MLB 2018

[jon abbey]

Been waiting for this for months, this is I think the most I’ve ever looked forward to a Yankee season. not their best team ever, but they’ve never had close to this much young tslent, both already up and still en route.

[Mo Noyz]

And most impressively the seventh highest payroll in MLB.

My Royals looked as good as I was expecting them to this season.

But I’m all in this season after my two year hangover/hiatus from the World Series appearances. Hoping for 65-75 wins. Been here before. Let the long and painful climb commence...

[jon abbey]

Houston just steamrolling people, they are going to win a lot of games if they stay healthy.

Gabe Kapler has made some hilariously inept moves in the first week, today he had the RF positioned insanely close (50 feet closer than average) against Amed Rosario, who promptly tripled over his head (look where the ball lands!) to score two runs and go ahead 4-2, also the final score.

https://www.mlb.com/video/rosarios-two- ... 1906463083

[Mo Noyz]

The only thing keeping the Royals from being 1-5 right now is two postponed games...

[faster]

Something seems to be wrong with Kenley Jansen.

[jon abbey]

Something seems to be wrong with Kenley Jansen.

it seems like it's hard for the relievers who get abused in the postseason to bounce back, neither Andrew Miller nor Aroldis Chapman were quite the same last year. Jansen pitched in 10 of the 12 games in the NLDS and WS, so it might just be that. the Yankee bullpen, which was pretty dominant last postseason, has also had big problems so far.

[walto]

Could someone please beat the fucking Red Sox.

Thank you.

[Harold Baines]

Brewers have a fun lineup. Too bad about their closer going down, and they could use another starter, but they have watchable talent.

[faster]

Kenley Jansen might be fixed. Throwing 93 cutters and 95 two-seamers. Phew. Still, Justin Turner can't come back a minute too soon.

[faster]

Could someone please beat the fucking Red Sox.

Sean Manaea says hey

[Mo Noyz]

Brewers have a fun lineup. Too bad about their closer going down, and they could use another starter, but they have watchable talent.

Unlike the White Sox and Royals, both of whom are completely unwatchable...

[walto]

Could someone please beat the fucking Red Sox.

Sean Manaea says hey

Thank you, Oakland!!

[Steve Minkin]

Brandon Belt's 21 pitch at-bat in the 1st inning today sets a major league record. Flied out, but up 4 in the 6th.

[jon abbey]

NY is having a superb position player rookie break out offensively for the 4th straight season, the last three have been at historic levels:

2015: Greg Bird up in mid-August at 22, 11 HRs in 157 ABs and started NY's only postseason game.
2016: Gary Sanchez up on August 3, 20 HRs in 201 ABs and 2nd in the Rookie of the Year voting despite only playing 2 months.
2017: Aaron Judge breaking all the rookie records, most HRs at 52 (Mark McGwire-49) and most walks at 127 (shattering Ted Williams's record of 107).
2018: Miguel Andujar looked awful for a week and now is going absolutely nuts, 12 extra base hits in a span of 27 ABs, no one has done that in their first two weeks in the bigs before.

[jon abbey]

Could someone please beat the fucking Red Sox.

Thank you.

it took a bit, but NY has somehow cut their 7 1/2 game lead to 2 in the span of 8 days (NY 8-0, BOS 2-5), so their 17-2 start has mostly evaporated, although NY has 10 straight against HOU/CLE/BOS starting on Monday.

[faster]

Corey Seager

[jon abbey]

I've been waiting for Darren's reports on the recently rampaging A's, who came back from 10-2 down tonight after 6 to win 13-10 in 10, that is amazing. They seem headed for a collision course to NY or BOS in the wild card game, the AL playoffs are so loaded this season.

NY trades for Britton, they give up a good bit of talent (Cody Carroll might be BAL's closer really quickly, Dillon Tate also has a major-league arm). but they are so deep in impact pitching up and down the system that the next wave can just step in behind them, and all of those guys need to be protected from the 40 man this winter.

anyway, as I said on FB, NY now almost certainly has the best bullpen ever and also have a good chance to break the alltime team HR record, but they might still be the third best team in the AL. 538 has the three finishing with 107, 104 and 104 wins respectively.

[surfer]

I've been waiting for Darren's reports on the recently rampaging A's, who came back from 10-2 down tonight after 6 to win 13-10 in 10, that is amazing. They seem headed for a collision course to NY or BOS in the wild card game, the AL playoffs are so loaded this season.
.

Yeah, we've been watching. They are on a roll although their SP is suspect enough that its hard to see them getting past the WC game. Piscotty's been on fire lately, and I was not really a fan of that signing.

[Steve Minkin]

[surfer]

I've been waiting for Darren's reports on the recently rampaging A's, who came back from 10-2 down tonight after 6 to win 13-10 in 10, that is amazing. They seem headed for a collision course to NY or BOS in the wild card game, the AL playoffs are so loaded this season.
.

Yeah, we've been watching. They are on a roll although their SP is suspect enough that its hard to see them getting past the WC game.

A's starting pitching has been sneaky good lately: Manaea, Cahill, Fiers, Jackson, Anderson
Month ERA FIP IP/G
Apr 4.53 3.87 5.5
May 3.97 4.69 5.5
Jun 4.71 4.89 5.4
Jul 4.30 4.35 5.3
Aug 2.19 3.19 5.9

Pitching has been much better this month, with the exception of Manea who has hit a rough patch.