Major League Baseball is a jungle. Bae Ji-hwan (Pittsburgh Pirates), who has been on the disabled list since the end of the first half, is now in danger of disappearing from the National League’s top 10.
Bae has been on the disabled list since April 2 against the Milwaukee Brewers with an ankle injury. The All-Star break is over and the second half of the schedule is underway, but Bae shows no signs of returning. Nothing can take precedence over health. It’s important for Bae to recover from his ankle first.체스카지노
Bae’s last stolen base was over a month ago. On June 17, he surpassed the 20-steal mark for the season against the Milwaukee Brewers. While he was off, a lot of his competition ran away and caught up. National League stolen base leader Ronald Acuna Jr. (Atlanta Braves, 44 stolen bases) has moved up to first in the majors. I had him booked as the National League stolen base leader early on.
But second-place Corbin Carroll (Arizona Diamondbacks) is in trouble. Carroll stole his 29th base of the season on July 21 against the Atlanta Braves in front of Akuna. Three steals in his last three games. He still has a big gap to Akuna, but he’s in a two-way tie for second.
In third place, Bae is not far behind. Starling Marte (New York Mets, 24), Jake McCarty (Arizona, 22), Nico Hounsou (Chicago Cubs), Trey Turner (Philadelphia Phillies), and Christian Yelich (Milwaukee Brewers, 21+) are all within striking distance. If Bae can stay healthy, he could challenge for the top three.
But Bae’s pursuers are no slouches either. Ha-Sung Kim (San Diego Padres) is close behind. He’s tied for ninth with CJ Abrams (Washington Nationals) and Tyro Estrada (San Francisco Giants) with 18 or more stolen bases. They are only two behind, so Bae could overtake them in a day or two.
Kim has been on a roll lately, reaching base in 15 straight games in July. He also has five stolen bases in July. He had his streak snapped on July 21 when he came off the bench against the Toronto Blue Jays, but as a leadoff hitter, he has plenty of opportunities to get on base and steal bases.
Eli De La Cruz (21, Cincinnati Reds), the “Dominican Freak,” is the biggest dark horse. He made his major league debut on June 7 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and stole 17 bases in just 37 games. With his insane athleticism, he quickly became a household name in Cincinnati. He hasn’t stolen a base in three straight games, including a failed attempt against the San Francisco Giants on July 21. He has the athleticism to steal three bases in a single at-bat. He has the potential to overtake Bae as the National League leader in stolen bases. His fastball was also clocked at 99.8 mph in the top of the fourth inning on defense.
Bae is already 15th in stolen bases in the major leagues. In the National League, he could be as high as third, or he could be out of the top 10. It all depends on how his ankle heals and when he returns.