Topps Heritage 2021

This year, Topps Heritage brings us back to 1972. I always try to find some cool rookie cards from this set every year. Things don’t change this time. However, it took me a while to get some packs. I went to some card shops and this set was sold out. I finally found a card shop that there are still a few packs of Topps Heritage available.

Like 1-run games?

On Thursday, 5 games were decided by one run. Last season, AL pennant winner the Tampa Bay Rays won 14 1-run games, while only losing 5. In the meantime, the Red Sox only won 4 1-run games last season. So far in this season, which team is good at winning games at a slimmest margin?

Tough in the first

 

On May 4, 2021, 3-time Cy Young winner Clayton Kershaw started for the Dodgers for game 1 of the doubleheader against the Cubs. He threw 39 pitches in the first inning, giving up 4 hits and allowing 4 earned runs. He only tossed one inning and it’s Kershaw’s shortest start of his career. Well, that makes me think of something. How’s Kershaw’s performance in the first inning? Which pitcher normally has some problems in the first inning?

Extra innings, extra nightmares?

 

A runner on second base to start extra innings returns in the 2021 season. Well, some people like this idea, but some people really hate this rule. Last season, Oakland A’s won 6 extra inning games and the World Series Champions Los Angeles Dodgers won 5 extra inning games. They each lost only one extra inning game in 2020. At the same time, the Padres and the Reds didn’t lose any games in extra innings. However, the Diamondbacks and the Red Sox failed to secure a win in extra inning games last season. This season, things are not the same.

Oh no, surgery

 

I like to watch Dodger baseball and it’s exciting to watch the Dodgers because they are loaded with talents. Additionally, they are excellent in player development and you can always see some top prospects from the Dodgers. Dustin May is one of the emerging stars in the league and he did pitch well in his 5 starts in 2021. However, he only pitched 1.2 innings in his last start due to the right arm injury. Unfortunately, he had to undergo Tommy John surgery.

Strikeout via?

 
As we know, there are more and more strikeouts in today’s baseball games. A couple of weeks ago, I watched a baseball game and a pitcher’s arsenal was shown on the screen. It clearly indicated that he threw a lot of strikeouts via his four-seam fastballs. That makes me think of one thing. What are the best strikeout pitches?

Good start? Good season?

 

When we check the MLB standings today, the White Sox are the leader in the American League and in the National League, the San Francisco Giants are in the top. Are you surprised to see this?

K rate

Around two weeks ago, I listened to a podcast show and the host indicated that a hitter has a very low strikeout rate. Low strikeout rate doesn’t guarantee that a player is a good player. But, it does mean that a batter is really hard to strike out and maybe he’s a good contact hitter.

They are aggressive

Hall of Famers Chipper Jones explained that he thought it may be the only time he’d see a fastball in the at-bat, so he liked attacking the first pitch. In this season, swinging at first pitch does work for players, but for some players, they have to think about it again.

Score more runs?

In baseball, you have to score more runs than your opponent does, so you can win a game. Thus, scoring more runs is definitely important. When runners are in scoring position, it means that it’s possible to score on a single or sometimes you don’t even need a hit to score. It’s already been 5 weeks since the 2021 season began, anything interesting when runners in scoring position?

Bottom of the lineup

 

When it comes to the “bottom of the lineup” in baseball, it generally means players that typically lack offensive prowess. Normally, you don’t expect to see batters at the bottom of the lineup provide huge offensive support. However, if batters at the bottom of the lineup hit very well, that probably indicates a team has a very deep lineup.

Get on base

 

We already know the importance of getting on base since the movie Moneyball indicated that Oakland A’s focused on this stat. Even now, on-base percentage is still worth using to be an evaluative tool. Who’s the on-base machine in the 2021 season?

Dangerous on the bench

 

In a baseball game, a manager has to make some decisions. A key decision is to call a player to pinch hit. In this season so far, which manager has done a great job at calling the right player to pinch hit? Which player is the most dangerous hitter coming off the bench?