The Givens Back Foundation Inc. was founded by current Miami Marlins pitcher Mychal Givens. The main goal of the Givens Back Foundation is to enhance the lives of inner-city youth through sports.
Growing up in the inner city of Tampa, Florida, the MLBbro saw the struggles that kids face, and the hardships they endure as they grow.
He’s also changing lives as MLB Players Trust Ambassador.
This year’s MLB trade deadline was one to remember, with several stars finding new homes. While it is easy to think that positional players and big bats are what you need in October, the real unsung heroes are the elite pitching with not just the starters, but in the bullpen. Whenever your team gets in a jam, it’s critical for the bullpen to try and get out of it and keep the team in the game.
Two moves that could be really crucial for the upcoming playoffs, but not as discussed compared to the bigger names, is Mychal Givens getting dealt to the first-place Mets, and Jay Jackson getting promoted to the team nipping at the Mets’ heels. Jackson’s promotion to the defending World Champion Atlanta Braves bullpen came with the departure of both Will Smith and Jesse Chavez.
Givens started this season in Chicago with the Cubs. He spent the first six seasons of his career in Baltimore, getting traded to the Rockies back in 2020, and had brief stints with them and in Cincinnati with the Reds, before ending up on the north side of Chicago.
During his tenure in Chicago, he earned a 6-2 record, with a 2.66 ERA. The Cubs are currently 15.5 games back from the final wild card slot, so it makes sense that they would be willing to relinquish one of their best relievers.
His debut in Queens could not have gone any worse. He made his first appearance on August 3rd in D.C. and got in the game in the ninth inning with the Mets having a comfortable 9-0 lead. He gave up five runs in two-thirds of the inning and couldn’t finish the game.
He ended up pitching again on Friday against the Braves and did significantly better. He pitched one inning, giving up no runs, no hits, with just one walk in the 9-6 loss. A much-needed bounce back performance and huge confidence booster for the eight-year vet, who was obviously a bit nervous in his first outing for a contending team.
The Braves are 4.5 games behind the Mets and five games up in the wild card race, so they are still making adjustments to the roster as they chase NY.
Going down south within the division, Jackson got promoted from Triple-A Gwinnett as the trade deadline came to a close. This is the 34-year-old’s fourth run in the majors, as he played with the Padres back in 2015, then made his return in 2019 with the Brewers, once again in 2021 with the Giants, and finally now with the Braves.
With Jackson posting a 1.80 ERA in 10 appearances with the Stripers, the Braves clearly felt that they could trust him to help carry the load for one of the best bullpens in baseball. However, as he turns 35 in late October, this could very much be Jackson’s last shot to have a permanent place on an MLB roster. He has been an underdog throughout his entire career, bouncing throughout the minors, spending brief time in the majors, and part of his career in the Japanese league. It’s time for him to finally overcome that obstacle and stay up in the majors.
The NL East is going to be an absolute force in the playoffs, as it looks like both the Braves and Mets will be playing in the postseason, and the Phillies are looking like they may sneak in as well. All three teams have reasons to believe they can be in the Fall Classic, but it will be the elite bullpens that will separate the contenders from the pretenders.
This season, Mychal Givens has been a workhouse out of the bullpen for the Chicago Cubs.
The Cubs signed Givens to a one-year deal back in March, looking to add some depth to its bullpen. And so far, Givens has not disappointed.
In his first year with the team, he’s made an immediate impact and has proved his value.
While the Cubs have struggled throughout the season, a bright spot has been Givens’ performance on the mound.
In his last four outings, coming into Sunday, he has not allowed a single run coming out of the bullpen.
He’s carrying a 3.27 ERA through 22.1 innings pitched. Let’s not forget his 4-0 record with one save and 30 strikeouts, either.
Throughout his career, Givens has developed into an elite pitcher out of the pen. His pitching style has been very effective over the last few seasons and hitters have had difficulties finding success against him.
— Marquee Sports Network (@WatchMarquee) April 7, 2022
If you ever get the chance to watch Givens pitch, you’ll see that he throws from a lower arm slot.
“It was just natural for me,” Givens said in an article from mlb.com talking about his release point.
Throwing from that low arm slot, it can be a tough task for batters to pick up what pitch he’s throwing.
“You can ask all these hitters,” Givens said. “Yes, velo is really tough to hit, but I think it might have been a quote from Ted Williams: If you shoot a bullet in front of me, I’ll figure a way to time it. If you have a guy throwing hard, but from the same arm slot, I think hitters can feel a little more comfortable.”
And his repertoire is very effective. Givens throws a four-seam, slider, sinker, and a changeup.
When he has command of that 90 plus mph fastball, it’s a problem for hitters. He can spot up with that fastball on the inside or outside corner of the plate and then come at you with the off-speed.
Givens also has success throwing that sinker as well, a pitch he can throw when he’s ahead in the count and uses it as an out pitch.
Givens has played on multiple teams throughout his career, and he’s been a bright spot in the bullpen for each team he’s been a part of.
He struggled his first few seasons in the Minors and in 2013 was asked to make a permanent switch to the mound. By the time 2015 came around, the move was appearing to pay off. Givens posted a 1.60 ERA with 54 strikeouts, 12 saves and a 3-1 record in 39.1 innings for the Bowie Baysox in Class AA.
Givens made his long-awaited Major League debut on June 24th of 2015 and after pitching a one-two-three inning, he was sent back down to the Baysox the next day. He would be brought back up about a month later and would finish the 2015 season with a 1.80 ERA in 22 games.
Givens made Baltimore’s Opening Day roster in 2016 and would become the first pitcher in their team history to begin his career with seven straight wins as a reliever. In 62 appearances that year, he struck out 96 batters in 74.2 innings with a 3.13 ERA and an 8-2 record.
“We have different guys that do different things,” Givens said. “And that was a great attribute of our bullpen and what I loved about it in 2016 with the Orioles. And I think we have that here. I think it’s really impressive.”
Givens spent time as a setup man but was given the keys to the Orioles closer job in 2019. In just 12 games in 2020, he had a 1.38 ERA before being traded to Colorado in late August of that year.
Givens pitched well for the Rockies last year with a 2.73 ERA and 34 strikeouts before being sent to the great state of Ohio. Now the effective journeyman is in The Chi, understands his role on the Cubs and is going to continue to be a leader out of the bullpen.
Mychal Givens is a strikeout master with the experience to help make the Reds serious postseason contenders.
The Cincinnati Reds carry themselves with more swagger than most teams in baseball and since acquiring Mychal Givens in July to help boost their bullpen, they have been flexing a lot harder.
Givens let his Reds teammates know exactly what he was about the first time he pitched in their road red uniforms. He struck out three straight Cubs in his debut and has been the best pitcher out of their bullpen since.
Givens is currently tied for the team lead with eight saves on the season. He’s converted four consecutive opportunities and is eight for nine with Cincinnati.
Givens was drafted as a shortstop by the Orioles in the second round of the 2009 MLB Draft out of Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, Florida.
He struggled his first few seasons in the Minors and in 2013 was asked to make a permanent switch to the mound. By the time 2015 came around, the move was appearing to pay off. Givens posted a 1.60 ERA with 54 strikeouts, 12 saves and a 3-1 record in 39.1 innings for the Bowie Baysox in Class AA.
Givens made his long-awaited Major League debut on June 24th of 2015 and after pitching a one-two-three inning, he was sent back down to the Baysox the next day. He would be brought back up about a month later and would finish the 2015 season with a 1.80 ERA in 22 games.
— Michael Augustine (@DigitalOpticals) May 7, 2019
Givens made Baltimore’s Opening Day roster in 2016 and would become the first pitcher in their team history to begin his career with seven straight wins as a reliever. In 62 appearances that year, he struck out 96 batters in 74.2 innings with a 3.13 ERA and an 8-2 record.
Givens got to live out every rookie’s dream of playing in the postseason during their first season and he proved the moment wasn’t too big for him. During the one game wild card play-in game between the Blue Jays and O’s that year Givens entered the game in the 8th inning. The score was tied and with runners on the corners he forced a double play and struck out three batters in 2.1 innings.
Mychal Givens gets Stephen Piscotty swinging at this ridiculous 85 mph Slider.
Givens spent time as a setup man but was given the keys to the Orioles closer job in 2019. In just 12 games in 2020, he had a 1.38 ERA before being traded to Colorado in late August of that year.
Givens pitched well for the Rockies this year with a 2.73 ERA and 34 strikeouts before being sent to his current home in the great state of Ohio.
On the season Givens has a 3-3 record, 2.85 ERA, 51 strikeouts in 47 innings and eight saves.
Pitching is the biggest deficiency for Cincinnati. Givens has shown he has the ability to get outs late in games and come October, ultimately that is all that truly matters.
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