Tag Archives: MLB

Marcell Ozuna to Compete at This Year’s Home Run Derby

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It’s batter up for Marcell Ozuna.

The 33-year-old Dominican professional baseball player, an outfielder for the Atlanta Braves, will be competing in the Home Run Derby.

Marcell OzunaOzuna was already heading to Arlington, Texas, as an MLB All-Star.

It’s the third time competing for Ozuna, who last made the team in 2017.

Other confirmed entries in the slugging exhibition include two-time winner Pete Alonso of the New York Mets, the Philadelphia Phillies‘ Alec Bohm, the Baltimore Orioles‘ Gunnar Henderson and Kansas City Royals’ Bobby Witt Jr.

More participants will be announced in the coming days.

Ozuna, in the midst of a resurgent season, entered Monday with 23 homers and a National League-leading 72 RBIs.

The Derby will air on July 15 at 8:00 pm ET on ESPN.

Minnesota Twins’ José Miranda Ties MLB Record for Consecutive At-Bats

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José Miranda has swung into the MLB history books…

The 26-year-old Minnesota Twins infielder tied Major League Baseball history on Saturday, running his streak of consecutive at-bats with a hit to a record-tying 12 after a fourth-inning single against the Houston Astros.

Jose MirandaMiranda subsequently made his first out in days in the sixth inning, hitting a fly out to left fielder Chas McCormick that ended his bid at sole ownership of the record.

While Miranda’s attempt to become the first Major League Baseball player since at least 1961 to record a hit 11 plate appearances in a row was snapped earlier on Saturday, when he was hit by a pitch from Hunter Brown in the first inning, he did single in his first and second official at-bats.

Miranda set the Twins’ record for most consecutive hits with his 10th in a row on Friday night.

Miranda’s streak will live on in a three-way tie for the MLB record for most consecutive at-bats with a hit, alongside Walt Dropo (1952), Pinky Higgins (1938) and Johnny Kling (1902).

Jose MirandaAdditionally, Miranda is the only player in the Expansion Era to extend his consecutive hits streak to 12 at-bats in a row. Dustin Pedroia (2016) and Bernie Williams (2002) both ran streaks to 11.

Miranda, who served as DH on Friday, went 4-for-4 with a double and a home run.

He had previously recorded a 5-for-5 showing on Thursday, and had notched a hit in his final at-bat on Wednesday. In the process of linking together 10 straight hits, Miranda eclipsed the Twins’ all-time record for consecutive hits, previously established by three players since the team relocated to Minnesota: Tony Oliva in 1967, Mickey Hatcher in 1985, and Todd Walker in 1998.

Twins manager Rocco Baldelli pinch-hit for Miranda with Austin Martin later in the game. The Twins were trailing by eight at the time. They would later cut that to one run, with Miranda’s spot due up next when the final out was recorded.

“Those guys, they play virtually every day and they’re doing a good job,” Baldelli explained afterward. “In an eight-run game, they’ve been on their feet for a while. No reason not to get them off.”

Miranda has been one of the most pleasant individual surprises of the season. In 71 games, he’s batted .324/.364/.529 (150 OPS+) with nine home runs and 21 additional extra-base hits. For those wondering, he’s seen his seasonal OPS improve from .822 to .901 over the last three games alone.

Jose Miranda Sets Minnesota Twins Team Record for Consecutive Hits

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Jose Miranda has broken a long-standing Twins record…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican professional baseball infielder and designated hitter for the Minnesota Twins set a team record on Friday night with hits in 10 consecutive plate appearances.

Jose MirandaMiranda eclipsed the mark of nine hits in a row set by Tony Oliva in 1967 and matched by Mickey Hatcher in 1985 and Todd Walker in 1998. Oliva still spends time with Twins players throughout the season, lending extra meaning to the accomplishment, according to Miranda.

“I talk to him a lot. It means a lot,” Miranda said. “You know, he’s a Hall of Famer, so you break a Hall of Famer’s record, it’s something pretty cool, I think.”

The major league record for consecutive hits is 12, by Detroit Tigers‘ Walt Dropo (1952), Boston Red Sox‘s Pinky Higgins (1938) and the Chicago Cubs‘ Johnny Kling (1902).

Miranda entered the game against the Houston Astros — a 13-12 loss — with hits in six straight trips to the plate and had hits in each of his four times up before he was lifted for a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.

“I’ll come to the field tomorrow, do my stuff in the cage, get ready for the game, get ready for the pitcher I’m facing tomorrow,” Miranda said. “Then … you take it pitch by pitch and try to have a good at-bat.”

Miranda finished 4-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored. He was batting .296 entering Wednesday night’s game when the streak began and has raised his average to .324.

He singled in the second inning and hit a 414-foot homer to left field in the third. Miranda tied the Twins’ record of nine straight hits with a two-run double in the fifth. He had his 10th straight hit — a single to right field — in the seventh.

With the Twins trailing 13-5 in the ninth, Austin Martin hit for Miranda and singled.

Houston Astros Slugger Yordan Alvarez Named a Starter for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game

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Yordan Alvarez will be getting in the game…

The 27-year-old Cuban professional baseball designated hitter and left fielder for the Houston Astros has been named a starter for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game.

Yordan AlvarezAlvarez is now a three-time MLB All-Star and will make his first starting assignment after making the American League (AL) team as a reserve in 2022 and 2023.

With this fan election, he is now the first Houston designated hitter to win the honor.

Alvarez topped the Orioles DH Ryan O’Hearn in the final fan vote, garnering 52% of the votes. The Astros designated hitter and left fielder is hitting .297 (93×313) with 19 doubles, 18 homers, 46 RBI and a .910 OPS in 82 games this season.

But Alvarez isn’t the only Astros player to make the starting roster…

For the ninth time, Jose Altuve has been selected as an MBL All Star and the sixth time he has been elected as a starter.

Altuve, who already owns the most MLB All-Star nominations in Astros history, joins Hall of Famers Roberto Alomar (9) and Rod Carew (6) as the only AL second basemen to win six fan elections.

He earned his starting assignment this season by topping the Rangers 2B Marcus Semien in the final vote, by taking 55% of the total votes.

Altuve is having another stellar season, hitting .308 (106×344) with 17 doubles, 13 homers, 38 RBI, 13 stolen bases and an .828 OPS in 83 games,” the Astros said.

Other Latino American League MLB All-Star Game starters include Vladimir Guerrero Jr. of the Toronto Blue Jays, Jose Ramirez of the Cleveland Guardians and Juan Soto of the New York Yankees.

Latinos set to represent the National League as starters include Ketel Marte of the Arizona Diamondbacks, William Contreras of the Milwaukee Brewers and Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres.

The game is set for Tuesday, July 16 at 8 p.m. ET at Globe Life Field, home of the Texas Rangers.

Here’s a look at the starters:

NL All-Star starters:
Bryce Harper, Philadelphia Phillies
Ketel Marte, Arizona Diamondbacks
Trae Turner, Philadelphia Phillies
Alec Bohm, Philadelphia Phillies
William Contreras, Milwaukee Brewers
Shohei Ohtani, Los Angeles Dodgers
Fernando Tatis Jr., San Diego Padres
Christian Yelich, Milwaukee Brewers
Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres

AL All-Star starters:
Aaron Judge, New York Yankees
Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Toronto Blue Jays
Jose Altuve, Houston Astros
Gunnar Henderson, Baltimore Orioles
Jose Ramirez, Cleveland Guardians
Adley Rutschman, Baltimore Orioles
Yordan Alvarez, Houston Astros
Juan Soto, New York Yankees
Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians

Marcello Hernández to Compete in 2024 MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game

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Marcello Hernández is ready to play ball…

Major League Baseball (MLB) officials have revealed the names of some of the celebrities who’ll be taking part in the 2024 MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game, including the 26-year-old Cuban American stand-up comedian, actor and Saturday Night Live cast member.

Marcello HernandezThe game, which is set to take place on July 13th, is part of the All-Star Saturday festivities taking place at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Hernández will be joined by 30-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer Myke Towers. Both recently celebrated Latino culture in baseball in a campaign with Remezcla Creative Agency titled “El Béisbol es Otra Cosa.” The campain highlighted the great Latino starss in themajor leagues, as well as the many ways Latino communities relate to them.

Other celebrities who are set to participate in the game include actress Gina Rodriguez, singers Eladio Carrion, Payo Solis & Julian Peña, Jr of Grupo Frontera, TV & radio personality Bobby Bones, reality TV personalities West Wilson and Matt James, country music star Kane Brown and influences Dani Austin and Nicky Cass.

Also participating will be former pitcher Pedro Martínez, and former NFL wider receiver Terrell Owens, as well as former NBA point guard Tyrese Maxey and softball legends Jennie Finch, Natasha Watley, and Lauren Gipson (Chamberlain).

Tickets for the All-Star Saturday festivities are now available at allstargame.com, starting from $35 and include all three events on Saturday, including the 2024 All-Star Futures Game, featuring the top Minor League prospects and the MLB Futures Skills Showcase as well as the 2024 All-Star Celebrity Softball Game.

LA Dodgers Batboy Javier Herrera Saves Shohei Ohtani with Awe-Inspiring Dugout Catch

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Javier Herrera is being heralded a hero for an incredible catch that could have been disastrous for an MLB all-star…

The 38-year-old Latino Los Angeles Dodgers bat boy just may have saved Shohei Ohtani‘s season.

Javier HerreraHerrera was standing on the dugout steps during the team’s game against the Chicago White Sox when a vicious line drive came screaming into the dugout.

Ohtani was directly behind Herrera, and would have been hit in the face.

But Herrera nonchalantly caught the screaming liner, saving Ohtani, who can be seen ducking down quickly.

The bat boy then handed the ball to a fan seated right by him, his face betraying little emotion.

Ohtani, realizing what happened, is shown about to thank Herrera before the video cuts off.

Ohtani hit his 25th home run of the season in a 1-for-2 performance with two walks and two runs scored, helping the Dodgers to a 4-0 victory over the White Sox.

Herrera has been a Dodgers batboy for 20 years.

Nestor Ceja to Serve as Right Field Umpire for 2024 MLB All-Star Game

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Nestor Ceja is bracing for an all-star appearance…

The Latino major league umpire will be among the umpires for Major League Baseball’s 2024 MLB All-Star Game on July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Nestor Ceja

Ceja will be right field umpire for the game, per the MLB.

James Hoye will be the plate umpire and crew chief. He was the left field umpire for the 2015 MLB All-Star Game in Cincinnati. The 53-year-old made his major league debut in 2003 and worked the World Series in 2019 and 2022.

In addition to Ceja, Hoye’s crew will include Bruce Dreckman at first, John Tumpane at second, Nic Lentz at third and Ben May in left.

Dreckman will be working his second All-Star Game and the rest of the crew their first.

Rob Drake will be the replay umpire at MLB’s office in New York.

Oakland manager Mark Kotsay will be part of Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy‘s American League staff and Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell will be part of Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo‘s National League staff.

Ceja worked his first game on August 14, 2020 as one of 19 umpires to make their debut that season, a result of a number of veteran umpires deciding to sit out the year because of the Coronavirus pandemic. All of his games were in the two Western divisions. On August 22nd, he was responsible for his first ejection, tossing Martin Maldonado of the Houston Astros for riding him from the bench. He became a permanent member of the major league umpiring crew in 2023.

He was one of the members of the original class of the MLB Umpire Training Academy when it opened in 2012 and later became an instructor there.

Ronald Acuña Jr. Signs with Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports for Representation

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Ronald Acuña Jr. has new all-star representation…

Rimas Sports — an agency partnership between Bad Bunny and executives Noah Assad and Jonathan Miranda — has signed the Venezuelan professional baseball outfielder who plays for the Atlanta Braves to an exclusive representation agreement.

Ronald Acuña Jr., Rimas Sports, Bad Bunny,“We are thrilled to welcome the Acuña family to Rimas Sports,” Miranda, CEO of Rimas Sports, said in a statement. “Ronald is a once-in-a-generation player, and we are confident that together we will take his extraordinary career to new heights. Acuña is aligned with Rimas Sports’ foundational principle of empowering the next generation of Latin American players by helping them build lasting legacies for themselves, their families, and their communities.”

The renowned athlete kicked off his career with Braves organization in 2014 and made his MLB debut in 2018 when he nabbed the Rookie of the Year title.

In 2023, the four-time MLB All-Star was named the 2023 National League Most Valuable Player in his sixth major-league season, marking the eighth time a Braves player has nabbed the title after Freddie Freeman (2020), Chipper Jones (1999), Terry Pendleton (1991), Dale Murphy (1982, 1983), Hank Aaron (1957), Robert Elliott (1947) and Johnny Evers (1914).

A press statement at the time noted that Acuña “was a unanimous selection, receiving 30 of 30 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. He finished with 420 points, 150 more than runner-up Mookie Betts.”

To celebrate his new MVP title, award-winning Mexican-American producer Samuel Ash dropped “La Bestia,” a catchy dembow song performed by Dominican artist Niko Eme.

“We wanted something that felt global and to do something we could put a chant to,” Ash previously told Billboard. “I know dembow is a Dominican genre but I felt that it could still feel global and resonate with him as a Venezuelan.”

San Diego Padres Finalizing Deal to Acquire Luis Arraez from Miami Marlins

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Luis Arraez is thisclose to heading west…

The San Diego Padres are nearing a deal to acquire the 27-year-old Venezuelan professional baseball second baseman from the Miami Marlins for reliever Woo-Suk Go and prospects Dillon Head, Jakob Marsee and Nathan Martorella, per ESPN sources.

The trade is pending a medical review, but is expected to be finalized soon.

The transaction represents the first significant move for the Marlins since Peter Bendix took over as the team’s president of baseball operations in November after Kim Ng departed.

It marks the beginning of the Marlins’ teardown of an underachieving roster that has produced the third-worst record in the majors at 9-24 entering Friday with a minus-59 run differential after reaching the postseason in 2023.

On the other side, it’s another aggressive deal for A.J. Preller, the leader of the Padres’ front office since 2014.

Arraez, one of the sport’s best contact hitters, will give the Padres a needed left-handed-hitting weapon after Juan Soto was sent to the New York Yankees in December.

San Diego entered Friday 16-18 with a neutral run differential, 4.5 games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League West standings.

Arraez was the Marlins’ best player, an MLB All-Star and batting champion each of the last two seasons. This season, he is batting .299 with a .719 OPS in 33 games, all started at second base. He also has extensive experience at first base.

Arraez is expected to start games as the Padres’ designated hitter, but the club plans to cycle through the DH spot. Jake Cronenworth, Xander Bogaerts and Manny Machado could also get at-bats there. Bogaerts has been the club’s starting second baseman.

Go spent seven seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) before signing a two-year deal with a mutual option worth $4.5 million guaranteed during the offseason. The 25-year-old right-hander appeared in 10 games for Double-A San Antonio, posting a 4.38 ERA across 12 ⅓ innings after failing to make the Padres’ bullpen out of spring training.

Head was the Padres’ first-round pick (25th overall) last year out of high school. The 19-year-old center fielder is batting .237 with a .683 OPS and three stolen bases in 21 games in low-A.

Martorella is batting .294 with an .282 OPS in 23 games in San Antonio. The Padres selected the 23-year-old first baseman in the fifth round of the 2022 draft.

Marsee, a 22-year-old outfielder, has spent the season in San Antonio batting .185 with two home runs. He was a sixth-round pick in 2022 out of Central Michigan.

Yordan Alvarez Hits Two 461-Foot Homers in Houston Astros 12-4 Win Over Colorado Rockies

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It’s an impressive double for Yordan Alvarez.

The 26-year-old Cuban professional baseball designated hitter and left fielder for the Houston Astros hit two home runs on Saturday night in the MLB World Tour: Mexico City Series to help the team snap a five-game losing streak.

Yordan AlvarezKyle Tucker added a solo shot to help the Astros beat the Colorado Rockies 12-4.

Alvarez hit a two-run homer to center field and Tucker followed with a shot to left field and the Astros took a 4-2 lead in the third. Alvarez hit his seventh home run of the season in the ninth inning.

Both of Alvarez’s shots were measured at 461 feet. He became the third player since 2006 to hit multiple 460-foot homers in a game, joining Mike Napoli (2013) and Byron Buxton (2023). And he also became the sixth player in MLB history with a multi-HR game in Mexico.

“Today we were able to bat with runners in scoring positions, that’s a good sign for the team,” manager Joe Espada said. “We took strong turns and we were able to spread the ball on the field, that really helped us today.”

Alvarez went 3 for 5 with three RBI and two runs scored and Yainer Diaz had three hits and scored three runs.

“When we saw the introductions, we knew that it was a moment to think that the season was just beginning for us,” Alvarez said. “We knew that we were struggling, but we trust in the team’s talent.”

Ronel Blanco (3-0) allowed two hits and five runs in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked two.

The Rockies’ Cal Quantrill (0-3) allowed six hits and six earned runs in five innings.

“We have not played to our standards, but hopefully we get there,” said Rockies manager Bud Black. “For me, all was positive (from the game in Mexico) except for the outcome.”

Houston arrived in Mexico City after scoring just six runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of the Chicago Cubs, but the team took advantage of the 7,349-foot elevation of the Alfredo Harp Helú stadium to break the offensive slump with 15 hits against the Rockies.

The Astros also benefited from the support of the crowd, most of them wearing the team’s colors even though the Rockies were the home team.

“We did not feel like the visiting team, we felt at home. There was a tremendous passion and energy in the stadium, and it really felt like home,” Espada said.

The Rockies took the lead on Ryan McMahon‘s two-run homer to center field in the first.

The Astros pulled ahead for good after Alvarez and Tucker hit their homers in the third.

The series marks the Astros’ second regular-season visit to Mexico. In May 2019, they swept the Angels in two games played in Monterrey. The Astros also played exhibition games in Mexico against the Padres in 2016 and Marlins in 2004.

The Rockies, who came south of the border after beating the Padres 10-9 at Coors Field, have yet to win consecutive games this season, the longest such stretch to begin a season in franchise history.

Colorado played their second regular-season game in Mexico. In 1999, they beat San Diego in their season opener, also at Monterrey.