The Best MLB Players Flying Under The Radar

You’re receiving Monday’s newsletter on Tuesday because Monday was my son’s college graduation day. You’ll receive Wednesday’s newsletter on Thursday and the regular Free For All on Friday. We’ll be back to regular programming next week.

I forgot to mention in Friday’s newsletter that, in addition to writing about baseball in this newsletter, I am now doing some freelance reporting for a San Francisco-based news site called The Frisc. My first story published on Friday; it’s a deep dive into the City’s efforts to charter a public bank to invest in affordable housing, small business, and green technology. Give it a read, if you’re interested in that kind of thing.

While I was in Iowa, I listened briefly to an Iowa Cubs game as we scanned for something to listen to on the radio during a long drive. So I caught a few minutes of Alex Cohen’s play-by-play and was impressed. Cohen drew me into the game quickly and engaged me in the action—exactly what a radio broadcaster is supposed to do.

Just like Alex is honing his craft outside the spotlight, so too are a few MLB players who are making their mark this season but have not yet received national media attention. I’m here to give them the attention they deserve.

George Kirby, Starting Pitcher, Seattle Mariners

At the quarter mark of the season, the Seattle Mariners and the Minnesota Twins have the best rotations in the American League, as measured by FanGraphs WAR. Mariners starters have the lowest walk rate per 9 innings (2.05), have given up the fewest home runs per 9 innings (0.85), and have allowed a batting average against of only .234 against, good for third lowest in the AL.

When you think of Mariners starters, your mind likely goes to Luis Castillo, who just recorded his 1,000th career strike out. But Castillo is not the only ace in Seattle.

Right-handed pitcher George Kirby, in his second year in the big leagues, is dominating batters with a five-pitch mix: four-seam fastball, sinker, slider, curve, and changeup. Kirby throws his fastball on average at 95 mph and keeps hitters off balance with his off speed stuff. His curveball is nearly un-hittable. His pitch combinations keep hitters from being able to barrel up the ball or hit it hard.

The results: through 9 starts, Kirby is sporting a 2.62 ERA, with an enviable 2.2% walk rate. His strikeout rate is a 20.4%, which pales in comparison to Castillo’s 28.3%, but he makes up for it by inducing weak contact. He’s give up only 0.46 home runs through 9 innings for a home-run-per-fly-ball rate of only 4.8%.

The tall, slender right-hander is the sixth-most valuable starter in the AL so far this season, according to FanGraphs. Lucky for Kirby, he won’t need to go far for the All-Star Game, which will be played at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park in July.

Thairo Estrada, Infielder, San Francisco Giants

If you’re a Giants fan or follow a team that’s already played the Giants this season, then you know that Thairo Estrada is putting up career highs in batting average, on-base average, and slugging. You may even know that he’s been fueling the Giants’ offense through the team’s first 47 games.

But you probably don’t know that Estrada has been the fourth-most valuable position player in the National League, according to FanGraphs’ WAR.

Estrada is excelling this season in every facet of the game. He’s slashing .309/.356/.478 for a 130 wRC+ (which, as a reminder, means that he’s creating 30% more runs this season that the average MLB position player, adjusted for park effects). Estrada’s already hit 10 doubles and 6 home runs—putting him just shy of half his 2022 full-season numbers a little more than a quarter of the way through the season.

His batting average on balls in play is way up, at .377 heading into Tuesday’s game against the Twins in Minneapolis. That’s significantly higher than any season-long BABIP he’s posted in his career. When a player’s BABIP goes up like that, particularly over a small sample size, the reason is typically attributed to luck.

Estrada is barreling up the ball at a slightly higher clip than last season, according to Statcast, but below his 2021 campaign. The exit velocity is also fairly steady to his career stats. Estrada may also benefitting from the new restricted shift rules. Whatever it is, it’s working for Estrada and the Giants.

The same can be said for Estrada’s base running and defense, particularly at second base. When Brandon Crawford was on the injured list and before the Giants called up Casey Schmitt, Estrada covered shortstop, and had some mishaps at that position. But his second baseball play has been fantastic, as reflected in the highlights and statistics.

Carlos Estevez, Relief Pitcher, Los Angeles Angels

Y’all know how desperate I am for the Angels to make the postseason, while Mike Trout is still in his prime and Shohei Ohtani wearing 17 for the Angels. My dream is on shaky ground because the Angels’ middle relief is in shambles. So far, the bullpen has blown 11 saves, second-most in the majors.

Carlos Estevez has been the calm in that turbulent storm.

The former Rockies reliever is in his first season in Los Angeles. Maybe it’s playing at sea level. Maybe it’s a change of scenery. Maybe it’s a new pitching coach. Whatever the cause, Estevez is quietly putting together an epic season out of the Angels’ bullpen.

In 22 innings pitched heading into Tuesday’s action, Estevez has struck out 32.2% of all batters he’s faced and given up only 4 runs—3 earned. Batters are hitting only .198 off Estevez, which isn’t surprising given how few barreled up balls he’s allowed. Sure, Estevez walks too many batters (his walk rate is 10%) but he’s stranded 89% of all runners on base. So he gets in—and then out—of trouble.

Now all the Angels need is four more relievers like Estevez.