Monthly Archives: January 2016
Interesting Facts About The Hall of Fame Vote & Who Should Have Been 100% Guys
AP – Reuters
With Ken Griffey Jr. collecting 437 of 440 votes last night and now holding the highest record for % of votes (99.3%), it stirred up a conversation on Facebook about others either snuck in or ranked much higher than expected.
Let’s start with facts…
- Before Griffey Jr., Tom Seaver had held the top spot for % of votes received at 98.8%
- The top 5 % vote getters of all-time are Griffey Jr., Seaver, Nolan Ryan (98.8%), Cal Ripken (98.5%), and Ty Cobb (98.2%)
- Hank Aaron, ranks 8th all-time with 97.8%
- The most votes ever received came in 2014 as 555 were casted for Greg Maddux (97.2%)
Legends Of YesterYear: Mike Piazza’s Hall Call Finally Arrives
Featured Photo by Simmons/NY Daily News
The date was September 21, 2001, just ten days after the worst attack on American soil since Pearl Harbor and as baseball returned to action in the city, it was trying to take the attention away from all the heartache around New York and the world.
New York especially needed something good to smile about again, and on a night when emotions were high, Mike Piazza did something that he will always be remembered for in Mets history.
With the Mets down 2-1 in the bottom of the eight inning against the Atlanta Braves, Piazza launched a drive over the left center field fence to put New York up for good as Shea Stadium erupted and fans all around the city had reason once again to be happy and just drown themselves in a history making moment.
During the 1988 amateur draft, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Michael Joseph Piazza in the 62nd round beginning his professional career.
On September 1, 1992, the future legend would make his major league debut, going 3 for 3 with a double, and a walk.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 7, 2016
AP Photo
The day after the Hall of Fame announcement has me looking at the candidacy of Vlad Guerrero and Tim Raines for next year.
Time to campaign on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Who Will Win The 2016 American League Divisions Polls
Since it is the early part of January, we will offer these polls for all teams in all of the Divisions.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2017) Voting Poll
Vladdy was an Expo from 1996-2003 and will be elected into the Hall of Fame as An Expo to join Andre Dawson, Gary Carter and potentially Tim Raines next year.
Now that the 2016 Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting has come and gone it is time to turn our attention to the 2017 vote already.
There are 15 remaining names left from the 2016 Vote including: Jeff Bagwell, Tim Raines, Trevor Hoffman, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Edgar Martinez, Mike Mussina, Lee Smith, Jeff Kent, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa and Gary Sheffield.
Out of those 15, Raines and Smith are in the final years of their names being on the ballot.
There are 21 new names that come to the 2017 selection process for the 1st time – headed up by Vladimir Guerrero, Manny Ramirez and Ivan Rodriguez. All of these guys have the numbers to be 1st ballot Hall inductees, however Ramirez has been suspended over PED’s and Rodriguez has had whispers mentioned about him. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 6, 2016
AP – Reuters
Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. are in. Tim Raines came oh so close.
These are my Hall of Fame predictions and reactions are thoughts.
Those plus my Alex Gordon observations on this episode of;
Ken Griffey JR. + Mike Piazza Named To The Hall: Our Final Poll Vote Had Bagwell Joining Those Two
Ken Griffey was well on his way to the all-time career HR record before injuries slowed him down after the age of 30. He is also the last player in the MLB to have a HR in 8 straight contests, dating in 1993. Griffey received a record 99% of the ballots vote from the BBWAA, eclipsing Tom Seaver’s old record for highest percentage of votes in his selection today.
There were the 32 names on the list for consideration for the Baseball Hall Of Fame, only 2 made were selected to Cooperstown with Griffey JR. and Piazza. Our poll also had Jeff Bagwell make it.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
.Mike Piazza almost made it into the Baseball Hall Of Fame in voting for last year with a clip of 69.9% of the votes. He made it into the BBHOF this year.
Out of 524 People Voting, Final Results (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 519 | 99.04% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeff Bagwell | 416 | 79.38% | |
| Mike Piazza | 397 | 75.77% | |
| Tim Raines | 380 | 72.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 331 | 63.17% | |
| Barry Bonds | 285 | 54.39% | |
| Curt Schilling | 222 | 42.37% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 218 | 41.60% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 203 | 38.74% | |
| Alan Trammell | 190 | 36.26% | |
| Mike Mussina | 188 | 35.88% | |
| Mark McGwire | 169 | 32.25% | |
| Fred McGriff | 130 | 24.81% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 130 | 24.81% | |
| Larry Walker | 120 | 22.90% | |
| Lee Smith | 107 | 20.42% | |
| Jeff Kent | 101 | 19.27% | |
| Billy Wagner | 95 | 18.13% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 81 | 15.46% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 52 | 9.93% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 35 | 6.68% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 10 | 1.9% | |
| Jason Kendall | 9 | 1.72% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 9 | 1.72% | |
| Mike Hampton | 7 | 1.34% | |
| Garrett Anderson | 7 | 1.34% | |
| Troy Glaus | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Randy Winn | 4 | 0.7% | |
| MIke Lowell | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 4 | 0.7% | |
| David Eckstein | 4 | 0.7% | |
| Luis Castillo | 2 | 0.35% |
Despite coming 15 votes shy with the BBWAA vote, Bagwell made it to the Hall in our poll – registering almost 80% of the ballots.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 9:45 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.6, 2015) there have been 386 People who have voted, and only 6 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines (just barely) would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 386 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 380 | 98.45% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 312 | 80.82% | |
| Tim Raines | 290 | 75.12% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 241 | 62.43% | |
| Roger Clemens | 237 | 61.40% | |
| Barry Bonds | 236 | 61.14% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 186 | 48.19% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 162 | 41.96% | |
| Curt Schilling | 161 | 41.71% | |
| Mike Mussina | 148 | 38.34% | |
| Mark McGwire | 147 | 38.08% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 117 | 30.31% | |
| Alan Trammell | 116 | 30.06% | |
| Lee Smith | 98 | 25.39% | |
| Fred McGriff | 98 | 25.39% | |
| Larry Walker | 86 | 22.28% | |
| Jeff Kent | 79 | 20.47% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 69 | 17.88% | |
| Billy Wagner | 49 | 12.69% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 37 | 9.6% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 25 | 6.48% | |
| Jason Kendall | 6 | 1.56% | |
| Garrett Anderson | 3 | 0.78% | |
| MIke Lowell | 3 | 0.78% | |
| Troy Glaus | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 2 | 0.54% | |
| David Eckstein | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 2 | 0.54% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.27% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.27% |
Vote up until 558 PM EST today.
Baseball Hall Of Fame Eve 2016
The members of the BBWAA will vote on the BBHOF ballot tomorrow for the 2016 Class.
The Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) announced the Hall of Fame class of 2016 tomorrow afternoon. I will be teaching when the inductees are formally announced.
I may or may not post tomorrow depending on how interesting the results are.
Honestly, I probably will post something tomorrow. The early indications suggest a very interesting vote.
Let’s start close to home with the story that I, personally, thought would not be a story.
Ken Griffey Jr. is going to make it into the Hall of Fame. That has been unofficially known for years, and will be made official tomorrow.
However, as of this evening, Griffey is listed on all the publicly disclosed ballots. Nobody has ever been a unanimous hall-of-famer and Tom Seaver’s record percentage might be in reach.
Baseball’s Youth Movement Is In Full Force
It seems like once every few decades, we see an influx of young talent and without a doubt we’re in one of those runs right now.
Think of the young players who have made major impact the last couple of years and try to remember back when the Majors was flush with this level of talent of players under the age of 25.
By the way, it’s not over yet either, as we still have to see extended seasons from Byron Buxton Corey Seager, Joey Gallo, Steven Matz, and the list goes on.
Also, keep an eye on the Shortstop position the next few years, as we will be living in possibly one of the best eras of the Shortstop.
Below is each teams list of players were 24 or younger at the start of the 2016 season.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 5, 2016
The Raiders are going to try and move to Los Angeles. What will that mean to the A’s and their search for a new ballpark.
It is an episode filled with obvious answers on The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far (Last Chance To Vote)
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 8:30 AM EST, Tuesday Jan.5, 2015) there have been 260 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for last year. Both of them are about 25% higher and on the fringe of making the Hall..
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 260 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 257 | 98.84% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 207 | 79.62% | |
| Tim Raines | 206 | 79.23% | |
| Roger Clemens | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Barry Bonds | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 166 | 63.84% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 133 | 51.15% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 119 | 45.77% | |
| Curt Schilling | 115 | 44.23% | |
| Mark McGwire | 114 | 43.84% | |
| Mike Mussina | 109 | 41.92% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 89 | 34.23% | |
| Alan Trammell | 84 | 32.31% | |
| Lee Smith | 74 | 28.46% | |
| Fred McGriff | 69 | 26.54% | |
| Jeff Kent | 65 | 25.00% | |
| Larry Walker | 62 | 23.85% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 42 | 16.15% | |
| Billy Wagner | 39 | 15% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 29 | 11.15% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 20 | 7.7% | |
| Jason Kendall | 4 | 1.5% | |
| Garret Anderson | 2 | 0.8% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.8% | |
| Troy Glaus | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Hampton | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.4% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.4% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.4% |
Vote today.
When Can The Baseball Writers For The Hall Of Fame Consider Cheating Through PED Use, Or Not?
Barry Bonds once admitted to a Federal Jury that he used PED’s. As MLB’s ALL-Time HR King with 762 Round-Trippers, will the BBWAA ever consider looking past this and elect him into Cooperstown? He only received 36.8 % of the votes last year – and will be in his 4th year of balloting this season. The 7 time MVP, the 13 time ALL – Star, 12 time Silver Slugger, and 8 time Gold Glove Winner had a career 3 slash of .298/.444/.607 – and is also the ALL – Time Leader in Walks with 2558 – and is in the top 5 for several other categories lifetime.
Prof. Wes Reber Porter and Dan Dressman (Special Guest Writers): Follow @WRPspdADVOCACY and Follow @DannyDressman
When the 2016 MLB Hall of Fame Ballot is announced tomorrow, the heated discussion will begin about which controversial candidates, if any at all, should have been inducted into Cooperstown (HOF).
While isolated athletes have come up in previous years, this year represents the fourth year tension between the modern era of baseball – the “steroid era” – and traditional standards for admission into the Hall. With no one that has been connected to PEDs still having been inducted in
The 500+ baseball writers are, and should be, entrusted to weigh cheating and use of PEDs against the HOF’s criteria of “character,” “sportsmanship” and “upholding the integrity of the game” (the integrity standards).
These writers each will struggle, however, with a preliminary question that falls outside of their expertise:under which circumstances may a HOF voter consider, at all, a candidate’s connection to cheating and performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)? Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 4, 2016
Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America
Edwin Jackson looks like he will hook on with the Marlins, making his wonderfully satisfying if unpredictable career last another year.
Plus I talk about what the Cardinals might find as a bargain on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Baseball Hall Of Fame 2016: Waiting Game Must Be Gnawing At Heart Of Expos’ Great Raines
It must an anxiety-filled time for Tim Raines.
We would imagine he has some butterflies in his stomach. Maybe his heart is beating just a bit more than it normally does. He must be doing a lot of thinking at his home in Arizona. Must be stressful.
The former Expos’ great wonders if National Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson will call him in the next couple of days and tell him he’s been inducted into the fabled shrine in Cooperstown, N.Y. Wouldn’t that be something if that call was made.
It will be interesting to see the results of the voting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Raines is in the picture because we see some hope as expressed in a tracking system by several people, who are keeping tabs on public revelations by some of the voters.
MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame (Class Of 2016) Voting Poll Results So Far
Below the results listed so far, Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration.
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
So Far (at 7:30 AM EST) there have been 157 People who have voted, and only 2 people have left Ken Griffey JR. off of their list. Piazza and Raines would both join Junior on the Baseball Hall Of Fame Induction list should this come to fruition.
I think the BBWAA should really take stock on the Clemens and Bonds numbers as they are far superior to what they voted for.
I also think that Hoffman is hurt by his 1st year on the ballot. A lot of people may have factored this in.
I really think Raines is going to see a big boost to his bid for the Baseball Hall Of Fame with it being his 9th year on the ballot. Under the new rules, that means that 2017’s Baseball Hall Of Fame Class would be his last chance to be elected to Cooperstown.
Out of 157 People Voting, The Results Thus Far (75% would get a Hall Of Fame Induction)
| Ken Griffey Jr. | 155 | 98.72% | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Piazza | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Tim Raines | 129 | 76.43% | |
| Jeff Bagwell | 110 | 70.06% | |
| Barry Bonds | 106 | 67.52% | |
| Roger Clemens | 105 | 66.88% | |
| Trevor Hoffman | 84 | 53.51% | |
| Edgar Martinez | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mark McGwire | 77 | 49.04% | |
| Mike Mussina | 75 | 47.78% | |
| Curt Schilling | 71 | 45.22% | |
| Sammy Sosa | 61 | 38.86% | |
| Lee Smith | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Alan Trammell | 52 | 33.12% | |
| Fred McGriff | 47 | 29.34% | |
| Larry Walker | 46 | 29.29% | |
| Jeff Kent | 41 | 26.11% | |
| Gary Sheffield | 32 | 20.38% | |
| Billy Wagner | 31 | 19.75% | |
| Jim Edmonds | 24 | 15.29% | |
| Nomar Garciaparra | 19 | 12.11% | |
| MIke Lowell | 2 | 0.12% | |
| Luis Castillo | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Randy Winn | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Jason Kendall | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Garret Anderson | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mark Grudzielanek | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Mike Sweeney | 1 | 0.06% | |
| David Eckstein | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Brad Ausmus | 1 | 0.06% | |
| Troy Glaus | 0 | 0% | |
| Mike Hampton | 0 | 0% |
Vote today. The Hall Of Fame Class of 2016 will be announced tomorrow.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 3, 2016
Photo: Julian H. Gonzalez Detroit Free Press
It is time for The Sunday Request.
@sullybaseball Can I make a Sunday request this early? Do a podcast on Lou Whitaker’s career/HOF result. Singular, result. One year & done.
— Nazywam się bagno (@swampudlian) December 30, 2015
It is odd that Lou Whitaker, who matches up with so many great second basemen, was a one and done candidate.
His Cooperstown case should have earned at least a healthy debate.
That and other Hall of Fame topics on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
2016 MLB Baseball Hall Of Fame Voting Poll
Pick 10 players who you believe should be in the Baseball Hall Of Fame this year. We will post the results after the class of this year is posted. We can see the amount of people who voted.
So we will accurately adjust this mark once the poll ends. A basic reference to see if a player is being voted for is to take their votes (times by 10) and then divide by the total amount of votes.
Here are the 32 names on the list for consideration. Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell, Ken Griffey Jr., Tim Raines, Curt Schilling, Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, Lee Smith, Edgar Martinez, Alan Trammell, Jeff Kent, Fred McGriff, Larry Walker, Sammy Sosa, Gary Sheffield, Nomar Garciaparra, Mark McGwire, Jim Edmonds, Jason Kendall, Troy Glaus, Mike Hampton, Luis Castillo, Randy Winn, Garret Anderson, Mike Lowell, Billy Wagner, Trevor Hoffman, Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Sweeney, David Eckstein are all on the ballot.
Carl Scheib, The 16-Year-Old Major League Bullpen Pitcher
Appearing in 267 games during an 11-year major league career, pitcher Carl Scheib had a solid yet unspectacular showing as a big leaguer.
However, he would likely have never gotten the change if not for a traveling salesman, who wrote Philadelphia Athletics manager Connie Mack to recommend the high school phenom— resulting in a 16-year-old Scheib working as the team’s batting practice pitcher in 1943 and making his debut before the year was over.
Did You Remember Back To When Twins pitchers batted?
The Designated Hitter rule came into play in the American League for the first time in 1973 and pitchers in the AL had to put their bats into storage where they still sit today.
Since 1973 very few AL pitchers have had to dust off and apply pine tar to their bats before walking to home plate to try to get some wood on the ball.
Do you know what pitcher got the last hit for the Minnesota Twins before the DH cane into play? How about that last Twins pitcher to bat before the DH?
Odds To Win The 2016 MLB Divisions
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Not that much has happened since we last checked into these numbers over the last 3 weeks. The biggest jump on the board was the Giants going to favorites of the NL West after the Johnny Cueto signing.
The Dodgers have since countered and are making this race for the NL West that much better again. It wasn’t long ago that the Los Angeles NL franchise were the favorites to win the entire World Series.
I think it is almost a dead heat right now between San Francisco and LA – and could come down to the transactions that are done in the next 8 months.
New York did pick up Aroldis Chapman but are still only listed as the 3rd favorite in the Division. New York has the best Bullpen, the Jays the best offense – and Boston might be the best overall club in the AL East.
If you believe the Yankees will continue to spend $ like Washington is printing it everyday should they contend this coming season, that +200 for the Division is a good odd. Read the rest of this entry
Toronto Blue Jays State Of The Union: Updated For Jan 2016
Despite the disappointment of this offseason, the groundwork has been laid for the Toronto Blue Jays be successful now and in the future.
When Alex Anthopoulos left the Toronto Blue Jays, it sparked an outrage in the fanbase. After all, he was departing as the Bringer of Banners. How easy it was to forget the years of calling for his removal as GM. But that is what winning can do for you. Now, the Blue Jays are the defending American League East champions and people miss AA.
His departure was really just the start of a series of disappointments Blue Jays fans would suffer this offseason. From losing David Price to failing to address the bullpen (thus far) to bringing back J.A. Happ, fans of the Blue Jays can’t help but wonder just how this team will repeat its 2015 success.
But, that line of thinking is missing several factors that make the Toronto Blue Jays a competitive team…now and in the future. This team has been put in a solid position moving forward.
The Dodgers Should Not Stop Acquiring Players Even After Signing Kazmir And Maeda
Scott Kazmir has revived his career over the last 3 years after seeing it almost end after his days with the Angels. The LHP has gone 32 – 29 record wise, but has dropped in ERA over the last 3 years from 4.04 in 2013 – 3.55 in 2014 – and 3.10 last year for both the A’s and Astros. Kazmir, who will turn 32 later this month, signed a 3 Year deal worth $48 MIL that he can opt out after next campaign. If that is the case, he will collect $16 MIL in 2016 for salary at hit the open market in a Free Agent class where he could really garner some big dollar offers.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Dodgers have finally entered the Free Agent Starting Pitchers frenzy this offseason In two moves over the last week they have inked Scott Kazmir to a 3 YRs/$48 MIL and NPBL stud Kenta Maeda to an 8 year pact – where terms were not disclosed until mid last week ($24 MIL is guaranteed – with incentives on performance that could bring that up to $10 MIL per year) .
These are decent deals to counter what the D’Backs did in picking up former Dodgers hurler Zack Greinke, and then trade for Shelby Miller, while the Giants inked Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija to help bolster both of their clubs.
5 Big Questions And Predictions For The 2016 Boston Red Sox
As the last notes of Auld Lang Syne evaporate into the atmosphere, and 2016 stretches its wings for the first time, the realization that spring training is mere weeks away starts to settle in.
Although the Boston Red Sox made a significant splash this offseason to upgrade their roster after consecutive disappointing seasons, they are still a work in progress.
Let’s take a look at five of the biggest questions facing the team, and some predictions of how it will all play out.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 2, 2016
AP File
Major League teams should have a Triple A team that can expand their regional appeal. Some teams have their teams way too far away.
Send them to the farm on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Top 10 Active List: Homers Per At Bat
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
I guess I was pretty surprised to that despite 181 HRs in just 2567 AB – Giancarlo Stanton doesn’t have enough AB to qualify for the career lead in this category.
For the record Stanton has gone deep for every 14.18 AB thus far, including his 2015 year where he did yard work 27 times in just 279 AB – which is just 10.33 AB per jack.
Mike Trout is operating at a Home Run so far at 1/17.61 AB. Bryce Harper is just 3 HRS shy of the 100 Homer plateau. He has a HR/per 18.86 AB in his career, but he was at an incredible 1 longball per 12.40 AB last season. Read the rest of this entry
The Top 5 Home Run Hitters In MLB For 2015 + Homer Stats
Giancarlo Stanton should contend for the NL HR championship crown in 2016. He is capable of cracking 40 – 50 HRs if he can play a year completely healthy. The Marlins are lucky to have one of the best young hitters in the game. In 2015, he clubbed 27 HRs in just 279 AB for the season. That is about a HR every 10 AB. If he could play 150 games in a year, he may easily crack the 50+HR mark.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part-Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
There were 9 guys who tallied 40+ HRs in the Major Leagues and 6 of them came from the AL and just 3 came from the NL. Furthermore, out of 20 players that cracked 30+ HRs, only 6 came from the Senior Circuit.
The National League has also seen that Todd Frazier joined the White Sox in the offseason. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – January 1, 2016 (Includes All 30 MLB Teams Written New Years Resolutions)
Happy New Year. 2016 has begun and we will have 366 episodes this year.
As I do every January 1, I give a New Years resolution for each of the 30 teams.
Let old acquaintance be forgot on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
MLB Reports 
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