Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are fun, Max Scherzer is an all-timer, MLB Draft, power rankings and more

Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are fun to watch, Max Scherzer is an all-timer, the Rockies are great away from home, MLB Draft, power rankings and more.

Last week’s column began with a love letter of sorts for Rickey Henderson, who is unquestionably the greatest leadoff hitter of all time. This week, I can’t help but compare two current sluggers to a pair of Henderson’s teammates in the late 1980s and early ‘90s: Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco.

Also known as the “Bash Brothers” for their huge power at the plate and forearm bash celebration after hitting home runs, McGwire and Canseco powered the Oakland A’s to three straight AL pennants from 1988-90 and led the club to a sweep of the Giants in the 1989 World Series – the ninth (and to date the last) World Championship in franchise history.

From 1987 (his rookie season) to 1990, when he was between 23 and 26 years old, McGwire averaged 38.3 home runs and 105 RBI per season. Over that same span, Canseco averaged 31.8 home runs and 98.8 RBI at age 22 to 25, though Canseco also hit 38 home runs and drove in 130 runs in 186 games combined during the two previous seasons. Canseco won the AL MVP in 1988 after becoming the first player to ever hit 40 or more home runs and steal 40 bases in a season.

Simply put, McGwire and Canseco were young star sluggers that hit lots of home runs and helped their team win a lot of games. Kind of like what Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez are doing for the New York Yankees in 2017.

It’s way too early to project Judge and Sanchez to average 30 home runs and nearly 100 RBI over the next four seasons, but the pair is off to a tremendous start. Judge leads all of baseball with 3.9 Wins Above Replacement, and has slugged an MLB best 21 home runs with an AL leading 47 RBI and 54 runs scored. He also leads the AL batting race with a .344 batting average, which means the 25-year-old rookie is in position to win the league’s Triple Crown through the first eight weeks of the season.

Judge also leads all qualified big leaguers in wOBA (.478), and ranks second in the majors behind Mike Trout in wRC+ (207) and ISO (.373). The 6-foot-7 right fielder has also played solid defense. Judge basically has the AL Rookie of the Year Award (an honor Canseco won in 1986 and McGwire added in ’87) wrapped up, and is a legitimate MVP candidate. Canseco won his MVP in his third full big league season. McGwire never won one.

Judge has been the star of the show this year, but Sanchez was the breakout performer in 2016. As a 23-year-old rookie, Sanchez hit 20 home runs and drove in 42 runs in just 53 games. The catcher hit .299/.376/.657 and finished second in the Rookie of the Year vote.

Sanchez has been limited to 35 games as a 24-year-old because of an early season bicep strain, as well as his duties as a catcher. However, he hit 10 home runs, pushing him to 30 through 90 games, and joining a select list of four players to reach 30 career long balls in their first 90 games, and five to homer 30 times through 100 games. He’ll need seven more in his next 10 games to tie the MLB record, set by McGwire. Judge, who has played 85 games in parts of two major league seasons, would need 12 homers in his next 15 games.

We must be careful not to get too caught up in small sample sizes. McGwire and Canseco proved themselves to be elite sluggers over the course of several seasons, and helped lead their team to multiple AL pennants and a World Championship. Judge and Sanchez have played a combined 175 games at the major league level.

Nevertheless, it’s fun to watch two young sluggers hitting moonshots on a regular basis, then bashing forearms with one another when they cross home plate.

Quotable

"“Gardy’s got hops. We’re just trying to mix it up instead of regular high-fives. It started with the Bash Brothers — [Mark] McGwire and [Jose] Canseco. I guess we are copying them. I’ll take it. When we are doing that, something good happens right before it.’’"

–Aaron Judge, on the new “Bash Brothers,” according to Kevin Kernan of the New York Post, April 29, 2017

Let it be known that Judge is an equal opportunity basher.

In April, Judge and Brett Gardner made headlines for sharing a forearm bash after Gardner hit his second home run of the day. Of course, the 6-foot-2, 230-pound Sanchez – who was on the DL at the time – is a better “brother”

for the massive Judge than the 5-foot-11 Gardner, who had to jump to join in the celebration.

Play of the Week

What else? A 496-foot bomb that ranks as the longest since ESPN Sports & Info began tracking them in 2009. Judge’s blast makes this 450-foot homer by Sanchez seem rather quaint, doesn’t it?

Three things we learned this week

1. Max Scherzer is an all-time great

Given the evolving roles of major league pitchers, it has become increasingly difficult to determine which modern day starting pitchers are worthy of the Hall of Fame. For instance, the 300-win mark – a former benchmark given the fact every 300-game winner other than Roger Clemens has a bust in Cooperstown – is likely gone forever. Likewise, wins as a whole are believed to be largely irrelevant. However, one measure that stands is strikeouts – and that’s a good thing for Max Scherzer’s Hall of Fame chances.

Scherzer passed the 2,000-strikeout mark Sunday in his start against the Texas Rangers. His 2,005 career strikeouts rank 79^th in MLB history and ninth among active pitchers. At 32 years old, Scherzer reached the magic number in 1,784 innings, which was the third fastest in MLB history behind Pedro Martinez (1,711.1) and Randy Johnson (1,733.1). Only Johnson (262) and Clayton Kershaw (277) did it in fewer games than Scherzer (287), who tied the incomparable Nolan Ryan for that mark. Scherzer, like Kershaw (who passed 2,000 strikeouts June 2), did it in his 10^th major league season.

If he stays healthy and productive, it’s reasonable to expect Scherzer to reach 3,000 strikeouts before he retires. Clemens (4,672) and Curt Schilling (3,116) are the only MLB pitchers with more than 3,000 strikeouts that have yet to be inducted into the Hall.

Impressively, Scherzer has struck out 10.09 hitters per nine innings during his major league career. Only four pitchers in baseball history (with 1,000 or more innings to their credit) have struck out more hitters per nine: Johnson (10.61), Stephen Strasburg (10.51), Kerry Wood (10.32) and Chris Sale (10.27).

Scherzer has worked hard over the past few years to trim his ERA to 3.34, and his two Cy Young Awards (and counting) are sure to help his chances of getting Hall of Fame votes when the time comes. But his best résumé builder, and the thing that would most likely lead to a plaque with two different shades of bronze eyes, is Scherzer’s ability to strike hitters out at an all-time great rate.

2. The Rockies are great away from Coors Field

Impressively, Scherzer has struck out 10.09 hitters per nine innings during his major league career. Only four pitchers in baseball history (with 1,000 or more innings to their credit) have struck out more hitters per nine: Johnson (10.61), Stephen Strasburg (10.51), Kerry Wood (10.32) and Chris Sale (10.27).

Scherzer has worked hard over the past few years to trim his ERA to 3.34, and his two Cy Young Awards (and counting) are sure to help his chances of getting Hall of Fame votes when the time comes. But his best résumé builder, and the thing that would most likely lead to a plaque with two different shades of bronze eyes, is Scherzer’s ability to strike hitters out at an all-time great rate.

Scherzer has worked hard over the past few years to trim his ERA to 3.34, and his two Cy Young Awards (and counting) are sure to help his chances of getting Hall of Fame votes when the time comes. But his best résumé builder, and the thing that would most likely lead to a plaque with two different shades of bronze eyes, is Scherzer’s ability to strike hitters out at an all-time great rate.

As a result, the Colorado Rockies have one of the most unique home field advantages in the big leagues. The Rockies have almost always played better at home. In fact, the Rockies have had a better record at Coors Field every year since the ballpark opened. The only team in Rockies history to higher winning percentage away from home was the 1994 club, which played at Mile High Stadium.

That streak could come to an end in 2017. After winning three of four games against the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs over the weekend, the Rockies are 24-11 (.686) on the road compared to 17-13 (.567) at home. No team in baseball has more road wins this season, and only the 23-8 (.742) Houston Astros have a better winning percentage outside their home stadium.

Why the success? Rockies pitchers seemingly relish an opportunity to pitch closer to sea level. Colorado has a 3.31 staff ERA in road games this season, which is the best in the majors. Opponents are hitting just .224 against Rockies pitchers away from Coors Field, which is also the best in MLB, and Colorado hurlers have posted a 1.17 combined WHIP, which, you guessed it, is the best in the bigs.

3. The Twins selected Royce Lewis No. 1 pick in the MLB Draft

Will he be Joe Mauer or Tim Belcher? Ken Griffey, Jr. or Bryan Bullington? Chipper Jones or Brien Taylor?

The Minnesota Twins selected California high school shortstop/outfielder Royce Lewis No. 1 overall in the MLB Draft Monday. According to MLB.com’s Jim Callis, Lewis:

"…has the best combination of tools of anyone in the Draft — including elite speed — and has a real knack for squaring up the ball."

The last Twins player drafted first overall, Mauer, turned out pretty well for the Twins. Mauer has posted 50.9 Wins Above Replacement according to Baseball-Reference, which ranks fourth all-time and better than any player taken No. 1 since Alex Rodriguez in 1993. The former catcher is still a franchise cornerstone and everyday player at first base, hitting a promising .283/.357/.404 for the first-place club.

Minnesota’s other No. 1 overall pick, Tim Belcher, didn’t sign in 1983 and never played for the Twins. Belcher went No. 1 overall again in 1984, signed with the Yankees, was then selected by the A’s as a free agent compensation pick six days later, and was traded to the Dodgers in 1987 before he made his major league debut. He posted a 26.2 career bWAR in 14 seasons with seven different big league clubs.

League Leaders

Each week we explore some of the under the radar numbers in baseball, including some of the advanced stats that help us understand the game a little bit better than those typically found on the back of a baseball card. This week, we take a look at some of MLB’s Statcast data, which continues to shape the way he see baseball and its best players.

Average exit velocity (mph)

• Miguel Sano, Minnesota Twins (98.4)
• Aaron Judge, New York Yankees (96.8)
• D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers (95.3)
• Joc Pederson, Los Angeles Dodgers (95.0)
• Manny Machado, Baltimore Orioles (94.6)

Miguel Sano has struck out in 36 percent of his plate appearances this season and 35.8 percent of those in his three-year major league career. But when Sano makes contact, no one – not even Aaron Judge – hits it harder.

Judge’s inclusion on this list is certainly no surprise, but No. 4 Joc Pederson probably is. Pederson has been limited to just 35 games with multiple injuries, and has been on the disabled list since May 23 with a concussion and neck strain.

Average fastball velocity (mph)

• Trevor Rosenthal, St. Louis Cardinals (99.1)
• Joe Kelly, Boston Red Sox (98.9)
• Noah Syndergaard, New York Mets (98.7)
• Ryne Stanek, Tampa Bay Rays (98.4)
• Aroldis Chapman, New York Yankees (98.2)
• Jose Alvarado, Tampa Bay Rays (98.2)
• Craig Kimbrel, Boston Red Sox (98.2)

Statcast actually lists three different Joe Kelly pitches among its top 10. His two-seam fastball is No. 2 overall, and his sinker (98.4) is No. 4. Kelly’s four-seam fastball is tied with Champan, Jose Alvarado and Craig Kimbrel for fifth.

Random MLB Power Rankings: Top 10 power combos

1. Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo, Chicago Cubs
2. Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, New York Yankees
3. Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins
4. Bryce Harper and Ryan Zimmerman, Washington Nationals
5. Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado (or Mark Reynolds), Colorado Rockies
6. Manny Machado and Chris Davis, Baltimore Orioles
7. Paul Goldschmidt and Jake Lamb, Arizona Diamondbacks
8. Justin Upton and J.D. Martinez, Detroit Tigers
9. Steven Souza, Jr. and Corey Dickerson, Tampa Bay Rays
10. Joey Gallo and literally anyone else (but probably Mike Napoli), Texas Rangers

Staying on theme, let’s take a look at the top power combos in the major leagues today. There’s no scientific or mathematical formula at play here. For instance, neither Blackmon nor Arenado leads the Rockies in home runs (Mark Reynolds does), but still make the best combo in Denver. On the other hand, Joey Votto and Scott Schebler have each hit 18 home runs, yet aren’t quite top 10 worthy.

Nevertheless, Joey Gallo deserves a place on this list no matter what, and Miguel Sano probably does too, but just missed because Steven Souza Jr. has launched quite a few impressive bombs this season, and Corey Dickerson is a better partner for our list than Brian Dozier.

Simply, this is a list of the players that hit dingers of great distance, height and velocity that may or may not partake in a forearm bash at home plate afterwards.

There were lots of close calls: Jose Bautista is fun to watch any time, and would rank higher with former teammate Edwin Encarnacion. Justin Smoak’s surprising 18 home runs make him Bautista’s top home run partner, but together they aren’t quite good enough. Also, health plays an issue. If full healthy, Ryan Braun and Freddie Freeman would pair well with Eric Thames and Matt Kemp for the Brewers and Braves, respectively.

Furthermore, Reynolds would give the Rockies one of the best home run-hitting trios in the majors, and several other teams have powerful trios worth noting. Kyle Schwarber would likely keep the Cubs No. 1 on such a list. The Orioles get a lot of power from Chris Davis, Mark Trumbo and Manny Machado, though all three have yet to get into the groove at the same time this season. Miguel Cabrera has still has huge power, but has just five homers this year and doesn’t hit as many moonshots as Upton or Martinez these days.

Useless Info

Thanks in part to the power of Judge and Sanchez, the Yankees set a franchise record with 98 home runs through their first 59 games.

Marlins slugger Giancarlo Stanton has hit three home runs of 490 feet or more, but topped out at 495, now tied for second behind Judge with Wladamir Balentien’s bomb for the Kingdom of the Netherlands during the 2017 World Baseball Classic, according to ESPN Stats & Info.

Arizona Senator John McCain blamed staying up late to watch the Diamondbacks beat the Padres 10-2 June 6 for his confusing line of questioning during a hearing with former FBI director James Comey the following day.

As Jim Passon pointed out on Twitter, Mike Trout has a 51.9 career WAR. Trout was selected No. 25 overall in the 2009 MLB Draft by the Angels, who received the pick from the Yankees as compensation for signing Mark Teixeira as a free agent. Teixeira retired following the 2017 season with a 51.8 career WAR.

Kenley Jansen recorded save No. 200 of his career Sunday against the Reds. Jansen also extended his major league record to 43 strikeouts to begin a season without a walk.

Next: Top prospect for every MLB team

Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez pitched a shutout against the Phillies Saturday. Martinez, who allowed four hits and one walk while striking out 11, hit 100.2 miles per hour on the stadium radar gun in the ninth inning, joining Tigers ace Justin Verlander as the only starting pitchers since 2008 to hit 100 in the ninth inning of a game, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com.

Baseball-Reference shared a fun fact about Trey Mancini, who became the fourth player in Orioles history and the first since 1987 to enter a game as a pinch hitter and hit two home runs. He was the first since 1980 to also have five RBI.