Pitch Around The Busch

Michael Busch (CHC): 3-5, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Michael Busch is having a great finish to an excellent rookie season and he punctuated that with a 2 HR effort on Sunday. His HRs combined travelled a whopping 906 feet and that now gives him an even 20 on the year. Coupled with his outstanding defense at 1B, it looks like the Craig Counsell and the Cubs have a solid corner infielder to build their offense around going forward.

 

Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday:

Riley Greene (DET): 2-4, 2 HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.

Riley Greene put the team on his back on Sunday as the Tigers continued their furious rally toward a playoff spot with a 4-2 win over the Orioles. Greene smashed 2 HRs, both off lefties, and his 3 RBI were all Detroit needed for the victory. Although injuries plagued him a bit in the middle of the season, Greene has put together an excellent 3rd year for Detroit and has really shown improvements in the power department (.362 SLG in 2022; .447 SLG in 2023; .494 SLG in 2024).

 

Brooks Lee (MIN): 2-4, 3B, 5 RBI.

Brooks Lee came up with a pair of massive hits for the Twins in their 9-2 win over the Reds on Sunday. With the game tied at 2 in the bottom of the 6th, Lee gave Minnesota the lead with a 2-out, 2-run single. He then followed it up with a bases-clearing triple to put the icing on the cake. The 23-year-old rookie has had an up and down time in the Majors, which included an IL stint, but he has shown enough promise for Twins fans to be excited about his future with the ballclub.

 

Carlos Santana (MIN): 3-4, HR, 2B, 3 R, 2 RBI.

On the other end of the age spectrum for the Twins, Carlos Santana also came up big in the team’s win against Cincinnati. The 38-year-old hit his 22nd HR of the season and 323rd of his career as part of a 3-hit day. Slamtana still provides solid pop and OBP to go with above-average defense at 1B and should continue to get work for good teams that will value his veteran presence when the postseason rolls around.

 

James Wood (WSH): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, BB.

It was a career day for budding Nationals superstar James Wood, as he belted his 6th and 7th HRs at the Major League level for his first multi-HR performance. Wood has now hit safely in 12 of his past 16 games and boy do Washington fans have to be excited about the future of their outfield with him and Dylan Crews roaming out there.

 

Aaron Judge (NYY): 1-2, HR, R, 2 RBI, 2 BB, SB.

That makes 53 HRs now for #99, as Judge seems to be back on track after a brief dry spell. The 32-year-old also stole his 9th base of the season and is now one away from reaching double digits for just the 2nd time in his career.

 

Davis Schneider (TOR): 2-3, HR, R, 2 RBI.

It has been a disappointing season for both the Blue Jays and Davis Schneider, but the bespectacled and mustachioed utility-man’s go-ahead 2-run HR in the bottom of the 5th inning helped spark a 3-2 win over St. Louis. Schneider has shown the ability to be a consistent hitter in the past and he should have an opportunity to earn a starting spot in Spring Training next season.

 

Jason Heyward (HOU): 3-3, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI, SB.

A savvy pickup by the Astros late in the season, Jason Heyward showed he’s still got it on Sunday, hitting his 8th HR of 2024 and stealing his 5th base. With the injury to Kyle Tucker and the rest of the Astros outfield (aside from Yordan Alvarez) not providing much at the plate, Heyward could see a fair amount of playing time down the stretch and could make an impact for Houston in the playoffs.

 

Mitch Garver (SEA): 3-5, HR, R, 3 RBI.

Mitch Garver got the party started for Seattle on Sunday with a 3-run HR off Rangers lefty Andrew Heaney in the 1st inning. It has really been a tough season for Garver at the plate as he is hitting .174/.292/.336 on the season compared to .270/.370/.500 last year for Texas. The former Silver Slugger will have to hope for better days in 2025.

 

Randy Arozarena (SEA): 2-3, HR, 2B, 2 R, RBI, BB.

Randy Arozarena joined Garver with a 7th inning HR as the Mariners outscored Texas 7-0 and outhit them 14-1 in the blowout win. The HR gives Arozarena a 20/20 season for the 4th consecutive year and the 29-year-old has played well since joining Seattle from Tampa Bay.

 

Jackson Chourio (MIL): 3-6, HR, 3B, 2 R, 5 RBI.

What an incredible 2nd half Jackson Chourio is having in his rookie season. Since the All-Star Break, Chourio is hitting .320/.378/.606 with 12 HRs and 10 stolen bases. The kid is just 20 years old and has made some very impressive adjustments over the course of this season. It will be interesting to see if he can carry it over and make a big impact for Milwaukee in the playoffs.