Play Ball! The 2018 Baseball Thread

[Guard Dog]

 

This is it. Spring Training is in full swing and the season begins in exactly 30 days. I'd say it's going to be a good year but the Marlins have flat out burned down the house and urinated on the ashes and the Rays... that is a mystery. On the surface it sounds like a complete tear down. But there is a lot of talent there. The AAA Durham Bulls have won the AAA National Championship 3 times in a row and a lot of those guys will be in St, Pete this year. I think this team may sneak up on some folks.

 

Anyway. Congrats once again the the Brisbane Bandits for winning the Australian League Championships for the third straight season. The Caguas Criollos of Puerto Rico won the Caribbean Series. 

 

So, my predictions for this season:

 

NL East:

1. Washington Nationals: Enjoy it Nats, this is your last shot at the ring. 
2. New York Mets: Good enough for 2nd place... but not that good
3. Atlanta Braves: They will push the Nats in the early season but lack of depth will tell come mid-summer. They are still a year away.
4. Philadelphia Phillies: This is a tough young team. Experience gained this season will pay dividends next year.
5. Miami Marlins: Damn.....

AL Central:

1. Chicago Cubs: Best all around team in the division. Adding Darvish was a coup.
2. Milwaukee Brewers: They are a pitcher away from getting over the hump.
3. St. Louis Cardinals: Good but not great in any area. But they will make noise.
4. Pittsburgh Pirates: The are not rebuilding after trading McCutcheon & Cole. More like re-tooling. But they won't contend.
5. Cincinnati Reds: Getting better but not enough

AL West:

1. Los Angeles Dodgers: This will be the best division in the Majors this year. The Dodgers have the most talent and will win but it will be close.
2. Arizona Diamondbacks: Good offense, solid pitching. They don't have any real weaknesses.
3. San Francisco Giants: They didn't get younger but barring injuries the Giants are good enough to content for the WC with Arizona, Milwaukee, and the Cardinals.
4. Colorado Rockies: Their window is closing after this season. They are good, but not good enough in this division.
5. San Diego Padres: Still a year away

 

AL East:

1. New York Yankees: Yeah.... no one is catching them in this division
2. Boston Red Sox: Should keep it interesting
3. Toronto Blue Jays: Smells like an 81-81 year to me
4. Tampa Bay Rays: Total mystery what this team will do.
5. Baltimore Orioles: What's going one here guys? Is there a plan?

AL Central:

1. Cleveland Indians: Best all around team in the AL.
2. Minnesota Twins: Improved rotation will have them contending.
3. Chicago White Sox: This team will be a BEAST, next year
4. Kansas City Royals: Sellers at the deadline
5. Detroit Tigers: Rebuilding year 2

AL West:

1. Houston Astros: The road to October runs through Houston.
2. Los Angeles Angels: Good for 5 more wins than last season
3. Oakland A's: Good young core coming up. This is my sleeper team
4. Texas Rangers: Pitching is a problem
5. Seattle Mariners: Time to rebuild

 

 

[Hurlshort]

If my Giants can stay healthy, I think they make the postseason. But they lack depth and are old.

[Guard Dog]

Almost forgot. My WS pick is Yankees over Nats in 5.

[Guard Dog]

Putting new amenities in the Oakland Coliseum is like putting up new window treatments in a haunted house. 

 

https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/03/01/as-to-debut-the-treehouse-at-oakland-coliseum/

Edited March 1, 2018 by Guard Dog

[Leferd]

Vegas Over-Under vs FanGraphs Projected Wins

Kansas City Royals 71.5 - 66 
Milwaukee Brewers 84.5 - 79
Arizona Diamondbacks 85.5 - 82
Los Angeles Dodgers 96.5 - 93
Colorado Rockies 82 - 79
Washington Nationals 92.5 - 90
Chicago White Sox 68 - 66
Atlanta Braves 74.5 - 73
Cincinnati Reds 73.5 - 72
Cleveland Indians 94.5 - 93
Minnesota Twins 82.5 - 81
Philadelphia Phillies 75.5 - 74
Chicago Cubs 94.5  94
Los Angeles Angels 84.5 - 84
Miami Marlins 64.5 - 64
New York Yankees 94.5 - 94
New York Mets 81- 81
Detroit Tigers 68.5 - 69
Seattle Mariners 81.5 - 82
Tampa Bay Rays 77.5 - 78
Boston Red Sox 91.5 - 93
San Francisco Giants 81.5 - 83
Baltimore Orioles 73 - 75
Pittsburgh Pirates 73 - 75
St. Louis Cardinals 85.5- 88
Texas Rangers 77.5 - 80
San Diego Padres 69.5 - 73
Houston Astros 96.5 - 101
Oakland A's 74.5 - 79
Toronto Blue Jays 81 - 86

 

Based on the above, I should take the OVER for the Giants?? Does not compute.

 

The Dodgers projection seems low for me..

[Guard Dog]

No the Dodgers are about right. No one wins 100 games in that division. don't sleep on the Giants. They are not set up for sustained success but they will do OK this year injuries permitting. 

[Hurlshort]

If Vegas had the Giants winning somewhere in the 70's, it would be a good bet. 

[Guard Dog]

Ichiro resigning with the Mariners? Not often a player gets to finish where he started (as far as MLB goes at least). 

[Guard Dog]

CarGo re-signs with Colorado,

 

Moustakas resigns with KC.

 

MLB will broadcast a game ever week on Facebook. Cool idea: https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/03/09/facebook-to-broadcast-mlb-games-weekly/

 

They will also be working with YouTube more: https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/03/09/mlb-youtube-tv-announce-expanded-partnership/

 

The Rays have some interesting ideas for their new stadium in Ybor City: https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/03/09/rays-offer-vision-for-ybor-city-ballpark/

[Guard Dog]

The Phillies signed Jake Arieta. I didn't think the signing made a lot of sense but they got him for just three years. Not too bad then. I read he wanted seven.  

[Guard Dog]

[Guard Dog]

Is it just me or is Spring Training dragging on for-f'ing-ever this year?

 

While we wait:

 

[Guard Dog]

Just like that the Giants lose their two best pitchers: https://www.mlb.com/news/giants-madison-bumgarner-injured-by-line-drive/c-269516312

[LadyCrimson]

While I haven't been keeping up with it much lately, baseball is never "just a game." 

 

It's still one of the few sports where if I actually sit down to watch a game, I most likely will keep it on/watch it until the end - I mean I may be web surfing at the same time, but you know what I mean.

[Guard Dog]

Man you have GOT to love the Oakland A's. That team and that city are well suited to each other.A different kind of team for a different kind of place! http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2766384-athletics-offer-20-parking-discount-to-giants-fans-who-yell-go-as-at-gates?utm_source=cnn.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=editorial

[Guard Dog]

I'm taking tomorrow off. It's opening day!

[Guard Dog]

The season is a week old. The Marlins are better than I'd thought, the Rays are worse. There has been some great stuff so far. Unfortunately I've been too busy to really follow. But I had to share this:

 

[Leferd]

Sean Manaea No-No. Good thing I elected to watch some Athletics baseball in lieu of postseason hoops tonight.

[Guard Dog]

We're a month in now. The season started with the Red Sox looking like a killing machine, the Yankees fans storming the gates with pitchforks and torches, and the Rays even worse than the Marlins. All that has reversed. The Rays & Yankees are red hot. The Red Sox are cold and throw in the Blue Jays strong start and the AL East is interesting again. In the AL Central the Twins are a disappointment. The rest is going as expected. In the West the Astros, Angels, Mariners and A's are playing well and keeping it tight.  

 

The NY Mets didn't get the e-mail that they were supposed to suck this year. They have been tough to beat. Ditto for the Phillies and Braves who are coming out of a rebuild. The Nats... what happened? The Pirates (who were supposed to be rebuilding) are leading a tight race in the NL Central. In the west the D-Backs are just killing it. The Rockies and Giants are in it. As for the Dodgers, when you let the Marlins come into your house and beat you two of three, things are not going well.

 

And this was funny: https://www.mlb.com/cut4/lobaton-and-plate-umpire-simultaneously-threw-ball-to-familia/c-274373192

[Hurlshort]

Pablo Sandoval also pitched a perfect inning.

[Guard Dog]

The NPB is definitely different in a cool kind of way: https://www.mlb.com/cut4/the-japanese-fish-mascot-is-pushing-a-suitcase-from-inside-its-mouth/c-274495836

[Guard Dog]

James Paxton throws a no-no last night: https://www.mlb.com/cut4/james-paxton-finished-off-his-no-hitter-with-his-fastest-pitches/c-275880834

 

Also, it looks like Tebow might actually amount to something after all. His average is well.... average. But with a SLG of .435 and an OPS 0f .762 he's in the top 10 of Eastern League hitters with over 70 AB.

[Hurlshort]

I'm not surprised that Tebow can play baseball, I'm just shocked at how much attention he gets over working his way through the minors.

[Guard Dog]

I think I'm in love!

 

https://youtu.be/9DIRLRjxBg8

[Leferd]

Going into the last day, we have:

 

-Four way tie going into last day in NL central, NL West and wild card.

 

-Khrush Davis currently batting .247. He hit .247 in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

 

In addition, the Rays and Athletics have fully embraced the opener/bullpenning concept. What a season!