As we prepare for the stretch in Major League Baseball, the
contenders are beginning to pull away from the rest of the field. Still,
nothing is etched in stone and anything can happen in the final stretch of the MLB
season.
Here is the Hat Trick's fourth and final installment, evaluating all 15 teams in the league. The pre-season comments are in black with the one-quarter point marks in blue, and the halfway point comments in green, and three-quarter point remarks are in red.
A.L. East
Boston Red Sox
This is another team full of aging stars that have not made any power-brokering moves since last season. Their biggest addition was by subtraction, firing last year’s comic-tragic Manager, Bobby Valentine. It would be in the best interests of the Red Sox to have completely cleaned house after last season were money not an object. But it is.
47-33 (1st place) - So far, I whiffed on the BoSox. These guys are tearing the cover off of the ball. Designated hitter David "Big Papi" Ortiz (.319, 16 HR, 57 RBI) looks like he has discovered the Fountain of Youth. Starting pitcher Clay Buchholtz (9-0, 1.71 ERA, 81 Ks) is making a bid for the American League Cy Young. Let's give John Farrell, in his first year as Red Sox manager, some credit. He's got these players performing up to their potential and has the distractions, for now, swept out of the clubhouse.
(58-39, 1st place) - Give Manager
John Farrell his credit. Whatever he is doing, with the same personalities that
imploded the team last year under Bobby Valentine, is working. The Red Sox are
in first place, where many Sox fans think they have belonged for the last three
years. The BoSox have two softer spots in their armor:
1) Jon Lester (8-6, 4.58 ERA, 103 Ks) – he’s the ace
pitcher; he needs to be more ace like. I think he relies too much on the
strikeout pitch and it will catch up to him later into the season. Still, he’s
the best game manager in the rotation.
2) Middle relief – The Red Sox have had to make a ton of
tweeks and adjustments on the bridge from the starting pitcher to the setup
man. Among a number of injuries, closer Joel Harahan’s (0-1, 9.82 ERA, 4 SV)
trip to the 60 day DL has sent the team scrambling to find an identity for its
bullpen. Koji Uehara (2-0, 1.70 ERA, 8 SV, 60 Ks, 42.1 IP) appears to be the
new established closer and the remaining relief roles look like they are in
place. But this is an area that will require constant monitoring by Farrell.
(71-49, 1st place) – They have
been in first place for nearly the entire season, but the only time that counts
is after the 162nd game. John
Farrell is worthy of American League Manager of the year, thus far. He took a
team of veterans in turmoil with awful chemistry following the 2012 fiasco of
Bobby Valentine’s management. He has them playing up to the very lofty
expectations that the Red Sox have had for the past several years. The question
is simple: can the BoSox fend off the surging post-All-Star Tampa Bay Rays
until the end of the regular season?
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa
is a really tough team to count out under any circumstances. This is
one of the best run organizations and best managed teams in the majors.
The pitching staff is locked and loaded as usual with 2012 American
League Cy Young winner David Price leading the rotation. This was a team
that did not have a lot of collective pop in its bats last season. The
loss of centerfielder B.J. Upton to the Atlanta Braves via free agency
and the lack of a comparably serviceable replacement place more pressure
on a pitching staff that was among the best in the American League last
season and still failed to make the playoffs.
(41-38, 4th place)
- They are right in the thick of the race in the American League.
There's nothing new about that. They're living off of hitting instead of
pitching. That's new and it's not good for the Rays.
The Rays walk too many batters and give up too
many extra base hits to win the division. They are above .500 because
they have been mowing other batters down with a bullpen that throws
nothing but flames. That won't last all the way through September and
into October and this team's goal should be nothing short of the
postseason. Reigning American League Cy Young winner David Price (1-4,
5.24 ERA) has been hampered by a triceps injury all year. He is expected
to return soon (last game played May 15) and a healthy Price can't
return soon enough.
(55-41, 2nd place) – The Rays are
the hottest team in the American League and are closing in quickly on the Red
Sox. The Rays are hitting the ball as well as they ever have under Manager Joe
Maddon. The starting pitching is catching up and now the Rays, playing the way
they have in July, look bulletproof. Ace starting pitcher David Price’s return
to the rotation is just what the doctor ordered. All three starts since his
return have been quality starts.
The southpaw Vanderbilt alum is 2-1 with 1.08
ERA since his return. In spite of striking out almost nightly, third baseman
Evan Longoria (.278, 18 HR, 52 RBI) is the standout among a variety of offensive
threats in the Rays’ lineup, demonstrating just why he is their star position
player. The Rays are coming!
(66-50, 2nd place) – In July, there was no hotter
team in the majors. In August, pitchers not named David Price (6-5, 3.17 ERA)
can’t keep the ball from hitting the bat. The Rays have dropped 7 of their last
9 games, including five straight losses – being swept by the Arizona
Diamondbacks and the seemingly bulletproof Los Angeles Dodgers. Part of the
Rays slump will take care of itself. Their five straight losses were on the
road against teams with winning records; they have a six game home stand coming
up against the sub-.500 Seattle Mariners and lowly Toronto Blue Jays. Still,
the chink in the armor, the back end of their pitching rotation, has been exposed.
Baltimore Orioles
The O’s are not going to sneak up on anyone this season.
Whether you are waiting for them to bring it or not, Buck Showalter’s team is
going to be ready for battle every night. My concern with this team is starting
pitching. Beyond ace Jason Hammel (8-6, 3.43 ERA) I am not instilled with an
abundance of confidence in the starters. The bullpen is going to have to carry
the pitching staff, much like last season.
The Orioles are a team that lives by power hitting and dies
by power hitting. A healthy centerfielder Adam Jones (.287 avg., 32 HR, 82 RBI
in 2012) and first baseman Chris Davis (.270 avg., 33 HR, 85 RBI in 2012)
should keep a steady supply of game breaking power in the Orioles lineup. I really
like what Showalter has been building up in Baltimore over the last several
years.
(43-36, 2nd place)
- First baseman Chris Davis (.330, 28 HR, 73 RBI) has gone beast mode.
If his regular season ended today, he would have a very impressive
contribution...VERY impressive. He isn't even halfway finished yet. He
and Adam Jones (.297, 15 HR, 55 RBI) have helped make up for anemic
starting pitching. Starting pitcher Jason Hammel (7-4, 5.09 ERA)
absolutely must pick his game up and revert to last year's form if the
Orioles expect to mount a serious challenge in the American League this
year.
(53-43, 3rd place) – The O’s
are tearing the cover off of the ball. This is a team that reached the playoffs
last season without a dominant pitching staff and that continues to be the case
this season.
The key? Strong, smart, durable starting pitching. The
Achilles heel? Their ace starting pitcher. Jason Hammel (7-6, 5.24 ERA) is at
the top of the Orioles’ rotation because he is a seasoned, experienced game
manager. He has been feast or famine all season long. In addition, I don’t know
if the O’s bullpen has what it takes to keep this team in contention in this
division through September. Still, the Orioles are in any close game with first
baseman Chris Davis (.317, 37 HR, 93 RBI, 1.109 OPS) hitting the ball the way
he has been.
(65-53, 3rd place) – Manager Buck Showalter is
another manager deserving a prize. He has his team bucking the conventional
wisdom that you can’t slug your way to winning night in and night out, yet they
are. None of their pitching numbers are impressive and the bullpen may be
buckling from excessive wear. Still, the recent acquisition of starting pitcher
Bud Norris (8-9, 3.78 ERA) from a trade with the Houston Astros has been a
welcome addition thus far. Norris has two wins in three starts and a 2.65 ERA
in the month of August.
New York Yankees
It’s going to be a L..O..N..G summer in Gotham. The Bronx Bombers were already aging and raised concern about their ability to compete in October last season. Most of those late thirty-something players are on the payroll in 2013. The long-in-the-tooth Yankees’ opening day Disabled List looks like its All-Star Game delegation from a few years ago.
Future Hall-of-Fame shortstop Derek Jeter is out. All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeria is out. Starting pitcher Phil Hughes is out. All-Star Curtis Granderson, the Yankee’s biggest power hitting threat, is out. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez is on the 60 day disabled list and may be out for the season.
It looks like the Yankees postseason hopes are out.
(42-35, 2nd place) - In spite of their second place standing, there is plenty of time for an implosion in the Bronx. Third baseman Alex Rodriguez appears to be rearing his ugly head again, possibly just in time for the post All-Star break run. In spite of General Manger Brian Cashman telling A-Rod to, "Shut the fuck up," (which is hysterical because Rodriguez is not listening) that is really the least of the Yankees' worries. All-Star first baseman Mark Teixeira will now miss the entire season with his wrist injury. Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, and Kevin Youkilis have all yet to take a swing in 2013.
Yankees pitching has gotten them through the season so far. But it is like a house of cards. They can strike people out, but they let too many people on base. Phil Hughes (3-6, 5.09 ERA) has "gone Phil Hughes" again this year, being an unpredictable black hole in the starting rotation. Case-in-point: Hughes pitched seven scoreless innings against the (offensively impotent) Seattle Mariners earlier this month. How did he follow it up? He got rocked against the Oakland Athletics, being yanked in the 5th inning, and was torched like a medieval heretic against the Dodgers in his last start. I don't expect the Yankees to last long in the East race unless their injured players return and quickly start hitting the ball well.
(51-44, 4th place) – This team
has too many injuries and is trying to plug its fingers in too many holes to
pull ahead in the East. Shortstop Derek Jeter (.250, 0 HR, 1 RBI) is back on
the D.L. with a quad injury. The pickings have gotten so slim in Gotham that
the Yanks are looking forward to the return of Alex Rodriguez (career – .300,
647 HR, 1950 RBI) at third base next week. They’ve fought the good fight, but
stick a fork in ‘em; they’re done.
(60-57, 4th place) – This team is circling the
drain. The returns of third baseman Alex Rodriguez (.273, 1 HR, 2 RBI) and
centerfielder Curtis Granderson (.237, 3 HR, 5 RBI) had added some tangible pop
to the lineup, but I don’t see how it will be enough to pull them out of their
canyon-sized hole in the American League playoff race. In addition, their
starting pitching, sans Hiroki Kuroda (11-7, 2.33 ERA) has just been “okay” and
their bullpen, sans Mariano Rivera (3-2, 2.44 ERA, 35 SV, 41 Ks, 44.1 IP), has
just been “good.” The Yankees pitching needs “super” to overcome bats that
resemble rubber hoses.
Toronto Blue Jays
Blue Jays Fan has cause for optimism for the first time in
over a decade. The Jays have had potent bats for the last couple of years. They
got potent-er. They also made an acquisition in 2012 National League Cy Young
Award winning knuckleball pitcher R.A. Dickey that might give the pitching
staff the push they need to win games that they would lose a year ago.
In addition to Dickey, Toronto picked up starter Josh
Johnson (3.15 career ERA) and 2011 N.L. batting champion shortstop Jose Reyes
in the Miami Marlins’ fire sale from last season. They also rolled the dice and
signed last year’s troubled National League batting leader, Melky Cabrera (.346 avg.,
11 HR, 60 RBI in 2012).
(39-38, 5th place) - For a while, I thought I'd have to eat my words, but the Jays caught fire in June with an 11 game winning streak and vaulted themselves right back into the picture. The difference? Their pitching staff has done a complete 180 in June. Any day now, coveted free agent acquisition R.A. Dickey (7-8, 4.72 ERA, 78 Ks) is going to join the pitching resurgence and the Jays will make the A.L. East race really interesting.
(45-49, 5th place) – If their
starting pitching could rise to any occasion for a sustained period of time, this team could be in contention.
It hasn’t happened through half of the season. I don’t expect anything to
change down the stretch.
(54-64,
5th place) – If their pitching staff could rise to the level of
“mediocrity” they would have a dog in the hunt. The Jays have some of the best
position players in the league, but can’t pitch a tent this year. This has left
their disappointed fans pitching a fit. So they’ll be waiting until next year.
 |
| Big Papi and the Red Sox have been a smash in 2013. 3 |
A.L. Central
Detroit Tigers
A year ago the Tigers got off to the most uninspired start
for a team with stratospheric expectations. The Tigers managed to catch the
Chicago White Sox in the final days of the season to win the Central and
eventually won the American League pennant. The expectations are higher this
season – win the whole thing.
This team isn’t rebuilding; it’s reloading. This team has
all of its key parts from last season, but added a nice part in right field:
Torii Hunter (.313 avg., 16 HR, 92 RBI in 2012). The 37 year old, if healthy,
could give Motown the extra inches that it fell short of a World Series
Championship last year.
(42-34, 1st place) - Just hand the Central Division title to them now. I've often lived to regret those words, but unless they are swallowed by the injury bug, nobody is going to catch them, though I give credit to the Cleveland Indians for giving chase.
The Tigers are hitting the ball as if real life were a video game. You probably know all about 2012 A.L. MVP Miguel Cabrera (.370, 22 HR, 78 RBI) and Prince Fielder (.281, 12 HR, 60 RBI), but Anibal Sanchez (6-5, 2.76 ERA, 101 Ks) has been carrying the Tigers rotation as much as Justin Verlander (8-5, 3.90 ERA, 110 ERA). Rick Porcello (4-5, 5.27 ERA) needs to step his game up for the Tigers to pull away and clinch home field throughout the American League playoffs. Still, (so far) it looks like another ticket to October will be punched in Motown.
(52-42, 1st place) – They have yet
to run away with the division, but I think it is just a matter of time. Miguel
Cabrera (.365, 3o HR, 95 RBI) is having as good a year as his American League
M.V.P. campaign from last year and Max Scherzer (13-1, 3.19 ERA, 152
Ks), in spite of being a starting pitcher who only plays every five
days, is in the conversation for M.V.P. as well as the A.L. Cy Young. As long
as this team stays healthy, I don’t think anyone will catch them and stay ahead
for any sustained period of time.
(69-48, 1st place) – The Tigers are pulling away
from the Cleveland Indians and Kansas City Royals, as expected. This is a World
Series championship or bust team. They have the talent. They look like it. And
they are playing like it, winning 17 of their last 21 games. Third baseman
Miguel Cabrera (.366, 37 HR, 111 RBI), the reigning 2012 A.L. MVP, is looking
M.V.P.-worthy again. Starting pitcher Max Scherzer (17-1, 2.84 ERA, 175 Ks) is
having a Cy Young worthy year. This team has no weaknesses. The only team that
can get in the Tigers’ way is the Tigers themselves.
Kansas City Royals
The Royals haven’t been to the playoffs since their World
Series winning season of 1985 but some baseball writers have speculated that
the hex could come to an end, this October. The Royals had a couple of hot
flashes last year and had a ray of postseason hope before the All-Star break.
Their starting rotation, however, could have had a post All-Star highlight reel
accompanied by Soul II Soul’s “Back to Life (Back to Reality)”.
The Royals stepped up to the plate by beefing up the mound. Stealing “Big Game” James Shields (15-10,
3.52 ERA, 223 Ks in 2012) from the Tampa Bay Rays was a colossal step in the
right direction. The Royals added longtime Angels pitcher Ervin Santana, who
had an off year in 2012 but has proven he can be dominant. Mid-season
acquisition from 2012, Jeremy Guthrie (5-3, 3.16 ERA in 14 GS with the Royals
in 2012) is third in the rotation, followed by another Rays defection in Wade
Davis (3-0, 2.43 ERA, 87 Ks in 70.1 IP in 2012). Davis is being promoted from
the bullpen, where he spent 2012, back to the starting rotation, where he was
in prior years of his career.
The Royals pitching staff has a very high upside and a bevy
of veteran experience. Royals fan may get his coveted Back to the Future
experience, going back to 1985, and having the Royals in the postseason.
(36-39, 3rd place) - I can say that the Royals do not completely suck this year. The pitching is there. This team needs to learn how to win. This means learning how to bring their runners home, which means not hitting into as many double plays as they do. This means greater plate discipline and that comes with the hard knocks of experience. Still, I like the slow, but deliberate direction in which the Royals are headed.
(46-49, 3rd place) – In spite
of a five game losing streak heading into the All-Star break, the Royals are
progressing through their rebuilding process, but they aren’t there yet. This team needs to add more power to its
lineup and their young, relatively inexperienced bullpen needs more consistency.
Still, this team is going in the right direction. Watch out…next year.
(62-54, 2nd place) – Earlier this year I said
that I expected the Royals to have a shot at the Wild Card. Heading into the
home stretch of the season, K.C., winners of eight of their last ten, is only four games back of the second A.L.
Wild Card spot. Their pitching has been
solid all season and now their young, developing position players are beginning
to get really hot with the stick.
The Royals are batting .300 as a team in the month of
August. Designated hitter Billy Butler (.288, 11 HR, 61 RBI) has had multiple
hits in five of his last eight games. The back end of the starting rotation was
one of the most glaring weaknesses. Moving veteran southpaw Bruce Chen (5-0, 1.79
ERA) into the rotation, so far, has offered a big lift to the pitching staff.
Come October, could Royals Fans be partying like it’s 1985?
Cleveland Indians
I
could never write off new manager Terry “Tito” Francona, but he has a
tall task ahead of him. The Tribe added speedy former Atlanta Braves
centerfielder Michael Bourn (.274 avg., 42 SB in 2012), former Yankees
first baseman Nick Swisher (.272, 24 HR, 93 RBI in 2012), and a former
Oriole, DH Mark Reynolds (181 career HRs in 6 years of service) – key
lineup upgrades. The problem is that very little was done to upgrade an
underachieving pitching staff that was never in sync as a unit and
struggled badly in the bullpen. This is a long term rebuilding project
for Tito.
(40-37, 2nd place)
- Tito Francona is the man. The two time World Series winning manager
with the Boston Red Sox is a case study in why managing matters.
Cleveland went from hapless to happening with a few lineup sensible
lineup adjustments a major self esteem adjustment. Still, like last
year, Cleveland is putting too much pressure on its bullpen. They give
up too many home runs and if I had a daughter whose legs were as open as
the Indians' power alleys, she'd be grounded.
(51-44, 2nd place) – Terry
Francona should be in the discussion for American League Manager of the Year.
He has made silk from a sow’s ear in Cleveland. The key? Discipline,
discipline, discipline! The Tribe is in the top four in the American League in
on-base percentage, walks, stolen base percentage, and RBIs. They play what I
would call “big small-ball”. Players who are quietly smart with the stick, like
right fielder Ryan Rayburn (.267, 10 HR, 28 RBI, .908 OPS) have brought them
this far.
Starting pitching has got to find a way to carry them the
rest of the way if they have any chance of reaching the playoffs. Their bullpen
is not lights out and their starters are fourth from last in the A.L. in
innings pitched. The bottom of the rotation needs to pick it up if this season
is to have a fairy tale conclusion in September.
(63-56, 3rd place) – The Tribe is not out of it
yet. But I don’t see how the bullpen can shoulder the load through the end of
September to get this team into the playoffs. The batting has been very good.
When your second baseman, Jason Kipnis (.290, 15 HR, 68 RBI), and catcher,
Carlos Santana (.262, 13 HR, 50 HR) are legit power threats, you usually have a
deep batting order.
The Indians are keeping the ball in the yard more since the
All-Star break. But they are not getting the good innings they need from their
starters to string together a sustained run and pass the other teams in Wild
Card contention.
Minnesota Twins
C’mon man. C’mon. Adding Vance Worley (6-9, 4.20 ERA, 107 Ks in 133 IP) to the starting rotation as an ace was this team's big splash in the offseason. I hope he made a splash in his checking account, because there won’t be one (as in rings) in his jewelry box.
(34-40, 4th place) - The Twins deserve some credit for not being in last place and not being completely hopeless by the All-Star break. If their pitching didn't evoke side-splitting laughter I could even be duped into thinking they had a prayer this year. This just in: keeping the ball inside of the park is great; keeping it in the park while your opponent circles the bases is not.
(39-53, 4th place) – This team
has a chance every night their pitching staff shows up. I have a chance to get
a date with Megan Fox if I ever meet her. Any questions?
(53-63, 4th place) – This team could be billed
(catcher) "Joe Mauer (.315, 9 HR, 40 RBI), (first baseman) Justin Morneau (.262,
14 HR, 67 RBI) and everyone else". The pitchers don’t even merit being
mentioned by name.
Chicago White Sox
This team used its power in the lineup to come very close to
snagging the Central away from the Tigers, who were anointed by many as
division winners at the start of 2012. The addition of third baseman Jeff
Keppinger (.325 avg., .806 OPS in 2012) should help offset some of the loss of
longtime catcher A.J. Pierzynski’s bat (Rangers - FA).
My concern with this team is the back end of the starting rotation.
The Sox made an addition by subtraction when Phillp Humber went to the future
A.L. West cellar dwelling Astros in the offseason. I don’t see any significant
upgrades to the rotation while other teams stockpiled in the pitching arms race
in the Central.
(32-42, 5th place) - Here's a haiku. Ahem....
Batters cannot hit
Starters are not made of steel
Bullpen is pure trash
(37-55, 5th place) – This is a
case study of how the whole is not necessarily equal to the sum of its parts.
This team has talent throughout the roster and there is no excuse for its
abominable performance in the first half of the year. Expect this team to get
blown to pieces and spread among the other MLB teams before the trade deadline.
Expect Robin Ventura’s managing career in Chicago to be blown to pieces by
year’s end.
(45-72, 5th place) – What happened to the White
Sox? This same team was in first place in the A.L. Central until the final
weeks of the regular season in 2012. They’ve been in the cellar nearly all
season in 2013.
Losing longtime catcher A.J. Pierzynski (.281, 13 HR, 47
RBI) to the Texas Rangers in the offseason hurt the lineup, and the recent
trade of right fielder Alex Rios (.279, 12 HR, 57 RBI), also to the Rangers,
isn’t helping their cause at all. But the Sox’s 2013 misery can be boiled down
to some key fundamentals.
First of all, they lack discipline at the plate as a team.
They swing away too much. This results in too many strikeouts and not enough
walks over the course of a game or the course of the season. Second, their
pitchers give up too many home runs. Beyond that, I can only surmise that sometimes
bad luck can befall a group of talented players. On paper, the Sox are much
better than their abysmal record. That’s why they play the games!
 |
| Miguel Cabrera (left) and Prince Fielder (right). There's a whole lotta beef in the Tigers' lineup! 2 |
A.L. West
Texas Rangers
Last
year’s late season collapse may have marked the beginning of the end of
the Rangers’ dominance in the American League. Picking up catcher A.J.
Pierzynski (.278, 27 HR, 77 RBI) is not enough to offset the losses of
Mike Napoli and Michael Young, from both leadership and production
standpoints. The pitching staff is still very solid with no weak links
in ace Derek Holland, Yu Darvish, Matt Harrison, and Alexi Ogando. The
middle relief is quality and closer Joe Nathan is as good as he ever
was. The Rangers may very well reach the postseason and it is not
inconceivable that they could win the West. But I do not see a pennant
in this team’s immediate future.
(45-33, 1st place)
- Rumors of their death are greatly exaggerated. I have a greater
respect for Rangers manager Ron Washington every year. He laid an egg in
the 2012 American League Wild Card Game against the Orioles, and he
appears determined to never be in that position again. They lost Josh
Hamilton (within the division, no less), and lost Michael Young, which
just hurts from a leadership standpoint. Still, the Rangers are in first
place and it is from a total team effort. Stay tuned on these guys. Big
props to closer Joe Nathan (1-0, 1.62 ERA, 26 SV) and the bullpen....
(54-41, 2nd place) – Ron Washington
is another viable candidate for manager of the year. Their starting rotation
has been decimated by injuries and yet they keep on truckin’. There is relief
in sight as Yu Darvish (8-4, 3.02 ERA, 157 Ks, shoulder injury), Alexi Ogando
(4-2, 2.93 ERA, shoulder injury), and Colby Lewis (6-6, 3.43 ERA in 2012, forearm injury) – all
on the Disabled List – have all commenced with their minor league rehab
assignments. Expect this division race to come down to the final week of the
season barring further injuries to key players.
(69-50, 1st place) – Everything is coming
together for the Rangers at the right time. They gave some ground in the
division and were in second place for a period of time in part due to a rash of
injuries to the starting rotation. Manager Ron Washington and company have held
it together and now appear to be peaking at the right time.
Yu Darvish (12-5, 2.64 ERA, 207 Ks) has been on fire since
returning from a brief absence due to injury in July and Alexi Ogando (5-3,
3.28 ERA), who has missed most of the season, could not have come back (and
pitched like his old self) at a better time for the team. I expect these guys
to pull away in September. When healthy, they are another team with no glaring
weaknesses.
Oakland Athletics
I
hope they enjoyed their one moment in time, reaching the playoffs for
the first time in six years. They cannot pitch their way to another
division title, not in this division, without some kind of pop in the
batting order and it just isn’t there. The A’s saving grace was that it
could crank out a longball when needed. I don’t even recognize any of
the new names in the field for the A’s. Their 2013 Moneyball looks like
it is filled with loose change.
(46-34, 1st place)
- Yet another prima facia example that Major League Baseball is all
about pitching. Chicks dig the long ball. Managers dig the breaking
ball. The biggest difference between last year, a Cinderella season, and
this year? The A's have some mashers in their lineup. Yoenis Cespedes
(.225, 15 HR, 41 RBIs) is emerging into a poor man's Adam Dunn as is
first baseman Brandon Moss (.239, 14 HR, 40 RBI). The way this team is
structured - with solid starters who don't overwork the bullpen, they
are going to be a real problem for opponents late in the season and in
the playoffs should they reach the playoffs.
(56-39, 1st place) – The
pitching has been in place since last year.
The bats are getting stronger and hotter. The A’s are going to be a
problem for their American League rivals for years to come. This just in:
Moneyball Works.
That’s how guys like 40-year-old starting pitcher Bartolo
Colon (12-3, 2.70 ERA, $3 million 2013 salary), third baseman Josh Donaldson
(.310, 16 HR, 61 RBI, $492,500 2013 salary), and first baseman Brandon Moss
(.228, 16 HR, 44 RBI, $1.6 million 2013 salary) can coexist on the same roster
in a smaller market like Oakland. With
the decline of the American League’s Evil Empire in New York, the league is up
for grabs and anything short of the American League Championship Series is a
disappointment for the A’s.
(67-50, 2nd place) – Their formula for success is
simple and proven: solid pitching and power hitting. Can they overtake the
surging Texas Rangers? Manager Bob Melvin needs to keep winning the chess
matches, night in and night out, that have helped get his team to this point
late in the season. This biggest difference between this year and last year is
that there are some legit mashers in the lineup in right fielder Yoenis
Cespedes (.225, 18 HR, 54 RBI), first baseman Brandon Moss (.242, 18 HR, 53
RBI), and third baseman Josh Donaldson (.296, 17 HR, 64 RBI).
The A’s have the pitching power to win this division as well
as the American League pennant. But they face very tough competition and a lack
of contact hitting is a weakness. Expect this division to be decided late in
September.
Seattle Mariners
Good, but not great pitchers (except for former A.L. Cy
Young winner “King” Felix Hernandez) plus batters who might be challenged for
their starting spots on some AAA rosters equals another mediocre (at best)
season.
(34-45, 4th place)
- This team has taken big steps backwards. They had solid pitching with
awful batting. Now they have bad batting with mildly above average
pitching. This should lead to completely disgusted and disappointed
fans. Their bullpen has become the "steak pen" because they've gone up
in flames.
(43-52, 4th place) – Their
batting has not been nearly as horrible and laugh-inducing as it has been the
previous three years. That’s something….
(54-63, 3rd place) – This team really can’t get
it together. Last year they were a good pitching team that couldn’t hit. This
year they actually don’t completely suck at the plate. However, their pitching
has gone to hell over the year. What’s going on in Seattle? Their bullpen has
been horrendous all year and now the entire staff except for Felix Hernandez
(12-5, 2.28 ERA, 178 Ks) has gone into a complete tailspin in August.
Los Angeles Angels
This team fell short of lofty expectations last year, in
spite of picking up future Hall of Fame first baseman Albert Pujols and the
rapid rises of 2012 A.L. Rookie of the Year centerfielder Mike Trout and young
gun designated hitter Mark Trumbo (.268 avg., 32 HR, 95 RBI in 2012). The
addition of former American League Most Valuable Player Josh Hamilton should
give Manager Mike Scioscia all of the ammunition he needs to run away with the
West.
(35-43, 3rd place) - Until their bullpen shows up, they are Major League Baseball's greatest tax write off.
(44-49, 3rd place) – The media
may lay a chunk of the blame for the Angels’ colossal underachievement at the
feet of designated hitter Albert Pujols (.249, 15 HR, 57 RBI) and right fielder
Josh Hamilton (.224, 14 HR, 39 RBI), but don’t believe the hype. Pujols and
Hamilton have underperformed relative to their careers, but they are productive
enough, particularly in hitting for power, to help the team win games. As a
whole, the batting order is just fine.
The relief pitching is a giant black hole in the Angels’
roster. The Angels’ bullpen has given up the fifth most walks in the majors and
has had the third fewest save opportunities of any bullpen in the American
League. Their bullpen is in the lower half of nearly every statistical
category. This team is finished for this year.
(53-64, 4th place) – In general, if you can’t
pitch, you can’t win. While there is plenty of blame to be spread through the
pitching staff, the bullpen has carried much less of its own weight than the
starters. This team has an impressive collection of talent, particularly in the
field. Until the situation on the mound improves, they will continue to taste
the bitter waters of disappointment at the end of the year in Los Angeles.
Houston Astros
Astros 2013 payroll: $25 million. Alex Rodriguez’s 2013
salary: $29 million.
Any questions?
(30-49, 5th place) - They have a real chance to not lose 100 games.Good for them! (smh)
(33-61, 5th place) – I can’t think
of one good thing to say about this team. At least they provide 25 high paying
jobs to the economy. Of course if you combine the salaries of everyone on the
roster, you could pay A-Rod’s salary for a year. I think they would be more
interesting if they did.
(37-80,
5th place) – The Astros are on the verge of a third consecutive
100-loss season. At least they’re consistent. #smh
 |
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