August 16, 2025

Electrifying 80s Newsletter - April

The Electrifying 80s Newsletter - April Update
ELECTRIFYING 80s
MLB's Most Dynamic Decade - April Newsletter
WELCOME TO BASEBALL'S NEON ERA
Where legends were made and records were shattered
WELCOME TO THE DECADE OF SPEED AND POWER
The 1980s weren't just about neon colors and big hair — they represented one of baseball's most electrifying eras. The 1980s was a decade where speed and pitching ruled, featuring legendary stolen base artists and dominant hurlers who defined the game for a generation. The "Electrifying 80s" season celebrates the best players for each franchise during the decade featured on MLB The Show 23.

📊 APRIL STANDINGS

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AL EAST

1. Blue Jays 15-12 (.556)
2. Orioles 14-13 (.519)
3. Brewers 14-14 (.500)
4. Red Sox 13-15 (.464)
5. Yankees 10-18 (.357)

AL CENTRAL

1. Twins 19-9 (.679)
2. White Sox 17-11 (.607)
3. Tigers 15-12 (.556)
4. Indians 12-15 (.444)
5. Royals 11-17 (.393)

AL WEST

1. Angels 17-11 (.607)
2. Rangers 15-12 (.556)
3. Mariners 15-12 (.556)
4. Athletics 12-16 (.429)
5. Pilots 5-22 (.185)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

NL EAST

1. Mets 20-8 (.714)
2. Braves 18-10 (.643)
3. Expos 13-13 (.500)
4. Phillies 12-16 (.429)
5. Marlins 10-18 (.357)

NL CENTRAL

1. Cubs 15-12 (.556)
2. Pirates 15-13 (.536)
3. Reds 15-13 (.536)
4. Cardinals 11-17 (.393)
5. Knights 7-20 (.259)

NL WEST

1. Astros 18-10 (.643)
2. Giants 17-10 (.630)
3. Padres 17-11 (.607)
4. Dodgers 15-13 (.536)
5. Rockies 7-21 (.250)

⚾ TOP HITTERS - APRIL LEADERS

BATTING AVERAGE LEADERS

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Don Mattingly (Yankees) - .400

2. Mike Davis (Athletics) - .374

3. Rich Gedman (Red Sox) - .354

4. Rick Burleson (Angels) - .349

5. Al Oliver (Rangers) - .341

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Mark Grace (Cubs) - .373

2. Tony Gwynn (Padres) - .372

3. Keith Hernandez (Mets) - .370

4. Jason Thompson (Pirates) - .363

5. Johnny Ray (Pirates) - .358

The Mets lead the league in batting average (.299) followed by the Red Sox (.287), Pirates and Padres (.282), and finally the Giants (.280) round out the top five clubs.

HOME RUN LEADERS BY LEAGUE:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Mark McGwire (Athletics) - 10

2. Don Mattingly (Yankees) - 9

3. Reggie Jackson (Angels) - 8

T4. Tom Brunansky (Twins) - 8

5. Kent Hrbek (Twins) - 7

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Jack Clark (Cardinals) - 11

2. Howard Johnson (Mets) - 9

3. Andre Dawson (Cubs) - 8

T4. Darryl Strawberry (Mets) - 7

T4. Juan Samuel (Phillies) - 7

Power Display: The A's lead the league in homers with 35 followed by the Orioles, Brewers, and Twins (34). The Padres round out the top five with 32.


⚾ RBI LEADERS - APRIL CLUTCH PERFORMERS

RBI LEADERS

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Don Mattingly (Yankees) - 21

2. Mike Greenwell (Red Sox) - 20

3. Larry Sheets (Orioles) - 19

T4. Reggie Jackson (Angels) - 19

T4. Eddie Murray (Orioles) - 19

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Howard Johnson (Mets) - 32

2. Lee Mazzilli (Mets) - 28

3. Pedro Guerrero (Dodgers) - 27

4. Andre Dawson (Cubs) - 23

5. John Kruk (Padres) - 22

The Mets dominate RBI production at 131 with HoJo leading all of baseball and Mazzilli contributing significantly to their offensive attack


⚾ STARTING PITCHERS - APRIL DOMINANCE

ACE SPOTLIGHT: DWIGHT GOODEN (METS)

Record: (4-1), GS 6

ERA: 1.07

Strikeouts: 52 in 50.1 IP

WHIP: 0.89

Complete Games: 3

Shutouts: 3

BB: 13

Hits Allowed: 32

Doc Gooden is putting up vintage numbers, striking out over 9 batters per 9 innings while maintaining elite control

STARTING ROTATION DEPTH:

TOP STARTERS

Jose DeLeon PIT (4-0, 1.62 ERA)

Kevin Brown TEX (3-0, 1.53 ERA)

Scott Bankhead SEA (2-0, 0.60 ERA)

WORKHORSES

Nolan Ryan HOU (3-2, 45.1 IP, 64 SO)

Len Barker CLE (3-1, 45.0 IP)

Dave Stewart OAK (3-1, 44.2 IP)

1980s Excellence: The Mets lead the league in ERA (2.19). They are followed by the Astros (2.34), Mariners (2.53), Tigers (2.59), and the Dodgers (2.64)


⚾ RELIEF PITCHERS - THE CLOSERS

CLOSER SPOTLIGHT: MARK DAVIS (PADRES)

Innings Pitched:10.1

Saves: 11

ERA: 0.87

WHIP: 0.87

SO: 7

BB: 1

Hits Allowed: 8

HRs Allowed: 0

Tied for the league lead in saves and has been keeping the Padres in a huge three-way battle in the NL West

BULLPEN DEPTH CHART:

ELITE CLOSERS

Rob Dibble CIN (9 SV, 0.00 ERA, 13 K)

Bobby Thigpen CWS (10 SV, 0.00 ERA)

Gene Garber ATL (10 SV, 0.96 ERA)

TOP FIREMEN

Bruce Sutter STL (7 SV, 2,57 ERA, 13 K)

Jesse Orosco NYM (9 SV, 1.64 ERA)

Rollie Fingers MIL (7 SV, 2.38 ERA)

1980s Bullpen Power: The decade that revolutionized relief pitching shows its depth with dominant late-inning specialists controlling games


⚾ RED SOX RECAP - APRIL STRUGGLES

APRIL RECORD: 13-15 (.464) - 4th in AL East

WHO'S HOT 🔥

Rich Gedman (C): .354 AVG, 17 RBIs - Elite production from behind the plate

Mike Greenwell (LF): .339 AVG, 20 RBIs - Clutch hitting driving in runs

Calvin Schiraldi (CP): 0.00 ERA, 9.1 IP 11 SO, 3 saves - Lockdown closer performance

Wade Boggs (3B): Continues to be an on-base machine .413 OBP, .330 AVG

WHO'S NOT ❄️

Jim Rice (LF): .184 AVG - The veteran slugger struggling to find his stroke

Bob Stanley (RP): (0-1) 13.1 IP 9.88 ERA - Has to be a reliable high leverage bridge to Schiraldi

Bobby Ojeda (SP): (0-2) 7.62 ERA - Could lose his spot in the rotation

Overall Pitching: Boston ranks 27th with a 4.10 ERA

Red Sox Outlook: The offense is being spearheaded by Gedman, Boggs, and Greenwell, and the starting pitching has been somewhat consistent outside of Ojeda. However, an inconsistent bullpen is preventing the team from securing more wins by failing to get the lead to Schiraldi. With 2.5 games behind Toronto, a turnaround depends on Rice finding his form and the bullpen providing more lockdown innings.


🌟 PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS - APRIL STARS

AMERICAN LEAGUE: DON MATTINGLY

The Hitman Leading Multiple Categories

Yankees first baseman Don Mattingly is having a monster April, leading the AL in both batting average (.400) and RBIs (21) while also smacking 9 home runs. His balanced offensive approach exemplify the complete hitter that defined 1980s baseball excellence.

Mattingly's .400 average through April brings back memories of his peak years when he was considered the best pure hitter in baseball.

NATIONAL LEAGUE: HOWARD JOHNSON

HoJo's Power Surge Driving Mets Success

Mets third baseman Howard Johnson is the NL's RBI leader with 32, combining with 9 home runs to fuel New York's 20-8 start. His speed and power combination represents the dynamic athleticism that made the 1980s so exciting for baseball fans.

Johnson's versatility and clutch hitting exemplify the multi-tool players who thrived in baseball's most electrifying decade.

• Thanks for reading The Electrifying 80s Newsletter •
• Follow my channel playlist @greenmonster37ft for 80s baseball action •

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