Author Archives: Jonathan Hacohen
For The Pittsburgh Pirates – There Is No Next Year
Following a quiet offseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates enter 2016 hoping a large group of top prospects are prepared to make significant contributions to the big league club down the stretch.
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – pbcbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown
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In 2006, the Pittsburgh Pirates started their “We Will” campaign. Of course, that year is well remembered as the year the Pirates decided to commit to the rebuilding effort.
The next year, Neal Huntington would be brought in as the new general manager, and the completion of the rebuild process was brought to fruition in just six years after a rotating door of front office staff and players failed to reverse the losing streak that nearly forced the team to move.
The “We Will” campaign was meant to embody the work ethic and integrity expected of every member of the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.
Instead, it became the target of ridicule from many fans. The banners hanging from the façade of PNC Park did not help matter as disgruntled fans poured out following loss after loss.
Even in success, Pirates fans couldn’t dodge the pangs of defeat.
Following the success of the team in 2013 making a laughingstock of Johnny Cueto in the wild card game and taking the Cardinals to the brink of elimination before melting down in game five of the NLDS, the fans and players expected more, but who could have possibly anticipated the wonders that were Madison Bumgarner and Jake Arrieta?
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The Bond Of Baseball Between Father And Son
Shane Kay (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner of sonsof84tigers.mlblogs.com) Follow @sonsof84tigers
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My annual post in taking a moment to remember the game is much bigger then what we watch during the season.
Opening Day, a day for happiness, a day that signifies that summer is on its way, a day that everyone is in first place, a day that every team still has a chance, a day of sadness for me.
As much as I enjoy spending this day with my wife and friends hanging out at the ball park, it’s another opening day without my father.
It’s now been over seven years since I lost my dad to cancer and not a day goes by that I don’t think about him, but this day is especially tough for me as we shared the bond of baseball together. As a matter of fact it’s so tough that I had to write this two weeks prior to opening day nine years ago.
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FanDuel Daily Fantasy Baseball Alert For Action Apr 5, 2016: Talking Strategy + Daily Selections
Josh Robbins (Featured Fantasy Writer/60ft6in.com) Follow @Qualcomm98
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Hi, my name is Josh Robbins. I would like to share my Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) strategy with you throughout the MLB season. Fanduel is my preferred game of skill.
If you’re not familiar with the points breakdown, here’s the format utilizing a $35 million salary cap.
Scoring System: https://www.fanduel.com/spring-training?t=lobby
1 Starting Pitcher (SP)
1 Catcher (C)
1 First Baseman (1B)
1 Second Baseman (2B)
1 Third Baseman (3B)
1 Short Stop (SS)
3 Outfielders (OF) Read the rest of this entry
The Atlanta Braves 2016 Over/Under Game
Wayne Cavadi (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – wayniacnation.com) Follow @UofDWayne
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Yesterday was Opening Day. The Atlanta Braves teased their fans in the last home opener at The Ted as the Washington Nationals came back in extra innings to win the game.
Earlier in the day on the way to work, I tuned in to The Front Row on 680 the Fan. Steak Shapiro, Sandra Golden and Brian Finneran were playing what they called the Atlanta Braves Over/Under Game. Steak would read a stat and poll Finneran, Sandra and some of their listeners for their thoughts.
Well, now you get to hear mine.
Braves wins: o/u 70
Finneran said under, while Sandra said over. While I can agree that this rendition of the Braves looks better and more exciting on paper than last season, they did little to make me believe that they can improve on last seasons 67-win campaign.
Let’s be honest, does anyone think the Braves actually care if…
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Tribe Spring Recap And 2016 Predictions, Thoughts + Player Evaluations
(Featured BBBA Website – 216clevelandgirl.blogpsot.com) Follow @clevelandgirl23
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Hey there, Tribe fans! Happy day of Indians Opening Day! baseball is just about back and that means it’s time for 216clevelandgirl to recap the Tribe’s spring and give my thoughts about the roster and the team’s chances in 2016. So here we go!
While spring training is an important part of a baseball players’ preparation, as tedious as it may be, the outcomes of the games don’t always mean a whole lot.
This year, in 34 games, including the two exhibition contests in Texas on April 1 and 2, the Tribe’s spring record was 18-12-4, 3rd best in the Cactus League. while that looks pretty good, it could have been even better.
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Odds To Win The 2016 MLB World Series
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Answer me a question bet365.com? The Dodgers were a +1500 odd when the start of Spring Training commenced, are without Corey Seager, Howie Kendrick, Yasmani Grandal, Brett Anderson, Andre Ethier as of right now on the big roster, and you saw fit to move them to +1300. Wrong. They automatically go to a poor wager from a good one just weeks ago.
The Jays have also jumped from +1000 to +800 but since I have them and the Cubs winning their respective leagues. the odds are about where they should be.
Previously I had the Giants on the bad odd list, however with the recent rash of injuries to Los Angeles, and a horrible break for A.J. Pollock of the D’Backs, confidence is at an all time high for the Giants to take the NL West.
The Kansas City Royals have a lower win total on the year over/under than Cleveland. but have a +1300 odd to win the World Series. Baffles me guys.
The Cardinals lose just one game and now are on par with the Pirates as the 10th best favorite to win. Love the odds for both of these clubs.
Detroit was a good bet last month at +2500, but are now properly pegged, as are Cleveland.
With the Angels having such a thin roster it surprises me that they are sitting up with the Mariners for value, as opposed to being near the A’s,where they probably should be. Read the rest of this entry
National League Rookie Of The Year Odds In MLB 2016 Action
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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Corey Seager is not even in the lineup to open the season but he is the overwhelming favorite to the win the NL Rookie Of The Year Award in 2016 MLB Action.
Update: I was wrong, Seager is was in the lineup for the opener. Having said this, there is no value to bet on him at the odd given, even though he is the overwhelming favorite.
Like we said the American League odds list, there is never a real need to play a whole season to win this award. That is unless you have to compete against a 2015’s winner in Kris Bryant, who was brought up in mid April last year.
Really this is Seager’s spot to lose.
I hate the odds for a guy who is injured to begin the campaign, nonetheless he would still be my pick for the Award.
Steven Matz has dubbed the 2nd favorite – along with Kenta Maeda. Both of these guys broke camp with the big club, and could make 26 – 30 starts this year.
I love the odd better for Maeda, who is slotted higher in the rotation than Matz. These odds are not glamorous to wager on either.
Perhaps the most intriguing guy on the list is Trevor Story. He is the starting shortstop while Jose Reyes is still on the inactive list – awaiting a resolution (suspension) for his part in a domestic dispute in Hawaii over the winter.
These 2 MLB Teams Could Surprise Everyone In 2016
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8
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Major League Baseball has technically been back for nearly two months now, but the fun is finally about to start.
As teams wrap up their respective Grapefruit and Cactus League schedules, we’re literally on the precipice of Opening Day. With the final week of Spring Training games taking place, many baseball analysts made their yearly predictions on who they think will make the playoffs and eventually capture World Series glory.
We all know these predictions really mean nothing, but it’s an entertaining way to spark debate as everyone waits anxiously for games to start counting again. After listening and reading countless predictions, there seems to be something missing.
In 2015, we witnessed a handful of teams that came out of nowhere to qualify for the postseason. The process of rebuilding ended a year earlier than expected for teams like the Houston Astros, New York Mets and Chicago Cubs, while nobody picked the Texas Rangers to win the American League West. If you did and don’t claim to be a Rangers fan, you’re probably lying.
Keeping with this theme, here are two teams currently flying under the radar who have the potential to surprise everyone by the time September rolls around.
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Loss Of Pollock Wont End The D’Backs Chances In 2016
Arizona Diamondbacks’ A.J. Pollock, left, slaps hands with Paul Goldschmidt (44) after Pollock scored a run against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, April 8, 2015, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Jen Rainwater (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – bbstmlb.com) Follow @OakAsSockGrl
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Now, the fact that I have a second favorite team may surprise many of you. Sometimes when I really think about it – it’s surprising to me as well. That team would be the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Over the years, I’ve had known players traded there, been friends with some and am still friends with others. I’ve watched the team prosper but mostly flounder and this was looking like a year where they could beat the San Francisco Giants and even the Los Angeles Dodgers appear to be beatable in 2016.
The DBacks beat out two of their division rivals to get the great Zack Greinke. They’ve got one of the classiest, not to mention best players in the league in first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. And until yesterday they had an up and coming star center fielder, an All-Star last year, in A.J. Pollock.
Now Pollock is out for an unknown amount of time with a broken elbow that will require surgery. That’s a big loss to the Diamondbacks, but it shouldn’t kill their postseason chances ….
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Justin Verlander’s Little Brother Takes Him Deep, But Will Justin Get The Last Laugh?
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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In case you haven’t heard, Justin Verlander has a little brother named Ben, who is in the minor league system of the Detroit Tigers. Many people are very familiar with Justin, but Ben’s name has been in the headlines more over the past few days.
In 2015, Ben did struggle in High-A, but what he did to his brother on Thursday could erase any negative results from 2015. Yesterday Ben got his first opportunity to hit against his brother in his lifetime and he decided to make the most of it. To read the rest of the article, please click the link below:
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The Top 8 Draftergies Guaranteed To Win Your Fantasy Baseball League
Blog Off The Bench (Featured BBBA Website – offthebenchbaseball.com) Follow @BlogOffTheBench
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Imagine it’s March 28th, it’s 40 degrees out, it’s 6:31 pm, you’re at a chain restaurant called “Just Salad,” and you just finished your salad so you’re loitering before your next appointment at 7:00 pm. You know what that means: it’s fantasy baseball season!
In this column (column looks like it should be spelled differently), we will be going over a few different Baseball Dratergies (Draft-Strategies, Ihavetosaveonmywordcount) that will make you the Fantasy Baseball All-Star GM/Manager/Shortstop/Clicky Guy you’ve always wanted to be! Unless you wanted to be a doctor or in the Air Force or something. Then go for that.
Draftergy 1: Hoard all the catchers
Hoarding all the catchers is a great strategy! At some point in the season, everyone is going to need a catcher and will be willing to give up an extra player for these notoriously low-offense guys. You could end up trading for a valuable middle infielder or fourth outfielder. Better plan on having a lot of bench spots because if your roster only has one you’ll have two players. Also plan on buying lots of equipment.
Sample Lineup:
Catcher: Yadier Molina
Bench: Yasmani Grandal, Francisco Cervelli, Brian McCann, Salvador Perez, …
Draftergy 2: The “Moneyball” Strategy
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Dallas Keuchel’s Brilliant Spring Training May Pave The Way For Another Cy Young Season In 2016
Dallas Keuchel was the best pitcher in the American League for 2015. He won the Cy Young by posting a league leading 20 Wins. 232 Innings and and worked to a 1.017 WHIP. The brilliant LHP is under team control for the next 3 years in Arbitration. The 28 Year old also finished 5th in MVP Voting, made the ALL – Star Game and reeled in his 2nd straight Gold Glove from the Pitcher Position. His 2.48 ERA was 2nd in the AL to David Price, and he led the Majors for Pitchers in WAR (7.2).
Trey Rose (Featured BBBA Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Dallas Keuchel should be viewed as a top tier option in all fantasy leagues in 2016. He has proved over the past two seasons that he is a reliable option and is continuing to improve.
The key for Keuchel to take the next step in fantasy leagues is to continue to see an increase in his strikeout rate. He increased this rate from 6.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 2014 to 8.4 per nine innings in 2015.
If Keuchel can continue this trend and increase his strikeouts closer to 9 per nine innings in 2016, then his value will rise dramatically. As mentioned earlier, Keuchel has the supporting cast behind him to score runs, but he also has a great defense and a dominant bullpen behind him for support as well.
All of these factors will come into play in 2016 and will help his cause to win back-to-back Cy Young Awards and lead the Houston Astros to a World Series title.
Dallas Keuchel will open the season for the Houston Astros on the mound against the New York Yankees on April 4th at 1:05 PM EST. To read the rest of the article, please click the link below:
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Pablo Sandoval + His $17 MIL Contract Will Ride The Pine This Year To Start In Boston
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Red Sox manager John Farrell has announced that 2-time All-Star third-baseman Pablo Sandoval will begin the season on the Red Sox bench. Travis Shaw will begin the season at the hot corner.
Just last offseason, Sandoval signed a monster deal with Red Sox leaving behind the San Francisco Giants who he won multiple World Series with. Sandoval will make a whopping $17 million while on the bench (at least initially). He still has $75 million over four years left in his contract.
Sandoval commented that it’s the right decision, and manager Farrell commented that Shaw’s defense was key for this surprising decision. The Red Sox have shown that past lucrative contracts given by former management will not dictate the lineup.
This post will be updated as we get more updates. Stay tuned.
In the mean time, did you see this coming? Any thoughts on Sandoval on the bench?
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Milwaukee Baseball History – 50 Years Ago: The Opening Day that Wasn’t
Chris Zantow (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chriszantowauthor.wordpress.com) Follow @zantow_chris
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In early April, 1966, Milwaukee County Stadium sat silent for the first time since 1953. It was a quiet time in Milwaukee baseball history – and certainly no April Fools’ Day joke. The field didn’t need any special attention, stadium workers weren’t hired for the season, and concessions weren’t purchased. The Braves skipped town after the 1965 season and there would be no professional baseball played in the Cream City for the first time in 80 years.
Tickets were sold in Atlanta for the 1966 season starting in January of that year. The team was caught between two state court injunctions. In Wisconsin, Judge Elmer Roller ordered the team to play in Milwaukee until a replacement franchise could be obtained. Judge Sam Phillips of Atlanta issued a temporary injunction that called for the Braves to play games that season in Atlanta.
Braves owner, insurance industry executive Bill Bartholomay, acknowledged both injunctions in interviews. Yet he said, “The Braves fully intend to honor our contract with the Stadium Authority and all our larger obligations to the citizens of Atlanta, of Georgia, and the entire southeast, as the Braves have always honored our agreement with the county of Milwaukee.”
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The Cardinals Way: A Book Review From The Latest Howard Megdal Masterpiece
Andrew Martin (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – baseballhistorian.blogspot.com) Follow @historianandrew
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To the uninformed, the game of major league baseball may look simplistic. You run; you throw; you hit; and at the end of a game, a winner is determined.
However, as fans know, an enormous amount of work goes into each franchise and how they cultivate and maintain their organization from year to year. Some teams have greater track records than others, and there are few that can match what the St. Louis Cardinals have done over the years.
Howard Megdal has thrown the curtain back and provided a glimpse behind the scenes at what makes the team click with his recent work, The Cardinals Way: How One Team Embraced Tradition and Moneyball at the Same Time (Thomas Dunne Books- an Imprint of St. Martin’s Press).
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Spring Training Standouts: AL West
Robinson Cano enters year 3 of a 10 season contract. So far his arrival has not corresponded into a playoff berth. The Mariners now hold the longest playoff drought in the Major Leagues. The Second Baseman will need to return to a MVP caliber style of play if the franchise wants to be players in the AL West. Cano was awesome in the second half of last year – and with his 3 HR game the other day, has been equally as impressive in Spring Training this March. He is one a few guys we zeroed in on.
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Next up is the American League West! Let’s take a look at each team and see their spring training stars!
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As the Pirates Lurch Forward Towards Opening Day, The Debate Over The Everyday Lineup Continues
Jason Rollison (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – pbcbreakdown.com) Follow @pbcbreakdown
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With John Jaso now seemingly entrenched at the top of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lineup, coupled with Andrew McCutchen pointed towards remaining in the number two slot, many observers now wonder what the rest of the batting order may look like against the Cardinals on April 3rd.
Despite the focus on the top of the order, it may be the bottom of the order that can take a step forward for the club.
In 2015, the seventh and eighth hitters for the Pirates performed reasonably well.
There are a couple of interesting notes when considering the Pirates’ performance form the bottom two spots in the order.
First, the 114 rating for wRC+ (weighted runs created +) led the NL from the seventh spot (100 is considered an “average” score). This will likely continue for 2016, as we will see shortly.
From the eighth spot, the wRC+ rating of 93 might seem underwhelming, yet only two teams in the NL had a rating of 100 or more. The St. Louis Cardinals were far and away the most productive in this regard, with a 110 rating.
2016 will likely be another story completely, as the changes at the top have ramifications that will be felt all the way through the order. While Pedro Alvarez‘s free swinging ways often led to his insertion in the lower third, his departure and a re-focusing on quality at bats results in a case of addition by subtraction.
If spring batting orders over the past week are any indication, Jordy Mercer, Gregory Polanco or Josh Harrison could be reliable bats at the 7th spot.
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San Diego Padres Show How Much Things Can Change In The Span Of A Year
A.J. Preller has been really active trying to replenish his prospect pool this year after making a big splash in his rookie offseason last year. The Padres finished a dismal 74 – 88. At least he recognizing the error of his ways – and trying to eradicate his mistakes that he made from putting up a squad that was saddled with injury riddled players.
Matt Musico (Featured BBBA Writer/Owner – chinmusicbaseball.com) Follow @mmusico8
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The first full year of A.J. Preller’s tenure as San Diego Padres general manager has basically been a roller coaster of emotions. With Opening Day just days away, it’s interesting to see how the narrative about the club has changed so drastically from the year before.
Upon getting hired in August 2014, San Diego’s biggest need was pretty clear: breathing life into an anemic offense that ranked last in runs scored (535). In the boldest way imaginable, Preller completely transformed the lineup by acquiring players like Matt Kemp, Justin Upton, Derek Norris and Wil Myers.
However, as we’ve seen in recent years, the winners of the offseason very rarely end up being winners of the World Series come October. That trend continued with the Padres, who missed the playoffs with a disappointing 74-88 record.
The goal of improving the offense was achieved (650 runs scored, 23rd-best in MLB), but not necessarily by leaps and bounds. The pitching and defense also suffered in the process.
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Mike Piazza 9/11 Jersey Up for Auction
Freddy Vasquez (Featured Baseball Writer/Owner – metshotcorner.com) Follow @metshotcorner
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An artifact from one of the most memorable moments in New York Mets history is heading to the auction block. The jersey worn by Mets catcher Mike Piazza on September 21, 2001 will be sold by Goldin Auctions on April 30, 2016 during a live event in New York City.
Goldin has a very conservative estimate of $25,000 attached to this piece of history, but the feeling is that it will very well break the record for the highest amount paid for a game-used jersey.
In 2008, a jersey worn by Nolan Ryan in 1970 sold for the record price of $53,758. But the significance of Piazza’s jersey is expected to bring in at least double that amount when you consider how much famous home run jerseys have sold for in the past.
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‘BBA Live’ Podcast – Year 2 Ep #6 – AL Central Preview
‘BBA Live’ is the flagship Podcast of the Baseball Bloggers Alliance since 2015.
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BBA Live! is entering its second season. Listen in as AC Wayne is again joined by Ricky Keeler of Yanks Go Yard and District On Deck (Nats). Tonight, we’ll showcase the AL Central. Rich Rivera is also a slated guest.
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A casual look at Major League Baseball and The New York Mets. Call-in! #347-326-9300
Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher, Juan Nicasio, Is The Fantasy Baseball Sleeper Everyone Is Looking For
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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No one has ever questioned Juan Nicasio‘s ability to pitch, but after posting a 5.03 ERA through four seasons in Colorado, the outlook was not bright.
The Dodgers decided to take a chance on him in 2015 and it paid huge dividends. As a reliever in the Dodgers organization, he threw in 53 games, totaling 58.1 innings, 65 strikeouts, 32 walks, 3.86 ERA, and a 2.83 FIP.
These numbers are impressive, but his low FIP suggests that his ERA should be even better than it was. The Pittsburgh Pirates took notice of Nicasio’s successful 2015 campaign and decided to sign him to a one year/$3 million contract for 2016.
To read why Juan Nicasio is one of the best sleepers in fantasy baseball, click the link below to read the rest of the article:
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Aaron Sanchez Joins The Toronto Blue Jays Rotation, But Does This Hurt His Fantasy Baseball Stock?
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Aaron Sanchez doesn’t lack for ability or elite pitches. His fastball is just about as good as they come and he has an above average curveball. His arsenal was put on full display this spring training.
He has thrown 20 innings this spring with a 1.35 ERA, 19 strikeout, and only three walks. Based on these numbers, it looks as if he has made many adjustments to put a lot of the concerns mentioned above to rest.
It is great to see that Sanchez is dialed in this spring, but it is important to take spring training statistics with a grain of salt. If Sanchez can continue to develop like he has shown in the small sample size this spring, he could become a very dominant arm in 2016.4
As for now, he should be drawing some attention in mixed leagues and definitely worth a waiver wire pickup. If for some reason this experiment with Sanchez in the rotation doesn’t work out, he still has the upside to be an elite closer in the future.
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Jose Berrios (RHP, MIN) – 2016 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com) Follow @dynasty_digest
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Jose Berrios has shown that he possesses potential ace-like pitch-ability in the minor leagues. In 2015, he threw 166.1 innings with a 2.87 ERA and 175 strikeouts. He proved that he is ready for the big leagues as he dominated Triple-A through 75.2 innings with a 2.62 ERA, 83 strikeouts, and only 14 walks.
While everyone loves to see an impressive strikeout rate (9.9 per nine innings in Triple-A), his walk rate is what could make him elite. He only walked 1.7 batters in Triple-A last year, which is an elite rate for starting pitchers.
Many baseball fans believe Berrios is more talented than most of the pitchers in the current rotation, but it looks as if the Twins will hold off on promoting him until later in 2016. The Twins will do this to limit his innings and get an extra year of team control in the future.
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Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives May 1, 2015 – May 31, 2015 (Episodes 920 – 950)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1253 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 920 – 950 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
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To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
New York Mets Pitcher, Matt Harvey Had A Blood Clot, Says He Will Be Ready For The Opener
UPDATE: Matt Harvey gave all of his fans and the club a big scare yesterday,and we now know it was a blood clot in his bladder. So far everyone is saying he will be fine to go on Sunday in Kansas City for the opener, however that may be pushing it. Harvey will throw a couple of innings at Spring Training today and see how he feels.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
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Two years ago, New York Mets right-handed pitcher, Matt Harvey, was sidelined after tearing his UCL. This injury required Tommy John Surgery, which sidelined Harvey for over a year. After returning from Tommy John Surgery, Matt Harvey had a great 2015 season in which he threw 189.1 innings with a 13-8 record, 2.71 ERA, 188 strikeouts, and 37 walks.
Through his short 2.5 year career, he has posted some incredibly good numbers that include a 2.53 ERA and 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings. So far this spring training, he has thrown 10 innings with a 6.30 ERA, seven strikeouts, and eight walks. His inflated ERA comes from his last start against the Houston Astros in which he gave up six runs, seven hits, and four walks over three innings of work.
The post from yesterday..
Whenever medical concerns surface about the New York Mets right-hander, many baseball fans and fantasy owners cringe. To read the rest of the article, click the link below:
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Odds To Win The American League Rookie Of The Year
The American League has some young talent, however about only half of the guys on this list will even break camp with their parent big clubs,and others will be blocked for various reasons -including against each other on their own squads. There is really only one good bet and one bad for entire 15 guy list.
Hunter Stokes (MLB Reports Part _Owner – Chief Writer) Follow @stokes_hunter21
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1st off the Twins have the top 3 players listed for the category in Buxton, Ho-Park and Berrios.
All Minnesota youngsters could make the squad, although Buxton is posting just a .567 OPS in Spring Training – after only putting up a .576 OPS in his 129 AB for 2015. He will be given the starting job to either make it or not, after the trade of Aaron Hicks. Don’t like the favorite status for most of these categories, this will ring true one more time.
Ho-Park has looked solid at the dish so far with a 3 Slash of .283/.306/.543 – with 3 HRs and 13 RBI in his 46 AB, and at 29 years of age – coming over from the KBO, he has years of experience next to his classmates.
Jose Abreu and Ichiro Suzuki both came over as later in life rookies to the Junior Circuit and took the honors Ho-Park was a beast in Korea – blasting over 50+ HRs in each of the last 2 years there for his club team Nexen.
While you have to temper expectations coming overseas to North America from there, what I love is that the guy improved his numbers in each of the last 5 years. This bodes well for him in Minny.
With a 4 year deal in his back pocket, Park will and should remain on the big roster based on his early success.
I am not sure he will win the Award, and I am not placing any cabbage on him too, but at least he won’t be subjected to service time restrictions like other rookies. Read the rest of this entry
Spring Training Standouts: AL Central
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With less than a week away from Opening Day of the 2016 season, it’s time to look at who’s performing in the preseason.
Spring Training results aren’t entirely indicative of regular season results, but it does feel good when you know your players are producing very well as we get closer to the start of the season.
The first division we’ll look at is the AL Central!
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Dodgers Closing In On 2016 Roster
Who will make the 2016 Dodgers Opening Day Roster
Emily Siskin-Toy (Featured Baseball Writer – Owner Of The Website – behindenemylines32.blogspot.com) Follow @3BugBooks
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As the Dodgers are getting ready to break camp on Wednesday and head home to begin the annual Freeway Series with the Angels, it is a perfect time to speculate on the final 25-man roster.
Team officials are surely losing sleep over all of the injuries the team has endured throughout spring training and are crossing fingers the blood-letting is over. The 14-car pile-up that is the Dodgers current injury list (yes, that many) could make for some interesting roster decisions.
Starting Pitching Staff (5 spots)
One through four is an easy call with ace Clayton Kershaw (great spring, raring to go as usual) leading the way, followed by Scott Kazmir (luckily his abdominal issue turned out only to be a dehydration cramp the other day), then a very solid looking Kenta Maeda, an ever-improving Alex Wood, followed by, drum roll, please…the insert-a-new-name-every-five-days-guy.
I am only half-kidding. Due to injuries to #5 frontrunners, Mike Bolsinger (left oblique), and Brandon Beachy (left arm soreness), and no clearcut winner for the job between Carlos Frias and Zach Lee, it looks like we will get a combination of the two depending upon match-ups.
Then when Bolsinger and Beachy are ready, they, too, will probably join the #5 parade. This sounds a lot like last year’s “drive to find number five,” which was pretty much a disaster…
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2016 Seasonal/Re-Draft Fantasy Baseball Rankings (Positional and Overall)
Buster Posey just continues to be a masterful hitter at the Catchers position. A lifetime 3 slash of .310/.375/.484 and 3 Silver Sluggers out of the last 4 seasons. He also has appeared in at least 147 Games over the last four campaigns. How long will San Francisco have him as a Backstopper.? There is no doubt the club presents its best chance to win when he is behind the plate, with Belt at 1B and a Left Fielder that has better numbers than what the Backup Catcher has had in San Francisco.
Trey Rose (Featured Fantasy Baseball Writer/Owner – dynastydigest.sportsblog.com)
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Below you can find links to all of my re-draft/seasonal fantasy baseball rankings for 2016. If you have any questions or comments about these rankings or fantasy baseball, please Tweet me Follow @dynasty_digest
Second Base: http://dynastydigest.sportsblog.com/posts/14650546/2016-fantasy-baseball-second-base-seasonal-re-draft-rankings.html
Starting Pitching: http://dynastydigest.sportsblog.com/posts/14828381/2016-fantasy-baseball-top-50-starting-pitching-seasonal-re-draft-rankings.html
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast Archives June 1, 2015 – June 30, 2015 (Episodes 951 – 980)
Paul Francis Sullivan (please call him Sully) does a podcast 365 days a year – unless it is a leap year – then he will do another 1. He has done a show everyday since Oct.24/2012. This to date represents a streak of 1285 days consecutively!
Past the CLICK TO READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY are episodes 951 – 980 of the Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
We will also archive all of his podcasts to date (in coming weeks) so they are easily accessible for all his fans. Check out all his Archived info here.
Our website followers have grown larger each year for his podcast.
Follow Sully Baseball On Twitter Follow @sullybaseball
To subscribe on iTunes, click HERE.
To subscribe on SoundCloud, click HERE. Read the rest of this entry
MLB Reports 
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