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Monthly Archives: November 2016
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Houston Astros
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 MLB WRAP UPS. THIS TIME WE SIT DOWN WITH ASTROS COUNTY TO CHAT HOUSTON ASTROS.
This MLB Wrap Up features James from Astros County as he gives us his take on the 2016 season the ‘Stros had. They finished 3rd in the AL West, 11 games back of the Texas Rangers and ended up missing the Wild Card spot by 5 games. Once again, Jose Altuve was a bright spot for Houston as he hit himself right into the mix of AL MVP considerations.
JFtC: If you could sum up the Houston Astros’ season in a paragraph, what would you say?
James: It was frustrating. Oh, a paragraph? Okay. For the first time in ten years Astros fans had some expectations about a legitimate postseason run…
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Brewers
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 MLB WARP UPS. THIS TIME, WE SIT DOWN WITH CHRIS ZANTOW TO GET INSIGHT INTO THE MILWAUKEE BREWERS
This MLB Wrap features some great insight into a team we might not have been paying much attention to in 2016. Chris Zantow does a nice job of wrapping up the Milwaukee Brewers 2016 season for us. The Brewers finished well back of the race in the NL Central division at 73-89, 30.5 games back of the Cubs. They were also 14 games back of the Wild Card. That said, we can’t really call the season a disappointment if expectations weren’t that high to begin with.
JFtC: If you could sum up Milwaukee’s season in a paragraph, what would you say?
Chris: The season was all about development of young players and seeing what General Manager David Stearns and Manager Craig Counsell could do with a full year in their roles…
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
The Final Word on 2016: Boston Red Sox
It has only been a couple short weeks since the Cubs clinched game 7 in Cleveland on the 2nd November and ended their 108-year curse. Yet the ruthlessness of Major League Baseball is evident in the fact that Theo Epstein, just named Executive of the Year in the biggest understatement of the 2016 season, is already back to work.
The Cubs, clearly the best team in baseball, are once-again looking forward to next year, so think how the other 29 GMs must be feeling. As soon as Michael Martinez grounded one to Kris Bryant at third and the ball reached the mitt of a jubilant Anthony Rizzo waiting at first, the off-season began. But to move forward you must first reflect.
That’s the purpose of this series of posts, highlighting the highs and lows, strengths and flaws of each franchise in turn during 2016. From this we can begin to evaluate what each club’s offseason might look like, which gaps will be addressed first and who might upset the apple-cart in 2017. This week we’re starting with the AL East:
Boston Red Sox:
2016 recap: As a Red Sox fan myself it is challenging to know what to conclude about 2016. A resurgence was expected after the signing of David Price to headline the rotation, but a division title nevertheless proved a satisfying result for Red Sox nation. But the languid, tepid even, performances against the Indians confirmed a worrying trend of inconsistency during 2016. When the bats were hot this Red Sox squad was unbeatable, frequently putting double figures on teams throughout the year, but when the bats were cold… yikes. This might seem a harsh criticism of a young team on an incredibly strong bounce back year from being basement dwellers in 2015. But the postseason proved that this team is still some way from where it wants to be, even before losing David Ortiz.
Please click on over to offthebenchbaseball.com to continue reading about the Red Sox offseason agenda.
The Final Word on 2016: Baltimore Orioles
It has only been a couple short weeks since the Cubs clinched game 7 in Cleveland on the 2nd November and ended their 108-year curse. Yet the ruthlessness of Major League Baseball is evident in the fact that Theo Epstein, just named Executive of the Year in the biggest understatement of the 2016 season, is already back to work.
The Cubs, clearly the best team in baseball, are once-again looking forward to next year, so think how the other 29 GMs must be feeling. As soon as Michael Martinez grounded one to Kris Bryant at third and the ball reached the mitt of a jubilant Anthony Rizzo waiting at first, the off-season began. But to move forward you must first reflect.
That’s the purpose of this series of posts, highlighting the highs and lows, strengths and flaws of each franchise in turn during 2016. From this we can begin to evaluate what each club’s offseason might look like, which gaps will be addressed first and who might upset the apple-cart in 2017. This week we’re starting with the AL East:
Baltimore Orioles:
2016 recap: A decision not to use star reliever Zach Britton in the AL wild-card has rightly left some Orioles fans wondering what might have been – and that’s a significant dampener on what was a successful 2016 for the Orioles. Securing third place in a super-competitive AL East and losing the lottery that is the wild-card game must not be considered a failure given the payroll situation in Baltimore, annually competing with the free-spending Red Sox and Yankees.
Please click on over to Off The Bench to check out the Baltimore Orioles’ offseason agenda.
5 Advanced Stats That Show The Best Could Still Be Ahead For Mike Trout
After bringing home the American League Most Valuable Player award for the second time in his young career, Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is in elite company. But is there reason to believe the best is yet to come for the 25-year-old?
It doesn’t seem like he could actually get any better at this point, but some advanced statistics show that’s not an entirely crazy statement. Which is pretty crazy in itself.
With five full years in the big leagues under Trout’s belt, he’s already accomplished plenty:
The years he didn’t win the AL MVP? He placed second in the voting, which is the first time any player has done that to start their career. He also joins Barry Bondsas the only players to finish in the top two of voting for five consecutive years…ever.
Trout has played at an elite level since 2012 – the lowest fWAR he’s produced in a full season of play was 7.9 back in 2014. Him getting better sounds preposterous, but that’s exactly what Buster Olney said he’s doing last week on the Baseball Tonight podcast.
After looking at his year-by-year progression in the following five areas, it’s not hard to believe the best is yet to come for Trout.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 22, 2016
Harry How/Getty Images North America
What team has the most pressure on them going into 2017?
It has to be the Dodgers, who despite a galaxy of stars could be going into their third decade without a pennant.
Bleed Dodger Blue on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Giants
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 MLB WRAP UPS. THIS TIME, WE SIT DOWN WITH THE GIANTS COVE TO DISCUSS THE SAN FRANCISCO GIANTS
This MLB Wrap Up features a discussion with Richard Dyer of The Giants Cove and his interesting thoughts on how his San Francisco Giants made out in 2016. They finished at 87-75, in 2nd place behind the Dodgers. They managed to snag the second Wild Card spot and played the New York Mets. The Giants would win that pitcher’s duel, but go on to lose to the eventual World Series winners, the Chicago Cubs.
JFtC: If you could sum up San Francisco’s season in a paragraph, what would you say?
Richard: The San Francisco Giants’ 2016 season was an extension of their 2015 season (and their doo-da lucky 2014 championship season): mediocrity on the field; no vision, creativity, or leadership in the front office…
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
Jacob Nix Scouting Report
After failing to sign with Houston in 2014, Jacob Nix was drafted by San Diego in the third round in 2015. The right-hander brings a solid fastball-curve duo to the table, and, perhaps most importantly, has advanced command, especially considering his age (20). His changeup is a work in progress, but he has the potential to be a solid #4-5 starter as soon as 2018. Article by @BaseballRanks
Jacob Nix Scouting Report
Hot Stove Week in Review Nov 14-20
Afraid you missed something that happened in the MLB Hot Stove last week? Don’t worry we have you covered at 9 Inning Know It All. Check out all the news about awards, the AFL, trades, signings and even a few rumors.
Read it all at Hot Stove Week In Review Nov 14-20 via 9 Inning Know It All
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 21, 2016
Getty Images – Rob Foldy/Getty Images North America
The Rays and Marlins might not have the rich tradition of teams like the Yankees, Giants or Cardinals.
That does not mean we shouldn’t savor the fact that the greatest players of their history, Evan Longoria and Giancarlo Stanton, are currently playing for them.
It is a new tradition episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Think the Verlander Cy Young Snub was Bad? Wait until You Read About the 1999 MVP Vote
As the author of a book about the most controversial MVP ballots of all time, I am often asked: “Which is the single worst MVP vote of all time?”
If you rank your terrible MVP selections based on the level of dishonesty, hypocrisy, or bureaucratic incompetence attendant to a vote, there is only one choice for the worst MVP vote of all time. READ THE FULL STORY AT PLATE COVERAGE
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Cardinals
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 MLB WRAP UPS. THIS TIME, WE SIT DOWN WITH CARDS ONCLAVE TO CHAT ST LOUIS CARDINALS
For this MLB Wrap Up, we sat down with Daniel Shoptaw of Cards Conclave to get his thoughts on the 2016 season for the St Louis Cardinals. The Cards finished 10 games above .500, and many would consider 2016 a disappointment. They trailed the Cubs by 17.5 to finish in 2nd spot in the National League Central and they missed the Wild Card spot by a single game.
JFtC: If you could sum up the Cards’ season in a paragraph, what would you say?
Daniel: It was a frustrating year for the Cardinals, summed up by the fact that they only reached 10 games over .500 on the last day of the season, and that still wound up keeping them one game away from a shot at the playoffs…..
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Detroit Tigers
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU MLB WRAP UPS. THIS EDITION, WE CHAT WITH TOTALLY TIGERS TO GET PERSPECTIVE ON THE DETROIT TIGERS
For this MLB Wrap Up, we sat down with Kurt Snyder and Holly Horning of Totally Tigers to talk about the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers finished 8 games back of Cleveland in the AL Central and seemed like they would take one if the Wild Card spots, but ended up 2.5 games back in that race. Led by Miguel Cabrera, the Tigers fell short, but were pleasantly surprised by rookie, Michael Fulmer.
JFtC: If you could sum up the Tigers’ season in a paragraph, what would you say?
TT: Injuries had an unusual 2-sided effect on the Tigers. They closed some doors but opened others….
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Pirates
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 MLB WRAP UPS. THIS TIME, WE SIT DOWN WITH PIRATES BREAKDOWN TO CHAT BUCCOS!
This time, we chatted with Jason Rollison, the founder of Pirates Breakdown to get his take on the Pittsburgh Pirates. They had an interesting year, finishing 8.5 games out of the National League Wild Card spot and a whopping 25 games back of the Cubs, who won 103. After a few years of hanging around the playoff picture, the Pirates took a step back in 2016. They’re an intriguing squad that is looking to get back the postseason and maybe even surpassing their Wild Card run.
JFtC: If you could sum up the Pirates’ season in a paragraph, what would you say?
PBD: The Pittsburgh Pirates returned a lot of their 98-win team from 2015. Unfortunately that alone could not save the team from dropping off to the tune of 20 less wins in 2016…
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 20, 2016
It is Sunday and time for The Sunday Request.
C’mon @sullybaseball I was looking forward to you dissecting the history of the Mariner’s logo 😜Seriously great podcast about an EPIC game.
— Rob (@IlliniDodgers) November 3, 2016
What started as a joke opening to a show has turned into me actually breaking down my thoughts on the Seattle Mariners hats.
As it turns out, I have some passionate opinions on the matter.
It is a Trident Hat Episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Carlos Beltran and the Boston Red Sox Seem Like a Perfect Match
Boston Red Sox legend David Ortiz rode off into the sunset at the end of the 2016 season after spending 14 historical years with the team. He can never be truly replaced but the lineup will have a huge hole if a reasonable successor is not identified. Fortunately, Boston seems to be hot on the trail of a tremendous candidate in veteran Carlos Beltran.
JFtC 2016 MLB Wrap Ups: Red Sox
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 WRAP UPS. THIS TIME, WE SIT DOWN WITH OFF THE BENCH BASEBALL AND DISCUSS THE BOSTON RED SOX
For this MLB Wrap Up, we sat down with Ari Glantz of Off the Bench Baseball to chat about the 2016 AL East Champion, Boston Red Sox. After signing David Price to a mega-deal, lots of things went right for this team as they climbed the standings late in the season to snatch the division title from the Blue Jays. They rode an amazing season from David Ortiz and an MVP type season from Mookie Betts.
JFtC: If you could sum up the Red Sox season in a paragraph, what would you say?
Ari: David Ortiz, David Ortiz, David Ortiz. (Is that a paragraph?) At times for better, at others for worse, this was the season of Big Papi….
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 19, 2016
Jamie Sabau – Getty Images
The Reds might not contend in 2017, but they SHOULD have the best lead off man in baseball in the rebuilding process… if only they would bat Joey Votto lead off. Along the way, I discuss why I won’t play James Bond and I tie it into the discussion.
It is a shaken, not stirred episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
JFtC 2016 Wrap Ups Interviews: Yankees
JAYS FROM THE COUCH BRINGS YOU 2016 MLB WRAP UPS. WE SIT DOWN WITH OFF THE BENCH BASEBALL TO DISCUSS THE NEW YORK YANKEES’ SEASON
To kick things off, I checked in with Max Frankel of Off the Bench Baseball to get his thoughts on the New York Yankees 2016 season. In many ways, it was a season that folks could probably look back on fondly. Despite the aging roster, the Bronx Bombers managed to make things exciting near the end of the year with Gary Sanchez captivating the imagination of the league. Max talks about the rookie phenom and much more in our little interview.
JFtC: If you could sum up the Yankees’ season in a paragraph, what would you say?
Max: 2016 was a genuine, actual, for real transformational season for the New York Yankees. A changing of the guard, if you will……
READ FULL POST at Jays From the Couch
If We Had a 2017 HOF Vote, Pt. 2
Gary Sheffield: The swagger, the malice in the “bat wag,” the quickest, most violent swing in the game. Astonishingly, Sheffield also had one of the most level, controlled swings in the game. He was a hitting machine.
How bad was he with the glove? Put Manny Ramirez and Gary Sheffield in the same outfield, and you’re hoping they hit it to Manny. WAR estimates that over the course of his career, Sheffield’s defense rated 29 games worse than that of a replacement-level player. Of the 18,918 players cataloged on Baseball-Reference.com, only Adam Dunn rates worse.
Byron Buxton, Miguel Sano Need to Fix The Same Problem For 2017
The Minnesota Twins aren’t your run-of-the-mill 103-loss team. Yes, the starting rotation is a mess and new chief of baseball operations Derek Falvey has a lot of work to do, but he inherited what should be a nice core at the MLB level.
Two players getting the most attention in this regard are Byron Buxton and Miguel Sano. While they boast vastly different skill sets on the diamond, there was one aspect of the game in which they both struggled with equally in 2016: striking out way too much.
This isn’t exactly a new problem for either of them, though.
In a disappointing 46-game stretch in 2015 as a rookie, Buxton struck out 31.9 percent of the time. He then watched his strikeout rate balloon to 35.6 percent in 331 plate appearances this past season in multiple stints with the Twins.
On the other hand, Sano broke out in 2015 by hitting 18 home runs in 335 plate appearances. His 35.5 percent strikeout rate wasn’t great; but that number was easier to swallow with a 15.8 percent walk rate and 150 wRC+. Since his strikeout rate didn’t improve (36 percent) and both his walk rate (10.9 percent) and wRC+ (107) took nosedives in 2016, it’s something worth being concerned about.
In order to be the cornerstones this organization wants them to be, they must cut down on the strikeouts. And they can do that by taking back control of the strike zone.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 18, 2016
Jeff Gross/Getty Images North America
Mike Trout and Kris Bryant are the MVPs. Both good choices.
Mike Trout is half way to his Hall of Fame clinching.
Kris Bryant has already gotten some of the hard parts over with.
Now just imagine a World Series match up featuring the two.
It is a “New Generation of Superstars” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 17, 2016
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America
The Cy Young results came in. While Max Scherzer is a solid choice, Rick Porcello’s election is as strange as any as we have seen this month… and that is saying something.
It is a “Let me see that ballot” episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Can The Toronto Blue Jays Draft Class Rival The 2011 Boston Red Sox?
Back in 2011, MLB Draft experts had their eyes set on the magnificent haul of draft picks that the Tampa Bay Rays had at their disposal, all of which had been acquired by dismantling their bullpen. A record ten first round picks out of 60, including highly touted prep arms Taylor Guerrieri and Blake Snell, as well as top college outfielder Mikie Mahtook highlighted the long list of high-profile future Rays. Tampa Bay was considered set for the long term because of this sudden influx of talent.
Can The Toronto Blue Jays Draft Class Rival The 2011 Boston Red Sox?
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 16, 2016
Leon Halip/Getty Images North America
The Indians haven’t won the World Series since 1948.
If they had better timing with their aces, they could have won titles in the 1990’s and the 2000’s. They are close to one in 2017, but maybe they should add a second ace to join Cy Young front runner Corey Kluber.
It is a Tribe Called Champs episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
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