Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Angels

 

The blog's annual 'Uncustomed Heroes' series, spending all of December commemorating great seasons that weren't awarded custom cards in-season, team by team, begins, as usual, with a look at the ongoing tragedy of the Los Angeles Angels. Unlike recent years, where the team struggles to get anywhere despite having Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani, the team struggled to get anywhere despite having Mike Trout, and only having him for a month. Seeing Ohtani get a ring the second he leaves Anaheim must not have been good for the Angels' morale.

To this team's credit, Trout's play during April did give this team more of a chance than they had for the remainder of the season. This was still peak Trout, as the 32-year old spent his 29 games of the 2024 season hitting .220 with 10 home runs and 14 RBIs. And that's the damning stat- 10 homers, and for a while they were mainly solo homers, and only 14 RBIs, meaning other than the 10 times he batted himself home, there were only 4 other opportunities he made to score runs. He also stole 6 bases on 7 attempts, so those numbers were back up. And then, as he tends to this decade, Trout got hurt and missed the rest of the season. This time felt especially heartbreaking, as you can tell he's getting tired of missing all this time. 

2025 Prediction: I genuinely think this is gonna be his fullest season since 2019, and it's gonna be a Griffey-in-2005-esque return to form. 

Patrick Sandoval remains one of the chief starting weapons the Angels have, and though he's under team control for a couple more years, there is the worry that he'll truly hit his best years once he's out of Anaheim. To this point, 2024 was an injury-addled season following two fuller ones, where Sandoval's ERA rose over 5 with a 2-8 record. Simply put, Sandoval was not healthy this year, and by the end of June he was done for the year.

2025 Prediction: As he is currently undergoing UCL surgery, misses a couple months. I do think he'll be firmer and more consistent when he does eventually show up, though I'm guessing that'll be a second half thing. I'm not sure who it'll be for, though, and someone may need to take a flier on him.

It's funny that the Angels now have two different huge prospects that now just sit in the middle of their lineup and strike out 150 times a year. Jo Adell is the homegrown version of this, as he was a huge organizational piece in the late 2010s, was heralded upon his call-up, and hasn't done a dang thing in the majors. After four seasons of bobbing between Anaheim and the minors and not finding the sweet spot up here, Adell had his fullest, most consistent year yet...as a fill-in for Mike Trout. Adell, in 130 games, hit .207 with 20 home runs, 62 RBIs and 15 stolen bases. Those aren't terrible numbers, and they're the best numbers of Adell's career, but considering where the Angels thought Adell would be by this point, it's pretty underwhelming. 

2025 Prediction: I actually think he's gonna improve even further, but if the strikeouts are still an issue he might go the way of Joey Bart.

The other former top-ranked prospect who the Angels just have lying around now is former Phillies #1 overall pick Mickey Moniak, who struggled during his development and was swapped for Noah Syndergaard in 2022. This season Moniak had some pretty heroic moments during the second half, but it took a rocky first half to get there. Moniak finished with 14 homers and 49 RBIs, as well as a .219 average. For a team that really doesn't have much right now, he's at least a partial crowdpleaser.

2025 Prediction: 20+ homers but a lot of 'but's. 

The big surprise of the year for the Angels was Kevin Pillar, who, after being too mediocre for even the 2024 Chicago White Sox, was picked up and immediately caught fire. Pillar's May was incredible, as in 19 games he hit .409 with 5 home runs and 21 RBIs, immediately catching the attention of most of the league. Of course, his subsequent numbers couldn't match up, and so he hung on as a sort of above average hitting outfielder [he only hit 2 homers the whole rest of the season], but that May alone made his season worthy.

2025 Prediction: He'll be 36, so I don't think he'll top that, but he'll be moderately interesting in a minor role for a competitor. 

And finally...Anthony Rendon. Not since Cameron Crowe has someone taken a paycheck as a sign to never be good again. Since joining the Angels, Rendon has rarely showed any of the full baseball prowess he held on a daily basis in Washington. This season was more of the same, but with a new clarification from Rendon that, no, he didn't dislike playing baseball. And so through 19 games, it seemed like Rendon's energy was back, with a .267 average. Then he gets hurt again. And this time, for once in Anaheim, he actually seemed to be frustrated that he would be missing playing time and sitting in his mansion with all his money. He did come back for about a month but, of course, he got hurt again. So the former MVP candidate finished the season with a .218 average, 14 RBIs and no home runs.

2025 Prediction: Can it get any worse? Yes. We just don't know how yet. But it will.

Coming Tomorrow- Dispatches from the Astros team that, after seven years, failed to make an ALCS. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Angels

 

It is time once again for Uncustomed Heroes, the part of the year where I spend all of December tackling notable players from each team that I couldn't make a custom card of during the regular season, as a way of tying up all the loose ends of the season.

As usual, since we go alphabetically, we start with the Los Angeles Angels. In May, they looked to be the victors of the AL West, had a phenomenal start on the heels of Taylor Ward and Michael Lorenzen, and then...they lost all the momentum and the Astros won the division anyway. And it's not that there weren't highlights for the Angels after that, it's just that if you're that good for the first month and a half and then you just...decide not to be, it's gonna be hard to get eyes back on you. So the rest of the season for the Angels consisted of a lot of mediocre baseball, in addition to Ohtani and Trout doing incredible things. Like usual. 

I did, actually, do a Shohei Ohtani custom this season, because how could I not, but it's the kind of thing where when Ryan Cracknell of Beckett says, in the middle of the night, 'hey can anybody do a 89 Upper Deck custom of this Ohtani photo', and you have all the photoshop ability that I have, ya kinda can't not. 

Alright, onto the actual Uncustomed Heroes. Anthony Rendon, who, you'll remember, was signed by the Angels in 2020 with the hope that he'd bring his contact and five-tool abilities to the 3rd base position for the foreseeable future in Anaheim. It, uh, hasn't exactly gone as planned. Rendon's only full season has been the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign, and he's only played 40 or 50 games in the other two seasons. This season he had a decent start, and played some solid defensive 3rd base only to hit .229 and not make any impact at the plate. Then he got injured and only resurfaced around October. 

2023 Prediction: 2023 will likely be Rendon's best year of the Angels contract, and the closest to his Washington numbers.

Jared Walsh's power numbers were helpful when the Angels were surging, but his strikeouts stood out more when the team tanked. Walsh hit .215, and led all non-Trout/Ohtani Angels in strikeouts with 138. Walsh also only hit 15 homers, 2 less than Luis Rengifo. It was a down year for the once-trusted 1st baseman.

2023 Prediction: Walsh will definitely hit more than 15 home runs next year. I'm not certain that all of them will be for the Angels, though.

Another year, another patient wait til Jo Adell starts hitting like the prospectors said he would. Adell is still an excellent defender, as this photo should tell you, and reached career marks in home runs and RBIs this year, but...once again, his lack of offensive production is making him less and less of a choice to start, and this year he managed 107 strikeouts in 88 games. Jo Adell is a lot like Jarred Kelenic, in that something is bound to happen eventually, but it's a matter of whether or not the team is willing to wait for it.

2023 Prediction: One absolutely incredible month in the majors. 

Archie Bradley is a world away from where he was in Arizona. I think he was better off as a middle relief man, and that's what he's been doing in LA and Philly, but he's also not quite as consistent as he was for the D-Backs, and the cracks have begun to show. He's also a ton more injury-prone, and he only played 21 games this year, with a 4.82 ERA and only 15 Ks. I assume he'll keep playing somewhere, but at this point teams might be chasing the dragon with him.

2023 Prediction: Non-competitive team signs him to a 1-year deal, finishes the season with a competitor.

The big relief weapon for the Angels, especially in Raisel Iglesias' absence, was Jimmy Herget, the former Rangers arm. Herget impressed in 49 appearances this season, with a 2.48 ERA, 63 Ks and 9 saves. Herget brought a level of consistency that even hired relievers Aaron Loup and Ryan Tepera couldn't muster, and it didn't go unnoticed.

2023 Prediction: A comparative down year, and one that may result in a change in teams.

Kurt Suzuki has been playing since 2007, the year I got into the hobby, and he retired as a member of the Angels. While Zuk was mostly backing up Max Stassi, he pulled some decent enough numbers, and had 4 homers and 15 RBIs, though a lot of his stats were very befitting of a guy who's about to retire. I'm glad he got to play for 16 years, that's a long career for a journeyman catcher, and I'm glad he got a ring out of it with Washington. 

As per usual, the set Angels rotation at the top of the season faltered, so Jose Suarez had to come in late in the season and take on a ton of innings. This year he did a ton of work, with a 3.96 ERA and 103 Ks in 22 appearances, 20 of them starts. Suarez proved himself a useful innings-eater and holdover for the departures of Noah Syndergaard and Michael Lorenzen.

2023 Prediction: If there's a just deity in play, Suarez makes the rotation out of camp, stays in their all year, eats innings and boosts a free agency/trade case for better teams.

And finally, the Angels' most intriguing trade deadline acquisition, coming in exchange for Noah Syndergaard, Mickey Moniak was...well, yet another blown high draft pick by the Phils. Moniak was supposed to start the season in center field after a scorching spring training, but then he got hurt, lost the gig to Odubel Herrera, Matt Vierling and, eventually, Brandon Marsh. Moniak's Angels numbers were similar to his Philly ones, as he hit .200 with 3 homers and 6 RBIs in 19 games. Not exactly a #1 overall pick season, but as a 24-year-old, Moniak still has time.

2023 Prediction: Either he makes his mark early or he's off the team by July.

Tomorrow, some rare 2022 Astros I didn't get to customize. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2021: Angels

 

As the inaugural post of Uncustomed Heroes, our yearly venture into all the guys I didn't get to make customs of, we remember the Angels team that was supposed to be great, and yet continued to be edged out of third by the Mariners. 

It's never for lack of trying with the Angels. They have so many great players, and stacked the team with so many more, and it just didn't come together. Again. Now, with Thor, and potentially another big contract, people are thinking it'll be 2022 for them. No. Not with the Mariners and Astros looking like they do.

Anyway, Shohei Ohtani won an MVP this year. I obviously made one of him as a hitter. So here's a new card representing his pitching prowess, where he also did pretty well, with 23 starts, the most of ANY LA starter, a 3.18 ERA, a 9-2 record and 156 Ks. For a guy who has a day job as DH, that's pretty phenomenal, and clearly his best pitching numbers yet.

2022 Prediction: A 4 ERA, but still 35 homers. 

Speaking of MVPs, around May, sportswriters were claiming that Mike Trout was off to his best start yet, and had some numbers that were looking very MVP-esque. As it tends to be with Trout lately, he got injured shortly after those articles came out, and didn't play the rest of the year. Over 36 games, Trout hit .333 with 18 RBIs and 8 homers, which is still some sharp stuff, even if it was limited. 

2022 Prediction: I hope the Angels get the full year of Trout next year, they deserve one. He won't win an MVP, but he'll reestablish dominance over the league. 

Like Trout, Anthony Rendon was limited in 2021 with injuries. Unlike Trout, Rendon still hasn't really found himself since leaving the Nats, only hitting .240 in 58 games with 34 RBIs and less hits than he had in the shortened 2020. You have to worry that Rendon's leaving his peak and becoming as alright as Upton and Pujols had. 

2022 Prediction: Oh he'll have a better season, but not anywhere close to his Nats numbers. Like, .280 with 75 RBIs. This is the new normal.

The man lovingly referred by me as Joey Church tried his third team in three years, as the starting SS for the Angels. He was perfectly serviceable in 114 games, hitting .259 with 110 hits. Of course, he's released in August and joins up with his old team for the playoffs. We'll wrap up his 2021 season in that post.

Justin Upton still hasn't had a great season since his first full year in Anaheim back in 2019. The Angels should be aware of this, and I think they're getting the idea finally, but the once-mighty power hitter just doesn't have much left at all, and has now taken the Pujols role of taking up roster and payroll space. Upton has one more year on his contract, which is nice, but his penultimate year in LA was met with a .211 average, with 41 RBIs and 17 homers. 

2022 Prediction: Does not finish the season in an Angels uniform. Might be the end of the road for him, too.

Pretty much every great pitching season for the Angels was cut short by injury. The best one came from Alex Cobb, pinched from Baltimore, who was doing really well with a 3.76 ERA and an 8-3 record before the injuries hit. Looks like a great asset for a contender, though likely not LA.

2022 Prediction: Will be a surprise standout in San Francisco once a major rotation piece [Disco or Webb] goes down.

Aside from Jo Adell, the big rookie call-up this year for the Angels was Brandon Marsh, a bearded outfield bat who had a decent enough time in the bigs, hitting .254 with 60 hits and 19 RBIs in 70 games. He's looking to be a starting OF piece next year, hopefully by then he comes into his own some more.

2022 Prediction: More offensive heft, and a full year of starts, but the defensive numbers might be an issue. 

And the true unsung hero of this team was former Phillies DH Phil Gosselin, who played a similar bench bat role with the Angels this year. While he didn't become as much of a fan favorite as he did in Philly, he still had his moments, hitting .261 with 47 RBIs and 7 homers in 104 games. Like in Philly, he was used as an offensive substitution and clutch bat, which seems to work well for him.

2022 Prediction: More clutch hitting and perhaps a surprising amount of starts. Just not for the Angels evidently.

Coming Tomorrow- An Astros team that, once again, nearly won a World Series.

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #28-36

 As hinted on Monday, I'm expanding the rollouts for Final Edition to a monday-and-friday basis, cause I wanna get as much of these out as possible before this blog becomes inundated with 2021 customs and posts complaining about why I haven't gotten any retail product yet. 

So, here now are the next 9 cards in the set. Pretty standard bunch, these.

Card #028- Will Harris, Washington Nationals

After 5 years of exemplary relief work for the Houston Astros, Will Harris made a move to Washington on a decent contract. It was a move that, for some reason, went unnoticed by Topps, but considering how nonchalant they are about most relievers, I'm not exactly shocked. Harris had a 3.06 ERA in 20 appearance for the Nats, including 21 strikeouts, and was a bright light in a saggy, energy-lacking year for Washington. Hopefully with a rejuvenated team, and more bullpen support in the form of Jeremy Jeffress and Brad Hand, he'll be able to accomplish a lot more. 

Card #029- Jose Abreu ASG, Chicago White Sox

Unsurprisingly, Abreu would have been the starting 1st baseman for the AL All Star team. It would have been his fourth overall appearance and his second career start, and he would have gotten a TON of votes for it. I'm genuinely happy that Abreu is still delivering at the plate, and is still a steady lineup presence for Chicago, and I hope he keeps up the fantastic work. Also, by proportion, if the 2020 season had been all 162 games, Abreu's 19 home runs would have become 51. Which would have cemented that MVP, I think. [Also, by proportion, Voit would have had 59, so man if math was as accurate as real life, we'd be in business]

Card #030- Taijuan Walker, Toronto Blue Jays

After an impressive comeback as a member of the Seattle Mariners, Taijuan Walker was dealt to a contender at the deadline, in this case the rotation-desperate Blue Jays. Of all the Jays' August starter acquisitions, including Robbie Ray and Ross Stripling, Walker had the absolute best second-half numbers, with a 1.37 ERA and 25 Ks in 6 games. If the Jays-Rays series had gone to 3 games, he would have gotten the start, and lord knows how that would have gone for Tampa, but he boosted his stock in a month's time, and got a 2-year deal in Queens out of it.

Card #031- Anthony Rendon ASG, Los Angeles Angels

Unlike Abreu, Anthony Rendon would have to settle for a reserve spot on the ASG roster, thanks to the exploits of one Jose Ramirez of Cleveland. While Ramirez came out swinging like never before, Rendon's season took more time to gestate, before leading to a 2.3 WAR season with a .286 average and 31 RBIs, definitely career-caliber numbers for the former National. It'll be interesting to see how he does in a full season, especially with a slightly-fine-tuned Angels roster. 

Card #032- Darren O'Day, Atlanta Braves

After gestating in Atlanta for a few years following his sharp days as Baltimore's mighty set-up man, Darren O'Day finally found himself on an electric bullpen unit, and a charter member at that. In 19 appearances, O'Day flashed a 1.10 ERA, with 4 wins and 22 Ks. He'd go scoreless in the postseason up until a nasty run-in with the Dodgers' offense. The Yankees just signed O'Day, so hopefully more similar material is on the way.

Card #033- Pat Valaika, Baltimore Orioles

After being cut loose by the Colorado Rockies in favor of other infielders like Garrett Hampson and Ryan McMahon, Pat Valaika made it to the last oasis for failed infielders...the Baltimore Orioles. He surprisingly didn't do too badly, hitting .277 in 52 games, with 16 RBIs and 8 homers, but I feel as though he's not going to be relied upon as a major position player as the new kids begin to make themselves known in Baltimore. Perhaps a career as a super-ute is in the cards for him?

Card #034- Aaron Nola ASG, Philadelphia Phillies

The masses erupted in cries of slander after Zach Wheeler was removed from the ASG roster in order to make his Sunday start, but the mood rose once Aaron Nola, himself an unworthy snub, agreed to take Wheeler's place. Nola would have been an insanely valid ASG pick, and this would have been his second ASG nod...though that is far too few a number considering how excellent he's been in Philly. Considering that Nola is only locked up for a few more years, I sincerely hope he continues his mound dominance for us.

Card #035- Jazz Chisholm, Miami Marlins

Jazz Chisholm entered the majors with a lot on his shoulders to begin with, being the sole prospect traded from Phoenix in exchange for current staff ace Zac Gallen. As Gallen lit up the majors, Chisholm needed to establish that he could similarly get it done in the infield. While his fielding numbers were decent, his average fell below the Mendoza line, and his playing time faltered due to his one-dimensionality. I really hope he pulls it together in 2021, as the Marlins are still trying to figure out a few details of their infield situation.

Card #036- Chris Mazza, Boston Red Sox

Mazza was one of the many casualties of Boston's torrid pitching staff in 2020. After being waived by Boston from the Mets, Mazza was slotted in as a potential starting option following injuries to Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez. Mazza's season was...alright. I mean, he had a 4.80 ERA in 9 games despite a massive WHIP, but I suppose he didn't get clobbered as much as other Boston starting options. The Sox, for his efforts, traded him to Tampa this year, so maybe he'll click in a more pitching-friendly environment.

I'll post the next 9 on Monday. Nice run of relievers in this one.

Spring Training Custom: Rendon Edition

2012: The Angels sign Albert Pujols to a mega-deal in the hopes that he takes them to the playoffs. They win 89 games, but finish in third.

2013: The Angels sign Josh Hamilton to a multi-year deal in the hopes that he takes them to the playoffs. They finish below .500 and, again, in third place.

2018: The Angels sign Shohei Ohtani to a multi-year deal in the hopes that he takes them to the playoffs. Not only do they finish in fourth, but by the end of the year, Ohtani needs Tommy John, and doesn't pitch in 2019.

2020: The Angels sign Anthony Rendon to a multi-year deal in the hopes that he takes them to the playoffs. WE ARE HERE.

I feel a little bad for the Angels. Not entirely. A little. Because at the end of the day, they still have Mike Trout, the best player in baseball, and Andrelton Simmons, one of the best shortstops in baseball. And they have a still-electric Ohtani performance in there, plus the potential for great seasons from David Fletcher and Jo Adell.

Yet...despite all they've paid for, all they've worked on in the past decade, they still can't get anything done. Things haven't panned out, and it's mostly thanks to uneven returns from subsequent pitching staffs. Since the decline of Jered Weaver's fastball, the Angels have put their faith in people like Garrett Richards, Matt Shoemaker, Parker Bridwell and Andrew Heaney, who have put up good initial numbers only to fall off the wagon the following season.

The rotation the Angels seem to be going with for 2020 is Heaney, Jaime Barria, Dillon Peters, Dylan Bundy and possibly Griffin Canning if he's healthy for the opener. This array is...like the theme, uneven, but there could be good performances in there. Plus, there's the Ohtani factor, as he could end up starting some games eventually, even if he'll probably be used primarily as a DH. But while this is a younger, more interesting rotation than in years past, I still can't guarantee success from it.

And that's, once again, where we're at with the Angels. The lineup might be fantastic this year- Rendon is gonna hit .300 and thrive off being next to Trout in the lineup, Jo Adell's gonna be brought up midyear and come alive, Ward and Hermosillo are gonna have good rookie years, and...etc. But without a solid pitching rotation, you can't promise anything from these guys.

Coming Tonight: Not the biggest guy to land on the Dodgers this year, but...perhaps the most interesting.

The Painful Revenge of the Washington Nationals

[anguished sigh]

It figures that now that the Blue Jays have stopped being the team that inexplicably decides halfway through the season that they are, in fact, going to compete this year, someone else, particularly the Nationals, has decided to pick up the reins and keep doing that.

For the second year in a row, the Washington Nationals have overtaken the actually-competitive Philadelphia Phillies for second place, and are just sitting there, showing off, and looking foolish. I'm sick of this 'The Nats have been the best team in baseball since mid-May' shit, I'm sick of all this circumstance about a team that doesn't deserve it. And I just want the Nats to do what they began the season attempting to do, and that's finish in a modest third.

...and yet since May 24th, the Nats haven't lost more than two consecutive games, they've only given up more than 10 points twice since then, and they have three of the best pitchers in the NL on their staff.

Pbbbbbbbt.

Right now they're playing a series against the Phillies, and it's not going well for the latter. The Nats won the first game 4-0, thanks to some frightening work from the Phils' pitching staff, as well as RBIs from Victor Robles, Juan Soto and Ryan Zimmerman. The team is also benefitting from a comeback year from Howie Kendrick, another great season from Sean Doolittle, more hero-making work from Anthony Rendon, and the charming backup-catching abilities of Kurt Suzuki.

And yet, outside of that, the team is fairly standard. The bullpen's a bit dicey in places, Anibal Sanchez will have the occasional maddening start, and Ryan Zimmerman has mellowed out since 2017. Also, a number of the starters, like Yan Gomes, Matt Adams, Brian Dozier and even Trea Turner, aren't especially befitting of a competitive team. They're fine, but they're not playing well enough to justify the team's record.

I know I've said shit like this about the Blue Jays teams, but this is just a lucky team waiting for the other shoe to drop, and now that Max Scherzer's been placed on the DL, it might drop sooner than the Nats would like to admit. I really hope the Phillies can get their mojo back, and hopefully it can happen during one of these damn Nats series.

Coming Tomorrow- Well, folks...the Tigers are finally in last. Here's one of the reasons why.

National Lampoon

So...they're not bad. But...I think we're all expecting better this time of year from the Washington Nationals. Bryce Harper has a WAR of 1.0. MATT ADAMS is playing better than he is.

The once-strong bullpen is now injury-laden, the infield now has too many options thanks to players coming back from injuries, and some players who are doing well, like Adam Eaton and Mark Reynolds, are relegated to bench positions due to lineup overflow. Their two options for catcher, Matt Wieters and Spencer Kieboom, aren't the greatest, and their current fifth starter, Tommy Milone, hasn't especially impressed. The priorities are scattered, the standouts can only do so much, and the Braves and Phillies are just far better teams at this point.

So who IS working? Well...Juan Soto and Max Scherzer, for one. Soto is gonna get a ton of Rookie of the Year votes, and Scherzer might just get his third Cy Young award in a row, unless some support for Jacob deGrom comes around. And yes, Anthony Rendon is still one of the most versatile players in baseball, and is making more waves on a team that's becoming less and less of an ensemble.

Daniel Murphy and Ryan Zimmerman have been fine coming back from injuries, but the team has been using them less. Wilmer Difo as starting 2nd baseman...not the GREATEST idea in the world, let's just say. At least Matt Adams has been a formidable and entertaining replacement at 1st, with Mark Reynolds as a swingman. But...what once was a strong, constant lineup is beginning to give way to an uneasy identity. I don't know about what this team will look like when Zim, Murph, and Harper are gone. And who the Nats will have to replace them.

Still, for the rest of the season, I imagine the Nats will try to squeeze into the already-bursting NL Wild Card race, but...I don't know how successful they'll be.

Coming Tomorrow- One of those guys that gets injured a lot, but when he's on? Watch out.

NLDS: That Settles It Edition

That...wasn't the outcome I was expecting, but...I guess this is happening again. Dodgers-Cubs NLCS, round 2.

The Cubs, as they do, managed to sneak through, not with an obvious assault but with some surprise attacks. After a year of being out in front, the Cubs got their biggest wins when nobody expected them to, and tonight was no exception- this could have been a game that ended after Michael Taylor's big move, but the Cubs fought back, and made it into the NLCS for the THIRD...THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. That is some Philadelphia-esque stuff right there.

And, as for the departed..

I...I don't know what the problem is.

I have no idea why the Washington Nationals can't win an NLDS. I have NO IDEA why this keeps happening. They've had consistently great teams, with great performances, and not a ton of changes. They deserve to get there, and this year they deserved to win, and...somehow...they STILL couldn't make it through. What is the meaning of this? Is there a curse? Is this a Montreal thing still?

Still, they had a great season, and should not be discouraged. Knowing the Nationals, they'll probably be a few steps down in 2018 but be back in full force in 2019, as they go by an every-other-year strategy (sort of like Cam Newton).

So, the matches are set, and tomorrow night...showdown in Houston. I can't wait.

Rendon Alone

The story so far: two days ago, Bryce Harper wound up on the 10 day DL.This had made people very angry and has widely been regarded as a bad move.

The Nationals have had the insane upswing of momentum since the top of the season, and have held onto the NL East with an iron fist, partially due to the return of Bryce Harper to the throne. Thanks to his injury...actually, I was gonna do a 'things have gone downhill', but this isn't a team that completely revolves around one player. Even with Harper gone, Anthony Rendon, Daniel Murphy, Max Scherzer, Gio Gonzalez and Stephen Strasburg are still playing some phenomenal baseball. This is the furthest thing from a one-horse team.

Last season, Max Scherzer won the Cy Young by winning 20 games, getting 285 strikeouts and finishing with a 3.00 ERA. Right now, he's on track to do even better, with a 2.25 ERA, 12 wins, and 220 strikeouts. With a month and a half left in the season, he could definitely top that, but even if he doesn't, there's still an insane Gio Gonzalez performance and a consistently-dominant Strasburg performance that will supplant it. I'm thinking this is another Cy Young year for Scherzer (the injury to Kershaw may have lessened his chances a bit), and he's showing no sign of slowing down.

Even more importantly, with the team's unofficial leader on the DL, Anthony Rendon is taking up the mantle and arguably playing better baseball than Harper did, with a higher WAR, and some better defensive abilities. If (god forbid) Harper doesn't get another MVP this year, Rendon could be a sleeper favorite.

The Nats are going into the last stretch of the season as the heavy favorites in terms of teams not named 'The Dodgers', and I'd love to see them get at least one playoff series win. They've been at this for years, and they deserve something to show for it, especially with the wide range of excellent performances this year.

Coming Tomorrow- That Twins player I thought I was supposed to post tonight.

Even Year Magic...Somewhere Other than San Francisco

The Giants have won a World Series every even year. But you all know that. So let's talk about someone else who's been really good every even year, and shit every odd year. The Washington Nationals.

Yeah, it's just clicking- 2012, they clinch, 2013 they relent and the Braves take it. 2014 they clinch, 2015 they crack wide open and let the Mets in. And now, here they are in 2016, absolutely killing it and making 2nd place a foresight. This is a team that's possibly more put-together than the last few, and more powerful, even without their star player, Bryce Harper, and their other star player, Stephen Strasburg, in Grade A conditions.

People like Anthony Rendon, Wilson Ramos and Tanner Roark, guys that were extra hands essentially last year, are leading the charge this year, which is fantastic, and also says a lot about the roster depth this year. Plus, throwing guys like Joe Ross and Trea Turner in there is working EXTREMELY well this year. The youth is working, but not taking over the team like in the Bronx.

Now that they're in the playoffs, they should be gearing up for how tough the race is gonna be. They're likely gonna play the 2/3 seed (whichever one they aren't, really), so that's gonna entail a date with the Dodgers, which is nice- these are the two 'always a bridesmaid, never a bride' teams when it comes to recent postseason match ups. These are they guys that usually are out in the first round. And one of them will DEFINITELY be going to the NLCS, and playing someone that very well may be the Chicago Cubs to play in the World Series. (Now...it could be the Mets, Giants or Cardinals...I just wanted to put this there just in case).

It'll be interesting to see them and the Dodgers squaring off, as they've been similar in the last few seasons, although both are MONSTERS now. So...I'm already looking forward to that NLDS, as literally either winner will make a great CS.

Coming Tomorrow- Injuries, schminjuries. They're the last AL 1st place team that hasn't clinched, and dammit it's gonna happen this year, mainly thanks to the 1st baseman that nobody wanted.

Custom Card of the Middle of the Night: Rendon Edition

Well, now that I'm trying to post more, write better, and make the overall blog content a little more crisp, I guess the first step is to stay on top of big baseball stories. And right now, the Washington Nationals are a pretty big baseball story.

Right now they're way out front in the NL East, have one of the strongest infields in baseball (LaRoche-Rendon-Desmond-Cabrera is as nice as it gets), and, yes, are the best team in the National League.

Going into the All-Star break, Anthony Rendon was cited as one of the larger snubs of the roster, because he'd had a great defensive start, and also he was one of the better younger players that the Nats had in their roster (nice try, Harper). Now he's at the forefront, sort of, of one of the best teams in baseball, in his sophomore year. How about that.

Do I want this to go on? Well, it's better than one alternative (The Braves suddenly getting really good and slaying everybody out of absolutely nowhere), but not as good as another alternative (the Phillies going on a gigantic winning streak). Still, it's a good story for a good team, so I'll stick with it.

Coming Today (?)- Might end up posting a football custom. Expect it to be a quarterback.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Nationals

 Jayson Werth has come a long way from being a member of the World Series-winning Phillies, not that there's anything wrong with that. Werth is still a good player, and he's still fun to watch, even though he hits like crap whenever he's beardless.

 Ryan Zimmerman's star has faded ever since more big stars have come to Washington, making him the Steve Rogers/Larry Parrish/insert Expo here of the roster. He's still a good player though.

 Anthony Rendon was the big rookie star of the Nationals this year, which means by next year he'll likely have gone the way of Danny Espinosa and Steve Lombardozzi. Unless he's really good like Strasburg and Harper.

Ian Desmond is still a nice all-star-caliber infielder, one who probably wishes those two pesky young stars weren't around.

Coming Tomorrow- some Baltimore Orioles, including one that just joined the Yankees.