World Series Recap:
Coming off a hot season, the Astros were originally favored with a 51% chance to win this year, according to Five Thirty Eight’s MLB predictions, but things changed towards the end of the World Series after losses to the Braves. The Astros initial postseason success was due to a combination of things. The Astros are a homegrown team, meaning many of their players have been drafted and developed or signed overseas. Part of the reason for their success can be attributed to their fantastic scouting department who knows how to evaluate and acquire overseas talent. In addition to this, free agent signings like Michael Brantly and Yuli Gurriel have proven to be extremely beneficial for the team.
Another pro for the Astros is their pitching staff. Pitching coaches Brent Strom and Joshua Miller have proven that they can turn average pitchers into valuable players. We saw this exemplified this postseason: pitcher Ryne Stanek has gone from an ERA (Earned Runs Average, or the number of earned runs a pitcher allows per game) in 2020 with Miami of 7.20, to one this year with Houston of 3.42 -- an exponentially better stat.
In addition to their star pitching, the Astros hitting was top-notch this season. Time and time again, their offense seems to become even better in the postseason. Mid series, Houston was at the top of the league in regards to batting average, with a team batting average of .267. Much of this credit is due to AL champion Yuri Gurriel, as well as Jose Altuve, star 2nd baseman for the team. Altuve scored twice, and hit a double early in the second game of the series against the Braves, followed by a homerun. Further, rookie Joe Siri’s speed secured a four-run second inning that helped the Astros gain a 5 point lead. Still, Houston has lost back-to-back games for the first time since August, which is not looking promising, and the Braves are favored to win.
While Atlanta lost to the Astros in the fifth game blowing a two game lead, they were still favored to win the series, holding a 3-2 lead over Houston. They started rookie pitcher Tucker Davidson in Game 5, filling in for Charlie Morton, but the real hope for the Braves was their stellar offense. In recent games, left fielder Eddie Rosario showed dominance in batting. This postseason, not counting the World Series, Rosario secured two homers, a triple, eight RBI, five runs and a stolen base. Rosaria has a .426 batting average and a .475 on-base percentage. Dansby Swanson and Jorge Soler also hit back-to-back homers at Game 5.
Other notable players include Adam Duvall, who hit a grand slam during the first inning of the first game in the series, and Freddie Freeman, reigning MVP of the National League and consistent contact and power hitter who has been a great player all around this season. The Braves also lost their best player, outfielder Ronald Acuña, earlier in the season to a torn ACL. Because of this, the Braves rebuilt their outfield in the middle of the season, trading for Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall, and Eddie Rosario - all of whom are essentially carrying the team to the end of the series.
The case for the Braves was different. A lot of their talent and hope for the future lies in their pitching staff. While there was some controversy over manager Brian Snitker’s call to remove starter Ian Anderson from the game, it meant that fully rested relief pitchers Tyler Matzek, A.J. Minter, Luke Jackson and Will Smith from Atlanta’s bullpen got to close the game out. And, according to Astro’s manager Dusty Baker, “It’s no secret they’ve got a good bullpen.” These pitchers combined allowed just three baserunners over the final four innings of the game 5, which gave Atlanta a nice two run lead for the final score and put them in the lead heading into the final game.
On November 3 in Game 6, the Braves shut out the Astros 7-0, winning the series. Outfielder and World Series MVP Jorge Soler had a three-run homer, his third home run of the series, and Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman each scored homers as well. It was an exciting end of the series for the Braves, who haven’t won the title since 1995. Whether because of their consistency throughout this season, home field advantage in game 7, or the fact that they were coming into the series with more days of rest than Atlanta, the Braves were able to clinch the victory.
Post Season Awards Summary:
Every season, the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA) and the Office of the Commissioner of Baseball present awards to some of the best players in the league. The BBWAA votes for four annual awards in each league: MVP (most valuable player), the Cy Young Award (given to the best pitcher in the league), The Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year and Manager of the Year. The MVP, or Most Valuable Player Award, was awarded on Thursday night, November 18th.
According to the BBWAA, the finalists for the MVP award are judged on criteria such as the value of a player to his team (offensively and defensively), number of games played, and general character and positive disposition. This year, the MVP award for the National League went to the Phillies’ Bryce Harper, who won 17 out of the 30 needed votes to secure the title. This is Harper’s second MVP award. Harper had the highest slugging percentage in the league this season at .615, a percentage which represents the total number of bases a player records per at-bat. Harper also led the National League in ESPN's version of win probability added (4.69) and finished with a .309/.429/.615 slash line, 35 home runs, 84 RBIs, 13 stolen bases and leads the major league with 42 doubles.
Cy Young winners Corbin Burnes (National League) and Robbie Ray (American League) have both shown incredible growth over their pitching careers. Burnes worked his way from an ERA of 8.82 in 2019 to 2.43 this season, and had the best rate of strikeouts per innings (12.6) this season out of anyone in his league. He had the fifth most strikeouts and gave up just seven home runs. Burnes also set the MLB record with 58 strikeouts in a row without a walk. Ray is also incredibly deserving of the title. A 12th round draft pick of the Nationals in 2010, Ray’s ERA has vastly improved. He was 13-7 this season and walked just 2.4 per nine batters this season, the first pitcher since the year 1900 to improve his walk per nine rate more from one season to the next. Both of these pitchers were extremely deserving of the title and offer promise for 2022.
Rookie of the Year for the National League went to Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds, who won 29 of 30 first-place votes. India, a consistent hitter and one of only two rookies in the NL that recorded double-digit home runs and stolen bases. India’s OPS (on-base percentage and slugging percentage) was .835, leading among other qualifying rookies. Randy Arozena of the Tampa Bay Rays took home the title for the American league, dominating the field in 2021. Arozena had the only 20/20 season among rookies in the league, and boasted a slash line (batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage) of .274/.356/.459 – the best among qualifying rookies.
Gabe Kapler, manager of the San Francisco Giants, won Manager of the Year for the National League for leading his team through a phenomenal season. He is the second manager in Giants history to receive the award. Kapler apparently has great worth ethic, pregame preparation, and outstanding commitment to his team and the wellbeing of his players. General manager Scott Harris said that Kapler is constantly “making adjustments to new information from coaches, players and what the game is telling him,” and this is most likely why the Giants won 107 games this year.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash won the Manager of the Year award for the second year in a row after an impressive season, setting a team record for most wins in a season. This year, the Rays went 51-25 against respective AL East opponents, coming out with a winning record in their season series against the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles. Cash has over 500 wins under his belt, as well as a 501-447 managerial record for his time with the Rays, with a .527 win percentage. He led the team to the World Series in 2020, and as a young manager brings a new energy to the team that former manager Joe Maddon lacked.
Whether their achievements were awarded or not, there are countless players in MLB who have proven their worth this season. Records were smashed, no-hitters were pitched, and the free agent pool for next season looks promising as ever. When the teams hit the field again in 2022, each player will have extremely high expectations to live up to as they start up another race for the Commissioner's Trophy.