The Official 2018 Major League Baseball thread

[rumpleforeskiin]

Keep dreaming, Beav. Exit velocity, schmexit velocity. You know what the exit velocity is on a punchado? Zero.

Stanton and Judge have been punched out 122 and 123 times respectively, approximately 50% more than JD's 88. Neither hs the hitter JD is and neither will ever be a triple crown candidate the way JD is. At the moment, only Mookie at .344 and Altuve at .337 stand higher than JD's .331.

Catch JD in home runs? Good luck with that. Martinez has 28 home runs. He has 10 of them in the Sox' 51 road games and 18 of them in the team's 40 home games. With 40 remaining home games and only 30 on the road, JD's shot at 50 is pretty clear. Not only that, the Sox, as the season drags on, have a total of four games remaining outside the Eastern time zone, while the Yanks still have a six game west coast trip among their 38 road games.

The three best players in the American League are Trout, Betts and Martinez. Judge is a great player, indeed, and Stanton a good one, but neither of them are in a class with the big 3.

 

[GaryH]

I've had it with these Japanese pitchers. Tanaka with another stinker. They are all tease. A couple of promising years to start. Then arm problems , rehab, one good start, 3 bad starts. They can't hold up to the major Leagues schedule.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Last night's loss was not on Tanaka. The normally reliable bullpen failed to hold a 5-3 lead which should have been enough. It had been 15 or more game appearances since Betances last gave up a run before last night.

Tanaka was not great, and for sure that HR he gave up to Machado was a terrible pitch that needed to be crushed. But it was the first time he has pitched in a month, due to a DL stint for hamstring injuries sustained running the bases in an interleague game. Tanaka's track records in big games is good, and he was lights out last year in the playoffs. That being said, I think he has lost velocity since coming into MLB, probably due to an arm issue.

The other problem that the Yankees have right now is that without Torres and Sanchez, their lineup is not quite as deep. That issue will resolve quickly after the All Star Break and a pitcher or two will be added. On balance the Yankees have gotten acceptable performance out of the triumvirate of German, Cessa and Loisaga. My thinking is that the Yankees will target a lefty, someone like Hamels or Happ. Neither Hamels nor Happ are great anymore, and because of that, the cost should not be prohibitive.

 

[rumpleforeskiin]

Sorry, Beav, it was on Tanaka. He allowed three runs in 4.33, the pen allowed three runs in 4.33. You gotta go deeper into games.

As for Happ and Hamels, the price will be steep because the need is desperate. After Severino and Sabathia, the Yankees have nobody to go to in September, but a bunch of 4-5 guys which is all Tanaka has been the last two years. Imagine having to use Severino in a wild card game. You then have Severino and Sabathia for a total of three games against Houston or the Sox. Good luck with that.

And, as the Sox build their lead, the need for some pitching gets even more desperate and the price even higher. With Gray pitching tonight before the Yanks go into Cleveland for four while the Sox host the Jays for four, the smart money is on the Sox to take a 4.5 to 5.5 lead into the break.

 

[EagerBeaver]

He was on an 80 pitch limit because it was the first game he pitched in a month! He couldn’t be expected to go farther and he was removed after throwing the 80th pitch.

 

[GaryH]

I hope this talk about the Yanks pursuing Machado is just in the sportwriters' heads. They need pitching. I don't think Hamels or Happ will get it done. No way would I give up a good prospect for these 2 pitchers that most recently resemble more Sonny Gray than a reliable middle of the rotation starter. Go big or go home. Blake Snell, DeGrom, Bumgarner type pitcher is what that need to compete with the Sox or the Astros.

 

[EagerBeaver]

The Machado talk involving the Yankees is false rumors put out by Dan Duquette minions in order to pump up the asking price for MM. The Dodgers will be the team that gets Machado. Teams falsely implicate the Yankees in trade rumors whenever someone is involved who will require big pay/prospects. The Orioles want the Dodgers to think they are bidding against the Yankees when in reality they are not.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Go big or go home. Blake Snell, DeGrom, Bumgarner type pitcher is what that need to compete with the Sox or the Astros.

A big name is always a possibility (although I am not sure Snell is being shopped), but remember that with the top 4 guys the Yankees have right now and a weaker lineup, they were 1 game away from the World Series last year as a wild card. It is not unreasonable to expect that two guys in their 20s, Tanaka and Gray, will be better. Their histories say they are better. I believe that the Yankees best baseball is in front of them in the second half as their team becomes whole. I expect a surge after the All Star Break.

 

[EagerBeaver]

MLB Batting Averages Way Down

The MLB league wide batting average is way down this year. In both 2016 and 2017, the MLB league wide batting average was .255, both years. So far in 2018, it’s down to .247. Why?

(1) more players swinging for the fences, less situational hitting
(2) Relief pitching across MLB has improved, with harder throwers striking out more batters
(3) The balls have been deadened
(4) Umpires have expanded strike zones, causing more strikeouts
(5) Chris Davis .159 batting average has dragged down league wide average as the Orioles cannot bench a guy they are paying over $25 million, so the Davis suckfest has been artificially allowed to continue
(6) Pace of play fines to players for taking too much time have unnerved them and caused them to clock their own at bats with resultant loss of concentration.

What factors above are the most significant?

 

[GaryH]

Happ's failure in his last two games against Yanks and Redsox shows me that I want no part of him. Soony Gray redux. Makes you wonder if the Yanks should have jumped at the trade with the Pirates and given up Andujar.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Happ's failure in his last two games against Yanks and Redsox shows me that I want no part of him. Soony Gray redux. Makes you wonder if the Yanks should have jumped at the trade with the Pirates and given up Andujar.

Happ actually pitched quite well against the Red Sox the other night but faced a lot of bad luck. Had the Devon Travis play not been reversed (he had barely stepped off second base prior to receiving the ball for the forced out) and a lucky infield hit later the Red Sox never would have got those 4 runs from the grand slam, which i must admit was a heck of an at-bat by Mookie Betts. I don't remember how many pitches he fouled off in that at-bat....maybe a dozen?

 

[EagerBeaver]

Although the Yankees could use a lefthanded started Happ isn’t the answer nor is Hamels. These guys are both around 35 years old and are very close to being shot. But even the best lefty in all of baseball (Kershaw) has been a poor postseason pitcher. Which is why I am kind of leery of paying a King’s Ransom for any of these guys. The guy who will not cost a lot is Lance Lynn, who is a righty and an innings eater. I don’t know his flyball ratio and with any pitcher the Yankees pick up they have to look at those stats. Ground ball pitchers are preferred at Yankees Stadium. At this point I am not against bringing up Justin Sheffield and seeing what he has. No one pitcher out there is going to make much of a difference in the postseason and once you accept that and realize that the chips have to be left to fall where they may, you do a lot better for this team. Like I said before with the top 4 starters they have now they were one out away from the WS last year. So there is no need to overreact.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Manny Machado traded to the LA Dodgers.

More to come...

 

[EagerBeaver]

Angels Retort to Rob Manfred Comments On Mike Trout

I was kind of surprised that Rob Mandfred criticized Mike Trout for NOT being a shill, and the Angels have stepped to the plate for their guy:

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...ut-wake-rob-manfred-player-marketing-comments

 

[Doc Holliday]

Happ's failure in his last two games against Yanks and Redsox shows me that I want no part of him. Soony Gray redux. Makes you wonder if the Yanks should have jumped at the trade with the Pirates and given up Andujar.

Earlier today the Blue Jays sent JA Happ to the Yankees for infielder Brandon Drury and minor league outfielder Bill McKinney.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Although the Yankees could use a lefthanded started Happ isn’t the answer nor is Hamels. These guys are both around 35 years old and are very close to being shot. But even the best lefty in all of baseball (Kershaw) has been a poor postseason pitcher.

Earlier today the Blue Jays sent JA Happ to the Yankees for infielder Brandon Drury and minor league outfielder Bill McKinney.

 

[EagerBeaver]

Since the trade has now been made, in light of the cost which was two spare parts the Yankees were not going to use and did not need, I would say the Yankees got something for nothing that they need.

Happ has a 1.78 ERA and a .202 BAA in his last 10 starts against the Red Sox since 2015, and that was the real reason the Yankees got him. The Yankees' even better acquisition was getting Zach Britton for Dillon Tate. Britton is among the top 5 relief pitchers in all of baseball and has a very unique bowling ball sinker that is hard to elevate, plus he throws very hard.

 

[Doc Holliday]

Aaron Judge out for a month with fractured right wrist

Tough loss for the Yankees as their star slugger was hit by a pitch yesterday and the team announced he will not be allowed to swing a bat for at least three weeks due to a fractured right wrist.

Will the Yankees try to acquire another outfielder in order to make up for the loss? Any chance Curtis Granderson of the Blue Jays rejoins the Yankees for their playoffs push?

 

[EagerBeaver]

No deal may be necessary, depending on when Clint Frazier returns from the DL. He is certainly a better option already on the roster than the washed up Granderson. Frazier has post-concussion syndrome and may be back soon. Meanwhile another young player, Tyler Wade, who has outfield experience, has been recalled. The Yankees also have Tyler Austin in AAA and all of these guys may be better options than the waiver wire scrap heap.

By the way, Frazier’s .963 OPS would lead the International League by 40 points if he qualified. But he spent a bit too much time with the Yankees to qualify. When he comes off the DL, he will likely get the lion share of RF at bats until Judge returns.

The Yankees have a ton of roster depth, which is probably not what you read in Toronto’s media. What the Yankees might need is another catcher. A veteran with experience to back up Romine.

 

[Sol Tee Nutz]

I have tickets for the Seattle Toronto game Aug. 05.
My second MLB game.