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Eric Thames is the best story of the MLB season so far
Tuesday’s Say Hey, Baseball looks at Eric Thames’ early success, a ridiculous Kyle Schwarber bunt, and the kind of trouble the Blue Jays are already in.
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
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The Eric Thames you see in Major League Baseball in 2017 is not the same one from 2011 and 2012. Sure, it’s the same person, but he’s not the same player anymore: that one had power potential but couldn’t make enough contact or get on-base often enough for it to matter. This Eric Thames, though? The one who spent the last three seasons in the Korean Baseball Organization, and hit .349/.451/.721 with 124 homers while he was there? That dude is here in MLB now, and he’s already terrorizing opposing pitchers.
Expecting Thames to be exactly that guy is disappointing, but he’s currently leading the majors in homers with seven after going yard for the fifth game in a row on Monday. He’s batting .405/.479/1.000, and yes, that line is going to drop. It’s what it’s going to drop to that’s the fascinating question, though: Thames’ bat was impressive in the minors, too, and he just didn’t get the opportunities he needed stateside, hence the trip to Korea. He tapped into all that potential there, and the Brewers are the ones who are benefiting, and will presumably continue to benefit.
It was a real risk, too: the Brewers cut the NL home run leader from 2016, Chris Carter, to make room for Thames this offseason. Calling Carter one-dimensional is unfair to him, but next to the potential Thames still had, it’s close enough to the truth — and while it’s early, the move certainly seems to be working out for Milwaukee. Thames doesn’t need to win the MVP for this to be a success for either himself or the Brewers (and their scouting department), but if he can occasionally drop weeks where he looks like one, that’s certainly play.
- The Blue Jays are 2-10. Things are already ugly, and even if the Blue Jays aren’t actually bad, they are probably in trouble. Hey, don’t blame Grant Brisbee: that’s what history says.
- Yes, Kyle Schwarber bunted, and it was amazing. You have to see it not roll foul to believe it.
- SunTrust Park has its first walk-off thanks to Dansby Swanson.
- Philadelphia sports radio asked if Bryce Harper can be a “Philly guy” and this is a reminder that the sort of caricature that host is discussing doesn’t exist.
- The Indians are hoping Jason Kipnis is back in their lineup on Friday.
- Looking for stabilizing numbers this early in the season is tempting, but it can be misleading.
- Eric Nusbaum wrote a profile on Rougned Odor, so you should read it. It would be rude not to.
- Here’s Michael Baumann on his irrational fall for Reds’ starter Amir Garrett.
- Wrigley Field made some changes, and those shrunk the amount of foul ground the stadium has.
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