hi again, Brantley fans! welcome to my Part 2 blog of Michael Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab information. i kept the emphasis in this one on the numbers, rather than detailed daily updates. here you will find statistics, number breakdowns, and game lines from Michael's rehab game appearances with the Cleveland Indians. in addition, there's a section at the bottom of this post containing some predictions i made about his 2018 regular season. if you're looking for all the specifics of Michael's running progressions and rehab game at bats and plate appearances from spring training, then you'll want to read my previous Part 1 blog: Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab & Game Details. (should you be so inclined, may i recommend having both blogs open in two separate tabs to easily and conveniently compare the game line information with Michael's rehab details per date.💁)
note: i like to lead off my Cactus League #s post by reminding everyone that it can be quite difficult to get a "full" game experience during spring. what i mean by that is, when i do my in-season documentation, i have access to all the info i like/want during a game because i have my MLB Gameday open on the computer and Gameday audio subscription playing. in spring training, those are not always options/reliable. not every game has someone providing play-by-play and color commentary of the contest. when that happens, i'm stuck
Showing posts with label Cactus League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cactus League. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 27, 2018
Brantley's Cactus League 2018 Rehab & Game Details
hey there, Brantley fans!👋 welcome to another season of blogs about our beloved Dr. Smooth! i can't say it's good to be back, per se, because i was writing all offseason and never really left... 🗍🖉🗐📓lol
so let me get right to it. if you haven't heard by now, Michael is going to open the season on the 10-Day DL. no, he did not suffer a setback. he simply hasn't quite built up the necessary endurance yet that's needed to play complete games every day. he last appeared in a Cactus League game on March 25, so the Indians can backdate his DL stint to March 26. that would potentially allow him to be activated in time for the Home Opener on April 6 versus the Kansas City Royals. fingers crossed he gets adequate playing time with the minor leaguers before then to make that a reality.🤞
in my previous updates blog, Michael was limited to throwing, hitting live BP, and doing straight-ahead running. since then, he's progressed to forward and backward running, lateral movements, outfield progression, a simulated game, baserunning workouts, and three minor league games before finally getting approval to play in Cactus League games with the Indians. he made it through every step on his rehab check list, but
so let me get right to it. if you haven't heard by now, Michael is going to open the season on the 10-Day DL. no, he did not suffer a setback. he simply hasn't quite built up the necessary endurance yet that's needed to play complete games every day. he last appeared in a Cactus League game on March 25, so the Indians can backdate his DL stint to March 26. that would potentially allow him to be activated in time for the Home Opener on April 6 versus the Kansas City Royals. fingers crossed he gets adequate playing time with the minor leaguers before then to make that a reality.🤞
in my previous updates blog, Michael was limited to throwing, hitting live BP, and doing straight-ahead running. since then, he's progressed to forward and backward running, lateral movements, outfield progression, a simulated game, baserunning workouts, and three minor league games before finally getting approval to play in Cactus League games with the Indians. he made it through every step on his rehab check list, but
Sunday, April 2, 2017
Brantley's Cactus League 2017 Rehab #s and My Predictions
this is the second part of Michael Brantley's Cactus League Rehab information. this blog contains Michael's numbers, statistics, and game lines from his rehab game appearances. i've also included a section at the end with my predictions for his 2017 regular season. the main focus here is on the spring numbers, but if you're interested in all of the details of Michael's daily hitting progressions during spring, or more specific information about his individual rehab game at bats and plate appearances, or pictures and videos of him, then please read my previous blog: Brantley's Cactus League 2017 Rehab & Game Details.
the format of this post will be easily recognizable to those of you who are longtime readers of my blogs. i've basically set this up like a monthly post by sectioning it into an overview, situational stats, fielding information, number breakdowns, and game lines. on the other hand, if you're new and unfamiliar with my typical layout, you can now begin to get accustomed to how i write my Brantley blogs.
note: Michael played in two minor league rehab games during spring and, just like last year, i could not get all the usual details and data that i like to document. for games of this kind, fans have no access to what's going on unless they physically go to the field that the games are played on. there's no way to watch them on TV or online, there's no way to follow along pitch-by-pitch on a Gameday, and there's no way to listen to Gameday audio because it doesn't exist. the only avenue to get info, if you're not in Arizona, is by
the format of this post will be easily recognizable to those of you who are longtime readers of my blogs. i've basically set this up like a monthly post by sectioning it into an overview, situational stats, fielding information, number breakdowns, and game lines. on the other hand, if you're new and unfamiliar with my typical layout, you can now begin to get accustomed to how i write my Brantley blogs.
note: Michael played in two minor league rehab games during spring and, just like last year, i could not get all the usual details and data that i like to document. for games of this kind, fans have no access to what's going on unless they physically go to the field that the games are played on. there's no way to watch them on TV or online, there's no way to follow along pitch-by-pitch on a Gameday, and there's no way to listen to Gameday audio because it doesn't exist. the only avenue to get info, if you're not in Arizona, is by
Brantley's Cactus League 2017 Rehab & Game Details
Brantley fans! i have the best news for you all on this, our Indians' baseball eve! it was just formally announced today that we will see Michael Brantley open up the season on the 25-man roster and bat 3rd in the Indians' starting lineup tomorrow, April 3! Happy Day Before Opening Day, indeed! i could not be more ecstatic!😁
when i last left off in my previous updates blog post, Michael was starting to take live batting practice in the indoor batting cages. since then, he's taken live BP on the field, played in some simulated games, advanced to playing in minor league games, and then received clearance to play in Cactus League spring games with the Indians. he hit every benchmark that he needed to and now he's ready to begin the regular season.
making it to this point took a lot of hard work on Michael's part; it was such a long road back. i'm sure nobody wants the 2017 campaign to get underway more than him so he can finally join his teammates on the field again instead of watching and coaching them from the dugout. lead by example this year, boy!
i'm going to do this similarly to how i did it a year ago, by splitting Michael's Cactus League rehab information into two separate blogs so that there's not an overwhelming amount of stuff in one huge post. this first blog contains his daily rehab updates, quotes, pictures, and videos throughout the duration of Indians spring games. all of Michael's hitting progressions are included here, as well as
when i last left off in my previous updates blog post, Michael was starting to take live batting practice in the indoor batting cages. since then, he's taken live BP on the field, played in some simulated games, advanced to playing in minor league games, and then received clearance to play in Cactus League spring games with the Indians. he hit every benchmark that he needed to and now he's ready to begin the regular season.
making it to this point took a lot of hard work on Michael's part; it was such a long road back. i'm sure nobody wants the 2017 campaign to get underway more than him so he can finally join his teammates on the field again instead of watching and coaching them from the dugout. lead by example this year, boy!
i'm going to do this similarly to how i did it a year ago, by splitting Michael's Cactus League rehab information into two separate blogs so that there's not an overwhelming amount of stuff in one huge post. this first blog contains his daily rehab updates, quotes, pictures, and videos throughout the duration of Indians spring games. all of Michael's hitting progressions are included here, as well as
Monday, April 25, 2016
Brantley's 2016 Cactus League & Minor League Rehab #s and My Expectations
this is the second part of Michael Brantley's rehab information. it contains Michael's numbers and statistics from his rehab game appearances, spanning from March 17 - April 23, 2016, as well as what my expectations are for him for the 2016 regular season. if you're looking for a very thorough account of his daily progression during this time period and/or details about all his rehab game plate appearances, then please read this in conjunction with my previous blog:
Brantley's 2016 Spring Training & In-Season Rehab Details.
because Michael's rehabilitation took longer than expected due to a setback and a brief shutdown period between March 23 and April 11, the overall blog that i had originally planned on doing became far too lengthy. therefore, i cut it into two separate posts--one detailing his daily update information and this one, focusing solely on his rehab numbers and statistics. you're welcome.
now that Michael's rehab is finally done, i will go over how it went and break down all the numbers for you the best i can. please bear with me, as this is not going to be one of my typical Brantley Spring Training #s blogs. once the month of April is over, i can get back to business and write a monthly blog like i normally would, excluding the handful of regular season games he missed, of course.
this blog is divided into different sections comprised of:
because Michael's rehabilitation took longer than expected due to a setback and a brief shutdown period between March 23 and April 11, the overall blog that i had originally planned on doing became far too lengthy. therefore, i cut it into two separate posts--one detailing his daily update information and this one, focusing solely on his rehab numbers and statistics. you're welcome.
now that Michael's rehab is finally done, i will go over how it went and break down all the numbers for you the best i can. please bear with me, as this is not going to be one of my typical Brantley Spring Training #s blogs. once the month of April is over, i can get back to business and write a monthly blog like i normally would, excluding the handful of regular season games he missed, of course.
this blog is divided into different sections comprised of:
Brantley's 2016 Spring Training & In-Season Rehab Details
he's baaaaaaaack! yes, it's true. at long last, today, on April 25, Michael Brantley was cleared to come off the DL and has joined his teammates in Minneapolis as an active roster member! despite not being in tonight's starting lineup against the Minnesota Twins, i'm still very excited for him and i know he's gotta be over the moon ecstatic. he'll either make his 2016 regular season debut tomorrow, or perhaps tonight in one of the later innings as a pinch hitter or defensive replacement.
let me begin with a brief recap to explain how he got here. Michael had surgery on November 9, 2015 to repair a slight labral tear in his right shoulder. he suffered this shoulder impairment on September 22 in the game against the Minnesota Twins, and that eventually led to an early 2015 shut down. Michael attempted to resolve the issue without going under the knife, but he soon realized that that could not be avoided. he spent most of his offseason in Cleveland before flying out to Arizona on February 1 to carry on with his rehab there.
Michael tried his best to be ready in time for Indians Opening Day, because that was his goal all along, and he came really close to achieving that feat. he worked very hard in his rehab, so hard that he found himself weeks ahead of his initially projected post-surgery workout schedule. while he was not able to play in spring training games when the Indians first started on March 1, he was
let me begin with a brief recap to explain how he got here. Michael had surgery on November 9, 2015 to repair a slight labral tear in his right shoulder. he suffered this shoulder impairment on September 22 in the game against the Minnesota Twins, and that eventually led to an early 2015 shut down. Michael attempted to resolve the issue without going under the knife, but he soon realized that that could not be avoided. he spent most of his offseason in Cleveland before flying out to Arizona on February 1 to carry on with his rehab there.
Michael tried his best to be ready in time for Indians Opening Day, because that was his goal all along, and he came really close to achieving that feat. he worked very hard in his rehab, so hard that he found himself weeks ahead of his initially projected post-surgery workout schedule. while he was not able to play in spring training games when the Indians first started on March 1, he was
Saturday, April 4, 2015
Brantley's Spring Training 2015 #s and My Expectations
happy days are here again--it's baseball season!
i never really had much of an offseason this year because every time i turned around, Michael made it onto another list or was announced as a finalist for some prestigious baseball award. so i continually had to write new blogs from October to December, and even a few in January. not that i'm complaining. but i kept myself very busy with that, plus a new project i'm working on. stay tuned ;D
going into 2015, a big question on everyone's mind is what
i never really had much of an offseason this year because every time i turned around, Michael made it onto another list or was announced as a finalist for some prestigious baseball award. so i continually had to write new blogs from October to December, and even a few in January. not that i'm complaining. but i kept myself very busy with that, plus a new project i'm working on. stay tuned ;D
going into 2015, a big question on everyone's mind is what
Wednesday, January 7, 2015
Brantley Silver Slugger Bobblehead Revealed
who's up for another Brantley surprise today? this one's pretty sweet.
so back on November 21, 2014, the Indians' promotional schedule for spring training 2015 came out and it included a Michael Brantley Silver Slugger Bobblehead giveaway on March 7. and if you recall, i was extremely upset about not being able to get this bobble.
well today, in honor of it being National Bobblehead Day, the Goodyear Ballpark twitter account revealed what Michael's special bobblehead looks like:
so back on November 21, 2014, the Indians' promotional schedule for spring training 2015 came out and it included a Michael Brantley Silver Slugger Bobblehead giveaway on March 7. and if you recall, i was extremely upset about not being able to get this bobble.
well today, in honor of it being National Bobblehead Day, the Goodyear Ballpark twitter account revealed what Michael's special bobblehead looks like:
Friday, November 21, 2014
Brantley Silver Slugger Bobblehead Giveaway!
look how far he's come. last year at this time, Michael didn't even have 1 bobblehead; now, he's getting his 2nd! it was announced today that a Michael Brantley bobblehead will be given away at the Saturday, March 7, 2015 spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark against the Los Angeles Dodgers at 1:05 pm mountain standard time. this bobble will be limited edition and honor Michael's 2014 AL OF Silver Slugger Award. only the first 1,500 fans will receive this special bobblehead. no picture has been released at this time, which probably means the bobble has yet to be constructed. but as soon as i get more info, i will let everyone know.
i personally will need to pull off some kind of miracle in order to get this, as going to Arizona for spring training is absolutely out of the question for me. and what's sadder than Michael's #1 fan not having his Silver Slugger bobble? this would have been a fantastic promotion for a regular season Tribe game and i have to express my disappointment that the Indians opted to hold this giveaway for a Cactus League game. maybe they did it in hopes of drawing more fans to Goodyear, but that's not really fair to those of us who would love this bobble but can't fly out there to get it. i supported Michael long before he ever became a slugger, back when he was batting .118 as a rookie, and i blogged about every career moment he had this season. i am super bummed and totally jealous of all the fans who will end up with this exclusive Brantley bobblehead. it really is a tragedy that i won't be one of them.
despite my bitterness, i'm still happy that the team is once again recognizing Michael for his extraordinary talent. so congratulations, Michael, on adding another bobblehead to your collection, this one in celebration of your outstanding ability at the plate! you most definitely deserve it! =D
i personally will need to pull off some kind of miracle in order to get this, as going to Arizona for spring training is absolutely out of the question for me. and what's sadder than Michael's #1 fan not having his Silver Slugger bobble? this would have been a fantastic promotion for a regular season Tribe game and i have to express my disappointment that the Indians opted to hold this giveaway for a Cactus League game. maybe they did it in hopes of drawing more fans to Goodyear, but that's not really fair to those of us who would love this bobble but can't fly out there to get it. i supported Michael long before he ever became a slugger, back when he was batting .118 as a rookie, and i blogged about every career moment he had this season. i am super bummed and totally jealous of all the fans who will end up with this exclusive Brantley bobblehead. it really is a tragedy that i won't be one of them.
despite my bitterness, i'm still happy that the team is once again recognizing Michael for his extraordinary talent. so congratulations, Michael, on adding another bobblehead to your collection, this one in celebration of your outstanding ability at the plate! you most definitely deserve it! =D
Sunday, August 10, 2014
Goodbye Harvard Heat
the Indians lost their final member of the old Bullpen Mafia when they released Frank Herrmann earlier today. Frankie was pitching for the Columbus Clippers this season. he had Tommy John surgery during spring training of 2013 and missed that entire season. he went through the standard year-long rehab process, and finally made a few appearances in Cactus League games this year. but he was nowhere near the pitcher he used to be, and it was clear that after spring training, he would be spending a lot of the 2014 season in Triple A refining his pitches. and now, for the second time in one week, the Indians decided to part ways with another reliever--the Hermmannator.
Frankie spent his entire career (up to this point anyways) in the Indians organization after signing with them in 2005, so this is another sad move. he pitched with the Tribe from 2010-2012 and was one of the more stable (long) relief men in our bullpen. based on his past, i was confident that after putting in the necessary time at Columbus this season, "The Professor" would be able to get that Harvard Heater back and rejoin/strengthen our bullpen again. but alas, it was not meant to be.
if memory serves, i have his autograph on a baseball and a Batter Up! i know i say this about a lot of players, but he was another one who was very good to his fans. there are certain guys who make an attempt to get their autograph a challenge, but i don't remember Frankie being that way. he was a nice man, he's got himself a nice little family, and i wish him, his wife Johanna, and baby Frankie all the best. i hope he finds himself with another ballclub and gets a chance to pitch in the big leagues again soon, because he has worked hard and he does deserve it.
Frankie spent his entire career (up to this point anyways) in the Indians organization after signing with them in 2005, so this is another sad move. he pitched with the Tribe from 2010-2012 and was one of the more stable (long) relief men in our bullpen. based on his past, i was confident that after putting in the necessary time at Columbus this season, "The Professor" would be able to get that Harvard Heater back and rejoin/strengthen our bullpen again. but alas, it was not meant to be.
if memory serves, i have his autograph on a baseball and a Batter Up! i know i say this about a lot of players, but he was another one who was very good to his fans. there are certain guys who make an attempt to get their autograph a challenge, but i don't remember Frankie being that way. he was a nice man, he's got himself a nice little family, and i wish him, his wife Johanna, and baby Frankie all the best. i hope he finds himself with another ballclub and gets a chance to pitch in the big leagues again soon, because he has worked hard and he does deserve it.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Brantley's 2014 Spring Training #s and My Expectations
they're baaaaaaack! yes it's that time again. time for the sound of
the crack of the bat to grace our ears and the boys of summer to command our
attention. Brantley had a big offseason, adjusting to life with a newborn,
signing himself to a long-term deal with the Indians, and getting his very own
bobblehead. but the fun downtime is over; now it's time (for all of us) to get
back to work and take care of our unfinished business.
to avoid monotony, i have stepped up my game yet again as far as Brantley documentation goes this season. i have added righty vs. lefty pitcher details in my notebook, as well as outs when he comes to the plate. i've also included his at bats with runners in scoring position and his 2 out hits. last year, i kept track of some of these numbers in a Word document only. this year, i thought it would be better to just add the stats to my notebook.
one other thing i must note: i "watched" all the spring training games on my gameday. however, this season i did not have audio for every game. for the first time, some spring games were broadcast on Cleveland FM stations, which i had no way of hearing. also, a couple games that were supposed to be free webcasts online during the week ended up not being free. sadly for me, that resulted in an inability to record the pitch count for every at bat Michael had. gameday was not specific in that regard, and so with no audio i was SOL. i did the absolute best i could with the spring details, and anything that did not get documented was not my fault.
now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his ST #s, the 3rd spot #s, the 5th spot #s, the 4th spot #s, the leadoff #s, the 6th spot #s, and the #s of everything not leadoff combined, as well as the left field #s, the center field #s, and the overall outfield #s.
Brantley's 2014 Spring Training #s are as follows:
batting average: .500
OBP: .552
SLG: .740
OPS: 1.292
Michael played in 18 (of 31*) games in spring training. he started and played left in 15 games, and he started and played center in 3 games. he did not play in 13 games due to just not being in Tito's lineup.
Michael had a hit in 13 of the 18 games he played and reached base in 15 games. he had a 7-game hitting streak and reached base in 8 straight games at one point. he bat .500 (18-for-36) against right-handed pitchers and .500 (7-for-14) against left-handed pitchers. consistent much? lol
Michael hit .471 (8-for-17) with runners in scoring position. he also hit 1.000 (2-for-2) with no outs and runners in scoring position, .375 (3-for-8) with 1 out and RISP, and .429 (3-for-7) with 2 outs and RISP. he finished with a team high 14 RBI. additionally, Michael hit .688 (11-for-16) with 2 outs.
Michael also finished with the spring with the highest batting average not only on the Indians, but out of every player in the league in spring training. his OBP was also the highest of all spring training players, while his OPS was the 2nd highest, and his SLG was 7th highest.
*on 1 day in spring, there was a split squad, where the team played 2 games at the same time. clearly Michael could not play in both games, so if you wanna get technical, he really only had an opportunity to play in 30 of the 31 spring games.
Michael bat 3rd in 1 game.
Michael bat 5th in 12 games.
Michael bat 4th in 3 games.
Michael led off 1 game.
Michael bat 6th in 1 game.
Michael played left in 15 games.
Michael played center in 3 games.
in ST, Michael had a total of 58 plate appearances and 50 at bats. here is how he fared:
25 hits
15 singles
8 doubles
2 triples
14 RBI
1 sac fly
7 runs scored
5 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
2 strikeouts (looking)
5 first at bat hits
37 total bases
14 left on base
21 putouts
94 innings
ST batting average: .500 (25-50) (18 games)
now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.
when Michael bat 3rd in ST, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
1 walk
1 left on base
2 innings
ST batting average in the 3rd spot: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
ST batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
when Michael bat 5th in ST, he had a total of 41 plate appearances and 35 at bats in 12 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
22 hits
12 singles
8 doubles
2 triples
13 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
3 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
5 first at bat hits
34 total bases
7 left on base
17 putouts
67 innings
ST batting average in the 5th spot: .629 (22-35) (12 games)
when Michael bat 5th and played left in ST, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 31 at bats in 10 games.
19 hits
10 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
11 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
1 walk
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
3 first at bat hits
29 total bases
5 left on base
15 putouts
56 innings
ST batting average in the 5th spot while playing left: .613 (19-31) (10 games)
when Michael bat 5th and played center in ST, he had a total of 6 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 2 games.
3 hits
2 singles
1 triple
2 RBI
2 walks
2 first at bat hits
5 total bases
2 left on base
2 putouts
11 innings
ST batting average in the 5th spot while playing center: .750 (3-4) (2 games)
when Michael bat 4th in ST, he had a total of 9 plate appearances and 8 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
1 hit
1 single
1 RBI
1 walk
1 total base
5 left on base
1 putout
16 innings
ST batting average in the 4th spot: .125 (1-8) (3 games)
ST batting average in the 4th spot while playing left: .125 (1-8) (3 games)
when Michael bat 6th in ST, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 2 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
2 putouts
4 innings
ST batting average in the 6th spot: .000 (0-2) (1 game)
ST batting average in the 6th spot while playing center: .000 (0-2) (1 game)
when Michael was not leading off in ST, he had a total of 54 plate appearances and 46 at bats in 17 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
23 hits
13 singles
8 doubles
2 triples
14 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
5 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
5 first at bat hits
35 total bases
13 left on base
20 putouts
89 innings
ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff: .500 (23-46) (17 games)
when Michael was not leading off and played left in ST, he had a total of 46 plate appearances and 40 at bats in 14 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
20 hits
11 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
12 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
3 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
3 first at bat hits
30 total bases
11 left on base
16 putouts
74 innings
ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff while playing left: .500 (20-40) (14 games)
when Michael was not leading off and played center in ST, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 6 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
3 hits
2 singles
1 triple
2 RBI
2 walks
2 first at bat hits
5 total bases
2 left on base
4 putouts
15 innings
ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff while playing center: .500 (3-6) (3 games)
when Michael bat leadoff in ST, he had a total of 4 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
2 hits
2 singles
1 run scored
1 strikeout (looking)
2 total bases
1 left on base
1 putout
5 innings
ST batting average in the leadoff spot: .500 (2-4) (1 game)
ST batting average in the leadoff spot while playing left: .500 (2-4) (1 game)
now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.
when Michael played left in ST, he had a total of 50 plate appearances and 44 at bats in 15 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
22 hits
13 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
12 RBI
1 sac fly
7 runs scored
3 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
2 strikeouts (looking)
3 first at bat hits
32 total bases
12 left on base
17 putouts
79 innings
ST batting average while playing left: .500 (22-44) (15 games)
when Michael played center in ST, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 6 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
3 hits
2 singles
1 triple
2 RBI
2 walks
2 first at bat hits
5 total bases
2 left on base
4 putouts
15 innings
ST batting average while playing center: .500 (3-6) (3 games)
other ST #s while playing left: 17 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (79 innings, 15 games)
other ST #s while playing center: 4 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (15 innings, 3 games)
overall ST #s while playing the outfield: 21 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (94 innings, 18 games)
here are my game-by-game notes and numbers for Brantley's Spring Training 2014.
February 26: not in lineup.
Game 1, February 27: 0-1, walk. AVG: .000
[3rd/LF/2 innings]
February 28: not in lineup.
March 1: game rained out.
[3rd/LF]
Game 2, March 2: 3-3, single (first at bat), single, stolen base, single. AVG: .750
[5th/LF/5 i]
March 3: not in lineup.
Game 3, March 4: 0-3. AVG: .429
[5th/LF/5 i]
March 5: not in lineup.
Game 4, March 6: 1-2, double (first at bat), hit by pitch. AVG: .444
[5th/LF/6 i]
March 7: not in lineup.
Game 5, March 8: 4-4, RBI single (first at bat), single, double, double. AVG: .615
[5th/LF/7 i]
March 9: not in lineup.
Game 6, March 10: 1-2, RBI sac fly (first at bat), single. AVG: .600
[5th/LF/5 i]
Game 7, March 11: 1-3, RBI single. AVG: .556
[4th/LF/5 i]
March 12: not in lineup.
Game 8, March 13: 1-3, single. AVG: .524
[5th/LF/6 i]
Game 9, March 14: 0-3. AVG: .458
[4th/LF/5 i]
March 15: not in lineup.
Game 10, March 16 (split squad): 0-2, walk. AVG: .423
[4th/LF/6 i]
March 17: not in lineup.
Game 11, March 18: 3-4, RBI double, run scored, double, run scored, double. AVG: .467
[5th/LF/6 i]
March 19: not in lineup.
Game 12, March 21: 3-4, RBI single, run scored, single, 2-run double. AVG: .500
[5th/LF/5 i]
Game 13, March 22: 2-4, RBI double, 2-run triple. AVG: .500
[5th/LF/7 i]
March 23: not in lineup.
Game 14, March 24: 2-4, single, run scored, single. AVG: .500
[leadoff/LF/5 i]
Game 15, March 25: 1-2, single (first at bat), walk. AVG: .500
[5th/CF/7 i]
Game 16, March 26: 2-2, 2-run triple (first at bat), single, walk. AVG: .522
[5th/CF/4 i]
March 27: late lineup change, given day off.
[6th/LF]
Game 17, March 28: 1-2, RBI hit by pitch (first at bat), run scored, RBI single, run scored, walk, run scored. AVG: .521
[5th/LF/4 i]
**Michael's 7-game hitting streak ends**
Game 18, March 29: 0-2. AVG: .500
[6th/CF/4 i]
for the first time in 2 years, Michael did not have to spend his offseason recovering from an injury. therefore, he was able to keep his ideal offseason routine as far as preparation and training for the upcoming season went. as a result, he had a scorching hot spring. i mean, how many players typically hit .500 after 50 at bats in spring? i couldn't be happier. (the only thing i could complain about is all the number of games Tito decided to give Michael off. normally he plays more spring games but oh well.) a big highlight for me was that he only had 2 strikeouts. he was very consistent--he bat .500 in almost every category i broke down lol--and his swing looked smooth as usual. it looked like he just picked up right where he left off at the end of last year. one could argue he was ready for the season to begin weeks before March 31.
Michael bat in 5 different spots in the order this spring. he had his best numbers in the 5th and leadoff spots during camp. while it's not necessarily fair to draw conclusions from BOP in spring training because the sample size is very small, it's completely unwarranted to say Michael can't bat 3rd, 4th, or 6th just because he didn't put up good numbers in the combined 5 games he hit there. Michael has proven in the past that he's more than capable to bat in every spot in the lineup. however, it's been speculated he will spend most of his time batting 5th this year, like he did in spring, though that may not be the case at the start of the season.
after it was revealed that Michael Bourn would be opening the season on the disabled list, Brantley was inserted into the leadoff spot for one game in spring. however, it doesn't appear as though Tito wants Brantley to lead off while Bourn is out during the regular season. he really likes Brantley to bat in the middle of the order, where he did exceptionally well last season.
also due to Bourn's injury, Brantley played a few games in center field this spring. even when Bourn returns, it's presumed Brantley will still see some time in center field this year, unlike last year, because we traded away back up CF Drew Stubbs. i expect him to spend the majority of his games this season manning left though.
and speaking of defense, it's important to note that Michael is beginning the season on a 245 errorless game streak. he has not made an error in the outfield since June 3, 2012. this is a current franchise record and i'm very excited to see how much longer he can go without committing any OF errors.
My Predictions/Hopes for Brantley's 2014 Season:
Michael managed to get through last year without injury, so first and foremost i really hope he can replicate that in 2014. as far as all Michael's numbers go, i am probably going to predict and hope for close to everything i wished for him last season. he set several new highs for himself last year, so some categories will be tough to top. considering he's now earning a 5 million dollar paycheck for this season, i imagine he will try extra hard to put up the very best numbers he can. if he can at least maintain around what he did last year, then i'll be happy.
i again want to see Michael get close to a .300 batting average. of course i'll settle with a BA between .295-.300 lol i continue to have the utmost confidence that he can do it. he continues to get better and better every year, and i truly believe this year could finally be the year he accomplishes that. for the past 2 seasons, he's finished with the highest BA on the team. can he do it a third time? i don't know, but it's an obvious call to say he will remain one of our most consistent and clutch hitters.
the next category to predict is home runs. ah, my favorite statistic lol because of Michael's style of play, he does not need to hit for power. he hits his line drives well enough into the ballpark gaps and uses all parts of the field to get on base and get guys home. so despite the fans' complaints that Michael is not a big long ball hitter, that is not important. if he can go yard at least 8 times this year, that's more than fine for him.
assuming Michael has the majority of his at bats in the middle of the order again, he should at least match his RBI total from last year. i'll predict/expect at least 75. as long as the top of the order gets themselves on base so Michael can drive them in, then this is a very realistic prediction.
other numbers i predict for Brantley in 2014:
stolen bases: 22
runs scored: 65
doubles: 40
triples: 5
walks: 50
fielding percentage: .998
so good luck this season, Michael! stay confident, keep doin' what you do, and show 'em what you got =D
to avoid monotony, i have stepped up my game yet again as far as Brantley documentation goes this season. i have added righty vs. lefty pitcher details in my notebook, as well as outs when he comes to the plate. i've also included his at bats with runners in scoring position and his 2 out hits. last year, i kept track of some of these numbers in a Word document only. this year, i thought it would be better to just add the stats to my notebook.
one other thing i must note: i "watched" all the spring training games on my gameday. however, this season i did not have audio for every game. for the first time, some spring games were broadcast on Cleveland FM stations, which i had no way of hearing. also, a couple games that were supposed to be free webcasts online during the week ended up not being free. sadly for me, that resulted in an inability to record the pitch count for every at bat Michael had. gameday was not specific in that regard, and so with no audio i was SOL. i did the absolute best i could with the spring details, and anything that did not get documented was not my fault.
now let's break down the numbers. i am going to document his ST #s, the 3rd spot #s, the 5th spot #s, the 4th spot #s, the leadoff #s, the 6th spot #s, and the #s of everything not leadoff combined, as well as the left field #s, the center field #s, and the overall outfield #s.
Brantley's 2014 Spring Training #s are as follows:
batting average: .500
OBP: .552
SLG: .740
OPS: 1.292
Michael played in 18 (of 31*) games in spring training. he started and played left in 15 games, and he started and played center in 3 games. he did not play in 13 games due to just not being in Tito's lineup.
Michael had a hit in 13 of the 18 games he played and reached base in 15 games. he had a 7-game hitting streak and reached base in 8 straight games at one point. he bat .500 (18-for-36) against right-handed pitchers and .500 (7-for-14) against left-handed pitchers. consistent much? lol
Michael hit .471 (8-for-17) with runners in scoring position. he also hit 1.000 (2-for-2) with no outs and runners in scoring position, .375 (3-for-8) with 1 out and RISP, and .429 (3-for-7) with 2 outs and RISP. he finished with a team high 14 RBI. additionally, Michael hit .688 (11-for-16) with 2 outs.
Michael also finished with the spring with the highest batting average not only on the Indians, but out of every player in the league in spring training. his OBP was also the highest of all spring training players, while his OPS was the 2nd highest, and his SLG was 7th highest.
*on 1 day in spring, there was a split squad, where the team played 2 games at the same time. clearly Michael could not play in both games, so if you wanna get technical, he really only had an opportunity to play in 30 of the 31 spring games.
Michael bat 3rd in 1 game.
Michael bat 5th in 12 games.
Michael bat 4th in 3 games.
Michael led off 1 game.
Michael bat 6th in 1 game.
Michael played left in 15 games.
Michael played center in 3 games.
in ST, Michael had a total of 58 plate appearances and 50 at bats. here is how he fared:
25 hits
15 singles
8 doubles
2 triples
14 RBI
1 sac fly
7 runs scored
5 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
2 strikeouts (looking)
5 first at bat hits
37 total bases
14 left on base
21 putouts
94 innings
ST batting average: .500 (25-50) (18 games)
now let's break down his numbers based on where he hit in the lineup.
when Michael bat 3rd in ST, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 1 at bat in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
1 walk
1 left on base
2 innings
ST batting average in the 3rd spot: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
ST batting average in the 3rd spot while playing left: .000 (0-1) (1 game)
when Michael bat 5th in ST, he had a total of 41 plate appearances and 35 at bats in 12 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
22 hits
12 singles
8 doubles
2 triples
13 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
3 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
5 first at bat hits
34 total bases
7 left on base
17 putouts
67 innings
ST batting average in the 5th spot: .629 (22-35) (12 games)
when Michael bat 5th and played left in ST, he had a total of 35 plate appearances and 31 at bats in 10 games.
19 hits
10 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
11 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
1 walk
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
3 first at bat hits
29 total bases
5 left on base
15 putouts
56 innings
ST batting average in the 5th spot while playing left: .613 (19-31) (10 games)
when Michael bat 5th and played center in ST, he had a total of 6 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 2 games.
3 hits
2 singles
1 triple
2 RBI
2 walks
2 first at bat hits
5 total bases
2 left on base
2 putouts
11 innings
ST batting average in the 5th spot while playing center: .750 (3-4) (2 games)
when Michael bat 4th in ST, he had a total of 9 plate appearances and 8 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
1 hit
1 single
1 RBI
1 walk
1 total base
5 left on base
1 putout
16 innings
ST batting average in the 4th spot: .125 (1-8) (3 games)
ST batting average in the 4th spot while playing left: .125 (1-8) (3 games)
when Michael bat 6th in ST, he had a total of 2 plate appearances and 2 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
0 hits
2 putouts
4 innings
ST batting average in the 6th spot: .000 (0-2) (1 game)
ST batting average in the 6th spot while playing center: .000 (0-2) (1 game)
when Michael was not leading off in ST, he had a total of 54 plate appearances and 46 at bats in 17 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
23 hits
13 singles
8 doubles
2 triples
14 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
5 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
5 first at bat hits
35 total bases
13 left on base
20 putouts
89 innings
ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff: .500 (23-46) (17 games)
when Michael was not leading off and played left in ST, he had a total of 46 plate appearances and 40 at bats in 14 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
20 hits
11 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
12 RBI
1 sac fly
6 runs scored
3 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
1 strikeout (looking)
3 first at bat hits
30 total bases
11 left on base
16 putouts
74 innings
ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff while playing left: .500 (20-40) (14 games)
when Michael was not leading off and played center in ST, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 6 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
3 hits
2 singles
1 triple
2 RBI
2 walks
2 first at bat hits
5 total bases
2 left on base
4 putouts
15 innings
ST batting average everywhere other than leadoff while playing center: .500 (3-6) (3 games)
when Michael bat leadoff in ST, he had a total of 4 plate appearances and 4 at bats in 1 game. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
2 hits
2 singles
1 run scored
1 strikeout (looking)
2 total bases
1 left on base
1 putout
5 innings
ST batting average in the leadoff spot: .500 (2-4) (1 game)
ST batting average in the leadoff spot while playing left: .500 (2-4) (1 game)
now let's break down his numbers specific to where he played in the outfield.
when Michael played left in ST, he had a total of 50 plate appearances and 44 at bats in 15 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
22 hits
13 singles
8 doubles
1 triple
12 RBI
1 sac fly
7 runs scored
3 walks
2 hit by pitches
1 stolen base
1 GIDP
2 strikeouts (looking)
3 first at bat hits
32 total bases
12 left on base
17 putouts
79 innings
ST batting average while playing left: .500 (22-44) (15 games)
when Michael played center in ST, he had a total of 8 plate appearances and 6 at bats in 3 games. breaking down the numbers are as follows:
3 hits
2 singles
1 triple
2 RBI
2 walks
2 first at bat hits
5 total bases
2 left on base
4 putouts
15 innings
ST batting average while playing center: .500 (3-6) (3 games)
other ST #s while playing left: 17 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (79 innings, 15 games)
other ST #s while playing center: 4 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (15 innings, 3 games)
overall ST #s while playing the outfield: 21 putouts, 0 errors, 1.000 fielding percentage (94 innings, 18 games)
here are my game-by-game notes and numbers for Brantley's Spring Training 2014.
February 26: not in lineup.
Game 1, February 27: 0-1, walk. AVG: .000
[3rd/LF/2 innings]
February 28: not in lineup.
March 1: game rained out.
[3rd/LF]
Game 2, March 2: 3-3, single (first at bat), single, stolen base, single. AVG: .750
[5th/LF/5 i]
March 3: not in lineup.
Game 3, March 4: 0-3. AVG: .429
[5th/LF/5 i]
March 5: not in lineup.
Game 4, March 6: 1-2, double (first at bat), hit by pitch. AVG: .444
[5th/LF/6 i]
March 7: not in lineup.
Game 5, March 8: 4-4, RBI single (first at bat), single, double, double. AVG: .615
[5th/LF/7 i]
March 9: not in lineup.
Game 6, March 10: 1-2, RBI sac fly (first at bat), single. AVG: .600
[5th/LF/5 i]
Game 7, March 11: 1-3, RBI single. AVG: .556
[4th/LF/5 i]
March 12: not in lineup.
Game 8, March 13: 1-3, single. AVG: .524
[5th/LF/6 i]
Game 9, March 14: 0-3. AVG: .458
[4th/LF/5 i]
March 15: not in lineup.
Game 10, March 16 (split squad): 0-2, walk. AVG: .423
[4th/LF/6 i]
March 17: not in lineup.
Game 11, March 18: 3-4, RBI double, run scored, double, run scored, double. AVG: .467
[5th/LF/6 i]
March 19: not in lineup.
Game 12, March 21: 3-4, RBI single, run scored, single, 2-run double. AVG: .500
[5th/LF/5 i]
Game 13, March 22: 2-4, RBI double, 2-run triple. AVG: .500
[5th/LF/7 i]
March 23: not in lineup.
Game 14, March 24: 2-4, single, run scored, single. AVG: .500
[leadoff/LF/5 i]
Game 15, March 25: 1-2, single (first at bat), walk. AVG: .500
[5th/CF/7 i]
Game 16, March 26: 2-2, 2-run triple (first at bat), single, walk. AVG: .522
[5th/CF/4 i]
March 27: late lineup change, given day off.
[6th/LF]
Game 17, March 28: 1-2, RBI hit by pitch (first at bat), run scored, RBI single, run scored, walk, run scored. AVG: .521
[5th/LF/4 i]
**Michael's 7-game hitting streak ends**
Game 18, March 29: 0-2. AVG: .500
[6th/CF/4 i]
for the first time in 2 years, Michael did not have to spend his offseason recovering from an injury. therefore, he was able to keep his ideal offseason routine as far as preparation and training for the upcoming season went. as a result, he had a scorching hot spring. i mean, how many players typically hit .500 after 50 at bats in spring? i couldn't be happier. (the only thing i could complain about is all the number of games Tito decided to give Michael off. normally he plays more spring games but oh well.) a big highlight for me was that he only had 2 strikeouts. he was very consistent--he bat .500 in almost every category i broke down lol--and his swing looked smooth as usual. it looked like he just picked up right where he left off at the end of last year. one could argue he was ready for the season to begin weeks before March 31.
Michael bat in 5 different spots in the order this spring. he had his best numbers in the 5th and leadoff spots during camp. while it's not necessarily fair to draw conclusions from BOP in spring training because the sample size is very small, it's completely unwarranted to say Michael can't bat 3rd, 4th, or 6th just because he didn't put up good numbers in the combined 5 games he hit there. Michael has proven in the past that he's more than capable to bat in every spot in the lineup. however, it's been speculated he will spend most of his time batting 5th this year, like he did in spring, though that may not be the case at the start of the season.
after it was revealed that Michael Bourn would be opening the season on the disabled list, Brantley was inserted into the leadoff spot for one game in spring. however, it doesn't appear as though Tito wants Brantley to lead off while Bourn is out during the regular season. he really likes Brantley to bat in the middle of the order, where he did exceptionally well last season.
also due to Bourn's injury, Brantley played a few games in center field this spring. even when Bourn returns, it's presumed Brantley will still see some time in center field this year, unlike last year, because we traded away back up CF Drew Stubbs. i expect him to spend the majority of his games this season manning left though.
and speaking of defense, it's important to note that Michael is beginning the season on a 245 errorless game streak. he has not made an error in the outfield since June 3, 2012. this is a current franchise record and i'm very excited to see how much longer he can go without committing any OF errors.
My Predictions/Hopes for Brantley's 2014 Season:
Michael managed to get through last year without injury, so first and foremost i really hope he can replicate that in 2014. as far as all Michael's numbers go, i am probably going to predict and hope for close to everything i wished for him last season. he set several new highs for himself last year, so some categories will be tough to top. considering he's now earning a 5 million dollar paycheck for this season, i imagine he will try extra hard to put up the very best numbers he can. if he can at least maintain around what he did last year, then i'll be happy.
i again want to see Michael get close to a .300 batting average. of course i'll settle with a BA between .295-.300 lol i continue to have the utmost confidence that he can do it. he continues to get better and better every year, and i truly believe this year could finally be the year he accomplishes that. for the past 2 seasons, he's finished with the highest BA on the team. can he do it a third time? i don't know, but it's an obvious call to say he will remain one of our most consistent and clutch hitters.
the next category to predict is home runs. ah, my favorite statistic lol because of Michael's style of play, he does not need to hit for power. he hits his line drives well enough into the ballpark gaps and uses all parts of the field to get on base and get guys home. so despite the fans' complaints that Michael is not a big long ball hitter, that is not important. if he can go yard at least 8 times this year, that's more than fine for him.
assuming Michael has the majority of his at bats in the middle of the order again, he should at least match his RBI total from last year. i'll predict/expect at least 75. as long as the top of the order gets themselves on base so Michael can drive them in, then this is a very realistic prediction.
other numbers i predict for Brantley in 2014:
stolen bases: 22
runs scored: 65
doubles: 40
triples: 5
walks: 50
fielding percentage: .998
so good luck this season, Michael! stay confident, keep doin' what you do, and show 'em what you got =D
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