Going To California: Bumgarner Tops MLB Sales List With Strong West Coast Presence

Giants P Madison Bumgarner leads all MLBers in merchandise (jerseys, t-shirts, etc.) sold on Fanatics.com since Jan. 1. Rounding out the top three are Angels CF Mike Trout and Bumgarner's teammate, C Buster Posey. NL players make up seven of the top 10. Also, all players in the top five -- Bumgarner, Trout, Posey, Dodgers P Clayton Kershaw and RF Yasiel Puig -- play in California (THE DAILY). Fanatics President of Merchandising Jack Boyle said, "We haven’t seen this before. There’s always been greater balance out there -- East Coast, Midwest, West Coast.” In S.F., Henry Schulman notes "some of this is cyclical." Former MLBers Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera's gear "moved well as they embarked on their retirement tours" with the Yankees. However, Posey "has been a top-seller on Fanatics.com and its related sites for the past five years." Boyle: "I think baseball is looking for the next face of baseball. Buster could be the next big guy out there." Schulman notes Posey on Thursday won MLB Network’s "Face of MLB" vote, defeating Mets 3B David Wright in the "finals of the bracket-style competition," 52% to 48%. That "had more to do with the Giants' social-media machine" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 2/27). 

DEEP DISH: In Chicago, Phil Thompson notes Cubs jerseys last season "ranked ninth in total sales" on Fanatics, while the White Sox were 17th. The White Sox' top five sellers are for P Jeff Samardzija, 1B Jose Abreu, LF Melky Cabrera, SS Alexei Ramirez and P Chris Sale. The Cubs' top fiver are as follows: Lester, 1B Anthony Rizzo, SS Starlin Castro, 2B Javier Baez and RF Jorge Soler (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 2/26).