With just over a quarter of the 2023 regular season now in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. McLain to make MLB debut:
Reds infield prospect Matt McLain is set to be promoted to the majors today, leaving him in line to make his MLB debut. A first round pick by the Reds in the 2021 draft, McClain is widely considered to be a top 10 prospect in the Reds’ farm system, and a borderline top 100 prospect in all of baseball. Transactions will be required before this evening’s game against the Rockies to clear both 40-man roster space and active roster space for McLain.
After a solid season in Double-A last year where McLain posted a .232/.363/.453 slash line that was good for a 116 wRC+, McLain has torn the cover off the ball in Triple-A so far this season. In 173 plate appearances, McLain is slashing a fantastic .348/.474/.710 with a whopping 193 wRC+. With 12 home runs and nearly as many walks (29) as strikeouts (34), McLain has showed total mastery of the Triple-A level, and now appears poised to become the regular shortstop in Cincinnati for the time being, displacing Jose Barrero and Kevin Newman.
2. Chisholm to visit specialist:
Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is currently dealing with turf toe and is set to visit a specialist today to determine the extent of the injury. Missed time for Chisholm would be a considerable blow to a Marlins outfield that is already without Jesus Sanchez and Avisail Garcia. While Chisholm hasn’t quite lived up to expectations with his bat, with a wRC+ of just 92 in 159 plate appearances this season, he’s exceeded expectations with his glove in center field, posting +3 Outs Above Average so far this year, a figure that sits in the 92nd percentile of all regulars. If Chisholm misses time, the club figures to go with a combination of Garrett Hampson and Jon Berti in center field.
3. Diaz to undergo MRI:
Rays infielder Yandy Diaz left yesterday’s game against the Yankees in the first inning due to groin tightness. With Tampa’s off day today, Diaz is expected to undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury. Rays fans are surely hoping that Diaz’s MRI comes back clean, as the 31-year-old is slashing an incredible .321/.429/.593 that’s good for a 188 wRC+ while mostly playing first base for the Rays. Should Diaz miss time, the club could hand the keys to first base to Luke Raley or shuffle the infield to create more starts for Taylor Walls while the team’s current best hitter is on the shelf.
Jazz Chisholm Jr. dealing with being a 10% below league average hitter.
*8 percent
BR says he has a OPS+ of 90. League average is 100, so I’d assume 100-90 = 10, unless you’re using the new maths taught in school, at which point, the answer is always right, because we want to give participation trophies to everyone.
Wtf…
You’re familiar with OPS+ but not other “+” stats?
wRC+ is park adjusted and scaled the same as OPS+ (where 100 is average), and Ghost was correct in stating that Jazz is 8% worse than MLB average on a park-adjusted basis.
@highheat
I prefer to use OPS+ because it’s easier for people to understand that stat. However, at this point, my argument remains the same that he’s dealing with being a below-average hitter.
That’s pudding it astutely, Yorkshire.
It says more about you than anyone else that you think wRC+ is too complex for people to understand.
@raregokus
Oh well, go enjoy your wRC+. Ultimately, all these counting numbers and nonsense mean nothing when the guy can’t produce. You can strikeout all the time and get a ton of walks but if you can’t cross that plate, your stats mean nothing. It’s sad that we moved so far away from the high batting averages because guys couldn’t adjust. Now we have to justify why someone is still in the league hitting .230. Regardless if it’s 8 or 10 below average, they guy is still a below average player. The only benefit is he’s contributing good defense, which is just another JBJ award winner.
I keep seeing those commercials with him and Jeter and wonder how someone who has accomplished so little, on such an unpopular, typically bad team manage to get on the cover of a video game? But he is in the commercial with Jeter who himself is about the most overrated player imaginable (tho still very good).
Meh, on Jazz; he’s flashy, personable and also has a big personality, which makes him marketable. It’s not weird that we see him on tv so often.
He is an African American, has ‘swag’ and apparently his glove smells like ice cream? Those are his only credentials and none are very important to being a good baseball player.
@BashBroJoe
The glasses. The shoes. The exuberant personality. The speed. Perhaps you should take those blinders off and step into reality.
Being marketable isn’t about being a good baseball player. You do realize this, right? Like, the cover of the video game isn’t a “who’s the best player contest.” It’s, who’s going to get us the most buys.
People find him entertaining and or relatable. It’s not rocket science
He’s from the Bahamas not the U.S
Not American. You should already know that since you are such an expert on the guy.
Jazz has had a great relationship with SDS (the makers of The Show) for years, like he was a regular at their office; they all know him by first name. He was a shoe in for the cover as a recognizable, easily accessible player who also exudes positivity and flash.
A simple google search can remove yourself from ignorance before you go saying dumb things
The Bahamas is part of North America,.
Geographically speaking, anyone born there or in the U.S. or any other part of either North America or South America is “American.”
The generally accepted and preferred verbiage is “Bahamian.” I’m sure they get called African American all the time. It would annoy me. Wouldn’t it you?
“Oh, your skins this color so you must be x”
Tons of dog whistling in this comment. Good thing no one moderates these comment sections.
He is not recognizable. Most people who are casual fans don’t even know who he is probably. Maybe Acuna or Julio Rodriguez or someone else but not Jazz.
So he knows the right people. Thanks. That explains it.
Being Bahamian has nothing to do with being African American. Race and culture are not the same as nationality. He is from America and the history books say the black people in America came from Africa so at least according to mainstream history he is…drum roll…African American.
I’m not sure what dog whistling means but if my very simple, logical, not extreme whatsoever comment touched a nerve in you, perhaps the issue is with you and not the comment.
He’s not from America.
North America…South America….Central America…we are arguing semantics. I get it’s an island obviously but once again it’s basically semantics. Most people consider that related to the American continents. We can all agree he has African ancestry and is from the Bahamas and is from the American continental area (basically).lol
So are the majority of Hispanics, African American if their born in the U.S.?
Jazz is not from America. America is not short for “the Americas”; it’s short for the United States of America. He is not African-American because he is not American; He is Bahamian. He is Black/Afro-Bahamian/Bahamian of African-descent.
Who…the…….f***……cares…….. It’s all semantics. He is a black person from the Bahamas. He may be mixed with something else for all I know. Do we have to classify it like a mosquito dammit? Why are we still talking about this? I explained what I meant.
I acknowledge I didn’t understand the definition of African American.
I’m with you, Rishi!!
I’m africkin’American and that’s that!!
And Jazz is Bahamian, not American.
So – we call Canadians American now? Pretty sure that is not how that works.
Still crazy that Peter Rose isn’t in the Hall of Fame. Newsflash: he only “bet” on his teams to win. Even more reason he should be inducted, if anything.
Vince McMahon inducted Pete Rose in the WWE Hall of Fame for taking a head-flattening “piledriver” from Kane at a Wrestlemania.
Kane, by the way, is now my mayor in in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Top THAT, Acie, baby!
He only “bet” on his teams to win.
I can picture someone going to the mayor’s office and Kane being dressed in demonic garb. Anyway…back to baseball.
so him not placing a bet on certain days doesn’t tell the bookies anything? he destroyed his bullpen on days he bet on them, leaving them depleted for days he did not.
Even some prisoners are pardoned for what they did.
It doesn’t matter if Rose is officially in the HOF or not. A guy who accomplished what he did, including being only the second player in bb history with 4,000+ hits along with the great Ty Cobb, is already recognized as a HOF’er. Next question: When is Shoeless Joe Jackson going to be inducted into the hall? He received a lifetime sentence. He died in the 1950’s. He’s done his sentence. Put him in the Hof already!
Pedophiles don’t deserve any accolades ever. It’s crazy that people advocate for this scum of the earth.
Which scum of the earth are you referring to?
Pete Rose the pedo….let’s just call him Pedo Rose going forward.
I honestly believe that not being allowed to be in the Hall of Fame has been a good thing for Pete Rose. It has kept him relevant to a much younger crowd who if he went into the HOF 30 years ago may not know who he is. He is the most talked about retired player today because of his ban.
People love to crusade for Pete because they watched his entire career and loved the way he played the game. They could care less what he did with gambling but unfortunately MLB does care. His fans take it more personal than he does because at the end of the day he’s still making mass cash and living his best life. Pete knows he will be inducted into the HOF one day but he also knows he won’t be alive to see that day so Pete is going to cash in as much as he can while he is still here.
I don’t hate Pete, in fact Pete was the guy who made me a baseball fan. I didn’t get to see his best days since I was born in 1978 but hearing stories from my Dad and my Grandpa made me aware of what a big deal he was when I went to my first ever Reds game in 1985. I was there to see Pete in all of his glory even if he was 45 at the time and barely hanging on. Unlike 90% of the people from the Greater Cincinnati area, I don’t show blind loyalty to Pete Rose. He deserves the punishment he was given. He knew the rules and he broke them because the only high that matched his playing days was gambling. It was his rush and his addiction and to this day still is.
Hopefully Matt McLain does indeed take over everyday SS duties. I hope they do not move him all over and give him a chance to settle in at Short. I feel like they have to send down either Newman or Barrero. I honestly don’t care which. Barrero can play CF (especially with Friedl out), but I don’t see them canning Newman since they’re paying him.
I hope so too fan85, I just took a flyer on him with my fantasy team.
If McClain can nail down the SS position, that will be the best thing to happen to the Reds in a while. SS has been a mix and match mish-mosh for years now. I just have to laugh every time I think of how they tried to move Suarez there full time a couple years ago.
Yippee-ki-yay
I assume Barrero is going down. Still inconsistent offensively and has bonehead lapses on the bases and on defense.
Curse of the video game cover boy.
Way to destroy Chisholm by trading for a 2B and moving him to CF
Trade Lopez and prospects for, ya know, something other than a 2B
Marlins are mostly 2Bs the way Cardinals are mostly outfielders. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I wouldn’t get too excited about McClain but you know how prospect worshippers are. They think every prospect is destined for superstardom
Must be terrible living in a type of wishful thinking like that
If only they could see logical reality they wouldn’t have that suffering in their lives
Considering the Reds shortstops have a combined OPS around .600 and are last in turning ground balls into outs McLain won’t have to be great to be an improvement. Average would be an improvement.
Yippie kayaa!!