Top 10 Moments of This MLB Season
With a little under a month left in this MLB season I’d like to take a moment to look back on what I believe are the top 10 moments of the MLB season.
10. Pete Alonso’s all time HRD performance
We kick this list off with an other worldly performance from the Polar Bear. In round one Alonso put up a staggering 35 home runs leaving his opponent, Salvador Perez with 0 chance to beat him. In round 2 he then handled Juan Soto and finally beat Trey Mancini to take the crown for the 2nd time in his career. Overall the people came for Shohei and stayed for Pete.
9. All the No-No’s
In 2021 there have been more no hitters than ever before which is why I put them all together instead of individualizing them. In total this season there have been 9 no hitters. It started with Joe Musgrove in Texas and most recently the Cleveland Indians were no hit by Brewers ace and CY Young front runner, Corbin Burnes. A funny stat about this is that the Indians have been no hit 3 times this year and the man behind all 3 losses has been Zac Plesac.
8.Rizzos 14 pitch AB that capped off in a homer.
Let me set the stage for you, it’s a packed Wrigley Field on a Friday day game knowing that this will be one of their last glimpses of Anthony Rizzo in a Cubs uniform. Rizzo steps up to the plate and he fouls off pitch after pitch, the crowd getting louder with each pitch. And finally on pitch number 14 Rizzo puts one into the right field bleachers and Wrigley Field erupts.
7.Java Baez’s crazy baserunning vs the Pirates
This one just added to an already embarrassing season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Javy rolls over to short with 2 out in the inning it’s a poor throw that pulls first off the bag and with a runner on third Javy wants to see if he can score him. He leads Colin Moran all the way back to home and the runner comes home to score, then Javy sees that there is no one covering first so he books it for first and he’s safe.
6. Joey Votto’s strike of lightning
Joey Votto had the whole baseball world on watch when he decided in July he was gonna hit a homer every day, day after every one looked on as Joey hit homer after homer. Votto’s final number was 7, 7 consecutive days with a homer a new franchise record and a tie of the major league record. It ended against the Mets where Joey doubled off the very top of the wall.
5. The Field of Dreams game
Everything about this game was spectacular, the atmosphere and of the course game of the year that shattered previous MLB regular season TV ratings. The best part of this game was the 9th inning it started with a single by Tyler Wade, Judge then homered to make it a 1 run game, Joey gallo walks and Stanton give the Yanks a lead with a homer that just barely clears the left field wall. But that isn’t the end in the bottom of the 9th Seby Zavala walks to plate the tying run and then in the only plausible way this game could Tim Anderson homers to walk it off.
4.Ohtani.
Need I say more? Shohei Ohtani is the first 2 way player since the great Babe Ruth, he has been a top 15 pitcher AND a top 5 hitter in baseball this year. It’s been set in stone that he’s been the MVP since June. He’s had the world on watch for months for what crazy thing he will do next. Ohtani is the first and only 6 tool player.
3. Mookie Magic
With a brewing rivalry between the Dodgers and Padres these games mean everything. Bottom 9 2 on 2 out Tommy Pham at the plate in a 2-0 game. He swings and lines a ball to right, will it drop in for a hit to tie it? No, Mookie Betts layouts catches it and just barely holds on to win the Dodgers the game.
2.Scherzer 3000
One of the greatest pitchers of all time added to his already other worldly resume, 3 CY Young’s, a World Series ring and just yesterday he reached a milestone which only 18 others ever have, striking out 3000 batters. It would have made that much more epic if he would’ve completed the perfect game that he took into the 8th inning but nonetheless an unreal achievement for an unreal pitcher.
1.The return of Trey Mancini
This may not have anything to do with hitting bombs or throwing no-no’s but it truly is one of the most inspiring stories in sports. In March 18th of 2020 Trey Mancini got some of the worst news anyone can hear, that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer. Some thought he may never play again, but instead Trey battled through all the hardships and beat the cancer. And on opening day this year Trey suited up to play for the Orioles and made one of the most inspiring comebacks in sports history.