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SPORTS Wednesday 2 OctOber 2024
MLB’s season turns to October competition, where legacies and

fortunes can be made

By DAVID BRANDT the storied franchise’s histo-
AP Baseball Writer ry. He smashed 58 homers
Japanese superstar Shohei this season two years after
Ohtani has put up some a 62-homer campaign and
of the best regular-season his tape measure homers
numbers in baseball history are the stuff of legend.
over the past six months. But he doesn’t have a
Bobby Witt Jr. is a preco- championship ring, and
cious 24-year-old who just that’s the expectation in
won the American League the Bronx. The Yankees
batting title. haven’t won a title since
They’ve both proven they 2009.
are excellent at baseball. “I think there’s no ques-
Now it’s time to see if tion he’s one of the fran-
they’re good at October chise’s greatest players,”
baseball. Yankees manager Aaron
“The mound is 60 feet, 6 Boone said. “But he’s play-
inches away, first base is ing for (championships).
90 feet away,” Witt said That’s why he does this, not
on Monday. “It’s the same to rack up personal acco-
game I’ve played since I lades. He embodies that.
was little, and so just go out He lives that. I’m sure win-
there, enjoy every moment ning it all would add a level
and take it all in.” Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman hits an RBI sacrifice fly during the third inning of a baseball game to his legacy.”
The Kansas City shortstop against the Los Angeles Angels, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Houston. (AP Ph Associated Press Philadelphia’s Bryce Harper
was trying not to put too is another one of this gen-
many expectations on begin their best-of-three baseman Alex Bregman, Washington Nationals won eration’s great players who
himself before the biggest Wild Card Series. Orioles outfielder Anthony their title. A similar perfor- has never won a title. The
games of his professional The Yankees, Guardians, Santander and Mets first mance over the next few two-time MVP led the Phil-
career. That’s probably Dodgers and Phillies all baseman Pete Alonso are weeks could send his ask- lies to the World Series in
smart. earned a bye until the Divi- among the upcoming free ing price this winter into the 2022 earning MVP of the
But there’s little doubt that sion Series, which begins on agents who could increase stratosphere. National League Cham-
October competition is a Saturday. their value by millions with The postseason is also pionship Series along the
little different. It all starts on Everyone feels the pressure good postseason perfor- where legacies are made. way before losing to the
Tuesday when the Tigers- of the playoffs. Owners, mances. Yankees slugger Aaron Houston Astros for the title.
Astros, Royals-Orioles, Mets- fans, players. Yankees slug- Soto was the World Se- Judge is already one of the It’s one of the few missing
Brewers and Braves-Padres ger Juan Soto, Astros third ries MVP in 2019 when the most productive sluggers in pieces of a stellar career.q

MLB pitchers threw fewer complete games but dominated batters

this year

By RONALD BLUM was down slightly from .242 in 1967 and .2427 in ing to MLB Statcast. It was Oakland’s Mason Miller
AP Baseball Writer 80.2% last year. 2022. The average rose 91.9 mph when MLB started had the most 100 mph
NEW YORK (AP) — There The complete game total to .248 last year in the first tracking in 2008. pitches with 510, followed
were a record-low 26 com- was fewer than even the 29 season of restrictions on The total of pitches at 100 by Arizona’s Justin Martínez
plete games in the major in the pandemic-shortened defensive shifts. This year’s mph or higher dropped to (426), Cleveland’s Emman-
leagues this season four 2020 season. There were figure was impacted by a 3,321 from a record 3,880 uel Clase (285) and Minne-
fewer than Catfish Hunter 2,429 games played this .239 average through April, in 2023 and 3,369 in 2022. sota’s Jhoan Durán (256).q
threw in 1975 and the big year and 898 in 2020, when down from .249 last year.
league batting average opening day was delayed There were just seven quali-
dropped to .243, among until July 23. fied .300 hitters, the second-
the five-lowest figures since Philadelphia’s Cristopher fewest above only the six in
1900. Pitchers threw just 16 Sánchez, Atlanta’s Max 1968. There were 55 in 1999.
individual shutouts, match- Fried and Toronto’s Kevin Home runs dropped to 1.12
ing 2022’s total as the least Gausman were the only per team per game from
in a non-shortened season pitchers with two complete 1.21 last year but above
since 1874. games. the 1.07 in 2022, The high of
Baserunners stole 3,617 The complete game total 1.39 was in 2019. Humidor
bases, the third-most since was down from 35 last year use for baseball storage ex-
1900 after 4,574 in 1914 and and 36 in 2022. There were panded from two teams to
4,108 in 1915. The total was 50 in 2021, 104 in 2015, 209 five in 2020 and was stan-
up from 3,503 last year and in 2003 and 622 in 1988. dardized throughout the
2,486 in 2022, the last sea- No pitcher threw more than major leagues in 2022.
son before rule changes one shutout. Average four-seam fastball
limited pickoff attempts The final batting average velocity was a record 94.3 Philadelphia Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez pitches during the
and enlarged bases to 18- of .2433 was higher in the mph, up from 94.2 mph in second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs,
inch squares from 15. The post-1900 era than only 2022, 93.9 mph in 2022 and Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, in Philadelphia.
79% success rate this year .237 in 1968, .239 in 1908, 93.7 mph in 2021, accord- Associated Press