The 2016 One-Star Roster
As the All-Star Game comes closer and the teams are on the beginning of the All-Star Break, it is a perfect time to do what is my favorite post that I do every year: the One-Star Roster.
It isn’t what you think it is. Every year, right before the All-Star Game, I make my own All-Star roster, but I use different rules. Each roster has 15 players and each team has one representative. So not only am I looking for the best player from each team, but also for the best player from each position. There is the regular starting eight, three SP, two RP, and two bench players, except in the AL where they have one bench player and one DH. Then, I make the rosters and simulate the games on MLB The Show in a best-of-three series. Amount of times a player has been on the roster goes back to the 2012 season, my earliest electronic copy. I stated this tradition in 2009 with a good friend but I’ve lost my hard copies from 08-11… Oops!
Qualifications: 200 ABs and 450 innings played at the position or 100/30 IP (SP/RP). The player must not be on the DL at the time of which I write this, not traded before I wrote this, and not suspended for a drug-related incident in the past season.
Starting with the AL:
C: Salvador Perez, Royals (1st appearance): This was not a very hard position to fill as there were not many players who qualified for the AL. Perez leads the AL catchers in SLUG %, tied with the Yankees Brian McCann with 14 HRs, and posts a 3 WAR, higher than the second place catcher (A’s and last year’s catcher Stephen Vogt) by 1.6 WAR.
1B: Miguel Cabrera, Tigers (3rd appearance): Has not been on the list since 2013 and his numbers this year really reflect his recall to the position. Second in the AL in AVG for first basemen, tied second in HRs, his WAR is 2.3 which is good for second as well. There are plenty of very good 1st basemen this season for the AL, but the K/BB ratio for Cabrera of .63 is outstanding.
2B: Jose Altuve, Astros (2nd appearance): Making his return after missing the roster last year, Altuve is putting up numbers that only the Mariners Robinson Cano can rival him. Altuve leads all AL 2nd basemen in hits, AVG, doubles, OBP, WAR, walks, runs scored, and stolen bases. He also has a .991 FLD %, which is second only to Cano.
3B: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays (2nd appearance): Back-to-back years for Donaldson and deservedly so. He is first among AL 3rd basemen in WAR, hits, runs scored, triples, walks, and RBIs. He is second in DWAR, HRs, AVG, and stolen bases. His move to Toronto was a career changer.
SS: Xander Bogarts, Red Sox (2nd appearance): Back-to-back for Bogarts as well as he leads his AL position in AVG, hits, runs, RBIs, and walks. His biggest competition in the Orioles Manny Machado does not qualify defensively and the Indians Francisco Lindor is slightly edged out offensively.
LF: Melky Cabrera, White Sox (1st appearance): Second to the Blue Jays Michael Saunders but TOR already has their rep. Cabrera is not a bad fill in, however, as he is having a great bounce-back year from last year with a .297 AVG, 90 hits, 18 doubles, 41 RBIs, and the lowest amount of strikeouts at 34 (Mariners Nori Aoki is currently in AAA and thus does not qualify.)
CF: Mike Trout, Angels (5th appearance): Making records with the most appearances of all players on my One-Star Roster and most consecutive appearances. And why not? He leads all CF in AVG, runs, HRs, RBIs, BB, and WAR.
RF: Nomar Mazara, Rangers (1st appearance): A rare rookie to make the list, but he’s earned it for the position, but he has also been helped some by players who do not qualify (Orioles Mark Trumbo) or by having the team rep already in the list. Still, Mazara is not too shabby since coming to the majors with .282 AVG, 11 HRs, and 36 runs scored and RBIs.
DH: Nelson Cruz, Mariners (1st appearance): Making the roster for the first time after barely missing it the last two years but his HR total is greater than David Ortiz, he is 2nd in the AL DH with a 2.7 WAR, and is second in run scored.
SP: Danny Salazar, Indians (1st appearance): Highest WAR of all qualified SP for the AL with a fantastic 1.18 WHIP and 2.75 ERA on the season. He also as 118 Ks to 46 BB (2.6 K/BB ratio) and even has the win-loss record to back up his numbers at 10-3.
SP: Masahiro Tanaka, Yankees (1st appearance): A 2.8 WAR, 1.11 WHIP, and a 3.23 ERA all look very nice-and-neat for the Yankees staff ace.
SP: Chris Tillman, Orioles (1st appearance): One of the bright spots on BAL’s 2nd worst AL pitching rotation. Tillman does have a 32 WAR and a 3.41 ERA in 113.1 IP, though.
RP: Ryan Presley, Twins (1st appearance): Twins needed a rep and Presley has not been too bad. 44/16 K/BB ratio. (Yes, I know, it is a reach but every team needs a rep…)
RP: Ryan Dull, Athletics (1st appearance): One of the better RPs in the AL this season. 0.72 WHIP, 2.01 ERA, 47/8 K/BB ratio, and has a save so he is not unfamiliar with the closer role.
Bench: Evan Longoria, Rays (2nd appearance): Not a bad bat to have off the bench. 47 runs scored, 19 HRs, .289 AVG and 24 doubles. Pretty useful.
Now for the NL:
C: Jonathan Lucroy, Brewers (2nd appearance): Missed last year due to injury but back with the 2nd highest WAR among NL catchers, as well as 2nd in hits, RBIs, OBP, and SLUG.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks (4th appearance): Cubs Anthony Rizzo might be a tick better offensively this year, but Goldschmidt is the D-Backs best player, year in and year out. 3.1 WAR, .297 AVG, 15 HRs, 58 RBIs, and 11 stolen bases. This guy does it all.
2B: Daniel Murphy, Nationals (2nd appearance): Leads the NL position with 117 hits, .348 AVG (league leading), 25 doubles, 17 HRs, 66 RBIs, and a 3.0 WAR.
3B: Nolan Arenado, Rockies (1st appearance): Leads the NL in RBIs with 70, has 24 doubles, 23 HRs, and is the best in the NL defensively at 3rd with only 1 error and a 1.7 DWAR.
SS: Corey Seager, Dodgers (1st appearance): 2nd at the SS position in the senior circuit with a 3.2 WAR while having an all-around balance offensive game with a .297 AVG, 17 HRs, 22 doubles, 42 RBIs, and a position leading 105 hits.
LF: Starling Marte, Pirates (2nd appearance): Back-to-back years for Marte as he continues to be one of the best LF in the game. His WAR is tops at 3.1, is 2nd in the majors with 30 stolen bases, has four triples, 19 doubles, and six HRs, while still having excellent defense (.5 DWAR, 9 assists).
CF: Odubel Herrera, Phillies (1st appearance): 97 hits, 49 runs, and 10 HRs has made Herrera a spark-plug for the Phillies offense. Leads all NL CF with 8 assists, as well.
RF: Stephen Piscotty, Cardinals (1st appearance): NL position leading 2.7 WAR on the season backed up by his .295 AVG, 11 HRs, 22 doubles, 48 RBIs, and 53 runs scored.
SP: Madison Bumgarner, Giants (1st appearance): Top NL pitcher currently active (Remember, Clayton Kershaw is on the DL right now) with a 1.94 ER, 0.96 WHIP, and a 146/32 K/BB ratio.
SP: Jose Fernandez, Marlins (1st appearance): Fully healthy season for Fernandez has allowed him to spin a 1.02 WHIP, 2.52 ERA, in 107.1 IP type of ball so far. He is also second to Max Scherzer in strikeouts with 154.
SP: Drew Pomeranz, Padres (1st appearance): Pomeranz is putting up numbers that many never expected him to: 1.06 WHP, 2.07 ERA, 115 Ks, and has allowed only 67 hits, the least in the NL.
RP: Jeurys Familia, Mets (1st appearance): Leads the majors with 31 saves and has done so while keeping his base runners low (1.20 WHIP). 41 Ks in 42 IP is not too shabby, either.
RP: Hector Rondon, Cubs (1st appearance): A 0.67 WHIP is second best in the NL and he has struck out 42 batters in 31 innings. He is an unsung hero to the Cubs success this year.
Bench: Adam Duvall, Reds (1st appearance) Does not have much average to his name, but Duvall is a heavy hitter. 23 HRs and 20 doubles so far on the season makes him a big power threat off the bench.
Bench: Freddie Freeman, Braves (1st appearance): Still Atlanta’s best offensive player and he has not disappointed. 16 HRs, 21 doubles, a .286 AVG, and a 2.6 WAR on the season. I can only imagine he would have even larger numbers if the offense around him were stronger.
Lineups:
AL: NL:
Bogarts Herrera
Altuve Marte
Trout Goldschmidt
Cruz Arenado
Donaldson Murphy
Cabrera Seager
Perez Piscotty
Mazara Lucroy
Cabrera Pitcher
*Note: I allow the AL to use the DH even in NL stadiums, having the pitcher still be in the DH slot for the NL. Games simulated on MLB 16 The Show
Game One: NL defeats the AL 4-2
Notes: Solo HRs by Trout and Donaldson. Goldschmidt with a 2 run HR and Seager with a 2 RBI double, Marte with 2 SBs and 2 runs. Bumgarner with 8 IP, Rendon with the save. Salazar with 7 IP, Presley with the loss.
Game Two: NL defeats the AL 5-1
Notes: Tanaka with 7 shutout innings, Presley allowed all 5 runs including an Arenado grand slam. Marte had an RBI BB. Fernandez allowed 1 run off 2 hits in 8 innings, HR by Cruz was the lone run.
Game 3: NL defeats AL 11-2
Notes: Tillman lasts 4.2 IP, giving up 8 runs. Presley allowed the last 3 in 1.1 IP. Pomeranz allowed both runs in the 8th inning, before being relieved by Familia. All NL batters had a hit and a run scored.
Series MVP: Marte: 7-12, 4 SB, 3 doubles, 5 runs scored, 4 RBIs.
Series LVP: Bogarts: 1-12
MLB 16 Preview: Post Season and Awards
Baseball season is upon us! In a few hours, first pitch for many teams will be coming across home plate to the sound of many screaming fans and to the delight of many, including myself. Half the fun of the season, however, is looking at the off-season and trying to predict what will happen with each team. As the start of baseball season is upon us, I want to write down my post-season predictions and awards for the 2016 season. Looking back on these is always a blast once the season is over, but here they are never-the-less!
AL seeding: 1) Astros 2) Blue Jays 3) Royals 4) Indians 5) Rays (beating the Mariners in a one game playoff to get to the one game playoff)
Indians over Rays: Tampa will be tired from having to play the first one-game playoff and will have already used the ace of the team, making it difficult to match-up against the Indians.
Astros vs. Indians: Indians in five – Cleveland’s pitching overwhelms the strikeout heavy offense of the Astros.
Blue Jays vs. Royals: Blue Jays in four – a reverse of last years ALCS with Toronto coming out on top with deeper pitching and a stronger, better clicking offense.
Blue Jays vs. Indians: Blue Jays in six – Toronto has a stronger, more balanced offense and is able to keep pace with the Indians pitching with a little help from home field advantage.
NL seeding: 1) Cubs 2) Mets 3) Dodgers 4) Pirates 5) Cardinals
Pirates over Cardinals: A one-game playoff has been the bane of the Pirates lately but hey, third time is a charm and this time, Gerrit Cole has a little playoff experience under his belt. The Cardinals are not as overwhelming as they have been in years past and are unable to handle the Pirates in PNC Park.
Cubs vs. Pirates: Pirates in five – the pitching depth still is not quite there for the Cubs (barring a trade deadline move) and the Pirates bullpen can keep a lead once it is acquired. It will be one of the best series in the playoffs, however.
Mets vs. Dodgers: Mets in four – It will not be a sweep, but the Mets pitching overwhelms the lackluster Dodgers this season in a pretty easy fashion.
Mets vs. Pirates: Pirates in seven – No repeat for the Mets this year as the Pirates have a better defense and bullpen than the Mets and those were the exact things that brought NY down against the Royals in the World Series. It will be a long series, however, as the Mets pitching is not going to falter that easily.
World Series: Blue Jays vs. Pirates… Toronto in six – It hurts to write that, but Toronto has an excellently balanced lineup, especially with the DH factored in, and the pitching staff is better than people are giving it credit for.
AL MVP: Carlos Correa – This youngster has loads of talent on offense and defense and he shows it all in his first full season.
NL MVP: Giancarlo Stanton – with a full season under his belt and lineup protection, Stanton might be able to mash 50 homeruns and hit around .300.
AL CY Young: Chris Archer – His power pitching and ability to rack up the Ks helps to push the Rays into the playoffs as well as helping Rays fans forget about David Price… a little bit.
NL CY Young: Zack Greinke – His dominance continues down in Arizona and he wins the award that he was very close to winning in LA last season, making good on the huge contract that he signed as well as giving D-Back fans a reason to hope for next season.
Note: I do not predict Rookie of the Year because there is no way to know what players will be up come mid-season. Ask me again around the All-Star Break.
MLB 16 Preview: AL West
Baseball season is upon us! In just a handful of days, first pitch will be coming across home plate to the sound of many screaming fans and to the delight of many, including myself. Half the fun of the season, however, is looking at the off-season and trying to predict what will happen with each team. As we are closing in on the start of baseball season, I want to start giving my projections, moving on to the AL West. If you are new to my previews, this is the way my predictions go: I give a little blurb about each team in alphabetical order, then my predictions for the 2016 season, and then a quick reason why. If you disagree and/or wish to discuss my rankings, comment below!
Houston Astros: A team that, thanks to a plethora of young talent, made a grand playoff push and took the Royals to game five of the ALDS, is looking to push with that young team that now has more experience to make it deeper into the playoffs. The bullpen was upgraded aggressively this off-season by making a blockbuster trade for a young, controllable power arm in Ken Giles, while sacrificing a lot of pitching depth to do so, and added a lefty relief option in Tony Sipp to help with the late inning situations. The rotation is still a bit thin, but the signing of Doug Fister to a one year, prove-it deal could be the signing of the off-season. A few other questions for this team is if Luis Valbuena will hit higher than .225 this season (his highest career AVG is .250 in 2009) but if he does not and he is able to keep his power numbers from last season (25 HRs, 18 doubles) and OBP (.310 last season, .312 career), he can still be a valuable member to this team. First base, with rookie Tyler White, and center, with Carlos Gomez, are the other questionable slots. If the Astros are close, however, I would not count them out on making a huge deadline move to try to push the team over the top.
Los Angeles Angels: This is another team that loves to confuse me with off-season moves. The left side of the infield was changed with the trades for Andrelton Simmons (3.5 DWAR, 7 total WAR; a career .265 hitter but devoid of much power sans his 2013 outlier season) and Yunel Escobar (-1 DWAR, .9 total WAR; known more for his offense as a career .281 hitter with average power) but those trades made barren the minor league system for the Angels. And the offense runs through Mike Trout and… a lot of power and little average (Albert Pujols: .244 AVG, 40 HR, C. J. Cron: .262 AVG and 16 HR, and Kole Calhoun: .256 AVG and 26 HRs) and not much else. The rotation is flimsy at best; no starters had over 150 IP and an ERA below 3.50 or a WHIP below 1.20. And there is a lot of money sunk into some pitchers who are not performing to that cost (Jared Weaver and C. J. Wilson) and the bullpen also looks iffy. A lot of money in the Angels (seventh most at 161M) yet not a lot to gain from it following a very low-key off-season.
Oakland Athletics: I believe in Billy Beane and his ability to put a team together easily, even after a very rough season. The A’s are taking a lot of risk in hoping that Yonder Alonso, Jed Lowrie, and Khris Davis all improve on the bay, while watching some younger players improve in Marcus Semien and Billy Burns. The rotation has a true ace on top in Sonny Gray but there is not much behind him. It is a young team in Oakland that can surprise, but looks more like a team that needs more time to develop and gel together.
Seattle Mariners: One of the busiest teams this off-season in both the free agent market, signing Hisashi Iwakuma (after the medical mishap with the Dodgers), Nori Aoki, Chris Iannetta, and Steve Cishek, while trading for Nate Karns, Adam Lind, Wade Miley, Joaquin Benoit, Leonys Martin, just to name a few. The team looks solid on paper on offense and in the rotation, but it has a feel of the White Sox and Marlins from last year; a lot done but really nothing that should have been done. Also, the bullpen looks a little shaky, lead by Cichek as the closer who has been spotty the past two seasons. I am very interested, however, to see how Ketel Marte progresses this season after an impressive .283/.351/.402 slashline in his rookie year.
Texas Rangers: Had one of the more interesting off-season moves in adding Ian Desmond to play in left field in hopes that his offense picks back up after a career low in AVG and OBP while having his worst power season since 2011 (the only season he did not have more than 10 HRs while playing a full season). Defense is also a worry here as the last time Desmond played OF, he had a negative DWAR (2010 and -.1 with a negative .5 in 2009). The new stadium and the overall pitching weak AL West could change that aspect easily for Desmond. The Rangers rotation is top heavy with Cole Hamels, as Derek Holland, Colby Lewis, and Martin Perez all had an ERA above 4.40 and a WHIP above 1.20. Having Yu Darvish this season as he recovers from his TJ surgery will be huge, but that will not be until halfway through the season at best. The offense is good, but the pitching is suspect. Adding Tom Wilhelmsen for the bullpen, however, was a good addition from the trade that sent Martin to Seattle.
Predictions:
Astros: 94-68
Mariners: 89-73
Rangers: 82-80
Athletics: 78-84
Angels: 66-96
The Astros have the young talent and top heavy rotation that a division winner usually has along with a solid back-end bullpen. I do think the Astros will be very active come the deadline to add to the rotation, bullpen, and possibly first base, depending on who is available. The Mariners team, again, looks very solid on paper and have enough prospects to add to the team should the need arise. I do worry that the team will fall apart akin to the Marlins and White Sox of 2015, but they have done enough to instill my faith. The Rangers look to take a step back after being the surprise division winners in 2015 due to a weak rotation. A good offense by all accords, but that can only take a team so far.
The Athletics are improved 10 games from last season and are trending up. I have a lot of faith in Billy Beane’s ability to make a team great, but I think he is still one more very interesting off-season away from doing so. It does not help, of course, that AJ Grffin and Jerrod Parker did not stay healthy (Griffin has since gone to the Rangers and he is an interesting piece of the team’s pitching, health allowing). Meanwhile, the Angels look to be one of the worst teams in the league, on paper of course. A handful of guys with power, but the best AVG from last season for LA was, of course, Mike Trout at .299 but below him, the next player that is still on the team is Johnny Giavotella at .272. Everyone else, below .270. It is a weak rotation, a weak bullpen, and the Angels are not getting the return on the big contracts that were shelled out in the past that team has hoped for. An empty farm system does not help with this issue, either, which could lead to a streak of empty seasons.
Teeing Off: End of the Pirates Season and World Series picks
Well, it’s that time of the year, playoff baseball time. Unfortunately, I don’t get to see my World Series winning pick, the Pittsburgh Pirates, continue on in the playoffs. While I still fully believe that the Wild-Card, 1-game playoff has flaws and that, had the Pirates not been exposed to it, they would’ve won the World Series, I also have to stick to my mantra of “Don’t like it? Win the division” when I would talk about other forms of wild card teams. And, hey, it was still a fantastic Pirates baseball season. I remember when people thought me giving the Pirates 95 wins in the pre-season was far and beyond being generous. I’ll have plenty of Pirates coverage including a season grade, off-season move predictions, and other such coverage in the next week. Fall break is almost upon me which will help me get back into the blogging thought.
Other than that, here are a few other notes about recent weeks:
American League pick: I’m going to stick to my guns and say the Royals make it for the AL. They’re a strong team that I think coasted at the end of the season for health and protection. Getting past the Astros shouldn’t be too difficult for KC but Toronto might be a tougher challenge. Johnny Cueto is the key: if he doesn’t have at least some semblance of a great pitcher for KC in the playoff, it’ll hard to overcome that.
National League pick: As much as I don’t want to say something like this, I believe that which ever team wins the Cubs-Cardinals series will win the NL. The Mets and Dodgers have too many holes and the NL Central sent the three best teams in the MLB to the playoffs. That’s not something that happens by accident. That being said, I give the edge to the Cardinals. They have top pitching and a team that has been-there-done-that. Cubs are good, but the rotation isn’t there to carry a team through a long playoff series.
World Series pick: Royals vs. Cardinals would be one heck of a World Series. I feel like neither team would truly have home-field advantage due to the close location proximity. I’ll take the Royals in six games, however. KC almost had it all last year and the team is hungry. The pitching is better suited and KC has better depth. If it were KC vs. Pittsburgh, I’d take the Pirates and not just because I’m a huge fan. But it isn’t and so I’m going to stick with the Royals.
The Tale of Three Cities: A Look at the Minnesota Twins’ Playoff Chances
Three teams have risen above my expectations and have put themselves in the midst of a playoff hunt for the second half of the MLB season. The Astros, the Twins, and the Mets are all winning games that I didn’t think that they would. I did believe during the pre-season that the Astros and the Mets were trending upwards right now with their minor league talent and the strong teams that are being built. The Twins, however, I had less hope for. I mentioned in my “Mid-Season Review” piece that, of all those teams, the Twins would be the only one to make the playoffs. Here is a deeper look into the teams and why I believe the team will go where it does. Finally, the Minnesota Twins.
I really didn’t think much of the Twins coming into the season. I thought that the rotation was poor and even poorer when the team lost Ervin Santana to a PED suspension. That being said, I still have them grabbing hold of the last Wild Card spot in the AL. Here’s why:
The Twins are an average team on getting on base (15th in the league in AVG, 21st in OBP) but, once the guys get on base, they seem to have a knack for hitting them in (9th in runs and 10th in RBIs) due to the large number of extra base hits; 256 is 9th in the majors. The offense is average which isn’t amazing, but it’s a better than the missing offense of the Mets and the hot-and-cold offense of the Astros. Another aspect that really helps the Twins this season is the young blood that the Twins are bring up from the minors. Most notably is Sano who is tearing it up in his first 11 games played. Small sample size and the league still has time to adjust to him, but if he keeps hitting at a .300 clip, that’s a huge assist for the Twins. Also waiting in the wings is top prospect Byron Buxton. He struggled in his first taste of major league action before he was injured, but if he’s able to come back and add more juice to the Twins line up, it’ll really boost the Twins playoff chances.
The Astros and Mets don’t have much in the way of offensive reinforcements from the minors the way the Twins have. Astros tried a few call ups but Carlos Correa is the only one who has really put in much of an impact. Twins also have the same amount of players hitting over .250 (min 100 ABs) at eight, with four regulars, as the Mets and Astros have combined (and only four regulars combined as well). Twins have good power in the lineup with three guys having more than 10 home runs from the first half of the season and four guys having more than 35 runs scored as well as a RBI total of over 40. The Twins are a quietly good offensive team. Not great, but good.
The pitching is average as well. 15th in the league in ERA and a pitching staff that doesn’t strike out a ton of batters (537 Ks is last in the majors) but also doesn’t walk many men, either (215 walks, third least in the majors). The rotation just welcomed Santana after his suspension ended but it hasn’t been a very pretty first two starts (12 IP, 8 ER). Tommy Milone (2.84 ERA, 1.25 WHIP) and Kyle Gibson (2.85 ERA, 1.21 WHIP) are the rotation leaders right now, but the Twins do need reinforcements from the deadline deals to add to the rotation and the bullpen. Luckily, the offense is doing just enough right now to keep the Twins afloat in the first Wild Card slot and the deadline is filled with more pitchers than hitters.
The Twins can target an ace to lead the staff (Cueto, Kazmir, maybe Samardzija) or go smaller and look at Haren, Latos, Gallardo (if the Rangers decide to sell) and look at Papelbon, Francisco Rodriguez, A. J. Ramos, Addison Russell, or others to address the bullpen. What I’m getting at is that the Twins have more options when looking to add pitching than the Mets or Astros have of getting the needed offense at the deadline.
The Twins open the second half with the Athletics, Angels, and Yankees. Not quite the easy schedule, but not a very difficult way to open the second half of the season. As with the Astros and the Mets, a bad start out of the gate can really change everything. I see the Twins as a more complete team than the Mets and Astros, however. The offense and pitching is a little more balanced and the players that fit the Twins needs are more plentiful than those that fit the Astros or Mets.
If you read my Mid-Season Review post, you’ll know that I have the Twins getting the second Wild Card slot but losing to the Blue Jays. If you’ve not read my Mid-Season Review post, check it out to see my full post-season predictions (https://citb10.wordpress.com/2015/07/14/2015-mid-season-review/).
A Tale of Three Cities: A Look at the New York Mets’ Playoff Chances
Three teams have risen above my expectations and have put themselves in the midst of a playoff hunt for the second half of the MLB season. The Astros, the Twins, and the Mets are all winning games that I didn’t think that they would. I did believe during the pre-season that the Astros and the Mets were trending upwards right now with their minor league talent and the strong teams that are being built. The Twins, however, I had less hope for. I mentioned in my “Mid-Season Review” piece that, of all those teams, the Twins would be the only one to make the playoffs. Here is a deeper look into the teams and why I believe the team will go where it does. Next up, the New York Mets.
The Mets have a similar issue as the Astros, a weak offense. However, unlike the Astros, the offense is far more anemic across the board. 30th in the majors in hits (686) and AVG (.233), 29th in total bases (1067), 28th in runs (310), 27th in RBIs (297) and Extra Base Hits (XBH) (222) , 26th in OBP (.298), 20th in walks (237), 19th in HRs (75) and 12th in strikeouts (686). Bottom half of the league in every category sans strikeouts and bottom five in all but Ks, walks and HRs. That is a dreadful offensive output from the first half of the season. The player who leads the team in AVG is Juan Lagares at .256. The only other player with regular at-bats (min. 100) who has a better AVG than him is Daniel Murphy at .277. And there is only one other player, Wilmer Flores, with an AVG above .250 (he sits at .252). There are three players with a WAR at or above 1 which is the same number of players who have an RBI total above 30. 38 RBIs is the team lead.
Now, the Mets do have some grand pitching. Third best team ERA in the majors and a 1.17 WHIP which is good for third best. The Mets starting rotation is full of youth and a lot of promise. Steven Matz is on the DL and will provide a shot in the arm for the pitching rotation and give the Mets the flexibility to use Colon and/or Niese in a trade to upgrade the anemic offense. Niese has a problem with a high WHIP (1.38), however, and Colon hasn’t excelled in limiting damage as he leads the team in earned runs allowed with 52, leading to a 4.46 ERA which would be his highest ERA since 2007 with the Angels (6.34). Basically, those two may not have the most trade value, especially to rebuilding clubs and Colon being a free agent after this season. Could be used as part of a three team deal with another contender looking for a pitching upgrade (Cubs, Tigers, Royals come to mind) with other moving pieces. The bullpen is looking good but it’s lacking a big power arm. Aside from Famailia, the closer, no other relief pitcher is striking out batters at a strong rate (Famailia has struck out 43 batters in 43.1 innings) and that could be an issue. No big strikeout pitcher can hurt in a high leverage situation. In fact, the Mets bullpen is 28th in strike outs with 211. Only other contending team with a lower bullpen K number is the Twins. And yes, I realize that bullpens can be quite successful without a lot of strikeouts, as the Mets one is currently, but it’s a good way to go into my next segment.
The Mets could use another bullpen piece and a lot of offense. Lagares and, possibly, Lucas Duda are the only two batters I wouldn’t replace on the Mets team right now. I can’t rely on d’Arnaud, Murphy or Wright to help the team’s offensive woes because they have been injured off and on all season. Also, Wright has been on the decline since last season when his injury woes began and there is no evident return date for him this season and d’Arnaud didn’t inspire me as a game changer in his time last season. Now, he’s still young and has can change that easily, I just don’t see it happening this season, especially since there is no real return date for him yet, either. Murphy is hitting similar to that of his career line, but I feel like he’d have more value to the Mets as a trade-able piece than as a member of the lineup come August, given that the offense around him is dreadful and that he’s going to be a free agent at the end of the season.
You can argue that the Mets fortunes are changing after a very successful nine game stretch against the Dodgers, Giants, and Diamondbacks. But the Mets really struggled when facing off against the better pitching of the teams. The Mets were stymied by Kershaw (but they won that game in the 9th) and Greinke, Cain and Heston (another game they won in the 9th) and took care of business when facing against the lower tier pitchers like Bolsinger of the Dodgers, Peavy of the Giants (at least the way his season has gone so far) and the three Diamondback starters. Good teams beat bad teams and bad starters. But the Mets will continue to struggle against more complete teams as they already have this season (0-7 against the Cubs, 0-3 against the Pirates, 2-2 against the Cardinals and 3-4 against the Nationals, and a 7 game losing streak against the Blue Jays, Braves, and Brewers.)
The Mets open the second half at the Cardinals and Nationals then at home vs. the Dodgers. They’re already two games back of the Nationals and one game behind the Cubs for the Wild Card. A rough start out of the gate could really bury the Mets playoff chances but a strong start doesn’t really guarantee them anything, either. I liken this team to the 2012 Pittsburgh Pirates; a team that was very hot in the start of the season but couldn’t quite finish the push when it came to the stretch. It’s a young and un-tested rotation that isn’t getting Wheeler back and already has a pitcher on it in Harvey who is recovering from his own TJ surgery, might be on an innings limit, and has been slightly sporadic this season.
The pitching is there for the Mets but the offense isn’t and it isn’t a player or two away from being fixed. The Mets should capitalize on the players of value and expiring contracts and sell at the deadline. Re-load the prospect pool and take a good, long, hard look at the free agent market and the trade block this off-season. Wise deals this round, however, will need to be made. No more Granderson, Bay, Cuddyer, or Bonilla (among others) esq contracts that do nothing aside from pay a lot of money to older players who can’t give worth to the team. IE: stop paying players for their past. (Seriously, what is with the Mets and signing older players to bad contracts?) The Mets could really build this team up with an excellent off-season, one that is a turning point (akin to the 2012-2013 off-season the Pirates had and how it changed fortunes tremendously) but it shouldn’t be hampered by deals made at the deadline.
The Tale of Three Cities: A Look at the Houston Astros’ Playoff Chances
Three teams have risen above my expectations and have put themselves in the midst of a playoff hunt for the second half of the MLB season. The Astros, the Twins, and the Mets are all winning games that I didn’t think that they would. I did believe during the pre-season that the Astros and the Mets were trending upwards right now with their minor league talent and the strong teams that are being built. The Twins, however, I had less hope for. I mentioned in my “Mid-Season Review” piece that, of all those teams, the Twins would be the only one to make the playoffs. Here is a deeper look into the teams and why I believe the team will go where it does. First up, the Houston Astros.
The Astros ended the first half of the season half of a game behind the Angels in the AL West standings and on a six game losing streak. Yes, six. That is the longest active streak right now in the majors. The Phillies and Braves are currently at five game losing streaks and the Mets and Rockies have the best winning streaks at four. The offense for Houston is what has them on that current losing streak; in the six game losing streak that the team is currently stuck in, the Astros have scored eight total runs and were shut out twice. In the last 10 games, the Astros are 2-8. In the two wins, the offense erupted for 21 runs. In the eight losses, the team has scored 12 runs. That’s a huge discrepancy. And that’s not the only one for the Astros’ offense. The team leads all of MLB with 124 home runs, fourth in runs scored at 395, and fifth in RBIs with 373. On the other side of the offense, the team is 26th in the majors (and second to last in the AL) in AVG (.240), 23rd in hits (730) and 22nd in On-Base Percentage (.306). All those home runs don’t mean much if there is no one on base to score.
For the players, no one with over 100 ABs has an AVG over .300 and the only one close to it is Altuve, hitting .293. Of the usual starting nine for the Astros (going off of the ESPN Depth Chart) only three players are hitting above .250, or one fourth of the at-bats. And of the usual starters, only Springer is on the DL so the offense isn’t missing many regulars. The team may have five players in double digit home runs, one of them being Springer, but the combined average of those five players is .225. Again, I go back to the home runs being almost useless if there isn’t anyone on base…
Pitching wise, the team has a respectable 3.58 ERA (10th in the MLB) and an excellent 1.19 WHIP (3rd). However, Houston’s starters, outside of Dallas Keuchel, are struggling. Lance McCullers is working his way to being a top MLB starter, but hasn’t reached it yet. Colin McHugh and Dan Straily, however, need an explosive offense behind them as both have a high WHIP and a high ERA. There are some starters on the DL in Brad Peacock and Scott Feldman, but neither was all too impressive in their time with the Astros, either. The bullpen for the Astros, though, has been a strong aspect with a collective 2.67 ERA and 1.01 WHIP.
How the Astros come out of the All-Star Break should determine how hard the team decides to buy. The team has a strong minor league system, but it struggles out of the gate against the Rangers, Red Sox, and Royals, it might be smarter to take a passive approach and wait for next season. Right before the deadline (July 28, 29, 30) the Angels and Astros do have a three game series so that might be the most telling of all. If the Astros’ deficit in the division drops below five games before the deadline, that’s a lot to make up.
The Astros need another starter and, at least, two more regular bats for the line up; at least one in the outfield and one at third base. Catcher wouldn’t be a bad position to upgrade, either. Same with first base and DH. That’s a lot of holes for a team looking to make a playoff run. Rumors have placed the Astros in the mix with top pitchers like Cueto, but adding one pitcher, or even just one guy, won’t help the team’s hot-and-cold, strike-out heavy (838 Ks leads the majors by 39) offense. In the Astros’ six game losing streak, the opponents never score five runs and scored four only twice. It’s hard to fix those offensive issues with a top-name pitcher and harder still to win a close game when the team can’t hit the ball for anything but a home run.
Overall, the Astros won’t make the playoffs. The Angels are a more complete team and will win the division. Meanwhile, the offense will continue to be hot-and-cold and unable to help the pitching staff that is lacking in talent behind Keuchel and McCullers. There are too many holes on the team to have them all be addressed by the trade deadline without bankrupting the minor league system and this team isn’t good enough for an “all-in” mantra at the deadline. The Astros will continue to play competitive ball, will finish with a winning season, or one close to it, and will have a solid base to build off of for next season.
2015 Mid-Season Review
Well, the Mets are winning the games that I thought the Marlins would, the Astros are winning the games I thought the Mariners would, and the Twins/Royals are winning the games that I thought the White Sox would. Realizing that three of my playoff teams, and one of my World Series teams, are more than likely out of the running, I’ve come forward with some changes to my pre-season picks.
Preseason playoff teams:
NL East: Nationals AL East: Orioles
NL Central: Pirates AL Central: White Sox
NL West: Dodgers AL West: Mariners
Wildcard: Marlins and Cardinals Wildcard: Blue Jays and Tigers
Mid season playoff teams:
NL East: Nationals AL East: Rays
NL Central: Pirates AL Central: Royals
NL West: Dodgers AL West: Angels
Wildcard: Cardinals and Cubs Wildcard: Blue Jays and Twins
My NL stays primarily the same. I still believe the Pirates will over-take the Cardinals for the division lead and might end up with the best record in the NL, if not the majors. Just replacing the Cubs for the Marlins as Miami has been a major disappointment and Chicago is good enough to push for the Wild Card slot. Especially since their competition is the surprising, and offensively anemic, Mets and the injury prone, hot-and-cold Giants.
AL, however, is different. It seems that when I put my faith in the Rays, they disappoint me. When I take it away, they manage to surprise me. However, they have the best pitching in the AL East and pitching wins games. I didn’t have faith in the Royals; I thought their pitching was rough and Morales has been a huge surprise. They also have the depth to deal with the loss of Alex Gordon. I don’t think the Astros can continue their torrid pace; currently on an eight game losing streak and this team is basically “home run or bust” from top to bottom. The Wild Card gets exciting but the Blue Jays have the offense, they just need the pitching. And I’m sure they’ll go after a top target (Cueto, Kazmir, etc…) and the Twins have a large enough lead and have been consistent enough to instill enough confidence that they’ll hold on to the slot.
DS: Pirates over Cubs, Nationals over Dodgers
Royals over Blue Jays, Rays over Angels
CS: Pirates over Nationals
Royals over Rays
WS: Pirates over Royals in six.
I’m still driving the Pirates World Series champion’s bandwagon. It’ll be tough to get past the Nationals, but if the Pirates over-take the Cardinals, they’ll be able to over-take anyone. The Royals have a little easier road to the World Series as, in my opinion, the AL isn’t as strong as it was last year or as strong as the NL.
Pre-Season Award winners:
NL MVP: Adrew McCutchen NL CY Young: Johnny Cueto
AL MVP: Josh Donaldson AL CY Young: Chris Sale
NL and AL ROY not selected.
Mid-Season Award winners:
NL MVP: Bryce Harper NL CY Young: Gerrit Cole
AL MVP: Josh Donaldson AL CY Young: Chris Sale
My NL predictions weren’t bad, just a few player have risen up. Harper is the mid-season favorite to me and I’ll ride that hot card. Pitching wise, there are a lot of good choices for both the AL and the NL. But Cole, should he continue what he’s doing now, will set some career highs, possible franchise records, and is succeeding past what even I thought he would this preseason.
My AL predictions are staying the same. Sale is a huge bright spot on a struggling White Sox team. And while they won’t be playoff bound, his numbers are bright enough to take the attention. As for Donaldson, he’s currently in the top five of the following AL categories: WAR, hits, runs, HRs, RBIs, XBH, D-WAR, and is top 10 in doubles. Oh, and he’s been healthy all season long.
Rookie of the Year: I told you to ask me mid-season and here are my picks:
AL: Billy Burns, Athletics NL: Kris Bryant, Cubs
Burns has been a catalyst for the Athletics. He hits well for extra bases (10 doubles, five triples, two HRs) and has great speed (17 stolen bases, caught only three times) has 38 runs, and has 82 hits. He leads all AL rookies in those categories sans XBH, where he’s third.
Bryant had some drama to start his ML career, but with the numbers he’s putting up, why wouldn’t any team want to ensure an extra season of control? He leads NL rookies in runs and RBIs and is second in XBH, HRs, WAR, and third in doubles and total hits. Only problem is that he strikes out A LOT (101 Ks in 286 ABs).
Pre-Season overall divisions: * denotes best record in conference, ** best record in baseball, # worst in the conference, ## worst in baseball
NL: East: Central: West:
Nationals Pirates Dodgers (**)
Marlins Cardinals Padres
Mets Cubs Giants
Braves Reds Rockies
Phillies (##) Brewers Diamondbacks
AL East: Central: West:
Orioles White Sox Mariners (*)
Blue Jays Tigers Angels
Yankees Indians Athletics
Red Sox Royals Astros
Rays Twins (#) Rangers
Mid-Season overall divisions: * denotes best record in conference, ** best record in baseball, # worst in the conference, ## worst in baseball
NL: East: Central: West:
Nationals Pirates (**) Dodgers
Mets Cardinals Giants
Braves Cubs Diamondbacks
Marlins Reds Rockies
Phillies (##) Brewers Padres
AL East: Central: West:
Rays Royals (*) Angels
Blue Jays Twins Astros
Yankees Indians Rangers
Orioles Tigers Athletics
Red Sox White Sox (#) Mariners
The 2015 One-Star Roster
Photo Credit: MLB.com
As the All-Star Game comes closer and the teams are on the beginning of the All-Star Break, it is a perfect time to do what is my favorite post that I do every year: the One-Star Roster.
It isn’t what you think it is. Every year, right before the All-Star Game, I make my own All-Star roster, but I use different rules. Each roster has 15 players and each team has one representative. So not only am I looking for the best player from each team, but also for the best player from each position. There is the regular starting eight, three SP, two RP, and two bench players, except in the AL where they have one bench player and one DH. Then, I make the rosters and simulate the games on MLB The Show in a best-of-three series.
Qualifications: 200 ABs and 450 innings played at the position or 100/30 IP (SP/RP). Must not be on the DL at the time of which I write this, not traded before I wrote this, and not suspended for a drug-related incident in the past season.
Starting with the AL:
C: Stephen Vogt, Athletics: Tricky position because not many qualify based off of my stipulations, but Vogt makes the cut. Offensively, he leads all qualified AL catchers in AVG, RBI, OBP, SLG %, BB and WAR. One of the more intriguing players on the A’s roster and, if he’s traded, could command quite the king’s ransom.
1B: Jose Abreu, White Sox: Miguel Cabrera, right? Wrong. He’s on the DL (which makes it a little easier to fill in this whole roster, actually. You’ll understand why.) This year, the starting spot goes back to White Sox first basemen Jose Abreu. The team leader in most offensive categories and still a huge power threat over at first.
2B: Jason Kipnis, Indians: Not as easy of a selection as you’d think, keeping in mind the need for a player from each team, but I can’t say no to the Indians’ Jason Kipnis. Valuable on defense (.6 DWAR) and offense (AL second basemen leader in AVG, doubles, hits, triples, walks, and a very impressive 4.7 WAR) it would be a crime to not have him on this list.
3B: Josh Donaldson, Blue Jays: It won’t be the incumbent Adrian Beltre this year on the roster but a new-comer, and a runner up from last year, Josh Donaldson of the Blue Jays. Leads AL third basemen in Runs, Hits, Doubles (tied), HRs, RBIs, and is in the top three in walks and AVG. A bright light on what is a bit of a dim Blue Jays team.
SS: Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox: Leads AL shortstops in hits, doubles, RBIs, and WAR, he’s been the brightest part of a dreary Red Sox 2015 team.
LF: Brett Gardner, Yankees: He the AL LF leader in AVG, SB, and OBP and is becoming a perfect table setter for the Yankees. Not much home run power, but plenty of extra base hits (22 doubles, 3 triples, 10 HRs).
CF: Mike Trout, Angels: The only player to make it onto the roster four years in a row (and four times out of the eight that I have done this is also a record) and he’s still deserving of this slot. He leads AL CF in hits, runs, HRs, RBIs, BB, and WAR. He is third in doubles and one SB away from double digits. What a great player, year in and year out.
RF: J. D. Martinez, Tigers: Nelson Cruz doesn’t qualify but Martinez fills in quite well in this slot. 25 HRs, 59 RBIs, 16 doubles, 3.2 WAR. What a find and chance the Tigers took on the ex-Astro’s player (DFA’d and signed to a minor league deal).
DH: Prince Fielder, Rangers: A huge comeback season after the loss of a season with his neck injury last year. While he isn’t mashing quite as much as some envisioned upon his move to Arlington, 114 hits is a lot. In fact, it’s the most in the AL.
SP: Dallas Keuchel, Astros: A star who has really erupted this season to an AL lead in innings pitched, WAR, a tie in wins, is second in ERA and third in WHIP. You can’t ask for much more from a pitcher who is leading a staff of a division leader.
SP: Chris Archer, Rays: A pitcher who wasn’t supposed to lead a staff has exploded to the top due to a decimated pitching staff on the Rays. Third in the AL in strikeouts, fourth in WHIP, and tied for the most starts this season.
SP: Felix Hernandez, Mariners: A three-peat for this pitcher on my roster, he’s still performing at a high clip to the tune of a 2.84 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 11 wins, and 112 strikeouts.
RP: Wade Davis, Royals: He has allowed two runs, earned, in 39 IP. Has allowed 34 base runners (22 hits, 12 walks) but has struck out 44 players. 12 holds, nine saves, and huge success this season from the bullpen in any role.
RP: Glen Perkins, Twins: The AL leader in saves (28) is one major reason for why the Twins are having the success that they are this season. Five earned runs allowed in 37.1 IP, 31 base runners allowed and 36 strikeouts. He and Davis are what teams want out of every relief pitcher.
Bench: Manny Machado, Orioles: A solid hitter and a solid defender. He adds some defensive flexibility to the infield and some big pop off the bench. He’s a player who is deserving of this team, (101 hits, 19 home runs, 4.8 WAR) and the Orioles representative member.
Now for the NL:
C: Nick Hundley, Rockies: What about Buster Posey? Hundley is playing a level close to that of Posey and the Giants have production coming from other positions as well (and an injury kind of forced some changes. Keep reading, you’ll see). Second best AVG among NL catchers (.309) and a 31.8 caught stealing % is a strong place to start for this position.
1B: Paul Goldschmidt, Diamondbacks: Easy selection. Leads all NL first basemen in AVG, HRs, RBIs, stolen bases, runs, hits, walks, OBP, and has a whopping 5.6 WAR. A total of 5.9 Wins Above Replacement when you factor in his .3 D-WAR for his work on defense. Man, imagine what this guy could do for a team like the Pirates, Cardinals, or any team that is playoff caliber.
2B: Joe Panik, Giants: Man, I had Dee Gordon of Miami in this slot all ready to go, but then he got himself injured. That’s why I waited till Monday to release this. Panik is just as good, though. 2.9 WAR is tied with Gordon and Panik has the most runs scored compared to all other NL second basemen. And he’s no slouch on defense; two errors in 384 chances, 716 innings played and a 99.5 fielding %.
3B: Todd Frazier, Reds: This slot has many qualified candidates, but Frazier is the all-around best when it comes to third basemen in the NL. Leads NL third basemen in HRs, doubles, runs, tied for first in hits, and has the second best WAR. He also hits for average as well as power (.284 with a .337 OBP).
SS: Jhonny Peralta, Cardinals: I wanted to save St. Louis’s slot for Wacha, but after Peralta and Tulo, there is a huge drop off when it comes to NL shortstops. Peralta is a stalwart at the position this season as he is second to all NL shortstops in at-bats and innings played. He brings power (13 HRs, 20 doubles) and average (100 hits leads all NL shortstops) as well as defense (only three errors committed so far) to a position that has a dearth in premium talent right now.
LF: Starling Marte, Pirates: This position was tricky, trying to fulfill the innings requirement. But Marte fits the bill and brings the best overall game to this position. His speed (16 stolen bases), power (13 home runs), and ability to hit the ball for average and in the clutch (87 hits, .279 AVG, and 49 RBIs) go along with his defense that has a perfect fielding percentage gives him the slot.
CF: Cameron Maybin, Braves: Almost an after-thought in the Kimbrel deal, Maybin has thrived in Atlanta. A .289 AVG to go along with an overall ability to get on base and hit for some power might have the Padres wishing they had kept him instead of going with their “let’s-throw-a-lot-of-new-guys-against-the-wall-and-hope-it-works” approach to the outfield this year. His defense is rough, a -1.4 DWAR, but his 2.64 range factor is third highest to all NL center fielders.
RF: Bryce Harper, Nationals: A mid-season favorite for NL MVP, he’s tearing the cover off the ball. 26 HRs, 61 RBIs, 63 walks, 21 doubles, 59 runs, and a 6.2 WAR all lead NL right fielders and his AVG, doubles, runs, and WAR all lead the majors.
SP: Zack Greinke, Dodgers: Choosing Greinke over Kershaw because Greinke has the better WHIP, less runs allowed by more than half, and has a WAR more than double than what Kershaw has. Not saying that Kershaw is ad, just that Greinke is better this season.
SP: Jacob DeGrom, Mets: He’s taken the league by storm since coming into the majors. A 0.92 WHIP, 112/21 (5.3 Ks per walk) K/BB ratio, and if you add his hits allowed plus earned runs (84 and 27) it is still less than his strikeout total (111 to 112). He’s taken command of this young Mets pitching staff.
SP: Jake Arrieta, Cubs: Maybe he should be making the Jon Lester money on this team and not Jon Lester. Arrieta has a .99 WHIP, 123 Ks, and a 2.66 ERA, all better numbers than Lester.
RP: A.J. Ramos, Marlins: A bright spot on an underwhelming Miami pitching staff, he’s thrown 40.2 innings allowing 29 base runners and only five runs compared to 50 Ks. His ability to close (14 saves) and set-up (4 holds) could lead him to being a very attractive trade target this season.
RP: Francisco Rodriguez, Brewers: Has managed to grab 19 saves on a poor Milwaukee team but also has allowed only 28 base runners in 32 innings. The “K” of his old nickname “K-Rod” isn’t quite there this season, 37 strikeouts (middle of the pack when it comes to NL relief pitchers) but he’s having a successful season none the less.
OF Bench: Ben Revere: He doesn’t have enough innings to qualify at one position, but has enough innings to make the roster as he’s played all three outfield slots for the Phillies. He’s a great defensive replacement, a great guy to put on the base-paths if you need speed, or a great rally starter as a pinch hitter. He has a .297 AVG this season with 21 stolen bases and a .337 OBP.
INF Bench: Yangervis Solarte, Padres: I admit it; I’m reaching here on this selection but the Padres need a rep and there really isn’t much to be happy about for that San Diego squad. But Solarte brings defensive versatility and has turned a positive WAR on offense both this season and last. But yeah, it’s a stretch.
Lineups:
AL: NL:
Brett Gardner Joe Panik
Jason Kipnis Starling Marte
Mike Trout Paul Goldschmidt
Josh Donaldson Bryce Harper
Xander Bogaerts Todd Frazier
J. D. Martinez Nick Hundley
Stephen Vogt Jhonny Peralta
Jose Abreu Cameron Maybin
Pitchers slot. The ASG is in Cincinnati this year so the game gets played by NL rules and NL has home field.
Note: Only five players on my roster are repeats, three of them are on it for their third time, and Trout is my only 4-timer. I think that much turnover is great for the game of baseball as a whole.
Results as simulated on MLB The Show 15 in a best of 3 series with rosters updated:
Game One NL 5-1. Greinke threw a complete game (run was unearned, error on Maybin) and the offensive MVP was Goldschmidt with a 2-3 game, 3 RBIs, HR, and a walk. Harper also hit a HR. Overall, the NL hit Keuchel often with 11 total hits in his 7 IP.
Game Two: AL 4-1. Archer allowed one run (Frazier HR) and three hits in 7 IP and Perkins got the save. DeGrom only allowed two earned runs in 7 IP but an error by Peralta added two more in the 7th. Vogt had a two run HR and the two runs scored after a 2-out ball was hit to Peralta who booted it, allowing Donaldson and Trout to be safe and Bogaerts had a two-run double.
Game Three: NL 3-2 in 10. Both pitchers threw 8 innings of two run ball, but Perkins got hit in the 10th. With one out, Revere came up to bat and singled, stole second, and, with two outs, was hit in by Marte after Panik struck out. Two runs in the first came from a two run HR by Goldschmidt for the NL and the AL had two solo shots (Trout and Martinez) in the second and seventh respectively.
Series MVP: Goldschmidt (6-10, three walks, 2 home runs, 5 RBIs)
Series LVP: Abreu (0-11)
Player who never got to do anything: Solarte
Baseball Predictions
Again, I apologize to my readers for not doing my annual MLB preview series. However, I couldn’t go without letting my predictions go down on paper for this upcoming MLB season. Starting with my playoff teams:
NL East: Nationals
NL Central: Pirates
NL West: Dodgers
Wildcard: Marlins and Cardinals
AL East: Orioles
AL Central: White Sox
AL West: Mariners
Wildcard: Blue Jays and Tigers
DS: Pirates over Nationals, Marlins over Dodgers
White Sox over Orioles, Blue Jays over Mariners
CS: Pirates over Marlins
White Sox over Blue Jays
WS: Pirates over White Sox
There is a lot of hype on the Pirates this year and I understand why, as a Pittsburgh native. Small market teams don’t have a large window of opportunity and the Pirates have been pushing the window open for years. The White Sox have turned around their franchise with some shrewd moves this offseason and have a solid roster. Both teams have the ability to be very active at the deadline should issues arise during the season and the fan base to support the team through a long run.
NL MVP: McCutchen – Yes, it’s a bit of a homer pick, but his stats haven’t declined over the past two seasons, the roster overall is better for him, and he’s well known throughout baseball.
NL CY Young: Johnny Cueto – Every year he seems to be close to getting it but either an injury or Kershaw step in the way. Cueto will still be the shining star on what could be a very poor Reds season, might even be moved to a contender come the deadline.
AL MVP: Josh Donaldson – He was a candidate last season with the A’s and now calls Toronto his home. A leader on the team that pushes the Blue Jays to playoff relevance could be exactly what he needs to win the award. Akin to McCutchen when he won his.
AL CY Young: Chris Sale – He’s an ace for Chicago and is going to have a bit of a late start to the season. However, as Kershaw showed last season, a dominate season can still win the award, even if you miss the first month. The leader of this team will lead them to a World Series appearance.
ROY: I don’ bother doing this pre-season because of mid-season call ups and expectations that don’t last. Ask me again come the All-Star break.
Overall Divisions: * denotes best record in conference, ** best record in baseball, # worst in the conference, ## worst in baseball
NL: East: Central: West:
Nationals Pirates Dodgers (**)
Marlins Cardinals Padres
Mets Cubs Giants
Braves Reds Rockies
Phillies (##) Brewers Diamondbacks
AL East: Central: West:
Orioles White Sox Mariners (*)
Blue Jays Tigers Angels
Yankees Indians Athletics
Red Sox Royals Astros
Rays Twins (#) Rangers
Cats In The Bleachers 
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