The MLBbros were impactful and present in the various opening games of the 2024 MLB Wild Card series.
Justyn-Henry Malloy: Detroit Tigers
Justyn-Henry Malloy hit second for the surging Detroit Tigers in Game 1 of the franchise’s first postseason appearance in 14 years.
Malloy went 1-for-2 with a walk in a 3-1 win over the Houston Astros. It’s all coming together at the right time for AJ Hinch’s Detroit crew, which recovered from a sub .500 first half to snatch a Wild Card slot in the American League. The franchise survived the growing pains of All-Star Riley Green, rookie JHM and the injury to Kerry Carpenter and other key figures and now they are a team nobody wants to face.
By his second time up he was striking out to end a three-run explosion in the second inning by the Tigers. It was all they needed.
When you can trot out a Cy Young ace such as 18-win wonder Tarik Skubal, a triple crown pitcher, you always have a chance. His fastball and change ups were dominant as usual and he exited after six innings of no-run ball.
Malloy was up and down in his rookie season, showing some pop with 8 bro bombs in 202 at-bats. He has the potential to explode in a game and for AJ Hinch to give him the start in the opening Wild Card game is a huge indication that he believes the young outfielder is a part of the Tigers’ future.
Tommy Pham: Kansas City Royals
There’s that man again. Playoff Tommy Pham, who always plays his best when the stakes are high. He’s been a consistent catalyst for teams looking to either get out of the doldrums or seeking a veteran spark who can bring, energy, a loud bat and a competitive, winning spirit to a possible contender.
Adding Pham to a Royals team that is built around Bobby Witt and veteran catcher Salvador Perez was a genius move. Pham helped the Arizona Diamondback make a fairy tale run to the World Series last season. Pham is a .313 career playoff hitter with 36 hits and 6 homers and 10 RBI in 115 postseason at-bats.
Pham was 0-for-3 in his first playoff game on Tuesday with the Royals, but they managed to win a 1-0 pitcher’s duel over the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 of the Wild Card series.
Pham played just 23 games with the Royals in the regular season after stops in Cry-town and St. Louis. He impacted the team’s late season run to the Wild Card and will be counted on heavily as he batted seventh and played right field in Game 1.
Cedric “CM Storm” Mullins: Baltimore Orioles
Cedric Mullins has been here before with the Birds. He’s no longer the catalyst of the offense, the 30-30 leadoff guy that he was in 2021, but he’s still a leader on this team and a very productive player with the glove and at the plate.
Mullins led the Orioles with two hits in the franchise’s Game 1, 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. During the season, CM Storm hit 18 homers and stole 32 bases. He’s a weapon in the eighth spot for the O’s, who probably should have the veteran hitting higher in the order during the playoffs.
Tyrone Taylor: Mets
Tyrone Taylor has found a home with the NY Mets after spending the first six years of his career with the Milwaukee Brewers who drafted him in the second round in 2012.
Taylor got over 300 at-bats for just the second time in his career and the 30-year-old only hit 7 bro bombs but he provided a combination of durability (130 games played), speed (11 steals) and solid defense for the Mets, who creeped into the postseason with a 360 degree turn in the second half behind shortstop Francisco Lindor and a host of steady role players like Taylor, who started and batted eighth for the Miracle Mets in Game 1 of their Wild Card Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
In that game, Taylor went 1-for-4 with a run scored to help lift the Mets to an 8-4 win in Game 1. In the last 15 games of the season with the Mets fighting tooth and nail for an NL Wild Card, Taylor hit .298 and slugged. 447.
Michael Harris II: Atlanta Braves
Entering Game 1 of the Wild Card series against San Diego Padres, Michael Harris II was 1-for-27 over eight games in two postseasons for the Atlanta Braves. He enters these playoffs on fire, coming off a streak of five homers in seven games to end the regular season. Harris was able to collect two of his team’s seven hits in a 4-0, Game 1 loss to the Padres, continuing his torrid hitting.
After batting over .290 in his first two seasons, including his 2022 NL Rookie of the Year campaign, Harris struggled mightily throughout most of this season, but was able to find his groove in the last two months of the season and salvage a respectable .264 batting average with 16 homers.
Now, he’s firmly cemented as the Braves’ leadoff hitter and he looks poised to finally have his breakout playoffs, which would make the growing pains he experiences this season worthwhile.
He’s sure to produce a web gem or two as he is among the best centerfielders in the past 20 years, and we are yet to see the best of him at the plate…that’s a scary thought.
CM Storm’s 18 Bro Bombs are the most he’s had since his 30-30 2021 season. He’s leading the O’s to consecutive playoff appearances for the first time since 1997.
Throughout the season, the Baltimore centerfielder had yet to cross the .300 batting average for any month. Furthermore, he’s surpassed 10 RBI in a month just once since April.
On Tuesday, Mullins powered the Orioles over the Red Sox with a two-home run, three-RBI showing, bringing him up to four homers in the month. We’re in the home stretch of the regular season, and Mullins is showing up big.
Earlier in the season, Mullins told MLBbro that he’s “looking forward” to a strong second half.
For the most part, that didn’t come to fruition. While in July, he had a batting average of .262 and his OPS was .800.
The next month, in one less at-bat, Mullins squeaked out a .200 batting average and his OPS dropped by 26 percent. Clearly, he made a change. This month, he’s already tied his August hit total with 12.
What Changes Did Cedric Mullins Make To Improve Performance
“The biggest part for me was to stop chasing that season,” Mullins told Jake Rill of MLB.com. “I think the reason I’m putting up numbers that are similar to it is because I’m no longer chasing that guy.”
The guy in reference is 2021 Mullins. In 2021, Mullins reached the All-Star game with a .291 batting average, along with 30 home runs and stolen bases. Since, Mullins’ ability as a baserunner has been consistent. He was just missing the hitting aspect. He conquered that and earned the nickname “CM Storm.”
Baltimore Orioles Fighting With Yankees For A East Crown
With his resurgence, Mullins has to chance for his hot streak to continue to the playoffs as his squad is battling the Yankees for the AL East division title.
The Orioles have won five of their last ten, but two of those came in three-RBI performances from Mullins. Though it’s been having a good year without Mullins at his best, his impact could turn good to great when he’s hot.
As it sits, Baltimore is in a wild card spot — a .5 game back from New York in the division.
A series with the Yankees is coming up on Sept. 24, that may be Mullins’ time to shine. He’s back, and it’s time for the nation to now.
Rachel Hill documents Baltimore Orioles star Cedric “CM Storm” Mullins‘ battle with Crohn’s disease and his dedication to helping others beat the deadly, digestive illness.
Cedric Mullins is the veteran centerpiece for the young Orioles squad, but injuries have plagued his season in a year that Baltimore has the chance to get over the hump.
The center fielder was drafted with the 403rd overall selection in 2015. A year later, Baltimore made its latest playoff appearance. An American League Wild Card loss to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016.
Two years later, and three years after being drafted, Mullins made his debut with the Orioles.
Now, in his sixth season, Mullins has become widely known as one of the premiere leadoff center fielders in the league and the backbone of the Orioles throughout a rebuilding process.
Earlier this year, the 28-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right groin strain and recently was re-added to the 10-day injured list with a right adductor groin strain, retroactive to July 16.
“It feels like it’s getting really close,” Mullins said before finding himself back on the injured list. “Moments like this, I think especially if it’s near that same area, you have a stack of days where it just doesn’t want to improve to the rate that you want it to. But continuing to try to be smart every day, continuing to do everything I can, to stay hydrated, taking the necessary supplements, iron, and stuff like that, just to try to get the body going and see where I’m at day by day.”
The Orioles are 42-22 when he starts and 15-15 when he does not. Mullins is currently hitting .259 with nine homers, 47 RBI and 14 stolen bases. In his first absence, the Orioles went 11-9 and are currently one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays. So far into Mullins’ second injury stint, Baltimore is 2-2.
After their 8-5 win over the National League West first-place Dodgers on Wednesday, the O’s were tied with the Rays for first place in the AL East.
Three of the next four series could heavily impact the AL East race.
The Orioles are set to travel for a four-game series against the Rays and potentially earn sole possession of first place in their division for the first time post-All-Star break since Aug. 12, 2016, and the last time they stood atop the AL East after April was May 20, 2017.
Following their trip to Tampa and a three-game series in Philly, Baltimore faces the Yankees and Blue Jays.
The three-game series at Camden Yards against the Yankees, lacking their MLBbro phenom Aaron Judge, is an opportunity to further bury the Bronx Bombers, who are in sole possession of last in the division through 95 games for the first time since 1990.
The following four-game series in Toronto is crucial to keep the surging Blue Jays, just 5.5 games out of first place, off their back.
Mullins becomes available to return in the last game of the Phillies series on July 26, right before the Orioles head to Tropicana Field.
Placing Mullins on the injured list at this juncture reveals a strategic move that aims to provide him with additional time to rest.
This calculated decision acknowledges the significance of the upcoming series, which possesses the potential to shift the balance of momentum in the race for Baltimore’s first playoff appearance since 2016 and first postseason win since 2014, where the Orioles swept the Detroit Tigers in the AL Division Series.
Before the 2012 AL Wild Card win over the Texas Rangers, the last O’s team to win a playoff game was led by MLBbro Jeffrey Hammonds, Cal Ripken Jr., and Mike Mussina in 1997, when they beat the Seattle Mariners in the ALDS.
However, the yearning for Baltimore’s return to the World Series stage has been a protracted affair, with the city anxiously awaiting the taste of a championship once again.
This ardent desire fuels the ambitions of both the burgeoning Orioles squad and Mullins himself. In 1983, the O’s won their third World Series title, led by MLBbros Eddie Murray and Ken Singleton.
With Mullins eager to make his return and progressing steadily, the Orioles can be hopeful that their lone 30-homer and 30-stolen-base performer will rejoin the lineup just in time to catalyze a pivotal divisional stretch, propelling them closer to their ultimate objective
Recent Comments