The 2021 MLB season is underway and Rice baseball alums are busy on the mound and at the plate. Here’s the latest from the MLB Owls from this week.
Anthony Rendon – Los Angeles Angels
Rendon has been out since April 10 with a strained groin. Reports indicate he could be back in the lineup at some point early next week, but no date has been set in stone just yet.
Through April 24, Rendon is hitting .290 with one extra-base hit, five walks and seven strikeouts. His OPS is .765.
Tyler Duffey – Minnesota Twins
Duffey’s saw a bit of extra rest after a tough outing last week, but came back strong. He threw two innings this week, striking out two, walking two and allowing no runs. He picked up his second hold of the season in the process.
Through April 24, Duffey has a 3.00 ERA with a 1.833 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.0 strikeouts per nine innings.
Brock Holt – Texas Rangers
Holt strung together a couple of sturdy games in his first week back from the injured list. He’s upped his average by more than 50 points while holding down the third base spot as well as one pinch-hit appearance, his first of the season.
Through April 24, Holt has seven hits in 26 at bats, a .269 average. He’s walked seven times, struck out six times and collected three RBI.
Lucas Luetege – New York Yankees
It was a big week for Luetege, who picked up his first major league win since Sep. 4, 2013, when he was with the Seattle Marines. This time around Luetege was called upon against the Indians, striking out one and walking one in 1.1 innings.
Picked up his first win in 2,788 days.
Congrats, @LucasLuetge 👏 pic.twitter.com/gwGJcBBx9k
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) April 24, 2021
Along the way, Luetege has limited hard contact. Following his Friday win, Luetege led all of baseball in the lowest average exit velocity against.
Aaron Boone wasn't lying last night when he said @LucasLuetge gets a lot of soft contact…
Luetge currently has the lowest average exit velocity (81.9 mph) among all pitchers with 25+ batted ball events this season.
His Hard Hit % (21.6) is in the 96th percentile as well. pic.twitter.com/jexHmdgufE
— Max Goodman (@MaxTGoodman) April 24, 2021
Through April 24, Luetge has a 4.97 ERA with a 1.263 WHIP. He’s averaging 9.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
