On Deck Circle 8/1/17: MLB Trade Deadline

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


MLB's trade deadline has come and gone, with some big pieces moving to title contenders along with some smaller moves made that could turn out to be just as important to teams.

The big news of the day centered around 2 starting pitchers, with the Yankees acquiring Sonny Gray from the A's and the Dodgers going down to the wire to land Yu Darvish from the Rangers at the last minute. The Yankees were linked to Gray for a few weeks and after the A's tried playing the field a bit, the two teams were able to reach an agreement. Oakland got a boat load in return, both Jorge Mateo and Dustin Fowler are top prospects that will bolster the A's farm system and the Yankees not only get Sonny Gray but didn't have to give up Clint Frazier or Gleyber Torres in the deal.

So this deal works out great for both teams, the Yankees are entrenched in a 3 way division race right now and did not give up either of their top 2 prospects while the A's get quality prospects as they look to reload their farm system during this rebuilding period. The Yankees, now with Sonny Gray and Jaime Garcia (who they got from the Twins earlier) gives them enough pitching to make a run for the World Series this season.



When the clock struck 4pm, no deal for Yu Darvish was announced and many assumed that the Rangers got cold feet and did not trade him. Shortly after, the news broke that Darvish did in fact get traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for 3 minor league prospects.

This is similar to the Yankees/Gray deal but even better really, the Dodgers kept their top 3 prospects and only traded 1 (Willie Calhoun) that ranked in their top 10. Alex Verdugo, Walker Buehler and Yadier Alvarez were not in the deal, the Dodgers kept their word that they would not trade them and still found a deal that got this trade complete. The Rangers wanted Verdugo in this deal, but Darvish's no-trade clause and dwindling starting pitching market hindered them greatly in finding a deal similar to what the A's received for Gray. Their hands were tied and it was either trade him to the Dodgers or don't trade him at all, they held out as long as they could but took the Dodgers' best offer as the trade deadline struck. MLB's best team, with a 74-31 record just added Yu Darvish to go along with Clayton Kershaw (once healthy) and Alex Wood, it's clear what the goal is for Los Angeles this season.

And watch out for the Kansas City Royals now, this team has been on a roll as of late and patched up some problem areas before the trading deadline. Their main acquisition was OF Melky Cabrera, who can provide some pop in the lineup and will be an upgrade in the field. A week ago, they also bolstered their pitching staff in a multi-player trade with the San Diego Padres, receiving starter Trevor Cahill and relief pitchers Ryan Buchter and Brandon Mauer. The deals haven't been a big splash but they are adding the necessary bits and pieces for a playoff run, they currently are the 2nd wildcard team with Tampa Bay close behind and they also trail the Indians for the AL Central lead by just 2 games.

Other trades that don't have that "sizzle" but could be a huge benefit to teams down the stretch include the Houston Astros acquiring Francisco Liriano. Liriano will be used out of the bullpen but could also make some spot starts as well which may be needed. The Astros starting pitching is starting to unravel a bit, Lance McCullers has been getting knocked around and is now headed to the DL and Dallas Kuechel was roughed up in his first start back from his DL stint. So Liriano could be in play here big time for the Astros as someone who helps keep the ship afloat while the pitching works itself out.

The Cubs got a little better as well, adding C Alex Avila and reliever Justin Wilson from the Tigers. The Tigers did not find a suitor for Justin Verlander as his contract and no-trade clause were deal breakers, but they did clean house a little bit by trading J,D. Martinez, Alex Avila(who is the son of Tigers' GM Al Avila, so yes he traded his own son) and Justin Wilson.

Jonathon Lucroy was on the move again at the trade deadline as he is headed to Colorado. Last season, he was initially traded to the Cleveland Indians but after not receiving a guarantee that he would be their catcher, he used his no-trade clause to block the deal. He was then later dealt to the Texas Rangers and now that the Rangers aren't contenders, he was once again traded to a contender.

Another under the radar deal would be the Boston Red Sox added Addison Reed. The Red Sox already have Craig Kimbrel as their closer so adding Reed to be the setup man puts them in a real good position come playoff time, when pitching really takes center stage.

So there's the run down on some of the bigger trades that have happened over the past couple days. A lot of contending teams bolstered their roster in order to make a run for the playoffs and at the World Series. There's still a waiver trade deadline coming up where some pieces will be moved, but this deadline is where teams really position themselves for October. If you are a fan of any of the teams mentioned above as getting better, then you should feel real good about how the trade deadline deals went and should be excited for how the remainder of the season should go.

On Deck Circle 7/17/17: 5 Bold Predictions For The MLB's Second Half

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


Baseball season is now past the unofficial midway point now that the All-Star game and festivities are complete. As the MLB season is back underway, we can look at what’s ahead for the 2nd half of the season and make some predictions on what’s to come. So let’s not only make some predictions, but let’s go out on a limb and make some real bold ones here. These predictions may not seem likely but there’s no telling what could happen with this many games left to play still, so let’s jump right into it here with 5 bold predictions for the 2nd half of the MLB season.

1. The Yankees will not make the playoffs – So I’ll get started with a bold-lite prediction here and call the Yankees and non-playoff team. The Yankees got off to a hot start in April and lead the division through May and are now in the playoffs as a wildcard team so they’ve been a playoff team since the beginning of the season. They are just 6-18 since June 13th though and are tapering off rapidly, Boston has not only surpassed them for the division lead but the Tampa Bay Rays have also caught up to them and went into the All-Star break tied for the top wildcard spot. With the Twins, Royals, Angels and Rangers all within 3 games of the wildcard spot, it’s completely feasible that the Yankees miss out on the playoffs this season if they continue this type of play.

2. Carlos Correa or Jose Altuve will win AL MVP – This bold prediction is based off the previous prediction. Right now, Aaron Judge is the AL MVP and it’s not close, he has this all locked up right now. If the Yankees do miss the playoffs though and Aaron Judge hits a rookie wall, then that leaves the MVP up for debate. The Astros were an impressive 60-29 at All-Star break and on pace for roughly 110 wins this season, if they can win that many games then someone on the Astros will get big time consideration. Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve are the top 2 candidates and very similar in production, it will be a close call in which they will split votes and one will end up as the AL MVP.

3. The St. Louis Cardinals will win the NL Central – A 3rd place team that is 2 games under .500 and 5.5 games out of 1st place at all-star break, it would seem unlikely that any team under those circumstances would make a run at the division. But the Cardinals though have the benefit of playing a division that is still up for grabs, not sold on the Brewers yet and the Cubs are still a mess even with the acquisition of Jose Quintana(which the White Sox fleeced them in, btw.) The Cardinals’ bats need to wake up a bit and they can make up ground in no time, their pitching is amongst the best in the league and any team that has good pitching will have a shot at the postseason. Pitching stays where it is and bats heat up a bit, and the division is all theirs to win.

4. Pittsburgh Pirates will be biggest sellers as trade deadline approaches – Everyone right now is assuming that the Oakland A’s will be the biggest sellers, but let’s not be too sure about that. The A’s have Sonny Gray that will almost certainly be dealt and they will have other available assets such as Yonder Alonso and Khris Davis to deal as well. But the Pirates have more players that are worth trading for and being 7 games out of the division, it’s time to start dealing them. While I do not think Andrew McCutcheon will be traded, players like Gerrit Cole, Ivan Nova, Josh Harrison and Francisco Cervelli could all be on the move. Cole and Nova especially now that the market for starting pitching has been set with the trade of Jose Quintana to the Cubs, pitching will cost buyers a lot in order to deal so Pittsburgh can get younger real quick by trading either or both pitchers.

5. Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw will win the NL triple crown - In batting, the triple crown is when a batter leads the league in batting average, RBI's and home runs. This is one of the rarest feats in baseball, Miguel Cabrera accomplished it in 2012 but before then it was Carl Yastrzemski in 1967 and to stack the deck even more against Bryce Harper, there hasn't been a triple crown winner in the NL since 1937. That ends this year, Harper is currently 2nd in the NL in batting average, tied for 3rd in RBI's and tied for 7th in home runs(only 4 back of the current leader.) He is within striking distance of them all and will end up leading the National League in all 3 come season's end. The triple crown in pitching is a bit more common, when a pitcher leads the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts. Clayton Kershaw accomplished this once before, back in 2011 and he is primed to do it again this season.

He leads the league in wins and is 2nd in both ERA and strikeouts and is extremely close to being 1st in all 3. Max Scherzer has a 2.10 ERA while Kershaw has a 2.18 and Scherzer has 173 K's while Kershaw has 159, that slim margin is what is keeping Kershaw from currently leading in all 3. A batter and pitcher winning the triple crown in the same league in the same year has not happened since 1934 and has only happened once in the National League(back in 1884, I'm sure we all remember that), but this year we will get to witness a rare phenomenon as both Bryce Harper and Clayton Kershaw will be triple crown winners.

On Deck Circle 6/23/17: Who's Real and Who's Fake?

By Pat Luhta, @PLuhta


The MLB season is quickly approaching the halfway point, teams are hitting the 70 game mark on the season. Right now, there is still a ton of sorting to be done among the top of the division and it can turn quickly one way or the other for any team. There are even teams out there that may win their division and make the playoffs, but will be overmatched and aren't truly made of championship material.

It's time to predict which current contending teams are actually real and will remain in contention and be considered a World Series team, and which ones are fake and will eventually fall off, whether it's before the end of the season or if they manage to make the playoffs. Here's a breakdown of the division leaders and contenders and if they are here to stay or if they are fool's gold.


AL EAST

New York Yankees - REAL: It took everyone a little while to start believing that this team has staying power but the Yankees seem to be back. Their offense, led by Aaron Judge, is exploding this year and if Judge, along with Gary Sanchez, Starlin Castro and others, can keep this up then they have what it takes to remain the division leaders. Their pitching is also looking real good, Luis Severino and C.C. Sabathia (no, you're not seeing things) are having good seasons and what's scary about their staff is that Masahiro Tanaka has not been good. If he turns it around a bit then there's no telling what this team is capable of. They have hit a little bit of a slump lately, but nothing to worry about long-term as this team is for real.


Boston Red Sox - REAL: This team has it all and may end up being the team to beat in the American League. Betts, Bogaerts and Benintendi make a powerful triple threat on offense that is making up for the loss of David Ortiz and Chris Sale has been worth every little bit of the trade so far as he has been their ace pitcher. In order for the Red Sox to become that team to beat though, they will need David Price to fully return to form as right now they really do not have a solid #2 starter behind Sale. Still though, the Red Sox are a team that will be in contention all season long.


Tampa Bay Rays - FAKE: The Rays are currently hanging on in the wild card hunt, but I don't see it lasting too much longer. With a slew of teams right behind them and if they fall out just a little bit then expect them to be seller's at the deadline. I'm not counting them completely out, their offense may provide enough to keep them in it, but Chris Archer will again be a hot commodity at the trade deadline and the Rays end up dealing him this year.



AL CENTRAL

Cleveland Indians - REAL: I've been saying for a month now that the Indians are just working things out and they will be fine. Sure enough, they have seemingly turned that corner are now in 1st place in the division. Edwin Encarnacion is crushing the ball after a very slow start to the season and after a brief DL stint, Corey Kluber is looking like his Cy Young form. This is the team that made the World Series last season, they are definitely for real.


Minnesota Twins - FAKE: The Twins had the luxury of the Indians starting off sluggish, so they did what they could to gain a lead in the division. While Brian Dozier and Miguel Sano have been bright spots in the lineup and Jose Berrios looks like a future ace, their playoff hopes seem about up. Put it this way, when a team has over -40 run differential and ranks 28th in team ERA, there's no chance to sustain a first place lead or make up ground on the wild card spots. Because of that, I have to call the Twins as fake.



AL WEST

Houston Astros - REAL: I'm honestly not sure how anyone could consider this team to be fake, they are as real of a team as it gets. They have the best record in the entire MLB, Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve are both legitimate MVP candidates and their pitching is in the top 5 in a majority of stats. There isn't much else to say, this team is for real and the current favorite to win the World Series.



NL EAST

Washington Nationals - REAL: Even though they are going to win their division and have one of the best records in the league, this was tough for me to choose. Don't get me wrong, on paper they are definitely legit and have what it takes to win the NL, but they use their starting pitching so much that there's a decent chance the wear and tear down the stretch could lead to another 1st round exit. But ultimately, I have to go with the Nationals being real, they have everything it takes so can't call them anything but solely based on a hypothetical that their pitching will eventually breakdown. I don't have high hopes for their playoff run, but this team is for real.



NL CENTRAL

Milwaukee Brewers - FAKE: Let me start by saying that the Brewers are fake, for now. They are beginning to prove themselves and win me over, but I'm just not ready to jump all in on them right now. They are just so middle of the road in many team categories, and both batting and pitching and are being led by some unlikely players. While Eric Thames and Chase Anderson have been real good stories, are we 100% sure that they will keep this going all season long? They just have very little margin for error, and while they likely will win the division, it's still too soon to buy them as a real threat.

Chicago Cubs - FAKE: What? The defending World Series champs are fake this season? At first I thought it was just a little lack of motivation after winning it all last year, that they'd shrug it off and turn it up, but this team has some serious holes that do not look fixable. Their offense is just lacking, Anthony Rizzo being the only player that's really living up to his norm this season. They are 29th in batting average, 18th in On Base %, 19th in OPS, 17th in runs and 29th in stolen bases, all the makings of a pretty subpar offense overall. Their pitching isn't much better, with only 1 starting pitcher (Jon Lester) with an ERA under 4. This goes beyond just a "championship hangover" and are real issues that makes this alarming. They need to win the division in order to even make the playoffs thanks to the 3 teams in the NL West and with these problems, don't be surprised if they miss out on the postseason.



NL WEST

Los Angeles Dodgers - REAL: What if I told you at the start of the season that the offensive MVP of the team would be Cody Bellinger and the Cy Young of the team would be Alex Wood? Bellinger started the season in triple A and the Dodgers have Clayton Kershaw, but sure enough, those two are leading the way for the Dodgers. Bellinger leads the entire NL in home runs despite not being called up until April 25th, add him to a lineup that already has Corey Seager, Justin Turner, Yasiel Puig and Adrian Gonzalez and there's reason why this team is one of the best statistical offenses in the league. Kershaw is still typical Kershaw,(10-2 2.60 ERA, 115 K's) but Alex Wood has just been that much better this season. Wood is 7-0, 1.90 ERA and 72K's in 12 games this season, he's a legitimate 2nd ace on the team. With the offense as good as it is and the pitching being top notch(including Kenley Jansen being 15/15 in saves with 50 K's and zero walks), this team is for real.

Colorado Rockies - REAL: The Rockies having a good offense is nothing new, the friendly atmosphere in Denver will always give them a boost in numbers. But this offense has some serious talent and the offensive numbers can't be blamed on the thin air in Denver. Charlie Blackmon may be the best CF in the NL(McCutcheon isn't ready to give that crown up just yet), Nolan Arenado is a star 3B with ridiculous HR ability and Mark Reynolds is having a career renaissance. Their starting pitching isn't great, but their bullpen has been exceptional this year. Greg Holland leads the league in saves as Adam Ottavino sets the table for him, a top 5 offense with a shut down bullpen is a perfect way to mask any issues with the starting pitching. And we're still a month away from the trade deadline, do not be surprised if the Rockies go for Chris Archer or Jose Quintana to help the starting rotation. Rockies are a playoff team that can contend with any team in the MLB, this team is for real.

Arizona Diamondbacks - REAL: I have been hesitant to call them real all season so far, but can't deny what this team is doing and any team that is circling around +100 in run differential needs to be taken seriously. Paul Goldschmidt leads the way for an offense that is also one of the best in the league(it's an NL West thing), with Jake Lamb, Chris Owings and Brandon Drury also providing a ton of pop off the bat. This team last trade deadline was looking to be sellers and the main guy they were looking to unload was SP Zack Greinke. In his first of a 6 year 205 million dollar deal with the Diamondbacks, Greinke underperformed and the team was looking to give up on him, and it's a good thing for them that they didn't. Greinke has returned to All-Star form, 8-4 with a 3.14 ERA and 1.05 WHIP, he's also struck out 111 batters while only walking 19. Robbie Ray has also been a solid starter for them and Fernando Rodney has been a perfect 20/20 in save opportunities this season. The NL West will be such a fun race the rest of the season and its a shame that 2 of these 3 teams will have to play in the 1 game wildcard playoff. Not sure who the best of the 3 are, but Arizona has a good of a claim to being the best as any.

2017 MLB Preview: The Odyssey Starts Again

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy

When you walk outside right now, the temperature isn’t freezing cold, but it isn’t blazing hot.  It’s that temperature right in the middle and you can smell that it is finally Spring.  That can only mean one thing, it’s Baseball season once again.  We had an unforgettable 2016 season that saw the Chicago Cubs finally end their 108 year drought beating the upstart Cleveland Indians for the World Series crown.  It would be tough to top last year, but 2017 looks like it could do that and then some and we’re going to break down what I think is going to happen this season.  Like last year we’re going to do this division by division giving out our projections for the 2017 season.  We’ll also be projecting who I think is going to win your major awards along with my dark horse picks.  So I think it’s time to play ball now!


NL East
1. Washington Nationals
2. New York Mets
3. Florida Marlins
4. Atlanta Braves
5. Philadelphia Phillies

This could be considered as one of the most interesting divisions in all of baseball.  The Washington Nationals clearly are still the favorites for the divisional crown.  One would expect that Bryce Harper to have a bounce back year and regain his MVP form in 2017.  On top of that, they still have a dominant front end of the rotation.  What concerns me is their bullpen especially with the fact that they failed to address the closer spot in the offseason.  This would make one thing that might be a target for them at the deadline.  When it comes to the Mets, everything really comes down to the dominance of their starting rotation.  We all know Noah Syndergaard and Jacob DeGrom will carry them, but it’s the continued development of Steven Matz that will truly carry the Mets back to the World Series.  While I have some concerns about their offense, Yoenis Cespedes is a major force in the lineup that has always balanced out everything.  The Marlins head into the year with a heavy heart still grieving over the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez.  The Marlins have a potentially potent offense led by Giancarlo Stanton.  The emergence of Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna shows the Marlins have that going for them.  Although the rotation is a mess and their bullpen is about average.  The Braves dived into their rebuild and are slowly starting to turn it around with one of the deepest farm systems in baseball that is finding its way into the Majors now.  Led by top prospect SS Dansby Swanson, the future looks extremely bright in Atlanta especially in their brand new Sun Trust Stadium.  For the fighting Phillies, the franchise is a mess with only a few things to get excited about.  They are mostly consisted of mediocre players and prospects that are talented but not close to major league ready.  With the way the division is trending I would expect the Phillies near the bottom of the division for the foreseeable future.


NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs
2. St. Louis Cardinals
3. Pittsburgh Pirates
4. Milwaukee Brewers
5. Cincinnati Reds

The NL Central might be the most talented division in Major League Baseball.  While it’s a true statement, it’s telling that the Cubs are just on a completely different level as a team.  Stacked with talent all over the lineup and with NL MVP Kris Bryant leading the way and Kyle Schwarber expected to play a full season now, they should run away with the division.  The Cardinals always find a way to compete near the top of the standings, although they aren’t as good as they’ve been in previous years.  Their lineup is very well balanced and should be able to put up a lot of runs.  Their rotation seems to be a concern as it isn’t the same as what it was 4-5 years ago, plus they lost prized prospect SP Alex Reyes who was supposed to make a huge rookie impact in their rotation this year.  In the steel city, the Pirates are heading towards a crossroads.  Without question the Pirates have the talent to make a run, but are they in a position to do it in 2017?  They have Gerrit Cole as the ace of their staff and finally are starting to see the results of SP Jameson Taillon and Tyler Glasnow who were prized prospects over the past few years.  Their offense can put up a lot of runs led by Starling Marte, Gregory Polanco and Andrew McCutcheon.  They have a few young players still on the way in 1B Josh Bell who could really provide another big bat for their lineup.  The Pirates will make noise eventually, just maybe in 2018 instead of 2017.  The Brew Crew of Milwaukee have started their rebuilding process and are starting to amass a nice collection of young and promising talent.  For their big league team they still have Ryan Braun, but one would expect them to trade him at the trading deadline.  They could embrace the rebuilding process but they truly can’t do that until they move Ryan Braun.  The Cincinnati Reds are quite possibly the most interesting team in the division as they already have a bad team that definitely needs a complete rebuild.  They have Joey Votto and Adam Duvall as trade pieces, but I don’t foresee them making those moves this year.  The best teams know when it’s time to rebuild.  The Reds don’t seem to have a direction to go in and that’s going to hurt them in the present and the future.


NL West
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Colorado Rockies
4. Arizona Diamondbacks
5. San Diego Padres

When it comes to the NL West, it still runs through Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Dodgers.  With their deep farm system that continues to develop great talent and almost an unlimited checkbook that can retain and acquire new talent, the Dodgers aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.  Plus they got that Clayton Kershaw guy who I’ve heard is really good.  The Giants have a very strong rotation led by Madison Bumgarner and Johnny Cueto.  They also added a shutdown closer in Mark Melancon to solidify the bullpen.  They have a solid offense, but not one that blows you away.  Without question though, the Giants remain a sleeper for the NL Pennant and will definitely be fighting for the NL West crown or at least the NL Wild Card.  The Rockies are a team that is ready to make a major move in the NL West.  While they lost their big Free Agent acquisition in Ian Desmond for the first few months of the season, he should return and be another big bat in a lineup that features Carlos Gonzalez, Trevor Story, Charlie Blackmon, and Nolan Arenado.  Their pitching staff continues to be a bit of a concern and I’d love for them to enter the Jose Quintana sweepstakes at the Trade Deadline if they’re in the mix.  Down in the desert in Arizona, the Diamondbacks were expected to be a big player last year after major moves.  They now are a team with the hope of making a playoff run, but no real direction.  They have some nice young arms in their rotation that is led by veteran Zack Greinke.  On top of that they have AJ Pollack and Paul Goldschmidt leading their lineup as two of the most under appreciated talents in baseball.  It may mostly be sunny in San Diego, but the future of the franchise looks cloudy.  They are trying to rebuild the franchise, but it doesn’t look like there’s much young talent ready to go right now.  They have depth in the lower levels of the Minor Leagues, but they’re going to be in the basement of the NL West standings for the next 2-3 years.


AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
2. Baltimore Orioles
3. New York Yankees
4. Toronto Blue Jays
5. Tampa Bay Rays

After the addition of Chris Sale, the Boston Red Sox clearly become the favorites in the AL East.  Although they lost David Ortiz this past year due to retirement, they have a very promising young offense led by MVP runner up Mookie Betts who quickly is becoming one of the best players in baseball.  The rest of the division you could easily put it all up in the air.  I would give the slightest edge to the Orioles finishing in second.  The Orioles still have a talented offense, a shutdown bullpen, and I was impressed with the development of Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy last year.  If they can get consistency from the rest of their rotation, I could see them once again contending for an AL Wild Card spot.  When it comes to the Yankees I’m really liking what they’re up to.  They have a lot of young talent slowly making its way up their farm system.  The Yankees have a great bullpen to go with a strong top of their starting rotation.  With Gary Sanchez coming back for a second year and Greg Bird coming back from injury their offense looks to have a lot of upside.  The future looks extremely bright in the Bronx.  Toronto lost a major piece of their lineup in Edwin Encarnacion and are betting on guys like Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce to pick up the slack.  They have a very underrated rotation led by Aaron Sanchez and an okay bullpen.  Unfortunately the rest of the division is much stronger and one would expect after losing Encarnacion for the Blue Jays to take a major step back.  Tampa Bay is the one team you can never predict where they’re going to finish.  They always have the most underrated talent and looking at their roster, they could very well be a major surprise once again.  Anytime you have Chris Archer leading your rotation and Evan Longoria as your clubhouse leader, you will at least have a chance.


AL Central
1. Cleveland Indians
2. Detroit Tigers
3. Kansas City Royals
4. Minnesota Twins
5. Chicago White Sox

Without question this is probably the easiest division to call this year.  After the additions of Edwin Encarnacion and Boone Logan, plus the return of Michael Brantley, the Indians are head and shoulders above everyone else in the American League Central.  With their strong starting rotation and a budding superstar in Francisco Lindor the Indians should run away with the division this year.  The Tigers should be the Indians biggest threat this year with a solid veteran team that has the potential to fight for a Wild Card spot.  With 2016 Cy Young runner up Justin Verlander, plus a lineup lead by a still potent Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers wouldn’t stun me making a playoff push.  The Kansas City Royals enter the year at a crossroads, with the tragedy of losing Yordano Ventura, who was the future of that rotation, the Royals must rely on Danny Duffy to lead the staff along with veterans like Ian Kennedy.  On top of that, the Royals bullpen has been completely redone leaving only Kelvin Herrera as the last piece of their feared 3 headed monster for late in the game.  Add with the fact that part of their core is in the last year of their contracts (Moustakas, Hosmer) it might be time for the Royals to retool for hopefully a quick turn around.  When it comes to the Twins, they went from a potential breakout 2015 season to being the worst team in baseball in 2016.  Their entire pitching staff is suspect and even the lineup has question marks.  While I’m betting on the continued growth of Miguel Sano and hopefully Byron Buxton, the Twins still are a mess and need to figure out what direction they’re going in soon.  As for the White Sox, the rebuild has begun and it’s going to continue throughout the season.  They did an amazing job getting huge hauls for CF Adam Eaton and SP Chris Sale and will be a major player in the AL Central in the future.  With Jose Quintana and David Robertson still on the roster and potential major Trade Deadline pieces, expect a lot of growing pains for the young players and the veterans to be shopped around at the deadline to give the future of the franchise as much playing time as possible.


AL West
1. Texas Rangers
2. Houston Astros
3. Seattle Mariners
4. Los Angeles Angels
5. Oakland A’s

In the AL West, it’s going to be a dogfight between Texas and Houston for the AL West crown.  I really like the front of the Rangers rotation with Yu Darvish and Cole Hamels with their solid bullpen that gives them an edge over the Astros.  On top of that the Rangers have an strong lineup that will cause problems for opponents.  When it comes to the Astros, they really need Dallas Kuechel to rebound and return to his Cy Young form from 2015.  I would say their lineup is one of the best in all of baseball and their bullpen is underrated.  They are a clear favorite for a Wild Card spot.  The Mariners continue to be a curious case as there’s plenty of talent there, but they can’t put it together.  They traded Taijuan Walker to get Jean Segura to bolster the offense.  The Mariners though are not even close to the same level as the Rangers or the Astros to really make a strong run at the playoffs.  The Angels always will win games because they have Mike Trout but they are so erratic and also injury prone with their pitchers you can’t trust them to do much better than 4th place.  Oakland is once again trying to put the pieces together in their rebuilding process.  They have some young exciting talent to build on, but still are 2-3 years away from really making any noise in the AL West.


MLB Playoff Predictions

NL Wild Cards: San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals
AL Wild Cards: Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers

NL Wild Card Game: San Francisco Giants over St. Louis Cardinals

In a matchup between Madison Bumgarner and Carlos Martinez, the Giants have the clear edge with Bumgarner, who have not forgotten the heartbreak of last year and want to face the Cubs again.  The Cardinals would put up a good fight, but Bumgarner’s clutch ability as a playoff starter will be too much.

AL Wild Card Game: Houston Astros over Detroit Tigers

The Tigers will have the more experienced starter in Justin Verlander here, but Dallas Kuechel will continue a strong bounce back year by going 7 strong innings and the lethal Astros lineup eventually gets to Verlander boosting them past the Tigers 

NL Divisional Series: Chicago Cubs over San Francisco Giants, Los Angeles Dodgers over Washington Nationals

In rematches from last year’s NL Divisional Round, the same results will come of that this year.  The Cubs offense and strong overall pitching staff will be enough to get by the Giants.  As for the Dodgers, unless the Nationals eventually can fill that closer’s spot sometime during the year, the Dodgers will have no problems taking down the Nationals again.

AL Divisional Series: Houston Astros over Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians over Texas Rangers

Houston’s offense is too much for the Red Sox, especially with the Red Sox rotation a little skeptical after Chris Sale.  Houston wins the series in 5 games backed by Dallas Kuechel winning 2 games.  The Indians take care of the Rangers in 4 games thanks to outstanding pitching and timely hitting by Edwin Encarnacion and Michael Brantley.  Also Jonathan Lucroy admits his mistake to turn down the Indians after the series loss.

NLCS: Los Angeles Dodgers defeat Chicago Cubs
Sweet revenge for the Dodgers in 2017 as the Dodgers really suffered through injuries in 2016 that really effected the Dodgers against the Cubs.  As long as they stay healthy, the Dodgers will be an extremely big threat for the Cubs as long as they can get enough out of their bullpen.  The Cubs are extremely talented, but I think the bitter taste in the Dodgers mouth from 2016 will push them past the Cubs and finally puts Clayton Kershaw into the World Series.

ALCS: Cleveland Indians defeat Houston Astros
This is a matchup nightmare if you’re an Indians fan.  The Astros have a lethal lineup and if they can get just enough pitching can be a matchup nightmare for the Tribe.  This could potentially be a classic 7 game series if the Astros can get the pitching.  As it stands now I would give the Indians the edge over the Astros because of their overall pitching from Rotation to Bullpen.  The Indians should have enough offense as well to counter the Astros lineup as well, putting the Indians back in the World Series

World Series: Cleveland Indians defeat Los Angeles Dodgers
The more I debated over this, the more I kept coming up with the Indians.  History has shown us recently in Baseball that the team with the biggest chip on their shoulder in that season is most likely going to win the World Series.  For the Indians, they match up extremely well with the Dodgers and would cause headaches for them.  As long as the Indians can get to Kershaw once, it’s over.  This isn’t what you call a, “homer” pick, this is going by recent trends of World Series champions and seeing the Indians have made the moves to position themselves to get back here.  The Indians finally win their first World Series in 69 years in 2017.


2017 AWARDS

NL MVP- OF Bryce Harper, Washington Nationals- Last year was a down year for Harper who will need to prove last year’s struggles were a fluke.  Harper is a perfectionist as a player and will strive to be the absolute best he can possibly be.  It also should be mentioned that the Nationals will only go as far as Harper will take them.  While it would be the easy thing to pick Kris Bryant or even Corey Saeger, but I’m going to go with the rebound season for Harper who has all the talent in the world to not just win this award, but be the clear cut MVP in a potential race that looks to be stacked with talent.

NL MVP Darkhorse- 3B Nolan Arenado, Colorado Rockies- The Rockies have looked to be on the rise for the past few years and it’s because of Nolan Arenado.  Arenado is a Gold Glove 3B, but is one of the most productive hitters in baseball.  Most may say that his numbers are inflated because he plays at Coors Field, I disagree.  Arenado is a special hitter who can hit for average and for power and most importantly just knows how to drive in runs.  If the Rockies take that next step, it will be in part to this guy and would definitely be in strong consideration of the MVP.

AL MVP- OF Mookie Betts, Boston Red Sox- Last year I was considering Mookie Betts as my dark horse and honestly I feel he should’ve been the MVP last year.  Mookie has quickly developed into one of the most gifted players in the American League.  He can do it all and potentially could be the next 40-40 player.  On top of that he showed last year during the regular season he has that clutch gene to take over for David Ortiz.  The Red Sox will rely on Betts to fill that void and take the next step and the way he’s developed, I’m not questioning how good he’s going to be.

AL MVP Darkhorse- SS Francisco Lindor, Cleveland Indians- The Cleveland Indians haven’t had an MVP winner in 64 years the last being 3B Al Rosen (although Albert Belle should’ve won in 1995), that might change in 2017.  Francisco Lindor has turned into one of the faces of the game itself with his talent with his glove and bat, but more importantly his energy and love for the game.  Frankie is going to take his game to another level in 2017 and be the leader of the Indians in every aspect of the game.


NL Cy Young- SP Clayton Kershaw, Los Angeles Dodgers- Okay…IF he stays healthy, should I really pick anyone else?  Nope…next!

NL Cy Young Darkhorse- SP Carlos Martinez, St. Louis Cardinals- We all talk about the Max Scherzer’s, the Clayton Kershaw’s, the Madison Bumgarner’s and even the Gerrit Cole’s.  Carlos Martinez seems to be a quiet rising star in the pack with dominant stuff that has gotten him a 30-16 record over the past 2 seasons.  If the Cardinals are going to even make the Wild Card game, Martinez is going to have to become a Cy Young candidate this year.

AL Cy Young- SP Chris Sale, Boston Red Sox- If Chris Sale had pitched the whole year, there probably was a good chance even on the White Sox he would run away with the Cy Young.  As long as he stays healthy, with the Red Sox he could almost be a lock for 20 wins, 2.50 ERA and 200 Ks which would almost certainly get him a Cy Young.

AL Cy Young Darkhorse- SP Danny Salazar, Cleveland Indians- Salazar was my dark horse pick last year and if it wasn’t for his mid-season struggles and injury, people don’t realize how locked in he was for a time.  Salazar can be downright dominant as a starter and is finally mastering how to utilize his outstanding changeup to get guys out.  As long as he can stay healthy all year, with his stuff, I ain’t doubting what he could do.

NL Rookie of the Year- SS Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves- Swanson is going to get the playing time in Atlanta and showed in September why he was such a coveted prospect.  I really cannot see anyone else catching this guy.  A 5 tool talent at a prime position, Swanson will establish himself as the future of the Braves this year.

NL Rookie of the Year Darkhorse- CF Lewis Brinson, Milwaukee Brewers- Much like Swanson, Brinson is going to get a lot of playing time this year on a rebuilding Milwaukee team.  Brinson compared to Swanson might have the higher ceiling for what he’s capable of.  He has more power than Swanson and I’d say he slightly edges him in baserunning.  The question is he’s dominated the minors and we’ve seen nothing in the majors, unlike Swanson.  Will Brinson put it all together to give Swanson a run for his money?

AL Rookie of the Year- 2B Yoan Moncada, Chicago White Sox- Without question this is my pick.  Okay we could go with Andrew Beninendi of the Red Sox, but Moncada is going to be a star and the White Sox are going to roll with him in the majors to help get a head start on their rebuild.  Moncada has been touted as the most talented prospect in baseball who can do it all.  Some are already proclaiming him as one of baseball’s biggest future stars.  The White Sox will give him the time in the majors immediately and I don’t see him letting them down.  The upside and pure talent easily puts him past everyone else.

AL Rookie of the Year Darkhorse- OF Bradley Zimmer, Cleveland Indians- Although Zimmer was sent down to the Minors to begin the year, Zimmer has 5 tool ability and if he gets a June call-up I won’t be stunned if he tore up the Majors from what I saw in Spring Training.  The big question would be if there is already a Rookie of the Year standout by the time he arrives.  That’s never a given and a lot of things have to fall into place, but Zimmer has a great opportunity if the cards fall his way.


In 2016 we truly learned anything was possible in the game of baseball and that it truly is a 6 month journey to determine a World Champion.  What 2017 promises to be is a season where the fans will remember why Baseball is the greatest sport of them all.  The game finally has some fresh faces on teams that normally aren’t your typical teams with the icons of the game.  The game always changes, but the moments never go away.  For those who say they will wait until the All-Star Break, you’re missing out because this year I wouldn’t miss a single day in what promises to be a memorable year in baseball.

This Week In The Show 7.18.16: MLB Trade Deadline Preview

By Alex Hale, @ThatCLESportGuy


With the Mid-Summer Classic now past us, the Baseball season now heads into the 2nd Half with quite a few races up for grabs with teams looking to improve.  Teams will be looking to upgrade their teams for the final months of the season by the end of the month at the Trading Deadline.  Fans have been used to in the past having an idea of which teams would be, “buyers” or “sellers” but in an era of having 2 Wild Card teams teams normally don’t have any idea of what their plans are until the last moment.  Unlike previous years though, there seems to be a good number of teams that seem to have their plans made for the deadline and are going through with putting those plans into motion.  With that said this is going to be my MLB Trade Deadline Preview, I’ll be doing a separate Indians deadline preview early next week.

But first let’s quickly mark off one pitcher now off the market

Boston Red Sox acquire SP Drew Pomeranz from San Diego Padres in exchange for SP Anderson Espinoza

Analysis- I LOVE this trade for San Diego.  Boston seems to once again betting on a pitcher finally, “figuring it out” and willing to trade a prized prospect.  They traded Yoenis Cespedes in 2014 offseason for Rick Porcello and that hasn’t worked out the way they hoped.  Pomeranz is in the midst of a breakout season, but remember he was pitching in Petco Park, a very pitcher friendly ballpark.  He now goes to Fenway Park where the ball can fly out of the park.  Pomeranz still struggles with giving up fly balls and playing in Boston might hurt everything he’s been working on in San Diego.  San Diego gets the 18 year old fireballer Anderson Espinoza, one of Boston’s top prospects and Baseball America’s #15 Prospect in Baseball.  While Espinoza is having an average season Low-A Greenville, he’s young and has a ton of potential.  I don’t get why Boston didn’t just make a package with Espinoza for a more proven pitcher like Braves SP Teheran.  I’d give Boston a B- grade and San Diego an A for the deal.


Anyways let’s get into the Trade Deadline Preview.

Buyers

Houston Astros- I wanted to lead with the Indians here but at the last minute after they announced the signing of Cuban sensation 3B Yulieski Gurriel as this puts the Astros are my most intriguing buyer.  The Astros are finally playing the way they should’ve been all year and are poised to make a lot of noise in the 2nd Half.  Gurriel is a Major League ready talent that will be up in the Majors in probably a few weeks.  What makes them interesting is SS prospect Alex Bregman has been tearing up the Minors and is ready to debut at any time now.  Bregman has been rumored that he would move to 3B with Correa at SS.  But the catch is Gurriel is primarily a 3B, now while the Astros have said they won’t move Bregman I’m not buying that one bit.  If an ace pitcher becomes available, why shouldn’t they add a real ace since defending Cy Young winner Dallas Kuechel has struggled all season.  While the Astros have other prospects worth dealing, Bregman can land them their ace, you know…Chris Sale would fit in perfectly in Houston.

Cleveland Indians- The Indians stand in first place in the AL Central and quite a few national writers are starting to prep for a Fall Classic in Cleveland.  The Indians offense has come alive and shown consistency through the first half.  We all know the Indians strength in their Starting Rotation, but it seems the Indians have a major problem in the bullpen.  Cody Allen seems to be okay as the team’s closer, but the Indians need a lefty arm in there that can work in the 8th to setup for Allen.  It seems the Indians are really scouring all options for the bullpen and at least monitoring the hitters on the market to maybe find another bat to put them over the top.

Miami Marlins- Don Mattingly has done an outstanding job in his first year really putting together a very formidable team in the AL East that has them right with the defending NL Champion New York Mets fighting for 2nd behind the Nationals.  They added All-Star RP Fernando Rodney to their bullpen to create a great back end of the bullpen of Rodney and fellow All-Star RP AJ Ramos.  While the Marlins offense and bullpen are pretty much set for a playoff run, they need another arm behind ace Jose Fernandez.  Wei-Yin Chen was expected to be that #2 guy, but hasn’t lived up to his contract.  If they really want to compete with the Mets and Nationals in their division, they must acquire another front of the rotation starter.

Baltimore Orioles- We all know the Orioles have one of the better lineups in the American League and with the emergence of Mark Trumbo to go with Manny Machado, their lineup seems as dangerous as ever.  Not to mention they still got a great bullpen led by Zach Britton, the Orioles should be able to sustain their success in the 2nd Half.  With all that said, the Orioles starting rotation is average to say the least.  Outside of Chris Tillman, the Orioles don’t have a real reliable option in the rotation.  If the Orioles want to continue to hold off Boston and Toronto, they must find another arm to go in their rotation by the deadline.

New York Mets- The defending National League Champions are in quite the interesting spot here.  They already lost 3B David Wright and now have lost SP Matt Harvey for the year.  Coming into the year, it was thought that the Mets rotation and bullpen would carry them to the NL East crown.  Instead it’s been injuries and lack of help behind OF Yoenis Cespedes that is holding them down.  Cespedes has followed up hist 2015 run in the Big Apple with another monster year, yet the Mets need more.  Neil Walker has been a solid addition, yet no David Murphy.  Outside of those two, the Mets next 2 most reliable hitters are James Loney and Asdrubal Cabrera.  Mike Conforto hasn’t lived up to the hype, Lucas Duda has been injured, and Travis D’Arnold is proving to be a mediocre hitting catcher.  The Mets should look to upgrade their Outfield and add another bat to help out Yoenis in the 2nd Half.


Honorable Mention- Boston Red Sox, Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals


Sellers

San Diego Padres- As evidenced by the Drew Pomeranz trade, the fire sale is already underway.  While Pomeranz was one of their more intriguing players on the block, the Padres have numerous others that teams might be interested in.  Wil Myers has been rumored, but for now SD has no intention of trading him.  Melvin Upton is quietly having a great year, but the Padres might need to throw in cash to get a team to trade for him.  Matt Kemp is always an intriguing name, but his contract and his mediocre play make it hard for me to imagine a team trading for Kemp.  Andrew Cashner might have some value, but his decline has hurt the value he had a year ago.  Derek Norris is an intriguing trade option for teams looking for an upgrade at Catcher.

Minnesota Twins- I admit, I never expected the Twins, who took a huge step forward last year to take as huge of a step back this year.  Now the Twins are the worst team in the AL and fighting the Reds and Braves for the worst record in Baseball.  What makes the Twins so intriguing as a seller is that they don’t offer much to begin with as a seller.  While Eduardo Nunez is having a career year, most buyers don’t need an IF like Nunez.  The Twins could put up Kurt Suzuki and Trevor Plouffe, they don’t have a lot of value to begin with.  On the pitching side, it’s just as bad.  Ricky Nolasco has a big contract and really isn’t a great pitcher to begin with.  Ervin Santana may be the Twins best asset.  While he has a big contract, there are teams that will make a good offer to get a veteran starter like Santana to stabilize their rotations for the playoffs.  The Twins can try to be sellers, but reality is there’s not much to sell.

Atlanta Braves- Since April, we’ve known the Braves were going to be sellers at the Trade Deadline, but the question is who is on the market from the Braves?  A month ago it seemed to be a sure thing that SP Julio Teheran would be dealt, but now the Braves seem to be hesitant and have moved other starters like SP Bud Norris instead.  I think after the Pomeranz deal, Teheran staying in Atlanta seems to look better now.  After Teheran, the Braves have hard throwing CP Arodys Vizcaino that could intrigue teams looking for a young reliever.  As for the offensive side, as much as teams may want 1B Freddie Freeman, the Braves won’t deal him.  They still have OF Nick Markakis that could really benefit a team looking for a consistent bat and a great defensive outfielder.  There also have been rumblings of C Tyler Flowers getting moved as well.  Expect the Braves to be active at the deadline.

Cincinnati Reds- Quite possibly the most intriguing team at the Trading Deadline.  The Reds are obviously going to start the rebuilding process here at the deadline, but the question is how much are they going to, “blow it up”?  All talks about the Reds starts with OF Jay Bruce who is having one of his better years.  Teams have already talked to the Reds regarding Bruce and people forget that the Reds did have a deal done with Toronto in Spring Training.  I would expect Bruce dealt by the deadline.  Teams might call on veteran Brandon Phillips, but it looks like the buyers on the market are already set in the middle infield.  Adam Duvall is having a breakout year and teams might be calling, but I doubt he’s moved.  The big question is if someone calls on team icon Joey Votto, do the Reds listen?  My prediction, the Reds will listen on the Votto and don’t rule out maybe a Boston or New York Mets work out a deal.

Honorable Mention- Los Angeles Angels, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland A’s

On The Edge

New York Yankees- The struggle for power of the Yankees is real folks.  GM Brian Cashman sees that the Yankees need to rebuild by trading away one or two of their relievers for prospects in a market where everyone will want their relievers.  Unfortunately Hal Steinbrenner is in his way.  The Yankees will probably play out the week and make their decision then on whether to buy or sell at the deadline.  With Carlos Beltran to go with their relievers, the Yankees have pieces teams could be interested in. 

Colorado Rockies- Surprisingly the Rockies are sitting in 3rd Place in the NL West and 7GB in the NL Wild Card.  Like usual, the Rockies calling card is their stellar offense and their pitching needs help.  I don’t think the Rockies will be buyers, but if they start the 2nd Half strong, they won’t be sellers at the deadline.  Obviously if a Carlos Gonzalez was on the trade market, it would make things very interesting, but Rockies know they can always trade him in the offseason.

Pittsburgh Pirates- The Pirates are very intriguing as they are right in the Wild Card race.  The Pirates are in my opinion at a point where they must retool instead of contend.  I’m not saying rebuild, but because their prized young arms are finally arriving in Pittsburgh.  The Pirates have some nice young players to be excited about but I’d consider some form of retooling the roster that makes the Pirates even better in 2017.

Kansas City Royals- The defending World Champions have had quite the interesting first half.  They’ve suffered through injuries to key players and having to call up unknown players to replace the shoes of key players.  While the Royals sit in 4th in the AL Central, the Royals still think they can make a run.  They really need starting pitching help, but it might cost the rest of the farm system they haven’t traded over the past few years to get that.  The question is will Kansas City mortgage the rest of their future to try to overcome a big deficit in the AL Central?

Honorable Mention- Seattle Mariners


While I know we covered a lot in there, since the introduction of the Wild Card Game and adding a 2nd Wild Card team, teams have proven at the deadline to be indecisive.  Only the teams truly out in front of everyone and those clearly out of it really make deals.  I would expect things to really pick up over the next week as teams start to figure out where they stand and decide what they want to do.  I hope this gives Baseball fans a wide perspective of what to expect at the deadline.  I’ll follow this up in the next few days with my Cleveland Indians Trade Deadline Preview and before the Trade Deadline passes I’ll give you guys the 5 trades I want to see happen.  This is possibly my favorite time of the Baseball season as we finally will start to see which teams are going to make a run for their chance to win the Fall Classic later this year and I’m excited to see what the next few weeks bring us that shape up the hunt for October.

This Week In The Show 5.31.16 #MLB

By Alex Hale, @DaSportsGenius7

As I’ve said since the beginning of the year, the MLB Regular Season is one big 6 month roller coaster.  Only a few weeks ago we were praising the Chicago White Sox starting rotation and then the Cleveland Indians started to bring them down to earth.  Injuries are plaguing multiple teams, yet somehow most of those teams are weathering the storm.  Plus come on we ALL had the Minnesota Twins somehow fighting the Atlanta Braves for the worst record in baseball.  Every time I come back to write these for everyone to recap the past few weeks, it never ceases to amaze me the unpredictability of this game.  Well once again let’s go over my biggest observations over the past few weeks in the MLB Season.

Royal Pains- For the defending World Champions, the Kansas City Royals were considered by many that as long as they were healthy, they would compete for a chance to repeat as World Champions.  While as it stands the Royals are in 1st Place in the AL Central, it has come at a cost.  Over the past few weeks the Royals lost 2 cornerstone players in Mike Moustakas (Torn ACL) and Alex Gordon (Fractured Wrist).  They barely escaped another major injury in Salvador Perez who only has a bruised left thigh.  As talented as the Royals are, they’re potentially one major injury away from their chance to defend their title going away completely.

My thoughts- As it stands, Eric Hosmer has been the entire offense for the Royals.  With Kendrys Morales having a rough season so far, they need others to step up to offset their losses offensively.  While their bullpen has been as advertised and the rotation has been solid, my major question is how much of that magic from last year they had is still there?

The Trade Winds Are Blowing- While a bit early for Trade Deadline talk, that hasn’t stopped the rumor mill from swirling over the past week.  According to multiple sources, the Chicago White Sox have already spoken to the San Diego Padres about SP James Shields.  Although there’s been “significant” talks about this deal, I think it won’t happen until after the trade deadline.  With teams like San Diego, Cincinnati, Minnesota, and Atlanta pretty much out of it, teams normally check out the market to see who’s interested.  With how historically bad Atlanta and Minnesota have been playing, plus San Diego wanting to cut bad contracts, it seems already this Trade Deadline could have multiple blockbusters.

My thoughts- Names I’ve heard that might be available are OFs Matt Kemp, Nick Markakis, and Ender Inciarte.  On top of James Shields, I think the Padres could move Andrew Cashner and Tyson Ross.  Add to that the onslaught of trades Atlanta has made over recent years, I think any trade possible is on the table.

Houston We Have a Problem- For a team that was my personal World Series pick, the Astros have not lived up to their full potential this year.  Carlos Correa is going through a sophomore jinx so far and really only Jose Altuve is hitting consistently for them.  On top of that Dallas Kuechel has fallen off completely after winning the Cy Young award last year.  Plus we all had the Astros big trade acquisition CP Ken Giles being a total bust and Luke Gregerson to still be their closer now.  Something needs to be done to the Astros to wake this team up as the Mariners are currently in 1st and the Rangers are set to finally welcome back SP Yu Darvish and to finally pair him with Cole Hamels.  I do repeat… HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

My thoughts- I honestly don’t understand this other than teams figured them out.  The Astros have all the talent offensively you could want, a solid rotation with the defending Cy Young winner and a very good bullpen (outside of Giles).  If I’m the Astros I start looking at potential trade options for another starter because I feel the hitting will come around, the starters need help right now.

Who’s Philadelphia Taking #1 Overall?- Okay I know, nobody cares for the MLB Draft, but this is where teams can turn a 5 year rebuild into a 3 year rebuild.  With the Phillies surprising most of the baseball world with a 26-24 record (as of 5/30), the Phillies are only a few weeks away from being on the clock.  In this year’s draft, the top players in this class are Florida SP AJ Puk, HS SP Jason Groome, Tennessee 3B Nick Senzel and Mercer OF Kyle Lewis.  As it stands right now, it seems like Puk will be the #1 pick by the Phillies, but the feeling is that there is no lock on who the Phillies would take.

My thoughts- The top player in this draft is AJ Puk, a lefty starter who dominated LSU in the SEC Tournament.  He’s a front of the line starter and Philly doesn’t have a future star lefty pitcher.  Pair him potentially with Vince Velasquez, Aaron Nola, and Mike Appel (if he can turn it around), that’s a scary rotation there by pure talent and potential.  Only other player I’d consider if Kyle Lewis, but Puk is the pick.

From April to October, the MLB season is an odyssey unlike anything.  I mean what other sport do we see a team like the Yankees win a game after recording 1 HIT for the first time since 1913.  The Yankees hadn’t won their first World Series yet when this happened.  The Orioles struck out 52 times… IN A SERIES!  I know a lot of younger fans might think Baseball is a boring sport, but things like this that have happened almost every year, it’s just a matter of what historical accomplishment good or bad will happen next?  We’re 2 months into the baseball season and I’m starting to sense that something historical will happen when we reach the end of this road.  I’m excited and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next!