Tauchman Catch Named MLB Play of the Week

Former Bradley All-American Mike Tauchman's home-run-robbing catch last Tuesday at Baltimore just one of many highlights of late for the Yankees outfielder

Tauchman's HR robbery earns Play of the Week

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Baseball 8/12/2019 4:41:00 PM

Former Bradley Baseball All-American Mike Tauchman has been on an offensive hot streak for the New York Yankees, but it was his defensive efforts that were recognized by Major League Baseball Monday: Tauchman's home-run-robbing catch Tuesday at Baltimore has been named the MLB Play of the Week presented by W.B. Mason, according to a posting on MLB.com Monday afternoon.

Tauchman's highlight catch Tuesday, which denied Baltimore catcher Pedro Severino of a fourth-inning home run, was just part of a big night and a big week for the 2013 NCAA Division I batting champion. In addition to his catch, which was the No. 2 play during Tuesday night's ESPN SportsCenter Top Plays segment, Tauchman was 2-for-4 with a solo home run and a RBI double in New York's 9-4 win. After hitting home runs in the sixth and eighth inning of Monday's 9-6 win at Baltimore, Tauchman's third-inning bomb Tuesday gave him home runs in three consecutive plate appearances and he rode the hot start to the week to a .417 batting average, .517 on-base percentage and 1.125 slugging percentage with five home runs and 10 RBIs in his seven games last week.

Tauchman's sixth-inning home run Monday also was New York's 30th of the year at Baltimore's Camden Yards, breaking a 62-year-old MLB record for the most home runs by one team in a season in a single opponent's ballpark, previously set by the 1957 Milwaukee Braves with 29 home runs at Cincinnati's Crosley Field.

Mike Tauchman just became a part of MLB history: his 6th inning HR at Baltimore was the 30th of the year by the Yankees at Camden Yards, breaking the 1957 Milwaukee Braves MLB record for the most HR in another team's ballpark (Cincinnati). #ProBraves https://t.co/G9pEc8Ti50
— Bradley Baseball (@BradleyBaseball) August 6, 2019

Despite an 0-for-4 showing in the first game of a home doubleheader today against Baltimore, Tauchman is batting .294 with 12 home runs and 41 RBIs in his 66 games for the Yankees this season. His batting average currently ranks fourth for the Yankees, while his .941 OPS is second. In the last 30 games, however, Tauchman leads all of Major League Baseball with a .408 batting average (minimum 2.5 AB/gm), while his 1.319 OPS is second only to Minnesota's Nelson Cruz.

Is Mike Tauchman hot? #ProBraves https://t.co/cyZncupx6o
— Bradley Baseball (@BradleyBaseball) August 7, 2019

With the ability to play all three outfield positions, Tauchman's efforts have helped the injury-ravaged Yankees to the best record in the American League. At 78-41 entering tonight's doubleheader nightcap against the Orioles, New York owns a 9-game lead in the AL East standings. While slugger Aaron Judge did not play in Monday's first game, Tauchman is being given a game off in tonight's nightcap.

Tauchman starred at Bradley from 2010-13. A three-time All-Missouri Valley Conference outfielder, he was the 2013 Joe Carter MVC Player of the Year when he led the nation with a .425 batting average. Tauchman was selected in the 10th round of the 2013 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Colorado Rockies and made his MLB debut with the Rockies in 2017. After blistering Triple-A pitching for the Colorado's Pacific Coast League affiliate Albuquerque Isotopes the previous two seasons, Tauchman was traded to New York March 23 for LHP Phillip Diehl.

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