging and missing at a lot of pitches outside the strike zone, too.

in June, Michael missed close to half of the games--first, because he went on the Paternity List when his wife had a baby, and second, because he was placed on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain. despite that, when he did play, the majority of his situational hitting was exemplary. on the defensive side, he acquired his first career two-assist game on June 10 when he threw out one runner at home and one at 2nd base.

Michael's gotten off to a decent start in this early portion of July. he seems to be having difficulty as of late against the Tribe's division foe Detroit Tigers though, which is atypical. there were positive signs, however, when he totaled four RBI in one game. a more pleasant surprise was he had a nice Interleague series versus the San Diego Padres, even hitting his first triple since July 31, 2014! and, of course, the highlight of this first part of the month was when Michael was named to the 2017 AL All Star team!

overall, for a player who's coming back from two major surgeries on his right shoulder and biceps, Michael has done incredibly well so far. i think that is perhaps getting overlooked to a certain degree due to the remarkable performances of some of his teammates. while i honestly believe Michael's done a good job, i don't think he's fully back to his regular self. he's capable of more. we're definitely used to a higher average and more stats at this point in a season, but i'm not worried. it will come with time (and a routine offseason when he's finally not rehabbing and recovering from an operation). i'm excited to see what Dr. Smooth has in store for the rest of the year. and the All Star Game. and hopefully the October playoffs!!!

what were your favorite moments from Michael's first half of the season? let me know in a comment below!


Areas of Concern

Michael was doing better with RISP, but he seems to have reverted back to his May troubles since July began. specifically, his numbers with RISP and 2 outs are shockingly poor as opposed to the other RISP situations.

speaking of, Michael's 2-out hitting as a whole could use some work. he's been getting a lot of at bats with 2 outs, especially in the 1st inning of games, so he really needs to learn how to get hits again in those instances.

Michael's strikeouts are up this year, no question. when 2017 first got underway, the argument that he was trying to find his timing at the plate was valid. or you could have attributed it to him having to get used to the league again after being out for virtually all of last season. by now, you'd think he'd be back to his high contact rate, yet he's still swinging and missing at balls outside the zone quite a bit. that's not a true representation of the type of hitter he is, but it may be this year.

i don't know what happened with Michael's power, but he has not hit a home run since April 30. i thought he was going to set a new career high in homers this season after he hit five long balls in April. it's very peculiar that he's gone so long without one, though it's kind of hard to hit a ball out of the park when you're mostly hitting ground balls, which Michael is. i don't want to see him go up to bat and try to hit a moonshot every time, but it would be nice if he could get more balls up in the air.

normally a good hitter against left-handed pitching, Michael's average is subpar right now. granted, he hasn't faced nearly the amount of southpaws as he has righties, so i'm hopeful this will get better in the back half of the season.

personally, i'm not satisfied with Michael's performance on the road in this first half. he had a rough go in his last couple games away from Cleveland and that decreased his overall average. he also missed a week when he was on the Paternity List and the 10-Day DL, which took away many chances for him to increase all his road stats. i'm anticipating that he will fare better in the final two and a half months of 2017.

i'm also going to throw Interleague Play in here. i've mentioned before that Michael has not done well in his career when facing National League teams, and it's the same this year. maybe it's just that these are pitchers that he hardly ever, if ever sees, and so that could make things exceptionally challenging. still, i know he studies and looks at video to try and familiarize himself with pitchers when he's about to go against them. so it is disappointing to see his struggles persist. fingers crossed this improves in the last two IL series the Indians have in the second half.

lastly, i'm bummed out with his total runs scored as well (though that's on his teammates, not him), and you probably will be, too, when you see how many times Michael's been left stranded.

so clearly there's room for improvement and i have faith that Michael can and will improve in these areas when baseball season resumes.

what are your concerns for Michael? leave a comment below!


Team Leads and Career Highs

in the first half of 2017, Michael does not have any team leads offensively. however, he does have the least amount of strikeouts among qualifying players with 40.

he leads the outfielders with 91 putouts, 484.0 innings, and 57 games. he's 2nd with 5 assists.

Michael is 2nd on the team with his .304 batting average.

additionally, he is 3rd with 8 stolen bases, .367 OBP, and .807 OPS.

Michael did not set any career highs for the season in the first half. on the other hand, he did set a single game career high with two outfield assists in one game.


League Rankings

Michael is back to being a qualifying player, so here are his rankings around the league at the All Star Break. reminder: i only list stats that fall within the Top 10.

among qualifying left fielders in the American League, Michael's ranked 1st in batting average (.304) and OBP (.367); tied for 1st in intentional walks (2); 2nd in doubles (17): 3rd in OPS (.807); 5th in SLG (.440); tied for 5th in RBI (37); 6th in hits (76), singles (53), and total bases (110); tied for 6th in triples (1); 7th in walks (25); tied for 7th in extra base hits (23), sac flies (2), and stolen bases (8); 9th in plate appearances (278) and at bats (250); and 10th in runs (31). Michael's also ranked tied for 13th out of 14 players in strikeouts (40), meaning he's tied for the least amount of Ks among AL left fielders right now.

among qualifying outfielders in the American League, Michael is 5th in OBP, 6th in batting average, tied for 7th in doubles, and tied for 9th in intentional walks. besides that, he's tied for 29th out of 31 players in strikeouts, making him tied for the 2nd toughest AL outfielder to strike out.

among qualifying players in the American League, Michael ranks tied for 77th in strikeouts out of 88 players, or tied for the 6th least total strikeouts in the American League at the break.

among all qualifying left fielders in the Major Leagues, Michael is 2nd in batting average; 3rd in OBP; 4th in doubles; tied for 6th in intentional walks; tied for 7th in singles and stolen bases; 8th in OPS; tied for 8th in triples; 9th in hits; 10th in SLG; and tied for 10th in RBI and sac flies. he's also tied for 22nd of 24 players in strikeouts, meaning he's tied for the 2nd least amount of Ks among all MLB left fielders.

among all qualifying outfielders in the Major Leagues, Michael ranks 10th in batting average. he additionally ranks tied for 58th out of 61 players in strikeouts, making him tied for the 3rd toughest MLB outfielder to strike out.

among all qualifying players in the Major Leagues, Michael's strikeouts are tied for 149th out of 166 players, or tied for the 6th least total strikeouts in MLB at the break.


HR:RBI, K Rate, LOB, and Outs

in the first half of the season, Michael has five home runs, with his last homer coming back on April 30. most of his hits/outs are coming via ground balls, so there's your explanation for his HR drought. Edwin Encarnacion is the team leader with 18, Jose Ramirez is 2nd with 17 homers, Francisco Lindor is 3rd with 14 home runs, Lonnie Chisenhall is 4th with 12 long balls, and Carlos Santana is 5th with 10 total home runs.

at the break, Michael has a total of 37 RBI vs. 94 men left on base. he's had more at bats with the bases empty than with runners on, but he still had plenty of opportunities to drive in more runners than 37. Chisenhall continues to lead the team right now with 51 RBI, Encarnacion and Ramirez both have 48 each, Santana has 47 ribbies, and Lindor has 43.

the HR:RBI ratio for the first half is as follows: three of Michael's 5 home runs were solo and the other two were 2-run bombs. therefore, 8.1% of his 37 RBI have come from his solo homers, while 18.9% of his 37 RBI have come from all 5 of his home runs.

Michael's K rate at the break is 14.4% (40 K/278 PA). he currently averages 1 strikeout for every 7.0 plate appearances. this remains too high of a strikeout rate. i'd like to see him get down into the 10-11% range before the year ends.

also to this point, Michael has 74 groundouts, 31 flyouts, 21 lineouts, and 10 pop outs versus 40 strikeouts. i've said all season that Michael is hitting more balls on the ground this year, even the ones that end up as hits, than up in the air. and Zack Meisel posted the numbers to prove it in his cleveland.com article, along with noting that Michael is making more hard contact than ever before this season.

at the break in 2017, here are Michael's contact percentages, per Meisel:
soft contact: 12.7%
medium contact: 50.0%
hard contact: 37.3%
moreover, his ground ball rate is 50.0% versus his 25.9% fly ball rate.

compare that to 2015:
soft contact: 15.9%
medium contact: 53.2%
hard contact: 30.8%
ground ball rate: 45.8% versus fly ball rate: 31.7%.


Reached Base vs. Left Stranded

through the first half of 2017, Michael has reached base a total of 107 times via hits, walks, hit by pitches, fielder's choices, throwing errors, and fielding errors. he's scored 31 runs total, 5 of which came from his own home runs. he's been driven in 26 times by other players and left stranded 75 times. (once he was lifted for a PR, so i didn't count that here.) it appears that Edwin Encarnacion and Jose Ramirez hit better when Michael is not on base and i don't understand why that is. it's ill-fated, nonetheless.


Streaks and Situational Statistics

Michael hit in 52 of the 66 games he's played in the first half of 2017 and reached base safely in 57 games. he has 14 hitless games, but still reached base in 5 of those. Michael has 22 multi-hit games, 2 three+ hit games, and 8 multi-RBI games. he has at least 1 RBI in 26 games. in addition, he has 7 go-ahead hits and 8 go-ahead RBI. the Indians are now 36-30 in games that Michael's played in and 11-10 in the games he's sat out/missed.

Michael's had several streaks in this 1st half of the year, including:

--a modest 6-game hitting streak on the road between April 8-22. it began on April 8, then continued from April 17-22.

--a 10-game hitting streak, in which he bat .381 (16-for-42), between April 13-27 (over 15 days).

--a 10-game on-base streak between April 13-27.

--a 10-game on-base streak on the road between April 7 - May 3. it spanned over April 7-8, April 17-22, and May 1-3.

--a 14-game hitting streak, in which he bat .345 (19-for-55), between May 15-30.

--a 21-game reached base streak between May 12 - June 3 (over 23 days).

--an 18-game on-base streak between May 15 - June 3.

--a 7-game hitting streak on the road between May 19 - June 3. it spanned over May 19-23 and June 2-3.

--an 18-game reached base streak at home between April 29 - June 10. it spanned over April 29-30, May 12-17, May 24 - June 1, and June 9-10.

--an 8-game hitting streak between June 13 - July 2. it spanned over June 13-14, June 27-29, and July 1-2.

--an 8-game on-base streak between June 13 - July 2.

he will start the second half with a 5-game on-base streak and 5-game on-base streak at home as well.

at the break, Michael is batting .319 (53-for-166) against right-handed pitchers and .274 (23-for-84) against left-handed pitchers. you can see now why i listed LHP as an area of concern for him because ordinarily, he hits lefties better than this. i hope he can increase his BA against southpaws in these last two and a half months of the season.

Michael's currently hitting .326 (47-for-144) with 27 RBI at home. he has 12 doubles, 1 triple, and 3 home runs (16 extra base hits) at Progressive Field, along with 2 sac flies, 19 runs, 16 walks (2 intentional), 3 stolen bases (2 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd), 6 GIDP, 24 strikeouts (19 swinging, 5 looking), and 70 total bases while playing 38 out of 45 total home games. he hit safely in 31 of the 38 home games he's played in and safely reached base in 34 of them. he has 7 hitless games at home, reaching base in 3.

Michael's hitting .274 (29-for-106) with 10 RBI away from Progressive Field. he has 5 doubles and 2 home runs (7 extra base hits) on the road, along with 12 runs, 9 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 5 stolen bases (4 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd), 1 caught stealing (2nd), 16 strikeouts (14 swinging, 2 looking), and 40 total bases while playing 28 out of 42 total road games. he hit safely in 21 of the 28 road games he's played in and safely reached base in 23 of them. he has 7 hitless games away from home, reaching base in 2.

Michael's now batting .284 (19-for-67) with runners in scoring position with 29 RBI at the break. to be more specific, he's batting .353 (6-for-17) with RISP and 0 outs, .286 (8-for-28) with RISP and 1 out, and .227 (5-for-22) with RISP and 2 outs. it's imperative he figure out how to be more clutch when there are 2 outs.

with 2 outs in an inning, Michael is batting .260 (25-for-96). he now has 8 doubles, 1 home run, 8 RBI, 12 walks, and 15 strikeouts (13 swinging, 2 looking). his average here just keeps going down. maybe it's a mental thing and he simply feels more pressure when coming to bat in these situations. whatever it is, i'd like for him to turn things around in the second half.

additionally, he's hitting .319 (36-for-113) with 34 RBI with runners on base and .333 (1-for-3) with 3 RBI with the bases loaded so far this season. fun fact: two of the three ribbies came from bases-loaded walks.

finally, Michael's hitting .292 (40-for-137) with the bases empty right now. he has 7 doubles, 3 home runs, 3 RBI, 10 walks, and 24 strikeouts (22 swinging, 2 looking) when batting with nobody on base.

at the break, Michael has a 1.1 fWAR (wins above replacement), a 114 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus--the ability to create runs compared to the league average), a 3.1 BsR (baserunning runs above average with stolen bases and caught stealings), and -4.0 UZR (ultimate zone rating). among 14 qualifying AL left fielders, Michael's BsR ranks 1st, his wRC+ ranks 7th, and his WAR ranks 9th. likewise, his UZR ranks 6th out of eight total qualifiers. [these stats all came courtesy of fangraphs.com.]


Versus AL Central Division Teams

vs. the Kansas City Royals, Michael's batting .375 (12-for-32) in 8 games--5 of the 6 on the road and 3 at home. (he had 1 scheduled day off during one June road series.) the Indians are 3-5 in the games he's played in and won the game he did not play in. overall, Michael has 11 singles, 1 extra base hit--a double, 2 RBI, 2 runs, 1 walk, 2 stolen bases (2nd), 2 first at bat hits, and 13 total bases. besides that, he's grounded into 1 double play, struck out 6 times (5 swinging, 1 looking), and left 7 runners on base. furthermore, he has a .394 OBP, .406 SLG, and .800 OPS. as the left fielder, he's played 62 innings, but only 6 complete games because he left 1 game early in May after 3 innings following spraining his right ankle, and he was lifted for a pinch runner in the top of the 8th inning in 1 game in June because the Indians were losing a blowout and Terry Francona wanted to give him some extra rest. he's totaled 15 putouts as well.

vs. the Chicago White Sox, Michael's batting .273 (9-for-33) in 8 games--6 at home and 2 of the 3 on the road. (he had 1 scheduled day off during one April home series.) the Indians are 5-3 in the games he's played in and lost the game he did not play in. overall, Michael has 4 singles and 5 extra base hits, including 3 doubles and 2 home runs, as well as 6 RBI, 4 runs, 2 walks (1 intentional), 1 stolen base (2nd), 1 caught stealing (2nd), 4 first at bat hits, and 18 total bases. he also has 8 strikeouts (7 swinging, 1 looking) and 11 men left on base. furthermore, he has a .314 OBP, .545 SLG, and .860 OPS. while playing left field, Michael's recorded 13 putouts, 3 assists, and 1 error in 73 innings/8 complete games.

vs. the Minnesota Twins, Michael's batting .333 (8-for-24) in 6 games--3 of the 7 on the road and 3 of the 6 at home. (he missed 7 games/2 series against this team so far. he missed all 4 games in one June road series because he was with his wife following the birth of their child and on the Paternity List, and he missed all 3 games in one June home series because he was on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain, but had just begun running on the treadmill/drills in the outfield.) the Indians are 4-2 in the games he's played in and 4-3 in the games he did not play in. overall, Michael has 6 singles and 2 extra base hits, including 1 double and 1 home run, to go along with 3 RBI, 4 runs, 3 walks, 1 hit by pitch, 3 first at bat hits, and 12 total bases. additionally, he has 2 strikeouts (1 swinging, 1 looking) and 14 runners left stranded. furthermore, he has a .429 OBP, .500 SLG, and .929 OPS. he's played 52 innings in left field, but only 4 complete games because he was subbed out defensively after 8 innings in 1 game in April following getting hit on the right shin, and he was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 8th inning in 1 game in May. he's also recorded 13 putouts.

vs. the Detroit Tigers, Michael's batting .275 (11-for-40) in 11 games--5 of the 6 at home and 6 on the road. (he had 1 scheduled day off during one April home series.) the Indians are 6-5 in the games he's played in and lost the game he did not play in. overall, Michael has 9 singles, 2 extra base hits--doubles, 6 RBI, 1 sac fly, 6 runs, 5 walks (1 intentional), 2 stolen bases (3rd), 1 first at bat hit, and 13 total bases. he's also grounded into 2 double plays, struck out 4 times (3 swinging, 1 looking), and left 19 men on base. furthermore, he has a .348 OBP, .325 SLG, and .673 OPS. defensively, he's played 92 innings, but only 10 complete games in left field because he was subbed out defensively after 5 innings in 1 game in July because the Indians were winning a blowout. he's also totaled 18 putouts.

what do you think about Michael's first half divisional play? share your thoughts below!


Interleague Play

the Indians have played a total of 14 games against five National League teams in the first half of 2017. Michael has played in 12 of those games. the Indians are 2-10 in the games he's played in and 1-1 in the games he did not play in. overall, Michael's batting .262 (11-for-42) in Interleague Play.

vs. the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field (no designated hitter allowed), Michael bat .167 (1-for-6) in 2 of the 3 road games in April. (he had 1 scheduled day off during the series.) the Indians went 0-2 in the games he played in and lost the game he did not play in as well. Michael's lone hit was a single, but he also had 1 RBI, 1 walk, 1 stolen base (2nd), and 1 total base. in addition, he struck out swinging once and left 3 men on base. furthermore, he had a .286 OBP, .167 SLG, and .452 OPS. in the field, Michael played 16 innings/2 complete games in left and recorded 3 putouts. (note: he was subbed out offensively in the top of the 9th inning in 1 game, depriving him of one more plate appearance.)

vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park (no designated hitter allowed) and Progressive Field, Michael's batting .273 (3-for-11) in 3 games--2 road games and 1 home game in May. (it was initially supposed to be a home-and-home series with 4 total games, but 1 home game was postponed due to rain and will be made up on July 24.) the Indians are 1-2 in the games he's played in. overall, he has 2 singles, 1 double, 1 RBI, 2 runs, 3 walks, and 4 total bases. he's also struck out swinging twice and left 4 men on base. furthermore, he has a .429 OBP, .364 SLG, and .792 OPS. in the field, Michael's played 26 innings/3 complete games in left and recorded 8 putouts.

vs. the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field (no designated hitter allowed), Michael's batting .000 (0-for-8) in 2 road games in June. the Indians are 0-2 in the games he's played in. overall, he has 2 strikeouts swinging and 3 men left on base. furthermore, his OBP, SLG, and OPS are all .000. in the field, Michael's played 16 innings/2 complete games in left and recorded 2 putouts. (the Indians have one more series with this team at home in August.)

vs. the Los Angeles Dodgers at Progressive Field, Michael bat .600 (3-for-5) in 2 of the 3 home games in June. (he missed the final game of the series when he was away from the team to be with his wife, who was about to give birth.) the Indians went 0-2 in the games he played in and won the game he did not play in. overall, he had 1 single, 2 extra base hits--doubles, 3 RBI, 1 sac fly, 1 run, 2 walks, 1 first at bat hit, and 5 total bases. he also stranded 1 runner. furthermore, he had a .625 OBP, 1.000 SLG, and 1.625 OPS. in the field, Michael played 18 innings/2 complete games in left and recorded 1 putout.

vs. the San Diego Padres at Progressive Field, Michael bat .333 (4-for-12) in 3 home games in July. the Indians went 1-2 in the games he played in. overall, he had 3 singles, 1 extra base hit--a triple, 1 RBI, 3 runs, 1 walk, 1 first at bat hit, and 6 total bases. he also had 1 GIDP, 2 strikeouts (1 swinging, 1 looking), and 7 men left. furthermore, he had a .385 OBP, .500 SLG, and .885 OPS. in the field, Michael played 18 innings/2 complete games in left and recorded 2 putouts. he was the DH for 1 game.

why do you think Michael has such a tough time with Interleague play? leave me a comment with any theories you may have.


In The Field & League Rankings

at the end of the first half, Michael has 103 putouts, 5 assists, and 1 error in 109 total chances. he currently has a .991 fielding percentage.

presently, he has a 14-game errorless streak in the outfield. an error in early June has made it so he'll need to play perfect defense going forward in order to ever break his franchise record from 2014 of 247 consecutive games without an error while he's still an Indian.

here are the updated first half league rankings of Michael's outfield assists:

among AL left fielders, Michael's 5 assists at the break rank 6th. Melky Cabrera of the Chicago White Sox has the most assists right now with 7. Norichika Aoki of the Houston Astros, Andrew Benintendi of the Boston Red Sox, Alex Gordon of the Kansas City Royals, and Justin Upton of the Detroit Tigers are all tied for 2nd with their 6 assists.

among all MLB left fielders, Michael's 5 assists rank tied for 7th. Marcell Ozuna of the Miami Marlins also has 5, as does Tommy Pham of the St. Louis Cardinals.

among all AL outfielders, Michael's 5 assists rank tied for 9th (with 3 other players).

among all MLB outfielders, Michael's 5 assists rank tied for 15th (with 8 other players).

the current MLB OF assist leaders are Melky Cabrera, Adam Duvall of the Cincinnati Reds, Leury Garcia of the White Sox, Billy Hamilton of the Reds, Tommy Pham, Hunter Renfroe of the San Diego Padres, and Bradley Zimmer of the Cleveland Indians with 7.



now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his 1st Half 2017 #s, the 3rd spot #s, the PH #s, and the DH #s, as well as the left field #s, the 3rd + left field #s, and overall outfield #s.


1st Half 2017 batting average: .304

OBP: .367

SLG: .440

OPS: .807


Michael played in 66 (of 87) games, 58 complete, before the All Star Break.

he started and played left field in 64 games, completing 57 of those games, appearing in 65 total.

he was a defensive switch into left field in 1 game for 2 innings after a PH appearance.

he was subbed out defensively in 4 games after playing a total of 27 innings; 1 game after 8 innings because he had just been hit by a pitch on the right shin and also because the Indians were winning a blowout and he had done more than enough in the game, and 3 games after playing a total of 19 innings (7 innings/7 innings/5 innings per game) because the Indians were winning a blowout and he had done more than enough in the game.

he left 1 game early with a sprained right ankle after playing 3 innings.

he was lifted for a PR in 2 games after playing a total of 15 innings; 1 game in the bottom of the 8th inning because the Indians were winning a blowout, and 1 game in the top of the 8th inning because the Indians were losing a blowout.

he came in to PH in the top of the 8th inning in 1 game.

he was the DH in 1 game.

additionally, he was subbed out offensively in the top of the 9th inning in 1 game and lost out on 1 plate appearance, but still played a complete game defensively because there was no bottom of the 9th inning.

he missed 3 games with a right ankle sprain.

he missed 1 game due to the birth of his child.

he missed 4 games while he was on the Paternity List.

he missed 7 games while he was on the 10-Day DL with a right ankle sprain.

he got 6 scheduled games off.


Michael bat 3rd in 66 games. (1 PH)


Michael played left field in 65 games. (57 complete, 1 defensive switch: 2 innings, 4 subbed out: 27 innings, 1 left early with injury: 3 innings, 2 lifted for PR: 15 innings)

Michael was a PH in 1 game.

Michael was the DH in 1 game.

Michael played in 58 complete games.



in the 1st Half of 2017, Michael had a total of 278 plate appearances and 250 at bats. here is how he fared:

76 hits

23 extra base hits

53 singles

17 doubles

1 triple

5 home runs

37 RBI

2 sac flies

31 runs

25 walks

2 intentional walks

1 hit by pitch

8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd)

1 caught stealing (2nd)

6 GIDP

40 strikeouts (33 swinging, 7 looking)

18 first at bat hits

110 total bases

94 left on base


103 putouts

5 assists

1 error

551.0 innings, 65 games

(58 complete games)

1st Half 2017 batting average: .304 (76-250) (66 games)


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


when Michael bat 3rd in the 1st Half, he had a total of 278 plate appearances and 250 at bats in 66 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

76 hits

23 extra base hits

53 singles

17 doubles

1 triple

5 home runs

37 RBI

2 sac flies

31 runs

25 walks

2 intentional walks

1 hit by pitch

8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd)

1 caught stealing (2nd)

6 GIDP

40 strikeouts (33 swinging, 7 looking)

18 first at bat hits

110 total bases

94 left on base


103 putouts

5 assists

1 error

551.0 innings, 65 games

(58 complete games)

1st Half 2017 batting average in the 3rd spot: .304 (76-250) (66 games)


when Michael bat 3rd and played left in the 1st Half, he had a total of 272 plate appearances and 245 at bats in 65 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

74 hits

22 extra base hits

52 singles

17 doubles

5 home runs

36 RBI

2 sac flies

28 runs

24 walks

2 intentional walks

1 hit by pitch

8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd)

1 caught stealing (2nd)

6 GIDP

38 strikeouts (32 swinging, 6 looking)

17 first at bat hits

106 total bases

91 left on base


103 putouts

5 assists

1 error

551.0 innings, 65 games

(57 complete games)

1st Half 2017 batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .302 (74-245) (65 games)


when Michael bat 3rd and was a PH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 1 plate appearance and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

0 hits

1 strikeout swinging

1 left on base


1 game

1st Half 2017 batting average in the 3rd spot as a PH: .000 (0-1) (1 game)


when Michael bat 3rd and was the DH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

2 hits

1 extra base hit

1 single

1 triple

1 RBI

3 runs

1 walk

1 strikeout (looking)

1 first at bat hit

4 total bases

2 left on base


1 game

1st Half 2017 batting average in the 3rd spot as the DH: .500 (2-4) (1 game)


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

0 hits

1 strikeout swinging

1 left on base


1 game

1st Half 2017 batting average as a PH: .000 (0-1) (1 game)


when Michael was the DH in the 1st Half, he had a total of 5 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

2 hits

1 extra base hit

1 single

1 triple

1 RBI

3 runs

1 walk

1 strikeout looking

1 first at bat hit

4 total bases

2 left on base


1 game

1st Half 2017 batting average as the DH: .500 (2-4) (1 game)


when Michael played the outfield in the 1st Half, he had a total of 272 plate appearances and 245 at bats in 65 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

74 hits

22 extra base hits

52 singles

17 doubles

5 home runs

36 RBI

2 sac flies

28 runs

24 walks

2 intentional walks

1 hit by pitch

8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd)

1 caught stealing (2nd)

6 GIDP

38 strikeouts (32 swinging, 6 looking)

17 first at bat hits

106 total bases

91 left on base


103 putouts

5 assists

1 error

551.0 innings, 65 games

(50 complete games)

1st Half 2017 batting average while playing the outfield: .302 (74-245) (65 games)


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


when Michael played left in the 1st Half, he had a total of 272 plate appearances and 245 at bats in 65 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:

74 hits

22 extra base hits

52 singles

17 doubles

5 home runs

36 RBI

2 sac flies

28 runs

24 walks

2 intentional walks

1 hit by pitch

8 stolen bases (6 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd)

1 caught stealing (2nd)

6 GIDP

38 strikeouts (32 swinging, 6 looking)

17 first at bat hits

106 total bases

91 left on base


103 putouts

5 assists

1 error

551.0 innings, 65 games

(57 complete games)

1st Half 2017 batting average while playing left: .302 (74-245) (65 games)



2017 #s so far while playing left: 103 putouts, 5 assists, 1 error, 0.991 fielding percentage (551.0 innings, 65 games)

2017 #s so far while playing the outfield: 103 putouts, 5 assists, 1 error, 0.991 fielding percentage (551.0 innings, 65 games)



now here are my 1st Half game-by-game numbers and notes.

Game 1/1, April 3: 1-5, RBI single. AVG: .200
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 2/2, April 4: 2-4, single, RBI single. AVG: .333
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 3/3, April 5: 0-2. AVG: .273
[3rd/PH-LF: B8-B9/8-GF]

^^Michael did not start this game, but came in to pinch hit in the top of the 8th inning. then he stayed in the game as a defensive switch for the bottom of the 8th and 9th innings.^^

Game 4/4, April 7: 0-3, walk, stolen base (2nd). AVG: .214
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 5/5, April 8: 1-3, RBI single. AVG: .235
[3rd/LF/CG8]

^^Michael was subbed out offensively in the top of the 9th inning, but still played a complete game defensively because there was no bottom of the 9th inning.^^

Game /6, April 9: scheduled day off.

Game 6/7, April 11: 1-3, walk, intentional walk, RBI double. AVG: .250
[3rd/LF/CG10]

^^Michael hit a walk-off double in Home Opener^^

Game 7/8, April 12: 0-4, RBI groundout. AVG: .208
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 8/9, April 13: 2-5, double (first at bat), home run, run. AVG: .241
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game /10, April 14: scheduled day off, not available off the bench.

Game 9/11, April 15: 1-4, walk (first plate appearance), run, single. AVG: .242
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 10/12, April 16: 2-4, single, single, stolen base (3rd), run. AVG: .270
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 11/13, April 17: 1-4, walk (first plate appearance), RBI groundout, home run, run. AVG: .268
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 12/14, April 18: 2-4, double (first at bat), run, single, run, hit by pitch, run. AVG: .289
[3rd/LF/GS8] 

^^Michael was subbed out of the game defensively in the bottom of the 9th inning after getting hit on the right shin in his plate appearance in the top of the 9th.^^

April 19: game postponed, to be made up June 17 in a day-night DH.

Game 13/15, April 20: 1-4, single, RBI walk. AVG: .286
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 14/16, April 21: 2-4, single (first at bat), single, caught stealing (2nd). AVG: .302
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 15/17, April 22: 2-5, single (first at bat), stolen base (2nd), run, 2-run home run, run. AVG: .310
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game /18, April 23: scheduled day off.

Game 16/19, April 25: 1-4, home run, run. AVG: .306
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 17/20, April 26: 2-4, RBI double (first at bat), run, 2-run single. AVG: .318
[3rd/LF/CG9]

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

Game 18/21, April 27: 0-4. AVG: .300
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game /22, April 28: scheduled day off.

Game 19/23, April 29: 1-4, single. AVG: .297
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 20/24, April 30: 2-4, single, run, 2-run home run, run. AVG: .308
[3rd/LF/GS7]

Game 21/25, May 1: 0-2, walk (first plate appearance), walk. AVG: .300
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 22/26, May 2: 1-4, single (first at bat). AVG: .298
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 23/27, May 3: 1-4, single, run. AVG: .295
[3rd/LF/CG9]

**Michael's 10-game on-base streak on the road ends**

May 4: game postponed, to be made up July 1 at 1:10 pm as part of a day-night DH.

Game 24/28, May 5: 0-4. AVG: .283
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 25/29, May 6: 2-5, single, single, run. AVG: .289
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 26/30, May 7: 0-2. AVG: .283
[3rd/LF/GS3]

^^Michael was subbed out of the game defensively in the bottom of the 4th inning after spraining his right ankle running to 1st base in his at bat in the top of the 3rd.^^

Game /31, May 8: still out, getting treatment for right ankle sprain.

Game /32, May 9: still out, getting treatment for right ankle sprain.

Game /33, May 10: still out with right ankle sprain.

Game 27/34, May 12: 2-3, single (first at bat), walk, single. AVG: .294
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 28/35, May 13: 2-4, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .302
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 29/36, May 14: 0-5, reached on fielder's choice. AVG: .288
[3rd/LF/GS8]

^^Michael was lifted for a pinch runner in the bottom of the 8th inning after reaching base on a fielder's choice.^^

Game 30/37, May 15: 1-4, walk (first plate appearance), run, double. AVG: .287
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 31/38, May 16: 1-4, single, run. AVG: .286
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 32/39, May 17: 1-3, walk, RBI double. AVG: .287
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 33/40, May 19: 1-3, double (first at bat), walk, stolen base (2nd), walk. AVG: .288
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 34/41, May 20: 2-4, single (first at bat), single, run. AVG: .295
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 35/42, May 21: 1-5, double (first at bat). AVG: .291
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 36/43, May 22: 1-3, walk, single. AVG: .292
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 37/44, May 23: 1-4, reached 2nd base on throwing error (first at bat), RBI double, run, walk. AVG: .291
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 38/45, May 24: 1-4, walk (first plate appearance), single, run. AVG: .290
[3rd/LF/CG9]

May 25: game postponed, to be made up July 24 at 7:10 pm.
[3rd/LF]

Game 39/46, May 26: 1-3, RBI single, walk. AVG: 291
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 40/47, May 27: 2-5, single (first at bat), single. AVG: .294
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 41/48, May 28: 3-5, RBI single, single, stolen base (2nd), run, single. AVG: .304
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 42/49, May 29: 1-4, single. AVG: .302
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 43/50, May 30: 2-4, single (first at bat), RBI single, stolen base (2nd), run. AVG: .307
[3rd/LF/CG9]

**Michael's 14-game hitting streak ends**

Game 44/51, May 31: 0-4, reached 2nd base on fielding error. AVG: .300
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 45/52, June 1: 1-3, RBI walk, RBI single. AVG: .301
[3rd/LF/GS7]

Game 46/53, June 2: 3-4, single (first at bat), single, single, stolen base (2nd). AVG: .311
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 47/54, June 3: 1-4, double. AVG: .309
[3rd/LF/GS7] 

^^Michael was lifted for a pinch runner in the top of the 8th inning after hitting a double.^^

Game /55, June 4: scheduled day off.

**Michael's 7-game hitting streak on the road, 7-game on-base streak on the road, 18-game on-base streak, and 21-game reached base streak end**

Game 48/56, June 6: 0-4. AVG: .303
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 49/57, June 7: 0-4. AVG: .296
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 50/58, June 9: 1-4, RBI single (first at bat). AVG: .295
[3rd/LF/CG9]

**Michael's 80 consecutive errorless games in the outfield streak ends** 

Game 51/59, June 10: 1-4, double, run. AVG: .294
[3rd/LF/CG9]

^^Michael has first career two-assist game^^

**Michael's 18-game reached base streak at home ends**

Game 52/60, June 11: 0-4. AVG: .289
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 53/61, June 13: 1-3, RBI single, walk. AVG: .289
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 54/62, June 14: 2-2, double (first at bat), walk, RBI sac fly, RBI double, run. AVG: .296
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game /63, June 15: not with the team. he was with his wife, who was about to give birth. he will be back on Monday, June 19.

Game /64, June 16: placed on Paternity List.

Game /65, June 17 (Day Game): still on Paternity List.

Game /66, June 17 (Night Game): still on Paternity List.

Game /67, June 18: still on Paternity List.

Game /68, June 19: placed on 10-Day DL with right ankle sprain, retroactive to June 16.

Game /69, June 20: still on DL.

Game /70, June 21: still on DL.

Game /71, June 22: still on DL, took batting practice.

Game /72, June 23: still on DL, ran on treadmill.

Game /73, June 24: still on DL, ran outside.

Game /74, June 25: still on DL, did running drills outside, cutting, etc.

Game /75, June 26: activated from 10-Day DL but not starting, available off bench.

Game 55/76, June 27: 1-4, single. AVG: .295
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 56/77, June 28: 2-4, reached on fielder's choice (first at bat), RBI single, RBI single. AVG: .299
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 57/78, June 29: 2-2, double (first at bat), walk, double, run, walk. AVG: .306
[3rd/LF/CG9]

June 30: game postponed, to be made up September 1 at 1:10 pm in day-night DH.
[3rd/LF]

Game 58/79, July 1 (Day Game): 1-4, single. AVG: .305
[3rd/LF/CG8]

Game 59/80, July 1 (Night Game): 1-4, single, RBI groundout. AVG: .304
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 60/81, July 2: 1-4, single, stolen base (3rd), run, reached on fielder's choice, run. AVG: .303
[3rd/LF/GS5]

**Michael's 8-game hitting streak, 8-game on-base streak, 5-game hitting streak at home, and 5-game on-base streak at home end**

Game 61/82, July 4: 0-4. AVG: .297
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 62/83, July 5: 2-4, single, single. AVG: .301
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 63/84, July 6: 2-4, RBI triple (first at bat), run, walk, run, single, run. AVG: .304
[3rd/DH/CG]

Game 64/85, July 7: 2-4, 2-run double, run, RBI single, RBI sac fly. AVG: .307
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 65/86, July 8: 1-3, RBI double, intentional walk. AVG: .308
[3rd/LF/CG9]

Game 66/87, July 9: 0-3, walk. AVG: .304
[3rd/LF/CG9]

~~Michael finishes the first half with a 5-game on-base streak and 5-game on-base streak at home~~



the Indians have played 87 of 162 games so far. that means there are 75 regular season games left. as long as Michael doesn't suffer any injuries, i imagine he should play in at least 70 of those. that gives him ample time to improve on the areas where he's been struggling this year and add to all of his stats. i can't wait to see how the second half shakes out for Dr. Smooth. good luck, Michael, and Go Tribe!

leave a comment with your thoughts on Michael's season so far!

i posted this very late because the Tribe played a Sunday night game on ESPN. therefore, i think it's safe to assume that Michael has already landed in Miami for the ASG on July 11 and is asleep. be sure you're following my twitter, @clevelandgirl23, because i will be tweeting all the information about Michael's experience in Florida and details on his performance once he enters the game! and don't forget, you can join my subscription list by entering your email address in the box underneath the Blog Archive sidebar on the upper right side of this page. then you'll receive notifications every time i post a new blog and never miss out.📧😉👍