The offensive player for May 2019 comes from a competitive field. Nolan Arenado of the Rockies posted the best on-base percentage of the month, minimum 80 PA. His .479 mark came mostly from hits, as he batter .425 in May. He hit for power, too, with nine doubles and nine home runs, with a triple thrown in for good measure.

He did not lead the majors in slugging percentage, however. That goes to part-time player Derek Dietrich who blasted 12 home runs in the month out of the 21 hits he collected. Along with one double, he slugged .841.

Josh Bell came in second in slugging percentage with a .797 mark, and played much more than Dietrich. He also hit 12 home runs, but added 12 doubles. Along with a .442 OBP, he is the main competitor to Arenado. Bell’s twelve home runs tied Dietrich and Alex Bregman for the league lead, and his 12 doubles led the league outright. Bell also led the league in runs scored and RBI. Josh Bell is the Baseball Musings Offensive Player of the Month.

Pitcher of the month presents an easier decision. Hyun-Jin Ryu posted a 0.59 ERA for the month. He allowed three runs, three walks, and no home runs in 45 2/3 innings. Mike Soroka and Jake Odorizzi came close in terms of ERA, but in many fewer innings, and no where close in walks and home runs allowed.

If you look at the ERA leaders for the month, a number of them posted relatively low strikeout rates. In fact, the high K per 9 IP pitchers for the month were good, but not outstanding. Some had high walk totals, some high home run totals, some had losing records. Batters do seem to be putting the ball in play lately. Maybe Ryu going on a tear with a low strikeout rate is another indication the ever increasing amount of strikeouts is about to reverse.

Congratulation to Hyun-Jin Ryu, the Baseball Musings Pitcher of the Month for May 2019.