If It Wasn't Evenly Matched, That'd Have Been More Shocking

 So, one of the big series' of the weekend was Rangers-Dodgers, and it led to three very tight, low-scoring games. Of course it did.

The Dodgers are gonna be hard to beat because they just won a World Series and, in response, got even better. The Rangers are gonna be hard to beat because everyone who was hurt last year is healthy again, and the Bruce Bochy magic now works on odd years rather than even ones. Between the two teams you have some of the best players in baseball right now, a few of which didn't even factor into many of the games in this series. The knock-down/drag-out quality of just an April version of Rangers-Dodgers foreshadows the fact that this could very well be a World Series matchup.

That's certainly not something that intimidates Corey Seager, arguably one of the best postseason performers of the last decade. By 31, he's a two-time World Series MVP, and a two-time World Series champion. He's responsible for 19 postseason home runs and 48 postseason RBIs, 20 of those happening during the 2020 playoffs. His last three seasons with Texas he's hit 30+ home runs, a feat made even bigger when you factor in that he never crossed 30 with the Dodgers, even though, surrounded by Cody Bellinger, Joc Pederson and Max Muncy, he never really needed to. And now that Seager's paired with Pedey again, uh...Pedey's not really hitting too well. No matter. Seager's hitting .304 with 4 homers and 6 RBIs already.

The thing about Seager, which is interesting to talk about the week he faces the battery of Betts, Ohtani and Freeman, three surefire future HOFers, is that Seager's HOF case is...borderline. He played on some of the biggest teams of the decade and was the difference-maker on them, had 4 seasons of 5 WAR or more, and placed high among the best contact hitters of his day. His career WAR at the moment is 38, which isn't...crazy, but you also think that if he hadn't gotten injured a bunch of times that'd be in the 50 zone by now. And that would be the factor that keeps Seager from fully recognized greatness, those injury numbers, especially during the Dodgers years. It's why the Dodgers were so willing to let him go...and why the Rangers were so pleasantly surprised that, by and large, he's held together ever since. 

As Seager has become one of the more crucial Rangers, somehow Teoscar Hernandez has fit into LA perfectly. I wasn't sure how much of a presence he'd have in LA, after a fairly middle of the road 2023 in Seattle, but Teoscar has become one of the most lovable parts of an already easy to enjoy Dodgers lineup. Last season with the Dodgers, Teoscar topped his old single season HR total with 33, not counting the 3 he'd blast during the postseason. Three more and he'll top 200 total, as he's already knocked 5 this season. Tesocar is the new cheesy power guy, and unlike your standard grade Max Muncy, he's got the occasional defensive perk and some contact moments. He's now started two different all-star games for two different teams, and he's still a big part of this current Dodgers lineup. Arguably there are more versatile bats, but somebody like Teoscar is perfect for this team, and it's no wonder he's already found his fanbase in LA.

The success of Tesocar, and the Dodgers' lineup in general, is distracting from some pitching woes, like some more starting roulette. Already Snell and Glasnow have gotten hurt, and Landon Knack, Bobby Miller and Justin Wrobleski have all struggled in fill-in starts. It helps that the core of the rotation, Yamamoto, Sasaki and May, has been pretty good so far, but this is the exact kind of musical chairs shit they went through last year, and you'd think they'd have ironed out the kinks by now. Half the guys who should be here, Gonsolin and Kershaw mostly, are still rehabbing. Now even relievers are getting in on the fun, as Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech are out for a bit. You really shouldn't be putting that many eggs in Luis Garcia's basket, not at this age. At the very least a new reliever named Jack Dreyer who I've never heard of has been phenomenal in that position, but who knows how long it'll be before he burns out as well.

Like...it says a lot where, of the two teams, LA's rotation is more of a liability. The Rangers have Jacob deGrom, Tyler Mahle and Nate Eovaldi. And their backup choice is Patrick Corbin, who's been surprisingly pretty good despite being bitten by an animal before his last start, which is genuinely one of the funniest things I've ever heard. Falling in the shower is nothing, here's Patrick Corbin getting bitten by a spider and suddenly becoming phenomenal. After Wade Miley and Noah Syndergaard, the Marvel superhero motifs are just gonna work for me every time.

Anyway, Rangers-Dodgers is fascinating even now. We may see it again later. It may be even more fascinating. 

Coming Tomorrow- He's already hit a ton of home runs this season, but it's one he didn't hit that people are talking about. 

The Well Runs Dry in LA?

 

Thirty years ago, the Dodgers were in the midst of a streak of Rookie of the Year winners that paved the path for their farm system to become a superpower going forward. A fairweather baseball fan can name two of them: Mike Piazza and Hideo Nomo. A true baseball fan, like myself, can name all five. Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Hideo Nomo, Todd Hollandsworth. From 1992 to 1997, the Dodgers' youth movement is spitting out gems. Four organizational giants, plus one extremely savvy international signing. And in the years to follow, this same farm system would produce people like Adrian Beltre, Eric Gagne, Matt Kemp and Clayton Kershaw. 

The 2010s alone, the Dodgers were responsible for producing Yasiel Puig, Joc Pederson, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler and Will Smith. With the latter three, they won a World Series. After years of excellent development, they were able to build their way to the top. Yes, it...probably should have happened more than once, but for the entirety of the 2010s, the Dodgers acted as also-rans to other baseball stories, much like the Yankees. 

However...since 2020...not only have the Dodgers been responsible for less consistent homegrown stars, but the ones they had have been leaving. Pederson, Seager and Bellinger are all having very nice seasons...just not for the Dodgers. Bellinger's having his second excellent year in Chicago, he's hitting .258 with 29 RBIs. Seager's still undeniably one of the best players in baseball and is farming some excellent seasons in Texas. And Joc Pederson is hitting .288 with an .899 OPS, and is one of the highlights of a weaker Diamondbacks team. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have already needed to send James Outman, Miguel Vargas, Landon Knack and Gavin Lux down for minor league stints over the past few years. Outman was having a solid rookie year in 2023, but now he's hitting .147, and thus he's back in Oklahoma City. Vargas was starting last year and now he's very much an extra piece. Similarly, any excess organizational nuggets, including Alex Verdugo, Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray, Andre Jackson, Michael Busch, Jonny DeLuca and Ryan Pepiot, don't last very long on the Dodgers, as they're constantly buying. So we're left with a very diluted Dodgers youth movement, which, if there wasn't a ton of great contracted players there, would be more worrying.

Now, there are two Dodgers rookies who are making waves so far. One of them is Andy Pages, longtime prospect, who's finally up in the majors and hitting well. Pages has 18 RBIs and 6 homers in 43 games. The other is Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who's 6-2 in his first 12 MLB games. Now Yamamoto technically isn't a Dodgers farm product, but...neither was Hideo Nomo. But those two are better than nothing. Not as noteworthy as before, but not zero.

Ultimately a lot of this has to do with the evolution of baseball, with more money to free agents and more emphasis on roster packing. And right now the Dodgers are trying to do this, and it's working. Eventually they'll need to rely on the farm system more, and hopefully it's still high quality. But for now I guess Betts, Ohtani and Freeman will get the job done. 

Coming Tomorrow- The upside of stocking your team with injury-prone 30 year olds is that eventually they leave spaces for younger people to get playing time. 

Last Gun in the West

 

I think I've said this every year, but all I want out of an MLB season is a great story. I'm a writer after all. There's nothing worse than a story that doesn't feel like it needs to exist. Most of the time, you can tell a great story from the narrative that elapses over the course of a season. Sometimes it's easy, like when the Cubs won their first World Series in over 100 years. Sometimes it's a little less likely but still welcome, like when the Nationals and Braves came back from rough midseason finishes and took it all. And sometimes the story ends anticlimactically, like last year. 

All I needed was something better than 2022. And I can say definitively that the Texas Rangers winning their first ever World Series ring is better than a second Astros win. 

I checked back on some of my early thoughts on the Rangers this year, ironically after they beat down my Phillies to open the season, and I was worried initially. Jacob deGrom got lit up a bit, and had to work to come back down from that. The contracted stars took a bit to find themselves [as Semien tends to]. It was people like Josh Jung that were leading the charge from the beginning. I wasn't sure if this would be a marginal improvement over their previous year or if Bruce Bochy was the missing piece they needed.

Slowly, their story unfolded. By May, they were known for their double digit victories and their incredible offense, led by Adolis Garcia, Jonah Heim and Corey Seager. By July, though still in the lead in the AL West, they sent five starters to the All Star Game. Then in August, despite nabbing Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery at the deadline, they fell apart and lost the division to Seattle, and eventually Houston. In September they'd have to fight to secure a playoff spot to begin with, and rode a winnable final week to a wild card spot. Then they battled back against monolithic regular season teams like the Orioles and Rays in order to face the Astros. I was hoping beyond hope that the Rangers would be able to take down the Astros and fulfill a season-long arc, and they did that.

And then they took down the streakiest team in the NL, who came at them with 6-innings of no-hit ball from Zac Gallen last night, to win their first ever World Series. THAT is a good story, and a great ending, too.

So many heroes on this team. Scherzer wins his second ring, that's cool enough. Will Smith has now won three rings in as many years, making him the single luckiest guy named Will Smith in this country. Jordan Montgomery was traded by the Yankees last year cause Cashman didn't think he'd start playoff games, and he only had to start one World Series game to keep the train rolling. Travis Jankowski came off the bench to start in place of Adolis Garcia and got his hero moment. Evan Carter came up the month before the playoffs and is a playoff hero for life. And, of course, Corey Seager won his second WS MVP after a back-to-back HR stretch, and cemented his status as one of the most underrated players of the modern era. This was also his single best season to date, and while I'm not sure if that last month will be enough to get sportswriters off the Ohtani train, I feel like he deserves more MVP votes than he'll ultimately get.

I'm 100% satisfied with this outcome. I also think the Diamondbacks had a hell of a run, and can hopefully build off this season with their young stars. But man could those Rangers not be stopped, just like we thought back in May. 

Great ending. I'm good for a few months. 

2023 in Former Rookies of the Year

 
It's odd to look back at the Rookie of the Year winners from the 2000s and see how much of a crapshoot this thing used to be. I mean, I'm sure there'll be different assessments in about 10 more years, but just seeing how many ROY winners flamed out after 5 years or less, like Angel Berroa, Jason Jennings, Andrew Bailey, Chris Coghlan, Bobby Crosby and, let's be honest with ourselves, Jason Bay. 

You look at the ones from the 2010s and it's mostly predicted the stars of today- all of Bryce Harper, Mike Trout, Jacob deGrom, Corey Seager, Shohei Ohtani, Kris Bryant, Carlos Correa, Aaron Judge and Yordan Alvarez remain the biggest stars in the game. By 2013, 15 of the 20 ROY winners of the previous decade were still in the league, and six of those guys were still among the biggest stars of the game [Ichiro, Pujols, Pedroia, Verlander, Hanley Ramirez and Evan Longoria]. The rest were scrubs.

By comparison, 16 of the 20 from the 2010s are still in the league, and 13 of those guys are still considered huge stars, and are being used in big roles going into camp this year. If Buster Posey hadn't retired, he'd be a figure in this as well. 

Just for fun, I'll go down the list of the active Rookie of the Year winners, and see how they're doing going into the start of the season in a week.

Justin Verlander, 2006: Heh, funny how it drops a bit when Pujols finally retires. Verlander, even for a 40-year-old, is looking at another huge season, in a top role in the Mets' rotation to begin the year. Verlander and Scherzer are gonna be an epic duo that, despite their ages, look to strike the hell out of opposing offenses for as long as they can. No current sign of slipping, though his age and durability are both worries.

Evan Longoria, 2008. Longoria has been in the league for 15 years now and is only now donning his third uniform, fittingly the team that came into the league at the same time as his beloved Rays. The Diamondbacks are planning to use Longo as a starting third baseman and potential DH option. Longo has missed parts of the last few seasons with the Giants, though, to his credit, he's been excellent whenever he's been active. I don't think his star is as high as it was when he came to San Francisco, but he's still had a hell of a career, and the D-Backs might get a bit of pep from his counsel. 

Craig Kimbrel, 2011. Kimbrel's Rod Beck comparisons are back. He's become a journeyman type closer, showing up somewhere and getting 30 or so saves while not being as lights-out as he used to be. This year he's in Philly, and he's not guaranteed the ninth due to Gregory Soto being an even better closing option. He might need to be the setup man, and judging by late 2021, he's not the best at doing that either. 

Bryce Harper, 2012. Hurt, likely to come back by June or July, but still beloved and still regarded as one of the best in the league. 

Mike Trout, 2012. Despite recent injuries and a few Griffey comparisons, still undeniably one of baseball's biggest stars, and priming himself for another huge season in LA after a great WBC run.

Wil Myers, 2013. I think that, while Myers' ability to be one of the biggest stars in the game extinguished in about 2016, he's been a solid enough hitter ever since. He's passed his peak, and the Reds knew that when they picked him up, but he's probably gonna make the team and he'll aid them as an inoffensive power bat. 

Jacob deGrom, 2014. A change of teams, and a slight increase of ERA, are his biggest obstacles going into 2023, but he's still considered one of the best pitchers in the game, has won multiple Cy Young awards, and looks to make the Rangers a contender again.

Jose Abreu, 2014. I've talked up Abreu as an underrated HOF contender, solely because of how consistent his offensive production has been ever since coming into the league. I fear now that he's just passing his peak years, and though the Astros have given him a nice paycheck, I don't know if he'll deliver for them as well as he did for Chicago.

Kris Bryant, 2015. Still one of the biggest names in the game despite missing most of last season. Pretty much everyone is convinced he's due for a comeback with the Rockies, I am hoping they are right.

Carlos Correa, 2015. Though no one is quite certain what medical issue ended up ruining his deals with the Giants and Mets, he's at least back in an organization he knows, he's coming off a strong season, and he's looking to stay relevant despite the Twins not being as sure of a bet as, well, the Mets. I think he's still one of the stars of the game, but he's in danger of blowing it.

Corey Seager, 2016. Yeah, last season made it clear that Corey Seager is still a five-tool player even if he's no longer a member of the Dodgers. With a fuller Rangers roster he looks to make even more of a statement and add to his trophy case even more.

Michael Fulmer, 2016. Yes, clearly Fulmer didn't pan out the way the Tigers wanted, which is a rarity considering who surrounds him on this post, but he's reinvented himself as a reliever. In all of his spring appearances with the Cubs he's gone scoreless, so they're at least excited about that. I don't think he's ever gonna be as big of a deal as he was in 2016 and 2017, though.

Aaron Judge, 2017. Well, of course he's doing well, and he's a hell of a lot richer, too. 

Cody Bellinger, 2017. The last two seasons have put him on the border of stardom and obscurity, and it really hinges on whether he can do anything for the Cubs this year. I think he's honestly cooked himself, and might have peaked in 2019, much like his MVP rival Christian Yelich.

Shohei Ohtani, 2018. Duh.

Ronald Acuna Jr., 2018. Still one of the big stars of the game, yes, but he's missed a bit too much time due to injuries, and he needs this season to prove his staying power, and that he can still perform with the big boys even in a more crowded Braves lineup. 

Yordan Alvarez, 2019. I'd say he's still a big star, though maybe not as big as some other people in this post. If he's able to keep his home run numbers up and stay healthy, his star will rise. If not, he'll be another symbol of the Astros' championship runs.

Pete Alonso, 2019. Yeah, I'm pretty confident that he's still a marquee guy even if he's not quite hitting as many as he did in 2019. Alonso is still one of the biggest stars on the Mets, and will be relied upon a great deal as the stakes get even higher for them.

Kyle Lewis, 2020. The injuries have really lessened Lewis' appeal, which is why he's starting this season as a backup outfielder for the Diamondbacks. I don't wanna believe he's washed himself up this quickly, but I'm very worried that if the 2020 season had been full, he wouldn't have won the award. 

Devin Williams, 2020. As mad as I was that Williams won this award for a month of service, he's become a very strong reliever and closer, and one of the most reliable members of the Brewers. Maybe not a huge star, but it could turn out that way if he stays this excellent.

Randy Arozarena, 2021. His 2020 and 2021 were great. His 2022 was a lot more human. Is it a sophomore slump, or indicative of future trends. With the Rays expected to underperform this year, many eyes will be on Arozarena to see if he really is for real, or if Wander Franco should have gotten that ROY instead.

Jonathan India, 2021. After getting injured very early in the season, India turned in a merely passable sophomore year in a depleted Cincinnati infield. The pressure may be on him a lot more with even less stars in the Reds' lineup, and I worry he may not exceed expectations.

Julio Rodriguez, 2022. Looking extremely good.

Michael Harris II, 2022. As excellent as Harris was in 2022, and as confident as the Braves are in his abilities, I am not sold yet on Harris' long term appeal, and will need a similar year to last year to really convince me that he's for real. With, again, A LOT OF BRAVES looking to impress this year, Harris will either stand out immediately or get lost in the shuffle. 

And that's where we're at. A lot of these guys still look really good in 2023, and, funnily enough, some of the early 2020s ones have already not aged very well. 

Predicting the Home Run Derby: 2022

 Yeah, still doing terrible predictions. It's like my brand at this point. 

The Home Run Derby is tonight. I always like watching that for a bit, it's a fun time, you get a lot of personality from the competitors, there's stories from year to year, and right now there's a 2 time champ trying to become a three-time champ. Last year's was pretty fun. This year's looks pretty fun too, with some great comeback players and some interesting inclusions. The matchups have been announced, and I'm gonna analyze them and try and predict how it's all gonna go. 

Albert Pujols v. Kyle Schwarber

Who Should Win: Well, like in the All-Star Game, Albert Pujols is here not for his 2022 merits but for his career merits, and so in the grand scheme of baseball it's probably gonna make more sense if Pujols wins.

Who Will Win: The guy with 29 homers at the first half will win. It'll be nice to see Albert though.

Juan Soto v. Jose Ramirez

Who Should Win: Juan Soto has more HRD experience and is looking to use this week as a showcase for teams to trade for him now that he's made it clear that he doesn't want to stay in Washington, so he's the perceived favorite.

Who Will Win: Jose Ramirez has been having the better season, and has more momentum...but Soto also used the HRD to get hot last year, so maybe he just thrives best in this situation. Uh...hell, I'm going Soto. I could be wrong, but I think he'll crack it here.

Pete Alonso v. Ronald Acuna

Who Should Win: Alonso has won two of these.

Who Will Win: As good as Acuna has been, and as strong as he can be in these, I just don't see Alonso letting up here. It'll be close, might go to sudden death, but Alonso takes it.

Corey Seager v. Julio Rodriguez

Who Should Win: Corey Seager has been very hot recently, and with more MLB experience, knows how to condition himself properly at the ASG break.

Who Will Win: ...but also Seager comes off like first-round fodder here, and Julio Rodriguez is looking incredible right now. I honestly think Julio will take it and do something insane like the rookies did in 2019.

Round Two: Soto v. Schwarber

Who Should Win: Juan Soto is Juan Soto and has more HRD experience

Who Will Win: I honestly don't think anybody will be able to stop Kyle Schwarber at this point in the season, and even if Soto goes on a roll here, of the two, Schwarber has more seasonal momentum. It'll be an upset to casual MLB fans, but I think Schwarber goes for it.

Alonso v. Rodriguez

Who Should Win: Alonso's having the better season, and, again, has won two of these.

Who Will Win: ....yeah, I'm calling an upset. Julio Rodriguez is gonna outhit Pete Alonso and nobody's gonna see it coming because they're gonna forget that rookies have done really well in the HRD lately. Alonso's gonna put up a lot, but he's gonna have to give up his crown this year.

Final Round: Rodriguez v. Schwarber

Who Should Win: Schwarber has more experience and the bigger power season.

Who Will Win: ...guys, it's gonna be Julio. I'm just gonna warn you, it could go some predictable ways, but I honestly think Julio Rodriguez is gonna take this whole thing. Everything he's been doing lately has been giving me the idea that he's just got the momentum for it right now. And the M's are coming off a big streak, mostly thanks in part to him. Schwarber's gonna try his best, but I feel like me predicting Schwarber to win it is just wishful thinking.

So yeah, I'm picking Julio. Whatever, I'm not putting money on it, let's be ballsy.

Rangers Update: That Didn't Really Work, Did It? Edition

 So...I could have probably predicted this, but, here: The Rangers signed four big pieces prior to the season: Corey Seager, Jon Gray, Marcus Semien and Kole Calhoun. Right now Gray's injured, Semien isn't hitting and Calhoun's hitting .200. Seager is hitting .259 with 14 hits and 8 RBIs. And even with all of this, the team only has 5 wins.

I don't know why teams keep expecting immediate success from this model. You build the team then you add the contracts, not vice versa. 

What's at least reassuring about this Rangers team is that some of the slowly expanding core is actually doing something. Nate Lowe, much like last April, is off to a nice start. These kids they have, like Jonah Heim, Andy Ibañez, Nick Solak and Eli White, aren't doing anything earthshattering, but they're keeping things moving, doing a decent job. It's a very low-key, not flashy at all core of a team, doing fine. And fitting that with these flashy free agents, like Marcus Semien and Kole Calhoun, isn't a great fit. It'd be great if Semien was hitting like he was the last few seasons, but he's under .200 and struggling. 

I think more of a preview of how the Rangers should be rehabbing their roster is the rotation. Jon Gray is injured, but even when healthy he acts as a lower-key, handy piece to build around. You also have a a couple of cheap free agents like Martin Perez and Garrett Richards who don't have to own the rotation but can keep it going [Perez is doing well, Richards is mostly out of the 'pen]. And then they can build the younger people up. Then there's less pressure on Dane Dunning and Taylor Hearn to succeed immediately, and it allows newer prospects like Glenn Otto to wow people who aren't expecting them. 

Still, the team's a mess, and putting some free agents on top of it isn't solving the problems immediately. Perhaps they'll blossom over time and maybe more of a long-game plan, like the Phillies I suppose, but...with the Angels, Astros and Mariners doing better than them right now, it's not the greatest look, even with Seager playing like his usual self.

Coming Tomorrow- A guy who, for the first time since 2017, is staying on a team for more than one season, and is also currently leading the league in home runs and RBIs.

Division Series: Check, Please

 

With a matchup this damned tight, it was always going to come down to a photo finish.

The Dodgers and Giants, the whole season, were so evenly matched that just calling them a wild card and a division leader did them both a disservice. The Dodgers may have won the wild card, but they still won 100 games. The Giants may have had the best record in the West, but they co-owned that division with LA. It's the kind of tight finish that is probably going to lead to Rob Manfred expanding the playoffs next year, for similar cases that won't be as deserving as this one [it's the equivalent of the Oscars making a Best Animated Feature category to appease fans of Chicken Run, and giving it to Shrek]. 

So, Giants-Dodgers coming down to a battle of pitchers, a battle of 1-run moves, and a single check swing? Yeah. That makes sense.

I was honestly rooting for the Giants, as they had the longer playoff drought and had the better regular season, but the Dodgers always felt like they could win anyway by force of payroll and roster. Their biggest indicator of status this season came when Trevor Bauer was suspended and the Dodgers just shrugged their shoulders and traded for Max Scherzer, like nothing had even happened. They can rebound from things that would wound a normal team, like coming in second, or being in elimination position at the hand of the best team in the NL. The odds are gonna be stacked in their favor, so bringing out Julio Urias and Max Scherzer in later innings is just...something the Dodgers can just do. They're the best, they can do these things.

And regardless of whether or not Flores checked his swing, which...I honestly think the umps did him dirty on, the Giants had lost the momentum, and were about to quietly lose a tense, close game to the Dodgers. Something like the Flores move puts an exclamation point on the game, and the season, sort of like Willie McCovey missing the catch in '62. It's not just a loss, we were robbed! And it's how Giants fans operate. Barry Bonds is a Hall of Famer, can't you see the stats? Willie Mays is the greatest, Hank who? They see the exclamation point and disregard the truth. The truth is that the Dodgers were never going to be stopped, because they're the Dodgers. 

Dodgers-Braves, unless I'm mistaken, is gonna end similarly. The Dodgers have all the cheat codes, the Braves are now missing another outfielder. I want to be wrong, I want the Braves to upset and make it to a World Series for the first time in 22 years...but the Dodgers have so much on their side right now.

In a very boring postseason schematic, Braves-Sox is the only hope of something fairly interesting. I don't know if that's what we're gonna get, but...wouldn't it be cool?

The Luckier Seager Brother

 Every year of Corey Seager's career, his team has made the playoffs. He's been with the Dodgers since late 2015, and he's been involved with several playoff runs, including the 2017 World Series.

By contrast, his brother plays for the Seattle Mariners, who haven't been to the playoffs since both brothers were teenagers. 

So I don't know if it's fair to call Corey Seager the better brother. Kyle Seager's been fine, but he's been stuck playing for a middling-to-bad team for 9 years, and obviously that has to effect his overall numbers. Meanwhile, Corey has hit upwards of .267 every year, is hitting .311 this year with 13 homers, and currently leads the team in doubles. It's not confirmed that your environment affects your work ethic, but I don't those numbers would look as good if he was playing for Pittsburgh.

Seager is one of the many Dodgers playing beautifully this year. In all honesty, it's a return to form for several of the 2017 team members, like Chris Taylor, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urias, who have been doing insanely well so far. It's also been a great year for some newer members of the team, like Dustin May, Tony Gonsolin, Edwin Rios, and, uh....yeah, that Mookie Betts kid. 

This may be the team's most concise and impressive showing since the 2017 team, and it begs the question...is it gonna be THIS Dodgers team that wins a World Series? Cause the past 3 have looked like they were going to, and two lost a WS and one lost a Division Series to a wild card. So, as cool as things look, and as impressive as Turner and Seager are doing right now...what's stopping them from losing again?

I mean, people can shit on the Yankees all they want for refusing to get to the World Series for the past decade, but the Dodgers have been in the conversation for the past 12 years, have had wonderful teams, and yet...not much to show for it. And I really hope this is their year, because this feels like a team worth celebrating. 

If not...I'm anxious to see how intimidating the Dodgers look this time next year.

Coming Tomorrow- Last year, they had a lead over the Yankees mid-year and lost it. This year, they made sure that wouldn't happen, and guess what? It didn't. Here's their marquee guy.

Notes on a Yankees-Dodgers Series

So this is one of those cool matchups that only happens once in a while, and it sort of came out of nowhere for me. The Yankees just dropped a few games to the A's, and I looked at the schedule and went 'hope someone easier's up next', and who's up next but...of course, the best team in baseball, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Yanks can't catch a break, man

This has been a very interesting series so far, especially considering it's against the backdrop of Players' Weekend, with black/white uniforms that...I'm not sure what I think about. Every elder-statesman type hates them, but while I prefer the usual colored-but-stylized uniforms, these don't infuriate me too much. I wish everybody did what the Cubs and Pirates did for the Little League Classic and just had stylized, cute-ish variations on their regular uniforms.

So far, the Yanks have taken one in an offensive blowout, and the Dodgers have taken one in a defensive stalemate. It's not going the way I'd have expected, as Hyun-Jin Ryu gave up all those runs yesterday and Tony Gonsolin was solid today. It's also interesting that James Paxton held the best team in baseball to 2 runs in 7 innings, with 11 strikeouts- the guy's been very Jekyll/Hyde this season, and will only show his 2018 dominance in spurts. I still think he's a worthy arm, but...more starts like this one would help a lot.

Overall, though, I'm not seeing a ton of fundamental errors in either team. The Dodgers' bullpen held the force for the most part, with only Casey Sadler letting multiple runs go by. The Yankees' starters are also the ones giving up the only runs, but in both cases it's been only 2. Both of these teams look like they could take playoff action, even amidst the Yankees' starting pitching woes. And seeing these two square off is one of the reasons why I'm glad we still have interleague play.

Is it a World Series preview? I have no idea. But it's definitely entertaining.

Coming Tomorrow- Just when you thought the Braves were out of surprises, they start pulling them out of other rosters.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Dodgers

It didn't happen. But that doesn't mean it won't.

The Dodgers collected a cavalcade of players, being amazing all in the same single, solitary moment. Only reason they lost is the Astros managed to be better than them by the deciding inch. I do think the Dodgers have what it takes to come back, because the people that are leaving (with the exception of Yu Darvish) are not the important members of the team.

I made a Corey Seager card earlier this year, but I wasn't happy with it, so I made a better one. The guy's got legs, which is nice.

This guy was only a presence towards the end of the season, but he's still an LA hero, and wanted to spend his last season as a Dodger doing something beneficial. The Dodgers are gonna miss Andre Ethier, and I doubt he'll make an impact like he did in LA, but his 2017 stretch run was welcome.

Kenta Maeda's 2016 theatrics took a bit of a backseat this year, as a rotation of Kershaw-Darvish-Wood-Hill came to be, and Maeda found himself fighting with Hyun-Jin Ryu for the last spot. While Maeda had the more consistent season...

...Ryu was arguably scarier in the clutch, and was able to work more strikeouts and crafty stuff despite not having a ton of time on the mound this year. However, the offseason shakes out, I feel like Ryu and Maeda will at least have a place somewhere in LA.

We've all come to terms with the fact that 2015 Joc Pederson might not be coming back, and his subpar 2017 season proved that, but he was able to make some nice clutch moments late in the year. I doubt he'll be starting next year, as Andrew Toles might even be a better bet than Pederson. But his stuff was still appreciated when it was good.

Due to injuries and Cody Bellinger, Adrian Gonzalez had a down 2017, but when he was healthy he gave his all, and gave a veteran perspective to the postseason that was much-needed. A-Gon's one of those respected veterans that have never won a World Series, and even if his stuff wasn't 100% perfect this year, he was a great presence in the dugout...

...Much like this guy. As much as I don't enjoy saying bad things about Curtis Granderson, his performance with the Dodgers post-waiver-deal left a lot to be desired, with more strikeouts than his Mets tenure, and not a ton of positive offensive energy, leading to a diminished role in the postseason squad. I certainly hope he can continue his bat work somewhere, but part of me thinks it might be the end for him this year.

If I had to pick the most surprising standout member of this WS Dodgers team, it'd have to be Brandon Morrow, who went from subpar 5th starter in Toronto to shutting them down in relief for LA when it counted. I don't know if he'll ever have a season like this, but it was very impressive, and in a season with many fingers being pointed at the Dodgers' bullpen (especially Pedro Baez), Morrow's work was appreciated.

...And then there's the Rookie of the Year.

Cody Bellinger came in with the odds sort of muddied, and made an insanely beneficial situation out of it, not only having a fantastic rookie season but powering his team to the World Series, somewhere they've flirted with going to for a while but hadn't been since 1988. Bellinger will hopefully keep this insane plate work up, as I'd hate for him to be a one-year thing (like Pederson).

Coming Tomorrow- Next year's an even year, but I'm doubting these guys will factor into the conversation.

Not All Seagers Are So Lucky

I don't think Kyle Seager has been handed the 'Jim Perry' effect, or the 'Paul Resuchel' effect, but it's looking pretty imminent.

This season, Kyle's brother Corey Seager is leading the Dodgers to an unprecedented victory, putting them miles ahead of any and all competition, and damn near ensuring their place in the upcoming playoffs. Meanwhile, Kyle Seager has found himself as one of the competitors for a very similar team, the Houston Astros. The Mariners are currently thirteen games behind the Astros, and tied with the Angels for second place, which has been a struggle that's been ping-ponging back and forth since June. To say that the Mariners' could use the Dodgers' luck is a grave understatement.

The Mariners have managed to build a fairly decent lineup, thanks to some more impressive home runs from Nelson Cruz, another grade-A season from Robinson Cano, rookies Ben Gamel and Mitch Haniger stepping up, some usual hitting from Kyle Seager, and a host of newbies like Jean Segura, Danny Valencia, Jarrod Dyson, and now Yonder Alonso, adding experience to the fold. Yet at the same time, they're holding onto three trusted starting pitchers because Felix Hernandez, Hisashi Iwakuma and James Paxton are all injured. And while Ariel Miranda is doing pretty well, Yovani Gallardo's having a down year, and the guys they're bringing up and trading for can't keep runs from scoring.

At this point, the Mariners are competing against themselves. Half the team is going for the Wild Card spot, and half the team is giving the Rangers a run for their money at fourth place. It's this struggle that I'm worried isn't going to go well for them, especially considering how the Angels are moving so far this season.

Kyle Seager may not be Corey Seager, but he's gonna need as much luck as he can.

Coming Tonight: A reminder that the San Diego Padres still exist.

Yet Another All Star-Related Rant

I've been running this blog for nine years. In every one of those years, something has happened in terms of the All Star Game that's simply pissed me off.

Again, I'm sorry if it's gotten laborious or annoying, but the ASG has become a very sentimental, important baseball event for me, in that it's literally the only pressure-less, fun moment in the entire season, and it's the culmination of an entire league year. It's the opportunity to see a ton of people I love watching just play together.

Part of this has something to do with an aspect I've already ranted about on this blog, which is the rule that people who pitch the Sunday before are ineligible for the game, even if they were already voted to the team. I've come to understand the mindset of players who'd rather win for the team than slum for the ASG, but I've held the opinion for years that this whole thing would be easier if they just blocked out a week for the game. It's obvious that they have time in April, and they can just have Opening Day earlier instead of just pushing it closer and closer to Tax Day. But the MLB just won't think about giving something as meaningless as the All Star Game its own week. Fine. That's on them.

And I get that injuries happen, because of course they do, and you can't control them, and obviously that's more important than the ASG. But...what's pissing me off this time is how both managers decided to replace a bunch of the sunday starters and injured players.

A few of the replacements I'm absolutely fine with: Brandon Kintzler's having a great season, he deserves to be there. Robinson Cano's fantastic as usual, and I argued he should have been in there initially, even if it's at Starlin Castro's expense. The fact that Corey Knebel made the All Star Team and Alex Wood DIDN'T pissed me off, so I'm glad they pulled in Wood for Kershaw. And while Justin Upton isn't completely wowing me this season, he's got to be on there so the Tigers have a rep (without Michael Fullmer), so I get it.

The other three I'm not wild about.

Chris Archer, as nice of a pitcher as he is, falls into the Carlos Martinez category of 'ton of strikeouts, not a lot of wins'...for the second season in a row. The Rays already have representation, thanks to Chris Dickerson, but Archer isn't necessarily the greatest choice for another AL pitcher. For once I'm not even gonna say it should have been a Yankee. Maybe Carlos Carrasco could have gone in there, or Jose Berrios. Archer wasn't the flashiest pick for them.

Same with Chris Devenski. Look, I'm not gonna deny how fantastic a season the guy's having. He's providing fantastic middle-relief for the best team in the AL. The problem with putting him in the All Star Game is the same problem I have with Corey Knebel...nobody knows who they are. The All-Star game is about putting all of those gigantic names together in one stadium, and when you pick relievers like Corey Knebel and Chris Devenski, you're using real estate space that could go to more impressive names. I understand the practicality of using relievers and making it more like a regular game, but this is the All-Star Game! Go all out! Have Corey Kluber work the seventh! It's not a big deal!

My other problem's with a reliever, and it's Roberto Osuna. The Blue Jays, with Osuna, now have two reps in this game. A last place-team like the Blue Jays should not have two nods. I'd honestly argue that Osuna has more of an ASG case than Justin Smoak, but I wouldn't have either of them on. If the Jays have to have a nod, it'd be Osuna, but there's no use having them both, especially Smoak starting. I'd have that attitude even if I didn't hate the Jays, by the way.

And onto my last gripe: While Justin Upton gets to sneak into the ASG as a replacement rep for Michael Fulmer, Yu Darvish gets replaced as the Rangers' rep by...no one.

That's right. The Rangers have 0 representatives for this year's All Star Game. This is a third-place team that's not doing too horribly, with some major players, and there won't be a single one in the All Star Game. Not even Elvis Andrus, or Nomar Mazara. That is a little unfair. Also, thanks to Mike Trout's injury, there aren't any Angels either, which is just an insult to Andrelton Simmons. so that's TWO teams without an All Star nod (while the last place Blue Jays have two)

So yeah. I'm a little ticked off with some of the replacement picks, and it boils down to a ton of things I don't like about the ASG.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2016: Dodgers

I feel extremely bad for these Dodgers teams of late- every year they get closer and closer to the gold, and every year they never make it to the World Series, despite deserving it several of those times. This year, if it weren't for the Cubs, I would have LOVED to see a Dodgers-Indians World Series. I would have rooted for LA probably, too. It's just sad, because Andre Ethier's seen several incarnations of playoff rosters, and has never nabbed a ring.

Still, even if Ethier took a limited role this year, he's still a beloved veteran member of the team, and will probably be better in a healthier 2017.

Brandon McCarthy, among the numerous arms that the Dodgers went through before settling on a solid rotation for October, actually had some great starts, and gave some glimpses of his former dominance, ultimately losing it and landing back on the DL after a bit.

(This one's actually left-over from the postseason, but still.)
Andrew Toles came into the fold late in the season, as a prospect that started hitting like crazy exactly when the Dodgers needed him. Not sure of where he'll fit in for them in 2017, as Pederson and Ethier will likely be starting, though he could get a big spike in playing time if the Dodgers finally deal Yasiel Puig.

Julio Urias had a rocky debut, but slowly gained confidence and dominance as the season went on. I'm under the belief that Urias could grow to become someone pretty deadly if the Dodgers use him right. He's gonna be 20 next year, and along with Kershaw, Rich Hill, Kenta Maeda and probably Scott Kazmir, will be expected to hold up the end. Hopefully he can.

First of all, this is probably one of my favorite customs of the year, and more proof that pretty much every great sports photographer working right now is probably working at Chase Field. Secondly...Corey Seager had an amazing rookie season, and proved that he's not only here to stay, but possibly one of the most indispensable parts of the Dodgers' lineup, not even from a rookie standpoint. i'm hoping he'll have an even more important 2017 season, and continue his great progress.

Coming Tomorrow- It was an even year, and the Giants didn't win the World Series. But they weren't too bad.

Fairly Obvious Rookies of the Year

...Not a lot of surprise for this first batch of awards, to be honest.

Corey Seager was a unanimous pick for the NL award, and honestly nobody else came close- Seager flat-out dominated for the Dodgers, and made a case for not only ROY honors, but an MVP as well. So that one I kinda saw coming.

In terms of Fulmer, I was foreseeing a bit of a scuffle between him and Gary Sanchez, but since Fulmer had a fuller season than Sanchez, as well as having a bit more consistency, I kind of figured he'd take the award, and sure enough...he did. Nice pull for Fulmer. Not sure if he's for real, but it'd be nice to see him and Verlander team up over the next few seasons.

Now, onto the awards that I'm not exactly sure about...

Division Series' Night Two: Two Shellackings and a Standstill

You know...of all four division series, I expected certain teams to be up 2-0...but of all eight, I did not expect the Indians to be this hot off the beat. They're 2-0 over the Red Sox with one game left to win, and the pitching that I worried so much about is working the magic, in comparison to David Price and Rick Porcello. This Indians team that took the whole season to get hot is now finally retaining momentum, even after I feared they'd lost it.

Problem is they're going back to Boston for at least one game, and Fenway will be booming, I'm sure of that.

 Meanwhile, how about the Dodgers proving the naysayers that they've still got it. With some home runs over Max Scherzer and a pretty dominant Clayton Kershaw performance, they've made a huge power move with a first win over the Nats. Not sure at this state whether or not they'll be able to fashion a stronghold, but...I'm optimistic.

Then there's the Cubs-Giants game, which for eight innings was just a duel between Jon Lester and Johnny Cueto. And it was ferocious, like neither one was letting anyone get a word in edgewise, which is definitely gonna sum up this series.

Thankfully, Javier Baez turned in a run finally, and the Cubs snuck out with the win, but it's proved how tricky this series is gonna be, even if the Cubs are what they are.

Fantastic day of playoff baseball. Tomorrow, the madness continues in the NL.

Corey Seager and the Youth in Revolt in LA

I was worried about the Dodgers for a second. A lot of their recent acquisitions have been guys over 30 like Howie Kendrick, Jimmy Rollins and Scott Kazmir. I was worried they were slowly turning into the Yankees. Thankfully, though, they've managed to be in the race enough to keep the Giants scared, and most of the work is being done by younger guys.

Corey Seager, in his first full year in the majors, is having an amazing season, leading his team in home runs and RBIs, and making a serious case for the Rookie of the Year award. Besides, just last night the guy hit three home runs in a game. He's coming into his own rather quickly, and the Dodgers have been more than accommodating to him. Joc Pederson, while not as astounding as he was last spring, is still doing his best to stay in there.

One of the biggest surprises in LA is Trayce Thompson, yes, Klay's brother, who has more home runs currently than anyone not named Corey Seager...and he's mainly been used off the bench. Right now he's getting a ton more time on the field thanks to an injury to Yasiel Puig, and the fact that the starter, Carl Crawford, was just DFA's. The Dodgers are banking on Thompson to keep the momentum going now.

Kenta Maeda is also having a very nice start, though not exactly blowing the doors off the place. He's pitching well enough to keep a spot in the rotation, and to be trusted upon more than the circus of backups that are coming up.

Seager, Thompson and Maeda are forerunning the youth movement that the Dodgers have so desperately needed for years now. Yes, they can win games with Clay Kershaw and Andre Ethier, but if they want to win seasons, they need people like Seager, and more farm system work, to improve the general team. There's a ton possible here, and people like Corey Seager can help the Dodgers achieve it.

Coming Tonight (?)- His team's tanking, and for the first time in his career, this guy's pitching like a human being.

Back to that same old place...

I was skeptical. I was holding my breath.

But dammit if the Chicago Cubs didn't put on a hell of a show this year.

I mean, they swept the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that had a stranglehold on the NL for most of the season, in four games, overpowering their best pitching and even outdoing their offense on multiple occasions. More important, the Cubs played like a playoff team, like a team that truly wanted to win, that wanted to go the distance.

There's something very endearing about it. This is a team that's been counted out for years...and now here they are, onto the NLCS.

The Cardinals do need to be commended, because they had a pretty nice season this year, and did a lot of things with a comparatively light roster. People like Jason Heyward and John Lackey had amazing seasons under the pressure, and the pitching skyrocketed.

Of course, for the first year of the Mike Matheny era, the Cardinals will be home for the NLCS. Which must depress him.

MEANWHILE, the Dodgers are not out of it yet, forcing the third Game 5 NLCS this year, which means the Cubs were the only team to win their NLDS in less than 5 games, which means the CUBS ARE FOR REAL, GUYS.

No, but the Dodgers had a stellar night, hitting well behind a FINALLY PLAYOFF READY Clayton Kershaw. I was happy for the guy. He deserved a nice start for once.

Thursday night they play the Mets at home, behind Greinke. THAT could be tough for the Mets. I feel like a Dodger win here would be a bit anticlimactic, as this has been the Mets show since August, but I'd still be cool with a victorious Mattingly for once, even though I'm still pulling for the Mets.

Lots of fine developments tonight. Tomorrow- we finally get some resolution in the AL. Hopefully it won't be an all-Texas ALCS. And no Blue Jays either.