It’s hard to believe that we’ve arrived at the final week of the regular season. I often use sports seasons more than traditional seasons of the year to demarcate stages of my life. Despite my disappointment at the Yankees’ inability to secure a playoff berth, the imminent shift to the postseason has allowed me to reflect on the year so far. I’ve enjoyed a variety of experiences and learned about a few players whose careers appear to be on the rise.
I wrote about meeting several Ducks players back in March, and suddenly the 2023 preseason is upon us with Anaheim’s home opener slated for October 15. While I was thrilled to speak with players like Jamie Drysdale, Dorina posed with Derek Grant who is now playing professionally in Switzerland.
Across the 57 freeway, there’s no question that the Angels struggled in 2023. Nevertheless, general manager Perry Minasian made a shrewd trade to acquire outfielder Mickey Moniak from the Phillies last August. Despite playing in only 83 games this campaign in part due to injuries, Moniak has hit .280 with 13 home runs while compiling 1.4 Wins Above Replacement (WAR). He could stand to improve when it comes to plate discipline, but the change of scenery appears to have Moniak heading in the right direction. Moniak has turned in some defensive gems as well. In an August 8 interleague matchup with the Giants, he leaped to prevent a possible Joc Pederson home run that would have tied the game. It seemed like a sure hit off the bat with an expected batting average of .970.
This past year, in addition to attending a variety of sporting events, Dorina and I have enjoyed many museum visits together. It has been nice sharing experiences with someone as passionate about the arts as I am. I have been in awe of Dorina and her creative instincts as she explores different media. This beautiful abstract beach scene looks even better in person.
A lot has been made about Cody Bellinger’s renaissance with the Cubs this season, but the Dodgers are fortunate to have rookie outfielder James Outman in their lineup. On Tuesday night in Denver, he registered four hits in six at-bats as Los Angeles trampled the Rockies 11-2. Outman has amassed 23 home runs and 15 stolen bases this season with a WAR of 4.4 while earning the bargain sum of $722,500. Despite being hit by pitches 12 times, he has been durable enough to appear in 147 games as of this writing. Fans were right to be excited when he picked up six hits in his first 13 career at-bats.
I had the great privilege of becoming an uncle this year with two nephews born in the span of a month. I flew to Northern California in March to visit my sister’s family, while my trip to my brother’s home in New York during April became the piece many of you have already read below. It was such a delight to meet them for the first time, and Christmas is going to feel extra special this year.
The Yankees have secured another season of .500 play or better, a streak dating back to 1993. However, it wasn’t enough to send them to the postseason. Among the injuries and offensive underperformance, rookie shortstop Anthony Volpe has turned in a WAR of 1.9 which ranks third among New York’s position players. The batting average of .207 is nothing remarkable, but his defensive prowess has come in handy. Volpe also added 21 round trippers and 24 stolen bases while being caught stealing only five times.
When I spent my birthday at Petco Park, the most improved Padres player seemed obvious. Korean second baseman Ha-Seong Kim put together a 16-game hitting streak from July into August, and he made several sparkling plays with the glove against the Diamondbacks. While Kim has cooled off in September, his 4.1 WAR and 17 homers both reflect career highs.
Baseball will always be one of my great passions, and I love sharing that with the people in my life. As I have mentioned, I'm also something of an art lover. When I’m not at monolithic institutions like The Met, I drop by small local museums like the Muckenthaler Cultural Center. The Generations of Clay exhibit included a piece entitled Questions in the Air by Vincent Suez that I used for this article’s top photo. The Aimee Aul collection, which included several small paintings of koi fish, was also worth a look. After we left the gallery, Dorina and I posed with a wooden totem in the surrounding garden. Whatever you live for, I advise trying to do just a little more of it when you get the chance.