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Who Owned Baseball Yesterday (April.18) – Updated MLB Yearly ‘WOB’ Standings
DAVID SANTIAGO / EL NUEVO STAFF
Giancarlo Stanton got on base 5 times, drove in 5 runs including a walk off bottom of the 9th grand slam, sealing the Marlins 8-4 win over the Mariners.
Howie Kendrick went 3-5 including a pair of homers and 4 RBI as the Angels topped the Tigers, 11-6.
Aaron Harang threw 7 no hit innings for the Braves. His wildness and high pitch count kept him from finishing the game (the Mets would eventually get a hit) but he got the 6-0 win.
Martin Perez threw a complete game 3 hit shutout, striking out 8 and walking just 1 as the Rangers slammed the White Sox, 12-0.
They owned baseball on April.18, 2014.
To view the Yearly Leaders for Who Owned Baseball Standings, plus see who gained 1/2 WOB’s – Click the READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY ICON OR SCROLL DOWN.
Odds To Win The 2014 MLB World Series – Updated For Week 3
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Odds To Win The 2014 World Series
1. LA Dodgers +600 (Up from +650)
Dodgers are still a good pick, but with SF lurking and Clayton Kershaw not back yet, that +600 looks bad. Plus SF beat them 5 out of 6 so far.
2. Washington Nationals +800
I like this club – but Stephen Strasburg‘s slow start, and injuries are plaguing Ryan Zimmerman and even Bryce Harper to an extent. Plus Atlanta is right there with them right now.
3. Detroit Tigers +700 (Up From +900)
Lets see. They can’t score that well yet, and have a horrid start with the Bullpen. The odds has swung to far to the favorite side here. Stay Away.
4. St. Louis Cardinals +850 (Up From +1000)
This has to do with ownership over the Reds and Pirates so far. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2014 World Series – Updated For Week 2
Milwaukee just pulverized the Red Sox and Phillies in a 6 – 0 road trip – that featured a great offensive output from the lineup. Braun is hitting, Gomez is looking to back up his 2013 campaign. Jean Segura has not slowed down. Mark Reynolds looks decent for some power at 1B, and Jonathan Lucroy and Aramis Ramirez have added torque as well. The Pitching is performing well. The Brew Crew hosts a pivotal weekend series against Division Rival Pittsburgh starting tonight in Miller Park. They moved the most up the charts this week – but are still full value for a World Series odd this week nonetheless
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
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The have and the have not’ s have started to dictate their positions in the game of baseball.
The Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies, Atlanta Braves and San Francisco Giants were the biggest movers and shakers up the leaderboard.
On the other side of the coin, bettors have lost faith in the Orioles, Reds, Angels, Phillies and Diamondbacks.
At the end of the article, there will be the top 5 best and worst odds to wager on this week Read the rest of this entry
30 MLB Team Power Rankings: April
The Tigers fought off a tough KC club in the 1st series and now have battled their own bullpen and injury woes against the Orioles – to be the only unbeaten team left in the MLB a. Add that to one of the weaker divisions, and you see the #1 ranked team in our list this week.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
Well, we have seen one week come and go. It is important to realize that only about 3% of the entire season has gone by.
People tend to panic when their team isn’t doing so well, and some fanbases are ready to project their club as a playoff contender.
While it is still a good idea never to bury yourself with a bad first few week or 2, as long as you are hovering around the .500 clip, you should be fine.
How we do these rankings at the MLB Reports is based on 1 thing. The chances of the club winning the World Series.
After all, that is why we have 45 days of Spring Training, 186 days in the regular season, and another 30 or so in the playoffs.
Some teams will have their number predicated on the strength of their divisions are not.
Nearly 47% of any teams schedule is within their own division. So the AL East and NL West would be tough divisions.
The NL East and AL Central have 2 playoff contenders in each division, while 3 teams may be easier opponents. Read the rest of this entry
Odds To Win The 2014 World Series As Of Right Now: Many Changes After 1 Series
I still don’t get why they are the current AL favorite over Detroit. Despite that fact, Boston won their opening series – while all of the 4 other teams have tied or losing records through their 1st series. i don’t think a slight drop was warranted – especially when you consider only the Tigers and Mariners have a better record than the Red Sox right now. They are tied with the Indians, Rangers, Astros and White Sox for their 2 – 1 record.
Odds To Win The 2014 World Series
1. LA Dodgers +600
2. Washington Nationals +750
3. Boston Red Sox +900 (Down from +850)
I am not sure why this club has moved down as they took 2 out of 3 versus the Orioles, and the Yankees are 1 – 2, while Tampa and Toronto split a series.
T4. St. Louis Cardinals +1000
T4. Detroit Tigers +1000 Read the rest of this entry
Washington Nationals Payroll In 2014 + Contracts Going Forward
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org Depth + Payroll Expert – find his website here) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Washington Nationals have had an escalating salary structure for the last few years. The truth is that their talent needs to be paid as time goes on.
In 2014, the Budget is looking to be around $130 MIL so far, after just being over $110 MIL.
The situation is more expensive next year, with 10 players under the Arbitration Eligible – highlighted by Stephen Strasburg for his 2nd year of it.
Among the others are: Craig Stammen, Danny Espinosa, Tyler Clippard, Doug Fister, Drew Storen, Ross Detwiler, Wilson Ramos, Jerry Blevins, Jose Lobaton and Ryan Mattheus. Read the rest of this entry
The Los Angeles Dodgers Players In All Organizational Affiliates, Prospects + Depth Charts (MLB + MiLB) 2014
Puig slowed down a shade from his torrid 1st month pace – however still slashed .319/.392/.925 – with 19 HRs, 42 RBI. 66 Runs Scored and 122 Hits in just 434 AB for the 2013 year. He has now in the 2nd YR of a 7 YR/$42 MIL contract in his pocket, and that may be the bargain of ALL – Time if he continues these type of numbers all the way throughout his length of the deal. Puig, 23, finished in 2nd for NL Rookie of The Year Voting, and placed 15th in NL MVP balloting as well.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 & Jeff Kleiner (Org. Depth Chart Expert) Follow @prosportsroster
Follow MLB Reports On Twitter Follow @mlbreports
The Los Angeles Dodgers had a rollercoaster 2013 campaign. After a late season 2012 trade, the club went on a spending bonanza to enter the 2013 year.
In late May. it looked bleak. The franchise wanted to fire Don Mattingly, Matt Kemp and Hanley Ramirez were battling various injuries, and the club was 23 – 32.
Enter Yasiel Puig with his historic 1st month, and the team then went on a torrid pace at that hadn’t been done in nearly 60 years.
The crux of this crestwave, was a 42 – 8 stretch that saw the club bypass all 4 Division foes, putting a stranglehold on the NL West once and for all.
Dodgers own the West
AL West Hot Stove Roundup – Around The Horn
Grant Balfour maybe perfectly situated to change teams in the AL West from the Oakland Athletics to the Seattle Mariners. The PAC NW club could use a guy stopper – to mop up games from a great young pitching staff. in 2013, Balfour has nailed down 62 Saves in the last season and a half, and has carried a great ERA in the 2.50 range – with a WHIP slightly above 1. If Seattle is willing to pay about 3 YRs/$33 – 36 MIL, then the Aussie could be headed their way.
Hunter Stokes (Chief Writer): Follow @stokes_hunter21
Follow The MLB Reports On Twiter Follow @mlbreports
Seattle Mariners: Jack Z. and the brass have some money to spend, will there be any takers?? Mike Napoli, Jacoby Ellsbury, Nelson Cruz, Shin-Soo Choo should all be on the offensive list.
On the Pitching side, Bronson Arroyo is the kind of Innings eater that could favor your Bullpen. Fernando Rodney or Grant Balfour could close games for you as I don’t think Joe Nathan or Brian Wilson are coming.
Go big with your Free Agent signings, even if it is one or 2 players.
Jacoby Ellsbury 2013 Highlights
The Seattle Mariners Payroll In 2014, Organizational Affiliates, Prospects, Depth Charts, (MLB + MiLB)
The Mariners have one of the gem stadiums in all of baseball right now. It is too bad the team on the field has not been that great – in what has been a brutal decade. Jack Z.. was just extended for one more year. While it wasn’t exactly a ringing endorsement, the club’s youth has finally shown some promise. The team has a promising amount of young pitchers, good Starting Pitching already in the Majors, and a few positional players that look like they will stay in the bigs. Of concern is the fact they will lose several veterans in Mike Morse, Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez after this year. That is, unless they decide to trade any of them in the next week.
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB) – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
The Mariners were one of the best teams in the Major Leagues when they moved into Safeco Field.
Despite losing Alex Rodriguez, Randy Johnson and Ken GriffeyJR. in successive seasons, the team matched a Major League Record with 116 Wins during the 2001 year.
Ichiro Suzuki admirably took over the reigns as the team leader, and carried the club on his shoulders for the next years.
Lou Pinella was there until 2003 – and was having his team in perennial contention since the 1995 year.
After 2003, the club has been abysmal in the next decade.
The team has had several face lifts, rotation managers – and the attendance has come down for over 3 Million fans per year, and now the can barely draw about 1.5 MIL people.
Seattle is one of the biggest markets in North America, and can totally put forth a winning team – and a high payroll.
For the team to even sign some Free Agents, the young players of the organization have to start playing well and to potential.
Any team with Felix Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma is not that far off from competing.
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Mariners Organization click here.
For all 30 teams Organization Lists from the MLB Reports, plus any related Payrolls, Depth Charts, Roster Trees, State Of The Unions click here.
Felix Hernandez Perfect Game Highlights 2012
MLB 30 Team Power Rankings: Week 21
42 – 8, 25 – 3, 19 – 1, 10 wins in a row. These are all significant numbers put up with a team with deep pockets, the ability to outdraw everyone for park attendance, and owners willing to do whatever it takes to bring home the 1st World Series Title since 1988. No one can touch these guys right now. Best 3 Starters in the NL and hottest 2 NL Hitters in Puig and Ramirez. Oh yeah, the Bullpen has been lights out for the last 50 contests!
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @mlbreports
It is time for the MLB Power Rankings. These are based on my thoughts on whether who has the best chance to win the World Series.
A lot of these positions are based on who has the toughest Strength of Schedule left, who their competition is for the Division, and possibly even the League they are in,
The races for the Divisions (AL East, AL West and NL Central are starting to tighten up, while the NL West, AL Central and most notably NL East are looking to be foregone conclusions
The Braves have rattled of a 18 – 3 stretch, and have been ousted by the Dodgers for the #1 spot in the MLB Rankings .
The Rangers are trying to ricochet off of a couple of great deals, in order to flame down the Oakland Athletics.
The Mariners Are Playing Great Baseball In The Last 2 Weeks
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Sunday, May 5th, 2013
Dustin Ackley has been hitting the ball with a lot more frequency during the last 2 weeks of play. Due partly to bad luck and partly to bad at bat’s, Ackley got off to a 5-for-49 start in 2013. Fast forward to the present, and the Mariners Second Baseman is hitting .255/.290/.314 with a grand slam off of R.A. Dickey on Saturday. He has hits in 9 of his last 10 games (13 – 36, .361 Batting Average in that time frame – raising him 55 Points overall in his season BA.)
Sam Evans ( Baseball Writer and Marlins, Mariners Correspondent): Follow @RJA206
Believe it or not, the Mariners are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now. After an ugly 8-15 start to the season, the Mariners have won six out of their last eight games, and are two games in front of the Angels in the A.L. West.
It’s unclear how long the Mariners will be able to continue to play this brand of baseball, but for the time being, Seattle is one of the most fun teams to watch in the Majors.
Thanks to young players like Dustin Ackley and Michael Saunders heating up and Hisashi Iwakuma and others shutting down other teams, the Mariners have become a much more dangerous team to face.
Carl Crawford Is Off To A Surprisingly Hot Start As The Dodgers Leadoff Guy
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday Apr.30/2013
Outfielder Carl Crawford has been red hot offensively hitting .307 with team leading 4 HRs and 6 RBI. He has been a huge surprise in his comeback season. The former Rays and Red Sox player is hitting far above his Career 3 Slash Line of .293/.333/.706 – by posting a line of .308/.388/906 to date. More importantly than any other statistic – Crawford has crossed home plate 20 times in 25 Games Played in 2013. This would put him on pace for about 130 Runs this campaign. This is lieu of Matt Kemp’s slow start and Hanley Ramirez not being in the lineup at all.
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent) Follow @eriqwiththeq
When the Dodgers acquired Outfielder Carl Crawford last year, they definitely didn’t know what they were getting, it was a pretty much a gamble they were able to afford. With the Dodgers’ new ownership willing to spend the big bucks on big players, this trade seemed like the ideal move to do for General Manager Ned Colleti.
Crawford wasn’t able to perform at all right away after he got traded to the Dodgers as he was rehabbing from his Tommy John Surgery but he was able to get healthy just in time for Opening Day. He has been healthy ever since.
Dodgers’ skipper Don Mattingly right away decided to make Crawford the leadoff hitter since Opening Day and has not disappointed. Through April 29th, 2013, Crawford is hitting .307 with OBP. of .390 (obviously doing his job as Leadoff hitter) with 4 SB and has been caught twice. He has also walked nine times but perhaps the most impressive stat is his team leading 4 HRs.
Slow motion video of Carl Crawford’s Home Run swing
Brandon Maurer Settles Down After Rough Two Starts
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Sunday, April 21st, 2013
Brandon Maurer delivers a pitch against Texas. The 6 FT 5, 215 LBS Right Handed Pitcher had progressed mighty fast through the Seattle Minor League System – featuring a 21 – 18 Career Record with a 3.57 ERA and a WHIP of 1.237. Last year for Jackson General in the Southern Atlantic (Double A Ball), he was 9 – 2 in 24 Games Started, yielding an impressive 3.20 ERA. He definitely earned a spot in the Mariners Starting Rotation. The man from Newport Beach, CA was lit up in his first 2 Starts, putting up a collective 16.20 ERA in back to back Starts to Oakland and Houston. He has since settled down and may give club a quality back end of the Rotation Pitcher.
By Sam Evans (Baseball Writer): Follow @RJA206
After an absolutely fantastic spring, Brandon Maurer earned a spot in the Mariners starting rotation. Expectations for Maurer weren’t out of control but he was still expected to be an average starting pitcher with a chance to be something more.
After two horrendous starts, the Mariners traded for Aaron Harang and Maurer seemed on the verge of a demotion. Nonetheless, Maurer has been able to command all of his pitches in his last two starts, which has led to outstanding results.
Is Jeff Luhnow Preparing To Make Trades?
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Follow @mlbreportsTuesday April.09, 2013
General Manager Jeff Luhnow has stockpiled a lot of talent in the Minor Leagues in the last few months – and is looking to acquire a helluva lot more. With the club having lost 6 games in a row since the opener, this could get ugly real quick – with every meaningful player being traded away. This is Jim Crane’s mandate. The Astros full game plan is to be as bad as they can be in the next few years – in order to Draft as high as possible. We have had great chats at the strosbros.mlblogs.com Podcasts, plus Sully’s Daily Baseball Podcasts here at the Reports has also covered the topic.
By Lee White (Astros Correspondent)
Is Jeff Luhnow back at it with his magical trades? Is Paul Clemens coming up to the Major League level? No one knows anything at this point. Okay, before we at the ‘Stros Bros begin any speculation, lets give a little back story.
Other than the Opening Night victory, plus last nights 3 – 0 loss to the Mariners, in which they had 2 perfect Innings, the Houston Astros have been atrocious. Especially the bullpen.
Okay, on Sunday the bullpen was also alright, having given up 1 run in 4.2 Innings, but even the sun shines on a dog’s hind end every now and again. But, of course the Astros bullpen is bad. That was a given headed into the season, but with this bad bullpen, it seems as if some moves are on the horizon.
WEBN Interview with Luhnow:
Dodgers 1st Week In Review
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Follow @mlbreportsMonday Apr.08/2013
Mattingly managed the Dodgers to a nice record in the NL West during the first few months of the 2012 campaign – before injuries crippled their chances to continue as the leaders. 2013 gives the former Yankees a fresh start with the biggest payroll in the game and lots of ALL-Star talent. Can he unite the players to gel? In the last year of his contract, he has guided the Dodgers to a 4 – 2 record so far in 2013. The pitching has been dominant, particularly only yielding just 2 run to the Pirates in a 3 game Series over the weekend, plus throwing back to back Shutouts on Friday and Saturday. All they need now is for Matt Kemp to come around!
By Enrique Rivera (Dodgers Correspondent): Follow @eriqwiththeq
Dodgers skipper Don Mattingly began his third season as Dodgers manager with a four-man rotation. Clayton Kershaw opened on Monday – and pitched a Complete Game Shut-out – with a Game Winning HR at the plate himself against the defending world champs San Francisco Giants.
On Saturday night, Kershaw went on to pitch a Seven-Inning Shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates – with 9 SO and only 2 Hits surrendered. He’s currently 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 16 SO, 6 H and only 1 Walk.
Hyun-Jin Ryu (another Left-Hander) went on Tuesday to make his Major League debut and lost. His official line seems a little off but in 6.1 IP, he gave up 10 hits , however the end result was only one Earned Run – with 5 SO and O Walks.
On his second career start, Ryu was able to pick up his first career win by defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates. He pitched 6.1 Innings once again, allowing 2 Earned Runs (a two-run shot to Pirates Center Fielder Andrew McCutchen), Striking out six – allowing only 3 Hits and 2 Walks on Sunday afternoon.
Ryu Interviews after his 1st start:
LA Dodgers Organizational Depth Charts, Rosters And Salaries (Majors And Minors)
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday, Mar.28/2013
When Magic Johnson and his ownership group spent 2 Billion Dollars on acquiring the Franchise, that should have been a red-flag that they were going to outspend every club when it came to payroll. Get ready for it baseball world! With the MLB not having a Salary Cap – and a whimsy penalty for 1st time offenders for the 1st violation of the Luxury Tax Threshold – how high will the LA club go?
By Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst/Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024 and welcome Jeff Kleiner (Salary, Roster and Depth Chart Expert for the MLB – visit his website here Follow @prosportsroster
You guys are all in for a treat. Jeff Kleiner recently contacted me about a partnership merge for the website. He has developed a site (prosportsrosters.com) that covers all organizational affiliates in the Minors for all of the Major League Baseball Clubs. We are going to combine efforts to bring you the best look at salaries, current 25 Man Player Rosters and Depth Charts for all 30 teams.
Jeff is going to provide the documents in form of spreadsheets and I am going to accompany the posts with deep analysis of what the numbers tell us from my perspective. If you can’t wait for all of my assessments for each club, go and visit Jeff’s website over at http://www.prosportsrosters.com.
In Speaking with Jeff, he is one of the more passionate fans I have come across towards the game of baseball. He spends enough time in updating his MLB Facts for it to be a Full-Time Job. So after the usual Video Clip and READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY button, you will find some serious &*!@?!#!
For a Full 3 year Salary Outlook plus last years Stats for every player in the Dodgers Organization click here
LA Dodgers Great Moments:
LA Dodgers Payroll In 2013: And Contracts Going Forward
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Thursday Mar.28/2013
Adrian Gonzalez flew into LA last year and paid immediate dividends as he clubbed a 3 run HR in the 1st Inning with his new team. Gonzalez is in the 3rd year of a 7 YR/154 Million Dollar Contract. At age 30, he is a career .294 hitter with 214 HRs and 750 RBI in 1176 Games. Perhaps a full season back in California will re – ignite his MVP like numbers with the Padres during the 2009 and 2010 seasons – where he hit 71 HRs, drove in 200 RBI and hit for an OPS well over .900. He also is a 3 Time Gold Glove Award Winner in the National League.
Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Analyst And Website Owner): Follow @chuckbooth3024
I must say I am completely shocked at the Dodgers spending as much money as they are since the ownership change. I listened to Magic say how he ‘was not going to do anything stupid’, I will give him this much. However, the amount of payroll the team has taken on is enormous. The Dodgers are going to be over 200 Million Dollars in Payroll for years to come.
After I put their top ten salaries on the board, I will break down the rest of the roster to analyze some more projections for salary. The Dodgers have about 218 Million Dollars in signed contracts.
If you can believe this next part, they even are paying Manny Ramirez 8.33 Million Dollars still in 2013, Andruw Jones 3.375 Million and Huroki Kuroda 2.0 Million. That is roughly 13 Million Dollars on guys that are no longer in your organization.
Back to the trades that have brought in several players. I do agree for the mentality of it. The Dodgers fans were given a raw deal by the past management and the new guys are showing the rest of the MLB that they intend to be the big dog.
With Cole Hamels re-signing with the Phillies, their coveted starter was no longer available in Free Agency. Gonzalez was there to be had if they would take on the Carl Crawford/Josh Beckett contracts.
The team went out and signed Zack Greinke (15 – 5 with a 3.48 ERA split between the Brewers and Angels) instead.
Here is a nice highlight clip of Carl Crawford below. As a side note: The only inside the park Home Run I have ever witnessed at a game live was hit by Carl Crawford at Us Cellular Field in 2008. He was one of the best lead-off hitters back then.
Carl Crawford Highlights – Mature Lyrics So Parental Guidance is Advised:
Aroldis Chapman – Starter Or Closer: Perhaps 2013 Will Solve The Answer?
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Follow @mlbreportsThursday, February.07, 2013
Chapman was filthy dominant in the 2012 season, with a 1.51 ERA, WHIP of 0.809 and 38 Saves as the teams closer. He made the ALL-Star Team, finished 8th in NL Cy Young Voting and 12th in NL MVP Voting. Will moving him to starter be a mistake?
By Matt Steinmann (Reds Correspondent): Follow @thesteinmann
The biggest question from Reds fans this offseason has been if the move from the bullpen to the rotation is the best move for Reds pitcher, Aroldis Chapman and the team. Why fix what isn’t broken? Does he have enough pitches? Can he pitch enough innings?….the answer to these and all of the questions you can think of is pretty simple; we’ll find out.
This plan wasn’t something the Reds came up with overnight, when he was signed to a 6 year $30 Million deal in 2010 it wasn’t to close ballgames. It was to eventually be a member of the rotation. In 2010, the rotation consisted of Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, Bronson Arroyo, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey. Out are Harang and Volquez, in are Mat Latos and Mike Leake, who looks to be the odd man out in 2013 for Chapman. In his final season for his Cuban team, Chapman pitched 118 Innings as a Starting Pitcher, which won’t nearly be enough for the Major Leagues. The only taste of Chapman as starter against at least some semblance of Major League hitters came last year in Spring Training before closer Ryan Madson suffered a season-ending elbow injury. Chapman went 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA, striking out 17 in 18 Innings, walking only 2.
Aroldis Chapman – Fastest Pitcher ever recorded at 107 MPH:
Josh Beckett: Will The Change Of Scenery Deliver A Hollywood Ending For the Struggling Veteran?
Tuesday August 28th, 2012
Jake Dal Porto: Josh Beckett, or more formerly known as the most hated man in Boston, won’t nearly have as much pressure on him with the Dodgers. That will be a vastly different change for him considering the hefty amount of heat he took in Boston. Granted, the criticism was for the most part deserved, but the Dodgers and their fans don’t view Beckett as the main piece in a deal that also landed them Adrian Gonzalez, Nick Punto, and Carl Crawford. They view him as a bonus piece. If he rejuvenates himself in Los Angeles, great. If he doesn’t, the pressure from the organization won’t be as substantial. On the other side of the coin, it won’t go unnoticed, nor will his large contract.
However, it’s assuming too much to say that he’s going to struggle with his new team. Sure, his 5.21 ERA isn’t great, but he’s moving to one of the most pitcher’s friendly ballparks in Dodger Stadium. To be specific, it’s the eighth best pitcher’s park in the majors per ESPN Park Factors. What should be noted is the fact that Chris Capuano and Clayton Kershaw both boast elite home ERAs. While the success isn’t entirely due to the fact that Dodger stadium is spacious, it’s a piece of the pie. In comparison, Fenway Park is the third best hitters park in baseball. So the difference is substantial. In spite of the difference, his first start in a Dodgers uniform came in the worst pitcher’s ballpark in the majors, Coors Field. He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t terrible, surrendering three runs over 5 2/3 innings.
Dodger Stadium alone isn’t going to transform Beckett into an ace, though. It’s not that pitcher friendly. Beckett will have to make some tweaks to get back to “ace” form. Read the rest of this entry
It is Amazing How People Overreact to a Small Statistical Sample Size
Tuesday April 17th, 2012
Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): The opening of the 2012 baseball season remains interesting and unpredictable. Although we are dealing with such a small sample size and people tend to overreact (approximately 10 games), there a lot of early season performances to that deserved to be examined a little closer.
Before we go making Matt Kemp comparisons, Chris Young is clearly benefiting from a new approach at the plate. Young has always displayed the ability to hit for great power and speed, but just lacked in the average department. However, he made significant mechanical adjustments in the offseason and his new approach has been successful since the spring, when he batted .400. His .405/5/13/2 stat line is clearly unsustainable, but lets not forget he is only 28 years of age and might finally be figuring out how to consistently put it together. What might be most telling of his improvement is his 4:5 strikeout to walk total after 10 games, from a guy who has throughout his career averaged a ratio of 3.3:7.4. This could be the year that the average is .270-280 to accompany his 30/30 potential, making him a top-level talent. Read the rest of this entry
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