Brusdar Graterol is so much fun to watch pitch in the MLB

Kade Daniels Uncategorized November 25, 2021Baseball, Brusdar Graterol, Los Angeles Dodgers, Minnesota Twins, MLB, Pitching, Sports 0 Comment

With the future of the game of baseball’s stars coming from foreign countries, many countries are famous for the players who are born there. The big counties are and are not limited to: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Venezuela. These countries are known to pound out Major League stars. One, in particular, I have had my eyes on for a few years now, is Brusdar Graterol, a relief pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Brusdar is a special kind of athlete, and it’s time people were introduced to him.

Started from the Bottom

Brusdar Javier Graterol was born on August 26th, 1998 in Calabozo, Venezuela. Brusdar had no father growing up, so he was raised by his mother and grandparents. Brusdar played baseball in Venezuela as a kid until 2014, when he signed with the Minnesota Twins.

In 2016 Graterol underwent Tommy John surgery and missed the entire season. However, when he returned from the injury he pitched very well, going 4-1 with a 2.70 ERA while pitching in low A with the East Coast Twins. Minnesota saw the crazy potential in him and promoted him to high A to play with the Cedar Rapids Kernels.

Now, what did they see in him exactly? A big, strong, 6’0 kid that can throw 100 MPH with ease. His mechanics allowed him to throw these high speeds very effortlessly. Throw in a wipeout slider in the mix, and you have a top prospect in the Twins organization. Take a look at it yourself, here is a video of Brusdar clocking in at 99 MPH while pitching for Cedar Rapids.

Brusdar immediately became a Twin’s top prospect, and many were excited to see him at the major league level.

Finally, Brusdar got his long-awaited wish, making his MLB debut on September 1st, 2019 in a save appearance for the Twins against the Detroit Tigers, and he looked very sharp, touching 99 MPH and closing the game out on a double play.

Brusdar continued pitching for the Twins in the bullpen for the rest of the year and finished the season to the tune of a 4.66 ERA. During the offseason after the Twins were swept by the Yankees in the ALDS, Brusdar worked his butt off. Brusdar was frustrated with the stats he finished with and wanted to do something about it. He and everyone else around him had realized the crazy potential he had, and he pursued to find it

In February of 2020, Brusdar was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers had fantasized about having a player of this caliber and potential in their bullpen, it was their one weakness they needed to address. The Dodgers saw the crazy potential, and fine-tuned Brusdar as their little toy to add to the bullpen.

The beginning of a legacy

2020 was the season Brusdar made a name for himself. Although the stats may not completely jump off the page, that’s not what brings him attention. What attracted all the fans towards him was the crazy things he did while pitching.

Brusdar raised his fastball 2 MPH during that offseason, and it was on display throughout the entire season. Brusdar dominated Baseball Savant’s leaderboard in 2020 for velocity, as he is in second place behind Aroldis Chapman in velocity for a sinker, and in fourth place for a four-seam fastball.

Not only is his fastball extremely tough to hit, but they have a crazy run on them. Run is when a fastball moves from side to side. A fastball could start at the middle of the plate, but when it hits the catcher’s glove may be on the inside half of the plate to a right-handed batter, which means that the pitch ran inside. This video by Pitching Ninja shows exactly what I am talking about, watch where the pitcher releases the ball, and where it ends up on the plate. Brusdar makes a few appearances in this video if you notice. Here is another example of what Brusdar looks like with his fastballs, watch the absurd amount of depth his pitches have on them.

But no pitcher is successful without a secondary pitch, a pitch to change speeds and eye level with. Even though you may throw 102 MPH, you still need a secondary pitch to slow down the hitter and throw off their timing. For that, Brusdar throws a wicked slider off of his fastballs, as well as a changeup to add even more variety. Watch this video and watch how the fastball (up) and the slider (down) go in different directions of each other. As a hitter seeing 102, it’s extremely tough for them to recognize the pitch. To go from 102 to 88 is very tough to adjust to as a hitter.

But yet the most impressive part of it all is he does it without even trying. Just watching Jomboy Media’s video on his outing against the Astros shows how easily he releases the ball, almost as if he doesn’t try. It’s amazing to watch.

Brusdar is also an amazing personality. Every time he strikes someone out he gets fired up.Watch Graterol’s reaction after the ball is caught. He is so passionate and is such a show to watch every time he goes out to pitch.

Just speaking on how special of an athlete Graterol is quite frankly is not enough. You just have to watch and understand to realize how gifted this young kid is. Although he struggled due to injury in 2021, I predict he will have a phenomenal season once more in 2022 and will become the Dodgers regular closer for the season. Brusdar has blown up social media because of how talented and ridiculous he is. Look up Brusdar Graterol on Youtube and you will scroll for days finding videos on all of his pitching and how he is so good. This young man will light up the league, and we have yet to see all of his potential come to light.

The sneaky best players at every position in the MLB 2021 season (PT 1)

Kade Daniels Uncategorized November 2, 2021November 3, 2021Baseball, Infield, MLB, Pitching, Sports 0 Comment

The 2021 season introduced many new things. This was the first full season the man on second base rule in extra innings was introduced, many new uniforms were released, and many teams stepped up and defied expectations, like the San Francisco Giants winning 107 games. In this article, I wanted to talk about the 9 players this season who came from out of nowhere and had breakout seasons in 2021.

Pitcher: Sean Manaea

It’s only fitting that our 1st underrated player comes from one of the most underappreciated teams in the MLB, the Oakland Athletics. A very small market team that landed this kid off of a trade from the Kansas City Royals in 2015, and let me tell you this guy is good. Through the last 6 years, he has had a 3.86 ERA which is exceptional for 6 years in a row. His worst season was talking about this stud muffin who could be a #2 starter on many teams.

Catcher: Mike Zunino

Although he was an all-star in 2021, not enough people give him the credit he deserves. This man just casually hit 33 home runs this season and nobody noticed. He bulked up quite a bit as if you look at a picture from 2018 and a picture of him now he has gained weight and put on muscle, and it has shown. He also has improved his pitch framing as well as his pop time and has become the everyday starting catcher for the Tampa Bay Rays.

1st Baseman: Jose Abreu

Now, don’t come at me for being biased, this is 100% my honest opinion. Jose Abreu is the best first baseman in the AL, other than Vladimir Guerrero Jr, and the man does not get the credit he deserves. Every single year he puts out the same product; 35 homers, 100 RBI’s, a ..260-.270 BA, and he gets better every year with his defense. Remember that one time he saved the Carlos Rodon no-hitter and the Lucas Giolito no-hitter in the later 2 innings? He is only gonna keep mashing, and you all need to put some respect on his name. I hear a lot of people say he is overrated when in reality he is a top 4 first baseman in the league.

2nd Baseman: Jose Altuve

Yes, I know what you’re thinking, that is how in the world is Jose Altuve on this list. The name has been in some very controversial discussions over the last 2 years. He is the exact opposite of underrated, he is overrated. But I’m not taking into consideration stuff that isn’t playing time and what he has done on the field. The fact of the matter is that Jose has had a very good season this year. He hit 31 homers with a .278 BA and is starting to clean up the errors as well. People simply refuse to believe he is good after the whole sign-stealing scandal, but he is a top 3 second baseman in the league.

3rd Baseman: Rafael Devers

This kid is a stud. Crazy power off the bat, can achieve crazy high exit velocity. Just watch this home run by him this season and you’ll get that impression. Absolutely nobody puts him in their top 5 list, it’s all the same names; Nolan Arenado, Matt Chapman, Josh Donaldson, and deservingly so, these are all players that are outstanding to watch. But I do feel Devers is easily a top 3 3rd baseman in the league. I mean he’s hitting 2nd on a loaded Red Sox lineup. He hit 38 bombs and drove in 113 and no one batted an eye. He is also getting better with the glove. He is solid fundamentally and has made some tricky plays. He is only going to get better and better, and I hope with that he grows more and more popular.

Shortstop: Tim Anderson

Tim Anderson is an absolute cheat code and it’s time you recognize him as a top 4 shortstop in the game. What is it, 3 consecutive years now where he either leads or is top 3 in batting average among all players?. It seems like every time he gets up to the plate he is bound to get a hit and he never strikes out. He won the batting crown in 2019 and finished 2nd to DJ Lemahieu in 2020. In a season where the biggest and brightest of stars were bad, Tim Anderson still stayed hot because that’s just how good he is. He has the clutch factor in him as well. Remember the Field of Dreams game? I sure do. And every year he gets better defensively. In 2019 he was very shaky, but in 2021 he has cleaned it up and has become good with the glove. Lots of people still give him crap for being cocky, the whole deal with the bat flip against the Royals (insert video). But at the end of the day when you have 3 exceptional years and have almost no slump, you can say whatever you want.

Pedro Martinez pitched the greatest season of all time

yaboykade3 Uncategorized February 13, 2020February 12, 2020All Star Game, Baseball, Boston Red Sox, Clutch, Dominican Republic, GOAT, Hall Of Fame, Los Angeles Dodgers, MLB, Montreal Expos, Pedro Martinez, Pitching, Sports 0 Comment

Pedro Martinez was a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in the ’90s. He pitched the greatest season ever, then went on to have quite literally, a hall of fame career. Why was it the greatest pitching season ever? Let me explain.

A Star is Born

Pedro Martinez was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Los Angeles Dodgers. He slowly worked up in the Dodgers farm system and made his debut on September 24th, 1992. He was soon traded to the Montreal Expos on November 19th, 1993. Pedro then had his first successful season in 1995, posting a 3.45 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. He then repeated that season next year, as well as making his first all-star appearance. He then started getting better and better. His best season with the Expos came in 1997 when he posted a whopping 1.90 ERA. With that, he won his first Cy Young award. He then was traded to the Boston Red Sox in 1998, coming second in Cy Young Award behind Roger Clemens. The year following, he would then pitch what I call, “The greatest pitching season ever.”

El Grande

During his time in Boston, Martinez perfected his repertoire. He had a four-seam fastball that had movement that went in the upper 90s, a ridiculous curveball, and a circle changeup, that in my non-official opinion, is the greatest changeup ever. He also mixed in a 2 seam fastball and a cutter from time to time.

The first month of the season was spectacular for Pedro, going 4-1 with a 2.21 ERA. Then he went to the all-star game, and that was when he shined. He started the all-star game in Fenway park. He faced the leadoff man for the National League, Barry Larkin. Larkin was a very disciplined hitter throughout his career. His highest season for strikeouts was only 69. Pedro fed him fastball after fastball after fastball, and then he threw his changeup, and he was gone. 96mph, 97mph, 98mph, and it’s the 85mph changeup that gets him to miss.

Then comes Larry Walker, who is only hitting .382 in about 80 games, which is no big deal at all. And again, Martinez finishes him off with a fastball.

Last up in the inning, is Sammy Sosa, who was leading the National League in home runs. And he strikes out Sosa, which strikes out the side. Martinez just struck out 3 Hall of Famers with ease. But he isn’t done yet.

Next inning, he strikes out Mark McGwire. Pedro feeds the next batter, Matt Williams, a curveball which he chops to second base, but an error by future Hall of Famer Roberto Alomar errors, and now there is a runner on first.

Martinez strikes out Jeff Bagwell, and Matt Williams attempts to steal but is caught stealing by that year’s MVP Ivan Rodriguez. And just like that, Pedro’s all-star appearance is over.

But that doesn’t stop Martinez. He would then finish the 1999 season going 23-4 with a 2.07 ERA and a .923 WHIP. He had one bad start against the Florida Marlins, where he surrendered 8 runs. The most memorable start, however, came against the Yankees, his final stat line being, 9 innings pitched, one hit allowed, 17 strikeouts. Up against a dominating team, with a complete lineup, he completely shut them down in a hitter-friendly ballpark. But Pedro’s dominance would extend past the regular season, into the postseason, where he continued being Pedro.

Senor October

The regular season ended, and because of Martinez’s brilliant pitching, the Red Sox made the playoffs, where he still shined. The last two postseasons for Pedro weren’t bad, but not as good as they could be, where he posted a 4.15 ERA in 1997, and a 3.41 ERA in 1998. What about 1999? Pedro had 0.88 ERA! In the playoffs!

The most important appearance in the playoffs was actually not as a starter. It was in relief. Game 5 of the 1999 ALDS, against the Cleveland Indians. Fun fact about the 1999 Cleveland Indians: they scored over 1000 runs that season. Anyways, the game was tied 8-8 in the bottom of the 4th, when Pedro Martinez entered the game, facing the herculean task of pitching to the heart of Cleveland’s order.

First came Sandy Alomar, who grounded out. Kenny Lofton was next, and he did the same thing. Two down in the inning and Omar Vizquel came up to the dish, and he lined out to first base. Next inning, it would be even harder.

Leading off in the 5th was Roberto Alomar, who grounded out to shortstop. That’s revenge for the error he had in the all-star game that year. Next up was Manny Ramirez, who actually became Pedro’s teammate in a few years. He drew a walk, putting a runner on base for the most dangerous man in the American League, Jim Thome, who has already hit 4 home runs in the 5 game series. And he struck out, in the most awkward way possible, a blown foul tip call that sent him back to the dugout unsuccessful. And yet another Hall of Famer came up to face Pedro, this one being Harold Baines. And Pedro struck him out too!

Pedro would continue to mow batters down and get the save, no hitting the best offense in the American League. The Red Sox would then be defeated by the New York Yankees, who went on to win the World Series. However, on the bright side Pedro would win his second Cy Young in 3 years, and came 2nd in MVP voting, falling to Ivan Rodriguez in a very close race. And after the season ended, and he got his awards, the greatest season ever pitched, was over.