Blog Archives

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: July 2012

Wednesday July.4, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you monthly power rankings every month of the season.  There will be a few notes written for each team.  Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.  The Texas Rangers are the top ranked team yet once again, although teams are certainly gaining on the them in the last month. If this report was being done last week I might have put the New York Yankees in 1st and Texas in 2nd.  A 7 game winning streak help preserve another month for Texas on the leader-board.  There were superior months by Aaron Hill, Jose Bautista, Joey Votto , Jason Heyward and a new phenomenon was born with Jose Altuve.  It was a great month for the MLB.  With 20 teams within 5.5 games or less for the playoff races, we are sure to see some serious movements in the Power Rankings in the 2nd half of the season.

Standings taken before play Tuesday July.03/2012

July Power Rankings-Last Month Rank in Parenthesis

1. Texas-50-30 (1) The Rangers rode a 7 game winning streak to end up 18-8 for the last month. David Murphy, Adrian Beltre and Elvis Andrus all hit over .300 in the last 30 days.  The Rangers were able to weather a slow spurt from Josh Hamilton, in which he hit .222 with only 4 HRs for the month.  Matt Harrison has asserted himself as an ace on the staff with a 5-0 month with a 1.29 ERA, while leading the American League with 11 wins on the year.  The Rangers have 6 players going to the ALL-Star Game including 3 starters.  Yu Darvish can make a 7th if he is voted into the final roster spot with his rookie campaign of 10-5 so far.

2. NY Yankees 48-31(5)  The Yankees have ridden good pitching and a hot bat from Robinson Cano to a 19-7 record over the last month, with a 5 games lead over their competition in the AL East.  Cano hit .370 with 12 HRs and 24 RBI in the last month.  Derek Jeter is hitting .298 overall but saw his average go from .389 in April, to .283 in May to .232 in June.  He still tops a list of 4 Yankees heading to the ALL-Star Game including 23 HR homer man Curtis GrandersonPhil Hughes went 5-1 in the month with a 2.59 ERA and Ivan Nova won his 3 decisions with a miniscule 1.32 ERA.  Rafael Soriano has converted 18 out of 19 save opportunities since taking over as team closer.

3. San Francisco 45-30 (9)  The Giants went 16-11 in the month and saw a perfect game from Matt Cain, with a few other 1 hitters.  The team shutout the Dodgers 3 games in a row in a series last week.  The Giants have Pablo Sandoval, Buster Posey and Melky Cabrera starting in KC next week.  The Melkman continues to show that last year was no fluke with his .352 Average and he is leading the Major Leagues with 111 base hits.  The Giants pitching staff has coped with the loss of Brian Wilson and the ineffectiveness of starter Tim Lincecum, by the rest of the staff having career years.

4. LA Angels 45-35 (12) The Angels have been really steady since the end of May.  They just finished going 17-8 in the last 25 days on the backs of ALL-Stars Mike Trout, Mark Trumbo and resurgent Albert Pujols.  Trout might be the most exciting player on the planet these days and is a lock for AL Rookie of the Year if he keeps this up.  Trout hit .367 over the last month and has taken over the AL batting lead with a .342 AVG.  Trumbo hit 10 HRs and drove in 28 RBI for the month and Pujols hit .337. to raise his average 40 points.  C.J Wilson was good enough in June to be named as CC Sabathia‘s replacement at the ALL-Star game.

5.  Washington 45-32(9)  Mike Morse has returned to the lineup with a vengeance during the last week with a .484 average.   Super Sub Tyler Moore has also hit .415 in the last 14 games with 4 HRs and 12 RBI.  Ian Desmond had 16 Extra base hits for the month to go along with 20 RBI, while he made the ALL-Star game as a reserve.  Ryan Zimmerman awoke from a season long slump to plate 17 RBI.  Adam LaRoche still contributed 7 HRs and 15 RBI despite a paltry .191 average in June.  Stephen Strasburg is 9-3 on the year with a 2.81 ERA and a league leading 122 SO.  Gio Gonzalez is 11-3 with a 3.01 ERA.  Both Gonzalez and Strasburg made the ALL-Star squad. Read the rest of this entry

The Yankees Should sign Vlad Guerrero

Wednesday June.13, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- The events that happened yesterday with the Blue Jays and Vlad Guerrero are strange and totally warranted for further review.  In my opinion, the Blue Jays dropped the ball on this one. Guerrero lit up the Minor Leagues for a couple of weeks and should have been called up when Edwin Encarnacion was hurt on June.4th.  It was the perfect opportunity to have Vladdy come up and replace EE in the lineup.  It should have prompted a return to first base for Encarnacion when he came back from his injury just 5 days later.

The top average on the team actually belongs to EE, who is hitting .281 currently.  Vlad Guerrero has never hit worst than .290 in the last 15 years.  He tore it up in the minor leagues, and was said to have showed up in decent shape.  The Blue Jays had to know that Vladdy would be upset when he was bypassed on in favor of David Cooper or Yan Gomes.  I give full credit to the agent for Guerrero in this case, he negotiated a verbal contract with Alex Anthopoulos that the slugger could opt at any time and request to be released from his player contract with the club.  In the only thing that makes the Jays look okay on this, they never had to go through with letting Vladdy out of this contract.  Really it is a shame that the two sides could not work out something to have Vlad stay with the club.  It may actually work out better for both sides in the long run.

Read the rest of this entry

MLB reports Monthly Power Rankings: May 2012

Tuesday May 8th, 2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)-We are going to bring you a monthly power rankings every month of the season.  There will be a few verses for each team.  Please feel free to let us know your thoughts.

May Power Rankings

  1. Texas (19-10)  Josh Hamilton is clubbing the ball at his 2010 like AL MVP clip.  Yu Darvish appears to be the real deal.  Mike Napoli hits 8th on most nights. Michael Young might be the most under-appreciated hitter in the last decade.  Ian Kinsler is on pace for 162 runs.  If Nelson Cruz starts hitting and or Nathan rounds into form, than this team may blitz by every one.
  2. Tampa Bay (19-10) The pitching staff is incredible right now.  David Price is asserting himself as one of the premier left-handed pitchers in baseball. Strong starts from Evan Longoria, Luke Scott and Carlos Pena have helped.  Joe Maddon may be the best ‘in-game manager’ of baseball now with Tony La Russa out of the Majors.
  3. Atlanta (18-12) The reason I have Atlanta rated so high is they are not even having a good year from Tim Hudson yet and Jair Jurrjens has been atrocious.  Still they sit near the top of the standings.  Chipper Jones has 21 RBI and Freddie Freeman has taken the next step so far with 26 RBI.  Last year the team had a lot of players with career worst years and they were only eliminated on the last day of the season.  This year may be different.
  4. St. Louis (18-11) You lose a franchise player like Albert Pujols and you spend half the money for Carlos Beltran and Rafael Furcal, who are finally hitting the numbers like the back of their bubble gum cards from 5 years ago.  Are we giving enough credit to Mark McGwire here? Lance Lynn has morphed into Chris Carpenter with his 6-0 start.
  5. LA Dodgers (19-10) Matt Kemp is the best player in baseball right now and may walk away with the triple crown this year.  Andre Ethier has matured into the RBI guy he needs to be.  Solid pitching by Clayton Kershaw, Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have this team looking solid. Dodgers look good in the future when  the new ownership takes over. (more…)

Who is the Best Center Fielder in Baseball?

Thursday April 26, 2012

Bryan Sheehan: Have you ever sat and pondered as to who is the best Center Fielder in the game of baseball today? With so many good options, it is rather hard to make the choice. To make the assessment, you have to look at all the “tools” and come up with the best all-around Center Fielder in the game. Keeping that in mind, here are my top-5 selections- starting with #5:

5. Shane Victorino

The Flyin’ Hawaiian is the epitome of all-around solid player. Not the greatest in any aspect, he has a jack-of-all-trades look that is made extraordinary by his hustle. Though he won’t steal gratuitous amounts of bases, his speed on the basepaths is seen in his league leading 16 triples last year. His three straight Gold Gloves from 2008-2010 are also really impressive, and considering his perfect fielding percentage in 2011, he could have easily won four straight. 

4. Michael Bourn 

Bourn is the prototypical fast center fielder. He’s led the league in stolen bases for the past three years, nabbing 61 in his 2011 campaign between the Astros and the Braves. Like Juan Pierre in his prime, Bourn is extremely fast, and can make good contact with the ball. Though it’s not all-star worthy, his .294 batting average last season was 27 points higher than the league average for leadoff hitters. His speed also translates on defense, giving him great range to run down balls in the gap. 

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An Early Season Look at the Top 10 Home Run Leaders

Sunday April 22nd, 2012

Sam Evans: Most major league teams have played about fifteen regular season games so far. Fifteen games are not enough to tell who is going to have a breakout season, but these games do matter just as much as games in September. Some players have gotten off to hot starts by showing their power as evidence by insane home run totals. Let’s take a look at the MLB home run leaders and see if they will be able to keep it up.

Matt Kemp, Nine Home Runs: Matt Kemp is on a tear through his first fifteen games. He is currently on pace for 97.2 homers if he were to play all 162 games. Last year, Kemp hit thirty-nine homers despite being surrounded by a weak lineup and playing half of his games in the spacious Dodger Stadium. As corny as it sounds, he has told the media that he is motivated by his 2011 NL MVP snub. If that what it takes to get him to play on this level, the Dodgers should pay off writers to not vote for Kemp after this year. In all seriousness, Kemp is going to have another amazing year. As crazy as it might sound, fifty home runs is not out of the question for Kemp in 2012. Read the rest of this entry

Ask the Reports: ATR Answers Your Baseball Questions – April 15th, 2012

Sunday April 15th, 2012



Jonathan Hacohen:  Posted every Weekend: Your top baseball questions from the past week are answered. E-mail all questions to mlbreports@me.com, message us on Twitter and post on our Facebook Wall!

Let’s get to your top questions of the week: (there are MANY great ones this week…better jump right in!)

 

Q:  How many triple plays were turned last year?  Wayne

MLB reports: Nice way to start off ATR Wayne. Four. Can you believe it? Four triple plays turned last year. Three in 2010, five in 2009, two in 2008 and four in 2007. Surprised? Me too. I thought they were more rare! Last year’s triple plays took place as follows:

(1) Indians turned a 3P against the White Sox on April 3rd

(2) Brewers turned a 3p against the Dodgers on August 15th

(3) Red Sox turned a 3p against the Rays in the 2nd game of a DH on August 16th (a day later!)

(4) The miracle Rays came back on September 27th to turn their own 3p against the Yankees.

 

Q:  Is it worth picking up Aroldis Chapman as a third reliever?!?  William

MLB reports:  Without a doubt. Yes. Are you kidding me? Grab him. Right now. Don’t wait. Now. Right now! As you can tell, I am high on Chapman. Long term, I see him as a starter. But for now, he is a reliever. I see him having some great save opportunities this year. Madson is done for the year. A ton of money is invested in Chapman and he has been nothing short of brilliant this season. In 4 games he has a 0.00 ERA. 11 strikeouts. 0 walks in 6 innings. Yes. As a third relieve, you cannot go wrong with Chapman. He has already vultured 2 wins. He can help you in so many ways. There will be ups-and-downs this year with Chapman, no doubts. But with pitchers around baseball dropping like flies, when you have a talented pitcher with huge upside, make sure he can find his way onto your team. (more…)

2012 MLB Home Run Leaders

Friday February 24th, 2012

 

Rob Bland:  The last two seasons have seen Jose Bautista lead the MLB in home runs.  His seemingly out of nowhere run to being one of the top 3 hitters in baseball looks to continue in 2012.  Can he continue to hit home runs at a ridiculous pace, or will he fall off? Will someone such as Curtis Granderson or Matt Kemp become MLB’s newest home run champ?  I will take a look at some of the top choices to take over this title, as well as a few dark horses. Read the rest of this entry

L.V. Ware Interview: The Hometown Prospect is Grinding His Way Back to Atlanta

Sunday February 12th, 2012

MLB reports – Jonathan Hacohen:  Get ready for a real treat today fans. This is another interview that has been a year in the works. He has a hectic schedule, but we finally pinned down one of the great young players in the game for an interview. One of our favorite all-time twitter masters is finally here. Atlanta Braves outfielder prospect, L.V. Ware. If you spend any kind of time on Twitter, the name L.V. has come up in your timeline at some point. One of the most fan-friendly athletes that you will ever meet, L.V. has that special charisma about him. Baseball fans from all over flock to speak to him.  With almost 3,000 followers on Twitter and growing by the day, L.V. is certainly cementing his place in the baseball social media world. 

Now for the 411 on L.V. Ware. The Atlanta Braves prospect will be 25-years of age come opening day. He can play all three outfield positions, but center is his primary position. His game is built on defense and getting on-base. He can steal you a base, as shown by his consistent base stealing over his career (highlighted by a career-high 30 steals in 2010). When Curtis Granderson is your primary modern-day role model, you know that you aim high. I can definitely see why L.V. would look up to Granderson. He plays the game the right way and has become one of the best all-around outfielders in baseball. But besides working hard on the field, Granderson is a true ambassador to the game- working tirelessly for charities and kid-centric organizations. Hailing from Atlanta, I could see L.V. taking on a Granderson-type role in the community as a member of the Braves one day. He understands the importance of his role as a role model and leader. The Braves have a good one in their system and Atlanta fans will definitely enjoy this young man for years to come.

Exclusively on MLB reports, we proudly feature our interview with the one and only, L.V. Ware- Atlanta Braves Prospect. Ever wonder what the L.V. stands for? Plus you won’t believe what L.V. would be doing for a living if he wasn’t playing baseball. Get ready to find out all these answers and more: Read the rest of this entry

Why Triples Matter: Stocking Your Fantasy Team with Three-Baggers

Tuesday January 24th, 2012


Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports): Many baseball fans are fascinated by triples, but it is certainly not a stat that people in standard Roto 5X5 fantasy baseball leagues pay any mind to. From an offensive standpoint, you are solely concerned with average, home runs, RBIs, and runs. Certainly triples contribute to a player’s offensive output, but by no means are they an asset to target in fantasy baseball. In reality, triples are often the product of a fortuitous bounce or carom and reflect more about a defensive player than the actual hitter. Nonetheless, triples are a rare occurrence and have a unique ability to excite the crowd and rally a team.

So, in fantasy baseball should we care about triples at all? On the surface the answer is no… but on a deeper level, it is actually yes. By no means is it wise to build a roster full of the league’s triples leaders. But a closer look at this stat can tell us a lot about a player.

In fantasy baseball and particularly in 5×5 Roto leagues, the goal is to find a player who can do it all: hit for average and power, produce and score runs, and steal bases. Not surprisingly, the league’s triples leaders are also at the top of the stolen bases leaderboard. It is the rare occurrence when you see a player like Curtis Granderson, who in 2011 showed his power with 41 home runs, as well as his speed with 10 triples and 25 stolen bases. The Granderson/Braun/Kemp/Ellsbury types of players are few and far between and are also on many championship rosters.

Before we go any further, let’s think about what it takes to hit a triple – namely a combination of power and speed. Triples are most commonly doubles, that are normally a double for a slower player.  Therefore, if we look at a player like Brett Gardner with 19 doubles, 8 triples, and 9 home runs in 2011, it appears that his triple output has more to do with his speed and less about his power. For someone like Granderson with the 41 home runs and 26 doubles, it appears to be an equal combination of both. Let’s look for more examples of those types of players.

Take Michael Bourn: 61 steals, 10 triples and 2 home runs in 2011. Clearly, his double-digit triple output reflects his speed and surely not his power. When I scroll down the leaderboard and see Starlin Castro, (9 triples in 2011), light bulbs instantly begin to flash. Castro’s high triple out cannot be credited to speed alone (22 steals) because he still slugged 10 home runs and 36 doubles. At 21 years of age, Castro already has an amazing blend of power and speed, which is reflected by his ability to produce a three-base hit. By looking at Castro’s triples, we can tell that he posses this coveted five-category ability. You can only expect both his power and speed to increase and in my opinion, he has the ability to put up some Soriano-like home run/sb totals.  Castro’s potential is most likely maxed out at 30/30, but this is due to the fact that he hits for average (.304 lifetime in 1137 at-bats) and is not likely to sacrifice for power. He could easily steal 40 bases and hit 30 home runs in the prime of his career.

The key is to look at the triple total for the young players who have yet to fully develop their power and speed. Triples can be a helpful future indicator of a player’s power and speed. For example, in his first full season in 2008, Adam Jones finished with 9 home runs, 7 triples and 10 stolen bases. The seven triples stand out, and although he possess great speed, the ten stolen bases indicate that he most likely did not rely solely on speed. His 9 home runs and 21 doubles demonstrate this his power also contributed to his seven three-baggers. The signs point to a player who has both speed and power. Sure enough, Adam Jones jumped to 19 home runs in 2009 and hit 25 home run with 12 stolen bases in 2011.

Triples shouldn’t even really be a concern for fantasy baseball owners, but can serve as a research aid of sorts. Look at the triples leaders and try to find the players who are not doing it on speed alone and have above average double and home run totals. If they are young and yet to reach their prime, all signs point to a player who has the ability to combine power and speed and develop into the coveted 5-category player.


***Today’s feature was prepared by our Fantasy Baseball Analyst, Peter Stein.  We highly encourage you to leave your comments and feedback at the bottom of the page and share in the discussion with our readers.  You can also follow Peter on Twitter (@peterWstein).***

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The Grandy Man Interview: Curtis Granderson Talks Pizza, Wrestling and Choosing Your Friends

Friday December 9, 2011

Playing in his second season with the New York Yankees, Curtis Granderson had one of the best seasons of his career, which entered him into MLB records books.  This season, Granderson was voted to the American League All Star game as starting center fielder.  The left-handed hitter has home run power, a great glove, speed, along with athleticism on the field.   His efforts off the field are as remarkable as his play on field.  Curtis represented MLB at the White House in their anti-obesity effort and created the Grand Kids Foundation, focused on improving the educational experience for youth nationwide.  Ten-year-old Haley had a chance to sit down with Curtis Granderson before a game in July, and talk baseball, but discovered the Yankees center fielder is an avid WWE fan along with being a published author and all- around nice guy.

Haley:  In August my family is following the Yankees to US Cellular Field, Kauffman Stadium, Target Field and Camden Yards with stops at Miller Park, Wrigley and Busch Stadium.  Do you have a favorite ballpark and why? Is there a ballpark where you feel you always play well other than Yankee Stadium?

Granderson:  I like the Anaheim Angles Stadium because it has good weather to play in and the playing surface is well taken care of, making it a nice place to play ball.  I also enjoy the Rally Monkey because he is fun to watch but as a player it means that the Angels are doing well.  Other stadiums that I like to play in are Mariners Safeco Field and of course at home in Chicago at US Cellular Field and Wrigley.

Haley:  Since I am going to be in Chicago, who has the best Pizza in Chicago?  Who in New York? Do you like Deep Dish or Thin Crust Pizza?

Granderson:  My favorite Pizzerias in Chicago are Lou Malnali’s, Giordanos and Gino’s and in New York Artichoke Basille’s.  Sometimes I like Dominos thin crust pizza, because I like my crust crunchy.  If I am really hungry, I will order deep dish.

Haley:  Coney Island Hot Dogs or Nathan’s Hot Dogs?

Granderson:  Since I played in Detroit, I would have to say Coney Island Hot Dogs.

Haley:  What is your favorite meal?

Granderson:  I really love Thanksgiving dinner because you get to eat a little bit of everything and you can go back over and over for more helpings.

Haley:  My little brother is a fan of WWE, I heard you are as well. Who are some of you favorite wrestlers of today?

Granderson:  Of course I like CM Punk because he is a great wrestler and from Chicago.  Jon Cena is another favorite.   I also like the Divas because they work hard and are as good as the guys.

Haley:  Do you have any brothers or sisters?

Granderson:  I have an older half-sister, Monica.

Haley:  In your book All You Can Be: Dream It, Draw It, Become It, you share the lessons that you learned growing up. What is one lesson you would tell the Baseball Youth readers if they haven’t read the book?

Granderson:  The selection of friends, good and bad, positive or negative and the people you surround yourself with, will shape your whole life.

Haley:  I also know you are an ambassador for MLB and have traveled to England, Italy, South Africa, China, and New Zealand. Is there any place you would really like to go and represent MLB?

Granderson:  I have never been to South America so that would be amazing.  I would also like to go to Japan and Australia, those would be on my top-3 list.

Haley:  Why did you choose the #28 in Detroit and #14 in New York?

Granderson:  I was given the #28 in college, which was great because the numbers 2 and 8 are my favorite numbers, so it was both of them together.  When I became a Yankee, Joe Girardi was #28 so I chose #14 because that was my number from high school.

Haley:  I get to go to a lot of Yankees games and have noticed that you have two rituals can you to explain them?

Haley:  1)  When you step up to the plate you tap it with the bat from left to right then the top. Why?

Granderson:  No particular reason. I guess it is just a habit.

Haley:  2)  When you are leading off from first and the pitcher makes a move you always walk around first base same way every time. Why?

Granderson:  Because I don’t want to get picked off or called out.

Haley:  Do you have any other rituals or superstitions?

Granderson:  I only chew sugar-free bubble gum. (Curtis asked Haley: “Do you like gum?” Make sure you take a hand full when you leave the dugout.)

Haley:  What is it like in the Dugout before and after a game?

Granderson:  It is a fun place filled with energy and lots of handshakes. We are always meeting people before games.  After the game it depends if we won or lost.  If we win everyone is happy and celebrating and if we lost we need to move on to the next game.

Haley:  When you are on the road do you share rooms with your teammates?

Granderson:  In the majors we get our own rooms.  In the minors we share rooms. I used to share with Ryan Raburn, Joel Zumaya and David Espinosa.

Haley:  A.J. Burnett has created a celebration for a walk off win, a pie in the face.  Have you ever gotten pied?

Granderson:  No, I have not been pied.  If I get pied it means we won but I am afraid it will burn.  (The pies are Shaving Cream)

Haley:  Who is the biggest practical joker you have ever been on a team with? Have you ever been the victim of a practical joke?

Granderson:  Brandon Inge on the Tigers will do funny pranks, silly ones and even some gross ones.  We had a little battle going when I played for Detroit.  Once I opened his car and filled it with paper and construction tape, making it a big mess inside the car and out.  Jorge Posada is a real joker as well.

Haley:  In 2007 you became just one of four players in MLB history to record 20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs & 20 stolen bases in a single season. What are some of your other accomplishments you are proud of?

Granderson:  Graduating from University of Illinois-Chicago and that I am 1 of only 37 players with college degrees.  Making it to the 2006 World Series.

Haley:  Do you have any other favorite sports besides baseball?

Granderson:  I like basketball, especially college ball. I also like hockey, football and bowling and I used to run cross-country.

Haley:  What’s your favorite team?

Granderson:  The Kansas City Jay Hawks.

Haley:  Who would you consider your closest friends on the Yankees?

Granderson:  Of course I have special bond with my fellow outfielders Nick Swisher and Brett Gardner.  But I also like to hang out with C.C. Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Russell Martin we go out to dinner and movies together.

***Reproduced with permission from Baseball Youth Magazine.  This interview originally appeared in the Nov/Dec 2011 edition of Baseball Youth Magazine***

https://www.facebook.com/baseballyouthmagazine
http://www.baseballyouth.com/

Curtis Granderson Social Networking links:

http://grandkidsfoundation.org/

http://www.facebook.com/cgrand14

http://twitter.com/cgrand14

Haley Smilow Social Networking Links:

http://www.wix.com/smilow/home-field-advantage

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Home-Field-Advantage/108037172615547

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