MLB Reports

Below is Part 2 of the Top 10 hitters in baseball. You can read Part 1 here.

Tuesday February.26, 2013

Cano has only missed 7 games in the last 4 years. He has hit over .300 in those seasons – belted 40 + Doubles and scored over 100 Runs. He has averaged 29 HRs and 102 RBI also for that span. The man has won 3 straight Silver Slugger Awards. Cano’s Career 3 Slash Line is .308/.361/.854. With this being a contract year, he could stand to land himself a historic contract with an MVP type season. Picture by Keith Allison, Flicker.com

By Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @thejakeman24

The top hitters in the MLB right now includes 5 awesome hitters. It was hard to comprise the list, but here it is.

6. Robinson Cano

Robinson Cano is in line for a huge payday after this season, and his numbers can justify his demands.

OK, Yankee stadium partially inflates his power numbers. Cano had a 59.3 HR/FB (Home Run to fly ball ratio) to Right Field, which is quite a figure seeing that the mean for baseball’s best power hitters is in the 20 percent range, to all fields.

It’s safe to say that Cano grasped the idea of the infamous shorter porch in Right Field, and who wouldn’t? On he same token, that shouldn’t give us the wrong idea about his power. According to ESPN’s Hittracker Online, Cano was eighth in the American League with nine “no doubt” Home runs, telling us that his power isn’t solely due to the friendly hitter confines of Yankee Stadium.

The thing is, there’s more to his game then Home runs. He had the fifth highest oWAR (Offensive WAR) in baseball last year, and finished eighth in the MLB in Adjusted OPS+.

Given the dearth amount of talent at Second Base these days, Cano could be in line for a 8-year, $200+ Million contract next winter.

Robinson Cano at the 2011 Home Run Derby:

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, The Rest: Everything Baseball

Tags: 2011 home run champ ASG, @TheJakeMan24 on twitter, adam jones, adrian beltre, chase headley, cincinnati reds, detoit tigers, detroit tigers, giancarlo stanton, jake dal porto, joey votto, josh hamilton, miami marlins, milwaukee brewers, MLB's Best hitters, new york yankees, nl mvp, NL Rookie of the Year, prince fielder, robinson cano, silver slugger award winner, texas rangers, the ballpark in arlington, yankee stadium

Detroit Tigers Roster in 2013: State Of The Union

Feb 21

Posted by kdana2012

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Thursday, February. 21/2013

The Trio of Verlander, Fielder, and Cabrera represented Detroit at the All-Star game in 2012 as well as on the MVP ballot with Cabrera winning, Verlander coming in 8th, and Fielder coming in 9th. They also combined for an 18.8 WAR in 2012

By Ryan Dana (MLB Reports Writer): Follow @ryandana1

I would never say that a team is a lock to win their division, but I will say that the Detroit Tigers shouldn’t make any vacation plans for October of 2013. They’ve won the AL Central Division for the past 2 years, and added an AL Pennant in 2012. The Detroit Tigers franchise is one rich in history winning 4 World Series titles and having legends such as Ty Cobb, Hank Greenberg, Al Kaline, and Charlie Gehringer passing through the “D” just to name a few.

This proud franchise did suffer a lull in success somewhat recently as they had a losing record every season from 1994-2005. This included a dismal 43-119 record in ’03. The Tigers came back from the abyss and turned their team back into a winning ball club since 2006. This was Jim Leyland’s 1^st season managing the Tigers, and all he did was lead the team to 95 wins (a 24 win increase from the prior season) and a World Series appearance.

In 2011, the Tigers lost in the ALCS, and in 2012 they lost in the World Series, so could they improve upon the previous seasons ending once again and win the 2013 World Series? Well, their roster is certainly improved from last year, but it’s all about keeping up with the “Jones” in the MLB nowadays. Every team with money is trying to make a serious World Series run this year. While the Tigers are in the weakest division in the AL, if and when they reach the playoffs, it will be a gruesome battle to endure.

The Tigers have all the makings of a World Series contender. They have Superstars in their lineup like Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder. They have a true Ace leading their deep, seemingly all in and around their prime, starting rotation in Justin Verlander. They also have good depth on their 25 man roster, and even more in their Minor League system. I’ll start with their rotation. Here’s what it will most likely look like…

2013 Detroit Tigers Starting Rotation: Justin Verlander, Doug Fister, Anibal Sanchez, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello

Detroit Tigers 2012 ALCS Highlights:

Posted in MLB Payroll and Contracts, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis, The Rest: Everything Baseball

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Tags: 2006 World Series, 2012 world series, @Ryandana1 on tiwitter, al albuquerque, al central, AL Cy Young Award Winner, al kaline, al mvp, alex avila, American league, andy dirks, anibal sanchez, austin jackson, avisail garcia, Brennan Boesch, bruce rondon, charlie gehringer, cy young, delmon young, detroit tigers, doug fister, Drew Smyly, gio gonzalez, jeff kobernus, jhonny peralta, Jim Leyland, Joaquin Benoit, justin verlander, max scherzer, miguel cabrera, octavio dotel, omar infante, phil coke, playoffs, prince fielder, quintin Berry, ramon santiago, rick porcello, ryan dana, seattle mariners, State of the Union, Torii Hunter, Triple crown award winner, ty cobb, victor martinez, world series, yu darvish

Player Profile: Nationals 1B Adam LaRoche

Jan 10

Posted by bernieolshansky

Thursday January 10th, 2012

Adam LaRoche took home both a Silver Slugger Award and a Gold Glove Award in 2012 for the 1st time in his career for both categories.

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky

With the news of Adam Laroche’s signing of a 2-Year deal with the Washington Nationals breaking on Tuesday, it seems fitting for a profile to be done on this unsung hero. Last week, I profiled underrated star Billy Butler of the Royals. I will stick with this underrated theme as I cover the highlights of the career of power-hitting first baseman Adam LaRoche.

The 29^th round pick of the 2000 amateur draft, Adam LaRoche broke into the league with the Atlanta Braves in 2004. He had a solid Rookie season, hitting .278 with 13 HR and 45 RBI in 110 games. LaRoche got steadily better from there, increasing his HR total by seven to 20 in 2005 and by 12 to 32 in 2006. 2005 was actually his worst year Batting Average-wise, in which he hit .259. LaRoche hit .172 in 2011, but he only played in 43 games – so I do not regard that as a true representation of what he would have hit had he played. Aside from his Rookie season and the season he was injured and only played 43 games, LaRoche has never played less than 140 games in a year. This is something that is very valuable to teams when they are looking for a power-hitting first baseman—and really any player for that matter. This is the main reason why I believe the Nationals rewarded him with his contract.

MLB Talk Radio / Audio For the Deal Analysis

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: @bernieolshansky on twitter, adam laroche, albert pujols, bernie olshansky, billy butler, bryce harper, denard span, jayson werth, kansas city royals, mark teixeira, Michael Morse, NL east, NL MVP Voting, prince fielder, ryan zimmerman, washington nationals

Ryan Braun: Setting His Sights As An ALL-Time Brewers Great

Jan 3

Posted by brewerpride06

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Thursday January 3rd, 2013

Ryan Braun’s 162 Game Average is scary for Pitches. .37 HRs, 118 RBI, 113 Runs Scored, 41-2B, 23 SB, 200 Hits and a .313/.374/.943 Slash Line.

Ben Dobson ( Baseball Writer and Brewers Correspondent): Follow @brewerpride06

1982….Mention this date to any Brewers fan and immediately you will witness a smile and a nod of the head. Very little has to be said that isn’t communicated with that simple smile and subtle shake of the head. Harvey’s Wallbangers; Cecil Cooper, Paul Molitor, Robin Yount, Gorman Thomas and Ben Oglivie to name a few. Coming off a (3-2) AL Division Series loss to the Yankees in 81′ the Brewers stormed in to 82′ ready to make amends. The Brewers began 82′ slowly going (23-24), thus Harvey Kuenn replaced Buck Rodgers. The Brewers made history going forward posting a (72-43) record leading the league in runs and HRs. This team poured it all out on the field before losing in Game 7 of the World Series to the St. Louis Cardinals. Yount, Molitor and Cooper will forever be household names associated with the epic ’82 team.

Fast-Forward 26 years….2008 & 2011….The Brewers finally made it back to the postseason. This time the club was led by Ryan Braun, Prince Fielder, Corey Hart and Rickie Weeks. These were both magical years but neither year ended in a World Series appearance. The constant and consistent cog of these two playoff teams was Ryan Braun. The “Hebrew Hammer” lead the team in batting both playoff years and put up power numbers as well as speed numbers. This perennial All-Star continues to perform as one of the best in the game, but how does Ryan Braun compare to the 82′ heroes of Yount, Molitor and Cooper. The following statistics were taken during 6 consecutive seasons for each player (only exception is the 84′ season for Molitor who was limited to 13 games, 85′ season was substituted).

Ryan Braun Highlights in 2012: Suggestive Mature Lyrics-Parental Guidance Advised:

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Tags: 1982 ALCS, 1982 World Series, @brewerpride06 on twitter, ben dobson, ben ogilvie, Bob Uecker, buck rodgers, cecil cooper, corey hart, gorman thomas, hank aaron, harvey kuenn, harvey's wallbangers, jackie robinson, miller park, milwaukee brewers, NL Central, paul molitor, prince fielder, rickie weeks, robin yount, sr. louis cardinaals

Carlos Gonzalez: Committing Superstar Fraud in Colorado

Dec 30

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

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Sunday December 30th, 2012

Jonathan Hacohen (Baseball Writer and Website Founder): Follow @Jhacohen

Today I tackle one of my favorite baseball points of discussion: Carlos Gonzalez – MLB Superstar or simply a product of Coors Field?

It absolutely amazes me how Gonzalez has seemingly fooled the majority of the baseball world. From Twitter to leading baseball magazines, the average baseball fans to leading national writers are convinced that the young man is one of the top players in the game. Whenever I hear the CarGo fan train pulling into the station, I always have one response: check the home/road splits. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

Tags: @jhacoehn on twitter, baseball, billy beane, bobby crosby, brandon inge, cargo, carl crawford, carlos gonzalez, colorado rockies, Coors Field, home road splits, mlb, nl west, oakland athletics, prince fielder, scott boras, superstar, todd helton, troy tulowitzki

What Is In Store For The 2013 Chicago White Sox: State Of The Union

Dec 18

Posted by bernieolshansky

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Tuesday December 18th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky (Baseball Writer): Follow @BernieOlshansky

If I had to describe the 2012 White Sox in one word, I would describe them as underperforming. Although they improved on their 2011 season, the White Sox still performed below expectations in the 2nd Half and it cost them a trip to the playoffs. In a division with the Detroit Tigers, who signed Prince Fielder last winter, the White Sox were not favored. They finished with an 85-77 record, which was not bad—I just expected better. After all, the Tigers ended up in the World Series.

I’ll start with Adam Dunn. Dunn had one of the worst seasons in baseball history in 2011, the year that he signed a Four Year deal worth $56 Million. He hit .159 with only 11 HRs and 42 RBI. He was poised for a great comeback in 2012. I guess you could call hitting .204 with 41 HRs and 96 RBI a comeback, but it still was not the normal Adam Dunn. The HRs and RBI were there, but the .204 average was well below what he hit in previous years. If Dunn were to have hit for a higher average, one might be able to say that the White Sox would have made the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

Tags: @bernieolshansky on twitter, a.j. pierzynski, adam dunn, addison reed, al central, AL East, AL West, alejandro de aza, alexei ramirez, alexi ramirez, American league, athletics, blue jays, chris sale, dayan viciedo, detroit tigers, gavin floyd, gordon beckham, jake peavy, jeff keppinger, john danks, kansas city royals, kenny williams, los angeles angels, miguel cabrera, paul konerko, prince fielder, robin ventura, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, Tyler Flowers, victor martinez, yankees

Part 1 of a Series: All-Time All-Star Teams By Regionality

Nov 23

Posted by mednickalex

Friday November 23th, 2012

Note from Alex Mednick: I am going to be putting together a small project that accumulates all the best players of all time, and puts them together on teams according to their birthplace. For example, in this first edition I will be breaking down players from the United States of America into teams from the 1) Northeast, 2) Southeast, 3) Midwest, and 4) Southwest…(sorry, there really is not enough quality coming out of the northwest to compete with these teams…maybe I will put a Northwestern United States team in a later edition with less competitive teams). Later on I will bring you teams assembled from the all-time greats out Central and South American (Mexico, Venezuela, Panama, Panama Canal Zone, etc.) and the All-Caribbean Team (Dominican Republic, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Curacao, etc). Also look forward to teams from Japan, Canada and the EU. Should be fun to sort of assemble an “Olympics” of Baseball. I love watching the World Baseball Classic and seeing players fight for their nations pride…but by grouping the teams by region, it might make the teams more competitive. Of course, this is all for the sake of speculation; Babe Ruth was a great player, but I don’t think he will be taking any at-bat’s soon. (Also, please note that I do not lend consideration to relief pitchers in this analysis). Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: a-rod, al kaline, al simmons, alex mednick, alex rodriguez, alexander ewing mednick, alexander mednick, babe ruth, barry bonds, barry larkin, big mac, bill terry, bob feller, bob gibson, brooks robinson, cal ripken, cal ripken jr, carl hubbell, carl yastrzemski, cc sabathia, charlie hehringer, chipper, chipper jones, christy mathewson, chuck klein, cy young, dave winfield, dennis eckersley, derek jeter, dizzy dean, duke snider, early wynn, ed walsh, eddie collins, eddie mathews, eddie murray, eddie plank, edgar martinez, ernie banks, frank robinson, frank thomas, frankie frisch, gary carter, gary sheffield, gaylord perry, george brett, george herman ruth, george sisler, goose goslin, goose gossage, Greg Maddux, grover cleveland, hammerin hank, hank aaron, hank greenberg, harmon killebrew, harry heilmann, henry aaron, honus wagner, jackie robinson, jeff bagwell, jeff kent, jeter, jim palmer, jimmie foxx, jimmy rollins, Joe Carter, joe dimaggio, joe jackson, joe medwick, Joe Morgan, johnny bench, ken griffey, ken griffey jr, kirby puckett, lefty gomez, lefty grove, lou brock, lou gehrig, mark mcgwire, mel ott, mickey cohrane, mickey mantle, mike piazza, mike schmidt, nap lajoie, nolan ryan, ozzie smith, paul molitor, Paul Waner, pete alexander, pete rose, pie traynor, prince fielder, ralph kiner, reggie jackson, rich gossage, rickey henderson, ricky romero, robin roberts, roger clemens, rogers hornsby, rollie fingers, roy campanella, roy halladay, ryan braun, sam crawford, sandy koufax, satchel paige, shoeless joe jackson, stan musial, stan the man, steve carlton, ted williams, tom seaver, tony gwynn, tris speaker, ty cobb, wade boggs, walter johnson, warren spahn, whitey ford, wille keeler, willie mays, willie mccovey, willie stargell, yaz, yogi berra

Dissecting The Blockbuster Trade Between The Blue Jays And The Marlins

Nov 14

Posted by chuckbooth3023

SP Mark Buehrle 13-13 3.74 ERA 202. IP (12th straight year of 200 IP+)

Wednesday, November.14/2012

Jose Reyes is a .291 Career Hitter and has averaged 55 Steals and 110 Runs Per 162 Games Played. He should have no problem scoring runs with Encarnacion and Joey Bats hitting in the middle of the lineup for Toronto.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

I think you can safely say that the off-season has truly begun! I was writing on my computer yesterday when the big trade blew up on twitter. I live in White Rock, British Colombia, Canada, so you can only imagine how excited the whole country of Canada was to talk about baseball on the big media Social Website. Within minutes, it was clear that the Marlins and Jays were talking about a huge deal. There is a remarkable quality that I have admired about Alex Anthopoulos for a few years now. That his organization is pretty tight-lipped about their negotiations with any MLB team, just as it was with the Marlins on Tuesday. I waited a few minutes and then…..WHAM! A Blockbuster trade came right down the PIKE! Here is the trade in case you have been living under a rock for the past 24 hours.

To visit the 2013 Updated Version of the Toronto Blue Jays 2013 Payroll Blog I did click here

To the Blue Jays 2012 Stats:

SS/2B Jose Reyes .287 11 HRs 57 RBI, 86 Runs, 40 SB

SP Josh Johnson 8-14 3.81 ERA 191.1 IP 165 SO

C John Buck .192 12 HRs 41 RBI

2B/ss/3B/ Emilio Bonifacio .258 1 HR 11 RBI, 30 Runs, 25 SB in 244 AB

4 Million Dollars Cash

To the Marlins:

SS Yunel Escobar .253 9 HRs 51 RBI

2B/SS Adeiny Hechavarria .254 2 HRs 10 RBI, 126 AB

C Jeff Mathis .218 8 HRs 27 RBI, 211 AB

SP Henderson Alvarez 9-14 4.85 ERA 187.2 IP

Also Prospects:

SP Justin Nicolino:

RP: Anthony DeSclafini:

OF: Jake Marisnick Read the rest of this entry →

Tags: 2013 Blue Jays Payroll, 2013 Miami Marlins Payroll, adeiny hechavarria, anthony descalfini, anthony gose, blue jays, brett cecil, brett lawrie, chris coghlan, Chuck Booth. fastest 30 ballgames, colby rasmus, drew hutchison, emilio bonifacio, free agent, giancarlo stanton, greg dobbs, hanley ramirez, henderson alvarez, j.a. happ, jacob turner, jake marisnick, jeff mathis, jeffrey loria, john buck, jose bautista, jose reyes, josh hamilton, josh johnson, justin nicolino, justin ruggiano, kyle drabek, logan morrison, Mark buerhle, miami marlins, mike redmond, nathan oevaldi, prince fielder, rajai davis, Reyes Trade, ricky nolasco, ricky romero, tommy john, toronto, travis d'arnaud, twitter @chuckbooth3024, yunel escobar

Game 4 Recap: Giants Sweep the Tigers to Win the 2012 World Series

Oct 29

Posted by kholland13

Monday October 29th, 2012

Kyle Holland: If your favorite sport is baseball, what more can you ask for in a game? Even if you love or hate the Giants, you can’t help but have been amazed by game 4. Any baseball fan should have enjoyed that contest. The war between the Giants and Tigers. Like the guy who sat behind home plate all series. He wore a Marlins jersey and hat to all the games. That is dedication. That is a man who loves his baseball.

After the grueling 162 game regular season, the San Francisco Giants are your 2012 World Series champions! This crown did not come with ease, as most of you know. They went down 0-2 vs the Cincinnati Reds in the NLDS. They miraculously came back to win that series. Then came the NLCS. They split games 1 and 2, and then the Giants lost 2 straight to go down 1-3. They somehow made a comeback against a great Cardinals team to even make it to the Fall Classic. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: 2012 world series, barry zito, baseball, buster posey, comerica park, delmon young, detroit tigers, Game 4, justin verlander, matt cain, miguel cabrera, mlb, pablo sandoval, phil coke, playoffs, prince fielder, san francisco giants, santiago casilla, sergio romo, tim lincecum, world series

Albert Pujols vs. Prince Fielder: Who Was The Better Free Agent Signing After Year 1?

Oct 28

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Sunday October 28th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: If you want the concise version of last year’s offseason, there are only two names that you need to keep in mind—Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols. While there were numerous other maneuverings and signings, those two overshadowed them all. And to no surprise, both garnered massive contracts. Fielder inked a 10-year $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, and Pujols also was signed to ten years, but $243 million from the Los Angeles Angels.

So, who has proven to be the better signing after year 1?

What Does Fielder Have Going For Him?

Well, let’s think about the obvious. Oh, here it is; the Tigers made the playoffs while the Angels limped to the finish line, falling short of the second Wild Card spot. On the other hand, Detroit swiftly crossed the finish line thanks to a big September. Importance is generally judged by two things by national pundits— overall stats and team’s success. Fielder boasts an edge over Pujols in both categories. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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Tags: albert pujols, baseball, detroit tigers, first base, free agent, los angeles angels, miguel cabrera, milwaukee brewers, mlb, mlb playoffs, prince fielder, st louis cardinals, world series

2012 World Series Game 2 Recap: Giants Shut Out the Tigers For a 2-0 Lead

Oct 26

Posted by kholland13

Friday October 26th, 2012

Kyle Holland: What can you say about game 2 in the World Series? Fantastic, amazing, and a thriller. This pitcher’s duel was surely one no baseball fan will forget.

Both pitchers, Madison Bumgarner and Doug Fister, certainly will remember last night’s game forever. Bumgarner pitched 7 scoreless innings allowing only 2 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 8 on only 86 pitches. Fister on the other side was also magnificent, throwing 6 innings allowing 4 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 3 on 114 pitches, but allowing 1 earned run in the process. Fister did indeed end up picking up the loss. Baseball can be very cruel sometimes.

Although low scoring, the game was everything but disappointing. The 2-0 win by the Giants is exactly what baseball fans were looking for after the 8-3 blow out in game 1. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: at&t park, baseball, buster posey, comerica park, detroit tigers, doug fister, Drew Smyly, Game 2, justin verlander, madison bumgarner, Marco scutaro, matt cain, mlb, pablo sandoval, prince fielder, san francisco giants, sergio romo, tim lincecum, world series

Detroit is One Game Away from the World Series

Oct 17

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday October 17^th, 2012

Sam Evans: In the first three games of a thrilling ALCS, Detroit showed its dominance over the New York Yankees. In fact, even though the Yankees still technically have a chance, World Series tickets at Comerica Park go on sale Wednesday morning… and Tigers fans should be ready to use them. Detroit has been led by the outstanding performances of Miguel Cabrera, Justin Verlander, and Delmon Young. With Game Four coming up tonight, here’s a quick look at how Detroit has managed to win the first three games, what’s gone wrong with the Yankees, and what lies ahead for both of these teams. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: alcs, alex rodriguez, baseball, c.c. sabathia, delmon young, derek jeter, detroit tigers, doug fister, Jim Leyland, joe girardi, jose valverde, justin verlander, miguel cabrera, mlb, new york yankees, nick swisher, phil coke, prince fielder, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano, world series

2012 World Series Predictions: Tigers and Cardinals Will Meet Again in October

Oct 15

Posted by samevans87

Monday October 15^th, 2012

Sam Evans: With the Championship Series just beginning, predicting the two teams that will face off in the World Series has never been easier. Still, the teams playing in the ALCS and NLCS right now are pretty evenly matched so it’s still difficult to see which two will advance. Due to their momentum and great ability to come back, St. Louis will prevail over San Francisco in the NL. Due to their outstanding pitching staff and Miguel Cabrera being on his current tear, Detroit has a slight advantage over New York in the American League. Even if these predictions go horribly wrong, the one thing we can be certain of is that these two series are going to include some thrilling games played between some of the best teams in baseball. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

Tags: albert pujols, alcs, alds, baseball, buster posey, c.c. sabathia, chris carpenter, derek jeter, detroit tigers, jason motte, justin verlander, miguel cabrera, mlb, new york yankees, nlcs, nlds, playoffs, prince fielder, sam evans, san francisco giants, st louis cardinals, world series, world series predictions

2012 ALCS Preview: Detroit Tigers vs. New York Yankees: Can the Yanks Survive the Loss of Jeter?

Oct 14

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Sunday October 14th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: The Yankees’ offense is limping into the series, while Detroit is riding Justin Verlander’s arm high. Both were expected to be in this position when the season began, but their journeys were vastly different.

Who will prevail in a series which won’t be lacking for ageless headlines and drama?

Starting Pitching Preview

The Tigers and Yankees each heavily rely on one guy on their respective rotations. And it’s quite clear who those two guys are. But just for reference, we’ll make it known. The Tigers ride Justin Verlander, while the Yankees put a lot of faith in their 33 year-old veteran left-hander, C.C. Sabathia. There’s that.

It’s clear that neither of these teams would be where they are without their two aces. Verlander carved up the A’s in Game 5 on the ALDS to punch Detroit’s ticket to the ALCS with a complete game shutout, and Sabathia sliced and diced the Orioles’ lineup in Game 5, allowing just one run en route to a complete game gem of his own. Think back to their 8th inning of Game 5 and how Sabathia escaped trouble. That is a true ace.

Therefore, guys other than Verlander and Sabathia will provide the separation. Realistically, it could be anyone at this point. Neither the Tigers or Yankees have a stellar number two that’s consistent. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

Tags: ALCS 2012, alex rodriguez, andy pettitte, anibal sanchez, austin jackson, baseball, cc sabathia, curtis granderson, david robertson, derek jeter, hiroki kuroda, jose valverde, justin verlander, mariano rivera, max scherzer, miguel cabrera, mlb, nick swisher, phil hughes, playoffs, prince fielder, rafael soriano, raul ibanez, robinson cano

2013 MLB Fantasy Keeper Rankings: Installment #1

Friday October 12th, 2012

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Peter Stein: Now that the 2012 season is over, it is time to start thinking about the 2013. For many owners, that includes deciding on keepers, although keeper systems vary from league to league. In some leagues, keepers can be held onto for an indefinite period of time, while others build upon the previous year’s draft value. Regardless of your league’s keeper setting, this piece identifies the top keeper player at each position. I chose a time period of five years; therefore, the player at each position should produce the most total fantasy value over the course of the next five years. That is, of course, assuming another Mike Trout doesn’t jump onto the scene.

Here is the first installment of the 2013 fantasy keeper focus:

First Base:

Winner: Joey Votto

Honorable Mention: Paul Goldschmidt

First base is actually the most tenuous and hardest to predict position on this list. Can we really expect Albert Pujols to be super-productive for another five years? He will be 33 next season and his struggles at the beginning of the year are certainly not encouraging. Then again, a .285/30/105/8 season is considered a major down year from him. And, we all know how much better he was after the brutal start. Edwin Encarnacion (.280/42/110/13) emerged into the mix and excluding Miguel Cabrera was the top option at first base. However, he is 29 years old and has just a career .815 OPS in eight seasons. Clearly he has made strides, but he is very tough to predict moving forward. (more…)

Posted on October 12, 2012 | Image

The Athletics and Orioles: Staying Alive in the 2012 ALDS

Oct 10

Posted by samevans87

Wednesday October 10th, 2012

Sam Evans: The 2012 MLB playoffs have been thrilling so far. From Lew Ford to Derek Jeter, every player on the field is playing like they have something to prove. Two of the most exciting teams during the regular season, Oakland and Baltimore are both trying to prove that they belong in the postseason. So far, both teams have been successful in doing that. Both teams have benefited from outstanding pitching performances, but other than that- the two teams are very different.

Oakland finally looked like the team most hoped they would be on Tuesday, shutting out the Tigers 2-0 at home. Detroit still leads the series 2-1 but Oakland has home field advantage and better back-end starting pitching. With young talents such as Yoenis Cespedes and Jarrod Parker, Oakland, for the first time in what seems like forever, has put together a roster that is exciting to watch. With their pitching, the Athletics have a legitimate shot at advancing in the playoffs. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Playoffs

Tags: alcs, alds, baltimore, baltimore orioles, baseball, brett anderson, detroit tigers, josh reddick, miguel cabrera, mlb, mlb playoffs, mlb reports, new york yankees, oakland athletics, playoffs, prince fielder, sam evans, wei-yin chen

Wild Weekend Of Division Series Brings Plenty Of Surprises

Oct 8

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Monday October 8th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: Now that the division series are into full swing, it’s time to take a look at the status of each of the four series from both leagues.

Surprisingly, the road teams went 6-2, despite the weird playoff format which has the top seed playing two road games before heading home for three.

Here are the results:

American League

Detroit Tigers vs. Oakland Athletics

It wasn’t a good weekend for Bay Area teams. The A’s lost a heartbreaker early Sunday morning, and the Giants ended the evening with a loss (more on that later). Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: a's, al albuquerque, baseball, Bronson Arroyo, c.c. sabathia, Division Series, doug fister, giants, gio gonzalez, jim johnson, justin verlander, madison bumgarner, miguel cabrera, mlb, nationals, orioles, prince fielder, reds, tigers, tim lincecum, wild card, world series, yankees

ATR: Ask the Reports Answers Your Baseball Questions: Sunday October 7th

Oct 7

Posted by Jonathan Hacohen

Sunday October 7th, 2012

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, post on our Facebook Wall and leave comments on our website! There are many ways to reach us and we will get to your questions from all social media outlets!

Jonathan Hacohen: The regular season is done. Toast. That’s it. We even finished the one game sudden death Wild Card playoffs. We are now officially in full swing, MLB playoff mode.

It is a bittersweet feeling. I love the playoffs. But it is hard to go without having 12-15 MLB games going every day. And then I shudder to think what life is like when the playoffs are finished. We are less than 3 weeks away from the World Series. Can you believe it? This was an incredible season, with many highs and lows. From all those no-hitters to the countless players undergoing Tommy John surgery. The surprising A’s and Orioles. The disappointing Angels and Phillies. We had quite the year. Valentine Gate. Melky’s suspension. Miggy’s triple crown. Trout’s dominance. Dickey’s greatness. 2012 will go down as one of my favorite baseball seasons of all time.

Before we turn over to your questions, let’s address those Wild Card games. For all the talk of Atlanta’s great season, they are done. One game and over. The St. Louis Cardinals, the defending World Series champs squeaked into the playoffs…and are now heading to the NLDS for a date with the Nationals. Over in the American League, the powerhouse Rangers are done. For a team that led the AL in wins for most of the year and held the AL West crown for almost the entire season, their late season collapse ended in disaster. With a two game lead going into the final season, the A’s sweep in Oakland of the Rangers meant a date at home for Texas with Baltimore. This shows the importance of a division title vs. a wild card spot. While the A’s face the Tigers in a 5-game series, the Rangers had only one chance and blew it. Given the fact that they had enjoyed back-to-back World Series appearances the last two seasons, 2012 will go down as a black mark in Rangers history. It goes to show you: a team can have all the hitting on the planet, but to win- they need pitching. Sure the Rangers hitting cooled off in the 2nd half, but they also did not have enough reliable pitchers to be ready for the playoffs. Now imagine the Rays had a better offense. That’s the type of team that was built to compete in the playoffs. Great, young and healthy pitching is usually the secret to success in today’s game. But without enough hitting, the road was too hard for the Rays.

As a result, teams like the Orioles and the A’s are in, while the Rays and Rangers are out. The teams may not have the best pitching or hitting- but with a steady amount of both, playoff dreams became a reality. What the A’s and Orioles both enjoy is lights-out bullpens. So called experts may call bullpens/relievers/closers as overrated. Looking at the Orioles success in 1-run games and the A’s in extra innings, I would have to disagree. If a team can lock down a game from the 6th inning an on with a lead consistency, that is what we call a dangerous team. I have no idea if the A’s and O’s face-off in the ALCS. If they do, that should be one explosive series. My crystal ball sees the winner of the A’s/Tigers going to the World Series. In the NL, I see it as the Reds all the way. They are just too stacked and consistent. Anything can happen in a short series, but those are my picks for baseball’s biggest showdown of the season. Stay tuned!

Now let’s get to your top questions of the week: Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB Reports Playoff Power Rankings and Predictions 2012

Oct 5

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Friday, October.5/2012

The Reds have Joey Votto back and definitely are the deepest team in the playoffs. They start in San Francisco versus the Giants on Saturday in a best of 5 Series in the NLDS Round.

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024

In what could be one of the most exciting days in MLB History, we present to you a special edition of the MLB Reports Power Rankings,

1. Cincinnati Reds: The reason I have chosen these guys is because of their path to the World Series is probably easier than any other team in the MLB when it comes to Strength of Schedule. Johnny Cueto, Aroldis Chapman and Todd Frazier will challenge for NL Cy Young Votes and the Rookie of the Year Award. They have a healthy Joey Votto and it is time for Brandon Phillips to show his playoff metal. They have the greatest bullpen in the playoffs and are playing in the 1st round against the San Francisco Giants. The Great American Ball Park should be a great home field advantage.

Unheralded Player to watch in this Playoffs: Starting Pitcher Homer Bailey has pitched really well this year and is coming off a recent no-hitter.

2. Detroit Tigers: The Tigers are playing their best baseball of the season and caught a break when the Athletics won the AL West. Miguel Cabrera was on fire in September en route to his AL Triple Crown win. The Tigers were 32-11 in their last 43 home games and their solid pitching bodes well versus all of the homer centric teams in the AL. Their toughest competition would be the Yankees and Rangers and I am not sure those teams will be able to match the pitching of the club. While in my rankings I have given the #1 ranking to the Reds, the Tigers were my preseason pick to win the WS Title and it will all be on the backs of Prince Fielder and Cabrera.

Unheralded player to watch in the Playoffs: Omar Infante. He is a great all around player who comes up with clutch hits.

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2012 MLB Postseason Preview: Every Pitch Counts

Oct 4

Posted by mednickalex

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

October is the time when there is a quiet current of electricity surrounding baseball. There is an intensity in every second between pitches, and the players really zone in. This is the reason they played 162 games through the regular season. They are all after one thing: A World Championship.

Alex Mednick (Baseball Analyst and Writer):

With the last games of the 2012 regular season being officially completed yesterday I get the same feeling I do every season…it’s a sickening pain in my stomach, that makes me want to hibernate and not wake up until April comes around. For baseball lovers, we are all very familiar with this feeling. We find solace in the fact that with the exception of the month of November, we can still follow baseball transactions all year-long. Furthermore, we cannot get too upset; baseball isn’t really over. In fact, some might argue that it is just beginning!

The boys of summer play all those games in the summer heat for one reason. The grueling 162 game schedule sees many ups and many downs, and all of these challenges are met with a firm resolve: to do whatever it takes to get to the postseason. October is the time when the weather turns cold, and ball players become unshaven warriors duking it out to be the victorious few who have the honor to take a championship ring home this offseason. Read the rest of this entry →

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Miguel Cabrera: Baseball Royalty is Ready to Take the AL Triple Crown and a Spot in Cooperstown

Sep 25

Posted by mednickalex

Tuesday September 25, 2012

Alex Mednick: 1967 was the year that boxer Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing world championship because he refused to join the U.S. Army. There were 475,000 US Troops in Vietnam. The Beatles had just come out with Sargeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and the Woodstock music festival was still 2 years away. Never had a man stepped foot on the moon, a gallon of gas cost $0.33 and Federal Minimum Wage was $1.40 per hour. It was also the last time that any professional ballplayer was awarded the triple crown: Carl Yastrzemski.

Carl Yastrzemski was the last major league baseball player to ever win the triple crown, 45 years ago in 1967.

Here we are, in present day 2012, and 29-year-old phenom Miguel Cabrera is vying to be the first man to hit for the triple crown since 1967…after almost a half century. Back in 1998 when Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire reignited national interest in our pastime, they were pursuing Roger Maris’ single season record for most home runs. Without deducting any valor from the record which I believe still belongs to Mr. Maris, the triple crown does not only take home run power into consideration; rather the triple crown validates a hitter based upon the three most important (Sabremetrician’s may disagree) measures of a hitters overall productivity. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in MLB Player Profiles

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Tags: albert pujols, alex mednick, andre dawson, baseball, brett lawrie, detroit tigers, edwin encarnacion, joe mauer, josh hamilton, mark mcgwire, matt holliday, miguel cabrera, Mike Trout, mlb, mlb reports, peter bourjos, prince fielder, rickey henderson, sammy sosa, ted williams

Was Edwin Jackson The Most Valuable Free Agent Signing During The Offseason? Smart Move By The Nationals

Sep 12

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Wednesday September 12th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: During all the chaos that surrounded Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder during the offseason, the Washington Nationals made a very sneaky addition to their pitching staff by adding Edwin Jackson. The deal was signed in early February, which made it the final piece to their rotation, as Gio Gonzalez was added before Jackson. But this move flew under the radar as Pujols and Fielder garnered most of the media. Obviously that didn’t come as a surprise. Now, Jackson looks like the most valuable offseason signing.

The thing about Jackson, is that he didn’t break the Nationals’ bank. He came at a reasonable $11 million price tag, and compared to the contracts that Pujols (10 Year, $254 Million) and Fielder (10 Year $214 Million) brought in, Jackson’s contract is practically nothing. Simply, he’s a value player. Talent-wise, he clearly isn’t as respected and accomplished as Pujols and Fielder. But that’s not the point.

However, Jackson won’t be flying under the radar for much longer now that Stephen Strasburg is out of the equation. He will have to play a much bigger role in a starting pitching staff that leads the National League in ERA (3.32). Yes, the Nationals have decent alternatives to fill Strasburg’s void. Those alternatives being Ross Detwiler and John Lannan, but Jackson takes an immense step up depth chart pyramid. Gio Gonzalez now assumes the “ace” role, Jordan Zimmerman follows him, and now Edwin Jackson is third option which means higher expectations. It also means that Jackson’s production can’t be taken as a bonus anymore. His production is now crucial for the Nationals to continue to find success on the pitching area of the game. If he depletes, the Nats are suddenly down to two consistent arms— Gonzalez and Zimmerman. That’s no longer intimidating.

Can he thrive under the pressure? Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: albert pujols, baseball, bryce harper, drew storen, edwin jackson, free agent, jayson werth, mlb, mlb reports, NL east, playoffs, prince fielder, starting pitcher, stephen strasburg, washington nationals

MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: September 2012

Sep 3

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday, September.3/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer): Follow @chuckbooth3024 To say that this year has been a good year for baseball is an humongous understatement. I thought after last years finish, that nothing was going to duplicate the experience. Everyone forgets (or maybe not) that there should not even have been many races last year with Atlanta and Boston having such substantial leads on playoff spots. The Red Sox and Braves collapsed like a couple of bowling pins with King Kong Bundy splashing down on them!

This year, there are 15 teams still vying for 10 playoff spots. So far the only probable locks are Washington for a playoff spot-and Cincinnati to probably win their division The player races for all of the categories is almost as fascinating. Will Andrew McCutcheon catch Melky Cabrera for the Batting title? Or will 2012 be forever cemented in baseball folklore by a stained player like Cabrera? He could still end up determining who wins the World Series in the Fall Classic by his Testosterone filled antics in his MVP ALL-Star Game. The big question is, will the San Francisco Giants fans cheer for him if he comes back in the playoffs? They cheered for another league leader before when it was obvious he was guilty. Right now if you are the Giants, you will take an opportunity to boo or cheer for Cabrera because that means you would be in the playoffs.

Will the spending happy Dodgers have to wait another year to capitalize on their new plan to make the playoffs? If they ultimately miss the playoffs outright, are they going to buy every player they can in the off-season? I sure hope Magic knows that there are Luxury Tax penalties for spending over 178 Million Next Year. 1st year fine is 22.5%, 2nd year is 30%, 3rd year and beyond is 40%. So if they plan on having a 250 Million Dollar Payroll in 2013 (by adding 2 or 3 more top Free Agents) will the Dodgers just forego the worry of any financial penalties on a yearly basis– just to dominate the whole National League (plus baseball for that matter.) Every other team has to consider the urgency in cashing out a World Series right now while the Dodgers have not had a full off season with the new management yet. Can Oakland and their ‘New Money Ball philosophy’ make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2006?

The Best Players over the last month were: Buster Posey, Prince Fielder, Giancarlo Stanton, Adrian Beltre, Josh Hamilton, Yovani Gallardo, Kris Medlen, Adam Wainwright, Aroldis Chapman and Felix Hernandez. The best teams have been Oakland, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego, Baltimore and Texas. The worst teams have been Houston (at least its better to go down hard and stockpile #1 Draft Picks guys.) I have a feeling you will be there for a while with the division you are heading into and may even challenge the 120 Loss Single Season Record. At least you are not going into the NL West to compete with the LA Dodgers! The Cleveland Indians have fallen to an epic drop-off as well. Toronto misses their top sluggers. What has happened to the Minnesota Twins? The Mets have ownership and payroll problems, so at least they have an excuse. Plus they lead the world in guys being hurt. When David Wright has been your healthiest player, you know the season has been backwards! So sit back, get your notebook and popcorn ready for this Month’s Rankings! Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: aaron loup, adam dunn, adam laroche, adam wainwright, adrian beltre, albert pujols, alex cobb, alex gordon, Alexi Ogando, alfonso soriano, allen craig, andre ethier, angel pagan, aramis ramirez, arizona diamondbacks, aroldis chapman, Atlanta Braves, austin jackson, baltimore orioles, ben revere, ben zobrist, billy butler, boston red sox, brad ziegler, brandon belt, brandon phillips, Bronson Arroyo, bruce chen, bryce harper, buster posey, c.c. sabathia, carlos gomez, carlos quentin, carlos ruiz, casey fien, chad billingsley, chase headley, chicago cubs, chicago white sox, cincinnati reds, clayton kershaw, clayton richard, cleveland indians, cliff lee, coco crisp, cole hamels, colorado rockies, corey hart, craig kimbrel, curtis granderson, curtis maybin, danny espinosa, darren o'day, david cooper, david Dejesus, david hernandez, david murphy, david price, david wright, delmon young, derek jeter, detroit tigers, Dexter Fowler, dustin pedroia, elvis andrus, eric chavez, eric young, erik kratz, evan longoria, felix hernandez, freddie freeman, freddy garcia, garrett jones, giancarlo stanton, gio gonzalez, hanley ramirez, hisashi iwakuma, houston astros, hunter pence, ike davis, j.a. happ, j.j. putz, james shields, jamey carroll, jason heyward, javier lopez, jay bruce, jayson werth, jeff keppinger, Jeremy guthrie, jesus montero, jim johnson, jimmy rollins, joaquin arias, joe mauer, joe nathan, joel hanrahan, john jay, john mayberry Jr., johnny cueto, jon lester, jonathan broxton, jonathan lucroy, jonathan papelbon, jose reyes, jose valverde, josh hamilton, josh reddick, juan encarnacion, justin morneau, justin verlander, kansas city royals, kevin frandsen, kevin youkilis, kris medlen, kyle kendrick, kyle lohse, kyle seager, los angeles angels, los angeles dodgers, luke gregerson, Marco scutaro, Mark buerhle, mark reynolds, mark rogers, martin prado, mat latos, Matt Harrison, matt holliday, matt kemp, matt moore, matt scherzer, matt wieters, melky cabrera, miami marlins, miguel cabrera, mike fiers, Mike Leake, milwaukee brewers, minnesota twins, mitch moreland, moises sierra, New Marlins Ball Park, new york mets, new york yankees, nick markakis, nick swisher, NL Comeback Player of the Year, NL Rookie of the Year, Norichika Aoki, oakland athletics, oliver perez, paul goldschmidt, pedro alavarez, pedro ciriaco, philadelphia phillies, pittsburgh pirates, placido polanco, prince fielder, r.a. dickey, ricky romero, roy halladay, ryan dempster, ryan howard, ryan mattheus, ryan webb, ryan zimmerman, san diego padres, san francisco giants, scott podsednik, scott rolen, seattle mariners, sergio romo, st louis cardinals, stephen strasburg, steve lombardozzi, tampa bay rays, texas rangers, tim hudson, todd frazier, Torii Hunter, toronto blue jays, Triple crown, tyler colvin, Tyler Flowers, wade miley, washington nationals, will venable, yonder alonso, yovani gallardo, yu darvish

Josh Hamilton: Should the Rangers Extend Their Star Slugger Immediately?

Aug 24

Posted by bernieolshansky

Friday August 24th, 2012

Bernie Olshansky: In the present time, Josh Hamilton is the Texas Rangers’ best player. One of the best in baseball baseball in fact. Hamilton has enjoyed one of the finest seasons of his career thus far, hitting .285 with 34 homers and 102 RBIs. He had a hot stretch at one point that included four home runs in a single game. Players like Hamilton don’t come around often, so if the Rangers are smart, they will extend his contract ASAP.

With Hamilton in the lineup, the Rangers have played in two World Series. He won the 2010 MVP award when the Rangers lost to the Giants in the Fall Classic in five games. If the Rangers wait until Hamilton hits free agency this offseason, they will have to compete with other teams and likely pay more than they would if they offered Hamilton right now. They could also risk losing him to the division rival Angels (this is highly doubtful given the large contracts of Albert Pujols and C.J. Wilson and a future contract of Mike Trout). This would be the worst possible scenario with the Angels already looking like a World Series-caliber team.

Posted in MLB Player Profiles, MLB Teams: Articles and Analysis

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Tags: albert pujols, baseball, big contracts, contract, elvis andrus, free agency, free agent, josh hamilton, la dodgers, miami marlins, mlb, mlb reports, money, negotiations, prince fielder, rangers, texas rangers, yu darvish

White Sox or Tigers: Who Wins the Central?

Aug 12

Posted by Jake Dal Porto

Sunday August 12th, 2012

Jake Dal Porto: The American League Central division is shaping out to be one of the tightest races in baseball. It was the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians battling for the top spot during the first few months. Now, the favorited Detroit Tigers have climbed their way back into the thick of things while the Indians have faded. This is far from how several people predicted this race to play out, though. Preseason predictions had the Tigers penciled in to win the Central by double-digit games. I’m talking about 15-20 games.

While that’s still somewhat possible barring a late season collapse by the White Sox, Chicago is for real. Bolstering their pitching staff at the deadline with Brett Myers and Francisco Liriano, and adding a bat in Kevin Youkilis, the Windy City boys have yet to show signs of fatigue. The Tigers didn’t stand pat at the deadline, either. In fact, they might’ve made one of the best deals at the deadline, of course, only to be outshone by the bigger moves involving the bigger names. They sent top pitching prospect Jacob Turner to the Marlins in exchange for Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez. Infante remains under control through next season, while Sanchez is strictly a rental player for the time being. The point is, both clubs made moves to help them win now. Read the rest of this entry →

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MLB Reports Monthly Power Rankings: August 2012

Aug 6

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Monday August.6/2012

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)- It has been a crazy month in which teams have stockpiled some heavy talent at the trade deadline to get ready for the playoffs. Amongst the biggest gainers for the rankings this month were: the Athletics, Reds, Braves, Tigers, Dodgers (because of the deals) and Mariners while the Mets, Red Sox, Indians and Royals saw brutal months all but seal their playoff fates. I do think that Boston has a punchers chance but that all is dependent on David Ortiz returning to the lineup swiftly. The power of the best teams is definitely leaning to the National League right now where several teams are playing great baseball. With one-third of the season left we are all in for a treat as baseball fans.

I will have one more regular season Power Rankings month of September (to be posted on Labor Day Weekend,) before I also provide a playoff style ranking of the 1-10 seeds right before the Wild Card Teams play the play in game. It certainly has been awesome to follow how the trade deadline has effected the Monthly Rankings this time around. I think it is safe to say that this years deadline provided more interest and following-from even the casual fan more than any other year before. I also believe that the Non-Waiver Trade Deadline is now the best Trade Deadline in all of sports. Social Media has a lot to do with this but so does parity. The 2nd Wild Card spot has also created more teams willing to trade prospects in lieu of going for it. Read the rest of this entry →

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A Story of MLB Free Agency: Prince Fielder and Albert Pujols

Jul 26

Posted by johnburnsmlb

Thursday July 26th, 2012

John Burns: Two of baseball biggest sluggers Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder both signed $200 million plus contracts this offseason when they hit free agency. Pujols was the first of the two sluggers to sign. On December 10^th, 2011, Pujols signed a ten-year deal with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, worth around $254 million. It was speculated around the winter meeting that Pujols could join the Miami Marlins who emerged as early favorites for Pujols. Albert could have easily been a Marlin right now if it wasn’t for Miami not granting Pujols a no-trade clause. As for Prince Fielder he waited until late January to sign. Fielder ended up signing a nine-year, $214 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Both Fielder and Pujols shocked the baseball world by signing with teams that you would have never expected to see either of them play for. But that is part of the beauty of this game. You never know what will happen. Read the rest of this entry →

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Tags: al, al central, AL West, albert pujols, angels, baseball, contract, detroit tigers, fielder, free agency, Home Runs, los angeles angels, mlb, playoffs, prince fielder, sluggers, tigers, worldseries

The Washington Nationals Franchise 2005-2012: (Part 4 of The Expos/Nats Series)

Jul 20

Posted by chuckbooth3023

Friday, July.20/2012

Note from Chuck Booth: I am attempting to bring the history for each of the 30 MLB Franchises into a 5 part series that will focus on 1. The teams history. 2. The hitters 3. The pitchers. 4. The Team’s Payroll going into in 2013 and 5. (The stadium articles will all be done next summer when I go to all of the parks in under a month again.) To follow all of the updates, be sure to check my author page with a list of all archived articles here.

Stephen Strasburg is the new face of the Washington Nationals. Will Bryce Harper and he be able to bring a World Series to Washington?

Chuck Booth (Lead Baseball Writer and @chuckbooth3024 on twitter)– At the beginning of 2005, MLB returned to Washington for the first time since 1971. So how was this time going to be any different from the first two times in DC? The Minnesota Twins first moved from the old Washington in 1961 and the Texas Rangers moved in 1971 from Washington a decade later. The Washington Nationals (or Senators in the early 20’s where the won a World Series in 1924. The first and only WS the city of Washington has seen) had hall of fame players such as: Goose Goslin, Sam Rice and Joe Cronin to accompany the great Walter Johnston. By the time the team moved to Minnesota before the start of the 1961 season, the club had young phenoms Harmon Killebrew and Bob Allison seen as their nucleus of a young Washington team before moving.

Washington’s second go around (in the American League this time) lasted from 1961-1971. The Washington fans were granted an AL Expansion team by MLB-to hold ontotheir anti-trust exemption status. The Los Angeles Angels were their expansion cousins. These AL Washington teams were awful and only were saved by Frank Howard and his 6 foot 7 frame smashing home runs for the years of 1965-1971 as their first baseman/outfielder. The team only managed one winning season in a decade and that was under the managerial guide of Ted Williams. Bob Short had acquired the team with 9.4 Million Dollars that was all borrowed after the previous owner had died in 1967. Short promptly named himself the General Manager. Finances caught up to him and he eventually traded away some of the best talent before selling the club to the city of Arlington after the 1971 season. Washington would be without baseball for 33 years until the Expos moved back into RFK Stadium and changed their name to the Nationals in 2005.

For Part 1 of the Article Series, The Expos Hitters: click here

For Part 2 of the Article Series, The Expos Pitchers: click here

For Part 3 of the Article Series, The Demise of the Montreal Expos: click here

For Part 5 of the Article Series, 2005-2012 Nats Best 25 Man Roster click here

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MLB All-Star Break: Second Half Fantasy Baseball Targets and Flops

Jul 11

Posted by pwstein87

Wednesday July 11th, 2012

Peter Stein (Fantasy Baseball Analyst – MLB reports):

As we sit at the All-Star break, the first half of the season brought with it many fantasy busts and surprises. This is a great opportunity to buy low on many players, as well as sell high on the players that cannot sustain their strong first half of the 2012 season.

SECOND HALF TARGETS:

Edwin Encarnacion’s power surge appears to be legit, very similar to the manner of his teammate Jose Bautista. Combine the second half of 2011 with the first half of 2012, and you are looking at 34 home runs 94 RBIs, and 19 stolen bases. Try and pry Edwin if an owner is looking to sell and acquire a more household name. Edwin continues to improve his approach the plate and is not overly benefiting from inflated BABIP or ISO numbers.

Carlos Santana had a miserable first half and with a high stock coming into 2012, many fantasy owners have been left devastated. The truth is that he ahs been consistently banged up with injuries, including a concussion, and really hasn’t been able to establish any rhythm. His stock is at an all-time low and he has the ability to produce like a top-3 catcher in the second half. Read the rest of this entry →

Posted in Players: Fantasy Baseball Articles

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The Prince is Crowned Yet Again! Fielder Wins Another Home Run Derby Title

Jul 10

Posted by johnburnsmlb