i like this guy
The absolute unit that could. pic.twitter.com/r2a5uj9E7o— MLB (@MLB) September 13, 2018
i don't know much about him, but his plate discipline is weird! for the last 5 years running he's struck out less than 5% of the time and walked less than 5% of the time.
― Karl Malone, Friday, 14 September 2018 15:44 (five years ago) link
Willians Astudillo
― Karl Malone, Friday, 14 September 2018 15:45 (five years ago) link
i don't follow the twins closely, but they currently have two of the top ten prospects, plus this guy. let's go twins!!
― Karl Malone, Friday, 14 September 2018 15:46 (five years ago) link
Astudillo is a folk hero in the EW circles
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Friday, 14 September 2018 15:51 (five years ago) link
rightly so...
FG has the Red Sox WS odds at 16.4%, while the Astros are at 23.7%. How does that make sense? Aren't the Sox a better team?
― frogbs, Friday, 14 September 2018 15:51 (five years ago) link
definitely the better team. that's odd. also, just yesterday on the radio (just a little sports round-up segment on chicago NPR) they were saying that the Red Sox's odds to win the WS were > 25%? maybe half the red sox got injured this morning
― Karl Malone, Friday, 14 September 2018 15:57 (five years ago) link
yea 538 has it as 28% Sox, 25% Astros. that's uh...a pretty significant difference. I think FG's methodology is more sophisticated than 538s, which IIRC is based almost entirely on ELO.
― frogbs, Friday, 14 September 2018 16:02 (five years ago) link
could it be based on match-ups in the first round
― na (NA), Friday, 14 September 2018 16:20 (five years ago) link
like houston actually has it easier by playing cleveland, while boston has to play the a's or yankees?
― na (NA), Friday, 14 September 2018 16:22 (five years ago) link
that's how it works, right?
Boston has the better record, wouldn't they be playing Cleveland? or does the #1 seed play the wild-card winner every time? that seems a little unfair since the wild-card winner is likely to have a better record than the #3 division winner
― frogbs, Friday, 14 September 2018 17:38 (five years ago) link
plus the a’s/yankees will presumably have burnt their best starter before facing the sox
tbf i’m not sure the a’s even have any starters left
― mookieproof, Friday, 14 September 2018 17:43 (five years ago) link
yeah idk how that factors into the playoff calculations. for example, if the Brewers get the wildcard, I'm assuming their starter is going 3 innings max. if they win whoever plays them in the divisional round is definitely gonna be at an advantage.
― frogbs, Friday, 14 September 2018 17:48 (five years ago) link
The Astros have a better run differential than the Red Sox, so the simulations probably see them as even despite the differences in team wins. And with both wild card teams being better than the Indians, the Astros should definitely be big favorites to reach the WS again.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Friday, 14 September 2018 18:06 (five years ago) link
The Astros are kind of underrated now because they won last year (winning the first time is a great story, winning the second time doesn't have any broad appeal so people don't talk about them as much) and don't have a clear MVP favourite.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Friday, 14 September 2018 18:11 (five years ago) link
Red Sox are also something like 20-X vs the Orioles where X is an interger >0 but <10 and Orioles /= a major league team
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Friday, 14 September 2018 19:36 (five years ago) link
14-2
and in those games chris davis is 5-for-50 with 29 K
― mookieproof, Friday, 14 September 2018 20:18 (five years ago) link
Boston is having a heck of a year and their lineup is really great but in a short series, I think Houston's starting pitching makes it a pick em.
Between Porcello, Price and Rodriquez, one of them will have to step up with Sale. Cole, Kuchel and Morton are a much stronger 2 through 4 in the rotation. Houston has more bullpen depth than last year. Playoff baseball takes a lot of pitchers and the back end of Boston's bullpen is probably their weak spot on the roster.
― earlnash, Friday, 14 September 2018 21:39 (five years ago) link
Preference wise, I'd kind of like Oakland to keep hot and make a run. I'd have no issue with Cleveland winning it all, but it would be a fluky run if they won it this year.
Yankees lineup can be diffused by a strikeout pitcher, it's really not unlike the later Torre teams. Teams will get 14 K's and a double play in a pitcher's dual and beat them 3-1 a couple of times.
― earlnash, Friday, 14 September 2018 21:43 (five years ago) link
I wouldn't say fluky -- all of Cleveland's core players are as good or better than they were last year. They'll win 90+ games and they're currently seven games off their expected W-L record, so talent wise they're a 100 win team or close to it.
― NoTimeBeforeTime, Saturday, 15 September 2018 05:00 (five years ago) link
i think cleveland also benefits from playing a bunch of games in the worst division in baseball, though. second place twins are 67-80
― https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcZZlQ4Tmrc (Karl Malone), Saturday, 15 September 2018 05:02 (five years ago) link
42-22 in division, 28-35 against the rest of the american league
― mookieproof, Saturday, 15 September 2018 19:46 (five years ago) link
Trevor Bauer is also hurt.
― earlnash, Saturday, 15 September 2018 23:08 (five years ago) link
astros looked just a little more strapped in during the last series against the sox. felt like playoff baseball and it felt like the astros were the big boys.
― illegal economic migration (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 15 September 2018 23:20 (five years ago) link
Heard on the Jays broadcast that Justin Smoak is leading American League first basemen in OPS at .823.
Really? Talk about a position in decline. Some leading AL first baseman going back to the 2000 season:
Carlos Delgado - 41 HR/137 RBI/1.134 OPSJim Thome - 37/106/.929Mike Sweeny - 29/144/.930Jason Giambi - 43/137/1.123Mo Vaughn - 36/117/.864Rafael Palmeiro - 39/120/.954
I know those are unadjusted numbers, and I threw in RBI just because the numbers are big and shiny. There were another half-dozen good seasons at a lower level. This year, Justin Smoak's the benchmark.
― clemenza, Sunday, 16 September 2018 18:16 (five years ago) link
adjusted2018:justin smoak - 24 HR/75 RBI/.823 OPS = 125 wRC+
2000:Carlos Delgado - 41 HR/137 RBI/1.134 OPS = 179 wRC+Jim Thome - 37/106/.929 = 131 wRC+Mike Sweeney - 29/144/.930 = 129 wRC+Jason Giambi - 43/137/1.123 = 183 wRC+Mo Vaughn - 36/117/.864 = 114 wRC+Rafael Palmeiro - 39/120/.954 = 130 wRC+
― Karl Malone, Sunday, 16 September 2018 18:34 (five years ago) link
but yeah, it seems to be a bad year for AL first basemen. you have to go back to 2004 (Mark Teixeira, 129 wRC+) to find a similar level of meh for the league leader
― Karl Malone, Sunday, 16 September 2018 18:39 (five years ago) link
I came back to post the adjusted numbers, but you beat me to it. I knew Vaughn was going to come in under Smoak's number; surprised Thome, Sweeny, and Palmeiro were so close. I chose 2000 at random; you could probably find a more impressive season for first basemen from around the same time.
― clemenza, Sunday, 16 September 2018 18:54 (five years ago) link
key tiebreaker info as of right now
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-playoff-picture-update/c-293413208
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Monday, 17 September 2018 14:49 (five years ago) link
exactly zero of the teams involved in a close postseason chase in the NL are playing today
― Karl Malone, Thursday, 20 September 2018 22:50 (five years ago) link
phillies are 5.5 back, but 7 of their remaining 11 games are against the braves -- they win the first couple and it could get intersting
― mookieproof, Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:17 (five years ago) link
also gabe kapler has a full complement of 40 players at his disposal
― mookieproof, Thursday, 20 September 2018 23:21 (five years ago) link
nevermind
― mookieproof, Friday, 21 September 2018 03:50 (five years ago) link
"Phantom Big-Leaguers" are a loosely defined group of star-crossed minor-leaguers who, in one way or another, were promoted to the majors but never appeared in a big league game https://t.co/58VpIzAKav— Post Sports (@PostSports) September 20, 2018
some of these stories are pretty brutal
― mookieproof, Friday, 21 September 2018 14:49 (five years ago) link
relieved that this didn't happen to poncedeleon
― mookieproof, Friday, 21 September 2018 14:50 (five years ago) link
can't believe Nats haven't actually been eliminated yet
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Saturday, 22 September 2018 00:35 (five years ago) link
You sound like:
What a disappointing year for the Nationals.— Ed Whelan (@EdWhelanEPPC) September 20, 2018
― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Saturday, 22 September 2018 02:32 (five years ago) link
Lol
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Saturday, 22 September 2018 02:43 (five years ago) link
Still have a theoretical chance for four 100-win teams in the AL (Oakland would have to sweep their last five games, Yankees would have to win four). That was a story earlier in the year--was it that there's never even been three?
― clemenza, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 12:21 (five years ago) link
https://calltothepen.com/2017/10/05/baseball-history-2017-sixth-seasonwith-three-100-win-teams/
― a Mets fan who gave up on everything in the mid '80s (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 25 September 2018 12:41 (five years ago) link
Here’s one name to keep in mind: Mike Matheny.No, he wouldn’t be a GM candidate. But there’s a reason that Baer showed up for the Giants’ series in St. Louis last weekend, and it isn’t because he is addicted to toasted ravioli. Do not be surprised if the Giants find a way to hire Matheny in some capacity, with a potential route to take over the dugout bench in 2020.And who was Matheny’s bench coach for a time in St. Louis? None other than David Bell, who is the Giants’ current farm director – and probably destined for a larger role.
No, he wouldn’t be a GM candidate. But there’s a reason that Baer showed up for the Giants’ series in St. Louis last weekend, and it isn’t because he is addicted to toasted ravioli. Do not be surprised if the Giants find a way to hire Matheny in some capacity, with a potential route to take over the dugout bench in 2020.
And who was Matheny’s bench coach for a time in St. Louis? None other than David Bell, who is the Giants’ current farm director – and probably destined for a larger role.
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 15:00 (five years ago) link
What? No.
― YouTube_-_funy_cats.flv (Jimmy The Mod Awaits The Return Of His Beloved), Tuesday, 25 September 2018 17:11 (five years ago) link
but he's such a great clubhouse guy, the players love him!
― Karl Malone, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 17:17 (five years ago) link
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dn9MLjTXsAAVto0.jpg
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 17:29 (five years ago) link
Scherzer needs 10 strikeouts tonight to reach 300; he's got four through three innings.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 25 September 2018 23:56 (five years ago) link
I finished something I was watching on TV and checked in with Scherzer via Gameday. Bottom of the sixth, two out, and he's got 9 strikeouts and Austin Dean at bat. Scherzer falls behind 3-1, gets the next strike, and then Dean fouls off the next four pitches. On his 98th pitch of the game and 10th pitch of the AB, he gets his 300th strikeout.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 01:09 (five years ago) link
NL Central race gonna get interesting
― frogbs, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 01:58 (five years ago) link
this afternoon's orioles starter got one out
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 17:27 (five years ago) link
david price is not doing a whole lot better
― mookieproof, Wednesday, 26 September 2018 17:51 (five years ago) link