MILB Scouting Report: Ariel Jurado, RHP, Texas Rangers
The words “electric”, “exciting” and “high-upside” will never be used to describe Ariel Jurado or any of his offerings, but neither will the words “risky”, “wild”, or “bullpen-bound”. With plus command, a solid changeup and a pair of fastballs that work off of each other well, the 6’1” Panama native has a high likelihood of eventually making a big league rotation, perhaps as soon as late-2017. Once he’s there, expect few strikeouts, few walks and lots of groundballs.
The Full Ariel Jurado Scouting Report On BaseballRanks
Manny Machado’s Lack of Stolen Bases Cost Him a Top-3 AL MVP Finish in 2016
Major League Baseball is full of young superstars, and Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado deserves to be included in such an elite group. After all, he just earned his second consecutive top-five finish in the American League MVP race.
Finishing fifth behind Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve and Josh Donaldsonis nothing to be ashamed of, but was there a way he could’ve further distinguished himself to become a finalist?
The answer to that question is yes.
Looking at Machado’s 2015 and 2016 statistics, it appears he experienced nearly identical performances, except for one glaring difference.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 28, 2016
Jeff Gross/Getty Images North America
Are the Dodgers going to be a cost cutting team? Then their front office will have to remember their Tampa Bay Rays days to finally bring a pennant to Chavez Ravine.
Make every penny count on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Connie Mack’s All-Early Baseball History Team
Connie Mack is one of the most enduring figures in the history of baseball. The Hall of Famer spent 15 years playing professionally as a catcher and then went on to manage and own the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 seasons. To say that he knew the game would be quite the understatement. That’s why when he gave his opinions it was best to listen—including the time he talked about his all-time team of players who debuted prior to 1900.
In 1944, Mack was getting towards the end of his illustrious career (he stepped down as manager following the 1950 season) but had been on hand to have observed a major portion of baseball history to that point. Therefore, when he was asked by the AP’s Chip Royal to compile a list of the best players who started their career prior to 1900 to ever play the game, it was fascinating to see his answers. Keep reading for his full roster.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 27, 2016
Elsa/Getty Images North America
It is time for The Sunday Request.
@sullybaseball #sundayrequest according to multiple sources a lockout is a possibility. What needs to happen to stop our worst nightmare?
— Tim Floor (@Tim_DutchSoxFan) November 25, 2016
//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
What will stop a Lockout over the CBA? The answer is common sense.
It is a learn from past mistakes episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
The Nationals Should Definitely Sign Aroldis Chapman!
Aroldis Chapman is on pace to be one of the best ALL – Time Closers in the game. Toting a Career ERA of 2.08 – and a incredible 15.2/Per 9 IP SO rate, this man is about as hard to hit as they come. Entering the 2017 season at just Age 28, I would have no qualms about inking this man to a 6 year deal – worth anywhere from $90 – $100 MIL. He will have a few suitors. With the Nationals having an escalating payroll, this might be the best way to sign one guy to galvanize the team.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
This is an absolutely pivotal year for the Washington Nationals. They have many of their players locked up for 1 – 2 more years, but an escalating payroll also has entered the fray, and now they are in deep trouble to re-sign Bryce Harper when he comes up for Free Agency in 2019.
Looking at the projected player payroll for the current roster – and this franchise sits at about $155 MIL in 2017. They have some maneuvers they could pull off to take the money down slightly.
I would start with trading Gio Gonzalez to free up $12 MIL. This guy is the #4 or #5 at best. Yes we have seen lesser pitchers like Andrew Cashner sign a deal for one year at $10 MIL with the Rangers, however that has more to do with the Texas depth.
By dealing Gonzalez. the Nationals still would have a rotation of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg, Tanner Roark, Joe Ross and Lucas Giolito, with Reynaldo Lopez and A.J. Cole likely seeing some action first out of the “Taxi squad.”
Quite simply put, the Nationals are extremely talented with 2 pitchers that could win the Cy Young (Scherzer who won it in 2016 and Strasburg, who could have won it had they given out an award at the ALL – Star Break) and up to 3 players that would be listed among the top 15 NL MVP favorites (Harper, Daniel Murphy and Trea Turner), but they do possess a few holes with losing Wilson Ramos and Mar Melancon off the end of the year Roster.
I fully think they should shore up their Late Inning work by signing Aroldis Chapman to whatever he wants this winter. Read the rest of this entry
The Library of Congress is a Digital Wonderland for Baseball Fans
The gaunt, sad, sullen face of John Evers, the Chicago second baseman who had the metabolism of a hummingbird, the temper of a wolverine, and a near-pathological need to win; Ty Cobb upending Jimmy Austin at third-base, the Georgia Peach arriving with the force and intent of a mortar round; Honus Wagner, looking like he was sutured together by a grave-robbing mad scientist: Enormous hands at the end of long, stove-pipe arms; broad shoulders and barrel chest; a short torso supported by severely bowed legs that suggested he spent the off-season in the saddle.
These evocative images – and thousands more – are available… READ THE FULL STORY AT PLATE COVERAGE
Seattle Mariners Showing A Riverboat Gambler Mentality With The Segura Deal: Why Not Covet Chris Carter Next?
The Seattle Mariners at a massive fork in the road for their franchise. The bulk of the roster is right at the peak of their careers, and with the A’s and Angels rebuilding. -and perhaps the Rangers taking a step back, GM Jerry DiPoto trading a young SP with a ton of potential in Taijuan Walker, in order to secure the biggest weakness the club suffered down the stretch in the 2016 season. In landing Jean Segura, the brass is hoping they have found the Leadoff man/Shortstop that will hep the break the longest MLB Playoff Drought currently.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
i love the Jean Segura trade for the Martiners. In a deal announced over Thanksgiving, the M’s picked up the 2016 All – Star 2B/SS, along with Mitch Haniger and Zac Curtis for a return of Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker.
The real meat of this trade boils down to Segura vs Walker.
I definitely think the SS position was a sore spot for Seattle down the stretch in 2016 – with Marte slumping after a hot start to begin the campaign.
Yes pitching is at a premium in the market place right now, however Walker, now 24, hasn’t delivered to the hype he came into the MLB with – and Seattle had him pegged as the #3 Starter on the Depth Chart, despite Ariel Miranda outperforming him last season.
Segura led the NL with hits in 2016 (203) – and featured a career best .319/.368/.499 – with an astounding 71 XBH (20 HRs, 7 = 3B and 41 Doubles.) This helped the 26 Year Old tally 102 Runs Scored, while swiping 33 Bases.
Even though projecting a repeat performance out of Segura in 2017 may be a huge stretch, this man posted an incredible overall year and it may be one of the most underrated campaigns for an offensive player in the Majors this past campaign. Read the rest of this entry
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 26, 2016
Leon Halip/Getty Images North America
The Giants want Pablo Sandoval back? Holy cow, whatever they want, the Red Sox should make the deal NOW!
Meanwhile the Diamondbacks continue to be very very strange.
Dump the baggage on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
MLB Reports Bettting Results For The 2016 Year: We Made A Profit For The Third Straight Campaign!
I take my betting style from a philosophy used from a few decades of research. This book was one of the templates followed for success.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner) Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Disclaimer: All bets were made in the State Of Nevada, or via Canada (by Chuck Booth) where bets are legal online.
So it was an interesting wager year. I nailed the World Series winner, but never did place on money on them in any futures. I was able to hedge bet because I had the Dodgers at a 15/1 Odds from the previous winter.
I absolutely killed it on Player Prop Betting – running the whole table. I was on fire in the playoffs. My best regular season wager for wins ( TB Rays under) was nice, but I took a beating on the rest of the over/under on victories across the board.
My pick of the Baltimore Orioles at 28/1 – to win the American League Pennant – set me up to hedge bet enough of the Junior Circuit playoffs, that I could help rescue my wagering season.
Chuck Booth and I combined for all of these picks, and we use the same gambling template for how we put down cabbage.
The real difference of profit came down to our perfect prognostication of Giancarlo Stanton winning the Derby helped us in breaking even and winning some cash at the end of the campaign.
Read the rest of this entry
Ten Baseball Things We’re Thankful For This Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is upon us, a time of family and friends and turkey and stuffing and fall leaves and one of America’s vastly inferior sports, football. Baseball season, sadly, is on its annual winter hiatus but even still, there are things baseball fans should be thankful for.
Here at OTBB, we’ve compiled our list of the Ten Baseball Things We’re Thankful For This Thanksgiving:
1. Vin Scully
Earlier this week, Scully was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to the very fabric of the game. He was baseball for a great number of Dodger’s fans and his send off this year was beautiful in every aspect. We’ve written about Scully many times here on Off The Bench, but this from Max before the year was the most poignant:
88 year old Vin Scully has been calling Dodger games since 1950, 67 years. For context, when Scully first started working play by play for the Dodgers in Brooklyn, Dwight Eisenhower had just taken office as President of the United States, Bill Clinton was 4 years old, John Kennedy was two years from becoming a US Senator, and Barack Obama wouldn’t be born for 11 years. But its certainly not his remarkable longevity that makes Scully a legend. It is the fact that he is, objectively and unequivocally, the best sports announcer there has been and the best there will ever be. He is the only man to still work games alone, carrying the entire weight of both TV and radio broadcasts simultaneously while telling stories of the players that only he could possibly know. How, after nearly 70 seasons and thousands and thousands of players he can still remember the details of individual players lives and weave them so effortlessly into a broadcast is amazing.
There is no one like Vin Scully. If baseball is the soundtrack of summer, Scully is the soundtrack of baseball. 2016 will be his final season in the booth before a well deserved retirement. Soak up as much as you can.
2. David Ortiz
Similarly, David Ortiz announced his retirement before the year started.
To continue reading about baseball things to be thankful for, please click on over to offthebenchbaseball.com.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 25, 2016
WHY WHY WHY won’t the Padres embrace their identity? Why won’t they put brown in their uniforms?
Fans want it! Baseball wants it! What do they gain with these boring uniforms?
Root for laundry, just not THIS laundry on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Cleveland Indians State Of The Union For 2017: The Tribe Better Not Trade Andrew Miller!
The Cleveland has ridden great drafting, trades and salaried contracts to put themselves into contention for the AL Pennant over the next couple of years. The last thing they need to do is try to deal the one Bullpen member who helped pushed them over the top in the Junior Circuit in 2016. At worst, start the season with Andrew Miller – and if things go horribly, you can always trade him midway through the year with ome other guys as well.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
The 2016 season showed us just how valuable that a Relief Pitcher like Andrew Miller can be. Loaded with an arsenal of great Bullpen guys, Terry Francona flipped the coaching book on its keester by bringing back the old way that Relievers used to be implemented late in the games. I was a kid who would watch Goose Gossage mow down hitters as a hired gun late in contests.
We all saw it before our very own eyes. Now comes the most ridiculous notion ever of considering trading him? Really Cleveland?? You better not even fathom this until at least midway through the 2017 campaign.
I understand it is tough for a mid market club doling out $9M a year for a guy who might log 70 Innings – and not save the games he is in, but they just need to look at how good they fared in 2016.
The Tribe was without its best player all year in Michael Brantley, and also without Danny Salazar/Carlos Carrasco for the majority of the playoffs too. There is no way this club should have gone this far, and pushed the Cubs to the brink of elimination in the Fall Classic, before the reigning champs came back to ruin the party in Cleveland.
If I were in Chris Antonetti’s shoes I don’t start any dialogue about 2017’s roster without Andrew Miller on the opening day squad.
$9 Million is not earth shattering cash when you consider Andrew Cashner – and his bloated ERA of 5.25 just backed up his dome into Texas and settled for a cool $10 MIL for the 2017 season. If Cleveland can’t afford the guy they might as well pack up town in the middle of the night and head elsewhere (something that has happened in Cleveland before.) The 6 FT 7 – 31 Year old-fashioned a 10 – 1 record this year. with an incredible 123 Ks and just 9 BB in his 74.1 IP worth of work. Miller then fanned 30 batters, walked just five, while sporting a 1.40 ERA in 20.1 IP in the postseason, winning the ALCS MVP honors and nearly helped lead his team to Cleveland’s first WS win since 1948. If the goal is to win in the playoffs you can’t trade this guy right now. He is money there, and you have a chance to go back to October baseball again in 2017.
This 2016 AL Pennant squad should be conceivably better with a healthy Michael Brantley coming back, equaled with more seasoning from Tyler Naquin, and topped off with the emergence of Francisco Lindor/Jason Kipnis as an awesome double play combination.
it may be hard to fill the 34 HRs and 101 RBI that Mike Napoli brought forth, but one could still find a few cheap replacements to pull in some nice numbers. They could employ another DH full time like Pedro Alvarez on the cheap, and work in some against LHP – by bringing back Rajai Davis who crushes southpaws. Davis could act as a 4th OF in the midst of Naquin, Brantley and Lonnie Chisenhall.
The Indians still also have Brandou Guyer – who can handle a stick against LHP as well – and act as a DH/OF.
Cleveland is currently slated to pay around $105 MIL to all of its current guys. Maybe there is only a few million in the coffers to play in Free Agency this offseason, yet this teams strength is its Bullpen – so don’t trade from that position of strength.
Terry Francona should be given all ample bodies to begin the campaign. If it all goes awry during the season you can always trade some players midway through the year if it looks like it will not be their year.
Furthermore, I would ride the beginning of the year just like they ended the playoffs. I would not change anything at all out of the gate. I would start the year off by playing with a huge sense of urgency.
The way the rest of the AL Central is looking, with the Tigers and white Sox talking a bot cutting payroll and maybe going for a rebuild, combined with KC potentially selling on their pending Free Agents in the next couple of years like Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas, Lorenzo Cain and Wade Davis, then you could see how a quick Cleveland start could discourage the rest of the pack.
The Dodgers just set a record for innings logged into the playoffs and it served them well. The good news is the Indians can rely on their starters to provide some much needed rest for their late inning arms, by logging some of their own innings.
Go into frontrunner mode and let Francona figure out a way to get the likes of Miller, Allen and Shaw enough rest – so they can patchwork it through the end of the season.
Winning a bunch of games early, added with an awesome 2016 season – should see the Indians organization see a rise in attendance through the wickets to start the year. An early lead would only help the situation out. Cleveland should go all out to win in 2017. Go the way of the 2014 Royals turning a World Series loss into a repeat trip the next year.
Cleveland will need Miller’s skill set when it comes time for the playoffs too. This guy just seems to get better the more work he gets. Keep riding the horse.
The franchise is so lucky that they have Lindor in Pre-Arbitration status – and that despite missing almost all of the 2016 season – that Michael Brantley is criminally underpaid for his services on the board.
Kipnis, Kluber and Carrasco were also extended contracts at the exact perfect time. Having all these guys not cost a boatload is the reason you could have afforded Miller in the 1st place
Bryan Shaw and Carlos Santana are the only guys that are free after the 2017 year anyways. Those guys while vital to the team this year, can be replaced – whereas a guy like Miller is a game changer in his role. If they really need to keep the finances in line, they would be better served to dangle these players as trade bait first.
Terry Francona has won 2 Manager of the Year Awards in his 4 seasons in Cleveland. He is also underrated in his Bullpen management. The organization should let him have all of the weapons in the Relief Core. I think he should also run with the style he used in the playoffs to start the year. Worry about resting the guys later in the year if they come flying out of the gates early. This way of thinking could have us return to what Relievers used to be implored for in game use.
*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com and their partners***
A big thanks goes out to our ‘Chief Writer/Part Owner’ Hunter Stokes for preparing today’s featured post.
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Odds To Win The 2017 World Series:
The Nationals feature 3 potential MVPs and 2 Cy Young Pitchers as their top talent – while the rest of the Division struggles with overcoming roster hauls, rebuilding and tragedy. The Cubs are the expected overwhelming favorite, however they don’t pay nearly enough, and nothing is ever certain in the playoffs. Give me the Nats as the best on the board currently.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer/Part Owner)
Follow @stokes_Hunter21 @mlbreports
If you bet with your mind and not your heart in the last 12 months, than you would have lost on the World Series predictions. I prognosticated in my yearly preseason bets that I thought the Cubs would win the Fall Classic, but profusely hated the odds of +500 to begin the campaign.
I still fully capitalized on my preseason wager of picking the Dodgers at +1500 for $50, along with the Mets and Nationals at +1100 for $50 a piece as well.
That, coupled with my Baltimore Orioles AL pick to win the AL Pennant at 28/1 Odds served to put me into a position to hedge several bets in the playoffs to turn a nice profit. Later in the week we will delve into the websites entire wagers for the whole calendar season.
The reigning champions are also extreme favorites again heading into 2017 – at a +280 clip. I may pick them to win another World Series again in my actual predictions, however those are still horrible odds to throw some cabbage down on.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 24, 2016
Happy Turkey Day! And what better way to pay tribute to Turkeys today than talking about Negro League Star and Hall of Famer Turkey Stearnes.
His granddaughter, Vanessa Ivy Rose (nee Vanessa Thompson) is a friend of the podcast and joined me to talk about her granddad, his legacy and the Cooperstown experience.
Be Thankful for friends on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
My blog post I wrote that connected us way back when can be found HERE.
Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – November 23, 2016
http://www.net54baseball.com/ – BRUCE BABCOCK
It is Episode 1492, so I am talking Columbus (the city, not the dude.)
Is Columbus Ohio a major city?
Why Cleveland and Pittsburgh and not Columbus? Partially because of decisions made with a minor league in the late 19th century.
Sail the Ocean Blue on this episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.
Free Agent Michael Saunders Is the Best Value Fit for Giants, Phillies
Michael Saunders isn’t one of the flashier names in this year’s free agent class, but that doesn’t mean that he will not be an important contributor to a competitive team in 2017.
Saunders is coming off of the best year of his career. The 29 year old outfielder cooled off a bit in the second half, but he socked 24 home runs and hit .253 en route to his first All Star game as a member of the Blue Jays.
Saunders, a former Mariners 11th round pick, can handle both corner outfield spots and did a lot to dispel the notion that he struggles mightily against left handed pitching over the last 8 months: in 2016 he put up a .927 OPS and 8 homers against lefties.
That said, he’s a .235 lifetime hitter, who has never had more that 57 RBIs in a season and had never hit more than 19 homers before 2016. He is no longer a stolen base threat (he stole 21 in 2012), and has never produced more than 2.4 WAR in a season. He also missed most of 2014 and nearly all of 2015 with injuries.
So what are you getting if you sign Michael Saunders this winter? Well, you’re getting a chance – a chance at some serious outfield power numbers (via both homers and doubles), a halfway decent OBP, and a pretty consistent everyday player for the lower half of your lineup at likely a pretty decent price.
To continue reading about Michael Saunders’ fit with the Phillies and Giants, please click on over to Off The Bench Baseball.
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….
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