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

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

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

Wrapping Up Brantley's 2018 Season + Postseason

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

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

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

Brantley's 2018 Situational #s & Statistics

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


in 2018, Michael had

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Michael only missed the first

Brantley's Second Half 2018 #s

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


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

2nd Half 2018 batting average:

Brantley's September 2018 #s

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

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

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

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

September Overview

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

Brantley's 2018 #s Through August

hey, Brantley fans! can you believe we're into September already? seriously, how have five months of baseball season gone by so fast? and it's very bittersweet this year because that means we have also come upon the final month in the regular season that Michael will play as an Indian before he explores the free agent market. the Michael Brantley Era in Cleveland is truly almost over. ugh. i can't even process that reality yet...😞😟😢😭💔

okay, now that i've depressed the hell out of everyone, let me try to pick things back up. Michael's 2018 campaign has gone extremely well so far. he did much better in some months than others, but he's currently on the upswing and right track with his hitting. highlights to this point include his 19-game hitting streak, his career high 27-game on-base streak at home, hitting his first and second career grand slams, hitting his sixth career walk-off, and being named an All Star for the third time. lowlights include difficulty finding consistency out of the break, continued problem areas, specifically hitting with RISP and 2 outs, struggles against left-handed pitching, and an inexplicable inability to hit well on road (until last month, that is). but overall, he's mainly got exceptional season stats.

and let me remind y'all, too, that the most important thing to focus on might just be the fact that he's healthy! for the first time since 2015, Michael is not

Brantley's 2018 #s Through July

hi there, Brantley fans! we are two-thirds of the way through with the 2018 baseball campaign, can you believe it? i mean, where has the time gone, am i right? sadder still is this means Cleveland Indians fans only have two months left (in the regular season, at least) to enjoy watching Michael play in a Tribe uniform before he becomes a free agent and most likely signs somewhere else. sigh.😟💔

to give you a brief summary of what's occurred thus far in Michael's season, he put up excellent performances in both April and May, but the past two months have been challenging to say the least. he's been struggling in some areas that he generally does very well in, particularly with runners in scoring position, on the road, and against left-handed pitching. normally one of the most consistent, reliable, and clutch hitters in the game, it's surprising that Michael is having trouble in these specific categories. there is definite room for improvement, as you will soon see, and i know he'd agree. with this being his walk-year especially, him playing well is very important. the good news is, he still has a good amount of time to turn things around. oh and on another positive note, he's remained healthy this year, too!😀🙏

okay, let's get to the numbers. in this blog, you will find Michael's 2018 regular season numbers and statistics covering March 29 - July 31.

so far in 2018, Michael has

Brantley's First Half 2018 #s

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

it won't be much of a break for those players who are going to the Midsummer Classic in Washington, D.C., however, and that includes our boy, Michael Brantley! in case you missed it, Michael was selected as an OF reserve for the American League team for the second straight ASG, third time overall in his career. so while he and the other All Stars prepare for the 89th annual affair, i shall provide you with Michael's first half numbers of 2018.


so far in 2018, Michael has 372 plate appearances and 341 at bats in 84 games (655.1 innings). in total, he has 105 hits, 38 extra base hits, 67 singles, 25 doubles, 1 triple, 12 home runs (2 grand slams), 56 RBI, 4 sac flies, 55 runs, 25 walks, 2 hit by pitches, 6 stolen bases (2nd), 3 caught stealing (2 - 2nd, 1 - 3rd), 3 reached on fielder's choice, 1 reached on forceout, 2 reached on fielding error, 1 reached on throwing error, 10

Brantley's 2018 #s Through June (+ All Star Ballot Results)

hey, Brantley fans! so we're already halfway through the season in terms of both games--81 down, 81 to go--and months. the year is just flying by. luckily, i've been keeping busy with my blog work in an attempt to distract myself from the reality that there are only three months left in the Michael Brantley Era in Cleveland... the tears will be coming, but for now, i'm trying to enjoy every day that he's still playing in a Tribe uniform.😔

to recap Michael's season thus far, he had a very hot start to 2018, but has since cooled off. if you read through my Brantley's June 2018 #s blog, then you know he struggled in just about every facet of the game. it was very disheartening to see Michael go from batting .366 (30-for-82) during his 19-game hitting streak in May, to batting .243 (25-for-103) over his next 26 games, including nine 0-fers, since then. however, because he excelled so much in both March/April and May, the majority of his overall numbers and situational statistics remain strong.

another big positive is, he's been healthy. not only that, but the extra off days Terry Francona was giving Michael in the beginning of the campaign are no longer necessary. i think we can officially stop worrying about his ankle now (knock on wood👊). and here's hoping that the new calendar month will bring Michael back to the high level of performance that we're used to and he's capable of.

this post contains Michael's

Brantley's 2018 #s Through May

hey, all! two months of Michael Brantley's final year with the Tribe have already passed, can you believe it?!😔 the season is going by fast, but Michael is making every second of it fun to watch.😎

so this is the second blog of the two that you can expect from me at the end of every month and it includes Michael's overall numbers for the 2018 campaign so far. this specific post covers March 29 through May 31. if you're not that concerned with stats per month and just want to know Michael's total numbers to this point in the year without all the extra detailed information that i provide in my monthlies, then this is the blog for you.

in this and all my future 2018 #s Through... posts, you will find the following sections:
--current overall #s recap
--batting average competition
--team leads and career highs
--HR:RBI ratio, LOB, K Rate, and Outs
--reached base vs. left stranded
--streaks and situational statistics
--#s versus AL Central Division teams
--Interleague play #s
--league rankings

Wrapping Up Brantley's 2017 Season + Postseason

this is gonna be the last blog wrapping up Michael Brantley's 2017 season. it includes some of his final numbers, but focuses mostly on things like my favorite memories and highlights from his year, comparisons to past seasons, consequences of missing so many games, and how my preseason predictions did not pan out. and please be sure to read the end of this post because i took a minute to say thank you to every person whose articles may have contributed to portions of my content, as well as all of the people who visited my blog this year!🖐

if you want to see or re-read the previous trio of wrap up blogs i wrote about Brantley's 2017, which consist of his daily game lines, BOP breakdowns, and his situational numbers and league rankings, please refer to these posts:
Brantley's 2017 Game-by-Game Numbers & Notes
Brantley's 2017 Batting Order Position & LF/PH/DH #s
Brantley's 2017 Situational #s & Statistics

i know things have gone up a little out of order and later than i would have liked, but i got backed up when i went to the Indians' final homestand from September 29 - October 1 and then lost another day of writing when i went to Game 1 of the American League Division Series on October 5. then i also had to write a few unexpected blogs because the Indians

Brantley's 2017 Situational #s & Statistics

this is part three in my series of Michael Brantley season wrap up blogs. the situational numbers and statistics you're going to find here feature Michael's batting averages against right-handed pitchers and left-handed pitchers, at home and away, with runners in scoring position, with runners on base, with the bases loaded, and with the bases empty. you will also see his WAR, wRC+, BsR, and UZR for the year, as well as his K rate, number of times he reached base, and number of times he was left stranded. other topics include things like his team highs, offensive league rankings, and outfield assist league rankings. additionally, i have updated and supplied his final numbers versus each AL Central team and every National League team the Indians played this season. there's much more in this post, too, so keep on reading and enjoy!😀


in 2017, Michael had 375 plate appearances and 338 at bats in 90 games (731.0 innings). in total, he had 101 hits, 30 extra base hits, 71 singles, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 9 home runs, 52 RBI, 4 sac flies, 47 runs, 31 walks, 3 intentional walks, 2 hit by pitches, 11 stolen bases (9 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd), 1 caught stealing (2nd), 8 GIDP, 50 strikeouts (40 swinging, 10 looking), 24 first at bat hits, 150 total bases, 139 left on base, 135 putouts, 8 assists, 1 error, and 1 double play.

2017 batting average:

Brantley's 2017 ALDS #s

it is with a heavy heart that i post this blog. even though Michael Brantley finally got to be a part of the Cleveland Indians' postseason as an active player, the team's playoff appearance was very short-lived, taking practically everyone by surprise. earlier tonight, on October 11, the New York Yankees eliminated the Tribe in the American League Division Series by beating them, 3 games to 2. if you need a minute to cry, go ahead; then keep reading. believe me, i'm right there with you.😭

i had originally planned on posting separate blogs for each series that the Indians played in but... this is it. the format here consists of sections from both the Brantley's 2016 Postseason blog and my monthly Brantley blogs. i've also changed some things around a bit because i felt like it made a little more sense for such a short series.

now without further ado, let's relive the last 10 days.😟


Pre-American League Division Series News

October 2: the Indians held an optional workout on Monday and Michael

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Brantley's Second Half 2017 #s

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


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

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

OBP: .330

SLG: .455

OPS: .784


2nd Half of July BA:

Brantley's September/October 2017 #s

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


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

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

Brantley's 2017 #s Through July

Michael Brantley has done an admirable and inspiring job so far in 2017 after missing all but 11 games last year. no one can say otherwise. in fact, he's got a very good chance to be a candidate for AL Comeback Player of the Year.👍 however, i am going to make an argument at the bottom of this post that Michael's not fully back to his ordinary self yet, and likely won't be until next season. so make sure you read all the way to the end for that.📖

but first, let's get into the numbers. this blog consists of Michael's 2017 regular season numbers and statistics from April 3 - July 31.


so far in 2017, Michael has 350 plate appearances and 314 at bats in 82 games (686.0 innings). in total, he has 94 hits, 29 extra base hits, 65 singles, 20 doubles, 1 triple, 8 home runs, 49 RBI, 4 sac flies, 42 runs, 30 walks, 3 intentional walks, 2 hit by pitches, 11 stolen bases (9 - 2nd, 2 - 3rd), 1 caught stealing (2nd), 7 GIDP, 49 strikeouts (40 swinging, 9 looking), 21 first at bat hits, 140 total bases, 128 left on base, 127 putouts, 8 assists, 1 error, and 1 double play.

2017 batting average through July: