MARCO'S BASEBALL
BLOG-O-ROONIE 2017: FEARLESS PREDICTIONS REDUX! AL
HEY YOUSE GUYS! Time
to wake up! It's Baseball Season!
I am here once again
to annoy and percolate. So listen up and get ready to argue. I
present the 2017 Team Rankings and Predictions! Today? The AMERICAN
LEAGUE!
I'm using my
Hollywood Star Rating system again. Need I remind you? Okay, I will:
5*stars= among the
best of all time.
4*stars=really good
3*stars=a little
above average
2 ½*stars=average
1*star=stinko
0*stars=a real
liability...they're playing the batboy.
I'm rating teams in 5
categories: offensive lineup, defense, starting rotation, bullpen and
leadership.
“Leadership”
is managers and coaches, but also includes the roles of the front
office, clubhouse chemistry and inspiration and the ever elusive
“JUJU”...good or bad.
Breaking
offense down into categories like speed and power doesn't change the
overall effectiveness of your offense. You can do it like Kansas City
with small ball and speed or you can do like Baltimore and brutalize
people to death. It's still just offense.
Having
two categories of pitching weights the final score accurately (I
think) in that it recognizes the supreme importance of your pitching
staff.
Let us proceed:
AL EAST: The always Beastly East has reloaded and
is once again the hotbed of cutthroat competition.
1st
place: BOSTON
They are strong in all 5 categories and have a great
core of young players who have some experience now. With Big Papi
leaving a legacy of leadership and sportsmanship they should cruise
into the Playoffs.
Offense:
4*
Defense: 4* ...especially outstanding in the
outfield (which is pretty much what outfielders do, right? They're
out there standing...oh well, just forget it). Good defensive
catchers in Leon and Vasquez. Pedroia and
Bogaerts good in the middle. Weak on the infield corners if
Panda plays third but good defensive help in Brock Holt
and Mitch Moreland.
Starters: 4 1/2*...if Price comes back
healthy and Chris Sale doesn't suffer the Fenway Vapors in his
first season in front of the ravenous Boston fans this could be a 5*
staff. Lots of depth when somebody gets hurt.
Bullpen: 3 1/2*...good closer in Kimbrel.
But every year they go out and spend big money on a big arm to be the
8th inning guy and every year that guy turns into a
gerbil. Carson Smith last year. Mark Melancon a few
years ago. So this year I fear for Tyler Thornburg.
An important piece for them is knuckler Stephen
Wright. He can come out of the pen and spot start or be a regular
rotation guy. He was an All Star last year and he can eat up innings
and rest the bullpen.
Leadership: 4*...The players seem to be having
fun and that's always GOOD JUJU.
I like the attitude of Dombrowski. You need it?
I'll go out and get it. Let's win now. Manager John Farrell
doesn't show much imagination sometimes but he's steady and the
pitchers seem to like him (One of Us!). At least he had the nerve to
rearrange the lineup last year and move Mookie Betts from
leadoff to clean up. That worked great with Papi in the third spot.
But this year he seems to think Betts should bat third in front of
Hanley Ramirez. He's wrong. The better contact hitter should
bat fourth and the slugger should hit third to get more good pitches
to slaughter. This has been proven over and over and yet old school
managers still can't buy into it. With two outs and a man on, Betts
can beat out a grounder and steal a run. Also, Hanley doesn't want
the pressure of batting leadoff. He should bat third in front of
Mookie. It should go:
against right handed starters...
Pedroia, Benitendi, Ramirez, Betts, Panda (DH),
Bogaerts, Bradley Jr., Leon or Vasquez, Brock Holt(3rd
Base)
And they should let Moreland start at first occasionally
and let Hanley DH and Panda sit.
against lefties...
Pedroia, Benitendi, Ramirez, Betts, Chris Young
(DH), Bradley Jr., Bogaerts, Leon or Vasquez, Holt.
Keep moving Holt around to rest people at various
positions but leave him in the lineup...he produces. And he's a much
better third sacker than Panda, who is bottom of the barrel on D. If
they bring up Blake Swihart later this year he might DH when
he's not catching. That's another good switch hitter.
20*...FIRST
PLACE!
2nd
place: TORONTO
Not quite as scary without Encarnacion. That guy
is vastly underrated. Just ask Baltimore and the Red Sox. But this
year their pitching has come alive and they shouldn't have to
bludgeon people to death to win a few games. The Jays are a smokin'
team.
Offense: 3 1/2*...which means they're very good.
Last year I had them at 5* and I have to take something off for
losing Edwin Encarnacion and watching Bautista and Tulowitzski
regress. They also have weakness offensively in the outfield and at
second base.
Defense: 4*...strong everywhere except maybe
Bautista if he plays right.
Starters: 4 1/2*...this is where they've jumped
up. Stroman was great in the World Baseball Classic. Estrada
and Happ were lights out last year. Expect Francisco
Liriano to be real good again now that he is reunited with his
favorite catcher Russell Martin.
But the kicker is Aaron Sanchez. 15-2 last year
with a league leading (for starters) 3.00 ERA. Close to 3-1 K-BB
ratio. He's only 25. You're looking at the next Great One. He'll
finish first or second in the Cy Young race this year.
The only problem is depth. They just don't have it like
Boston does.
Bullpen: 3 1/2*...closer Osuna is terrific
but the rest are fairly pedestrian.
Leadership: 3 1/2*...they lose a star for having
Bautista on their team and losing Encarnacion. Donaldson is
the Man now.
19*...SECOND
PLACE!
3rd
place: NEW YORK
I know. I'm as surprised as you are. I expected the
Orioles to rate higher than the Bombers but New York has a lot of
depth and Baltimore has none. Both teams strike out way too much but
Baltimore is more one dimensional in their homer or nothing approach.
(The O's had only 19 steals all season...last in baseball.) The real
separation comes in the Bullpen...the Yanks have one of the best and
the Orioles are suspect trying to get to Britton.
Offense: 2 1/2*...that's right, the famous
Yankees, scourge of the American League, are merely an average
offensive club. The top of the lineup is weak with Brett Gardner
(106K's)and Jacoby Ellsbury now .260 hitters with no power and
limited stolen base effectiveness. They're depending on rookies Greg
Bird and Gary Sanchez in the middle of the lineup. I doubt
those two will live up to Ruth/Gehrig, DiMaggio/Keller,
Mantle/Maris, Mattingly/Winfield, ARod/Texeira of Yankee
juggernauts past. Matt Holliday is Dhing and Chris Carter
might play first! (There's a quick 350 Ks for you!) Aaron Judge
in right...add another 200 strike outs to the team total. This could
get ugly. Starlin Castro (118K's) may be the most consistent
hitter in their lineup. They're still paying Chase Headley
(118K's in just over 500 official at bats...only 14 homers) for God's
sake!
Defense:
3 1/2*
Starters: 2 1/2*...Tanaka is great but
he's getting on and his elbow is no younger. CC Sabathia is a
gamer and I respect the hell out of him but he left his fastball back
in 2009. Pineda, Severino and Cessa? No consistency at
all yet.
Bullpen: 4 1/2*...the strength of the team.
Aroldis, Betances, Warren, Clippard, Layne...best in baseball.
Leadership: 3 1/2*...mostly because of Girardi.
He's a really good manager. Has the respect of the team, handles the
pitchers well and handles the media in New York.
16
1/2*: THIRD PLACE!
4th
place: BALTIMORE
As
I said above...lots of homers (5th
team in MLB history to hit over 250 home runs), lots of strikeouts,
no depth, no pitching except for Zach Britton.
Offense:
3 1/2*...maybe if Chris
Davis and Mark Trumbo
each hit 50 taters and Jones
and Machado hit 40
each this score could go up.
Defense:
3 1/2*... Machado is the best
defensive third sacker in the League. Infield defense rates high,
outfield low.
Starters:
2*...Tillman
hurt again. He was their #1 last year. Bundy is
ok. Gausman, Gallardo and
Miley are space fillers.
Bullpen:
3 1/2*...about two of those
stars belong to Zach Britton. He throws the unhittable sinker. Brach
is a good set-up man.
Leadership:
3*...I think Bucky
Showalter is overrated. Adam
Jones is an inspirational leader and Machado is heading in that
direction. Why can't management stop resenting the Nationals for
cutting into the Oriole fan base next door in Washington and start
building a pitching staff?
15
1/2*: FOURTH PLACE!
5th
place: TAMPA BAY
“Step
right up...come on in...if you'd like to take the Grand Tour of this
lonely house that once was home sweet home...”
(George Jones)
Major
League Baseball is letting Tampa Bay hang there on the hook and
slowly twist in the wind. Their ballpark is a dark, turgid Tropicana
mess and it's in the wrong place. In the modern age of urban traffic
nightmare nobody wants to drive to it, even when the team was
winning. So the Rays never draw enough to make any money...especially
not if they want to compete in the strong AL East. So every strong
free agent leaves or they're forced to trade them at a loss and that
depresses fan interest even more.
MLB
has to help this team and other basket cases like Oakland relocate in
a spot where they can make enough money to compete. The sad thing is
that Tampa Bay (and Oakland) have scouted so well and traded so
adroitly (most of the time) that they have had a few seasons when
they almost won.
Offense:
1 1/2*...it's bad...really bad.
Evan Longoria on an
island hacking at coconuts with his machete. Maybe they should try
T-Ball.
Defense:
3 1/2*...best centerfielder in
the bigs this side of Trout in Kevin Kiermaier.
He has to be good because the guys on the corners are statues. Duffy
is a great shortstop.
Starters:
4*...among the best in
baseball...for the few years that they'll be together. Archer,
Odorizzi,Cobb, Smiley, Snell...they're
already lining up to get traded (like Matt Moore
last year and David Price
two years ago)or become free agents and get some money from teams
that actually have a chance to win something.
Bullpen:
2 1/2*...Colome
is a stud... Boxberger
was good but he got hurt last year. We'll see. The rest aren't. They
gave up the most ninth inning homers in the majors last year.
Leadership:
1 1/2*...it's hard to be the
leader when you know everybody is just going to follow you into the
slaughterhouse. They know they're going to lose. BAD JUJU.
13*...FIFTH
PLACE!
Al
CENTRAL
These teams have been punishing each other for years,
taking turns at the top. But none of them have enough coin to pull
away for long. They are the rust-belt survivor teams and Kansas City.
KC seemed to get a leg up when they went to the World
Series two years in a row and won in 2015, but the usual small market
Ebola-monkey bit them and now they are about to lose most of their
stars to the big market teams. They scout well and should come up
with some replacements, but their last rebuild took them about three
decades to pay off.
Detroit was the Big Boss Man of the Central for awhile
but they stubbornly refused to accept the reality that you have to
have a bullpen to win in modern baseball. Starters don't go more than
6 or 7 innings and you have to use 4 or 5 pitchers every game. So
Detroit burned out their starters...the ones they didn't lose to free
agency...and squandered their slugging offense. Chicago flailed
around for a couple of decades and have now wisely accepted a
rebuild. Minnesota stopped recruiting pitchers and fell off the edge
of the world. And Cleveland...well!
1st
place: CLEVELAND
Back in the 90's Cleveland built some teams with truly
scary offensive capacity. But they never had the pitching to match
and so failed to win the Big One. But now...check out the ratings.
Offense: 4*...strength throughout the lineup. 3
switch hitters make them hard to bullpen. Power with Encarnacion,
Santana, Kipnis and others. High average guys Lindor,
Ramirez and Tyler Naquin. Speed all over even though
they lost World Series hero and AL stolen base leader Rajai Davis.
They scored the second most runs in the AL last year without
Encarnacion hitting in the middle of the order. If they get Michael
Brantley back healthy they could smoke the league. (and rate an
extra half star)
Brace yourself...SS Francisco Lindor is an MVP candidate
who will be a Gold Glove/Batting Champ/Stolen Base leader type of
player.
Defense: 3 1/2*...I mentioned Lindor but they
have some good defense all over.
Starters: 4*...right up there with Boston,
Toronto and Tampa Bay now that the injured Carlos Carrasco and
Danny Salazar are back. Kluber is a Cy Young winner who
looks good enough to win another with that great curve ball. Trevor
Bauer and Josh Tomlin? Other teams wish they had 4-5
starters like that.
Bullpen: 4 1/2*...only New York beats them. KC
was a little better back when they had Herrera, Wade Davis,
Holland, Hochevar and Madson all at full strength. (Alas,
bullpens never last because the typical reliever is a fireballer who
uses max effort every pitch and works at least every other
day...elbows and shoulders don't seem to like that unless you're
Mariano Rivera.)
Even though Cody Allen is the closer and Brian
Shaw the set-up, it's Andrew Miller who really anchors the
pen. He's good for two or three innings as needed and struck out 123
batters in 74 innings last year(!!)
Leadership: 4*...Terry Francona...Manager
of the Year for the second time. Lindor comes into his own as a team
leader. Kipnis and Encarnacion give them the grit. Kluber is a
Klubber. If they get Michael Brantley back it will raise the team
morale in a big way and will provide...GOOD JUJU. (Add half a star if
that happens.)
Management is all in and the team was tested in the
fires of hell in barely losing to the Cubs last Fall. But the
Adorables barely beat them, even though the Indians only had two
fifths of a rotation. This year will be different. Just like the
Royals did in 2015, the Indians will return to the Series and this
time...they'll win. Book your tickets for Cleveland now.
20*...FIRST
PLACE!
2nd
place...DETROIT
A bloated, $200+ million payroll. Aging roster. This is
it. They have to do it this year and then break up the team.
Offense:
4*...you know all about it.
They look too powerful to lose but then you notice that they only
have one left-handed hitter (switch-hitter DH Victor
Martinez). 6 twenty+ home run
guys (actually 3rd
baseman Castellanos
had 18 in only 110 games) Miguel Cabrera...a
true Hall of Famer. Enjoy him while you can.
Defense:
2* ...short/second combo rocks
with Iglesias and
Kinsler but Iglesias
is a head-case. Catcher McCann
threw out 45% of runners. Average to bad everywhere else.
Starters:
4*...if they stay healthy...but
no depth. Words of caution. Verlander, Fulmer, Norris
all look strong. Anibel Sanchez
was pitching like his old no-hit self this Spring. Jordan
Zimmerman started great and
then collapsed. If he comes back...but I think the Tigers got him
about three years past his sell-by date.
Bullpen:
2 1/2*...at least they had a
good closer in Francisco Rodriguez
(44 saves). Need some better middle innings guys.
Leadership:
2*... Brad Ausmus
has been on the hot seat for a couple of years now. Win or else. I
think the players might be a little bitter that management never got
them a bullpen to get them over the hump in these years of awesome
lineups and rotations. (They had three Cy Young winners in the
rotation at one point with Verlander, Scherzer
and Porcello all
pitching for the Tigres.)
14
1/2*...Second Place!
2nd
place (tie): KANSAS CITY
See above for the sad truth. I loved to watch them the
last few years. Such a refreshing novelty to have a scrappy, daring
stolen base/bunting club holding teams in the late innings with
lights out relievers and scoring late themselves with clutch players
and leaders like Hosmer, Cain, Moustakis, Gordon and Sal
Perez.
Thanks Royals...you stood the baseball paradigm on its
ear for a few seasons there. May your glory never fade!
Offense: 3 1/2*...they had to trade Wade Davis
or else pay him $10 mil. They got Jorge Soler from the Cubs
but Jorge is hurt again. That may be all she wrote for the fragile
fellow. (What did the Cubs know and when did they know it?) Sal Perez
got hurt by his own backup catcher (Drew Butera)in the WBC.
Hosmer, Cain and Moustakis are playing for contracts so they will
probably be good this year. (A note of cynicism I grant you.)
Valuable backup outfielder/speedster Jarrod Dyson...gone.
Keystone guys Escobar and Mondesi can field but not
hit. (Compare to Cleveland, Boston et al.)
Defense: 3 1/2*... middle is strong (catcher,
short, second and center.) Left field also good. Just average at
third and first. Who plays right after Soler went down?
Starters: 1*...When Yordano Ventura (RIP)
was lost, so was this rotation. Danny Duffy is their stopper?
Bullpen: 2 1/2*...oh how the mighty have fallen.
Kelvin Herrera looks lonely out there in the pen. Soria
disappointed as a set up man last year.
Leadership: 4*...5 dynamic player/leaders in
Hosmer, Cain, Perez, Moustakis and Gordon.
14
1/2*...tied for SECOND PLACE!
4th
place: MINNESOTA
God Bless the Twinkards. Joe Mauer is headed for
the DH at 34. They'll probably have to trade their one star Brian
Dozier. They are playing a bunch of kids who are slowly oh so
slowly getting better. They've got one pitcher who can bring it.
(Ervin Santana) But they are making progress and should be a
contender in two or three years.
Offense:
2 1/2*..especially when you
compare them to the three top teams in this division. The Twinks are
way back there, but surprisingly they were a middle of the pack
offensive team in the whole MLB last year. They lagged in average and
on base percentage but 12th in homers and 16th in runs ...that's not
bad...
Defense:
2*...but they were 29th
in team fielding percentage...
Starters:
1*...and they were major league
last in wins and opp batting average and 29th
in ERA.
Bullpen:
2*...and last in saves too, but
that's because they never had a lead to protect! Brandon
Kintzler is actually a pretty
good closer with a 4 to 1 K/BB ratio.
Leadership:
3 1/2*...manager Paul
Molitor is the real
deal. He keeps the ship afloat. The players play hard. There's hope
and Twinkie pride here. Go 'Sota!
11*...FOURTH
PLACE!
5th
place: CHICAGO
5th place but not for long. The White
Stockings have loaded up on good prospects after trading their stars.
They scalped Washington in the Eaton trade and got three of
the top pitching prospects in baseball. (Lucas Giolito, Reynaldo
Lopez and Dane Dunning) And got Michael Kopeck
(105mph fastball) and top prospect in baseball Yoan Moncada
for Chris Sale. These guys will start crushing it in two years. That
spells resurrection for the long-suffering Sox.
Offense: 2*...they were near the bottom in
baseball last year but they still have Frazier (40 homers),
Jose Abreu (.293/25/100) and Melky Cabrera
(.296/14/86/42 doubles). They will probably trade two of those guys
in July when they can get the best deals.
Defense: 1 1/2*...they have to play a lot of
youngsters now. Weak on the corners and at catcher. Centerfielder
Tilson is good and so is shortstop Tim Anderson.
Starters: 1*...a rotation full of ghosts like
James Shields and Derek Holland and projects like
Carlos Rondon. Leftie Jose Quintana is legit...and
that's why they'll trade him real soon...maybe to Houston.
Bullpen: 3*...but do they need a good bullpen to
finish last? They will trade David Robertson to some contender
that needs a good closer. When they do this group will go down to one
star.
Leadership: 2*...a couple of gamers like Frazier
but how can you lead when you're on the block? New leaders must
emerge from the minors. Management has a plan...give them a star for
that. The current lineup knows that the Sox are going to get
better...but they won't be around to see it. BAD JUJU.
9
1/2*...FIFTH PLACE!
*NOTE: The top three clubs Cleveland, KC and Detroit
get to play the rebuilding Twins and White Sox 19 times each. This
means there's a very good chance that at least one wild card team
will come from the Central. The East and the West are much tougher
for the contenders.
AL WEST
Now we're talking! I have no idea who will win this
division. It will be either Houston, Texas or Seattle. That's all I
can tell you. Everything else depends on health and JUJU.
The pitching is universally bad in this division unless
somebody somewhere makes a trade. If Houston gets Quintana from
Chicago as is rumored that may push them over the top as long as
their other starters pitch as expected. (Kuechel doesn't have
to win the Cy Young again, just pitch decently.)
King Felix has to hold his own up in Seattle and
if the Mariners make one big trade for pitching that may do it for
them. They came on strong at the end of last year.
Texas needs Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish
to pitch like number ones and go get somebody...anybody... to be
a third starter they can count on.
1st place: TEXAS
Offense: 3 1/2*...plenty of pop with Beltre,
Odor, Lucroy and Mazara. Good leftie/rightie balance.
Defense: 4*...Beltre an all-timer, Andrus
still a stud at short, Lucroy top five catcher and Carlos Gomez
is a hotdog but can play center field real good.
Starters: 3*...is Hamels still a Number 1? Not
if you go by the last month of the season and the playoffs. Is
Darvish all the way back from elbow surgery? I doubt it. So that's a
shaky three stars. They need a trade for a sure thing. Martin
Perez, Nick Martinez and Andrew Cashner are not good at
all.
Bullpen: 4* Luckily the Strangers have a great
pen with four or five potential closers. This could develop into a 4
½ or 5* bullpen. Sam Dyson, Matt Bush, Tony Barnette and
Jeremy Jeffress...they might be Giants (especially if they trade
one or more of them for Jeff Samardja or Matt Moore!)
More better the Rangy Ones keep all these youngsters and
go get Quintana before the Astros grab him. They should trade
Jurickson Profar who doesn't have a position still.
*Note: Having Lucroy at catcher all year could make a
big difference in how well the pitchers perform. He's a key player.
Leadership:
4*...when
you've got a future Hall of Famer like Adrian Beltre on your team you
get 4 stars for leadership. Along with Jose
Altuve he's the best
inspirational team leader in baseball now that Papi has retired.
Odor inspired the team
with his well-timed right cross to Jose Bautista's jaw. He clipped
the lip of the Big Bat Flip! It cost him a 7 game suspension but it
was worth it to the morale of the team and got them over the memory
of that corn cob they choked on in the 2014 playoffs.
18 1/2*... FIRST
PLACE!
2nd
place: HOUSTON
Oh the
Disastros...still looking for their first Championship after 55 years
in the major leagues. It's downright embarrassing. They have a good
club...flawed but still good. And if the pitching comes around they
could romp through this division. But that's a big “IF”. still
and all...they are the sexy pick to win the West. I, however, am
immune to their charms.
Offense: 3 1/2*...I
know, I know. They went out and got Carlos
Beltran who had a very
good year last year. But Carlos is 40 and even though he hit 22
homers in only 99 games...how much can he still have left in the
tank? I respectfully defer and remained uncommitted, even though I
applaud him as a great hitter. He can't field anymore. They also got
Josh Reddick
from Oakland and he had a great year last year with 28 dingers and a
.296 BA. He gets hurt with alarming regularity.
My main reason for
optimism on behalf of the Turf-Monkeys is their power: Gattis
32 homers. McCann
20. Altuve 24. Correa
20. Beltran
22. Springer
29. I also think Altuve is league MVP or close to it. And Carlos
Correa will have a break out offensive season. Something like
.290/35/120.
They also have two new
players...Alex Bregman
at third and Yulieski
Gurriel at first. These
guys are proven hitters in other, lesser leagues. If they come
through, Houston could have a scary and deep lineup.
My main reason for
pessimism on behalf of my Hometown Heroes is their strike outs:
Gattis 127. McCann 99 in 130 games. Correa 139. Marwin
Gonzalez 118. Springer
178.
The Astros are
vulnerable to the good starters and strike out relievers and that's
their Achilles Heel. They could be a 4 1/2* if all goes well. Or they
could be a 3* if all does not. I hedge my bets.
Defense: 3
1/2*...short/second A+.
first/third C+ catcher B outfield Reddick A. Everybody else C except
Marisnick who gets an A but can't hit enough to play much.
Starters: 2
1/2*...McHugh
was their best man with 4.34 ERA and 3 to 1 K/BB ratio. Keuchel
is their only leftie and they really need him to straighten out his
problems and pitch for them. That could make the difference in the
season.
Bullpen: 3
1/2*...they stunk it up
in the first half and that put the team behind the eight ball for the
whole season. The pen rallied well in the second half though and if
that continues watch out. Giles,
Gregerson, Harris, Feliz and
Hoyt all averaged over
one K per inning.
Leadership:
4*...because of Altuve
and Beltran and the impetuous nature of youth. A.J.
Hinch is an unimaginative
manager but he stands by his young players.
17*...SECOND
PLACE!
3rd
place: SEATTLE
They've built up the
offense but they don't have the pitching. Points for trying Seattle,
but no cigar without a rotation.
Offense: 3
1/2*...They finished in
the top ten in the majors in virtually everything but steals. That's
amazing since they had almost nothing in the way of outfield offense.
Jean Segura
at short could make them even more potent, even though they still
have a feeble offensive outfield.
Defense: 3*...those
puny hitters in the outfield must be good for something, right? But
it's only Leonys Martin
in center and rookies at the corners. Seager
regressed at third, but Segura is a big improvement at short. Backup
Carlos Ruiz
should improve the catching.
Starters: 2
1/2*...Felix Hernandez
showed his age last year. He has to turn crafty to hold on this year.
Iwakuma is 35 and he's a finesse pitcher too. Only James Paxton has a
power arm in the rotation and he sported an almost 5 to 1 K/BB ratio,
which is always a good indicator of how effective a pitcher will be.
He's young though. The Segura trade cost them Taijuan Walker. Big
loss.
Bullpen: 3*...no
names seem to get the job done. Edwin
Diaz is the closer and
Marc Rzepczynski
is the leftie arm with the impossible to pronounce name. They're very
good, even though cavernous Safeco Field knocks about a run off their
ERA.
Leadership:
3*...Cano
should be the leader on the field but a leader can't dog it on ground
balls. (I know, I pick on him all the time for that flaw but it's an
insult to the game not to burn it down to first on double play
grounders. Papi's excuse was bad feet but at least he hustled on
double play grounders!! And Cano is a lot faster than Papi ever was.)
Scott Servais
did pretty good turning the player's heads around in his first season
managing at any level.
15*...THIRD
PLACE!
4th
place: LOS ANGELES ANGELS
Offense:
3*...only
because Mike Trout
is the best player in the game.
Defense:
4*...strong
up the middle (with Andrelton
Simmons
at short being maybe the best defensive shortstop in the majors and
Trout in the top 5 of center fielders.)
Starters:
1*...major
stinko. Garrett
Richards
has been hurt...Ricky
Nolasco
is their opening day starter. Nuff said.
Bullpen:
1 1/2*...if
Houston Street
wasn't 33 and coming off his worst year this could maybe work. But I
sense a disturbance in the Force...The Angel's bullpen will reek.
Leadership:
2 1/2*...they've
got to be losing faith in Mike
Scioscia.
They're coming out of a power struggle between GM Jerry
Dipoto
and Scioscia and an ugly divorce between owner Arte
Moreno and
Josh Hamilton which
is leaving the Angels all but broke.
Trout
and Pujols?
Outstanding on the field leaders.
12*...FOURTH
PLACE!
5th
place...OAKLAND
If only the so-called
Commissioner would step in and negotiate a deal with the Giants: let
Oakland move their club out of that ridiculous football venue at the
Coliseum and go to the happy hunting grounds of San Jose. (The Giants
have some clause in their by laws that includes San Jose in their
“territory” even though San Jose is thirty miles farther away
than Oakland. )How good would that be for baseball in the Bay Area? I
mean, even the Raiders got to move out of Oakland. And don't feel
sorry for Oaktown...they have the Golden State Warriors don't they?
Do it, idiots! Stop torturing Athletics fans!
This is a very
depressing situation.
Offense:
2*...outside of Khris
Davis and his 42 taters
there is no joy in Mudville.
Defense:
2*...ordinary. Very
ordinary.
Starters: 2
1/2*...Sonny
Gray used to be their
Ace. Then he got hurt. Now they can't even trade him for help. That
sucks. Graveman, Manaea,
Cotton and
Triggs...not exactly
household names in the rest of the rotation but the first two aren't
bad.
Bullpen: 2*...very
high ERAs considering they play in the worst hitter's park of all
time. (Well at least since the Astrodome.) Ryan
Madson saved 30 games but
saves really don't mean much. His ERA was 3.62. Set-up man Ryan
Dull looks good at 2.42
with a 5 to 1 K/BB ratio until you realize that he was incredibly
lucky with a .209 average- against on balls in play. (BABIP for you
stat geeks) That's 89 points below league average and he ain't that
good.
Leadership: 1*...go
ahead...lead me on to my doom. We've seen this movie before...the A's
are rebuilding.
Billy Beane:
the Emperor has no Clothes.
9
1/2*...FIFTH PLACE!
In
Summation:
Boston, Cleveland and
Texas should win the divisions with the wild cards coming from
Detroit, Kansas City, Toronto and maybe Houston.
I'll stick my neck out
and say it's Toronto over Detroit in the Wild Card play in game.
Boston over Toronto and Cleveland over Texas in the next round and
Cleveland over Boston for the pennant.
MVP:
Francisco Lindor or Carlos Correa
Cy Young:
Aroldis Chapman or Aaron Sanchez.
Expect the National
League rundown in a couple of days. Enjoy the beginning of the
Season!
Salud!
--Marco Perella
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