No-hitters, walk-offs and Shohei Ohtani: When good things happen to bad teams
By Jake Mintz
FOX Sports MLB Writer
Not every team gets to be in the postseason, but that doesn’t mean the whole season was pointless. The moments of a 162-game season are purposeful and beautiful in and of themselves.
When your favorite last-place club knocks a walk-off homer to win its first game in a week, you aren’t thinking about the standings, or how the owner won’t spend any money, or how the bullpen sucks. No, you’re enraptured in the then and there.
So before the playoffs begin in earnest, let’s say goodbye to all the bad teams (under .500) by remembering the good things that happened to them.
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1. Fernando Tatis Jr. lived up to the hype
The Padres disintegrated after the All-Star Break, but their magic man was all he was expected to be. Despite literally popping his shoulder out of its socket multiple times that led to stretches on the IL, Tatis leads the National League in taters with 41 while racking up 24 steals. And he’s still just 22.
2. The Daniel Camarena homer
The 28-year-old relief pitcher dingering off Max Scherzer to help the Padres come back and beat the Nats felt like something we’d see in a World Series DVD. Alas, it will live on the YouTubes forever.
3. Joe Musgrove
Before the hometown kid made history, the Padres were the only team in MLB history without a no-no.
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1. Bradley Zimmer homers off his brother
The 28-year-old outfielder hasn’t been truly healthy since 2017, and to see him work his way back from injuries and then dinger off his younger brother, Kyle, was very cool.
2. José Ramírez another incredible season
Sure Cleveland was arguably the most irrelevant team in baseball this year, but Ramírez did what he always does: rip 30 homers, steal 25 bags and scowl at people with a dip the size of the hope diamond in his mouth.
3. They changed the darn name
Finally. The team doesn’t deserve credit for doing what should have been done decades ago, but the club’s offensive mascot will soon be a thing of the past. See you soon, Guardians.
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1. The Lindor Game
The second-best game of the regular season after the Field of Dreams Game. The epic Mets/Yanks Sunday Night Showdown was punctuated by a holy trinity of Francisco Lindor dingers and gave Mets fans a taste of what’s to come from their franchise shortstop. The Mets still fell apart in embarrassing and unacceptable fashion, but at least everyone loves Lindor again.
2. Dominant deGrom
For three months, Jacob deGrom was the best pitcher in baseball history. He hasn’t pitched since July 7 and he’s still top 10 in pitcher WAR. If not for the injuries, deGrom would have run away with the Cy Young. Hopefully he can stay healthy next year because, man, he’s so hilariously good.
3. Pete’s Derby Win
Pete Alonso is officially The Derby Guy. His dramatic win against Trey Mancini at Coors Field was never really in doubt. Expect Polar Bear Pete to do the midsummer contest every year as long as he’s healthy. The man is a natural.
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1. Miggy 500
I’m just happy for Tigers fans. I was lucky enough to attend a game at Comerica with Miguel Cabrera sitting on 499 taters, and even though he didn’t hit one that day, the energy at the stadium was superb. There were 25,000 people out there on a Thursday afternoon. Reaching 500 homers is a well-deserved landmark for one of the greatest hitters of our generation. I’m just happy it didn’t happen in a D-Backs uniform or something.
2. Akil Baddoo
Baddoo’s homer on the first pitch he’d ever seen in the bigs and subsequent incredible April briefly made him a household name among sports fans. You may not have heard, but he followed that up with an impressively solid rookie campaign, especially for a Rule 5 pick who’d never played above High-A.
3. Spencer Turnbull no-hitter
There were like 85 no-hitters this year, so don’t apologize if you don’t remember the red-bearded Spencer Turnbull carving up the Mariners in May. It was still cool, though.
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1. Everything Shohei Ohtani did
It’s the greatest season in baseball history. The two-way supernova was the story of the season. He cranked 45 homers and threw 130 innings of 3.18 ERA baseball and stole 24 bases and struck out 156 people and hit seven triples. Ohtani is incredible; he is the sport at its most awe-inspiring. The grace with which he handled both the accolades and the criticism only speaks to the unique talent and dude he is. Ohtani forever.
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2. Shohei Ohtani at the All-Star Game
Yes, more Ohtani. Vlad Jr. won the All-Star MVP award in Denver, but the event truly belonged to Shohei. He was the talk of the town. There were so many Shohei shirseys around Denver that I lost count. Actually, no I didn’t.
3. Jared Walsh’s first half
He tailed off a bit in the second half, but for a 39th-round pick like Walsh to make the All-Star Game is a real accomplishment.
1. Arenado homecoming at All-Star Game
Nolan Arenado’s departure from Denver was an unequivocally crappy development for everyone, but to see the hometown crowd give him a standing ovation in Coors during the All-Star Game was a really great moment.
2. C.J. Cron
The Rockies were not a good team this year, but they didn’t suck as hard as people thought. C.J. Cron was a big reason for that. The burly first baseman was the team’s best hitter, no question, and should parlay that into a nice free-agent contract this offseason.
With Arenado in St. Louis and Trevor Story almost certainly gone in free agency this winter, the door is open for Rogers to be the next great Colorado infielder. The top draft pick had stalled a bit the past few years while struggling with some injuries, but his 2021 performance gives hope that he is finally living up to his lofty potential.
1. Sal Pérez home-run record
The Kansas City icon broke the all-time MLB record for most taters in a season by a catcher. Even though the Royals didn’t pick up too many wins, Salvy gave KC fans and everyone else around the baseball world a reason to tune in. What an incredible season.
2. Whit Merrifield kept playing
Merrifield seems primed to end the season as one of only two players who will play in all 162 of their team’s games (Marcus Semien is the other), keeping his consecutive games-played streak alive. Whit is no Cal Ripken, but he does have the longest active streak in MLB (469 games if he finishes out the season).
3. Nicky Lopez home run
Lopez emerged as a thrilling throwback-style player for KC this season. He's a pesky, quick middle infielder who gets on base, wreaks havoc with his legs and plays superb defense. He’s also got like no pop whatsoever and made it through 108 games without recording a dinger-donger. Then on Aug. 19th, lightning struck.
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1. Buxton’s otherworldly April
Bryon Buxton hit .426 with a 1.363 OPS and eight home runs in April. Like what in the world is that. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with Buxton, he couldn’t stay healthy and his outstanding April was just that – an April. One of these years he’ll play 150 games and the world will know the name.
2. Jorge Polanco’s five walk-offs
For a team that did not exactly do a whole lot of winning, it’s kinda wild that the Twins had five walk-offs by the same dude. Polanco’s mark tied a club record set by Kent Hrbek in 1987.
3. Sanó hits longest homer of 2021
I’d never seen anybody hit a baseball over that centerfield billboard at Fenway until Miguel Sanó walloped this ball back in August. If this blast had counted for 60 wins (as it should have) then maybe the Twins would be playing in October.
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1. Frank the Tank and Mr. Wisdom
There were really two Cubs seasons: pre-trade deadline when they still had all the good, famous players who won them the 2016 World Series; and post-trade deadline after all those dudes were dealt away. But in the Kris Bryant/Anthony Rizzo-shaped void left behind rose Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel, two hilariously old rookies who torched National League pitching in the second half. Will they be part of the Cubs’ future? Who knows? Who cares? They were a delight in 2021!
2. The Javy Báez play
One of the most unique baseball plays we’ve ever seen. You’ve already seen it, but just watch it again. Eternally beautiful.
3. Javy’s last roar
Just three days before the trade deadline — before Rizzo, Bryant and Báez were all dealt away — Javy slapped a walk-off single against the Reds and Amir Garrett. There’d been lingering beef between Báez and Garrett, which heightened the tension significantly. In retrospect, this feels like Javy’s, and the 2016 Cubs’, last hurrah.
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1. Juan Soto, best hitter on earth
I’ll remember 2021 as the year that Juan Soto unequivocally, inarguably became the greatest hitter on planet earth. He’ll finish the year with an OBP around .470, and .500 is absolutely in play for him in the future.
2. Schwarber catches fire
Before getting dealt to Boston, Kyle Schwarber gave Nats fans a D.C. tenure to remember, knocking 16 homers in an 18-game stretch in June.
3. Fans finally get to celebrate the World Series
Because of the big ol’ pandemic, Nats fans didn’t get to celebrate the club’s 2019 World Series until 2021 Opening Day. The stadium wasn’t at full capacity just yet, but the D.C. faithful did show out to honor their champs, albeit 18 months later.
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The final season line wasn’t eye-popping, but the highlights certainly were. The blue-haired Bahamian was must-see TV all year for Miami and this is only the beginning.
This dude just might win NL Rookie of the Year? More than 130 innings with an ERA under 3.00? An All-Star appearance? Just another exciting young arm for a Miami club starting to build something promising.
3. Jesús Aguilar trolling the Mets
When the Mets whole stupid ThumbsDownGate was, well, going down, Fish first basemen Aguilar trolled the NYC club with a thumbs down of his own. Sure the Mets came back and won this game, but it’s still a very delightful move from the gregarious slugger.
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1. Bryan Reynolds MVP candidate
I didn’t vote for Reynolds in our FOX Sports staff MVP voting, but I probably should have. The Bucs' center fielder was legitimately great this year. You probably didn't notice because you probably didn’t watch the Pirates, but Bryan Reynolds! Pretty good!
2. Yoshi Tsutsugo's electric September
After struggling with Tampa and the Dodgers, Tsutsugo signed with the Pirates in mid-August and proceeded to post an OPS around .950 over the last month and a half.
3. Ke’Bryan Hayes' Opening Day tater
The Pirates' young third baseman had a tough season marred by injuries, but his big fly on Opening Day was a great symbol of what might be.
1. Adolis García is on fire
What a fun player. He rips big taters. He makes absurd catches in the outfield. He’s got a howitzer of an arm. He smiles. He’s ripped. He’s just a delight. Easily one of the best surprises of the 2021 MLB season.
2. Back-to-back Jonah Heim walk-offs
Mariners fans look away. Heim bopped walk-off dingers against the M’s on back-to-back nights, the first player to pull that off since Albert Pujols in 2011.
3. Two no-hitters!
Now granted, the Rangers were on the receiving end in both of those games, but hey, their fans got to see Corey Kluber and Joe Musgrove make history.
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1. Cedric Mullins 30/30
The Orioles' sterling leadoff man became the first player in franchise history to steal 30 bags and hit 30 homers. He also started the All-Star Game in place of Mike Trout, who missed out due to injury. Imagine hearing that a year ago.
2. John Means' no-hitter
Ahhhh! This was so much fun! Wow! The closest to a perfect game a no-hitter can be! Means faced just 27 Mariners hitters, but one reached on a dropped-third strike.
3. Ryan Mountcastle is the real deal
He was a catastrophe in April, but figured things out over the course of the season and put himself in contention for the AL Rookie of the Year with 30-plus homers. A real-life Good Hitter on the Baltimore Orioles!
1. Innings 1-3 of Tyler Gilbert’s no-hitter
Oh coolio, here comes a new guy who’s never pitched in the big leagues before. He looks pretty good!
2. Innings 4-6 of Tyler Gilbert’s no-hitter
Wow, I guess he’s still out there. No hits, huh?
3. Innings 7-9 of Tyler Gilbert’s no-hitter
See, something good happened to the 2021 D-Backs.
Jake Mintz is the louder half of @CespedesBBQ and a baseball analyst for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan living in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Mintz.