Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Royals

 

For a season without much to note for the Royals, I sure missed some big ones this year.

I only have six Royals for December, but three of them are ones I should have gotten to during the regular season. And that includes Brady Singer. This guy was a rookie that began the season in the rotation and acted like he'd been doing this for years. Singer started 12 games, had a 4.06 record, and led the team in strikeouts with 61. Brad Keller may have had more bang for his buck, but Singer was more consistent and a clear sign of the next few seasons of Royals baseball.

2021 Prediction: 200 strikeouts, not enough wins given this is a rebuilding Royals team, and an ASG nomination. 

I also should have done an Adalberto Mondesi custom during the season, on account of him LEADING THE LEAGUE IN STOLEN BASES. Who would have called that??? Mondi had a decent year, with .256 with 22 RBIs in 59 games for KC, and is still a crucial member of the core of this team. 

2021 Prediction: He'll be playing beautifully for the first two months before an injury sidelines him til September. 

Danny Duffy has been a consistent member of the Royals for a decade, even in weaker seasons. 2020 was a pretty neutral year for the Duffman- a 4-4 record in 11 starts, a 4.95 ERA and 57 Ks. He's not as sharp as he used to be, but he still had some strong games this year.

2021 Prediction: By July, there will be enough youth in the rotation that Duffy will be able to transition seamlessly to the bullpen.

Hunter Dozier came off the IL in August, and while he did his best to match his strong, ASG-caliber 2019, it wasn't much of a match. In 44 games, Dozier hit .228 with 12 RBIs. Not too great, despite some decent power numbers.

2021 Prediction: If he doesn't hit for average by June, he'll be DFA'd. 

The other rookie starting pitcher for KC was a crafty one named Kris Bubic. His 1-6 ERA and high WHIP hide the fact that he still had a 4.32 ERA and 49 Ks, and is a really interesting, clever pitcher just with some control issues.

2021 Prediction: 10 wins, a low WHIP, and some external factor that limits him to 22 games.

Of course, 2020 was the final one for Alex Gordon, a guy that's been a Royal since the year I started collecting. Gordo had some great power years and defensive years in the 2010s, and while he didn't exactly live up to expectations, he was still a consistent player and a Royals HOFer for sure. His mediocre 2020 stats, like a .209 average and 11 RBIs, were an afterthought. Gordon will be missed, and the Royals will need to establish a new type of consistency to live up to.

Coming Tomorrow- I genuinely have a ton of Detroit Tigers for tomorrow.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Rockies

 

Merry Christmas! This may not be the holiday season any of us asked for, but it still is what it is. The minimized state of Christmas this year means I can get away with posting this on the 25th and not fear a supreme lack of views. It's like Thanksgiving, everybody's home, everybody's together in some way, and there's more time to relax, I presume [I write these in advance].

Anyway. 2020 Rockies. Uh...perhaps the most middle of the road a team could be this year. Under .500, but not in a way that still garners playoff time. A few good seasons, but not enough to merit much attention. Another step backward for the 2018 playoff contenders.

Nolan Arenado was one of the victims of the lack of crowds this year, along with Javier Baez and Christian Yelich. This was Arenado's most human year yet, as he bat .253 with 26 RBIs and 8 home runs. The lower contact numbers are concerning, especially considering the large contract the Rockies just signed Arenado to. I sincerely hope it's a one year fluke, cause Arenado is still an elite player and I'd hate for him to suddenly not be.

2021 Prediction: He finally gets that MVP he's been inches from for years. 

German Marquez, after a few years of ruling the Rockies' rotation, had a bit of a down year as compatriots Kyle Freeland and Antonio Senzatela did most of the heavy lifting. Despite pitching the most games with 13, he had a 4-6 record with a 3.75 ERA. His 75 Ks were still the team high, though.

2021 Prediction: Will lead the team in wins and Ks. If the DH is taken away, he'll hit .250 again. 

Daniel Murphy has served his purpose as a contact hitter, and is now just your regular, old fashioned power 1st baseman. Anybody can do what Murph is doing in Denver, and they already had Ian Desmond for it, but he opted out. So Murph now just sorta...is there. He bat .216 with 13 RBIs and 3 homers. Not much to cry about, but for a former MVP candidate it's a sad fall.

2021 Prediction: If anyone signs him, it'll be as a backup DH. Then he retires. 

Raimel Tapia is the Boba Fett of baseball. Looks cool, does nothing to warrant it. Last few years he's been fun on the base paths and in the outfield but has no positive stats to note. However, this year was a few steps up, as he bat .321 with 59 hits and 17 RBIs, and had some positive defensive numbers to boost his WAR. He's not Story/Arenado levels yet, but he's getting there.

2021 Prediction: The contact mojo wears off, and the Rockies cut him midyear. 

If 2020 was a normal season, this would be a Marlins uniform that Matt Kemp would be wearing, as he made camp with the Marlins and was close to making the team. Then the pandemic hits, Kemp gets released...and signs with the other 93 expansion team, the Rockies, makes the team and becomes the go-to DH for the Rockies. While it wasn't a HIGH mark for Kemp, he still got 21 RBIs and 6 homers out of the deal, and he revitalized himself after a disappointing 2019, so...better than nothing.

2021 Prediction: That said, I don't know if he'll make camp with whoever signs him this year. His best numbers are clearly behind him.

The other guy who made the team based solely on summer camp tryouts was Daniel Bard, a former Red Sox reliever who'd kicked around the majors for 6 years, trying to make camp with Chicago, Texas and other clubs with no avail. 2020 was the year Bard finally returned to the majors, and oh what a return it was- Bard led the bullpen in strikeouts with 27, eventually got the closing gig, and had a 3.65 ERA and a 0.9 WAR, highest in the 'pen. 

2021 Prediction: A season that won't be as starry as 2020, but will still be consistent. 

In the absence of Jon Gray, the Rockies brought up Ryan Castellani to add to the bullpen. In 9 starts, Castellani struck out 25, had a 1-4 record and a 5.82 ERA. The perils of pitching at Coors Field.

2021 Prediction: Either he learns from the Big 4 how to pitch in Denver or he's repurposed as a reliever. 

Of the two backup infield options from 2019, Josh Fuentes had the starrier year. Fuentes took some starts at 1st from Daniel Murphy and was clearly the more feasible option, as he hit .306 with 17 RBIs in 30 games, and had a WAR that topped even Charlie Blackmon's. It's looking like he'll be the option at 1st going into next year, unless Ian Desmond really wants it. 

2021 Prediction: A full-season star-making turn for Fuentes, joining with the Arenado-Story core to really aid this team. 

As for the guys the Rockies got from the trade deadline, the weaker of the two was Orioles reliever Mychal Givens, who had a 6.75 ERA in 10 games. The Rox got him as a closing option and he blew more saves than he kept. 

2021 Prediction: Will be one of the more overlooked relievers of the 2021 Denver 'pen.

And then you have Kevin Pillar, pinched from Boston as a decent outfield bat for the stretch. Pillar hit .308 in 24 games, with 28 hits and 13 RBIs, a decent bit of pop to a lineup that sort of trailed off as the playoff race took shape.

2021 Prediction: Similar to this year- cheap 1 year signing, some solid outfield time without much statistical impact.

Coming Tomorrow- The Royals are rebuilding, and this year was...for better or worse, the result of that. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Reds (Part Two)

 

Continuing our celebration of Reds players who didn't get into the custom mix during regulation, their perennial closer, Raisel Iglesias, brought his ERA down to 2.72 with 8 saves, and brought his career save totals past 100. Iglesias has yet to have a fully consistent season since 2018, and unfortunately the Reds won't see if he gets back there, having traded him to Anaheim.

2021 Prediction: Another 30 save year, and less blown saves than 2019.

Meanwhile, Amir Garrett followed up his all-star 2019 season with a 2.45 ERA and 26 Ks in 21 appearances. The truncated year didn't show it, but Garrett is still one of the most valuable relievers in Cincinnati, and is still reaching peak numbers.

2021 Prediction: A slightly bloated ERA, but lots of innings and consistency.

Gotta love Michael Lorenzen. He hits, he pitches, he's a fun clubhouse presence. Nothing but good things to say about him. Lorenzen, despite a 4.28 ERA, had the most strikeouts in the bullpen this year with 35, and was used as a starter, in relief, and as a bench option in 6 games. So while this season wasn't quite as good as last for him, he's still as trusted as ever in Cincinnati. 

2021 Prediction: The Reds have been talking about moving Lorenzen to the rotation full time. So, I say they do so, and it works super well for Lorenzen, and they'll just have to wish the NL nixes the DH eventually so he can hit homers while staying in the lineup. 

The big rookie unsung hero in the pitching staff this year was longtime farmhand Tejay Antone, who finally made it to the majors this year and was used in relief and as a starter, totaling a 2.80 ERA and 45 Ks despite 3 losses. Antone is wily, he's versatile, and he's sure to be an intriguing piece next year with one less space in the rotation.

2021 Prediction: Most of his innings are gonna be out of the bullpen, but his low ERA is gonna fit right in with Garrett and Lucas Sims.

I stand firm in my belief that Curt Casali is the best backup catcher in the game right now. Even when Barnhart was on and off the IL, the last two years, he's been hitting for average and for power, stepping up to the plate to Safari Song by Greta van Fleet and erasing any memory of his mediocre Rays numbers. This year, Casali was a solid bench/backup bat, with 8 RBIs and 6 homers in 31 games, mostly as a defensive sub. Not quite as good as last year, but still good enough to land him a nice WAR.

2021 Prediction: More predominantly backup work [wherever he signs], but the clutch contact hitting will remain a factor.

Okay. Mini-rant here. The Reds are really good at stuffing their roster with talent, but sometimes they go too far with emphasizing the wrong type of people. Like...they've had two hard-hitting prospects ready the past two seasons, Aristedes Aquino and Tyler Stephenson, and in 2020 there was absolutely no room for them. Stephenson was only up as a catcher, and though he bat .294 in 8 games, he was barely a factor in this season cause there were two better catchers than he. Aquino had a HUGE come-up last year, and was supposed to be a big part of the 2020 Reds season, but the outfield was set as Senzel-Akiyama-Castellanos with Winker as occasional fill-in and DH. No room for Aquino, or even Phil Ervin who they release so the Ms can get him. Then, as Senzel gets hurt and misses some time in the OF, and Aquino has time to start, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO? THEY TRADE FOR ANOTHER DAMNED OUTFIELDER, and Aquino is back to filling in every few games. It's maddening. Why waste him? Just trade him if you're not gonna use him, cause he's clearly ready, as is Stephenson. 

Yeah, Aquino bat .170 in 23 games, but that was because the team screwed him over. If he would have actually been given a starting position he would have bat .290 with 18 home runs and all the stats he's more than capable of producing. But instead, they just wasted a year of his career for absolutely no reason.

2021 Prediction: More of the same, then he gets traded to frigging Pittsburgh or somewhere and catches fire again. I HOPE this happens. 

This was the guy the Reds traded for to keep Aquino from playing. Brian Goodwin. After a strong start with the Angels, Goodwin hits .163 with 19 strikeouts in 20 games, and goes hitless in the playoffs. Bold move, Reds GM. Boooold move. Quite obviously, the Reds non-tendered him, because there's no reason to either start him or keep him as a backup, which makes this trade, that's right, entirely pointless. 

2021 Prediction:  Whoever gets him gets 100 games of B material.

The one trade deadline deal the Reds made that I am 100% okay with is Archie Bradley, the former Arizona relief expert who shined in 6 games for the Reds, with a 1.17 ERA and 6 Ks. Sadly, he did bring the Reds a loss in the playoffs against the Braves. 

2021 Prediction: Signs somewhere big for a ninth inning job. Hell, maybe Arizona again.

Coming Tomorrow- Christmas in Denver. 

Christmas Time (Don't Let Josh Bell End)

 [I had to. I had to.]

Three days of slow MLB offseason news had to amount to something. How is Harold Reynolds supposed to sell something like Matt Andriese signing with Boston or Nate Lowe getting traded to Texas? It is the slowest of slow trade periods, and the burgeoning pandemic can't be helping that at all.

So it's nice that today, a genuinely huge offseason move happened, just in time for Christmas. The Nationals finally have a perennial first baseman, and the Pirates have more young pitching. It's a Christmas miracle.

Josh Bell is coming off a weak year, so perhaps his stock was low enough that the Nats could pull this off, but if Bell gets back to his 2019 numbers in Washington, oh boy. The Nationals have the kind of team right now that could compete again if it builds a young enough core, and getting someone like Bell, who's in his late 20s but still a younger asset, to come by and be a strong performer for a few years is the right idea. Bell is still capable of major power hitting and RBI work, and can be a solid 1st baseman in the wake of Eric Thames leaving and Ryan Zimmerman either not being re-signed or being signed as a bench player. The center of this team will still be Soto, Turner and Luis Garcia, but Bell will be a powerful cleanup hitter in Washington and will get this team on the right track.

As for the prospects that landed in Pittsburgh...they're better than the inefficiency that's currently at work in that pitching staff anyway, so I hope they can help. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Reds (Part One)

Of all the fringe teams that squeezed into the playoffs this year, the one that made me happiest might have been the Cincinnati Reds. This team has been so close to good recently, and even if this team still had some issues, the fact that they made the playoffs even for a few games against Atlanta is still pretty cool. 

The big issue for this Reds team is the fact that while the pitching staff definitely showed up, the lineup was a few steps behind last year's. And you had guys like Eugenio Suarez, who were AWESOME in 2019, having more human moments, and hitting .202 despite leading the team in homers with 15 and RBIs with 38. Geno is still a great player, but he's gonna get caught up if he doesn't figure out how to strike out less.

2021 Prediction: Another 30 homer year with an ASG gig. Not sure if all of it will be with Cincinnati, though.

It's become clear that Joey Votto is officially past his prime, with a negative WAR year and some very perfunctory stats, and it's looking like he's just gonna have the Cabrera/Pujols status of continuing to play and do what he can without being very statistically impressive. Which is fine. I mean, Votto is a future Hall of Famer, he's had a ton of great seasons and everything, but...hitting .226 is new for him. Yes, he still hit 11 homers, but his contact abilities have lessened, and I can only imagine if the DH stays in the NL he'll be moved over there.

2021 Prediction: A slight upswing in average, but similar, end-of-career stats.

In his first season in Cincinnati after two strong years in a row, Mike Moustakas was...slightly disappointing. Look, he still had 8 homers and 27 RBIs, but he hit .230 with barely enough WAR totals to really register as a member of this team, similar to Nick Castellanos. Is it the oddity of the season, or is Moose beginning to trail off himself?

2021 Prediction: 30 home runs, barely any average to go with it.

Tucker Barnhart had a strong year this year, with his best defensive numbers since 2017, earning him his second gold-glove behind the plate. His plate numbers aren't the priority, but he did...alright. .204 with 13 RBIs. That's fine, especially if he's still an awesome catcher. I'll take that.

2021 Prediction: A full potential, all-star, better-offensively season for Barnhart. And then the eyes of the rest of the league start watching

Alright, so the big 3 of the Reds rotation truly made waves in 2020, and set the rest of the league ablaze. Yet the one starter that sort of fell through the cracks was 2018's standout, Tyler Mahle, the homegrown fireballer who fanned 60 in 10 games with a 3.59 ERA. Which means, yes, lower ERA than Sonny Gray.

2021 Prediction: Most likely to succeed early next year, and most likely to be traded if the team doesn't succeed. 

The fifth member of the rotation, Anthony Desclafani, took a huge step backwards after a return to form year last year. Disco was saddled with a 7.22 ERA in 9 games, and was eventually moved to the bullpen. Not a great way to end his tenure in Cincinnati.

2021 Prediction: A low-cost signing that pays off for SF. 

I have a ton more bullpen/post-Opening-Day members of this team that I'll post later tonight.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Red Sox

I quote Christian Shephard from Lost when I say 'that's why the Red Sox will never win the World Series'

The Boston Red Sox could have, in all theory, been a good team this year had they had any ounce of good pitching from July until the second week of September. The lineup wasn't bad, there was a nice amount of oddball utility guys coming in late, only Moreland left, and in all actuality Alex Verdugo was a fantastic way of replacing Mookie Betts. But...the pitching problem clouded this team and prevented the Sox from advancing past even the Orioles this year, leaving them with another case of a last place season coming on the heels of a Championship. 

Unless they re-sign him, 2020 will be the final Boston season for veteran outfield star Jackie Bradley Jr. I always criticized Bradley's way of refusing to hit for average while always doing well in the outfield, but Bradley rounded out this year, hitting .283, his highest single season batting average, with 22 RBIs and 7 homers, definitely a strong finish to the contract. 

2021 Prediction: Something tells me Boston won't re-sign him, and he'll sign somewhere in the central divisions where there's not a lot of pressure, and have another strong year.

 

After two straight years of stellar stats, ASG starts and prime home run material, perhaps the lack of crowds reverted J.D. Martinez back to a less-polished state. Martinez only mustered 7 homers this year, hitting .213 with, at the very least, a high-for-Boston 27 RBIs. It's a worrying detail as Martinez could become the umpteenth contracted player in Boston to crap out midway through the deal [Sale has already begun this]. 

2021 Prediction: 30 homers again, but his contact abilities will be shot.

Other than Martin Perez, the only thing resembling quality in the rotation this year was Nasty Nate Eovaldi, two years removed from his stellar postseason run. Eovaldi's season was honestly pretty nice, though- 4-2 record in 9 starts, a 3.72 ERA and a club-leading 52 Ks. Not 2018-Sale levels, but definitely a fine ace audition.

2021 Prediction: Eovaldi will pitch well, but his cruciality to the Boston rotation will hinder on whether or not Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez completely recover from injuries. If the team needs him badly...he may get traded in July. 

Rafael Devers led the Red Sox in strikeouts with 67. For those keeping score, that means Devers struck out more times than any of their pitchers struck other people out. NOT A GREAT STAT, BOSTON. 

What makes Devers' season such a double-edged sword is that he still led the team in RBIs with 43, and tied Xander Bogaerts for home run leader with 11. So he's still a good hitter, and still bat .263 this year, but between him and Martinez, the Sox are bleeding strikeouts. It's a risk they need to ask themselves if it's worth it to take.

2021 Prediction: Another really impressive offensive season, but the strikeout totals are still gonna keep him out of any higher conversations.

Damn this guy...Bobby Dalbec may be the unsung hero of the entire year. This guy's a career minor leaguer, a guy meant to remain a farmhand, and yet he makes his way up this year, and proceeds to hit 8 home runs in 23 games, and 16 RBIs, setting some sort of home run per come-up record I believe, and freaking out a large majority of Boston fans. True, he didn't exactly hit for average, which only made him a marginal step up from Michael Chavis, but he added a great deal of pop and surprise to the Boston lineup in August and September. 

2021 Prediction: Bobby, I'd like you to meet Cory Sullivan and Chris Shelton. They'll help you out with what's about to happen.

Tanner Houck scares the shit out of me, and should scare the shit out of you too. Tanner Houck, with only 3 games under his belt, was one of the most valuable players in the Red Sox roster this year on WAR alone. Houck won all three of his games, and had a 0.58 ERA, with 21 Ks and a 0.882 WHIP. The translation here- Tanner Houck is not only the real deal, but he might be one of the most dangerous pitchers in baseball if these numbers indicate future stats. 

2021 Prediction: AL Rookie of the Year, 3rd in Cy Young voting, 15 wins and 200 Ks. Get ready, AL East. 

One more round of applause for Matt Klentak. Thanks to him, the Phillies had two relievers that didn't do shit and won't stick around, and the Red Sox got a potential future catcher in Deivy Grullon and Nick Pivetta, who looked cooked for the Phils then SUDDENLY SPRUNG TO LIFE IN BOSTON, winning both his starts, with a 1.80 ERA and 13 Ks. He and Houck suddenly made the Sox' rotation look pretty accomplished in late September, and led to the Sox winning 5 of their last 7 games of the season. so...THAAAANKS MATT.

2021 Prediction: The bubble pops slightly, and Pivetta slowly returns to his old self, but not without a few choice classic moments. 

Coming Tomorrow- A bright spot in the 2020 season was the Cincinnati Reds, while still being a generally fun and feel-good team, making the playoffs. Which means, for the second year in a row, I have a lot of Reds left to post.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Rays

 

So yeah. The 2020 Rays were the best team in the AL, by a very wide margin, and spent the entire season getting better and better, right until the duel-of-the-gods World Series, which they came very close to winning. While it may have been impossible for anybody to top the Dodgers, the Rays were able to knock out the Jays, Yankees and Astros without making it look that difficult. This was a season that had been building for the past 2, and I'm so glad it didn't infuriate me entirely.

Austin Meadows, while not topping his 2019 breakout, was still pretty good in a limited season, with 27 hits and 13 RBIs in 36 games. The .205 average is concerning, but hopefully he'll work on his contact skills when given a full season of production. 

2021 Prediction: 25 homers and a full season of strong material to make up for a slightly-less-dominant Rays team.

Yandy Diaz was also limited by injuries this year, playing only 34 games, but he still made the most of it, hitting .307 with 35 hits and 11 RBIs, and 9 hits and an RBI in the postseason. He doesn't get a lot of play, but Yandy Diaz is still one of the sturdiest, most impressive members of these Rays teams, and while Mike Brosseau had the bigger moment this year, Diaz might be the more important 3rd baseman.

2021 Prediction: Thanks to Brosseau, Diaz isn't gonna play at 3rd as often as he did, and might play DH more, but will still be a .300 hitter.

Ji-Man Choi didn't have quite the power-hitting year that fans were used to, but he still hit .230 with 16 RBIs, which isn't horrible. He also had 10 hits, 4 RBIs and 2 homers during the postseason, so he was still a crucial member of the team then.

2021 Prediction: Unless he improves as a power-hitter, the Rays are gonna get rid of him.

I...try not to make Mike Zunino customs. He's...in my opinion, the single most overrated player in the league. Zunino has only hit higher than .250 on a season ONCE in his 8-year career. His career WAR is 6.7, which is the kind of stat Mike Trout can pull in a full season. The fact that he can consistently hit .199 and still get work blows my mind. But...Zunino was essentially the starting catcher for the Rays in the playoffs, and had 8 RBIs and 4 homers throughout the postseason, despite a .170 playoff average. So...yes, he can hit for power, but he can't hit for average, which must be frustrating. 

2021 Prediction: I still think the Rays are gonna sign someone else as a starting catcher, so Zunino will do alright, but...as a backup.

The Rays have finally heeded my advice and made Ryan Yarbrough a full starter, no opener BS or any of that. Yarbrough responded with his best season to date, with a 3.56 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 11 games. Yarbrough is a consistent, workhorse of a pitcher, and his ability to eat innings helped the Rays out a lot this year.

2021 Prediction: More of the same. 13 wins, lots of innings, good solid work.

After coming over from Miami last year, Nick Anderson continued his reign as the best reliever you've never heard of, giving up a single earned run in 19 appearances, and notching 6 saves, 26 Ks and a .55 ERA. Absolutely insane numbers. His postseason numbers...less appealing. 8 earned runs, 2 losses, and only 9 strikeouts [only, he says].

2021 Prediction: Has and keeps the closing gig, with slightly higher ERA but similar consistency.

The most impressive breakout relief pitcher for the Rays, in a field of MANY, was Pete Fairbanks, traded at last year's deadline for Nick Solak to Tampa, and finally getting some substantial playing time. In 27 innings, Fairbanks had a 6-3 record, a 2.70 ERA and a 'pen-leading 39 Ks. In the postseason, he sported a 3.65 ERA  with 17 Ks. Even with a few postseason earned runs, Fairbanks was hot as hell all year.

2021 Prediction: Less consistency, but he's still gonna be one of their most prevalent bullpen pieces.

And I can't not make a custom of the Rays' Game 4 hero Brett Phillips, whose ninth-inning RBI off of Kenley Jansen shook the country, and kept the Rays alive against the Dodgers in the World Series. Despite not being a very impressive bench presence for Kansas City or Tampa this year, Phillips still had his brief moments of power, including Game 4. 

2021 Prediction: Back to uneventful bench OF work.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of AL East teams who have recently been to the World Series, let's examine why the Boston Red Sox ['s pitching] fell apart.