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

[Hahahaha]

Nats definitely have plenty of talent. They've been very shaky the last two years so I wouldn't pick them. There's still like 40 games left so we'll see.

I expect the Brewers to crap out any day now.

I do like the Dodgers.

 

[shirt1995]

If the Nats are not a contender, who is? The Braves with Fredi? The Brewers with that below average rotation? The Dodgers who struggle to win at home? I'll take my chances with the team with the better rotation, similar offense and with the a run differential almost doubling everyone in the NL.

My man[emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]128077[/emoji][emoji]128077[/emoji]

 

[jjs07]

Just funny seeing orioles fans getting these post off...that's all

O's > Nats. No question.

 

[ii flash ii]

Let's get it Braves

 

[jjs07]

Nats vs. teams over .500

Atl 4-9
Bal 1-3
Cin 3-3
Miami 6-5
LAA 1-2
LAD 2-1
MIL 4-2
OAK 0-3
PIT 3-3
SF 3-1
StL 2-5
Tex 2-1

From baseball reference...counted cin, though they went 1 game under w/ their loss today

31-38, if i added it up right.

 

[proshares]

Well they've only played the Braves 3 times in the last two months. They lost an extra inning game to Baltimore and a one run game...they got beat around by the A's in May and lost 2 outta 3 to LAA in April...is this saying that they're not a top team now? IDK seems a little extreme to say that IMO.

I wouldn't say no question. Nats are really underrated I guess they have one of the best 1-5's in the majors and one of the best rotation/pen combos in the majors. They may not hit HR's that often but they have a more than capable offense. I get the O's are on a roll but maybe it's just me not seeing it.

 

[jjs07]

I mean, the record doesnt lie. They are a good team, but id honestly be shocked if they win a playoff series. They have the rotation to do it, but im skeptical.

 

[madj55]

I could say the same about the O's. Just swap the rotation with the lineup. The regular season doesn't matter in the playoffs. It's all about which team gets hot at the right time.

 

[shirt1995]

O's fans feeling too good about themselves lately so just let me remind you that your pitching is HIGHLY suspect and

PETER ANGELOS

 

[jjs07]

But you can't say anything about the O's tho in comparison to the Nats...nats are beating the teams they should beat, but are meh vs. other playoff caliber teams in the NL. If anything, you could say the same for teams like MIL/LAD, so there's that. Personally, I just dont buy in to their chances going forward....in addition, Why wouldn't I feel good about how the O's are playing? We have a good record vs. teams with winning records, and that gives me confidence with our chances in the playoffs. Oh, and shirt1995 , what does peter angelos have to do with anything having to do with the current ON FIELD product? Grasping for straws, bruh. LOL

*edit* Pro - ur avy! Lmaoooooooooo

 

[proshares]

I crack up every time I go into my page.

Good record against the good teams is def working in their favor. Plus, the power and bullpen (with Miller who is untouchable now) gives them a chance against anyone...I just don't feel comfortable picking a team with a rotation that is built to survive instead of dominate to pull out a series against Oakland/LAA.

Just a matter of preference I suppose. Not to say that Baltimore hasn't been playing very well lately.

 

[trueprada]

Let's get it Braves

swept team with the best record in baseball 

 

[Hahahaha]

I expect the O's bats too completely shut down once the post season starts.


When you call a team a contender, are you saying a post season contender or World Series contender? I expect the Nats and Orioles to make the post season but I don't think either will go to the World Series

 

[proshares]

My first season in the major leagues.

Spoiler

Guest bloggers are stepping in for Buster Olney this week to write the lead item, while Buster still has his news and notes below that. Today's guest blogger is Chicago White Sox rookie outfielder Jose Abreu.

First of all, I need to thank God for allowing me to reach my dream, the dream of my family: That is, being part of the best baseball league in the world; for giving me the opportunity to show every day what I’m capable of, thanks to the abilities given to me by him; and for being in an organization like the White Sox that has allowed me to be surrounded by so many good people that have helped me during the process this season.

Truth is, things haven’t been as easy as a lot of people might think. But they haven’t been too tough, either. The key, like I’ve always said, is to keep on working, enjoy the things you are capable of doing, and never settle for less.

Back when I was a kid and started playing baseball, my father always advised me that I had to be devoted in order to be good, to become whoever I wanted to be I had to work real hard every single day. And that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.

That advice from my father, who is also named Jose, is like a Holy Scripture to me. I work intensely every day, to be prepared for every single game.

When I played with Cienfuegos or with the Cuban national team, I worked nonstop. Did it every day, even when I had a long trip ahead, traveling by guagua (bus), to every city in our schedule.

When I arrived in this country, my daily preparation became easier, because of all the training facilities that exist. In my first days here, I kept on working, preparing myself so I wouldn’t waste this new opportunity that the Lord gave me, to pay the team back for the trust they gave me, and to honor all the efforts and sacrifices made by my family.

Taking advantage of all the benefits that I’ve bumped into since I arrived in the big leagues has been an easy task, same thing as being able to keep my focus about the work I have to do, about all the positive things that have happened to me, and everything I’ve achieved in this time. Honestly, I never thought I could achieve all these things, like being Player of the Month, Rookie of the Month, an All-Star, but that’s what God has chosen for me, and I accept that in a humble way.

But like I said, despite having all these great things, I haven’t lost my focus, because I always remember another piece of advice from my father: “You must have a plan for everything you want to achieve. You must stick to that plan and work on it, so things can happen." And it’s been like that. I’ve always stuck to my plan, where hard work is everything.

I have met some great people that have helped me to improve all the resources in my work and preparation, people with great experience that have been gracious enough to provide some advice, and have also allowed me to use some of their examples.

Paul Konerko -- who unfortunately will retire after this season -- and Adam Dunn have been two key people that have guided me in this transition process.

[+] EnlargePaul Konerko
AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast
Paul Konerko's work ethic has provided a strong model to follow for Jose Abreu and other young White Sox hitters.
Konerko’s leadership has given me security and confidence. He is a person who never loses his temper, a hard worker who loves to study his batting with great detail. His work ethic has set an example for me, and it has helped me to keep my plan rolling, improving it every day.

From Konerko, I’ve learned how to take advantage of all the pitching analysis that is available, although I must confess that I’m not the type of guy who likes to read too much of that, since I’ve got my own method to analyze pitchers. But it’s a tool that we have, and eventually, it can help.

Both Konerko and Dunn have helped me to stay relaxed, to avoid feeling pressured when things don’t go my way, to avoid the frustration after failing to achieve something that I think I could have done easily.

Dunn is always looking for different ways to keep the team in good spirits, so we cannot lose the battle against pressure. I still laugh every time I see Phil, the toy chimp he’s got in his locker. There was one time when he brought a toy bird that made a very weird noise. The first time I heard that bird, it really scared me a lot. Now, I just laugh.

The way Konerko and Dunn handle every situation helps the team. It has helped me to control the different scenarios that might happen at this level, both on the field and inside the clubhouse.

I think that both Konerko and Dunn have provided examples that have helped me to complement my plan, the very same plan taught by my father that has been improved. I hope to be able to follow their examples, and continue to take advantage of every single opportunity, as long as the Lord allows me to do so.



And now we return to Buster's regularly scheduled news and notes ...

• The Angels moved ahead of Oakland in the AL West by percentage points, rolling the Texas Rangers. The Athletics lost for the sixth time in their past seven games, Susan Slusser writes.

This has the look of the best race down the stretch: two division rivals bearing the best records in baseball slugging it out, with 10 games remaining between the clubs. (And Seattle cannot be completely dismissed in this race, at 6 1/2 back and charging; since April 22, the Mariners are 59-43.)

You could make a strong case for Huston Street as the best trade acquisition of the summer, based on his performance since joining the Angels: 12 innings, no runs, five hits, three walks and 10 strikeouts.

From the Elias Sports Bureau: With their win and the Athletics' loss, the Angels moved into a share of first place in the AL West. It's the first time the Angels have had at least a share of first place in the division since Opening Day 2013.

We are well-positioned for this race on "Sunday Night Baseball." We’ve got Oakland and Atlanta on Sunday night (8 ET on ESPN and WatchESPN), and then the Angels and the Athletics on Aug. 24. Jon Lester pitches against the Braves’ Mike Minor Sunday night.

Atlanta took Oakland down again Saturday, writes Chris Vivlamore. Farhan Zaidi expects the Athletics’ slump to end. Bob Melvin talked with the Athletics about lapses.

• Alex Anthopoulos will return as the Toronto Blue Jays general manager next season.

• The Dodgers lost a Clayton Kershaw start, and Juan Uribe to a hamstring injury. Ryan Braun had a big hit against Kershaw.

Braun’s plate performance is sticking out like a sore thumb, writes Tom Haudricourt. His OPS is down 174 points from two seasons ago. I wrote about that in this space four weeks ago.

• Matt Gelb wonders what the Phillies will do with Ruben Amaro.

• The Rockies’ game Saturday was canceled because of a water main break.

• The Little League team from Chicago has been impressing a lot of folks, including Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford and his brother Cory, who have sponsored the team, including picking up the tab for any travel expenses for the family members of the players.

Crawford spoke to the team via Skype on Saturday.

• The Tigers desperately needed a win, and David Price provided it for them, beating the Mariners. He talked his way into staying in for big spots, John Lowe writes.

From ESPN Stats & Information, how Price beat Felix Hernandez and the Mariners:

A. He kept the ball down, offering just 21.8 percent of his pitches up in the strike zone -- the lowest rate in any of his past 13 outings.

B. Price allowed just two hits to right-handed batters, the third time this season he held the Mariners' righties to three hits or fewer. Overall, Mariners righties are 6-for-47 (.128 BA) against Price this season.

C. The Mariners were 0-for-12 with seven K's when Price reached a two-strike count.

D. He pitched at least eight innings in a start for the 14th time this season, the most such starts in the majors; Johnny Cueto has 11, while Hernandez and Kershaw have nine each.

• Meanwhile, Yordano Ventura faltered, and the Royals lost ground.

• From Elias: Hernandez's major league record of 16 straight games with at least seven innings pitched and two runs or fewer was snapped, but he is approaching another all-time mark. He has now gone five innings while allowing two runs or fewer in 17 straight. Since 1900, only Zack Greinke has a longer streak.

• Baseball needs a time change, writes Steve Buckley.

This will be the first major test of the new relationship between Rob Manfred and union head Tony Clark. When you talk to players individually, most tend to believe that the pace of the game is not an issue, and is a conversation that is mostly media-driven. If Clark’s decisions on this issue reflected the views of the rank and file in the union, he could be intransigent, fighting any suggestion brought to him by the new commissioner.

But if Clark feels that the pace of play is a growing problem, he could move the body of players in that direction when Manfred comes calling. The pace of play situation is much like the issue of PED testing: There will not be change until the union decides to make change.

Dings and dents

1. Michael Wacha threw off a mound and felt great, writes Rick Hummel.

2. Brandon Phillips finished his two-game rehab stint.

3. Cubs prospect Kris Bryant hurt his foot.

4. Jayson Werth could be back in the lineup today.

Moves, deals and decisions

1. The Braves signed Donnie Murphy.

2. Junior Lake was sent to the minors.

Saturday’s games

1. The Diamondbacks made a lot of mistakes, writes Patrick Saunders.

2. Henderson Alvarez won in his return, Clark Spencer writes.

3. The Rays fell back below .500. Jake McGee had an unusual lapse.

4. Colby Lewis struck out a bunch of guys, Randy Jennings writes.

5. The Astros watched David Ortiz put on a show, Evan Drellich writes.

6. The Cardinals experienced a brutal loss.

7. Carlos Carrasco came up big for the Indians against the Orioles.

8. Phil Hughes shut down the Royals.

9. Ortiz clubbed his 400th and 401st homers as a member of the Red Sox.

10. Derek Jeter got an important hit for the slumping Yankees.

11. Jedd Gyorko mashed a big hit.

12. The Giants rallied.

13. The Pirates were on the wrong side of a walk-off.

14. Wilson Ramos got a big hit.

15. The Jays won in Mark Buehrle's return.

AL West

• The Mariners’ Chris Taylor is providing a boost in the field.

• The Rangers’ Jon Edwards had a strong MLB debut.

• One Astro got a rare day off.

AL Central

• Joe Nathan hopes his relationship with the fans gets better and better. Bob Wojnowski believes Tigers fans should let Nathan move past his gestures.

• Wade Davis bears memories of his stepbrother, Andy McCullough writes.

• Joe Mauer is playing hurt.

AL East

• Ubaldo Jimenez had a bad day.

• An ambidextrous pitcher is hoping for a call to the big leagues, writes Jim Baumbach.

NL West

• Sergio Romo got his first save in 2 1/2 months.

NL Central

• Jon Jay has been hit by pitches a lot lately.

NL East

• Mike Lupica thinks it’s time for Matt Harvey to grow up.

• The Mets have made some forward-thinking personnel moves lately, writes Jorge Arangure.

• About the Mets’ game Saturday, from Elias: Before Saturday, the only other time the Mets scored seven or more runs in a game in which they managed four hits or fewer was June 29, 1962 (the inaugural season of the franchise) against the Dodgers. New York batters walked 16 times in that game, just twice on Saturday.

Lastly

• Todd Helton is content in his first year away from the game.

• A change at the top of MLB could be a good thing for the Rays, writes Roger Mooney. Mark Purdy wonders whether anything will change under Manfred.

Bud Selig had more leverage than Manfred appears to have, a greater ability to maneuver ... and didn’t get change on behalf of the Athletics. So the forecast for the Athletics’ ballpark situation doesn’t look good.

• Miguel Cabrera helped to make a fan’s wish come true.

• The Orioles are questioning Selig’s authority in the MASN case.

The bottom line: Peter Angelos would not have agreed to give up territorial rights to Washington, D.C., unless he received terms he felt were favorable to his franchise -- and very favorable, given how competitive he is and his law background. The only surprise is that Major League Baseball seems to have expected Angelos to relent on this issue. Which is kind of funny, if they had any sense of his stubbornness.

And today will be better than yesterday.

K.C. bullpen overwhelms, as a routine.

Spoiler

The Royals' bullpen got some needed relief Sunday, in the form of 12 runs of offense. So Greg Holland wasn’t required to crank up and do the thing that's his equivalent of Superman jumping into a phone booth, and Wade Davis didn’t have to ease his way into his work. Kelvin Herrera, who hasn’t allowed a run in almost two months, did take an inning, his fastball reaching 100.2 mph, his sinker averaging about 95 mph.

“These guys are something to watch,” Royals bullpen coach Doug Henry said Sunday morning, and Henry gets to see them up close, all of their habits, their different routines.

The Kansas City bullpen is probably the difference between the Royals between in or out of first place in the AL Central. While Tigers manager Brad Ausmus has had to wade through uncertainty all summer with a struggling bullpen that ranks 27th in ERA, the back end of the Kansas City relief has been nearly pristine of late. Since June 25, Holland, Davis and Herrera have a collective ERA of 0.47, with 34 hits, no homers, 18 walks allowed in 57 2/3 innings -- and 73 strikeouts.

Henry pitched in relief in 582 games in the big leagues over 11 seasons, in an era when he and others were expected to be in the bullpen at the outset of the game, regardless of their roles. But this is a different time, Henry noted, and the Royals' late-inning trio does its work like a lot of relievers these days, preparing in the early innings in the clubhouse and trainer’s room, stretching, loosening. By the time they make the trek to the bullpen, in the fourth or fifth inning, they are prepared to pitch.

Herrera tends to work in the seventh inning, and when the phone rings for him, Henry said, Herrera will throw nice and easy for the first five tosses, “like he’s lobbing the ball in there. And then all of a sudden,” Henry said, “here it comes.”

As in, fastballs close to max velocity. After throwing about 10 fastballs, Herrera will begin to mix in other pitches, such as his curveball and changeup. But for Herrera, the primary weapon will always be the fastball at close to 100 mph, and he is ready quickly.

Davis, a starter for much of his professional career, takes a little longer, with his first 10 tosses at about 70 mph, Henry guesstimated. But like Herrera, he quickly ramps up, firing his next five or six fastballs in the mid-90s. Before Davis is ready, he will want to spin a couple of curveballs, to get the feel for that pitch, and when Henry sees that, he can report to the dugout that the right-hander is ready to go.

Holland has more experience as a reliever than the other two, so his routine is cemented. He begins to warm up with seven or eight or nine tosses nice and easy, and then he spits his gum out -- a turning point in his preparation for an outing, like the Hulk’s eyes turning green. After that, he starts to fire the ball, working in his slider to both sides of the plate. After 15 pitches or so, he'll flip the ball to Henry behind his back, and he's ready to go.

As he passes Henry, he will put his pitching hand on Henry's right shoulder, walking forward and stretching his arm one last time before going through the door and heading onto the field.

The Royals have played a lot of close games of late, Henry noted, and the three relievers have been needed. But the bullpen should continue to be a weapon for Kansas City, because of how it has been used: Only one Royals reliever, Aaron Crow, ranks among the top 54 in appearances, and Davis leads the bullpen with 53 1/3 innings -- tied for 38th. Kansas City is closing in on its first postseason appearance in 29 years, and the bullpen is at the forefront of that drive.

Here's a look at the Royals' big three and their average fastball velocity (via Fangraphs). Kelvin Herrera is at 98 mph (ranked second in MLB), Holland 95.9 (11th), Davis 95.5 mph (13th).

Elsewhere, a Royals prospect has been promoted to Triple-A to pitch out of the bullpen, as Andy McCullough writes. We are at that stage in the season when contenders are preparing for September’s big league promotions.

Notables

• Growing pains for Xander Bogaerts have been tough, writes Nick Canelas.
[+] EnlargeXander Bogaerts
AP Photo/Bill Boyce
Xander Bogaerts' bat could work at shortstop, but at third base?

The situation with Bogaerts is fascinating because of what's at stake. If he can prove to be just adequate at shortstop -- say, like a Jhonny Peralta type of defender -- the Red Sox could get superlative production relative to the norm at the position, as Bogaerts develops.

But many rival evaluators just don’t see Bogaerts as a shortstop going forward. “He’s really big for that spot,” said one, code for He’s not going to be quick enough.

Bogaerts also struggled at third base this summer, however -- maybe even more than he did at shortstop -- and so his future does not seem clear. Boston’s decision on what to do with Bogaerts going into 2015 will be really interesting: Will they commit to playing him at shortstop every day next season? Or will they hedge their bet, and build a safety net, in case they decide to go in another direction, especially given the presence of high-end defender Deven Marrero -- a shortstop -- in Triple-A?

Here’s one more factor for the Red Sox to consider: Catcher Christian Vazquez is, by all accounts, a strong defender, but he doesn’t hit for power. Marrero has six homers in the minors this season, a career high. Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. might be the best defender at his position among AL center fielders, but has a .572 OPS, which ranks 151st among 153 qualified hitters in the AL.

Can the Red Sox win with a power shortage in at least three spots in their everyday lineup?

• Derek Jeter has been used at DH for two straight games, writes Kevin Kernan.

• Gerrit Cole is going to take over in the Pittsburgh rotation for Charlie Morton.

• Josh Hamilton needs a mental break.

• In the midst of the Rockies’ sweep of the Reds, Michael Cuddyer became the first player to hit for cycle this season. Cuddyer is the seventh Rockies player to hit for the cycle and the first since Carlos Gonzalez in 2010. Only he, John Olerud and Bob Watson have hit for the cycle in the AL and NL.

• Jonathan Lucroy had a double and a homer Sunday, and leads the NL in doubles this season with 40. Via Elias Sports Bureau: No player whose primary position is catcher has led his league in doubles in a season in the modern era (since 1900).

• Tony Randazzo and Lloyd McClendon have a history, going way back, and the ump ejected the manager Saturday and again Sunday. The act of shooing seems to be central to the problems here.

MLB needs to get this situation settled.

• As ESPN Stats & Information notes, there is improvement going on all over the place. The Astros won their 52nd game of the season Sunday, with a timely homer by Jose Altuve, passing their total from last season. They haven't won more than 56 games in a season since 2010. The Marlins racked up their 62nd win of the season Sunday, with Giancarlo Stanton doing a lot of damage. The Marlins had 62 wins last season. The Brewers notched their 70th win of the season Sunday (they had 74 wins last season). They swept the Dodgers, defeating aces along the way. The Mariners got their 67th win of the season Sunday (they had 71 wins last season).

• Mike Minor stepped up, and the Braves completed a sweep of the Athletics.

• Chris Young’s revival continues. From ESPN Stats & Info, how Young shut down the Tigers:

1. He kept his outfielders busy, inducing 13 fly balls and popups, only one of which went for a hit. He also limited line drives, allowing only one.

2. He got outs by working the top and bottom of the strike zone effectively. He threw 41 pitches in the upper third of the zone or higher, netting six outs and yielded only one baserunner.

3. His 33 pitches in the lower-third of the zone (or below the knees) netted eight outs (one shy of his season high) and permitted only two baserunners.

Young is 7-2 with a 2.45 ERA and a 0.91 WHIP in his past 12 starts. He's won four straight decisions. This was his 12th win of season, matching career high set in 2005 with Rangers.

Moves, deals and decisions

1. The Phillies got a fringe prospect in the Roberto Hernandez deal.

2. It’s time for the Orioles to put Ubaldo Jimenez in the bullpen, writes Peter Schmuck.

3. The Indians are gearing up their rotation for the stretch drive, writes Zack Meisel.

4. The Cardinals shuffled their relievers, writes Derrick Goold.

5. The Rangers cut Carlos Pena, as Gerry Fraley writes.

6. Carlos Rodon could be a September call-up. There is this reality to consider: If the White Sox waited through the early-season off days in 2015 before summoning him around April 16, they would delay his free agency by a year.

Dings and dents

1. Brian McCann was activated.

2. Masahiro Tanaka is ready for the next step.

3. David Wright could miss Monday's game.

4. Engel Beltre’s career might be in jeopardy.

5. Kris Bryant’s injury is not serious, writes Gordon Wittenmyer.

6. Yonder Alonso will miss the rest of the season.

7. Andy Dirks suffered another hamstring injury. If this is a major setback, he might be lost for the rest of the regular season.

8. Wil Myers' return is on the horizon.

Sunday’s games

1. A late Toronto rally came up short.

2. The Nationals won a crazy game.

3. The breaks went against David Buchanan.

4. Kevin Gausman stepped up for the Orioles again.

5. Tommy Milone got pounded.

6. Conor Gillaspie was right in the center of the White Sox win Sunday.

7. The Reds' bullpen completely melted down during Sunday’s doubleheader.

8. For Jon Lester and the Athletics, the losing continues.

9. For the first time since Huston Street joined the Angels, he blew a save chance, as Mike DiGiovanna writes.

10. Tim Lincecum worked through some early-inning trouble.

AL East

• Hiroki Kuroda won the last game of a series for the Yankees, writes David Waldstein.

• Chad Jenkins has been on a roller coaster of emotions this season.

AL Central

• Trevor May is going to try to alter his mound demeanor.

• Jim Johnson had a rough first outing in Detroit.

AL West

• Nick Tepesch gave the Rangers a chance.

• The Mariners are taking aim at the AL West title, and not just the wild-card spot.

NL East

• Rafael Montero had a nice outing.

• Julio Teheran is really good at pickoffs.

• Phil Gosselin has the hot hand for the Braves.

NL Central

• From Elias Sports Bureau: Adam Wainwright is 55-0 in the 56 starts he's made since 2009 in which he was staked to a lead of four or more runs. (The only loss of his major league career in such a start came in 2008.)

• Jake Arrieta might get a precautionary shutdown, writes Gordon Wittenmyer.

• Aroldis Chapman lost the strike zone.

NL West

• Josh Collmenter is showing signs of fatigue, writes Nick Piecoro.

• Dan Haren and Don Mattingly are taking it one start at a time.

Lastly

• The Rangers' front office is excited about the promotion of Rob Manfred, writes Evan Grant.

• The Rockies retired the jersey number of Todd Helton. Helton's daughter stole the show, writes Patrick Saunders.

• Bryan Stow visited the Giants' clubhouse, as Henry Schulman writes.

And today will be better than yesterday.

10 other things on Rob Manfred's to-do list.

Spoiler

Major League Baseball owners made the right call by electing Rob Manfred as the 10th commissioner in baseball history. His experience, track record and leadership skills made him the obvious choice.

Most importantly, he was the candidate most likely to proceed in the same philosophies and direction as outgoing commissioner Bud Selig. Like Selig, Manfred’s modus operandi will be to gain the consensus of all 30 owners on major decisions, with an emphasis on continued competitive balance. During his news conference, Manfred referred to competitive balance as the bedrock of baseball.

He also understands that most owners want to see the game progress in many areas. My colleague Buster Olney explained some of the major issues Manfred must deal with immediately.

In addition to the issues Buster identified, here are 10 more issues and their various subtopics that I’d like to see Manfred pursue over the next couple of years. Mind you, these are issues that need to be addressed but not entire solutions to the problems. Solving them certainly will take time.

1. Improve the pace of the game

This is the biggest problem in the sport. Games are simply too long, and it will be hard to retain younger players and fans considering the number of entertainment options at their disposal today. Here are some options to cut down on the length of a game:

Reduce the number of warm-up pitches to shorten time between innings. Teams will balk at shortening the gap between innings because it lessens time for advertising revenue, but they must find alternative revenue streams.

Institute a pitch clock. I know old-school baseball people will hate me for this, but if you don’t throw a pitch within 15 seconds, it’s a ball.

Award intentional walks with a simple signal from the manager. Do not make the pitcher throw four balls.

Tighten up instant replay rules. Doing so means there will be no waiting for clubs to watch replays to decide on challenging a call.

2. Change the collision rules

The collision rule has been a disaster -- just ask the managers, umpires and major league catchers. The main problem is the inconsistency of the calls, interpretations and enforcements of the rule. There is just too much gray area. I would like to see the managers, umpires and catchers come together as a group and create a better solution soon.

3. Implement the designated hitter rule for both leagues

[+] EnlargeVictor Martinez
AP Photo/Tony Dejak
The NL should open up to designated hitters -- such as Victor Martinez -- to get in line with the rules of many other levels of the game.
I spent most of my front-office career in the National League and have always preferred the game played without the DH. I like the late-inning strategy, double-switching and decisions to take out your best pitcher when down a run or tied. I also like that the bench and bullpens are more important in NL game strategy.

However, since the DH rule will never be eliminated, why not make it uniform in both leagues? The DH rule is used at every level from Little League to college and throughout the minor leagues. The time has come for one rule for all leagues at all levels. The fact that we have so many interleague games -- spring training games, the All-Star Game and the World Series -- yet play with two different rules doesn’t make sense. Although I’d prefer no DH, I’d much rather have one rule, especially with an interleague game being played nearly every night.

4. Tweak the Super 2 rules

It is unfortunate that each year some of the best prospects in baseball don’t get promoted to the major leagues until June because teams want to make sure that they don’t have to pay for an extra year of salary arbitration. This is not good for the game on many levels, but most importantly, the most talented players are penalized, pennant races are altered, and the bottom line wins out over doing the right thing as a sport.

5. Reshape some draft rules

Allow trading of picks. Baseball currently allows minimal trading of draft picks; I would like to see it opened up to all picks and GMs given more flexibility to make deals. There should be some restrictions put in place in terms of the number of years out you can trade a pick and even the number of first- and even second-round picks a team can trade, but this would grow interest in the MLB draft and the sport.

Institute a worldwide draft. I would like to see all players from all countries go into the same draft each year. It’s only fair to treat all players the same. It’s not fair that players outside of the United States and Canada can get paid more money for having the same talent. Players who have to go through a draft don’t get to pick their teams, while players from around the world can. Make it the same for all players.

Eliminate the association of free agency with the draft. I’ve never liked the concept of tying free agents to draft picks, and I’ve never liked the extra picks after each round. Free agents should be signed, be traded or leave without any player compensation. Often, it’s the high-revenue teams that end up with the extra picks because they can afford the best free agents, let them walk and still get picks. Their financial wherewithal allows them to sign free-agent talent equal to what they lost, essentially getting the best of both worlds.

6. Improve the TV experience

Eliminate blackouts. The biggest complaint I hear from fans is the number of games that are blacked out. It’s a complicated problem because of all the individual TV and carrier contracts, so it won’t be easily solved. It’s an absolute shame in Houston and Los Angeles, where many Astros and Dodgers games are inaccessible to fans. There has to be a way to make all games available to fans, and Manfred must make this a priority.

Condensed versions of games. Baseball should make all games (in a condensed form) available to fans on television and the Internet within 30 minutes of their conclusion with the same broadcasters doing play by play. This condensed version will allow fans to watch the games when they want and in a streamlined version without fast-forwarding on their DVR.

7. Clear up the Hall of Fame

[+] EnlargeBarry Bonds
Tom Hauck/Getty Images
A change in the Hall of Fame voting rules could lead to Barry Bonds earning a plaque in Cooperstown.
Define PED users' Hall of Fame criteria. Baseball should set a clear criteria for voters on how to handle players linked to performance-enhancing drugs. I would recommend if a player was guilty of using or admitted to using PEDs and served a subsequent suspension, he should not be voted in. All others should be allowed in, since there isn’t proof beyond a reasonable doubt.

Allow Pete Rose in. Rose’s lifetime ban should be overturned; the possibility of this was part of his original agreement with baseball. He has admitted his mistakes and apologized. Enough time has passed to accept his forgiveness, and baseball’s all-time hits king should be allowed in, perhaps with an asterisk. A copy of the lifetime suspension agreement should then be displayed in Cooperstown to tell the whole story.

8. The All-Star Game should no longer determine World Series home-field advantage

It is the most absurd rule in baseball to consider that the winner of an exhibition game determines what team gets home-field advantage. Although both teams try to win the All-Star Game, the fact is both managers prioritize getting all their guys into the game as much as winning.

In addition, why should players who won’t even sniff the postseason decide which team gets home-field advantage three months later? The teams with the best record should get home-field advantage. If two teams are tied, the team with the best record the year prior should get the nod.

9. Expand!

Baseball needs to expand to 32 teams with 16 teams in each league and four divisions -- North, South, East and West -- in each league with only the division leaders making the playoffs and all series being the best of seven. This way there doesn’t have to be an interleague game every night. Montreal, Las Vegas, Portland, Charlotte and Mexico City should all be given consideration for the expansion.

Realignment. If baseball doesn’t expand, then the geographic realignment I proposed three years ago still can work. Of course, if baseball did expand, depending on the cities chosen, we would adjust the geographic alignment of the divisions accordingly.

10. Ballpark changes

New parks for Oakland and Tampa Bay. Selig worked hard to get new or renovated stadiums for all 30 teams during his tenure and has done a magnificent job -- outside of Oakland and Tampa Bay. It’s now up to Manfred to help find a way to solve the problem for both organizations.

Affordable tickets everywhere. I would like to see major league baseball make it mandatory for all 30 clubs to have a certain number of seats available at an affordable price for all families. There are too many teams that have priced all their seats at a cost level that makes it no longer affordable for many families. This needs to change so that everyone can afford to come to at least some games each year in person.

How Astros have improved.

Spoiler

The Houston Astros have been in a multiyear rebuild, and their efforts are finally starting to pay off at the major league level. George Springer and Jon Singleton have each made their debuts for the team this season. Prospects such as Carlos Correa, Mark Appel and Mike Foltynewicz are expected to join them over the next year or two. If their stockpile of young talent fulfills its potential, the Astros could at some point follow the 2008 Tampa Bay Rays with a worst-to-first turnaround driven by a potent farm system.

Most will assume that the Astros need that complete roster turnover before they can become competitive again, but that may not be the case. Many of their best players have improved significantly this season from where they were when they represented the core of a team that lost 100 or more games in three consecutive seasons. They may not all be stars, but their improvements can make them valuable pieces of a competitive roster, and that competitiveness might come much sooner than many expect.


Jose Altuve | Baserunning

It's funny to think of Altuve as one of the key veterans on the team since he is still just 24 years old, but this is his fourth year in the majors. With two All-Star selections in those four seasons, Altuve is probably the closest thing the team has to a star player.

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He has hit at least .276 every season and stolen 30 or more bases three times, but a lack of power, plate discipline, baserunning efficiency and defensive range have limited his value. His power and defense are unlikely to significantly improve, but Altuve has made major strides this season on the basepaths. Because of a lack of traditional stats to capture a player's baserunning efficiency, many people will see Altuve's 35 stolen bases last season and assume he was a great baserunner. That was not the case.

Altuve was only successful on 73 percent of his stolen-base attempts, which is close to breaking even when you consider that an out is much more damaging to a team's chances of scoring a run than an extra base is helpful. Meanwhile, Altuve also cost the team in non-steal situations. Baseball Info Solutions tracks good and bad baserunning plays, which cover positive baserunning events like taking an extra base and avoiding a tag and negative baserunning events like overrunning a bag or being picked off by a catcher. Altuve had 12 bad baserunning Plays in 2013, which was third-most in baseball.

Altuve continues to be aggressive this season, but he has cut down on his mistakes. He has just seven bad baserunning plays so far this season, and he has only been thrown out on six of his 52 stolen-base attempts, good for an 88 percent success rate. Altuve has always had the speed, but it's his improved decision-making that has transformed him into an exceptional baserunner.


Jason Castro | Pitch blocking

In his first two seasons in the majors, Castro made a big impact with his bat. He hit 24 home runs from 2012-13 and walked in more than a tenth of his plate appearances. And while Castro was a solid defensive catcher in many respects, he really struggled to block wild pitches and pitches in the dirt. In 2012, he allowed eight passed balls and committed 36 wild pitch misplays -- pitches that the catcher had a legitimate chance to block that ended up becoming wild pitches -- despite sharing catching duties with Chris Snyder. His 88.9 percent block rate was 56th of 69 catchers with at least 100 opportunities.

Jason Castro's pitch blocking, 2012-14
Season Catcher blocks Passed balls Wild pitch misplays Block rate rank*
2012 353 8 36 88.9% 56
2013 486 10 27 92.9% 22
2014 494 10 20 94.3% 9
*Minimum 100 opportunities
Since his rookie season, Castro has steadily improved his pitch blocking. This season, he has blocked 94.3 percent of wild pitches and pitches in the dirt, which is seventh-best among qualified catchers. Previously, Castro's poor pitch-blocking offset his otherwise solid defense. Now it contributes to his overall excellent defense. We estimate Castro has saved the Astros six runs, which is tied for fifth-most among catchers.


Dallas Keuchel | Command

After back-to-back seasons with an ERA north of 5.00, Keuchel seemed like a prime candidate to lose his job to one of the Astros' young arms in the coming years. Then this season happened. Through 22 starts, Keuchel has a 3.07 ERA, which is more than two runs lower than the previous two seasons and 12th-best among qualified AL starters. Keuchel's improvement seems out of nowhere if you look only at his ERA, but his peripheral numbers suggest incremental development.

The critical fix seems to be with his command. Two seasons ago, Keuchel badly missed his catcher's target on 26 percent of his fastballs. That rate has dropped to 17 percent the past two seasons, and he has also improved the rate at which he has hit the target from 24 percent in 2012 to 30 percent this season. Overall, pitchers hit the target and badly miss the target 25 percent of the time each, so Keuchel's fastball command has improved from below average to well above average over the past three seasons.

Dallas Keuchel's fastball command, 2012-13
Season Hit target Badly missed target BB/9
2012 24% 26% 4.1
2013 26% 17% 3.1
2014 30% 17% 2.2
MLB average is 25 percent for both hit target and badly missed target
Keuchel's transformation is showing up in his walk rate, which has declined from 4.1 walks per nine in 2012 to 3.1 in 2013 and 2.2 this season. That stinginess in allowing free passes is especially critical for a pitcher like Keuchel, who does not have the raw stuff to overpower hitters and generate high strikeout totals.


Dexter Fowler | Hitting away from Coors Field

It was pretty unusual to see a player like Fowler, a productive outfielder still under team control, traded this past offseason. The Rockies had several reasons that might have driven that decision, such as depth at the position and the escalating cost of his arbitration-determined salary.

However, one factor that is fairly common among Rockies players is the belief that they would not be the same players away from Coors Field, which is frequently the most hitter-friendly park in baseball. The last criticism seemed especially true of Fowler, who had shown massive splits in his home and road starts over his last couple of seasons in Colorado. In both 2012 and 2013, Fowler's on-base plus slugging (OPS) dropped by more than .150 points in his road starts compared to home starts. Many wondered whether Fowler's numbers would crater in Houston, but that has not been the case.

Dexter Fowler OPS in and out of Coors Field
Season Overall OPS Coors OPS Other parks OPS
2011 .796 .811 .782
2012 .863 .984 .720
2013 .776 .874 .678
2014 .773 -- .773
Fowler has continued to perform better at home in Houston than on the road, which is common for players on most teams, but his overall numbers have not declined away from Coors. His .773 OPS is only three points lower than it was last season. At his current performance level, Fowler seems like a tremendous win in a trade that cost the team Jordan Lyles, whose career ERA is 5.06.

Bo Porter | Defensive shifting

It may be cheating to include manager Bo Porter, but he is the easiest person to attribute a change in defensive strategy to. And the Astros have changed one strategy radically. Two years ago, the team employed a defensive shift on only 138 balls in play. Last season, which was Porter's first with the club, they increased their use of the shift to 496 balls in play, which was fifth-most in baseball. This season, they have blown that total out of the water.

Through Thursday's games, the Astros have shifted on 1,095 balls in play this season. That is 469 shifts more than the second shift-heaviest team, the Yankees. Their lead over the rest of the league in shifts is so big that it alone would be the seventh-highest shift total this season. It is remarkable, and so have been their results. We estimate that they have saved 18 runs because of their shifts, which is five runs more than the next-best team, the Blue Jays. Based on an estimation of 10 runs per win, the Astros have created nearly two wins with their shifting alone. Perhaps those two wins do not mean a ton on a team that is on pace to lose 95 games, but a year or two from now, those two wins may be all the Astros need to reach the playoffs.

Scouting the Under Armour All-Americans.

Spoiler

The Under Armour All-American Game took place Saturday at Wrigley Field, featuring many of the top high school prospects for the 2015 draft, with Bill Ripken and Sean Casey serving as managers. It was dominated by pitchers, as these showcase games usually are, but a handful of hitters stood out, including one whose name you're going to hear a lot in the next few years, even if he doesn't sign out of the draft in June.

• Allen, Texas, infielder Kyler Murray was the star of the game, in part because of how he got there; his flight from Texas was delayed and he was coming in late to begin with because of his football commitments, so he arrived at Wrigley Field after the first pitch. He struck out in his first at-bat on a fastball up then singled twice, once on a broken bat and then on a hard line drive over the third baseman. Murray also stole two bases, and his bat speed and athleticism were on display.

If he were committed to playing baseball full time, he would be a no-doubt first-rounder with a chance to be a top-10 pick. But he's also pretty good at the ol' hand-egg, so baseball will have a tough road recruiting him away from Texas A&M. His uncle, Calvin, played in the majors in the 1990s and now works for Scott Boras.

• Other than Murray, it was mostly familiar names we saw at last week's Perfect Game All-American Classic. Mike Nikorak has risen to the top of the list of right-handed starters to this point. He hit 91-94 mph Saturday, with some life at the lower end of the range. He also threw a lot more changeups -- with pretty good arm speed, 79-81 mph -- over his curveball, which hitters seem to have an easier time picking up.

• Justin Hooper was electric again, 93-95 mph with a tight curveball at 75-78 but with poor command as he struggled to finish it out front. It's not a great delivery, though, and was one of several in this game that looked more like a bullpen arm action than a starter's. Ashe Russell of Indiana (up to 93 with a sharp slider and Harpo Marx hair) and Cole McKay (88-89 with a 75-76 change) also fit that description. I think the increased concern about pitcher health will lead some teams to weigh delivery and arm action more than they have in the past, focusing a little less on present velocity.

• For example, Orlando-area lefty Juan Hillman -- whose guardian is Flash Gordon and who pitches for Nick Gordon's old high school -- doesn't have huge present stuff, pitching 88-91 mph with a curveball at 68-73 that had good shape and depth but needs to be harder. But his arm works really well, he throws strikes, and he is super-aggressive with the stuff he has. If he adds some strength to his 6-foot-2, 185-pound frame, he could be a midrotation starter and a great value given where guys like him are usually picked.

• Luken Baker of Oak Ridge, Texas, pitched again and was hitting 90-93 mph, but he also won the home run derby and squared up a 72 mph curveball for a line-drive single to center in his one at-bat. He will need to settle in to a position, but he has to be evaluated both ways next year because his raw power is more special right now than his arm strength.

• Right-hander Cole Sands, brother of Chicago Cubs prospect and 2014 fourth-round pick Carson Sands, was at 89-91 mph, with a decent slider at 79-80, walking one guy but staying mostly around the plate in his one inning of work. I like the way his arm works at the start of his delivery but want to see him finish better out front with a less abrupt stop, a change that might improve his velocity and slider. Like his brother, he has a good build and frame with some projectability.

• The Under Armour game usually includes a couple of underclassmen, and this edition was no different. Georgia outfielder Seth Beer first stood out at the Metropolitan Classic at Citi Field last year and continues to hit as well as players a year or two older than him. He has a slightly high load with good hip rotation and good extension through contact, flying out to the warning track in center and grounding out on a 93 mph fastball from a left-hander. He will be a top name to watch for 2016.

Lining up NL MVPs (minus Tulo).

Spoiler

By just about any measure you care to use, Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki has been the best player in the National League this year. Before he dropped off the leaderboards earlier this week, he was leading the league in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage. You can say "yeah, but Coors Field ..." because those stats are not park-adjusted, but wRC+ is, and his 173 mark was still the best. Add in some very good defense at an important position, and Tulowitzki was worth every bit of the league-leading 5.1 WAR that FanGraphs has him down for.

You'd think that such credentials would make him an easy MVP leader, but it isn't going to happen. Even if a disappointingly high percentage of voters didn't still cling to the outdated notion that MVPs can come only from winning teams -- the Rockies are, of course, awful again this year -- the recent news of Tulowitzki's season-ending hip surgery essentially ends his candidacy.

Now our attention turns to the other MVP options in the NL, and you realize ... wow, what a mess. Five of last year's top eight NL vote-getters are either on the disabled list right now or have spent considerable time there this year. Between the fact that there are 11 non-Tulo players who already are worth more than 4.0 WAR, and the fact that almost all of them have some sort of perceived issue that can easily be pointed to, the 2014 NL MVP race may end up being the most debated -- and fractured -- we've seen in years, especially when compared to the AL, which has a pretty clear-cut favorite in Mike Trout.

With about six weeks left before votes are due, who will pull away? Can anyone? Let's have a look:

Great seasons for the 'wrong' reasons
It's important to remember how the award voters tend to lean. As noted, it's difficult for a candidate from a non-playoff team to win, and that's a big part of why Miguel Cabrera beat Trout in each of the past two seasons: Cabrera had better teammates. Dating back to 2005, only once has a candidate from a non-playoff team won the MVP, Albert Pujols in 2008.

They also tend to like shiny hitting numbers. Over the same span, every hitter who has won the award in either league has hit .300, with the exception of 2007 with Jimmy Rollins, who (A) missed it by just .004 and (B) hit 30 homers and stole 41 bases. The general baseball world might be accepting that batting average isn't the most important stat and that this is a team game that requires more than one great player to get to the playoffs, but the voters are generally old-school thinkers.

[+] EnlargeJonathan Lucroy
Mike McGinnis/Getty Images
Jonathan Lucroy had an outstanding first half, but he has hit just .258 since the All-Star break.
What this means is that some outstanding candidates are going to have a tough time due to their circumstances or how they generate value. Jason Heyward, for example, is arguably the best defensive outfielder in the NL and is going to be worth more than 5.0 WAR, but he's also hitting .269 for a spiraling Atlanta club. Jonathan Lucroy and Carlos Gomez are both having great seasons for a playoff-contending Milwaukee team, but both derive much of their value from defense as well, which is traditionally not rewarded on these ballots. (Go ahead, find your nearest voter and ask them about Lucroy's pitch framing.)

When the Washington Nationals make the playoffs, Anthony Rendon is going to be a huge reason, and the value he has added by ably switching between second and third base has been essential. He's also going to end up hitting something like .275 with 20 homers.

Chase Utley has been a bright spot in the disaster that is the Phillies' season, but not only is his team in last, this will be something like his sixth-best season, and he didn't win it in any of the top five. Paul Goldschmidt, like Tulowitzki, was having another fantastic season for a lousy NL West club before suffering a season-ending injury. He won't win this.

The big four ... probably
The players already named will get some support, but it's difficult to see any of them winning. That leaves the NL with four likely candidates, and like the players above, all of them are imperfect in some way.

Take last season's winner, Andrew McCutchen. He's essentially taking last season's line of .317/.404/.508 and repeating it, just with more power: .311/.411/.536. The Pirates are again in the playoff hunt, holding one of the two wild-card spots. McCutchen was last year's NL MVP, and he's having an even better offensive season and for a contending team, so he would seem to be the easy answer ... but now he's out because of a fractured rib. His return date is uncertain, and even when he does come back, he'll need to play like he had prior to the injury, a potentially tall order considering how painful a rib injury can be. It's not fair, but it may cost him his shot at repeating as the NL MVP.

[+] EnlargeGiancarlo Stanton
Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Giancarlo Stanton has made a strong MVP bid, but his team's sub-.500 record will hurt his cause.
Giancarlo Stanton would seem like the next obvious choice, because his 160 wRC+ (weighted runs created plus) is the third best in baseball, his tape-measure home runs are already legendary, and he's having the best year of what was already an impressive career. However, he plays for the below-.500 Miami Marlins, a team with a lowly 5.1 percent chance of seeing October in the latest playoff odds. At least Pujols' 2008 Cardinals finished 10 games over .500; you have to go back to Alex Rodriguez in 2003 to find an MVP winner from a losing team. It's completely unfair to Stanton, but that's how the voting tends to go: He might not win the MVP because Jose Fernandez got hurt.

The other two, Clayton Kershaw and Yasiel Puig, can both boast of being on the playoff-bound Los Angeles Dodgers, owners of the best record in the NL. Puig is having another outstanding year at the plate, essentially duplicating his 2013 (160 wRC+ last year, 161 this year), which ties him with Stanton for the third best in baseball. He certainly ought to do better than 2013's mere 2 percent of the vote, though his recent power outage -- he has only two homers since May -- and the unsettling concern that some voters may continue to wonder if he "plays the game the right way" also could work against him.

All of this uncertainty might actually work in Kershaw's favor, because while pitchers generally don't win MVP awards -- it's happened only once in the past 20 years -- pitchers generally don't have the kind of season Kershaw is having, either. You can make a very good case that Kershaw, seemingly a clear choice for the NL Cy Young Award, isn't just having a great season, he's having a historically great season. While some voters are reluctant to vote for a pitcher, arguing that someone who appears once every five days can't impact a season as much as an everyday player, that's short-sighted; after all, Kershaw faced 908 hitters in 2013, far more than the 600 or so plate appearances a regular player gets throughout the season. Of course, even then it's not a slam dunk, because Kershaw missed about six weeks with a back injury earlier in the year. Then again, how can we say that McCutchen's missed time is worse simply because it's happening now?

No matter how this all sorts out, there isn't going to be a consensus MVP pick. The record for most players to receive a first-place vote is 11, set in the AL in 1977. For the first time in years, the NL may be ready to threaten that number in 2014.

 

[shirt1995]

But you can't say anything about the O's tho in comparison to the Nats...nats are beating the teams they should beat, but are meh vs. other playoff caliber teams in the NL. If anything, you could say the same for teams like MIL/LAD, so there's that. Personally, I just dont buy in to their chances going forward....in addition, Why wouldn't I feel good about how the O's are playing? We have a good record vs. teams with winning records, and that gives me confidence with our chances in the playoffs. Oh, and shirt1995 , what does peter angelos have to do with anything having to do with the current ON FIELD product? Grasping for straws, bruh. LOL

*edit* Pro - ur avy! Lmaoooooooooo

Peter angelos has nothing to do with the team on the field I just want you to think about him as you spend your money on O's tickets and watch them on tv and buy apparel/merchandise.

You guys been a good roll for a month or so but let's not pretend that anybody in your rotation outside of Tillman and possibly Gausman (if he's ready for it) is someone you feel comfortable pitching in the playoffs.

Nats have elite starting pitching and bullpen and a solid lineup with the potential to be better than that if Harper continues to roun back in to form and if we got anything from zimm.

Y'all have an elite offense and a solid~ish bullpen and rotation. The only way I see y'all improving between now an September is if Chris Davis finds his secret sauce again and I mean how much better can the offense be? How much will it matter with your pitching?

NATS are a far better team don't let the O's takin advantage of one if the weakest AL EAST I can remember fool you

 

[madj55]

But you can't say anything about the O's tho in comparison to the Nats...nats are beating the teams they should beat, but are meh vs. other playoff caliber teams in the NL. If anything, you could say the same for teams like MIL/LAD, so there's that. Personally, I just dont buy in to their chances going forward....in addition, Why wouldn't I feel good about how the O's are playing? We have a good record vs. teams with winning records, and that gives me confidence with our chances in the playoffs. Oh, and shirt1995 , what does peter angelos have to do with anything having to do with the current ON FIELD product? Grasping for straws, bruh. LOL

*edit* Pro - ur avy! Lmaoooooooooo

The only team they have a losing record to that would be in the postseason right now is the Cardinals. The Braves have their number but they're currently on the outside looking in. The O's have a losing record against KC, Oakland, and Detroit. But, they do have winning records against the Angels and Mariners. The O's aren't as superior to the Nats as you think they are. They're pretty evenly matched.

Nats Starters > O's
O's offense > Nats
Nats baserunning > O's
O's defense > Nats
Nats Bullpen > O's
O's manager > Nats

 

[T0INE]

A bit off topic, but did anyone catch the Sunday Conversation on SportsCenter yesterday with that Little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis?



I was impressed with how poised and mature she was; like she had been doing interviews for years.

Especially compared to some of these professional athletes who can't make coherent sentences and still have problems with basic english.

 

[CP1708]

Javier Baez.

 

[Johnny_Cakes]

Has no idea Orioles and Nationals rivalry was like this.

 

[jjs07]

But you can't say anything about the O's tho in comparison to the Nats...nats are beating the teams they should beat, but are meh vs. other playoff caliber teams in the NL. If anything, you could say the same for teams like MIL/LAD, so there's that. Personally, I just dont buy in to their chances going forward....in addition, Why wouldn't I feel good about how the O's are playing? We have a good record vs. teams with winning records, and that gives me confidence with our chances in the playoffs. Oh, and shirt1995 , what does peter angelos have to do with anything having to do with the current ON FIELD product? Grasping for straws, bruh. LOL

*edit* Pro - ur avy! Lmaoooooooooo

Peter angelos has nothing to do with the team on the field I just want you to think about him as you spend your money on O's tickets and watch them on tv and buy apparel/merchandise.

You guys been a good roll for a month or so but let's not pretend that anybody in your rotation outside of Tillman and possibly Gausman (if he's ready for it) is someone you feel comfortable pitching in the playoffs.

Nats have elite starting pitching and bullpen and a solid lineup with the potential to be better than that if Harper continues to roun back in to form and if we got anything from zimm.

Y'all have an elite offense and a solid~ish bullpen and rotation. The only way I see y'all improving between now an September is if Chris Davis finds his secret sauce again and I mean how much better can the offense be? How much will it matter with your pitching?

NATS are a far better team don't let the O's takin advantage of one if the weakest AL EAST I can remember fool you

It's funny how Nats "fans" *cough* ex-O's fans *cough* are always trying to tell longtime O's fans how bad of an owner Angelos is like it's something new Bruh, O's fans hate Angelos probably more than the most bitter rival. You ain't saying ANYTHING that we don't know.

Our rotation is what it is, but they've been great for the past 2 months or so. I have confidence in EVERY starter not named Ubaldo. Simple as that. All of them have a sub 4.00 ERA. No matter who is on the bump, I expect a quality start.

How can you say the only way we'll improve between now and Sept is if Chris Davis finds his bat? That's laughable because this team has been one of the best in baseball even with Chris Davis' struggles. We've been on a tear since the all-star break, and to me, have established themselves as a TRUE contender due to how they played on the West Coast and how they've continued their good play going forward. I have ZERO concerns about the lineup. ZERO.

In regards to the O's taking advantage of a weak AL East, this argument was given on the O's MB:

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

There has been a lot of talk this season about the AL East being a weak division, but it simply isn't true.

Here are the divisions ranked by games over/under .500:

AL East +13
NL Central +11
AL West +10
AL Central +3
NL East -10
NL West -27

And lately, there is no division playing anywhere near the level of the AL East. The AL East is in fact the only division playing over .500 ball since the All-Star Break:

AL East +19
AL Central -2
NL Central -3
NL West -3
AL West -5
NL East -6

Only the Red Sox have a non-winning record since the break, and they're 11-13.

And this is despite the fact that the O's have played one of the toughest schedules in baseball this season. All 5 teams are the top 8 in terms of strength of schedule. Our teams rank 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 8th in that category.

The Orioles have played the 2nd toughest schedule in baseball, and have the best record going back to May 22 now. We haven't played a single game against a team .500 or under since July 6, and in those 31 games, we have gone 21-10, the best record in that span by a game and a half above the Royals, who have played just 13 of their 32 games against teams over .500.

So you were saying?

But you can't say anything about the O's tho in comparison to the Nats...nats are beating the teams they should beat, but are meh vs. other playoff caliber teams in the NL. If anything, you could say the same for teams like MIL/LAD, so there's that. Personally, I just dont buy in to their chances going forward....in addition, Why wouldn't I feel good about how the O's are playing? We have a good record vs. teams with winning records, and that gives me confidence with our chances in the playoffs. Oh, and shirt1995 , what does peter angelos have to do with anything having to do with the current ON FIELD product? Grasping for straws, bruh. LOL

*edit* Pro - ur avy! Lmaoooooooooo

The only team they have a losing record to that would be in the postseason right now is the Cardinals. The Braves have their number but they're currently on the outside looking in. The O's have a losing record against KC, Oakland, and Detroit. But, they do have winning records against the Angels and Mariners. The O's aren't as superior to the Nats as you think they are. They're pretty evenly matched.

Nats Starters > O's
O's offense > Nats
Nats baserunning > O's
O's defense > Nats
Nats Bullpen > O's
O's manager > Nats

3-1 this year head-to-head, and I believe we're 29-21 since 2005 with only ONE series loss vs. the Nats all-time.

Has no idea Orioles and Nationals rivalry was like this.

Man, it's pretty intense....especially for reasons off the field involving MASN money. On the field, O's have been DOMINANT over the Nats since they came to DC. A lot of their fanbase are ex-O's fans, aka, traitors, and can't get over the fact that there is a large contingent of O's fans still in the DMV. This is why it's about a 50/50 split with the fans when the beltway series comes to Nats park. This is also why O's fans can go to Nats park and do this:

We don't respect them and they don't respect us...simple as that.

 

[mr marcus]

madj don't worry about the O's......they won't do **** with that weak *** pitching

 

[fullcourtpress]

madj don't worry about the O's......they won't do **** with that weak *** pitching

With what they have, Buc has done wonders. The O's are right in the middle of the league in team ERA's, plus they are in a very home run friendly ball park. Bruhs just be talkin to talk

 

[madj55]

Never was an Orioles fan. Never will be.

And the series is at 32-29 in the O's favor. I guess only a franchise that's accepted mediocrity like the O's since 1998 would call that "dominance". And the Nats longest winning streak during the series is at 4 while the O's is at 3. I'd assume off those numbers they've won more than one series.

And I go to at least one Nats/O's game a year, it's never 50/50 at Nats Park. It's usually 70/30 Nats fans with some dudes rocking Orioles jerseys and a Nats hat or vice versa. And it's the same at Camden Yards.

 

[madj55]

madj don't worry about the O's......they won't do **** with that weak *** pitching

Pitching isn't weak, but it's very average. Their offense is scary though, but they do say pitching wins championships...

With what they have, Buc has done wonders. The O's are right in the middle of the league in team ERA's, plus they are in a very home run friendly ball park. Bruhs just be talkin to talk

That's what's surprised me the most about their pitching, cause none of their guys really have strikeout stuff except Gausman who hasn't harnessed his repertoire yet. He's got a very straight fastball though which won't suit him well in October.

 

[a55a5in11]

Impressions after the trade deadline? Looks like Oakland and Detroit might have made the wrong move