2017 Postseason: By the Numbers
The 2017 season is officially over. The Durham Bulls couldn’t play another game even if they wanted to. The Bulls won the International League South Division by 15 games with an 86–56 regular season record, they then took the Governors’ Cup home by knocking off both Indianapolis and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, before the club capped off an amazing season by defeating the Memphis Redbirds in the Triple-A National Championship Game.
There’s little else that can be written about this year’s team that hasn’t already been said, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some fun statistical nuggets to help put the Bulls’ playoff performance into perspective. Let’s start from the beginning.
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NUGGETS
o The Bulls’ 5–3 victory over Memphis moved them into a four-way tie for the most Triple-A National Championships at two.
o Durham’s three appearances in the marquee event is also tied for the most of any franchise with two other teams.
o The Bulls are the only team to face the same team in two separate National Championship games, with the club beating Memphis in both 2017 and 2009
o Kean Wong’s decisive grand slam in the fourth inning was the first granny in the 12-year history of the game
o Wong also set a championship record with seven total bases while tying the record with four RBI and three hits.
o Wong became the first middle infielder and just the third infielder overall to be named the game’s MVP after going 3–4, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, R
GOVERNORS’ CUP PLAYOFFS FACTOIDS
o The Bulls’ are now tied for sixth all-time in International League history with five Governors’ Cups despite only being a Triple-A team for 20 seasons.
o No other team has won more than three I.L. titles since the Bulls joined the league in 1998.
o The Bulls have played in the Governors’ Cup Finals 11 times in their 20 years in the I.L. No other team has appeared in more than six (Scranton/Wilkes-Barre).
o Six of the Bulls’ 11 Finals appearances have come against either Scranton/WB or Pawtucket, with the club going 4–2 in those series.
BIG BATS BRING WINS
o The Bulls’ lineup scored 10 runs in their first playoff game vs. Indianapolis, setting a tone for the remainder of the postseason.
o Durham’s offense scored 39 runs over nine total games for an average of 4.3 R/G, slightly lower than the club’s 4.5 R/G in the regular season.
o However all 39 of those runs came in the team’s seven wins (both loses came on shutouts), giving the Bulls a 5.6 R/G average in their victories.
BUT PITCHING BRINGS CHAMPIONSHIPS
o The Bulls’ pitching staff had the lowest ERA of any of the eight Triple-A postseason teams at 2.28.
o The classification-leading ERA included two shutouts and six games with three runs or fewer allowed.
o The two postseason shutouts joined the team’s 18 regular season blankings, which were tied for the most in the I.L.
MVP STRETCH BY BAUERS
o First baseman Jake Bauers was named the Governors’ Cup MVP after batting .394 with a home run, three doubles, and five RBI over eight games.
o The 21-year-old led all I.L. postseason batters in Runs (7) and SLG % (.576), while tying for the league lead in AVG (.394), and Hits (13).
o Bauers had at least one hit in all nine Bulls’ postseason games, including five multi-hits games.
o The Rays’ №5 prospect tied the Bulls’ postseason record with 14 total hits (including the National Championship Game), joining Nick Franklin who also accomplished the feat in nine games in 2014.
SWEET POSTSEASON FOR HONEYWELL
o RHP Brent Honeywell went 2–0 with a 0.60 ERA (3 ER, 15 IP) and 14 Ks over three postseason appearances.
o Became the only I.L. pitcher this postseason to strike out 10 batters when he did so over six scoreless innings in Game Three of the Championship Round.
o Earned the win in the Triple-A National Championship Game after tossing 2.2 scoreless innings in his only relief appearances of the season.
MORE TO COME?
o In the Bulls’ 20-year history as a Triple-A team, the club has made the postseason 14 times. Each of those playoff appearances was a part of a streak of at least two straight seasons in the postseason.
