Hogs in the Bigs, Week 8 Review

The quantity of Pro Hogs active in the Majors has shrunk considerably since the prorated season started in July.

But the quality. Oh man, the quality.

You want to see defense? You want to see deep shots? You want to see pitching? Read on, Hog fan.

Brian Anderson (Miami Marlins) – .273 BA, 6 HR, 18 R, 25 RBI

Brian’s been raking as of late, and he’s tied for the team-high in home runs and is near the top in most other offensive categories. But he’s got to lead the team in absolutely absurd plays on defense.

Evidence A:

Previous Week: Brian had a nice week at the plate, got a dinger off the Mets, yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah...

Have you seen his cleats?

Jalen Beeks (Tampa Bay Rays) – 1-1, 3.26 ERA, 26 K, 1 Save

Bad news struck Jalen pretty hard, when he tore his ulnar collateral ligament. He’s done for the year and will undergo Tommy John surgery. So he’s done for 2021, too. May he keep his head up, get after recovery, and come back stronger than ever.

Andrew Benintendi (Boston Red Sox) – .103 BA, 4 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB

Last week they made it official: Benny’s done for the year. This was shaping up to be a lost year for Benintendi, at any rate, before he went on the Injured List. The goal now is to get ready to completely own 2021.

Previous Week: Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke hopes that Benintendi will come back this season but mentioned the possibility that his season may be done. You know Benny wants to make up for that ugly start to the season, but he may need to focus on coming out of the 2021 gates strong. The Red Sox aren’t playing for anything this year.

Logan Forsythe (Miami Marlins) – .118 BA, 1 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI; 0-0, 9.00 ERA

Forsythe went down with an oblique strain and was placed on the 60-day IL. He’s done for the year.

Dallas Keuchel (Chicago White Sox) – 6-2, 2.19 ERA, 32 K

Dallas missed his start last week, to rest his back. It sounds like the White Sox were just being ultra-cautious, and he should be ready to go as soon as he is able to be activated from the Injured List. That looks to be Thursday against the Twins, their biggest competition for the division crown. Should be epic.

Previous Week: Big D was big-time this week, not allowing a single run in his two starts. On Sunday he was on pace to storm through a complete game, but he left the game in the fifth inning with lower back stiffness. Hopefully, rest will cure that. His ERA this year is lower than it was in 2015, his Cy Young year.

James McCann (Chicago White Sox) – .316 BA, 5 HR, 15 R, 12 RBI

McCann had a NIGHT on Wednesday, against the Pirates. Here’s a highlight:

Hey, here’s another highlight:

James McCann is gonna get paaaaiiiidddd this off-season. In the meantime, he and Keuchel are chasing a ring together.

Previous Week: The McCannon had another solid week at the plate, highlighted by his 2-for-4 day on Monday, when he scored two key runs against the Twins. He’s been a big part of the Sox’ success atop the AL Central.

Drew Smyly (San Francisco Giants) – 0-0, 2.92 ERA, 19 K

Smiles finally got back on the mound on Thursday, going four innings in relief and giving up two runs (one earned). His eight strikeouts were eye-catching. He’s going to be an important piece for the Giants as they try to get one of the final wild card spots.

Previous Week: Drew threw about 50 pitches in a simulated start on Saturday. It’s getting about that time. The Giants are in the hunt for the last wild-card spot, so they’ll love to bolster that pitching.

Ryne Stanek (Miami Marlins) – 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 3 K

Ryne pitched really well this week, not giving up a single run in three mop-up duty appearances. That ERA that was stuck in double digits since July has gone down significantly. Look for him to get involved in tighter games as he shakes the rust off.

Previous Week: He back! Stanek was activated off the IL on Friday. He hasn’t entered a game yet, but expect him to get back in the thick of it as the Marlins fight for their postseason lives. They are currently in a virtual tie with the Giants for the last wild-card spot in the NL.

We have two weeks left of the regular season, and all five Pro Hogs still playing are in the race for the postseason. Gear up for some heroic moments from these guys, as the moments get larger and larger. It’s gonna be a blast!

Thanks for reading. Go ahead and follow @ArkansasFight on Twitter. For Hog reactions and puns from the guy who wanted to call this feature “Pigs in the Bigs”, follow @lukecdavis.