white baseball ball on brown leather baseball mitt

MLB-Best/Worst for Monday, August 31, 2020

Best-Tyler Glasnow SP Tampa Bay Rays-6IP 2H 0ER 1BB 9K 87PC 1W

The Rays were picked as one of the top teams in the American League before the season started, but I don’t think anybody thought they would be this good. A big reason for their success is how quickly Tyler Glasnow regained his form. Glasnow has some of the best stuff in the league when he is going right. Still, control remained a big issue. At one point, Glasnow wasn’t even able to make it through 4 innings.

Glasnow has now regained his authority over his pitches and has taken down the New York Yankees for a second time this season. The Rays now hold a 4.5 game lead over the Yankees. Glasnow has given up four earned runs while striking out 30 and walking five over his last three starts. The Rays have the best record in the American League at 25-11 and have won six games in a row. With Glasnow, Snell, and Charlie Morton (once he returns), this starting staff is one of the best in baseball, and they are afraid of no one. 

Other Notables: Juan Soto OF Nationals-2-4 2R 4RBI 2HR; Shane Bieber SP Cleveland-6IP 1H 0ER 4BB 9K; Ji-Man Choi 1B Rays-3-3 2R 3RBI 2BB 1HR; Marco Gonzalez SP Mariners-9IP 4H 1ER 1BB 8K CG 1W; Paul DeJong SS Cardinals-2-5 1R 4RBI 1HR.

Worst-German Marquez SP Rockies-6IP 8H 5ER 2BB 7K 87PC 1L

The Rockies got off to a hot start in the 2020 season and were in first place of the NL West with a 13-6 record. But since that hot start, they have gone 4-12. The starting pitching has done a complete 180 and is the largest contributing factor to their losing streak. 

German Marquez has been the most consistent pitcher for the Rockies for the past two seasons, but this year he can’t seem to get it together. He now owns a 2-5 record and an ERA of 4.88 for the season. If the Rockies can get this pitching staff back on track, they have the offensive weapons to make a run at a playoff spot, but if not, they will be sitting out of the postseason for a second straight season. 

Extra Trash: Trent Grisham OF Padres-0-5 4K; Gerrit Cole SP Yankees-5IP 8H 4ER 4BB 7K 1L;  Ryan O’hearn 1B Royals-0-4 3K; Anthony Desclafani SP Reds-3.2IP 7H 7ER 4BB 3K 1L; Aristides Aquino-0-4 3K.