Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Nationals

 

I really hope Nats fans like Juan Soto. Cause it's gonna be one big Juan Soto show the next few years in Washington.

With Scherzer, Turner, Schwarber, Harrison and Avila all gone, and with Strasburg maddeningly hurt, the Nationals tried the best they could with the depleted roster they now had. It resulted in a lot of no-names in major positions, and once-strong options like Patrick Corbin struggling to stay afloat.

Even more saddening- I made this Joe Ross custom in July, and a week before I was gonna post it, he got injured for the rest of the year. So I had to save this til NOW. Half a year, man! Ross, for the first time since really 2016, was a big piece of the Nationals rotation, and had a 4.17 ERA with 109 Ks [career high] in 19 starts. And then the injury. 

2022 Prediction: Similar middleweight stats and then a trade to a contender.

Victor Robles has continued to deliver disappointing years after a promising rookie come-up in 2017 and standout 4.4 WAR year in 2019. This year he was an average defender who struggled at the plate, hitting .203 with 19 RBIs in 107 games. 

2022 Prediction: He's gonna have a strong spring training but will lose a starting OF spot to one of the new kids.

With Corbin struggling and Ross injured, Erick Fedde got more and more crucial starts handed to him this year, and in 27 starts he had a 5.47 ERA with 128 Ks and a 7-9 record. He may just end up being a viable innings option for this next stage of the team.

2022 Prediction: Similar numbers. Starts the most games of anyone on the team.

The big comeback no one saw coming this year was Alcides Escobar, the former Royals shortstop whose faulty batting numbers dropped him out of the league, and after 2 seasons of sitting out and a year playing for the Yakult Swallows, he became the starting replacement for Trea Turner and did surprisingly well. In 75 games he hit .288 with 92 hits and 28 RBIs, and had decent defensive numbers. Next year they might look to him for a major role.

2022 Prediction: Becomes a sort of veteran leadership figure in the infield and is there to help develop Kieboom and Garcia. And has some similar numbers, if not as punchy.

One of two pieces the Nats yielded in the Max Scherzer trade, Josiah Gray was actually starting some games for the Dodgers before being dealt. In 12 Washington starts, Gray had a 5.31 ERA, with 63 Ks at least. 

2022 Prediction: Like Triston McKenzie, will flourish in a full season, even if some setbacks keep him from being a complete standout.

The other big piece of this deal was catching prospect Keibert Ruiz, who had been hidden by Will Smith in the backstop line. So in Washington, while he was still backing up Riley Adams a bit, he could have more breathing room to develop. In 22 games he hit .284 with 23 hits and 14 RBIs, clearly proving that his contact numbers will be an asset in the coming years.

2022 Prediction: At some point he's gonna become the starting catcher over Adams, and he's gonna slowly become one of the most impressive of those in the league.

Lost in the catching schematic was Alex Avila, who was in Washington for what would become his final season after 13 big league seasons and a memorable All-Star campaign in 2011. Though Avila only hit .191 in 34-injury-addled-games, he was still a fun clubhouse presence who succeeded every so often. 

Tomorrow, a small amount of Orioles customs. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Royals

2017 Royals. I imagine people will point to this squad as the last breath of those WS-competing teams of the middle part of the decade. It looks like Hosmer, Moustakas, Cain and Escobar are all leaving, and they're not leaving a lot behind. Even if Alcides Escobar hasn't had great numbers in a little while, he'll still be a potential commodity for someone.

I think we've established that Ian Kennedy isn't going to have many seasons like his Diamondbacks ones. He's...an alright veteran arm. That's all he is. His numbers in 2017 were very okay, with no real spectacular moments. This may be what we're getting from here on out.

Jorge Bonifacio had a promising rookie year, nabbing a starting spot early on and having some nice numbers as their tentpole stars declined. He'll probably be relied on a bit in 2018, if his numbers are consistent.

Jakob Junis was a late-season call-up that worked...admittedly better than Eric Skoglund. He had some great games, some good strikeout stuff, and maybe he'll nab a spot in the 2018 rotation (which won't be particularly difficult).

Mike Minor had a fantastic season in relief, doing even better than the pegged closer, Kelvin Herrera, and giving him the breakout season he needed as a reliever. Next year, the Rangers' plan is to employ Minor as a starter again, which...could work? I'm not sure. The Rangers seem to know what they're doing, but I'm still hesitant.

Coming Tomorrow- The dilapidated, cherry-picked, soon-to-be-Last-Place Tigers.

It's Not Exactly a Cakewalk for the Royals

If you're a team that gets to the World Series two years in a row, the possibilities for the third year might seem pretty defined- just get back there again, only keep the guys that are succeeding and throw in some new blood.

However, for the Kansas City Royals...it might be a bit tougher than that. Right now they're tied for 1st with the Indians, and are struggling to stay afloat in an AL race dominated by hot teams like the Rangers, Red Sox and Orioles.

The main problem with this team, I'm sad to say, is the fact that the two factors that pushed them over the edge last year are gone. Ben Zobrist was an infield upgrade that cemented the lineup and brought a lot more edge to a HR-friendly group. Johnny Cueto was a surefire starter into the playoffs, and gave people like Chris Young and Yordano Ventura some power just by being there. Both of them are now playing for surging NL teams, leaving the Royals to do what they can with what they had before the deadline last year.

I'm not gonna gloss over who they did bring in- Ian Kennedy's doing a great job in the rotation, and giving Jarrod Dyson and Paulo Orlando full-time outfield commitments was a smart move. But Alex Gordon and Mike Moustakas are injured, and the pitchers that did so well last year are struggling.

The Royals are a great team, but...their problem is that's all they are this year. A great team. They don't have too many factors to push them over the edge, to make them a phenomenal team. Yes, Salvador Perez, Eric Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain are all pretty damn great, but they don't have many elements that can secure them time in October, unless they get really lucky down the stretch, or the guys on the DL come back in full force.

The Royals of 2015 were fantastic, and deserved that championship. The 2016 Royals need a ton of work to get to where they were last year.

Coming Tonight- The only pitcher worth mentioning in Cincinnati.

On the eve of a really fun looking World Series

I really don't know how this World Series is gonna turn out.

And part of me really doesn't care.

These are two really fun teams, both who came from some weird odds and became the strongest teams of the year. Nobody in their right minds could have called a Royals-Mets World Series, so I love that it's happening. I love that both teams have a pretty damn even shot, too. It could be either one, and that's a good thing. It's not like the '12 series, where it was so obviously gonna be the Giants that I barely even bothered watching the games.

So yeah...I'm gonna be watching this one with a bowl of popcorn. Because something tells me this is gonna be really exciting.

AL WILD CARD GAME: Underdog-Off

Tonight, the very first playoff matchup of the year takes place, between two really, really fun teams, the Royals and the Athletics. Both used to be leading their division. Only one can advance.

James Shields will be the starting pitcher tonight, as he has gradually become the ace in Kansas City.

Meanwhile, Jon Lester will start for Oakland, as he's used his move to Oakland as an opportunity to become one of the best pitchers in the league. Also, he's used to the pressure of the playoffs, as he was literally just there last year.

I'll be honest, I have no idea who is going to win tonight. I feel like I don't want either team to lose, because I want both of them to advance. Can't we just trade one of them for Detroit? They've been in the postseason a billion times lately. Argh, but that can't happen.

I do love both teams, and while I think that the Royals have the most fun team of the two...

The A's are going to win. Again, I could be wrong, but it looks like they have the more powerful team, and they have the better chances of advancing. But it could go either way.

Hopefully tonight's game will be a lot of fun, and not infuriating, or marred by an infield fly.

Custom Card of the Day: Escobar Edition

 

Another day, another really awesome custom. This one for the Royals.

I feel like this guy hasn't really broken out yet, and it's a shame. With the Brewers, he was a solid shortstop, and he was a key piece of the Greinke trade (not that one, the other one). He's been a good player so far for the Royals.

That is, until this month.

He's been knocking the ball left and right, and subsequently having a great fielding season. And for Kansas City, this is a great thing. The team's circling last, it needs serious help to get back to where it was toward the beginning of the season. Alcides is a big help for that, since he's been playing so well this month.

He's the only one on the team who's hitting. And maybe the rest of the team can take it from him.

Coming Tomorrow- Another one that hurts to make. The Flyin' Hawaiian in a uniform other than Philly red...although, at least it's a team I tolerate.