2016 MLB thread. THE CUBS HAVE BROKEN THE CURSE! Chicago Cubs are your 2016 World Series champions

[madj55]

The new official fleece that Majestic came out with for the MLB is awful, the old one was classic

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

Can you guys get along?

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

Can you guys get along?

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

You are the Reds version of W4L, seriously

Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay

Can you guys get along? 

no. 

 

[wildkycat]

Originally Posted by FIRST B0RN

You are the Reds version of W4L, seriously

Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay

Can you guys get along? 

no. 

 

[pacmagic2002]

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

?  I said we were NL central favorites and predicted a WS or even a WS run?  
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DONT WORRY........I`ll wait...............idiots from OHIO of all places putting words in my mouth now

all this because i put too many exclamation points on comments about freese`s home runs........SMDH

U MAD?...........

take yall lame $#* back to that wack $#* NL central thread......

 

[pacmagic2002]

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

?  I said we were NL central favorites and predicted a WS or even a WS run?  
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DONT WORRY........I`ll wait...............idiots from OHIO of all places putting words in my mouth now

all this because i put too many exclamation points on comments about freese`s home runs........SMDH

U MAD?...........

take yall lame $#* back to that wack $#* NL central thread......

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

Reach?  I think you guys need to win one in the next four for it to be worth it.  Don't forget about the kids you sent for Latos.  They need to win one and they have a good shot in the next few years but they need a fair amount to go right with the team.  And a new manager.

 

[proshares]

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

Reach?  I think you guys need to win one in the next four for it to be worth it.  Don't forget about the kids you sent for Latos.  They need to win one and they have a good shot in the next few years but they need a fair amount to go right with the team.  And a new manager.

 

[proshares]

Future 50 v. 2.0.

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I'll be expanding this list to 100 names in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, injuries and performance changes have altered the list enough since the last update that it was time for a fresh look.

One note: Missouri State's Pierce Johnson would have appeared on this list, but a forearm strain has knocked him out of the rotation and out of the top 50 until we get more information.

Byron Buxton

CF

6-1

175

Analysis: There's a broad consensus around Buxton as the best player in this draft and a legitimate No. 1 overall pick, as he earns comparisons to a number of other players drafted in that top spot. He has all tools, an 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale with an 80 arm (reportedly 95-98 mph off the mound last week) and big future power. But he's playing against poor high school competition in rural Georgia and has yet to homer this spring, so he's not without his risks.

Mike Zunino

C

6-2

215

Analysis: A true catcher who has an unorthodox style at the plate but hits, uses the whole field and has power is a pretty valuable commodity, and he carries less risk than the three high-upside pitchers ranked right behind him. Most scouts seem to think he doesn't get past Seattle at No. 3.

Mark Appel

RHP

6-5

215

Analysis: The stuff is there, and the results are better, but the lack of deception in his delivery combined with a habit of leaving pitches (especially his changeup) up in the zone make him more hittable than a guy with this stuff should be.

Kyle Zimmer

RHP

6-4

220

Analysis: Zimmer has less of a track record than Appel but as much velocity with a better present breaking ball. He's a former position player who fields his position well but isn't as advanced a pitcher as Appel is. His velocity was down in his last start, sitting 91 mph and topping out at 93, which bears watching this upcoming weekend.

Carlos Correa

SS

6-4

190

Analysis: On track to be the highest-drafted Puerto Rican player in history as an athletic 17-year-old who projects to hit and hit for power but probably ends up at third base in pro ball. For comparison, he has more offensive upside than Francisco Lindor, who was drafted with the eighth pick last year in a stronger crop. Correa's also a dark horse to go No. 1 overall.

Kevin Gausman

RHP

6-4

185

Analysis: He's up to 99 mph on a pretty regular basis with an above-average changeup, but he's showing only a fringy curveball when he'd probably be better suited to throwing a slider.

Deven Marrero

SS

6-1

194

Analysis: He's really struggling at the plate this year, not just in terms of results but he is showing a lack of effort that has the area scouts confused since Marrero's makeup was always one of his strengths. I still see a plus defender at short who'll hit for average and has a high probability of being a decent big leaguer. I've heard Pittsburgh at No. 8 might be his floor.

Albert Almora

OF

6-2

170

Analysis: One of the best defensive center fielders to come out of the high school ranks, Almora has great feel for hitting and a simple swing with the potential to hit for power in the future.

Max Fried

LHP

6-3

170

Analysis: Owner of perhaps the best left-handed curveball in the draft with a very competitive nature and good feel for pitching that helps him pitch above his grade-55 fastball.

Matt Smoral

LHP

6-8

225

Analysis: The Solon, Ohio, product is out for the spring after suffering a stress fracture in his foot while pitching on a makeshift mound on a football field a few weeks ago, but scouts have seen enough of his easy 60 fastball/60 slider combo that I think he'll go in the top-20 picks even without giving scouts more looks before June.

Lucas Giolito

RHP

6-6

230

Analysis: This one is tough, as Giolito is out with what appears to be the most minor of elbow injuries and should pitch again in some format before the draft. If he does and the plus-plus fastball is still there, he'll undergo a lot of scrutiny from team doctors but could sneak back into the top 10.

Richie Shaffer

3B

6-3

205

Analysis: No player has improved his stock more than Shaffer has this spring, showing improved defense at third and better feel for hitting to go with 60 raw power. He probably has the best bat speed in the draft, at least among college hitters.

Stephen Piscotty

3B

6-3

215

Analysis: Piscotty's results haven't been great under Stanford's hit-by-numbers-and-don't-ever-pull-the-ball approach, but there's power in there once the shackles come off in pro ball. But he's not the defender at third that Shaffer is. Called "the perfect A's pick" by one national scout.

Gavin Cecchini

SS

6-1

180

Analysis: Some scouts call him overrated; others call him a no-doubt top-15 guy. Where they agree is that he has a good chance to stay at shortstop and a very good chance to hit for average, making him relatively safe for a high school kid.

Zach Eflin

RHP

6-5

200

Analysis: I saw him on one of his best nights of the year, but even at 90 percent of that he's a clear first-rounder and has the size, delivery and demeanor of a big leaguer to go with the above-average fastball and changeup. Scrap the knuckle-curve in favor of a traditional curve or slider, and you have a potential No. 2 starter or more.

Michael Wacha

RHP

6-6

200

Analysis: A very safe pick, just without the upside of the arms ahead of him. He will likely pitch in pro ball with a grade 50-55 fastball and a plus changeup, but the lack of an average breaking ball holds him back.

Hunter Virant

LHP

6-3

172

Analysis: Probably doesn't go quite this high, but I think he could be the next Tyler Skaggs, another projection lefty who didn't throw that hard in high school but gained velocity rapidly as his body matured.

Courtney Hawkins

OF

6-3

210

Analysis: He makes the hardest contact of anyone in this draft with above-average present power, but off-speed stuff gives him trouble, and he'll play right field in pro ball rather than center.

Andrew Heaney

LHP

6-2

174

Analysis: Heaney has emerged as the top college lefty in the draft, featuring a three-pitch mix with an above-average changeup and some funk in his delivery that adds to his deception.

Addison Russell

SS

6-1

210

Analysis: The Pace HS star has dropped about 20 pounds and improved his conditioning to the point he now "looks like a shortstop." He may not stay there long term, but would be a plus defender at third (if not better), and his bat would profile there as well.

Stryker Trahan

C

6-1

215

Analysis: His defense hasn't been as good this year as it was in the past, and he's struggled some at the plate. I think the defense can be fixed with better instruction, and there are some possible reasons behind his offensive slump, but he's not the slam dunk he appeared to be last summer and fall.

Joey Gallo

3B

6-5

220

Analysis: Scuffled badly at the USA Baseball tournament in Cary, N.C., two weeks ago, but this is the best raw power in the draft, and there's always the option of putting him on the mound, where he rivals Giolito for arm strength.

Marcus Stroman

RHP

5-8

185

Analysis: If he were 6-foot-1, he'd be a top-10 pick. That lack of fastball plane has a lot of scouts putting the 5-8 Stroman in the bullpen. I think he's a lot like Sonny Gray, who also could end up in the 'pen but has the weapons to start and should get the opportunity to do so.

Brian Johnson

LHP

6-3

235

Analysis: Another very safe college arm, perhaps this year's Mike Minor, as a guy who could reach the majors quickly because of the quality of his off-speed stuff.

Chris Stratton

RHP

6-3

198

Analysis: There's some skepticism around a guy who posted nearly identically poor stat lines for two years, but Stratton is missing a ton of bats with an above-average slider and three other pitches to make him appealing as a potential starter.

Nolan Fontana

SS

5-11

190

Analysis: He gets dinged for his arm action -- it's a 50 arm, tops -- but he has great instincts at short and a compact, linear swing that will produce short line drives and, paired with his patient approach, will keep his OBP high.

Walker Weickel

RHP

6-6

205

Analysis: He has disappointed this spring with a shorter stride and higher arm slot that have hurt his velocity and command. He could very easily end up at Miami now and be a top-10 pick in 2015.

Lucas Sims

RHP

6-2

195

Analysis: The Lawrenceville, Ga., product has a big matchup on April 10 against local power Parkview HS, which features top 100 prospect Matt Olson and potential first-rounder for next year Josh Hart. Sims works in the low-90s and does it very easily, with a very clean finish to his delivery.

David Dahl

CF

6-2

185

Analysis: Hasn't played up to expectations and recently strained a hip flexor, keeping him out of action for a few games, although he was expected back on Monday night.

Tyler Naquin

OF

6-2

175

Analysis: One of the best outfield arms in the draft (Hawkins is another) with a stronger-than-expected hitting performance, although I'm still not entirely sold on his swing.

Wyatt Mathisen

C/SS

6-2

215

Analysis: Mathisen can hit but is playing short this year rather than catching, so he'll be something of a conversion project (although he has some catching experience) if any team wants to take him and maximize his value by putting him behind the plate.

Patrick Wisdom

3B

6-2

210

Analysis: He has recovered from a brutal start, showing more power in games as opposed to just in BP. An above-average defender at third with a 60 arm who has 25-homer potential should go somewhere in the late-first round.

Clint Coulter

C

6-3

215

Analysis: This Camas, Wash., product can hit, but needs a lot of work behind the plate. The next two weeks will be huge for him and the guy right behind him on this list, as there's a parade of directors and cross-checkers heading to the Northwest to see them.

Carson Kelly

RHP

6-2

200

Analysis: Kelly, who's from Portland, Ore., came out of the summer circuit as a pitching prospect in most clubs' eyes, but he has played well in both directions so far this spring and may now go out as a third baseman, with the fallback option of the mound always available to the club that drafts him.

Corey Seager

SS

6-3

190

Analysis: He's much more physical than his big league brother, Kyle, with more power potential, but he probably couldn't handle second like Kyle can and will have to move to third in pro ball.

Jeff Gelalich

OF

6-1

205

Analysis: Gelalich is toolsy for a college player, and the swing works with good hip rotation for power. Lack of performance prior to this year doesn't help his cause, but the shallow pool of college bats does.

Martin Agosta

RHP

6-1

178

Analysis: Nothing exciting, just three average-or-better pitches and solid performance. But as a 6-foot right-hander who is not exactly a physical specimen, Agosta will find a lot of teams viewing him as a bullpen guy.

Alex Wood

LHP

6-4

220

Analysis: He has hit 94-96 from the left side with an above-average changeup but needs a better breaking ball to crack the first round. He missed the 2010 season following Tommy John surgery.

Mitch Nay

OF

6-3

195

Analysis: He's pressing visibly at the plate right now, but right-handed power like this is too scarce for him to last to the second round even without a good platform season.

Ty Buttrey

RHP

6-6

210

Analysis: Buttrey has run up boards recently by hitting 95 mph with one of the quickest pitching approaches scouts have ever seen, including a 70-minute complete game in front of several directors and cross-checkers about two weeks ago.

Lance McCullers

RHP

6-2

205

Analysis: McCullers has done a lot to clean up his delivery and generate whatever plane he can from his shorter frame, so there's now a chance he could start in pro ball since he always had the three pitches but didn't have the feel or the downhill action to do it. Still most likely a reliever, but some team that believes he can start could take him in the late-first round.

Nick Travieso

RHP

6-3

210

Analysis: Was 90-95 in front of a big crowd of scouts a few weeks ago, but there's a split camp on whether he's the dominant prep arm he showed in mid-March at a major tournament or just an arm strength guy who has the upside but is lower probability.

Kieran Lovegrove

RHP

6-4

180

Analysis: Lovegrove remains a top prospect based on pure stuff with some projection, but he lacks present command and is more of a long-term play. The same applies to fellow SoCal right-hander Shane Watson.

Tanner Rahier

3B

6-2

205

Analysis: He loads his hands a little deep but squares the ball up well with good rotational action for future power and a probable plus glove at third in the long run.

Kenny Diekroeger

2B

6-2

200

Analysis: Diekroeger has moved to second base, which helps his stock as scouts get to see him play the position he'll likely occupy in pro ball. I can't stand the way the Cardinal coaches have robbed him of his power and his flexibility at the plate, but I'll hold out hope that whatever team drafts him can undo the damage and get him back to where he was three years ago.

Travis Jankowski

OF

6-3

190

Analysis: Has everyday center fielder upside and fourth outfielder downside. He's a fairly safe pick, given his performance in the Cape Cod League last summer, but he really should mash this spring against some of the worst competition in Division I.

Rio Ruiz

3B

6-2

195

Analysis: Ruiz wasn't playing that well before a blood clot in his neck that required hospitalization ended his spring. I thought he was a first-rounder coming into the year because he can really hit and should be fine at third, but the injury robs him of a chance to erase concerns about that slow start.

Pat Light

RHP

6-6

200

Analysis: Light is up to 96 mph from a 6-6, 200-pound frame, and he has improved his secondary stuff this year and his overall approach, keeping the ball down (and in the park) while throwing more strikes.

Cory Jones

RHP

6-5

220

Analysis: This former Pepperdine pitcher (who is now at College of the Canyons) is sitting at 92-95 mph this year with a power breaking ball and much-improved command, thanks to a shorter arm stroke. Junior college players will be very appealing after the premium high school players start to say "no" to the Reinsdorf bonus plan: "You take less money, and we keep the rest!"

Will Brinson

OF

6-4

180

Analysis: Top-15 tools, but very, very crude right now. He did win the home run derby at the Under Armour Classic last August at Wrigley Field, but hitting in games isn't there yet. Was dubbed by one scout "the perfect Phillies draft," which fits quite well given his upside.

If I had to guess right now, I'd say the draft's first four picks go Buxton, Zimmer, Zunino, Appel, but if the Astros decide to pass on Buxton, the Twins could take him and push one of those college arms down to Kansas City at No. 5.

[h4]TEN MORE NAMES TO KNOW[/h4][table][tr][td]Rank[/td][td]Player[/td][td]Pos.[/td][td]School[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Chris Melotakis[/td][td]LHP[/td][td]Northwestern State[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Paul Blackburn[/td][td]RHP[/td][td]Heritage HS, Brentwood, Calif.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Steven Duggar[/td][td]CF[/td][td]Byrnes HS, Greenville, S.C.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Matt Olson[/td][td]1B[/td][td]Parkview HS, Gwinnett, Ga.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]James Marvel[/td][td]RHP[/td][td]Campolindo HS, Moraga, Calif.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Anthony Alford[/td][td]OF[/td][td]Petal HS, Petal, Miss.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Jamie Jarmon[/td][td]OF[/td][td]Indian River HS, Dagsboro, Del.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Alex Young[/td][td]LHP[/td][td]Carmel Catholic HS, Carmel, Ill.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Barrett Barnes[/td][td]OF[/td][td]Texas Tech[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Brett Mooneyham[/td][td]LHP[/td][td]Stanford[/td][/tr][/table]


Questions remain whether Appel is No. 1.

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The season began with no clear No. 1 pick, and that appears to be the way it remains. Stanford right-hander Mark Appel started the campaign as the favorite to go first overall to the Houston Astros, and that might still be the case, but there's been no separation between those in the top 5.

The No. 1 talent, Appling County High School outfielder Byron Buxton, is cruising along, batting .500 at last check, but is at a disadvantage facing mediocre competition. He is, however, performing well, showing patience at the plate and displaying the overall physical tools of a No. 1 selection.

Appel started the season with questions about his breaking ball and ability to miss bats consistently despite a mid-to-upper 90s fastball. Those questions remain after his most recent outing. The 6-foot-5 Cardinal ace went the distance versus Washington, sitting 95-97 mph with the four-seamer in the first inning, but struggling with his command of the pitch, often falling behind in the count.

He did settle down and throw more strikes the rest of the way, but he appeared to be purposely backing off the velocity in order to do so. In the second inning, Appel pitched at 92-95 mph and sat 91-93 much of the game thereafter, mixing in an above-average changeup. He consistently pulled his 82-86 mph slider out of the zone, away from right-handed batters, and abandoned the pitch for significant stretches in the middle six innings.

By the time the ninth inning arrived, Stanford had a lead and Appel was firing away at 88-90 mph.

Appel has shown an ability to hold his velocity, so there aren't any immediate red flags about the radar readings in the late innings, but there are growing concerns that he's simply not going to miss enough bats to warrant the top overall selection in this year's draft.

He struck out just three batters in this start, and despite a fast start in this department, has fanned less than a batter per inning this season. Has Appel's lack of answers to those questions opened the door for Buxton with the Astros? It's still too early to tell, but one has to believe the new front office in Houston is considering multiple players, and will for the coming weeks.
[h3]Arms race[/h3]
The contenders for Appel's crown as the top college arm produced mixed results this past weekend, with San Francisco's Kyle Zimmer and Texas A&M's Michael Wacha putting forth solid efforts and LSU's Kevin Gausman impressing scouts despite a poor final line.

Zimmer went all eight innings in a 2-1 loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out nine. The right-hander now boasts a 1.99 ERA and a 60-7 K/BB ratio in eight starts this season, and if his one poor outing is removed from the equation his earned run average would be under one.

Wacha also went eight innings, yielding three runs, all earned, on eight hits and two walks. He was efficient, throwing 76 of 109 pitches for strikes, and whiffed eight. Wacha remains a potential top 10 pick, but scouts still pine for a more consistent breaking ball.

Gausman faced top-ranked Florida and surrendered five earned runs on nine hits, but did punch out eight over 6⅓ innings. He got Gators catcher Mike Zunino twice, both times swinging.

Gausman battled control problems, but as one scout said, he showed why he's among the top prospects in the class. "You could tell he didn't have command, but he was poised and let his stuff work for him to get through," the scout said. "That is a very, very good lineup and to get into the seventh having given up just two runs shows why we're all here to see him."

Duke's Marcus Stroman stood out for his performance over the weekend, and Keith Law scouted the right-hander here.

In the land of prep arms, Harvard-Westlake right-hander Lucas Giolito has yet to start a game since being diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his throwing elbow, which has given teammate and left-hander Max Fried, and Orlando-area right-hander Zach Eflin, the opportunity to carry the torch.

Also improving his stock of late is Lance McCullers Jr., despite the same concerns that his delivery screams reliever and his fastball command needs improvement. For the reasons Kiley McDaniel pointed out last week, McCullers' stock has a ceiling and that ceiling might be late in the first round, despite the best raw stuff in the prep class.
[h3]Around the batter's box[/h3]
With Arizona State's Deven Marrero's stock slipping due to a lackluster first seven weeks of the season, the weakest link in the class continues to get weaker. The college bats aren't wowing as a group, but there are a few gaining momentum.

UCLA right fielder Jeff Gelalich had a tough weekend, but has plus power and works the count consistently as he looks for a pitch he can drive. Clemson's Richie Shaffer carries a similar approach to the plate, and might be the best in the country at squaring up the fastball when he gets the opportunity.

Gelalich had a tough weekend statistically, but received a rave review from one area scout as a result. "He never seemed to let his previous at-bat bother him," the scout said. "That's a very positive sign in this game."

Shaffer went 2-for-3 with a walk versus Stroman on Friday, singling to right in his first trip to the plate and singling up the middle in the second trip. He finished the weekend 7-for-13 with two walks and a double and is batting .365/.493/.670 with seven homers and an impressive 31-23 BB/K ratio for the year. The third baseman is firmly in the conversation for the top 20 and could conceivably go in the top 10-12 picks.

Zunino singled and doubled off Gausman and added a double off the LSU bullpen and is hitting .351/.407/.693 with nine home runs for the year. If the draft were today, the chances Zunino gets out of the top five are very slim.

Most effectively used closers.

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If you're a fan of closers, the first few days of the season weren't for you. When you look at closers, their total save percentage for the very young season so far is a less-than-robust 72 percent. Jose Valverde blew a save Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox; the eternally dependable Mariano Rivera dropped one to the Tampa Bay Rays; and the Cincinnati Reds dispatched Heath Bell with ease on Sunday. It started to look a little like the baptismal scene in "The Godfather," in which Michael Corleone's associates eliminate all the family's enemies.

The save has always occupied a rather awkward spot in baseball, that newfangled stat that seemed to be constructed out of an arbitrary series of conditions and events. The pitcher's win may be as strange as the save, but wins were at least developed in the early days of baseball -- if you suggested the win statistic today under the current definition, anyone in earshot would most likely summon immediate medical help. Dislike of the save also unites two very different classes of baseball fan, the statheads (myself included) who shriek in faux-agony when they see a team's best reliever used with a 3-0 lead, and those older fans who remember when relievers walked uphill 10 miles both ways to the park to throw 34 innings with only a liniment rub and a war ration.

[h4]Who's Well-Used?[/h4]
Below is a list of every reliever who got more than 20 save chances in 2011, ranked by leverage index. The third column represents all their low-leverage save opportunities, as defined by a leverage index below 0.7, where 1.0 is average.
[table][tr][th=""]PLAYER[/th][th=""]SV%[/th][th=""]LI[/th][th=""]Low Leverage (<0.7)[/th][/tr][tr][td]Jordan Walden[/td][td]76%[/td][td]2.55[/td][td]9[/td][/tr][tr][td]Brian Wilson[/td][td]88%[/td][td]2.30[/td][td]7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Mariano Rivera[/td][td]90%[/td][td]2.16[/td][td]8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Heath Bell[/td][td]90%[/td][td]2.15[/td][td]10[/td][/tr][tr][td]Chris Perez[/td][td]90%[/td][td]2.14[/td][td]12[/td][/tr][tr][td]Joakim Soria[/td][td]80%[/td][td]2.08[/td][td]11[/td][/tr][tr][td]Francisco Cordero[/td][td]86%[/td][td]2.04[/td][td]16[/td][/tr][tr][td]Carlos Marmol[/td][td]77%[/td][td]2.03[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][tr][td]J.J. Putz[/td][td]92%[/td][td]2.01[/td][td]6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Ryan Madson[/td][td]94%[/td][td]1.94[/td][td]18[/td][/tr][tr][td]Craig Kimbrel[/td][td]85%[/td][td]1.93[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Joel Hanrahan[/td][td]91%[/td][td]1.92[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Brandon League[/td][td]88%[/td][td]1.91[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Juan Oviedo[/td][td]86%[/td][td]1.90[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Andrew Bailey[/td][td]92%[/td][td]1.87[/td][td]10[/td][/tr][tr][td]John Axford[/td][td]96%[/td][td]1.86[/td][td]14[/td][/tr][tr][td]Drew Storen[/td][td]90%[/td][td]1.85[/td][td]13[/td][/tr][tr][td]Francisco Rodrigue[/td][td]88%[/td][td]1.84[/td][td]15[/td][/tr][tr][td]Francisco Rodrigue[/td][td]79%[/td][td]1.80[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sergio Santos[/td][td]83%[/td][td]1.78[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jose Valverde[/td][td]100%[/td][td]1.76[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Kevin Gregg[/td][td]76%[/td][td]1.74[/td][td]24[/td][/tr][tr][td]Huston Street[/td][td]88%[/td][td]1.73[/td][td]14[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jonathan Papelbon[/td][td]91%[/td][td]1.67[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Mark Melancon[/td][td]80%[/td][td]1.59[/td][td]28[/td][/tr][tr][td]Fernando Salas[/td][td]80%[/td][td]1.58[/td][td]18[/td][/tr][tr][td]Neftali Feliz[/td][td]84%[/td][td]1.58[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Matt Capps[/td][td]63%[/td][td]1.54[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Kyle Farnsworth[/td][td]81%[/td][td]1.51[/td][td]27[/td][/tr][tr][td]Frank Francisco[/td][td]81%[/td][td]1.47[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][tr][td]Javy Guerra[/td][td]91%[/td][td]1.39[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][/table]

The modern closer has the reputation of being the reliever most suited to handle high-pressure situations, but if we look at current bullpen usage we find out that is often not the case. Let's take a look at which teams are doing the best (and worst) job of deploying their relievers.

Several years ago, sabermetrician Tom Tango developed a measure called the leverage index (LI) in order to gauge high-pressure moments in baseball. The average leverage index is 1.0, representing, well, the average-pressure situation. A situation with a 2.0 represents a situation twice as crucial to the winning (or losing) of a game, with a 0.5 representing only half the pressure.

Everyone knows instinctively that not all save situations are created alike, but the LI shows us just how different they can be. A typical easy save situation, entering the bottom of the ninth inning protecting a three-run lead, isn't a particularly difficult task and has a leverage index of about 1.0. Chris Perez's blown save against the Toronto Blue Jays on Opening Day was of this variety. After Perez's blown save, there was the oddity of the Jays letting Luis Perez pitch four innings, with an LI greater than 1.0 for every single batter, only to have their closer, Sergio Santos, close out the equivalent of a 1-foot putt, needing to get just two outs with a three-run lead.

On the flip side, a situation in which the bases are loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth while guarding a one-run lead is the very definition of a do-or-die scenario, and thus has a leverage index of 10.9.

In 2011, no pitcher was more underrated by the save stat than Los Angeles Angels fireballer Jordan Walden. Despite an ERA below 3.00 in his rookie season, Walden led the league in blown saves, tying with Carlos Marmol at 10, which for the save-ophile would suggest that he didn't do his job. However, the save stat doesn't take into account the difficulty of a save conversion, and Walden easily bested every other reliever in baseball when it came to the importance of the situations he pitched in, with a leverage index of 2.54. The next highest LI among relievers with more than 50 innings pitched? Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants, at 2.30. Angels manager Mike Scioscia scores big points here for getting his best relief pitcher into the most crucial situations. Other closers who had the hardest fires to put out include Wilson, Mariano Rivera (2.16) and Heath Bell (2.15).

However, there are the closers who got a break, relatively speaking. Javy Guerra had a sterling save percentage, saving 21-of-23 for a 93 percent conversion rate, but he also had the easiest go of any pitcher with 20 save opportunities (LI of 1.39). Next lowest was Frank Francisco at 1.47. Kyle Farnsworth, previously known mostly for the heartburn he causes fans, had his best major league season in terms of saves, helped by a 1.51 LI.

The save may have served a useful purpose when it was officially formulated in 1960 by Jerome Holtzman, but today, with the amount of information available at our disposal, saves are increasingly an anachronism. Trust your best relievers in the toughest situations, saves be damned.

Dan Szymborski covers baseball for ESPN Insider. He has written about the sport since 2001 for the Baseball Think Factory, where he is an editor. He is also the developer of the ZiPS Projection system. You can find his ESPN archives here and follow him on Twitter here.

Dee Gordon and Opening Week notes.

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Heaven is an April day on the couch, the remote control filled with new batteries, to watch a day full of baseball games and see a bunch of things.

1. The Dodgers' Dee Gordon is the son of former reliever Tom Gordon, but he possesses Rickey Henderson's baserunning DNA -- an instinctive arrogance borne out of the belief that nobody can stop him. Gordon singled to open the bottom of the first inning, and he broke from first base on the first pitch and swiped second base easily.

Gordon has attempted five steals this year and has been successful in four of them. On three attempts, he has broken on the first pitch; the other two attempts, he broke on the second pitch.

2. The Tigers' Rick Porcello just looks like he's figured it out. He's throwing with confidence and conviction, and his fastball is much better this year than last April, when his average velocity was about 89.7 mph. Austin Jackson is also off to a great start.

3. The Arizona Diamondbacks are who we thought they are: A team of exceptional depth, in their rotation and their bullpen and their lineup, which means that there isn't undue pressure on any particular part of the team. On Tuesday, they played without an injured Justin Upton, and so it was Chris Young who was the hero. Oh by the way, in the minors, Trevor Bauer had a dominating performance in Double-A.

4. The Texas Rangers got another strong outing, this one from Neftali Feliz, who mixed in his offspeed pitches constantly against the Seattle Mariners. They have a young rotation, a powerful rotation, and a bullpen that could be dominant depending on how efficient Joe Nathan can be at age 37. In the first 45 innings of the Texas season, the Rangers' pitchers have a 2.20 ERA, with 34 hits and 13 walks allowed.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Feliz won:

A) The first time through the order, Feliz threw his fastball 69 percent of the time; after that, he threw it just 39 percent of the time.

B) Overall, Feliz threw his fastball 51 percent of the time, down from 80 percent as a reliever. He mixed in a slider 26 percent of the time and a changeup 23 percent of the time.

C) Mariners hitters were 1-for-8 in at-bats ending with a Feliz changeup. Feliz threw only five two-strike changeups, but each one resulted in a Mariners out, including two strikeouts.

D) Prior to a Justin Smoak single in the fourth inning, the Mariners were 0-58 against Feliz in his career.

From Elias: That is the longest start-of-career streak of hitless at-bats against one team for any major league pitcher in the expansion era (since 1961). The previous record was 48 by Billy Wagner against the Pirates.

5. David Phelps, brought in by the New York Yankees to relieve Freddy Garcia, showed excellent pure stuff, with his fastball running all over the place. Michael Pineda is still working his way back, but the Yankees do have a lot of depth in their rotation with Andy Pettitte -- and now Phelps would seem to be a good option.

6. J.P. Arencibia seems to have taken something away from his time working with Jose Molina. There were several instances in which Arencibia caught the ball with his glove tilted at an angle that made the pitch look more like a strike than it actually was -- a skill that is called framing. Cody Ross was at the plate for an at-bat, and Kyle Drabek threw an inside fastball that ran inside to the right-handed Ross, seemingly out of the strike zone, and Arencibia turned his glove so that it appeared as if he caught the ball over the inside corner; Ross was called out.

This helped Drabek outlast Daniel Bard.

7. The St. Louis Cardinals continue to look like a team that never had an offseason, and that they are still riding a wave that began during last year's World Series.

8. If Danny Duffy continues to pitch as well as he did on Tuesday, in his win against the Oakland Athletics, the Royals could push the Detroit Tigers this year -- and Duffy has the ability to be an excellent, high-ceiling pitcher.

9. The most interesting moment of the day came when ex-Brave Jordan Schafer dropped down a bunt to lead off the bottom of the first -- and aimed it right at former teammate Chipper Jones, who was playing in his first inning off the disabled list. Jones rushed in and made a bare-handed play successfully, and then later bashed his 455th homer, as David O'Brien writes.
[h3]Guillen apologizes[/h3]
• Ozzie Guillen has probably done about all that he can do for an apology, short of community service. He was suspended for five games. Now the question is whether the South Florida community will forgive him and the Miami Marlins with their wallets, which is really what Tuesday's apology is about. Ozzie is baseball's Rex.

Joey Cora will take over as manager.

It's time to forgive, writes Greg Cote. He sounded remorseful, writes Dave Hyde.

A five-game suspension of Guillen should be enough, writes Mike Lupica.

Let's not forget that Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos and commissioner Bud Selig rubbed elbows with Fidel Castro in 1999, writes Steve Gould.

Yoenis Cespedes declined to comment about the Guillen issue. Another Cuban native is willing to forgive. Atlanta Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez is surprised by what Ozzie said.

Thank goodness Ozzie is gone from the Chicago White Sox, writes David Haugh.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The San Diego Padres are up for sale again.
• From ESPN Stats and Info, By the Numbers:
5: wild pitches by Freddy Garcia Tuesday night, tying the American League record
9: consecutive games with a RBI for Matt Kemp, tying the Dodgers' franchise record
58: all-time at-bats for the Mariners without a hit against Neftali Feliz before a fourth-inning single by Justin Smoak
73.9: strike percentage Tuesday for Clayton Kershaw, a career best
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. David Wright has a fractured finger.

2. Some key tests are coming up for Chris Carpenter.

3. The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to bring back Charlie Morton to their rotation, writes Karen Price.

4. Danny Espinosa took a day off as a precaution.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Cincinnati Reds have now put themselves in a position in which about 30 to 45 percent of their payroll will be devoted to two players well past their 30th birthday, after signing the 30-year-old Brandon Phillips to a six-year, $72.5 million deal. Last week, the Reds locked themselves into 12 years and $251.5 million in commitment to Joey Votto, 28.

2. The Cleveland Indians bought out a year of Carlos Santana's free agency, writes Paul Hoynes.

3. Brendan Ryan was benched.

4. The Minnesota Twins face the tall task of rebuilding their pitching, writes La Velle Neal.

5. The Zack Greinke contract talks are dormant.

6. The Astros' second baseman is benefitting from change.

7. Ian Kinsler's deal is the richest ever for a second baseman.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
[h4]Leadoff home run kings[/h4]
The most leadoff home runs by active players in MLB.
[table][tr][th=""]
Player
[/th][th=""]
Homers
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Alfonso Soriano
[/td][td]
54
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Jimmy Rollins
[/td][td]
37
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Ichiro Suzuki
[/td][td]
36
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael Furcal
[/td][td]
29
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Derek Jeter
[/td][td]
25<<
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hanley Ramirez
[/td][td]
25
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rickie Weeks
[/td][td]
25
[/td][/tr][tr][td]>>HR on Tuesday[/td][/tr][/table]
1. Freddy Garcia threw five wild pitches, but the Yankees won. Derek Jeter opened the game with a home run.
2. The Orioles squandered chances.

3. Daniel Bard was OK, but the Red Sox lost again. Bard's outing was uneven, writes Nick Cafardo.

4. The D-backs are still undefeated.

5. The Athletics' plan to run was caught in a rain-shortened game.

6. Clayton Kershaw was excellent in seven innings and got help from Andre Ethier. Kershaw held the Pirates hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, continuing his dominance of hitters when getting into a jam.

[h4]Pitching out of trouble[/h4]
Lowest batting average against among MLB starters with runners in scoring position (since start of 2011).
[table][tr][th=""]
Player
[/th][th=""]
BAA
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Ian Kennedy
[/td][td]
.142
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Jeremy Hellickson
[/td][td]
.161
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Ricky Romero
[/td][td]
.173
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Jhoulys Chacin
[/td][td]
.173
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Clayton Kershaw
[/td][td]
.185<<
[/td][/tr][tr][td]>>0-6 on Tuesday vs. Pirates[/td][/tr][/table]

Although neither pitcher has a decision, and Kershaw's first start was cut short by illness, the reigning Cy Young Award winners have picked up right where they left off last season. In three starts, they've combined for a K-to-BB ratio of 8.5, an ERA of 0.50 and a WHIP of 0.56.

As mentioned earlier, Kershaw's 73.9 strike percentage Tueday is the highest of his career. His strike percentage has steadily risen since debuting in 2008. In 2011, Kershaw threw 65.3 percent strikes. He's at 70.9 percent so far in 2012.

Matt Kemp went 0-4 on Tuesday but drove in a run for the ninth straight game. The nine straight games with a RBI ties a Dodgers' record (Roy Campanella in '55, Augie Galan in '44).

7. The Reds were shut down.

8. The Milwaukee Brewers got some cold relief, writes Todd Rosiak.

9. The Pirates' starting pitching was really good.

10. The Nationals' No. 5 starter stepped up.

11. Paul Maholm had a bad day.

12. Matt Moore was disappointed with his command.

 

[proshares]

Future 50 v. 2.0.

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I'll be expanding this list to 100 names in the next few weeks, but in the meantime, injuries and performance changes have altered the list enough since the last update that it was time for a fresh look.

One note: Missouri State's Pierce Johnson would have appeared on this list, but a forearm strain has knocked him out of the rotation and out of the top 50 until we get more information.

Byron Buxton

CF

6-1

175

Analysis: There's a broad consensus around Buxton as the best player in this draft and a legitimate No. 1 overall pick, as he earns comparisons to a number of other players drafted in that top spot. He has all tools, an 80 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale with an 80 arm (reportedly 95-98 mph off the mound last week) and big future power. But he's playing against poor high school competition in rural Georgia and has yet to homer this spring, so he's not without his risks.

Mike Zunino

C

6-2

215

Analysis: A true catcher who has an unorthodox style at the plate but hits, uses the whole field and has power is a pretty valuable commodity, and he carries less risk than the three high-upside pitchers ranked right behind him. Most scouts seem to think he doesn't get past Seattle at No. 3.

Mark Appel

RHP

6-5

215

Analysis: The stuff is there, and the results are better, but the lack of deception in his delivery combined with a habit of leaving pitches (especially his changeup) up in the zone make him more hittable than a guy with this stuff should be.

Kyle Zimmer

RHP

6-4

220

Analysis: Zimmer has less of a track record than Appel but as much velocity with a better present breaking ball. He's a former position player who fields his position well but isn't as advanced a pitcher as Appel is. His velocity was down in his last start, sitting 91 mph and topping out at 93, which bears watching this upcoming weekend.

Carlos Correa

SS

6-4

190

Analysis: On track to be the highest-drafted Puerto Rican player in history as an athletic 17-year-old who projects to hit and hit for power but probably ends up at third base in pro ball. For comparison, he has more offensive upside than Francisco Lindor, who was drafted with the eighth pick last year in a stronger crop. Correa's also a dark horse to go No. 1 overall.

Kevin Gausman

RHP

6-4

185

Analysis: He's up to 99 mph on a pretty regular basis with an above-average changeup, but he's showing only a fringy curveball when he'd probably be better suited to throwing a slider.

Deven Marrero

SS

6-1

194

Analysis: He's really struggling at the plate this year, not just in terms of results but he is showing a lack of effort that has the area scouts confused since Marrero's makeup was always one of his strengths. I still see a plus defender at short who'll hit for average and has a high probability of being a decent big leaguer. I've heard Pittsburgh at No. 8 might be his floor.

Albert Almora

OF

6-2

170

Analysis: One of the best defensive center fielders to come out of the high school ranks, Almora has great feel for hitting and a simple swing with the potential to hit for power in the future.

Max Fried

LHP

6-3

170

Analysis: Owner of perhaps the best left-handed curveball in the draft with a very competitive nature and good feel for pitching that helps him pitch above his grade-55 fastball.

Matt Smoral

LHP

6-8

225

Analysis: The Solon, Ohio, product is out for the spring after suffering a stress fracture in his foot while pitching on a makeshift mound on a football field a few weeks ago, but scouts have seen enough of his easy 60 fastball/60 slider combo that I think he'll go in the top-20 picks even without giving scouts more looks before June.

Lucas Giolito

RHP

6-6

230

Analysis: This one is tough, as Giolito is out with what appears to be the most minor of elbow injuries and should pitch again in some format before the draft. If he does and the plus-plus fastball is still there, he'll undergo a lot of scrutiny from team doctors but could sneak back into the top 10.

Richie Shaffer

3B

6-3

205

Analysis: No player has improved his stock more than Shaffer has this spring, showing improved defense at third and better feel for hitting to go with 60 raw power. He probably has the best bat speed in the draft, at least among college hitters.

Stephen Piscotty

3B

6-3

215

Analysis: Piscotty's results haven't been great under Stanford's hit-by-numbers-and-don't-ever-pull-the-ball approach, but there's power in there once the shackles come off in pro ball. But he's not the defender at third that Shaffer is. Called "the perfect A's pick" by one national scout.

Gavin Cecchini

SS

6-1

180

Analysis: Some scouts call him overrated; others call him a no-doubt top-15 guy. Where they agree is that he has a good chance to stay at shortstop and a very good chance to hit for average, making him relatively safe for a high school kid.

Zach Eflin

RHP

6-5

200

Analysis: I saw him on one of his best nights of the year, but even at 90 percent of that he's a clear first-rounder and has the size, delivery and demeanor of a big leaguer to go with the above-average fastball and changeup. Scrap the knuckle-curve in favor of a traditional curve or slider, and you have a potential No. 2 starter or more.

Michael Wacha

RHP

6-6

200

Analysis: A very safe pick, just without the upside of the arms ahead of him. He will likely pitch in pro ball with a grade 50-55 fastball and a plus changeup, but the lack of an average breaking ball holds him back.

Hunter Virant

LHP

6-3

172

Analysis: Probably doesn't go quite this high, but I think he could be the next Tyler Skaggs, another projection lefty who didn't throw that hard in high school but gained velocity rapidly as his body matured.

Courtney Hawkins

OF

6-3

210

Analysis: He makes the hardest contact of anyone in this draft with above-average present power, but off-speed stuff gives him trouble, and he'll play right field in pro ball rather than center.

Andrew Heaney

LHP

6-2

174

Analysis: Heaney has emerged as the top college lefty in the draft, featuring a three-pitch mix with an above-average changeup and some funk in his delivery that adds to his deception.

Addison Russell

SS

6-1

210

Analysis: The Pace HS star has dropped about 20 pounds and improved his conditioning to the point he now "looks like a shortstop." He may not stay there long term, but would be a plus defender at third (if not better), and his bat would profile there as well.

Stryker Trahan

C

6-1

215

Analysis: His defense hasn't been as good this year as it was in the past, and he's struggled some at the plate. I think the defense can be fixed with better instruction, and there are some possible reasons behind his offensive slump, but he's not the slam dunk he appeared to be last summer and fall.

Joey Gallo

3B

6-5

220

Analysis: Scuffled badly at the USA Baseball tournament in Cary, N.C., two weeks ago, but this is the best raw power in the draft, and there's always the option of putting him on the mound, where he rivals Giolito for arm strength.

Marcus Stroman

RHP

5-8

185

Analysis: If he were 6-foot-1, he'd be a top-10 pick. That lack of fastball plane has a lot of scouts putting the 5-8 Stroman in the bullpen. I think he's a lot like Sonny Gray, who also could end up in the 'pen but has the weapons to start and should get the opportunity to do so.

Brian Johnson

LHP

6-3

235

Analysis: Another very safe college arm, perhaps this year's Mike Minor, as a guy who could reach the majors quickly because of the quality of his off-speed stuff.

Chris Stratton

RHP

6-3

198

Analysis: There's some skepticism around a guy who posted nearly identically poor stat lines for two years, but Stratton is missing a ton of bats with an above-average slider and three other pitches to make him appealing as a potential starter.

Nolan Fontana

SS

5-11

190

Analysis: He gets dinged for his arm action -- it's a 50 arm, tops -- but he has great instincts at short and a compact, linear swing that will produce short line drives and, paired with his patient approach, will keep his OBP high.

Walker Weickel

RHP

6-6

205

Analysis: He has disappointed this spring with a shorter stride and higher arm slot that have hurt his velocity and command. He could very easily end up at Miami now and be a top-10 pick in 2015.

Lucas Sims

RHP

6-2

195

Analysis: The Lawrenceville, Ga., product has a big matchup on April 10 against local power Parkview HS, which features top 100 prospect Matt Olson and potential first-rounder for next year Josh Hart. Sims works in the low-90s and does it very easily, with a very clean finish to his delivery.

David Dahl

CF

6-2

185

Analysis: Hasn't played up to expectations and recently strained a hip flexor, keeping him out of action for a few games, although he was expected back on Monday night.

Tyler Naquin

OF

6-2

175

Analysis: One of the best outfield arms in the draft (Hawkins is another) with a stronger-than-expected hitting performance, although I'm still not entirely sold on his swing.

Wyatt Mathisen

C/SS

6-2

215

Analysis: Mathisen can hit but is playing short this year rather than catching, so he'll be something of a conversion project (although he has some catching experience) if any team wants to take him and maximize his value by putting him behind the plate.

Patrick Wisdom

3B

6-2

210

Analysis: He has recovered from a brutal start, showing more power in games as opposed to just in BP. An above-average defender at third with a 60 arm who has 25-homer potential should go somewhere in the late-first round.

Clint Coulter

C

6-3

215

Analysis: This Camas, Wash., product can hit, but needs a lot of work behind the plate. The next two weeks will be huge for him and the guy right behind him on this list, as there's a parade of directors and cross-checkers heading to the Northwest to see them.

Carson Kelly

RHP

6-2

200

Analysis: Kelly, who's from Portland, Ore., came out of the summer circuit as a pitching prospect in most clubs' eyes, but he has played well in both directions so far this spring and may now go out as a third baseman, with the fallback option of the mound always available to the club that drafts him.

Corey Seager

SS

6-3

190

Analysis: He's much more physical than his big league brother, Kyle, with more power potential, but he probably couldn't handle second like Kyle can and will have to move to third in pro ball.

Jeff Gelalich

OF

6-1

205

Analysis: Gelalich is toolsy for a college player, and the swing works with good hip rotation for power. Lack of performance prior to this year doesn't help his cause, but the shallow pool of college bats does.

Martin Agosta

RHP

6-1

178

Analysis: Nothing exciting, just three average-or-better pitches and solid performance. But as a 6-foot right-hander who is not exactly a physical specimen, Agosta will find a lot of teams viewing him as a bullpen guy.

Alex Wood

LHP

6-4

220

Analysis: He has hit 94-96 from the left side with an above-average changeup but needs a better breaking ball to crack the first round. He missed the 2010 season following Tommy John surgery.

Mitch Nay

OF

6-3

195

Analysis: He's pressing visibly at the plate right now, but right-handed power like this is too scarce for him to last to the second round even without a good platform season.

Ty Buttrey

RHP

6-6

210

Analysis: Buttrey has run up boards recently by hitting 95 mph with one of the quickest pitching approaches scouts have ever seen, including a 70-minute complete game in front of several directors and cross-checkers about two weeks ago.

Lance McCullers

RHP

6-2

205

Analysis: McCullers has done a lot to clean up his delivery and generate whatever plane he can from his shorter frame, so there's now a chance he could start in pro ball since he always had the three pitches but didn't have the feel or the downhill action to do it. Still most likely a reliever, but some team that believes he can start could take him in the late-first round.

Nick Travieso

RHP

6-3

210

Analysis: Was 90-95 in front of a big crowd of scouts a few weeks ago, but there's a split camp on whether he's the dominant prep arm he showed in mid-March at a major tournament or just an arm strength guy who has the upside but is lower probability.

Kieran Lovegrove

RHP

6-4

180

Analysis: Lovegrove remains a top prospect based on pure stuff with some projection, but he lacks present command and is more of a long-term play. The same applies to fellow SoCal right-hander Shane Watson.

Tanner Rahier

3B

6-2

205

Analysis: He loads his hands a little deep but squares the ball up well with good rotational action for future power and a probable plus glove at third in the long run.

Kenny Diekroeger

2B

6-2

200

Analysis: Diekroeger has moved to second base, which helps his stock as scouts get to see him play the position he'll likely occupy in pro ball. I can't stand the way the Cardinal coaches have robbed him of his power and his flexibility at the plate, but I'll hold out hope that whatever team drafts him can undo the damage and get him back to where he was three years ago.

Travis Jankowski

OF

6-3

190

Analysis: Has everyday center fielder upside and fourth outfielder downside. He's a fairly safe pick, given his performance in the Cape Cod League last summer, but he really should mash this spring against some of the worst competition in Division I.

Rio Ruiz

3B

6-2

195

Analysis: Ruiz wasn't playing that well before a blood clot in his neck that required hospitalization ended his spring. I thought he was a first-rounder coming into the year because he can really hit and should be fine at third, but the injury robs him of a chance to erase concerns about that slow start.

Pat Light

RHP

6-6

200

Analysis: Light is up to 96 mph from a 6-6, 200-pound frame, and he has improved his secondary stuff this year and his overall approach, keeping the ball down (and in the park) while throwing more strikes.

Cory Jones

RHP

6-5

220

Analysis: This former Pepperdine pitcher (who is now at College of the Canyons) is sitting at 92-95 mph this year with a power breaking ball and much-improved command, thanks to a shorter arm stroke. Junior college players will be very appealing after the premium high school players start to say "no" to the Reinsdorf bonus plan: "You take less money, and we keep the rest!"

Will Brinson

OF

6-4

180

Analysis: Top-15 tools, but very, very crude right now. He did win the home run derby at the Under Armour Classic last August at Wrigley Field, but hitting in games isn't there yet. Was dubbed by one scout "the perfect Phillies draft," which fits quite well given his upside.

If I had to guess right now, I'd say the draft's first four picks go Buxton, Zimmer, Zunino, Appel, but if the Astros decide to pass on Buxton, the Twins could take him and push one of those college arms down to Kansas City at No. 5.

[h4]TEN MORE NAMES TO KNOW[/h4][table][tr][td]Rank[/td][td]Player[/td][td]Pos.[/td][td]School[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Chris Melotakis[/td][td]LHP[/td][td]Northwestern State[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Paul Blackburn[/td][td]RHP[/td][td]Heritage HS, Brentwood, Calif.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Steven Duggar[/td][td]CF[/td][td]Byrnes HS, Greenville, S.C.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Matt Olson[/td][td]1B[/td][td]Parkview HS, Gwinnett, Ga.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]James Marvel[/td][td]RHP[/td][td]Campolindo HS, Moraga, Calif.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Anthony Alford[/td][td]OF[/td][td]Petal HS, Petal, Miss.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Jamie Jarmon[/td][td]OF[/td][td]Indian River HS, Dagsboro, Del.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Alex Young[/td][td]LHP[/td][td]Carmel Catholic HS, Carmel, Ill.[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Barrett Barnes[/td][td]OF[/td][td]Texas Tech[/td][td][/td][/tr][tr][td]--[/td][td]Brett Mooneyham[/td][td]LHP[/td][td]Stanford[/td][/tr][/table]


Questions remain whether Appel is No. 1.

Spoiler

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Spoiler

The season began with no clear No. 1 pick, and that appears to be the way it remains. Stanford right-hander Mark Appel started the campaign as the favorite to go first overall to the Houston Astros, and that might still be the case, but there's been no separation between those in the top 5.

The No. 1 talent, Appling County High School outfielder Byron Buxton, is cruising along, batting .500 at last check, but is at a disadvantage facing mediocre competition. He is, however, performing well, showing patience at the plate and displaying the overall physical tools of a No. 1 selection.

Appel started the season with questions about his breaking ball and ability to miss bats consistently despite a mid-to-upper 90s fastball. Those questions remain after his most recent outing. The 6-foot-5 Cardinal ace went the distance versus Washington, sitting 95-97 mph with the four-seamer in the first inning, but struggling with his command of the pitch, often falling behind in the count.

He did settle down and throw more strikes the rest of the way, but he appeared to be purposely backing off the velocity in order to do so. In the second inning, Appel pitched at 92-95 mph and sat 91-93 much of the game thereafter, mixing in an above-average changeup. He consistently pulled his 82-86 mph slider out of the zone, away from right-handed batters, and abandoned the pitch for significant stretches in the middle six innings.

By the time the ninth inning arrived, Stanford had a lead and Appel was firing away at 88-90 mph.

Appel has shown an ability to hold his velocity, so there aren't any immediate red flags about the radar readings in the late innings, but there are growing concerns that he's simply not going to miss enough bats to warrant the top overall selection in this year's draft.

He struck out just three batters in this start, and despite a fast start in this department, has fanned less than a batter per inning this season. Has Appel's lack of answers to those questions opened the door for Buxton with the Astros? It's still too early to tell, but one has to believe the new front office in Houston is considering multiple players, and will for the coming weeks.
[h3]Arms race[/h3]
The contenders for Appel's crown as the top college arm produced mixed results this past weekend, with San Francisco's Kyle Zimmer and Texas A&M's Michael Wacha putting forth solid efforts and LSU's Kevin Gausman impressing scouts despite a poor final line.

Zimmer went all eight innings in a 2-1 loss, allowing two earned runs on six hits and striking out nine. The right-hander now boasts a 1.99 ERA and a 60-7 K/BB ratio in eight starts this season, and if his one poor outing is removed from the equation his earned run average would be under one.

Wacha also went eight innings, yielding three runs, all earned, on eight hits and two walks. He was efficient, throwing 76 of 109 pitches for strikes, and whiffed eight. Wacha remains a potential top 10 pick, but scouts still pine for a more consistent breaking ball.

Gausman faced top-ranked Florida and surrendered five earned runs on nine hits, but did punch out eight over 6&frac13; innings. He got Gators catcher Mike Zunino twice, both times swinging.

Gausman battled control problems, but as one scout said, he showed why he's among the top prospects in the class. "You could tell he didn't have command, but he was poised and let his stuff work for him to get through," the scout said. "That is a very, very good lineup and to get into the seventh having given up just two runs shows why we're all here to see him."

Duke's Marcus Stroman stood out for his performance over the weekend, and Keith Law scouted the right-hander here.

In the land of prep arms, Harvard-Westlake right-hander Lucas Giolito has yet to start a game since being diagnosed with a sprained UCL in his throwing elbow, which has given teammate and left-hander Max Fried, and Orlando-area right-hander Zach Eflin, the opportunity to carry the torch.

Also improving his stock of late is Lance McCullers Jr., despite the same concerns that his delivery screams reliever and his fastball command needs improvement. For the reasons Kiley McDaniel pointed out last week, McCullers' stock has a ceiling and that ceiling might be late in the first round, despite the best raw stuff in the prep class.
[h3]Around the batter's box[/h3]
With Arizona State's Deven Marrero's stock slipping due to a lackluster first seven weeks of the season, the weakest link in the class continues to get weaker. The college bats aren't wowing as a group, but there are a few gaining momentum.

UCLA right fielder Jeff Gelalich had a tough weekend, but has plus power and works the count consistently as he looks for a pitch he can drive. Clemson's Richie Shaffer carries a similar approach to the plate, and might be the best in the country at squaring up the fastball when he gets the opportunity.

Gelalich had a tough weekend statistically, but received a rave review from one area scout as a result. "He never seemed to let his previous at-bat bother him," the scout said. "That's a very positive sign in this game."

Shaffer went 2-for-3 with a walk versus Stroman on Friday, singling to right in his first trip to the plate and singling up the middle in the second trip. He finished the weekend 7-for-13 with two walks and a double and is batting .365/.493/.670 with seven homers and an impressive 31-23 BB/K ratio for the year. The third baseman is firmly in the conversation for the top 20 and could conceivably go in the top 10-12 picks.

Zunino singled and doubled off Gausman and added a double off the LSU bullpen and is hitting .351/.407/.693 with nine home runs for the year. If the draft were today, the chances Zunino gets out of the top five are very slim.

Most effectively used closers.

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If you're a fan of closers, the first few days of the season weren't for you. When you look at closers, their total save percentage for the very young season so far is a less-than-robust 72 percent. Jose Valverde blew a save Opening Day against the Boston Red Sox; the eternally dependable Mariano Rivera dropped one to the Tampa Bay Rays; and the Cincinnati Reds dispatched Heath Bell with ease on Sunday. It started to look a little like the baptismal scene in "The Godfather," in which Michael Corleone's associates eliminate all the family's enemies.

The save has always occupied a rather awkward spot in baseball, that newfangled stat that seemed to be constructed out of an arbitrary series of conditions and events. The pitcher's win may be as strange as the save, but wins were at least developed in the early days of baseball -- if you suggested the win statistic today under the current definition, anyone in earshot would most likely summon immediate medical help. Dislike of the save also unites two very different classes of baseball fan, the statheads (myself included) who shriek in faux-agony when they see a team's best reliever used with a 3-0 lead, and those older fans who remember when relievers walked uphill 10 miles both ways to the park to throw 34 innings with only a liniment rub and a war ration.

[h4]Who's Well-Used?[/h4]
Below is a list of every reliever who got more than 20 save chances in 2011, ranked by leverage index. The third column represents all their low-leverage save opportunities, as defined by a leverage index below 0.7, where 1.0 is average.
[table][tr][th=""]PLAYER[/th][th=""]SV%[/th][th=""]LI[/th][th=""]Low Leverage (<0.7)[/th][/tr][tr][td]Jordan Walden[/td][td]76%[/td][td]2.55[/td][td]9[/td][/tr][tr][td]Brian Wilson[/td][td]88%[/td][td]2.30[/td][td]7[/td][/tr][tr][td]Mariano Rivera[/td][td]90%[/td][td]2.16[/td][td]8[/td][/tr][tr][td]Heath Bell[/td][td]90%[/td][td]2.15[/td][td]10[/td][/tr][tr][td]Chris Perez[/td][td]90%[/td][td]2.14[/td][td]12[/td][/tr][tr][td]Joakim Soria[/td][td]80%[/td][td]2.08[/td][td]11[/td][/tr][tr][td]Francisco Cordero[/td][td]86%[/td][td]2.04[/td][td]16[/td][/tr][tr][td]Carlos Marmol[/td][td]77%[/td][td]2.03[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][tr][td]J.J. Putz[/td][td]92%[/td][td]2.01[/td][td]6[/td][/tr][tr][td]Ryan Madson[/td][td]94%[/td][td]1.94[/td][td]18[/td][/tr][tr][td]Craig Kimbrel[/td][td]85%[/td][td]1.93[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Joel Hanrahan[/td][td]91%[/td][td]1.92[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Brandon League[/td][td]88%[/td][td]1.91[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Juan Oviedo[/td][td]86%[/td][td]1.90[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Andrew Bailey[/td][td]92%[/td][td]1.87[/td][td]10[/td][/tr][tr][td]John Axford[/td][td]96%[/td][td]1.86[/td][td]14[/td][/tr][tr][td]Drew Storen[/td][td]90%[/td][td]1.85[/td][td]13[/td][/tr][tr][td]Francisco Rodrigue[/td][td]88%[/td][td]1.84[/td][td]15[/td][/tr][tr][td]Francisco Rodrigue[/td][td]79%[/td][td]1.80[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Sergio Santos[/td][td]83%[/td][td]1.78[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jose Valverde[/td][td]100%[/td][td]1.76[/td][td]17[/td][/tr][tr][td]Kevin Gregg[/td][td]76%[/td][td]1.74[/td][td]24[/td][/tr][tr][td]Huston Street[/td][td]88%[/td][td]1.73[/td][td]14[/td][/tr][tr][td]Jonathan Papelbon[/td][td]91%[/td][td]1.67[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Mark Melancon[/td][td]80%[/td][td]1.59[/td][td]28[/td][/tr][tr][td]Fernando Salas[/td][td]80%[/td][td]1.58[/td][td]18[/td][/tr][tr][td]Neftali Feliz[/td][td]84%[/td][td]1.58[/td][td]20[/td][/tr][tr][td]Matt Capps[/td][td]63%[/td][td]1.54[/td][td]19[/td][/tr][tr][td]Kyle Farnsworth[/td][td]81%[/td][td]1.51[/td][td]27[/td][/tr][tr][td]Frank Francisco[/td][td]81%[/td][td]1.47[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][tr][td]Javy Guerra[/td][td]91%[/td][td]1.39[/td][td]21[/td][/tr][/table]

The modern closer has the reputation of being the reliever most suited to handle high-pressure situations, but if we look at current bullpen usage we find out that is often not the case. Let's take a look at which teams are doing the best (and worst) job of deploying their relievers.

Several years ago, sabermetrician Tom Tango developed a measure called the leverage index (LI) in order to gauge high-pressure moments in baseball. The average leverage index is 1.0, representing, well, the average-pressure situation. A situation with a 2.0 represents a situation twice as crucial to the winning (or losing) of a game, with a 0.5 representing only half the pressure.

Everyone knows instinctively that not all save situations are created alike, but the LI shows us just how different they can be. A typical easy save situation, entering the bottom of the ninth inning protecting a three-run lead, isn't a particularly difficult task and has a leverage index of about 1.0. Chris Perez's blown save against the Toronto Blue Jays on Opening Day was of this variety. After Perez's blown save, there was the oddity of the Jays letting Luis Perez pitch four innings, with an LI greater than 1.0 for every single batter, only to have their closer, Sergio Santos, close out the equivalent of a 1-foot putt, needing to get just two outs with a three-run lead.

On the flip side, a situation in which the bases are loaded with two outs in the bottom of the ninth while guarding a one-run lead is the very definition of a do-or-die scenario, and thus has a leverage index of 10.9.

In 2011, no pitcher was more underrated by the save stat than Los Angeles Angels fireballer Jordan Walden. Despite an ERA below 3.00 in his rookie season, Walden led the league in blown saves, tying with Carlos Marmol at 10, which for the save-ophile would suggest that he didn't do his job. However, the save stat doesn't take into account the difficulty of a save conversion, and Walden easily bested every other reliever in baseball when it came to the importance of the situations he pitched in, with a leverage index of 2.54. The next highest LI among relievers with more than 50 innings pitched? Brian Wilson of the San Francisco Giants, at 2.30. Angels manager Mike Scioscia scores big points here for getting his best relief pitcher into the most crucial situations. Other closers who had the hardest fires to put out include Wilson, Mariano Rivera (2.16) and Heath Bell (2.15).

However, there are the closers who got a break, relatively speaking. Javy Guerra had a sterling save percentage, saving 21-of-23 for a 93 percent conversion rate, but he also had the easiest go of any pitcher with 20 save opportunities (LI of 1.39). Next lowest was Frank Francisco at 1.47. Kyle Farnsworth, previously known mostly for the heartburn he causes fans, had his best major league season in terms of saves, helped by a 1.51 LI.

The save may have served a useful purpose when it was officially formulated in 1960 by Jerome Holtzman, but today, with the amount of information available at our disposal, saves are increasingly an anachronism. Trust your best relievers in the toughest situations, saves be damned.

Dan Szymborski covers baseball for ESPN Insider. He has written about the sport since 2001 for the Baseball Think Factory, where he is an editor. He is also the developer of the ZiPS Projection system. You can find his ESPN archives here and follow him on Twitter here.

Dee Gordon and Opening Week notes.

Spoiler

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Spoiler [+]

Spoiler

Heaven is an April day on the couch, the remote control filled with new batteries, to watch a day full of baseball games and see a bunch of things.

1. The Dodgers' Dee Gordon is the son of former reliever Tom Gordon, but he possesses Rickey Henderson's baserunning DNA -- an instinctive arrogance borne out of the belief that nobody can stop him. Gordon singled to open the bottom of the first inning, and he broke from first base on the first pitch and swiped second base easily.

Gordon has attempted five steals this year and has been successful in four of them. On three attempts, he has broken on the first pitch; the other two attempts, he broke on the second pitch.

2. The Tigers' Rick Porcello just looks like he's figured it out. He's throwing with confidence and conviction, and his fastball is much better this year than last April, when his average velocity was about 89.7 mph. Austin Jackson is also off to a great start.

3. The Arizona Diamondbacks are who we thought they are: A team of exceptional depth, in their rotation and their bullpen and their lineup, which means that there isn't undue pressure on any particular part of the team. On Tuesday, they played without an injured Justin Upton, and so it was Chris Young who was the hero. Oh by the way, in the minors, Trevor Bauer had a dominating performance in Double-A.

4. The Texas Rangers got another strong outing, this one from Neftali Feliz, who mixed in his offspeed pitches constantly against the Seattle Mariners. They have a young rotation, a powerful rotation, and a bullpen that could be dominant depending on how efficient Joe Nathan can be at age 37. In the first 45 innings of the Texas season, the Rangers' pitchers have a 2.20 ERA, with 34 hits and 13 walks allowed.

From ESPN Stats and Info, how Feliz won:

A) The first time through the order, Feliz threw his fastball 69 percent of the time; after that, he threw it just 39 percent of the time.

B) Overall, Feliz threw his fastball 51 percent of the time, down from 80 percent as a reliever. He mixed in a slider 26 percent of the time and a changeup 23 percent of the time.

C) Mariners hitters were 1-for-8 in at-bats ending with a Feliz changeup. Feliz threw only five two-strike changeups, but each one resulted in a Mariners out, including two strikeouts.

D) Prior to a Justin Smoak single in the fourth inning, the Mariners were 0-58 against Feliz in his career.

From Elias: That is the longest start-of-career streak of hitless at-bats against one team for any major league pitcher in the expansion era (since 1961). The previous record was 48 by Billy Wagner against the Pirates.

5. David Phelps, brought in by the New York Yankees to relieve Freddy Garcia, showed excellent pure stuff, with his fastball running all over the place. Michael Pineda is still working his way back, but the Yankees do have a lot of depth in their rotation with Andy Pettitte -- and now Phelps would seem to be a good option.

6. J.P. Arencibia seems to have taken something away from his time working with Jose Molina. There were several instances in which Arencibia caught the ball with his glove tilted at an angle that made the pitch look more like a strike than it actually was -- a skill that is called framing. Cody Ross was at the plate for an at-bat, and Kyle Drabek threw an inside fastball that ran inside to the right-handed Ross, seemingly out of the strike zone, and Arencibia turned his glove so that it appeared as if he caught the ball over the inside corner; Ross was called out.

This helped Drabek outlast Daniel Bard.

7. The St. Louis Cardinals continue to look like a team that never had an offseason, and that they are still riding a wave that began during last year's World Series.

8. If Danny Duffy continues to pitch as well as he did on Tuesday, in his win against the Oakland Athletics, the Royals could push the Detroit Tigers this year -- and Duffy has the ability to be an excellent, high-ceiling pitcher.

9. The most interesting moment of the day came when ex-Brave Jordan Schafer dropped down a bunt to lead off the bottom of the first -- and aimed it right at former teammate Chipper Jones, who was playing in his first inning off the disabled list. Jones rushed in and made a bare-handed play successfully, and then later bashed his 455th homer, as David O'Brien writes.
[h3]Guillen apologizes[/h3]
• Ozzie Guillen has probably done about all that he can do for an apology, short of community service. He was suspended for five games. Now the question is whether the South Florida community will forgive him and the Miami Marlins with their wallets, which is really what Tuesday's apology is about. Ozzie is baseball's Rex.

Joey Cora will take over as manager.

It's time to forgive, writes Greg Cote. He sounded remorseful, writes Dave Hyde.

A five-game suspension of Guillen should be enough, writes Mike Lupica.

Let's not forget that Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos and commissioner Bud Selig rubbed elbows with Fidel Castro in 1999, writes Steve Gould.

Yoenis Cespedes declined to comment about the Guillen issue. Another Cuban native is willing to forgive. Atlanta Braves Manager Fredi Gonzalez is surprised by what Ozzie said.

Thank goodness Ozzie is gone from the Chicago White Sox, writes David Haugh.
[h3]Notables[/h3]
• The San Diego Padres are up for sale again.
• From ESPN Stats and Info, By the Numbers:
5: wild pitches by Freddy Garcia Tuesday night, tying the American League record
9: consecutive games with a RBI for Matt Kemp, tying the Dodgers' franchise record
58: all-time at-bats for the Mariners without a hit against Neftali Feliz before a fourth-inning single by Justin Smoak
73.9: strike percentage Tuesday for Clayton Kershaw, a career best
[h3]Dings and dents[/h3]
1. David Wright has a fractured finger.

2. Some key tests are coming up for Chris Carpenter.

3. The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to bring back Charlie Morton to their rotation, writes Karen Price.

4. Danny Espinosa took a day off as a precaution.
[h3]Moves, deals and decisions[/h3]
1. The Cincinnati Reds have now put themselves in a position in which about 30 to 45 percent of their payroll will be devoted to two players well past their 30th birthday, after signing the 30-year-old Brandon Phillips to a six-year, $72.5 million deal. Last week, the Reds locked themselves into 12 years and $251.5 million in commitment to Joey Votto, 28.

2. The Cleveland Indians bought out a year of Carlos Santana's free agency, writes Paul Hoynes.

3. Brendan Ryan was benched.

4. The Minnesota Twins face the tall task of rebuilding their pitching, writes La Velle Neal.

5. The Zack Greinke contract talks are dormant.

6. The Astros' second baseman is benefitting from change.

7. Ian Kinsler's deal is the richest ever for a second baseman.
[h3]Tuesday's games[/h3]
[h4]Leadoff home run kings[/h4]
The most leadoff home runs by active players in MLB.
[table][tr][th=""]
Player
[/th][th=""]
Homers
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Alfonso Soriano
[/td][td]
54
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Jimmy Rollins
[/td][td]
37
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Ichiro Suzuki
[/td][td]
36
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rafael Furcal
[/td][td]
29
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Derek Jeter
[/td][td]
25<<
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Hanley Ramirez
[/td][td]
25
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Rickie Weeks
[/td][td]
25
[/td][/tr][tr][td]>>HR on Tuesday[/td][/tr][/table]
1. Freddy Garcia threw five wild pitches, but the Yankees won. Derek Jeter opened the game with a home run.
2. The Orioles squandered chances.

3. Daniel Bard was OK, but the Red Sox lost again. Bard's outing was uneven, writes Nick Cafardo.

4. The D-backs are still undefeated.

5. The Athletics' plan to run was caught in a rain-shortened game.

6. Clayton Kershaw was excellent in seven innings and got help from Andre Ethier. Kershaw held the Pirates hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position on Tuesday, continuing his dominance of hitters when getting into a jam.

[h4]Pitching out of trouble[/h4]
Lowest batting average against among MLB starters with runners in scoring position (since start of 2011).
[table][tr][th=""]
Player
[/th][th=""]
BAA
[/th][/tr][tr][td]
Ian Kennedy
[/td][td]
.142
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Jeremy Hellickson
[/td][td]
.161
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Ricky Romero
[/td][td]
.173
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Jhoulys Chacin
[/td][td]
.173
[/td][/tr][tr][td]
Clayton Kershaw
[/td][td]
.185<<
[/td][/tr][tr][td]>>0-6 on Tuesday vs. Pirates[/td][/tr][/table]

Although neither pitcher has a decision, and Kershaw's first start was cut short by illness, the reigning Cy Young Award winners have picked up right where they left off last season. In three starts, they've combined for a K-to-BB ratio of 8.5, an ERA of 0.50 and a WHIP of 0.56.

As mentioned earlier, Kershaw's 73.9 strike percentage Tueday is the highest of his career. His strike percentage has steadily risen since debuting in 2008. In 2011, Kershaw threw 65.3 percent strikes. He's at 70.9 percent so far in 2012.

Matt Kemp went 0-4 on Tuesday but drove in a run for the ninth straight game. The nine straight games with a RBI ties a Dodgers' record (Roy Campanella in '55, Augie Galan in '44).

7. The Reds were shut down.

8. The Milwaukee Brewers got some cold relief, writes Todd Rosiak.

9. The Pirates' starting pitching was really good.

10. The Nationals' No. 5 starter stepped up.

11. Paul Maholm had a bad day.

12. Matt Moore was disappointed with his command.

 

[dacomeup]

Originally Posted by Proshares

DaComeUP wrote:

---

wildKYcat wrote:

---

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.


Reach?  I think you guys need to win one in the next four for it to be worth it.  Don't forget about the kids you sent for Latos.  They need to win one and they have a good shot in the next few years but they need a fair amount to go right with the team.  And a new manager.

I agree with everything that you said. Especially about needing a new manager. However, people in this city would just be ecstatic to get a WS appearance at this point. I wouldn't be happy unless we won a WS but you have to understand that it's been 20 years since we've had that feeling

.

 

[dacomeup]

Originally Posted by Proshares

DaComeUP wrote:

---

wildKYcat wrote:

---

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.


Reach?  I think you guys need to win one in the next four for it to be worth it.  Don't forget about the kids you sent for Latos.  They need to win one and they have a good shot in the next few years but they need a fair amount to go right with the team.  And a new manager.

I agree with everything that you said. Especially about needing a new manager. However, people in this city would just be ecstatic to get a WS appearance at this point. I wouldn't be happy unless we won a WS but you have to understand that it's been 20 years since we've had that feeling

.

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

Originally Posted by pacmagic2002

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

?  I said we were NL central favorites and predicted a WS or even a WS run?  
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DONT WORRY........I`ll wait...............idiots from OHIO of all places putting words in my mouth now

all this because i put too many exclamation points on comments about freese`s home runs........SMDH

U MAD?...........

take yall lame $#* back to that wack $#* NL central thread......

You are lame

 

[jumpmanfromdabay]

Originally Posted by pacmagic2002

Originally Posted by DaComeUP

Originally Posted by wildKYcat

You're way too excited... it's April.

NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

?  I said we were NL central favorites and predicted a WS or even a WS run?  
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DONT WORRY........I`ll wait...............idiots from OHIO of all places putting words in my mouth now

all this because i put too many exclamation points on comments about freese`s home runs........SMDH

U MAD?...........

take yall lame $#* back to that wack $#* NL central thread......

You are lame

 

[do work son]

didn't know i was in the NL central thread....

after a couple of days of baseball, i had no idea the phillies would be this bad at the plate. carlos beltran making a play at being last year's lance berkman. nice to see johan back on the mound today. those second halfs in minnesota dude was just lights out.

 

[do work son]

didn't know i was in the NL central thread....

after a couple of days of baseball, i had no idea the phillies would be this bad at the plate. carlos beltran making a play at being last year's lance berkman. nice to see johan back on the mound today. those second halfs in minnesota dude was just lights out.

 

[proshares]

Beltran had one of his best seasons last year though.

 

[proshares]

Beltran had one of his best seasons last year though.

 

[rawex5]

 

[rawex5]

 

[pacmagic2002]

Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay

Originally Posted by pacmagic2002

Originally Posted by DaComeUP


NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

?  I said we were NL central favorites and predicted a WS or even a WS run?  
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DONT WORRY........I`ll wait...............idiots from OHIO of all places putting words in my mouth now

all this because i put too many exclamation points on comments about freese`s home runs........SMDH

U MAD?...........

take yall lame $#* back to that wack $#* NL central thread......

You are lame

 

[pacmagic2002]

Originally Posted by JumpmanFromDaBay

Originally Posted by pacmagic2002

Originally Posted by DaComeUP


NL Central favorites, WS series predictions. We're the homers, though.

It's the 1st week of the season.

I definitely think we overpaid for BP. I see WildKy's point though and if we reach a WS in the next 4 years at least once then it'll all be worth it IMO.

?  I said we were NL central favorites and predicted a WS or even a WS run?  
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DONT WORRY........I`ll wait...............idiots from OHIO of all places putting words in my mouth now

all this because i put too many exclamation points on comments about freese`s home runs........SMDH

U MAD?...........

take yall lame $#* back to that wack $#* NL central thread......

You are lame

 

[pacmagic2002]

cueto lookin good.........hope jaime can keep up.

Im sure if he keeps doing good, he will start to stink it up in the 5th like always.

 

[pacmagic2002]

cueto lookin good.........hope jaime can keep up.

Im sure if he keeps doing good, he will start to stink it up in the 5th like always.