Bobby Witt Jr. blows away the competition for July player of the month. I like to start with on base percentage, and Witt comes in first with a .520 mark. That’s decently far ahead of Aaron Judge at .482, but the components of Witt’s OBP separate the two further. Witt collected 44 hits, six walks, and two hit by pitches, while Judge walked a ton, 27 hits, 25 walks, and two HBP. Witt’s 44 hits gave him a .489 BA for the month, almost 100 points ahead of Xavier Edwards. It’s tough to hit .400 for a month; .489 is unreal. Finally, collected 16 extra-base hits for an .833 slugging percentage. That topped the majors as well, although he was one of four hitters slugging .800 for the month. Note that Brent Rooker, with a .391/.461/.828 slash line, eleven homers, 30 RBI and 21 runs scored makes a pretty good case, but doesn’t quite succeed. Bobby Witt Jr. is the Baseball Musings Player of the Month for July 2024.

I find choosing a pitcher of the month more difficult. Hunter Greene posted a 0.33 ERA, his only run allowed coming on a home run. He only made four starts and pitched 27 innings. George Kirby didn’t allow a home run in 36 2/3 innings. His 1-2 record was undeserved given his 2.21 ERA. He made six starts, however, not going as deep in games as Greene. The top three in K per 9 IP all posted terrible ERAs.

So I think I have take the low innings for what they are worth and look at the three leaders in ERA, Greene, Taj Bradley, and Paul Skenes. Skenes wins strikeout and walk rate, Bradley pitched the most innings at 31. Greene’s ERA was so low, however, due his only allowing nine hits. None of those hits came with a man on base. Twenty six at bats, one walk, three hit batters, only six strikeouts. It seems like batters decided to attack Greene with men on base, and couldn’t make decent contact.

Hunter Greene wins the Baseball Musings Pitcher of the Month for July 2024.