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2017 MLB Season Thread

Discussion in 'Other Sports Forum' started by Unlucky 13, Mar 21, 2017.

  1. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    The new MLB season starts in just a few weeks. As a Cubs fan, I'm obviously excited to see if my team can defend their title. Is anyone else pumped for the start of the new season? I know that we have some Red Sox fans in here, and they look like the best team in the AL to me.

    I expect the NL to be mostly top heavy again, with the Cubs, Nationals, Dodgers and Giants at the top. I think that St Louis is ripe for a heavy fall this season.
     
  2. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    We can hope that the Cards are ripe for a heavy fall this year since no one likes those guys. But really even in their bad years they seem to hover around .500.

    I love that you and many other are sleeping on my Mets. Sure, sleep on the team that swept you in the 2015 NLCS and has a healthy staff once again. Works for me. We are a sleeping giant.
     

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  3. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    LOL, I don't want to make it sound like I believe the Mets will be a bad team, because I don't. I think they're in the second tier in the NL, along with the Pirates and Rockies, and will contend for a WC spot. But although their pitching should be very good again, I see a lot of potholes in their lineup, and I just think that the Nationals are a better team top to bottom. If the Mets prove me wrong, great.

    As for sweeping Chicago two years back, I think that the Cubs proved last year that they got over it, and are poised to be even better, at least on offense, in 2017. Plus, a big part of that sweep now plays second base for Washington.
     
  4. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Its going to help that the mets have 7 legit SP this year. Hopefully the injury bug doesnt bite us like last year.
     
  5. Nappy Roots

    Nappy Roots Well-Known Member

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    I really hope I am wrong because I hate seeing anyone hurt. But Mets starting pitchers are mechanically flawed. Injury bug is pretty likely with those guys. Hope not though.
     
  6. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Which ones and how are they flawed? Matz and Harvey are the only 2 i really see at all.

    Degrom and Thor seem pretty effortless
     
  7. Nappy Roots

    Nappy Roots Well-Known Member

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    Matz, Harvey and DeGrom.

    I think Thor is clean. However, as hard as he throws and he has already had some elbow issues he scares me. For him it is not mechanics. But you can have perfect mechanics with pitchers and they still blow out. Id probably say Thor will be fine, but I wouldn't bet on it.
     
  8. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Matz and Harvey i can see the argument for. Theyve already had arm issues. I just dont see it with Jacob. Degrom had TJ surgery in the minors and it happened shortly after his conversion from SS to SP so it could have been from a few things not only mechanics considering how hard he throws.
     
  9. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Familia suspended 15 games
     
  10. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Addition by subtraction...not a huge fan, especially of his postseason performances. Reed can do the job for 2 weeks. Im more concerned about Matz's elbow yipping again. Its always something minor with him...probably from throwing 95 and having bad mechanics.
     
  11. TheOne

    TheOne Active Member

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    I think the Cubs repeat.
     
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  12. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    By some measures, the Cubs actually underperformed last season, and should have won between 100-115 games in the regular season! So, as a Cubbies fan, I'm shooting for 110 this year, especially with full seasons from Kyle Schwarber, Wilson Contrares and Javy Baez. However, once you get to the postseason, anything can happen. They had to squeak by all three of their series' last year. Still, its good to feel that they're going to be a good club for years to come.
     
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  13. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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  14. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Happy Harvey Days are here again. Pitched brilliantly tonight for 6&2/3rds against Atlanta. Kemp hit 2 bombs vs him but no one else did anything. Not a lot of K's but hit 95-96 routinely and looked as good as I've seen in 3 years. Threw it free and easy and mowed down Atl.

    Another good sign was d'Arnaud hitting a two run double. He's shown signs before but last year was a massive disappointment. Injured most of the year and terrible when he was healthy.
     
  15. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    Hope your guys stay healthy. It can be such a crushing feeling to have your prized pospects come up and then lost to injury.

    The Cubs didn't have an easy time of it in St Louis, but I'll happily take 2-1 on the road to start the year, even though Bryant is 0-13 so far.
     
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  16. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Ya, that's one of the hard things about building with pitching. But historically whenever the mets are good it's generally with good pitching. 06 was the only exception I can think of.

    Interesting stat I came across...For his career Harvey is 15-12 at Citifield over 43 home starts...with a 2.5 era. Uhhh run support please???? How is that even possible?

    Tell Bryant to get going, I have him in 2 fantasy leagues :)
     
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  17. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    Differences in run support are always interesting and weird. How one guy can go out and get 5+ runs seemingly every time, while another is stuck with almost nothing. It leads to shorter outings, and has to wear on guys after a while. It seems to stick to some of them from year to year as well.
     
  18. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Exactly, so how is Harvey always at the top of the worst run support list? And ill answer: Alderson needs a few more "professional hitters" guys that hit 300 and get on base instead of a lineup full of 250 hitters who hit 20 hr a year which is basically what they have.

    He has 1 rotting on the bench/minors in Conforto. He needs to be playing. My instincts tell me T.J. Rivera is another Daniel Murphy type and someone the mets should be looking at.
     
  19. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Stanton hit a homerun just now, which is normal and not out of the ordinary but what wasnt normal was the sound of the bat.. sounded like an aluminum bat..

     
  20. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    The Cubs are not having the season that I, or most people expected, but...they're back in first place, so we'll see if they can keep it up.

    Had you told me before the year that Javy Baez would increase his OPS by 62 points, Jason Heyward would increase his by 102, that Albert Almora and Ian Happ would step up and play as well as they have, and that no one would miss signifigant time with injury, I'd have expected they'd be setting the league on fire. But Addison Russell and Kyle Schwarber have been way, way down, Rizzo and Zobrist have had their struggles, and the entire pitching staff has been up and down.
     
  21. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Lol, you think your team has problems?

    Syndergaard - Out another few months
    Matz - Been out all season, although injuries are a way of life for him.
    Lugo - Been out since the WBC
    Harvey - Has pitched so bad an injury would be an upgrade...though i think its more mental then physical since his velocity is fine.
    Degrom - Has been very inconsistent.

    Raise your hand if you thought the Mets best SP would be Zach Wheeler. Thought so. No one did. Sure he walks 5 a game and throws 100 pitches by the 6th inning but hes navigated those walks pretty well.

    The bullpen has been an unmitaged disaster thats been responsible for over 10 losses already. On top of that Blevins, Reed, and Salas could easily file abuse cases against Terry Collins the way he was abusing their arms early in the year. Even when Familia was healthy, it was bad.

    The infield defense is among the worst. Asdrubal Cabrera may have hit a wall and seems to have declined sharply on D. Walker and Duda are average but Reyes at 3rd has been terrible. The good news is Rosario shouldnt be more then a week to 10 days away as the mets wait til Super 2 is well in the clear (the unofficial deadline passed but teams typically give it an extra week or so to make sure).

    Fwiw, id probably look to move some of the prospective FA's for prospects or long term pieces. Bruce, Duda, Reed, Walker, Granderson have value and Walker is the only one id care to see locked up long term since hes still in his prime, a great locker room guy, and can play 3b and 1b as well. Harvey, Flores, and others are in their last years of arbitration after this year as well. This team needs some good relievers and upgrades. Rosario should be the actual leadoff hitter theyve been missing. The team should be using Juan Lagares and his gold glove defense in CF more, especially when you consider their OF defense is nothing special but they cant when they have 5 legit outfielders and Conforto and Cespedes need to be in the lineup whenever they are healthy. Dominic Smith should arrive shortly as well and should be an immediate defensive upgrade, and even if theres fewer homers then Duda, hes a better gap hitter. This teams got more issues than a yearly subscription to a weekly magazine but should be able to re-tool on the fly.
     
    Last edited: Jun 7, 2017
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  22. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    The NL West has three teams with a .600 winning percentage.

    The AL East has four of five teams with winning records.

    Which division is stronger?
     
  23. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I don't watch much AL baseball, but I can tell you that the NL West is for real, especially after watching the Rockies take three of four in Chicago. The surprising part is how bad the Giants have been!
     
  24. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    The Giants being bad doesn't surprise me. They caught lightning in a bottle a few times, which made their GM look smarter than he is. They started handing out bad contracts to marginal players and their core guys are getting older. Plus...Madison Bumgarner decided to star in Jackas: Volume 5, with his dirt bike.

    As a Dodgers fan, I AM surprised at how well their pitching staff seems to be holding up, given all the injuries. Their position players are mostly home grown/developed in house, with a few more in the pipeline. Once they rid themselves of a few pricey veterans, and try to replenish with Machado/Harper in 18 months, they might be scary good.

    The Rockies were smoke and mirrors, or so I thought, but looking at their away record shows that they are legit, especially with their bats. They will be buyers come the deadline and can make a serious run.

    It is fun seeing the Yankees and Red Sox back on top of their division, but with some decent competition nipping at their heels, in the East.
     
  25. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    The Giants have LONG been able to play above their talent level, scrape and claw their way to victories. Maybe its all catching up to them though.

    The Rockies bats are relentless, and I've been surprised by a lot of "who's he" guys pitching a lot better than I thought that they would.
     
  26. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Two surprises in the NL West...
    1. That the Giants staff has been this good without MadBaum and Cueto with a 4.3 era. We knew they could pitch in a short series but their staffs held up well. Though Ty Blach is falling back to earth.

    2. We know the Rockies will hit but their staff of mostly rookies is doing well. Even with Jon Gray mostly hurt. Hoffman, Anderson, Chatwood etc have done well.

    I'm not sure what the Dodgers are missing, but if Turner and A Gone would start hitting that's a step in the right direction. They could also probably use an arm.

    As for the AL East...the Yankees have good enough bats to say they will continue to hit. Judge looks to be a legit all star. Reinforcements should graduate from the farm around mid-season with Clint Frazier and Gleyber Torres looking like they'll be ready. The Orioles have, IMO, the best manager in baseball in Buck. That staff is a hot mess aside from Bundy and he just keeps getting guys to perform. They're a threat and Machado and Davis haven't even really hit much. They could use an arm or two though and a healthy Britton to strengthen the pen. I still think Boston will win the division.
     
  27. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    Not for nothing, but Turner is hitting like .380 right now, on the season and his .OPS is above .950. I assume you mean home runs? Those numbers are down for him this year, but supplemented by Bellinger's stick. A-Gon is pretty close to A-Done, unfortunately. He took his first trip to the DL in his career already this year and now has back issues. My guess is he will be a part time player for LA going forward, and maybe end his career as a DH in the AL, somewhere.

    Dodgers could most certainly use a starting pitcher. Their bullpen is tremendous, currently. Barring some sort of run that closes the gap before the All-Star Break, I can't see them holding on to some of those players and their contracts, to hang around in the cellar. Their total payroll for the major league roster is close to $180 million. Players like Hunter Pence, Denard Span, Matt Moore, and a few others should be candidates to be moved. 6th highest payroll in baseball and one of the worst records. Even in common core, that math doesn't add up.
     
  28. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    With Turner it should have been phrased differently...as in where did the power go. Granted he's always been more of a line drive hitter but still. Bellingers been awesome. You would like to see the batting average 30 points higher and the k's dip but he's 21 and has a significant power tool. The average will come with time I suppose.

    The Giants could and should be sellers. The guys you mentioned could be moved and should be if the return is decent.
     
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  29. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    I agree with you on Turner, but if he hits .365 with 10 homers on the year, I am totally fine with that. He also did miss about a month with a hamstring injury, so that is sort of the reason for the lack of power, but yeah, it is down for him this year.

    As I type this Cody Bellinger has hit his second homer of the game tonight, 17th on the year, and his 4th multi-HR game of the season. He wasn't called up until April 25th. He DOES strike out a lot, and I am not sure that that will go away, as that has always been the book on him. But the encouraging thing is that he swings at strikes. He leads MLB in swings and misses at balls in the strike zone. If he can figure out how to make consistent contact...then look out.

    What about the Mets? What is their play for this season? They are in 2nd place in their division, but below .500? That makes it sort of confusing as to what to do, come the trade deadline, no?

    I guess let it play out as long as you can and make a decision then?
     
  30. Boik14

    Boik14 Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Some of us were ahead of the curve for Bellinger for their fantasy team....that kid is an absolute beast and if he ever learns to make consistent contact we are looking at a real problem :smartass:

    As for the Mets they're in a tricky spot. This year is Walker, Duda, Familia, Reed, Granderson, Reyes, Asdrubal Cabrera and Bruce's walk years. IMO Walker is the one I'd like to extend and use him at 2B or 3B. Maybe Bruce or Duda if they feel Dominic Smith is going to need another year (Doubtful) or they want to trade Smith for immediate help. After 2018 Harvey, d'Arnaud Flores, and I think Degrom need contracts, as does Blevins if the 2nd year option for 18 is picked up. The good news is Rosario and Smith are on their way and if they can stay healthy and consistent, Conforto and Lagares fill I at RF and CF with Cespedes in LF going forward. Brandon Nimmo can be of use as well as he's a former top 100 prospect who is ready when the call comes.

    The Bullpen sucks but it wouldn't be so bad if the mets could get some reliable pitching. Syndergaards out a few more months, Degrom has been hot and cold in a way we haven't seen since his rookie year, Harvey has been more bad then good which is upsetting. Wheeler has been their best starter but is on an innings cap and got bombed tonight...and he also hasn't really pitched deep in to games mainly cause he runs a lot of full counts. Gsellman was awful to start the year but it's too early to give up on a guy who was a top prospect before this struggle. He's been better lately. Matz is always a walking time bomb with his arm and doesn't pitch through any kind of discomfort it seems but having him and Lugo (pitching with a rehabbed but partially torn UCL much like Wainright did one year) back for now will help. Personally, I'd pump and dump Harvey once he starts pitching well since Boras clients rarely resign with their same teams. If I had to include Duda or Bruce and Cabrera (Once Rosario is called up) I would if it landed me an upgrade somewhere. You can sell and buy at once and that's what I'd probably do.
     
  31. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    When even badly hit balls are still homeruns, you gotta tip your hat to judge... bour challenged him very well with 22 and that was easily handled by judge. Monster
     
  32. King Felix

    King Felix Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Seeing Justin Smoak start in the all star game makes me sick to my stomach
     
  33. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    Taking deep breath and looking forward to the second half. The first few months were worse for me, as a Cubs fan, than a lot of losing seasons have been. They kept acting like they were getting things together, and then would collapse again. The hitting hasn't been as good as most people expected, but its been the pitching that's killed the team.

    Lester had a 2.44 ERA last year, and is at 4.25 right now. He only has one season above 3.75 since 2007.

    Arrieta had a 1.77 in 2015, and a 3.10 last season. He's a 4.35 now, and I'm glad he didn't get that mega extension.

    Lackey had a 2.77 ERA in 2015 with St Louis before the Cubs signed him, and 3.35 lasts season. He's at 5.20 now. I think its the end of the line.

    Hendricks had a 2.13 ERA last year. He had a 4.09 this year before getting hurt, and has only made 11 starts.

    Everything kind of went to crap all at once. Part of it has been a difference in how the strike zone is being called this year. They just aren't giving guys strikes on the outside of the plate most games, and its killed the Cubs by driving up pitch counts. HRs are up all over baseball too, and its hurt the Cubs. Last year, they only allowed 163 all season, and this year have given up 105. The 24 allowed by Lackey is almost a career high, and we're only halfway done. Lester is on pace to set a career high, and Arrieta has given up almost as many now as he did all of last season, and already more than he did in all of 2015.
     
  34. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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  35. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    Well, it looks like the Cubs have woken up! 6-0, and 44 runs scored since the break. Plus they've only allowed 9 runs in the last five, and are getting Cy Young finalist Kyle Hendricks back into the rotation. They're lucky that they play in one of the only divisions that doesn't have another powerhouse, but it looks like they're going to be able to dig themselves out of the hole.
     
  36. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    Stanton with 9 homeruns in the last 12 games. The ball is the size of a watermelon in his eyes... Once trailing Judge by 8-10 homeruns and now tied with him in the race.
     
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  37. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    He's a beast. Do you think there is actually a chance that they move him?
     
  38. Vertical Limit

    Vertical Limit Senior Member

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    He's not going to waive his NTC for any team that isnt the Dodgers, Padres, Oakland, Angels or Giants. And the marlins would ask for the motherload of prospects.

    He's also our biggest draw in terms of ticket sales on weekends (not so much weekdays, but fri-sunday theres a decent crowd).
     
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  39. Samphin

    Samphin Κακό σκυλί ψόφο δεν έχει

    Clayton Kershaw is already back and cleared to play catch. His back is much better than anyone expected. Looks like the timeline of 4-6 weeks might be adjusted.

    If they are able to deal for Darvish/Gray AND get Kershaw back early, that would pretty much lock them up for their fifth NL West title in a row (club record) and into the NLCS again.
     
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  40. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/07/cubs-nearing-deal-to-acquire-justin-wilson-alex-avila.html

    The Cubs are very near to a deal to acquire RP Justin Wilson and C Alex Avila from the Tigers, for minor league IFs Jeimer Candelario and Issac Paredes. Wilson would slot into the LH setup role for the Cubs, and could be the closer in 2018, depending on who may leave via FA after the season. Avila is almost certainly a rental, to provide a quality veteran behind starter Wilson Contrares, who has played in 92 games so far this season and could use more days off.

    Candelario, 23, is an excellent defensive third baseman who can also play first and second base. He was blocked all around the diamond in the Cubs organization. Parades, 18, is a SS who has yet to play above low A ball. They become the latest highly touted prospects traded by the Cubs in recent years, but they can do that when the MLB roster is full of young talent now.

    The Cubs are now in first place after going 13-3 since the All Star break, and are currently a season high 8 games over .500.
     

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