Locked On Mariners - Daily Podcast On the Seattle Mariners - 2020 National League Season Wrap-Up

Episode Date: October 11, 2020

D.C. reviews the National League, going over each division, and going over some stats for all eight playoff teams. Also, he talks about the league leaders in batting average, ERA, and other important categories. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This is Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team every day. Here's your host, D.C. Lundberg. Well, gang, it looks like fall has finally started to settle in here in the greater Spokane area. It rained last night. High temperature is only supposed to be in the mid-50s today, Saturday, October 10th. Leaves have started to change. They're starting to fall off the trees. It's absolutely beautiful here, ladies and gentlemen. And later on this afternoon, which is going to be over by the time this is published,

The PBA playoffs are on. They start on the Big Fox Network, not FS1. They are on Fox, and they'll be over the next course of the next few days. Really looking forward to that as well. However, National League recap time here on Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on podcast network, sponsored by Rock Auto. Rock Auto.com is a family business, serving auto parts customers online for 20 years.

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Ask your smart device to play Locked-on Mariner's podcast or any program here on the Locked-on Podcast Network. Follow us on Twitter at L.O. underscore Mariners and follow me on Twitter at DC-Undernderberg. L-U-N-D-B-E-R-G, if you are scoring at home. Again, National League recap today. Hopefully it's going to go a little quicker than the American League recap did on the last show. I'm going to try to burn through it a little bit quicker.

We'll start in the National League West, where the Dodgers had the best record in baseball to take that division at 43 and 17. Second place where the San Diego Padres were 37 and 23. That would have won two of the three divisions in the American League. They had the second best record in the National League. League. Then you got the San Francisco Giants, a game below 500, 29, and 31, Colorado at 26 and 34, and bringing up the rear, the Arizona Diamondbacks, 25 and 35. Dodgers strength was their pitching. We'll get to that in a little bit. Their team batting average was 256, which was good for eighth in the National

League. On-base percentage of 338 was fourth, and they topped the National League in slugging at 483. A lot of players had double-digit home run totals. Both Mookie Bent and A.J. Pollack hit 16. Corey Seger hit 15 while driving in 41 runs to lead the team. Max Muncie hit 12. Cody Bellinger hit 12. Pardon me. Will Smith hit 8. They led the National League with 118 home runs. And they also scored the most runs at 3.49. So the 250s batting average middle of the road, slugging at number one, on-base percentage at number four. But they lost. led and runs scored. That's how you win ball games, gang. And it also helps that their pitching staff was almost otherworldly. They led the National League in ERA 302. Third fewest hits given up

at 424. Fewest runs given up at 2.13. When you give up the fewest runs and then score the most runs yourself, that is a recipe for success. Fewest home runs give it up at 66. Fewest walks allowed at 145 and the ninth most strikeouts with 517. Kind of reflecting my philosophy. Keep the runners off base. They won't score and strikeouts are not the most important thing in the world.

Aside from their strikeout numbers, their other pitching numbers are just absolutely spectacular. San Diego Padres again were second in the division. 37 and 23, very, very good record. Their team batting average 257, which was fifth in the national league. On base was 7th, however,

333, and 303. and slugging at 466. They scored the third most runs, had the seventh most hit, third in home runs, third and doubles. First and stolen bases with 55, Mariners had more stolen bases than that, so the Mariners led all of baseball in the stolen base department. Padres pitching staff also put up some impressive numbers. Third in the National League in earned run average, 386, fourth fewest runs given up at 241, 7th fewest hits, 456, 7th in home runs at 70, second fewest.

walks with 170 and the fourth-most strikeouts at 565. And Dan Altavilla, after joining the Padres pitching staff, appeared in nine games, eight and two-thirds innings put up a 312 ERA and a whip of 1.269. Maybe this was just the change of scenery that he needed. Again, I hope he does very, very well. Not impressed with his tenure as a manor, but at the same time, maybe he did just need that change of scenery. Less impressive for the Padres was Austin.

Nola. In the 19 games he played there, 222, 324, 381 slash line, two home runs and nine runs driven in. But the other offensive number is not very good for Austin Nola. Hopefully he does better next year. I'm rooting for him too. Only time will tell. Let's move on to the National League Central now. And there were four playoff teams that came out of the National League Central. Cubs took the division with a 34 and 26 record. Second was Cincinnati. Cincinnati? Cincinnati, 31 and 29, their record. They get the first wild card spot. Then you've got the St. Louis Cardinals at 30 and 28.

Remember, they could not play all 60 games because they had a COVID outbreak. I don't want to say a major COVID outbreak. But they did have quite a few players test positive for the coronavirus. 30 and 28, their record. And then Milwaukee at 29 and 31. This team did not have any business making the playoffs. But again, this playoff system is so screwed up that they did. We've got four teams to talk about in this division.

We'll begin with the Cubs, whose team batting average was only 220, 13th in the National League. On base of 318th was 10th in the National League. Slugging of 387 was 12th in the National League. Not a very good offensive team at all, ladies and gentlemen. So it had to be their pitching staff that got them there, right? That's sort of. Their team ERA was 399. They gave up the third fewest runs at 240, so there you go.

Fifth fewest hits at 4-51, 8th full strikeouts, 523, and the third fewest walks at 182. So the pitching staff was pretty good, but those offensive numbers and them having that record kind of tells me that the rest of the National League Central is not a very good division. Because remember, teams this year are only playing teams within their own division.

And I have not yet looked at the other numbers of the Reds, Cardinals, and Brewers. I'm going to do that now, and I'm really looking forward to see what they look like. Cincinnati Reds were dead last and batting average at 212. On base percentage was 312, which was 12th in the National League. Slugging was 403, which was 9th. Let's look at their pitching staff. Now, okay, they did have the number 2 ERA.

At 386, they gave up 243 runs, which is the fifth fewest. They struck out the most at 615. Middle in the pack in terms of walks, they issued 213 free passes, 9th in the National League and the second fewest home runs. Those are very interesting pitching numbers. I'm not exactly sure what to make of those. Obviously, you know, they were kind of around a 500 team, though, at 31 and 29.

Again, speaking to the ridiculousness of this playoff system. St. Louis Cardinals, pardon me, were third in the National League Central, getting them another wild card. They had a 2.34 team batting average, 323 on base, and 371 slugging. Batting average ranked 11th, on-base percentage ranked 8th, and slugging ranked 14th. They have a 390 Team ERA, which was fourth in the National League, near the bottom and strikeouts at 424. They gave up the fewest hits, however, at 376.

They gave up the sixth fewest walks at 204, and the second fewest runs at 229, in addition to giving up 69 home runs, which is the fourth fewest in the National League. Let's wrap up with the Milwaukee Brewers and a very interesting season. 29 and 31. And remember Lorenzo Kane opted out of the season about a third of the way through because of COVID. I can't blame him for doing that. Christian Yelish also had a very bad season by Christian Yelich's standards. Actually, he had a bad year by pretty much any standard. 205-356, 340 slugging percentage. All right, so the on-base percentage and the slugging percentage, certainly not Christian Yelich numbers, but those aren't horrible. The 205 batting average was horrible.

Their team batting average was a 223, 12th in the National League, 313 on base, 11th in the National League, 389 slugging, also 11th in the National League. And they struck out the most. They struck out 582 times, but they also walked the sixth most times at 221. Interesting numbers again on that front, and their pitching staff had a 4-16 team ERA, 6th in the National League, second-most strikeouts at 6-14. They were sixth in runs given up, second in home run. So they were tied for the second fewest home runs given up.

67 of those. Fifth in walks given up with 189. And fourth in hits with 446. Interesting numbers coming out of the National League Central. Again, four of the five teams made the playoffs from the Central. And the other team that's remaining in the Pittsburgh Pirates, oh my goodness. 19 and 41, just a dismal season for them. easily the worst record in Major League Baseball.

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That's code Locked On, all one word, for $100 of free delivery credit for your first seven days when you download the Postmates app. Anything you need, anytime you need it, Postmate it. Download Postmates and save with Code Locked On. If you've got a question or comment, send it on over to Lockedon Mariners at gmail.com for consideration for an upcoming mailbag segment. which I am recording probably tomorrow on Sunday. And remember gang questions about anything, comments about anything. Locked-on Mariners at gmail.com is the place to send them. This particular episode of Locked-on Mariners will continue upon the conclusion of the following.

Welcome to the second half of Locked-on Mariners. Here once again is your host, D.C. Lundberg. Thank you very much, Joey. National League recap here on Locked-on Mariner's today, the 2020 National League recap. We've gone over the National League West, we've gone over the National League Central, Now it's time for the East, where the Braves took that division at 35 and 25. Miami was second. Miami was second.

Yes, 31 and 29. They actually finished above 500, ladies and gentlemen. Amazing. They took the second spot in the division. Both wild cars came out of the Central, so Atlanta and Miami, the only team is making it out of the Eastern Division. Philadelphia finished in third place at 28 and 32. New York Mets, 26, and 34. Nationals, defending champs, also 20.

and 34. Atlanta Braves' offense was second in terms of batting average in the National League, 268, first and on base percentage, 349, first in slugging, 483, first in OPS at 832, second most home runs at 103. Dodgers were number one, so finishing second to the Dodgers in terms of home run production, nothing to sneeze at. 103, again, a very, very good number for a 60 game season. They struck out the second most times, though, at 573, but

They drew the most walks at 2.39. This is a very good offense, ladies and gentlemen. While their pitching was middle of the road, 4-4-1 was their team ERA, which ranks them seventh, middle-in-the-pack in terms of hits. Ninth-most hits given up, 494. Seventh-most runs given up, 288. Fourth, fewest home runs, however, at 69,

they were tied with another team. I forget who it is. They walked a ton of hitters, 220, which was 12th in the National League, and they were 11th in strikeouts. Excellent offense, you know, reasonably solid starting pitching. Offense is what carried this team, ladies and gentlemen. And the second team, the Miami Marlins, still don't know how they were able to finish above 500.

They were the laughing stock of baseball just a couple of seasons ago, and I didn't see them making the playoffs. In any case, they were ninth in the National League in batting average at 244, ninth and on base percentage at 319, 13th in slugging percentage, at 384. OPS of 703 was 11th. They didn't hit a lot of home runs. 60 of them, 12th in the National League. Second stolen bases, however, 51 of them.

They didn't walk very much. 191 walks, which ranked them 12th. They didn't strike out very much. 400, pardon me, 537 strikeouts ranked them 11th. Their ERA was also 11th in the National League, 468. They gave up 506 hits, 10th, and the 3rd. the National League, 304 runs, 12th in the National League. They gave up a lot of long balls. 82 of them, 12th in the National League also gave up a lot of walks, 226 walks, which ranked them

13th, and 451 strikeouts ranked them 14th. This kind of tells me that the National League East was pretty bad. If a team like that can finish above 500, I don't know what else to say. not the best of numbers from the Marlins and they're in the playoffs. This team has no business being in the playoffs. I've said it. I'm not going to say it again, ladies and gentlemen. I'm sick as saying it.

National League leaders will start with the batting leaders. National League batting champion Juan Soto of the Washington Nationals who hit 541. Freddie Freeman of the Braves was second at 3.41, followed by Marcel Ozuna of the Braves, at 338. Your slugging leader? also won Soto at 695. Freeman was second in this category as well at 640, and OZuna was third in this category

at 636. OPS, it's Soto. 1.185, amazing. Freeman second and Ozuna third, surprise, surprise, surprise, Freeman was 1.102, and Ozuna was 1.067. All three of those totals were ahead of D.J. LeMayhew's 1.011.1.1.1.3. he was 1.011, which led the American League. Your home run champion in the National League, Marcelo Zuna, 18 home runs. It's not a Dodger. Amazing. Although the Braves did have the second most home runs. Second, Fernando Tatis Jr. was 17.

And there was a six-way tie for third place, 16 home runs apiece by Pete Alonzo, Mani Machado, yeah. Cole Calhoun, Adam Duvall, A.J. Pollock and Mookiee Betts, all hitting 6. 16 home runs. Runs batted in champion, Ozuna. Marcel Ozuna of the Braves, 56. Freddie Freeman, his teammate was third. Pardon me, second. Freeman was second.

Ha, ha, ha. 53. See, I saw three in there, so I got confused. And everybody's favorite hot dog, Mani Machado. San Diego Padres was third with 47 runs batted in. Now onto pitching. And in the Wins Department, it was U. Darvish all alone with eight. And an earned run average, Trevor.

For Bauer of the Cincinnati Reds, 1.73. U. Darvish was second at 201, and Denelson Lament of the Padres was third at 209. There was some very good earned run averages in the National League this season, ladies and gentlemen. Saves leader Josh Hader of the Milwaukee Brewers were 13, and your strikeout leader, Jacob de Grom of the Mets, with 104. Bauer struck out 100, which was second, and Aaron Nola of the Phillies. Yes, Austin Nola's brother struck out 96 batters good for third in the National League.

That's pretty much going to wrap up this episode of Lockdown, Mariners, ladies and gentlemen. We are doing a mailbag, which will be published tomorrow on Sunday. Still unsure of Jason Hernandez is going to be able to join me or not. Either way, I'm going to do a mailbag segment, and if he's not available, then I will hold off the email,

which I'd like him to reply to for the next one. However, for sure joining me on the next episode will be Sandy Brown. Mr. Ed and a can opener. Remember to download rate and subscribe to this program on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, or whichever podcasting app that you can think of. Follow us on Twitter at L.O. underscore Mariners, and follow me on Twitter at DC underscore Lundberg. I think my voice is giving out.

We'll be back tomorrow with the mailback episode. As I said, ladies and gentlemen, until then, have a great day. This is Joey Martin letting you know that we'll be back tomorrow for another edition of Locked-on Mariners, part of the Locked-on Podcast Network.