Image credit: Reggie Hildred-USA TODAY Sports
Each weekday during the regular season, the Box Score Banter series highlights a moment of two from the previous slate of action, then recognizes top performances and previews the best games of the day ahead. Here are some of the best pieces of shortform writing that the year provided.
Nick Fortes Steals the Sho(w)
Written by: Alexandra Whitley
Dodgers 20, Marlins 4
Three years and one day ago, Nicholas Fortes made his MLB debut. He homered. In his second game, he homered again. A few days later, he hit a pinch-hit homer. All three were losses, and the average attendance was 8,045 people, but it does provide him the honorary title of “first player in franchise history to homer in three of his first five games.” The Marlins being an expansion franchise dims the label some, but it’s worth something. In 2022, he added to that hardware by tying for second in WARP among Marlins position players. At 1.2.
It is probable that in two decades, there will be no physical evidence of Fortes ever hitting a professional home run. He now has 23 of them, and fewer than half have surpassed 400 feet; the median attendance of his 22 games with homers is 12,195. Only two of Fortes’ homers came with 30,000-plus in attendance, and only three more at the 20,000-plus level. Sixteen have been at home, where the bullpens are in left field, his pull direction. That means lots of these aren’t getting to the stands, and the stands are pretty empty. Accordingly, lots of Fortes home run balls are likely getting raffled off as game-used baseball giveaways.
Numbers that will live forever: 96.7 mph exit velocity. 367 feet. Still gone in 21 ballparks. Just beyond the reach of Chris Taylor and into a despondent bullpen. It rattles around, nearly bouncing back out onto the field through the bullpen door that Taylor swings open. No kayakers telling him he hasn’t “earned it.” Just history.
Fortes doesn’t hit the ball very hard; his average exit velocity this year is a mere 84.2 mph. His career hard-hit rate is 31.5%, lagging now at 22.2%. His top-end power is decent, but he’s never getting to it; in 218 minor league games, he hit 13 home runs. Other than his 14-game debut, he’s been a below-average hitter, and that’s underselling it in these last two years.
Four home runs in 2024. Two in separate 20-4 losses. History.
Oh, okay. I get it.
It’s Not Triskaidekaphobia, It’s Just Fear of White Sox/Angels
Written by: Andrew Mearns
Los Angeles (AL) 4, Chicago (AL) 3 (13 innings)
AB
R
H
RBI
HR
J. Adams
5
1
1
1
0
The scene begins around a quarter to six, Eastern Time. I hear that those White Sox have a slim 1-0 lead out in Anaheim. I tune in. Why not? Life’s finite, but it’s not that finite.
…
IP
H
R
BB
K
Miller
1
0
0
0
3
…
