NL MVP:
Chase Utley - He's been a monster this season. He's easily the top player at a weak position. He's also the big reason the Phillies offense has been good.
Also considered: Chipper Jones, Albert Pujols, Alfonso Soriano, Lance Berkman.
NL Cy Young:
Tim Lincecum - Lincecum is the future of the Giants. While the team has been horrible, they can at least figure to win 1 of 5 games. He's not giving up runs and he's striking out 9.37 per 9 innings.
Also considered: Edison Volquez, Brandon Webb, Dan Haren, Aaron Cook.
NL Rookie of the Year:
Geovany Soto - The Cubs backstop has already won All Star honors, so rookie of the year would be the next step. He's hitting well and holding his own behind the plate. I'd rather give it to him than a player that has spent years playing in another professional league.
Also considered: Edison Volquez, Kosuke Fukudome, Jay Bruce.
NL Manager of the Year:
Jerry Manuel - Since he took over the Mets, they have looked like the winning team everyone expected. They are now a half a game back after spending the beginning of the season at the bottom of the standings.
Also considered: Lou Pinella, Tony LaRussa, Fredi Gonzalez.
NL Executive of the Year:
John Mozeliak - The rookie GM of the Cardinals has pulled off some impressive moves that people wouldn't have expected to work, like bringing in Kyle Lohse in the middle of spring training. He was also responsible for signing Ryan Ludwick to a minor league deal before last season (when he was the asst GM). He's also not afraid to stand up to manager Tony LaRussa; early in the season, he said that Anthony Reyes was staying with the Cardinals (he did end up getting sent down after some struggles, but Tony didn't want him in the first place).
Also considered: Jim Hendry, Bob Melvin.
7.14.2008
MLB Mid-season Review: NL East
Mid-season Review: NL East
The NL East is a wide open race. The Mets and Phillies are neck and neck, while Florida is right there. I'd have to say this is one of the weaker division in baseball, since there are really only 2 possible contenders.
Atlanta Braves
Record: 45-50
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 5th
What Went Right?
The pitching has carried this team; they've given up the 5th fewest runs in baseball.
What Went Wrong?
They have been very unlucky. They have outscored their opponents, but still have a losing record. Injuries have also hurt the team; ace John Smoltz is done for the year. Their hitting also is very streaky.
What Needs To Be Done?
Time to sell; while they can't be this unlucky all season, they would be best off building for next year. The young pitching is getting in place, but they have some holes in the field. Mark Teixeira is the best (and only) piece they have.
Grade: C-
Florida Marlins
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 45-50
Farm System: 12th
What Went Right?
The Marlins are the anti-Braves; they can score runs, but can't stop them. They also have been incredibly lucky - 5 games over .500 and have scored less than they've given up.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. They've given up the 4th most runs in the league.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are bound to come back to earth, but they don't need to do much. Most of the pieces are in place for a few years; a couple of guys could be dealt due to raises, but they'll probably hold off until the off season for that.
Grade: C
New York Mets
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 28th
What Went Right?
Johan Santana's been pretty good. That's about it until recently.
What Went Wrong?
The beginning of the season. The Mets started slow, but have been pretty good since Willie Randolph was fired. The thin outfield is showing since Moises Alou has gone down, again. Carlos Delgado has been horrible; I'm surprised that he is still playing.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are in a good position to take over the division. Ryan Church is just about cleared to played and they want to bring in another outfielder. If they can find a solution for first base, they will be pretty well set.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 56-39
Farm System: 17th
What Went Right?
The team can hit and the pitching has been adequite. Chase Utley has been a monster this season.
What Went Wrong?
What has Brett Myers changed in the last 2 seasons? The one time ace is now pitching in Triple A trying to figure out that question. Ryan Howard has had a slow start, but he's coming around.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need a pitcher to counter-act Santana. Their pitching won't help them if they make it to the post-season.
Grade: B
Washington Nationals
Record: 36-60
Pythagorean Record: 35-61
Farm System: 21st
What Went Right?
Good performances from Odalis Perez and Tim Redding could help this team at the deadline. Other than that, nothing.
What Went Wrong?
Losing Ryan Zimmerman was a huge blow. Most of their young players haven't lived up to their potential.
What Needs To Be Done?
Over-haul. The team doesn't have a direction. With current GM Jim Bowden in hot water, there could be a change on the horizon. Nows the time to sell off every player that doesn't have a future, including Nick Johnson and Christian Guzman.
Grade: F
The NL East is a wide open race. The Mets and Phillies are neck and neck, while Florida is right there. I'd have to say this is one of the weaker division in baseball, since there are really only 2 possible contenders.
Atlanta Braves
Record: 45-50
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 5th
What Went Right?
The pitching has carried this team; they've given up the 5th fewest runs in baseball.
What Went Wrong?
They have been very unlucky. They have outscored their opponents, but still have a losing record. Injuries have also hurt the team; ace John Smoltz is done for the year. Their hitting also is very streaky.
What Needs To Be Done?
Time to sell; while they can't be this unlucky all season, they would be best off building for next year. The young pitching is getting in place, but they have some holes in the field. Mark Teixeira is the best (and only) piece they have.
Grade: C-
Florida Marlins
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 45-50
Farm System: 12th
What Went Right?
The Marlins are the anti-Braves; they can score runs, but can't stop them. They also have been incredibly lucky - 5 games over .500 and have scored less than they've given up.
What Went Wrong?
The pitching has been horrible. They've given up the 4th most runs in the league.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are bound to come back to earth, but they don't need to do much. Most of the pieces are in place for a few years; a couple of guys could be dealt due to raises, but they'll probably hold off until the off season for that.
Grade: C
New York Mets
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 52-43
Farm System: 28th
What Went Right?
Johan Santana's been pretty good. That's about it until recently.
What Went Wrong?
The beginning of the season. The Mets started slow, but have been pretty good since Willie Randolph was fired. The thin outfield is showing since Moises Alou has gone down, again. Carlos Delgado has been horrible; I'm surprised that he is still playing.
What Needs To Be Done?
They are in a good position to take over the division. Ryan Church is just about cleared to played and they want to bring in another outfielder. If they can find a solution for first base, they will be pretty well set.
Grade: C+
Philadelphia Phillies
Record: 51-44
Pythagorean Record: 56-39
Farm System: 17th
What Went Right?
The team can hit and the pitching has been adequite. Chase Utley has been a monster this season.
What Went Wrong?
What has Brett Myers changed in the last 2 seasons? The one time ace is now pitching in Triple A trying to figure out that question. Ryan Howard has had a slow start, but he's coming around.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need a pitcher to counter-act Santana. Their pitching won't help them if they make it to the post-season.
Grade: B
Washington Nationals
Record: 36-60
Pythagorean Record: 35-61
Farm System: 21st
What Went Right?
Good performances from Odalis Perez and Tim Redding could help this team at the deadline. Other than that, nothing.
What Went Wrong?
Losing Ryan Zimmerman was a huge blow. Most of their young players haven't lived up to their potential.
What Needs To Be Done?
Over-haul. The team doesn't have a direction. With current GM Jim Bowden in hot water, there could be a change on the horizon. Nows the time to sell off every player that doesn't have a future, including Nick Johnson and Christian Guzman.
Grade: F
MLB Mid-season Review: AL East
Mid-season Review: AL East
This has been one of the best divisions in baseball. All teams are close to .500 or better. Of course, no one believed Tampa had the power to make a run, but they have been one of the best stories this season.
Baltimore Orioles
Record: 45-48
Pythagorean Record: 45-45
Farm System: 8th
What Went Right?
Well, they are middle of the pack in runs scored (13th in MLB).
What Went Wrong?
The Pitching, which was to be expected. They given up the 9th most runs in the league. They also should have had Brian Roberts traded by now. They aren't going to win this year; they probably aren't going to win next year either so they may as well trade the guys with a little value.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to start the selling. Ramon Hernandez, Roberts, Huff, etc. could all help net a prospect or 2. This will also clear spots for some of their players that are close to taking everyday roles.
Grade: C-
Boston Red Sox
Record: 57-40
Pythagorean Record: 59-38
Farm System: 3rd
What Went Right?
As to be expected, just about everything has gone right. They've got a surplus of pitching and the hitting is doing what is expected.
What Went Wrong?
Julio Lugo - what happened to the guys that played for the Rays a few years ago. Hideki Okajima has also struggles in his second MLB season.
What Needs To Be Done?
Adding a lefty reliever is the main objective - Brian Fuentes has been linked to the team. They are also looking for some hitters, probably to come off the bench. They also have Coco Crisp, who had been part of plenty of rumors until recently.
Grade: A
New York Yankees
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 16th
What Went Right?
As of late, the team has been pretty good. Mike Mussina looks like he's found the foutain of youth. The problem was...
What Went Wrong?
They got off to a horrible start, which could kill post-season chances. The young players they were counting on, namely Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, have been ineffective and hurt.
What Needs To Be Done?
They definitely needs some help, but I'm not ruling them out. Richie Sexson could be brought in to face lefties; he's killed them this year while the Yankees haven't been able to. They could also use a starter and a reliever.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 55-39
Pythagorean Record: 52-42
Farm System: 4th
What Went Right?
Everything. The Rays have surprised everyone this year with solid all around play. They gotten contributions from everyone.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen has blown a few games. Other than that, they should have nothing to complain about.
What Needs To Be Done?
They really need to over-haul the 'pen. Brian Fuentes is their main goal. They also could use an additional bench player or 2.
Grade: A
Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 47-48
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 24th
What Went Right?
They have a solid run differential and have been really unlucky. They've gotten some surprises from young players.
What Went Wrong?
Like I mentioned, they've been unlucky. Injuries have also had a small effect on the team. Add in Frank Thomas and his bad start and the JP/Adam Dunn circus, there have been too many distractions.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to plan for next year. This division is too strong and they can't make up the difference. Trading AJ Burnett could add a key player or 2 for next year.
Grade: D
This has been one of the best divisions in baseball. All teams are close to .500 or better. Of course, no one believed Tampa had the power to make a run, but they have been one of the best stories this season.
Baltimore Orioles
Record: 45-48
Pythagorean Record: 45-45
Farm System: 8th
What Went Right?
Well, they are middle of the pack in runs scored (13th in MLB).
What Went Wrong?
The Pitching, which was to be expected. They given up the 9th most runs in the league. They also should have had Brian Roberts traded by now. They aren't going to win this year; they probably aren't going to win next year either so they may as well trade the guys with a little value.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to start the selling. Ramon Hernandez, Roberts, Huff, etc. could all help net a prospect or 2. This will also clear spots for some of their players that are close to taking everyday roles.
Grade: C-
Boston Red Sox
Record: 57-40
Pythagorean Record: 59-38
Farm System: 3rd
What Went Right?
As to be expected, just about everything has gone right. They've got a surplus of pitching and the hitting is doing what is expected.
What Went Wrong?
Julio Lugo - what happened to the guys that played for the Rays a few years ago. Hideki Okajima has also struggles in his second MLB season.
What Needs To Be Done?
Adding a lefty reliever is the main objective - Brian Fuentes has been linked to the team. They are also looking for some hitters, probably to come off the bench. They also have Coco Crisp, who had been part of plenty of rumors until recently.
Grade: A
New York Yankees
Record: 50-45
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 16th
What Went Right?
As of late, the team has been pretty good. Mike Mussina looks like he's found the foutain of youth. The problem was...
What Went Wrong?
They got off to a horrible start, which could kill post-season chances. The young players they were counting on, namely Phil Hughes and Ian Kennedy, have been ineffective and hurt.
What Needs To Be Done?
They definitely needs some help, but I'm not ruling them out. Richie Sexson could be brought in to face lefties; he's killed them this year while the Yankees haven't been able to. They could also use a starter and a reliever.
Grade: C+
Tampa Bay Rays
Record: 55-39
Pythagorean Record: 52-42
Farm System: 4th
What Went Right?
Everything. The Rays have surprised everyone this year with solid all around play. They gotten contributions from everyone.
What Went Wrong?
The bullpen has blown a few games. Other than that, they should have nothing to complain about.
What Needs To Be Done?
They really need to over-haul the 'pen. Brian Fuentes is their main goal. They also could use an additional bench player or 2.
Grade: A
Toronto Blue Jays
Record: 47-48
Pythagorean Record: 50-45
Farm System: 24th
What Went Right?
They have a solid run differential and have been really unlucky. They've gotten some surprises from young players.
What Went Wrong?
Like I mentioned, they've been unlucky. Injuries have also had a small effect on the team. Add in Frank Thomas and his bad start and the JP/Adam Dunn circus, there have been too many distractions.
What Needs To Be Done?
They need to plan for next year. This division is too strong and they can't make up the difference. Trading AJ Burnett could add a key player or 2 for next year.
Grade: D
Mid-season Updates
Alright, now that we are at the break, I'm going to review the first half by division. I'll have 2 divisions up each day, along with a bonus. Today I'll have up the Easts and the NL award winners.
Tomorrow I'll have the Centrals, with my all star team and lists of what the readers chose.
I'll finish up on Wednesday with the Wests and AL award winners. I'll also post the updated Power Rankings on Wednesday.
Hopefully next week I'll restart Coming Soon to a Ballpark Near You...
Tomorrow I'll have the Centrals, with my all star team and lists of what the readers chose.
I'll finish up on Wednesday with the Wests and AL award winners. I'll also post the updated Power Rankings on Wednesday.
Hopefully next week I'll restart Coming Soon to a Ballpark Near You...
Weekend Update: 07/14/2008
The Futures Game was last night. The World Team beat the USA 3-0. If I get a chance later, I'll post a little bit deeper wrap up.
7.11.2008
Daily Update: 07/11/2008
Scores
STL 1 PHI 4
CIN 12 CHC 7
SF 3 NYM 7
TB 2 CLe 13
BAL 5 TOR 6
LAA 11 TEX 10
FLA 5 LAD 4
CHW 1 KC 4
ARI 7 WAS 5
NYY 2 PIT 4
COL 1 MIL 11
MIN 7 DET 6
SEA 2 OAK 3
Transactions
Cleveland Indians
Rick Bauer Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent; Joe Borowski Released; Bryan Bullington Acquired Off Waivers From Pittsburgh; Bullington Sent to Minors.
Detroit Tigers
Dane Sardinha Designated for Assignment; Brandon Inge Removed From 15-Day DL (Pulled left oblique); Jeff Larish Called Up from Minors.
Florida Marlins
Brett Carroll Transferred to 60-Day DL (Separated right shoulder); Josh Johnson Removed From 60-Day DL (Recovery from right elbow surgery).
Houston Astros
Reggie Abercrombie Outrighted to Minors; Oscar Villarreal Released.
Milwaukee Brewers
Randy Choate Removed From 15-Day DL (Fractured left hand); Choate Outrighted to Minors.
Minnesota Twins
Adam Everett Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Phillies
J.A. Happ Sent to Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Dan Reichert Traded From Cleveland for cash considerations; John Van Benschoten Sent to Minors.
Seattle Mariners
Craig Wilson Traded From Pittsburgh for player to be named; Erik Bedard Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder stiffness); Jared Wells Called Up from Minors; Richie Sexson Released.
St. Louis Cardinals
Mark Mulder Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder strain).
Washington Nationals
Aaron Boone Placed on 15-Day DL (Strained left calf); Pete Orr Called Up from Minors.
Daily Rumors from MLB Trade Rumors
- Tony LaRussa is pushing for the Cardinals to add a bat, lefty reliever, and a starter; GM John Mozeliak replied that he doesn't want to cripple the future to make a move.
- The Royals had internal discussion about CC Sabathia.
- Oakland never asked about Josh Vitters in negotiations for Harden; they could deal Murton or Patterson.
- The Diamondbacks will not pursue Barry Bonds, but may check out the pitching market.
- Former #1 pick Bryan Bullington has been claimed by the Indians; the Pirates moved him off the 40-man roster.
- The Marlins are again interested in Willy Taveras; they have made Mark Hendrickson available.
- Damaso Marte may be off the market with Matt Capps.
- Washington has Christian Guzman on the market while trying to sign him to extension.
- The Rangers would trade Frank Catalanotto, but his contract may make that hard.
- Houston has gotten interest in Mark Loretta and Darin Erstad.
- The Phillies are looking for a hitter and pitcher; the Blue Jays have been scouting their Double A team.
- Richie Sexson has been released.
- The Blue Jays have been getting calls on Matt Stairs.
- Even with the addition of Harden, the Cubs could attempt to get Randy Wolf.
- Dodgers sign first rounder Ethan Martin.
- Moises Alou is done for the season and could retire.
Around the Web
Injury Report
Top Prospect Alert's Top MiLB Performances.
BA Prospect Blog
All Star Voting
Today's Matchups
SF at CHC, 2:20
Cain (5-7) vs Marquis (6-5)
STL at PIT, 7:05
Lohse (10-2) vs Duke (4-5)
ARI at PHI, 7:05
Davis (3-4) vs Kendrick (8-3)
BAL at BOS, 7:05
Burres (6-5) vs Buchholz (2-3)
TB at CLE, 7:05
Shields (7-5) vs Lee (11-2)
MIN at DET, 7:05
Perkins (5-2) vs Galarraga (7-2)
NYY at TOR, 7:07
Chamberlain (2-2) vs Halladay (10-6)
COL at NYM, 7:10
Cook (11-6) vs Perez (6-5)
HOU at WAS, 7:35
Oswalt (7-8) vs Redding (6-3)
CIN at MIL, 8:05
Fogg (1-2) vs Parra (8-2)
CHW at TEX, 8:05
Floyd (10-4) vs Mendoza (1-3)
SEA at KC, 8:10
Hernandez (6-5) vs Hochevar (5-7)
ATL at SD, 10:05
Reyes (3-7) vs Peavy (6-5)
LAA at OAK, 10:05
Garland (8-5) vs Gallagher (3-4)
FLA at LAD, 10:40
Volstad (0-0) vs Stults (2-1)
STL 1 PHI 4
CIN 12 CHC 7
SF 3 NYM 7
TB 2 CLe 13
BAL 5 TOR 6
LAA 11 TEX 10
FLA 5 LAD 4
CHW 1 KC 4
ARI 7 WAS 5
NYY 2 PIT 4
COL 1 MIL 11
MIN 7 DET 6
SEA 2 OAK 3
Transactions
Cleveland Indians
Rick Bauer Refused Minor League Assignment - Free Agent; Joe Borowski Released; Bryan Bullington Acquired Off Waivers From Pittsburgh; Bullington Sent to Minors.
Detroit Tigers
Dane Sardinha Designated for Assignment; Brandon Inge Removed From 15-Day DL (Pulled left oblique); Jeff Larish Called Up from Minors.
Florida Marlins
Brett Carroll Transferred to 60-Day DL (Separated right shoulder); Josh Johnson Removed From 60-Day DL (Recovery from right elbow surgery).
Houston Astros
Reggie Abercrombie Outrighted to Minors; Oscar Villarreal Released.
Milwaukee Brewers
Randy Choate Removed From 15-Day DL (Fractured left hand); Choate Outrighted to Minors.
Minnesota Twins
Adam Everett Sent to Minors For Rehabilitation.
Philadelphia Phillies
J.A. Happ Sent to Minors.
Pittsburgh Pirates
Dan Reichert Traded From Cleveland for cash considerations; John Van Benschoten Sent to Minors.
Seattle Mariners
Craig Wilson Traded From Pittsburgh for player to be named; Erik Bedard Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder stiffness); Jared Wells Called Up from Minors; Richie Sexson Released.
St. Louis Cardinals
Mark Mulder Placed on 15-Day DL (Left shoulder strain).
Washington Nationals
Aaron Boone Placed on 15-Day DL (Strained left calf); Pete Orr Called Up from Minors.
Daily Rumors from MLB Trade Rumors
- Tony LaRussa is pushing for the Cardinals to add a bat, lefty reliever, and a starter; GM John Mozeliak replied that he doesn't want to cripple the future to make a move.
- The Royals had internal discussion about CC Sabathia.
- Oakland never asked about Josh Vitters in negotiations for Harden; they could deal Murton or Patterson.
- The Diamondbacks will not pursue Barry Bonds, but may check out the pitching market.
- Former #1 pick Bryan Bullington has been claimed by the Indians; the Pirates moved him off the 40-man roster.
- The Marlins are again interested in Willy Taveras; they have made Mark Hendrickson available.
- Damaso Marte may be off the market with Matt Capps.
- Washington has Christian Guzman on the market while trying to sign him to extension.
- The Rangers would trade Frank Catalanotto, but his contract may make that hard.
- Houston has gotten interest in Mark Loretta and Darin Erstad.
- The Phillies are looking for a hitter and pitcher; the Blue Jays have been scouting their Double A team.
- Richie Sexson has been released.
- The Blue Jays have been getting calls on Matt Stairs.
- Even with the addition of Harden, the Cubs could attempt to get Randy Wolf.
- Dodgers sign first rounder Ethan Martin.
- Moises Alou is done for the season and could retire.
Around the Web
Injury Report
Top Prospect Alert's Top MiLB Performances.
BA Prospect Blog
All Star Voting
Today's Matchups
SF at CHC, 2:20
Cain (5-7) vs Marquis (6-5)
STL at PIT, 7:05
Lohse (10-2) vs Duke (4-5)
ARI at PHI, 7:05
Davis (3-4) vs Kendrick (8-3)
BAL at BOS, 7:05
Burres (6-5) vs Buchholz (2-3)
TB at CLE, 7:05
Shields (7-5) vs Lee (11-2)
MIN at DET, 7:05
Perkins (5-2) vs Galarraga (7-2)
NYY at TOR, 7:07
Chamberlain (2-2) vs Halladay (10-6)
COL at NYM, 7:10
Cook (11-6) vs Perez (6-5)
HOU at WAS, 7:35
Oswalt (7-8) vs Redding (6-3)
CIN at MIL, 8:05
Fogg (1-2) vs Parra (8-2)
CHW at TEX, 8:05
Floyd (10-4) vs Mendoza (1-3)
SEA at KC, 8:10
Hernandez (6-5) vs Hochevar (5-7)
ATL at SD, 10:05
Reyes (3-7) vs Peavy (6-5)
LAA at OAK, 10:05
Garland (8-5) vs Gallagher (3-4)
FLA at LAD, 10:40
Volstad (0-0) vs Stults (2-1)
7.10.2008
Daily Update: 07/10/2008
I know I've mentioned this in the past, but Paul DePodesta, assistant GM of the Padres, has his own team sponsored blog. It's a really good read and he allows approved comments. It's nice to see a ball club that will interact with the fans.
7.09.2008
Rankings: 07/09/2008
Disclaimer
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Cardinal Prospect Update
From Future Redbirds:
I call it dangerous because I’m sure I may end up looking back on these and think to myself “what was I smoking?”. I have a love-hate relationship with prospect rankings. It’s just that they can so debatable, which makes them fun and also makes them mind-numbing. And I think some sites out there just throw together rankings all too willy-nilly, because people like discussing lists and it’s a cheap way to get people to visit and talk about your site. I don’t want to do that. But I have been thinking about this for a while…there have been some players who have had some serious helium-Jess Todd and Daryl Jones for example-and other players have fallen out of the picture. And there also was a draft this past June, in case you haven’t heard. So therefore, I figure my personal rankings could use an update. I’m not going to go as far as 25 like I do in the winter; we’ll just go with 15 for right now w/mini-snippets on why they are there.
1. Colby Rasmus-Prolonged early season slump or no slump, Colby’s status has not changed.
2. Brett Wallace- Thinking about Rasmus, Wallace and Pujols in the same lineup in the near future is pretty exciting. If that doesn’t work out, maybe they can also flip him for a former Cy Young winner.
3. Bryan Anderson-It’s a coin flip between Jaime Garcia and Anderson here for me, but I’ll give the slight edge to Anderson. He’s improved his defense and has not stopped hitting despite the challenges thrown at him. Will he still be around after the All Star break is the question.
4. Jaime Garcia-After obliterating AA, he’s had his ups and downs in AAA but is still holding his own.
5. Clayton Mortensen-His ERA is fine, but peripherals are actually pretty ugly in AAA, but he’s still getting a lot of groundballs and the Cardinals seem to have challenged him more than anyone in the system.
6. Daryl Jones-Daryl fell from grace last year, missing BA’s Top 30 entirely. Since then, he became a baseball player. The gap between what he is now and what he will become (20/20 OF, good OBP, defense) is still high, but nowhere near as high as it was just a year ago.
7. Jess Todd will destroy us all. What excites me more than anything about Todd is he’s been so adaptable. He quickly picked up the cutter and seems to be doing the same with a 2-seam fastball. His feel for pitching stands out more than his stuff.
8. Pete Kozma-I’m nicer to Kozma than some of my compadres here at the blog. I think he should be at least an average MLB SS, but after a hot April he’s done nothing to impress me at all. Having seen him several times in person and on the local TV station here, I’ve come up with a conspiracy theory–He changed up his swing a little and become a little more of a power hitter out of spring training. Then, at the first sign of a slump he went back to what felt comfortable to him and has become nothing more than a singles hitter. It’s just a theory, and I’m not certain of the validity but the month-by-month numbers seem to bear it out. I think he’s also had a difficult time adjusting to pro ball out of high school, so when you take that into consideration he’s not been that bad.
9. Lance Lynn-Here is my first little surprise, I guess Keith Law sold me on his potential to be a solid mid-rotation innings eater, and Chris O’Leary sold me on his durability, which I think is an underrated trait.
10. Jon Jay-I think Jay has the potential to be Coco Crisp in his 2004-2005 Cleveland Indians heyday when he was batting near .300, slugging nearly .450 and hitting double digits in the steals column while playing a solid OF. The key word is potential, I’m not saying I’d stake the farm on it. His Peak Translation currently is .288/.355/.457.
11. Mitchell Boggs-Three OKish starts, one great start and one horrific start doesn’t seem to justify sending him down. Yes, he wasn’t missing any bats, other than Royals bats but I think he is still potentialy a solid back-end starter and I’m ingtrigued at what he could possibly do in relief.
12. Adam Ottavino-I am giving him a lot of the benefit of the doubt. His last few stars he’s showing signs of improvement, especially in his last outing. Hopefully he’s finally coming around.
13. Joe Mather-I can’t figure him out. He hits like he could be at least a solid average big league corner OF in double A last year and now in triple A. But my gut says he’s more of a platoon/4th OF guy.
14. Tyler Herron-I really think it was a mistake pushing him up to AA so quickly. He’s been pretty bleh but he’s only 21 and still has three average pitches and good command, so here he is.
15. Nico Vasquez-Jason Motte really probably belongs here, I admit it. But as one of the charter members on the Nico bandwagon I’ll stick him here. Quick Kozma versus Nico Smackdown: Hitting for average: Given Nico’s K’s and Kozma’s contact rate, I’d say advantage Kozma. Hitting for power: Advantage Nico, by a mile. Plate discipline: Kozma. Speed: Kozma, easily. Range: Kozma, again, rather handily but Vasquez is no slouch despite his size. Throwing arm: Kozma, but a little closer. In a perfect world, Kozma will be playing along side Vasquez in the infield by 2011, with Kozma batting 2nd or 9th (assuming LaRussa doesn’t retire), and Vasquez batting 6th.
Update: Perez has been in the majors for over 40 games, so I didn’t include him on the list. If I were to include Perez, I would put him at #2, maybe even #3 after Wallace.
I call it dangerous because I’m sure I may end up looking back on these and think to myself “what was I smoking?”. I have a love-hate relationship with prospect rankings. It’s just that they can so debatable, which makes them fun and also makes them mind-numbing. And I think some sites out there just throw together rankings all too willy-nilly, because people like discussing lists and it’s a cheap way to get people to visit and talk about your site. I don’t want to do that. But I have been thinking about this for a while…there have been some players who have had some serious helium-Jess Todd and Daryl Jones for example-and other players have fallen out of the picture. And there also was a draft this past June, in case you haven’t heard. So therefore, I figure my personal rankings could use an update. I’m not going to go as far as 25 like I do in the winter; we’ll just go with 15 for right now w/mini-snippets on why they are there.
1. Colby Rasmus-Prolonged early season slump or no slump, Colby’s status has not changed.
2. Brett Wallace- Thinking about Rasmus, Wallace and Pujols in the same lineup in the near future is pretty exciting. If that doesn’t work out, maybe they can also flip him for a former Cy Young winner.
3. Bryan Anderson-It’s a coin flip between Jaime Garcia and Anderson here for me, but I’ll give the slight edge to Anderson. He’s improved his defense and has not stopped hitting despite the challenges thrown at him. Will he still be around after the All Star break is the question.
4. Jaime Garcia-After obliterating AA, he’s had his ups and downs in AAA but is still holding his own.
5. Clayton Mortensen-His ERA is fine, but peripherals are actually pretty ugly in AAA, but he’s still getting a lot of groundballs and the Cardinals seem to have challenged him more than anyone in the system.
6. Daryl Jones-Daryl fell from grace last year, missing BA’s Top 30 entirely. Since then, he became a baseball player. The gap between what he is now and what he will become (20/20 OF, good OBP, defense) is still high, but nowhere near as high as it was just a year ago.
7. Jess Todd will destroy us all. What excites me more than anything about Todd is he’s been so adaptable. He quickly picked up the cutter and seems to be doing the same with a 2-seam fastball. His feel for pitching stands out more than his stuff.
8. Pete Kozma-I’m nicer to Kozma than some of my compadres here at the blog. I think he should be at least an average MLB SS, but after a hot April he’s done nothing to impress me at all. Having seen him several times in person and on the local TV station here, I’ve come up with a conspiracy theory–He changed up his swing a little and become a little more of a power hitter out of spring training. Then, at the first sign of a slump he went back to what felt comfortable to him and has become nothing more than a singles hitter. It’s just a theory, and I’m not certain of the validity but the month-by-month numbers seem to bear it out. I think he’s also had a difficult time adjusting to pro ball out of high school, so when you take that into consideration he’s not been that bad.
9. Lance Lynn-Here is my first little surprise, I guess Keith Law sold me on his potential to be a solid mid-rotation innings eater, and Chris O’Leary sold me on his durability, which I think is an underrated trait.
10. Jon Jay-I think Jay has the potential to be Coco Crisp in his 2004-2005 Cleveland Indians heyday when he was batting near .300, slugging nearly .450 and hitting double digits in the steals column while playing a solid OF. The key word is potential, I’m not saying I’d stake the farm on it. His Peak Translation currently is .288/.355/.457.
11. Mitchell Boggs-Three OKish starts, one great start and one horrific start doesn’t seem to justify sending him down. Yes, he wasn’t missing any bats, other than Royals bats but I think he is still potentialy a solid back-end starter and I’m ingtrigued at what he could possibly do in relief.
12. Adam Ottavino-I am giving him a lot of the benefit of the doubt. His last few stars he’s showing signs of improvement, especially in his last outing. Hopefully he’s finally coming around.
13. Joe Mather-I can’t figure him out. He hits like he could be at least a solid average big league corner OF in double A last year and now in triple A. But my gut says he’s more of a platoon/4th OF guy.
14. Tyler Herron-I really think it was a mistake pushing him up to AA so quickly. He’s been pretty bleh but he’s only 21 and still has three average pitches and good command, so here he is.
15. Nico Vasquez-Jason Motte really probably belongs here, I admit it. But as one of the charter members on the Nico bandwagon I’ll stick him here. Quick Kozma versus Nico Smackdown: Hitting for average: Given Nico’s K’s and Kozma’s contact rate, I’d say advantage Kozma. Hitting for power: Advantage Nico, by a mile. Plate discipline: Kozma. Speed: Kozma, easily. Range: Kozma, again, rather handily but Vasquez is no slouch despite his size. Throwing arm: Kozma, but a little closer. In a perfect world, Kozma will be playing along side Vasquez in the infield by 2011, with Kozma batting 2nd or 9th (assuming LaRussa doesn’t retire), and Vasquez batting 6th.
Update: Perez has been in the majors for over 40 games, so I didn’t include him on the list. If I were to include Perez, I would put him at #2, maybe even #3 after Wallace.
Daily Update: 07/09/2008
The Cubs are working hard not to be outdone by the Brewers; they acquired Rich Harden and Chad Gaudin from the Athletics for 4 players.
Harden will make his first start this weekend while Gaudin will most likely be in the bullpen, getting the occasional fill in start.
Oakland received P Sean Marshall, OF Eric Patterson, OF Matt Murton, and C Josh Donaldson. Marshall will start this Friday, while the others will go to the minors.
I like what Oakland pulled for this deal; Harden could go down at any time. Reminds me of a certain Mark Mulder deal.
Harden will make his first start this weekend while Gaudin will most likely be in the bullpen, getting the occasional fill in start.
Oakland received P Sean Marshall, OF Eric Patterson, OF Matt Murton, and C Josh Donaldson. Marshall will start this Friday, while the others will go to the minors.
I like what Oakland pulled for this deal; Harden could go down at any time. Reminds me of a certain Mark Mulder deal.
7.07.2008
Weekend Update: 07/07/2008
Since there was a ton to report from the weekend, the scores and probable pitchers are scrapped for the day. All Star Rosters have been announced; I'll be looking at those before the game.
Sabathia goes to the Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers have landed CC Sabathia from the Indians for a package of prospects.
Sabathia, last years AL Cy Young winner, will join the Brewers to make his first start tomorrow night.
The Indians received a deal centered around last years #7 overall pick Matt LaPorta. Going with LaPorta are Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and a PTBNL (which is rumored to be Taylor Green).
The Brewers are expected to negotiate with Sabathia about an extension, but would be happy to pick up an extra first rounder if the pitcher test the free agent market.
LaPorta was playing left field for the Brewers Double A team, but will probably move back to his natural position at first base in the Indians system. He's expected to join Double A Akron.
I'd also speculate that Ben Sheets will be out after the season, especially if Sabathia is re-signed.
Sabathia, last years AL Cy Young winner, will join the Brewers to make his first start tomorrow night.
The Indians received a deal centered around last years #7 overall pick Matt LaPorta. Going with LaPorta are Zach Jackson, Rob Bryson, and a PTBNL (which is rumored to be Taylor Green).
The Brewers are expected to negotiate with Sabathia about an extension, but would be happy to pick up an extra first rounder if the pitcher test the free agent market.
LaPorta was playing left field for the Brewers Double A team, but will probably move back to his natural position at first base in the Indians system. He's expected to join Double A Akron.
I'd also speculate that Ben Sheets will be out after the season, especially if Sabathia is re-signed.
7.03.2008
Daily Update: 07/03/2008
The International signing period has started. Most teams will start filling out minor league rosters with Central American players. Most signings will go unnoticed, but a few will be pretty good.
7.01.2008
Rankings
Disclaimer
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Here are the new and updated Baseball Rankings. Instead of just taking the record, pythagorean record, and farm system, I've given each part a weighed score:
- The Record accounts for half of the score. Since the standings are based of record, I thought it deserved more weight than the other parts.
- The Pythagorean Record is based off of Bill James theory that you can somewhat predict a team by runs scored and runs allowed. The Pythagorean Records accounts for a third of the score.
- The Farm System is worth a sixth of the scoring, since it will impact the team, but maybe not now.
- The Standard Deviation is 3 wins.
All stats and records are prior to games on Tuesday. I'm going to start putting each teams score up; max score is 90 points.
Daily Update: 07/01/2008
I'm going to run a column of my All Star team, but I wanted reader opinions too. So, if you e-mail me your thoughts on who should be on the All Star Team, I'll list my picks and explanations and give the readers team.
Rules:
1. Like the real AS team, there must be a representative from each MLB team.
2. The player must be listed at their normal position (Just because Troy Glaus played a couple of games at first, it doesn't mean he would be an AS there, for example).
3. Anything that is not serious will not be considered.
4. You can construct the roster how ever you want - meaning you can build a bullpen of all starters, have a short bench, etc. The DH is in play since the game is in Yankee stadium.
I'll be running this next week, so get these to me ASAP. Also, if you want to do a little write up of your players, I'll try to incorporate them also. I'll put the link up to the final product later.
Thanks.
Rules:
1. Like the real AS team, there must be a representative from each MLB team.
2. The player must be listed at their normal position (Just because Troy Glaus played a couple of games at first, it doesn't mean he would be an AS there, for example).
3. Anything that is not serious will not be considered.
4. You can construct the roster how ever you want - meaning you can build a bullpen of all starters, have a short bench, etc. The DH is in play since the game is in Yankee stadium.
I'll be running this next week, so get these to me ASAP. Also, if you want to do a little write up of your players, I'll try to incorporate them also. I'll put the link up to the final product later.
Thanks.
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