In a normal season, 20 games is a blip on the MLB schedule. It’s a hiccup. A small sample size, not to be trusted.
But in 2020? Several teams have reached the 20-game mark — not, um, the Cardinals — and that means one-third of their season is in the books. Still a small sample size, but a very important sample.
MORE: Blue Jays' temporary home has been a launching pad
Let’s take a look at where we stand, one third of the way through a very bizarre season.
That's so 2020
Most 2020 happening: The Cardinals, who are finally scheduled to resume play on Saturday, haven't played 20 games because of positive COVID-19 tests. Lots and lots of positive tests — 10 players and eight staff members. They've only suited up for five contests. Which makes the standings just look so weird.
so very weird pic.twitter.com/Uu1kKWcYTV
— Ryan Fagan (@ryanfagan) August 14, 2020
Most 2020 happening, non-COVID division: Stephen Strasburg was thrown out of a game, while sitting in the stands. No, really.
2020 All-MLB team, so far
1B: Mitch Moreland, Red Sox
Why he’s here: There have not been many bright spots in Boston this season, but Moreland already has six homers despite just 39 plate appearances, to go with a 1.192 OPS and .483 wOBA.
2B: Donovan Solano, Giants
Why he’s here: Yes, DJ LeMahieu has been amazing for the Yankees, but let’s give this first nod to Solano, the 32-year-old who is with his fifth organization and is off to a rip-roaring start to the year, with a .458 batting average and NL-best nine doubles.
SS: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres
Why he’s here: There are several shortstops around the bigs off to great starts to the shortened 2020 campaign, but the junior Tatis stands alone here. He leads the NL with eight home runs and is tied for the lead in stolen bases, with five.
3B: Matt Chapman, A’s
Why he’s here: So very good. Typical defensive brilliance, 13 extra-base hits, .920 OPS. Special tip of the cap to Brian Anderson in Miami, too.
OF: Charlie Blackmon, Rockies
Why he’s here: Because until a few days ago, he was batting an even .500. And he leads the NL with 20 RBIs. So, yeah. He’s here.
OF: Mike Trout, Angels
Why he’s here: Dude took a few days off for the birth of his first child and came back with a home run in his first AB, and seven in his first nine games back. He’s led the AL in OPS+ for five years in a row, and he’s up top again, at 199.
OF: Aaron Judge, Yankees
Why he’s here: Lots of candidates for this third spot — I see you, Juan Soto, Starling Marte, Mookie Betts, Mike Yaz and Kyle Lewis — but we’ll give the nod to MLB’s current home run leader, Mr. Judge.
C: J.T. Realmuto, Phillies
Why he’s here: Two more homers on Thursday night bumps his season total to seven, to go with a 1.088 OPS and typical excellence behind the plate.
SP: Trevor Bauer, Reds
Why he’s here: Look, this isn’t an easy choice. There are a dozen qualifying pitchers with an ERA currently under 2.00, and a dozen with a FIP of 2.40 or under. But Bauer, who has a 0.93 ERA and 1.89 FIP in his three starts, has been particularly brilliant. In 19 1/3 innings, Cincy’s right-hander has 32 strikeouts and only allowed 12 baserunners (seven hits, four walks, one hit-by-pitch).
RP: Daniel Bard, Rockies
Why he’s here: OK, so maybe this is a bit story-over-stats — Bard’s comeback story from an inability to throw strikes is pretty incredible — but nine innings, 12 strikeouts and zero walks, with a 0.42 FIP is pretty damn good, too.
2020 MLB surprises, disappointments
Biggest surprise, player: I have to give the nod to Donovan Solano, again. He had one hitless at-bat in the Giants’ first two games, and since then has a 15-game hitting streak that’s still active. He has at least two hits in eight of those 15 contests, and he has as many doubles (nine) as strikeouts. Solano made his MLB debut in 2012 with the Marlins, and he played in 370 games between 2012 and 2016. But he spent all of 2017 in the Yankees’ minor-league system, then all of 2018 in the Dodgers’ minor-league system. He signed with the Giants in January 2019 and was a bit of a revelation for San Francisco last year, batting .330 in 81 games.
Biggest surprise, team: Orioles. I wrote about the Birds yesterday afternoon, and then they went out that evening and thumped the Phillies 11-4 to complete the three-game road sweep and improve to 10-7 on the season. Fun team.
Biggest disappointment, player: Matthew Boyd, Tigers. As a group, the Tigers have exceeded expectations so far this year. They’re a couple of games above .500, the offense has shown life and competing for one of the AL’s eight playoff spots doesn’t seem impossible. But Boyd, the lefty with the ability to be a staff ace — remember, he had a 2.85 ERA in his first dozen starts last year — has not been part of that success. He’s started four games, and he’s allowed four, four, seven and seven earned runs in those outings. His ERA is 10.24, his FIP is 6.13 and his WHIP is 1.966. It’s not been pretty.
Biggest disappointment, team: Angels. The quest to get Mike Trout into the postseason has become a goal for pretty much every baseball fan, and it seemed that 2020 — with the addition of Anthony Rendon, the return of Shohei Ohtani to the mound, Joe Maddon aboard as manager and eight of the 15 AL gets getting a ticket — would be the year. But the Angels are off to a 7-12 start, despite Trout’s typical stellar play. Only two teams, the Mariners (7-13) and Red Sox (6-13) have worse records in the AL.
