Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Red Sox

 

It seems we've developed a pattern in Boston. The lineup is always going to be good. But if the pitching sucks, there's no point. So they'll be amazing one year and then the following year they'll be in last because nobody there can pitch well. And 2022 was a latter year for the Red Sox. Unfortunately, it was the wrong year for the pitching to crap out, because all the hitters that had been doing well for the Sox were on contract years. Next season, the Red Sox will not have Xander Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez, J.D. Martinez or Matt Strahm, and have the likelihood of not having Nate Eovaldi, Enrique Hernandez, Michael Wacha or even Beantown's own Rich Hill. Yes, people like Kenley Jansen, Masataka Yoshida and the remaining contracts of Trevor Story and Rafael Devers will help a little, but...with all the faith lost in Chaim Bloom, will Red Sox fans truly care?

This was the second and last year of Enrique Hernandez' Boston contract. The first year went really well. This year, Kiké was limited to 93 games, hit .222 and still managed 45 RBIs. Hernandez' defense is still first rate, but his offense took a dive this year, which may explain why teams are still mulling over whether they want him even as the big pieces have come off the board.

2023 Prediction: I kinda think the Sox can afford to re-sign him, but I don't think they will. Someplace like St. Louis or Chicago will get him.

I keep thinking that Tanner Houck is gonna be a bigger deal than he is. In a year where I figured Houck was primed for a starting role, he started only 4 games and got 8 saves. Houck was a relief piece for this team, which will become a lot more baffling considering who's next in this post. He still managed a 3.15 ERA and 56 Ks, but only played in 32 games. Even if they're limiting his innings, Houck's still getting injured too easily, which is concerning.

2023 Prediction: I would say more saves, but Kenley Jansen is here. If Jansen were to, I dunno, not live up to expectations...Houck could get 15 saves out of it.

The Boston Red Sox' pitching was a disappointment this year. Unrelated, the team started their best reliever of 2021 and kept their best starting prospect in relief. Garrett Whitlock was best as a middle reliever last year, and I think the Sox were rewarding him by moving him to the rotation in May. In 9 starts, he went 1-1 with a 4.15 ERA. He was better suited to relief, with a 2.45 ERA in 22 appearances with 44 strikeouts and 6 saves.

2023 Prediction: By all accounts, should be relieving still, but will likely be pressed to start if there aren't enough starting options. 

At the trade deadline, while the Sox lost some big pieces, they managed to gain a few lineup pieces that other teams simply did not want. The Padres, with the addition of Josh Bell, had no use left for Eric Hosmer, and initial opportunities to include Hosmer in the Nats deal fell through. The Sox, however, were getting nothing out of Bobby Dalbec [again] and offered to take Hosmer. In 14 games with the Red Sox, Hosmer hit .244 with 11 hits and 4 RBIs, then got injured and missed September, in addition to clotheslining his case to remain a Red Sock. Hosmer and his old pal Mike Moustakas have been reunited in the free agent pool.

2023 Prediction: I think it'd be very funny if the Nats pick him up after all, but that probably won't happen. Honestly, a Royals reunion would be kinda cool. But, ultimately, people just may not sign the guy.

Tommy Pham was already in hot water for getting into fisticuffs with Joc Pederson over an incident in Mike Trout's fantasy football league, and that along with some other attitude issues led to Pham's going out of favor in Cincinnati. While Pham was a July trade piece, he only ended up in Boston. Pham still pulled decent numbers, with 24 RBIs and 6 homers in 53 games, but it wasn't wowing enough to sell teams in the first few months of free agency.

2023 Prediction: Signs with the Rockies and is rewarded for mediocre baseball.

Somehow the biggest trade deadline acquisition for the Sox was when they nabbed White Sox backup catcher Reese McGuire in exchange for Jake Diekman. McGuire somehow had the better season of the two, hitting .337 with 33 hits, 12 RBIs and 3 homers in 36 games. McGuire seems to be the favorite to catch everyday in Boston next year, and given his history of battering people, he'll fit right in.

2023 Prediction: 25 homers, less than favorable average. So Bobby Dalbec won't even be needed anymore.

Tomorrow, a few intriguing pieces of an intriguing Reds team.

Examining This Deadline's Lateral Selling Trend

 

One of the big aspects of this past trade deadline was watching to see where Joey Gallo would land. We knew the Yankees would be getting rid of him with Benintendi coming to town, we knew that maybe Gallo himself wasn't the problem, and we knew that teams still want a guy like him to compete. Very much like Sonny Gray a few years ago, the demand is there, and New York is happy to let a guy like that succeed. 

So when I found out the Yankees dealt Gallo to the Dodgers, I was a little puzzled.

I was kind of thinking the Yanks would unload Gallo in a deal for another piece, but perhaps he didn't wanna play for a rebuilding team again. Or maybe they would have given him to a mid-level competitor like Cleveland, San Francisco or Seattle. But...the Dodgers. A team that will likely be chasing the Yankees all the way up the league this year? The team that might even meet them at the World Series? THEY get Gallo? I mean, I'm not Brian Cashman, but...doesn't that seem like you're helping out the enemy?

This was a trend I would soon find wrapped around the league entirely this deadline. Teams on the same standing helping each other out and staying even, which isn't always the point of deadline deals to me. Some of these, like trading Josh Hader for Trevor Rogers, I kind of understand because there's looming contractual stuff on the horizon, but a lot baffled me. Here's a few of the others:

Luke Weaver hasn't really found much of a place for himself this year in Phoenix, so the Diamondbacks decided to deal him. It's WHERE they decided to deal him that confuses me- they sent him to the last place Royals, which means instead of the usual upgrade one would expect from someone leaving the Diamondbacks, Weaver somehow got a downgrade. And he was swapped for Emmanuel Rivera, who had been a pretty decent starting 3rd baseman in Kansas City and now is stuck behind Josh Rojas in Phoenix. I sort of get why the Royals would ship Rivera out, the prospects are coming up, Pratto's getting more starting time at first so Dozier's starting more at third, but...two low-rung teams trading with each other vexed me. It vexed me greatly.

Eric Hosmer, like Gallo, I figured would be dealt eventually. The Padres have been trying to get rid of that contract for years, and they tried to even get rid of it in the deal for Soto and Bell, but Hosmer said no. I was honestly expecting Hosmer to take the L, start at DH and ride out the rest of the season, but A.J. Preller decided to dump Hosmer in Boston. Boston is...sort of competitor, though they've been losing ground. And I suppose Hosmer could be an upgrade at first from Bobby Dalbec. But...Hosmer's the kind of hitter that could really work in Boston, and the Padres just sort of gave him away. If the Red Sox come back with the help of Hosmer, even if the Padres also do well...that's gonna look a bit odd. I understand, they needed to get rid of him, and he had 10 teams he didn't want to go to, but this still seems kind of lateral.

This one also confused me. The Astros were easing Odorizzi out of the rotation. The Braves were trying to give Will Smith less innings. I understand both these teams trading these players...but why for each other? Why do the Braves, who just frigging played the Astros in the World Series last year, want to help the Astros get better by handing them Smith? And why do the Astros, who just got BEAT by the Braves last year, want to give the Braves another starter who they can trust? Why are so many teams willing to pat each other on the back all while low-rung teams are tanking and selling? Is there a class metaphor in this?

The Cardinals, as they did last deadline, confused me the most. They hadn't been able to find room for Edmundo Sosa in the infield this year, and had wanted to bring up Paul DeJong again, so they deal Sosa, which is fine. But...the Cardinals also made deals for Jose Quintana and other players on competitors. Why didn't they deal Sosa to Pittsburgh or something? Why did they make a trade with their main NL Wild Card competitor the Philadelphia Phillies by giving them another infield piece they can work with in exchange for a reliever that, unless the Cards know something, isn't gonna really make much of a difference? I mean, I guess Sosa can work in Philly, he's flexible enough, but this mostly felt like an absentminded handoff.

But that's tame compared to what they did to finish the deadline:

This, folks, is the single most baffling deal of the deadline. And we're gonna talk about it.

About 10 minutes before the trade deadline ended the other day, it was reported, out of absolutely nowhere, that Jordan Montgomery had been traded to the Cardinals. The first words out of myself and my father's mouths were the same: "WHY?" Montgomery had been an extremely efficient starter for the Yankees, and it had become clear that, with Severino injured and Domingo German shaky, as well as J.P. Sears now playing in Oakland, we needed as many starter innings as possible.

So we traded him...to St. Louis...where there is currently a rotation of Miles Mikolas, Adam Wainwright, Dakota Hudson, Jose Quintana and Andre Pallante. That makes SIX viable starting options for the Cardinals, and it leaves the Yankees with 4 and a half. Closer to four now after what the Mariners did to Gerrit Cole. When we needed as many innings eaters as possible...Brian Cashman gives one away...

...in exchange for Harrison Bader. Who is currently injured.

Immediately, the Cardinals are going to reap the benefits of Jordan Montgomery, he's gonna be an excellent starting option for them, they may even just release Steven Matz at this point. He'll make the Cardinals even more of a playoff threat. Meanwhile, the Yankees have Bader as an eventual backup defensive outfielder. The Yankees are going with Judge-Hicks-Benintendi right now in Stanton's absence, and when Bader returns, he will likely usurp Hicks's spot, despite Hicks's improved play recently. Then it'll be what happens to Stanton when he comes back, who gets the DH spot, it'll get crowded, and it'll be a whole thing. Good news is we have one roster spot we don't need to devote to a friggin starter anymore, so that'll work.

Which brings me to the million dollar question. If the Yankees wanted Harrison Bader, and wanted to give them a suitable bounty to keep them competing without altering their immediate plans...why not just trade Miguel Andujar? He'd made it clear that he wanted to be traded. The Yanks haven't been doing anything with them. He'd fill an outfield hole, albeit not terribly well, and eventually be a DH after Pujols leaves. Why not do that? Did the Cardinals get too greedy and Cashman just shrugged? Come on.

As good as the Yankees have been, and as smart as they were this deadline, that deal made absolutely no sense and I don't know when it WILL make sense. If we lose in the playoffs because of starting pitching, it will go right back to this deal. Maddening. 

That is the last I'll be talking about trade deadline deals on the blog for a while. Back to regularly scheduled customs tonight. 

Return to Hoz

 

The best thing you can say about the Padres so far is that all the decisions you used to criticize them for are all paying off.

We were confused when they signed Eric Hosmer to a big deal in 2018, and now Hoz is having his best season in years, hitting .325 with 24 RBIs and a 1.5 WAR, his highest since leaving the Royals. This is a season it took Hosmer FIVE YEARS OF HIS EIGHT YEAR CONTRACT to get to. That is...something. Four years of perfectly okay baseball, teetering on the brink of negative batting percentages, and now a comeback for the ages to help out a team missing Tatis. I don't know how, or why, he does it, but...I'm glad.

It's not just Hosmer that's surprising the cynics who wrote off Padres moves. Jurickson Profar, after a weaker 2021, is having a huge year, doing some insane defensive numbers in left, and hitting a bit more than usual. This is the kind of season Profar would have at the end of his Rangers tenure, the kind he matured into. Two years after being signed as a backup, Ha-Seong Kim has become a handy, impressive defensive infielder, and has been doing a nice job filling the void Tatis has left, and fighting off competition from C.J. Abrams. I also think this team's ability to find players coming back from playing in the International leagues has been exemplary; Pierce Johnson is still a great bullpen piece, and now Nick Martinez has become a surprisingly strong back-half rotation member. Considering how many former Padres have made it to the asian leagues [Carlos Asuaje, Christian Villanueva, Freddy Galvis], it's only fair at this point for the asian leagues to return the favor.

As I write this, the Padres are a game and a half behind the Dodgers, and are looking pretty damn good overall. Darvish-Musgrove-Manaea-Gore-Martinez is a pretty strong rotation, and the fact that Musgrove's having the best season of all of them is pretty cool. Taylor Rogers is having one of his best seasons as a closer. Cronenworth, Kim and Profar are all excellent defenders. And Manny Machado is just as capable of leading this team as Tatis would be. This is a very cool 2nd place team that could lap the Dodgers if things go their way. 

Who knows what could change, but this teams looks shockingly good right now. Kinda cool to see it.

Coming Tonight- Third baseman for a team that's taking on my Yankees this week.

Air Friar

 So, uh...Dodgers-Padres series' are gonna be fun this year. 

How come nobody didn't predict this sooner. Two of the biggest trolls in the majors, Trevor Bauer and Fernando Tatis Jr., in the same divisional fight, being absolutely great, entertaining baseball material. Tatis hitting bombs, then clapping back at Bauer on Twitter. And look, I follow Bauer's twitter, he is an all-time trash-talker, he is sneaky as hell, and he knows how to be an ass while still looking good...but Tatis making him look small on this scale is amusing as hell. I can't wait for the next time these guys square off. Somebody's gonna get mooned or something.

Anyway, even with the antics, the NL West is kinda going the way most people thought it would- with the Dodgers well ahead, and the Padres forced to squeeze into a wild card situation. And right now, the Padres are behind the Giants in the standings, thanks, essentially, to playing more games than the Giants. To be very fair, it is April, and the Padres are without Austin Nola and Dinelson Lamet. It's gonna take them some time to get to peak 'OMG' mode, I think.

Good news is that some of them are already having insane numbers even this early. Eric Hosmer had some major RBI numbers in the first week of the season, and while he has slowed down a bit since, he still leads the team in hits, RBIs and average. Not bad for the guy who most people have been pegging lower since he left the Royals. Additionally, Mark Melancon's having a stellar year in the ninth, Musgrove and Darvish are attacking at peak capacity in the rotation, Tatis has had two consecutive 2-homer nights, and Ryan Weathers has been impressive stepping into Adrian Morejon's rotation spot. 

This is AJ Preller's dream, of having a bunch of homegrown talent succeeding alongside a bunch of prospects, and having it all work because neither type feels drowned out or hackneyed. And even if some people aren't hitting for average [thank god Machado's still a five-tool player or else he'd be a lot lower in the WAR column right now], this is still a strong looking team who could get really hot in a month or so and reclaim 2nd like they're destined to. With Tatis hitting, Snell, Darvish and Musgrove hot, and everybody pitching in, this could only get deadlier as we go.

So...Trevor, you might wanna work on your comebacks.

Coming Tomorrow- Catcher for a team that the sports pages are having a good time bagging on right now.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Padres (Part One)

 

After 13 years of being unworthy of much merit whatsoever, the San Diego Padres not only made the playoffs, but won a playoff series and squared off against a very tough Dodgers team without seeming too beatable. And yes, while the Padres lost, they certainly didn't mark this season as a failure- this team came from a scattered, well-intentioned club last year to absolutely annihilating western pitching this year. It was genuinely fun to watch.

I already did a Jake Cronenworth custom this year, but I prepared this one for a Rookie of the Year win that never happened, so it goes here.

Eric Hosmer, after a disappointing first two seasons in San Diego, finally began to circle back towards his Royals numbers. This year he hit .287 with 18 RBIs and 9 home runs, and a .9 WAR that came close to the production of the core of the team. He and the rest of the infield seemed to be on the same page for most of the season, and he also had 4 postseason RBIs. 

2021 Prediction: A more traditional return to form year...halted by an injury.

Looking from the rotation from a keen edge, it seems as though Zach Davies had the most productive season for his 12 games. The Brewers mainstay did insanely well in his first season in San Diego, with a 7-4 record, a 2.73 ERA, 63 strikeouts, and...unfortunately, two less-than-stellar postseason starts.

2021 Prediction: More of the same. Davies continues to be the best 'bang for your buck' pitcher there is, and will probably rack up 10 wins before most of the league has even mustered 5. 

The new piece of the infield this year, complementing Machado, Tatis and Hosmer, was Jurickson Profar, after an alright season in Oakland. Profar improved vastly from his low-WAR year in 2019, raising his to 1.1 for the season, and hitting .278 with 50 hits and 28 RBIs. Plus, after the inevitable come-up of Jake Cronenworth, Profar shifted to the outfield easily.

2021 Prediction: Another yearlong pickup, but this one has a trade deadline deal involved. 

Tommy Pham had his first human year in 2020, and it's a shame it came at the expense of the Padres, who gave up Manny Margot and Hunter Renfroe for him. Pham's season was hindered by injuries, and while he was healthy he only hit .211 with 12 RBIs. Not a great look.

2021 Prediction: An upswing, but not enough of one to return to his Rays-era dominance. 

Drew Pomeranz returned to the city where he gained recognition and an ASG gig, and continued his use as a bullpen option. Before Trevor Rosenthal made it to town, Drew Pomeranz was actually the closing option, and he did get 4 saves before being shifted back to regular relief. Pomeranz' season was pretty excellent, with a 1.45 ERA and 29 Ks.

2021 Prediction: Several steps down from his 2020, but he'll stay with the Padres.

Matt Strahm has also mellowed into a relief role with the Padres, and did his best work in relief this year, with a 2.61 ERA in 20 innings.

2021 Prediction: A larger middle relief role, verging on a closing role. Strahm has some talent, and it's about time the Padres used more of it.

Pierce Johnson spent 2019 in Japan, playing for the Hanshin Tigers, and seemed to master his control as a reliever. So, he asked the MLB clubs if they wanted him back, the Padres said yes, and pretty soon Johnson was one of their more interesting relief weapons [as predicted by me back in February]. Johnson posted a 2.70 ERA this season with 27 strikeouts to match, and had 7 more Ks in the postseason. 

2021 Prediction: Slightly higher ERA, but still a main member of the 'pen.

Tonight I'll present the members of this team that entered into the mix after Opening Day.

The Padres Without Tatis (and with Machado)

Bit of a different losing outcome than the Padres fans must have been thinking a few months ago.

You ask a Padres fan in March, 'your best player's gonna get injured in May', they'd probably go 'NO, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE IT WITHOUT MACHADO!'

...Welllllllll....there are three problems with that thinking.

1. It confirms the backwards thinking of AJ Preller that one player would be able to revitalize an entire team just by existing in the organization. Manny Machado in San Diego has been great, but it needs to be a team effort rather than one player lifting the whole team along with him.

2. Manny Machado was not the Padres' best player this year. That distinction would go to Fernando Tatis Jr., who was rocking a 1.5 WAR at shortstop and bringing the energy and spirit to San Diego that Padres fans figured that Machado would bring anyway. Tatis, working with Machado, made the Padres into a 2nd place force in the NL West. Then he got injured, and the team has lost several games without him.

3. Moreover, without Tatis, AND WITH MACHADO, the team is 5-7. Proving that Machado wasn't necessarily the force that could lift this team, as he's been doing fine at third, and batting .250 with 8 home runs. Granted, if you take Machado out the team will probably be even worse, but...with him in the lineup, there's not a ton of difference. Sort of like how things were in Baltimore last year.

So, in terms of 2019...Manny Machado is not the central figure in this lineup. Fernando Tatis is. Manny Machado is just another hard-hitting cog in this Padres machine, along with Eric Hosmer, Wil Myers, Franmil Reyes and the rest. It is not the Machado show, similar to how the Phillies are not the Bryce Harper show this year. This team is enough of a collaborative unit that multiple players can shine, even with Machado playing as he is. And while that's all well and good, it's a better unit when Tatis is healthy, and when he's at an elevated place in terms of ability and star power.

This is very nonsensical, but I feel like I had a point here.

Oh, right: the Padres may not be completely ready for success if they are still reliant on a singular force for most of their wins. It doesn't matter if said singular force is Fernando Tatis or Manny Machado or even Chris Paddack. Everyone needs to be up to that level. And looking at the mediocre quality of a lot of these performers, it may be a while until we get there.

Coming Tonight: [sigh] that impressive rookie that's helping drag the Red Sox back up the standings.

San Diego No-Chargers

The last time the Padres made the playoffs, it was 2006. Two members of that team are already Hall of Famers. No members of that team are currently still on it, and only one, Adrian Gonzalez, is still in the major leagues. Hell, one member of the team has his kid in the leagues right now.

The Padres are still not responding to the umpteenth attempt to the revitalize the squad. The youth movement that took effect last year has backfired, as Manny Margot and Carlos Asuaje have backpedaled, and Dinelson Lamet and Luis Perdomo have failed to prosper. The bulk of the work is being done by veterans, especially Eric Hosmer, who's doing well enough to make leaderboards but not enough to move this team out of last.

I mean, the good news is...at least the bullpen's surprisingly great this year. A lot of spare hands are keeping the leads safe, if they need to. However, with the exception of Tyson Ross and Joey Lucchesi, not a lot of starters are pitching well enough to hold onto leads. It's an odd imbalance, one that's definitely hurting the team at this point.

At this point, they may need to pawn away some of the working pieces and hope that another new breed of rookies can come along and help the team return to glory. It may take longer than the execs are expecting, though.

Coming Tomorrow- Well, tomorrow I'm officially on the road, for this road trip I advertised last week. If I do end up posting a custom tomorrow, which I might anyway, expect a pitcher from an insanely-odd AL East team.

Tyson Ross Deserves Better

Tyson Ross is having his first positive season since 2015, with a decent record, a nice amount of strikeouts, and ungodly work compared to anyone else currently employed as a starter in San Diego. He's not showy or completely unstoppable, but he's a nice pitcher that gets the job done for you, and the Padres need one of those, especially considering Clayton Richard's current failings.

It would, however, be nice if Tyson Ross could get some run support. Or a team that's trying as hard as he is.

Look, you can tell that this team would have been something if everyone had stayed healthy and consistent. But Manny Margot and Carlos Asuaje aren't hitting, Wil Myers and Joey Lucchesi are injured, and Austin Hedges and Hunter Renfroe weren't hitting...and then got injured. So the team's a mixed bag of disappointment.

And aside from Tyson Ross, there are people like Eric Hosmer, Christian Villanueva, Brad Hand and Travis Jankowski, who are doing well and trying their best to keep the team afloat, but when the base of the lineup is kind of disappointing, and if only one starter is actually keeping runs from scoring, then it's a futile effort. And this is the umpteenth year where the Padres, regardless of effort, have wound up on the wrong side of things. They've had horrible luck, and they've rested their laurels on unreliable people.

I don't know how much better this is going to get. They're close in proximity to the Dodgers, but I don't know how long that will last. They're not as dire as usual, but the Padres aren't looking great, even with Eric Hosmer and Tyson Ross.

Coming Tomorrow- The infielder of the future...and the Yankees' current option at 2nd base.

Friar What the F--k

Forgive the bawdy Robin Hood pun, but...of all teams to sign a multi-year deal with a franchise-building first baseman...I wasn't expecting the team who has literally nothing BUT a franchise-building first baseman.

Yes, Wil Myers is expected to move back to the outfield to accommodate everything, but...the San Diego Padres, who were building but not extensively, are a wild-card pick to nab Eric Hosmer, who has an ASG nod, a World Series ring, and some big-time major league credentials under his belt. Putting Hosmer in the lineup gives them a power core of Hosmer, Myers, Manuel Margot and Chase Headley, which isn't great, but it's definitely a start for a team that wants to chase the remaining four teams for a playoff berth.

Only thing is I don't think the contract's supposed to benefit the Padres in 2018. Having Hosmer there is supposed to cement things, so that this team can BUILD to a playoff squad. Sad to say, but the Padres are dead last on the totem pole this year, and will only grow as the Rockies fall apart, the Dodgers' core ages, the Giants finally decide to give up Buster Posey, and the Diamondbacks win a few more playoff matches. Signing Hosmer is gonna give them some nice stuff this year, but nothing that will move mountains, which will upset some Padres fans.

Still, it's a pretty damn big move, and it makes sure that everybody in the NL West has a stake in what's surely gonna be a bloodthirsty battle for relevancy in 2018.

Royal Rumble

Just like that, after a year of inadequacy, after a year of everybody thinking the Kansas City monolith had ended...the Royals are trying to find their way back to the playoffs, and the Wild Card spot is looking relatively obtainable.

I think it's just the fact that last year, the core of the lineup wasn't really on, and a lot of the youth that they'd been secretly trying to set up throughout the 2014 and 2015 teams didn't really pan out (Whit Merrifield notwithstanding). It was also getting to a point where a lot of the core was beginning to age out, including Alex Gordon and Kendrys Morales.

The funny thing is that the Royals didn't really do a ton to fix these structural problems. Their DH is having the same problems Morales was having, with all home runs and no average. Their rotation has the same problems of having a few too many bloated ERA guys. The youth movement mostly got injured this year. And yet, the power of that core that got them to the World Series is plowing them past the Twins, and into 2nd place.

It helps that Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, the two guys that SI predicted would rule Kansas City back in 2011, are legitimately having the best seasons of their careers, and that newbies like Whit Merrifield and Jorge Bonifacio are lifting the team up.

It's honestly a case of the return of the heavy-hitters of the 2015 squad, like Danny Duffy and Lorenzo Cain, and with Kelvin Herrera doing a great job in the closer's spot. Everybody who was on then is on now, and it's showing.

And the trick is gonna be getting past the Indians, who, while pretty good, aren't as indestructible as they were in their World Series year last year. It'll be interesting to see how it happens, but I'm pulling  for the Royals, hoping they can be the underdog team they were in 2014.

Coming Tomorrow- They may not be in first anymore, but they're not out for the count, especially according to their hard-hitting outfielder.

How the Royals Can Survive (Out of First)

Thanks to an impressive start by the White Sox, and some surprisingly nice work from the Indians, the Royals are currently in third place in the AL Central. Which would be easy enough to stomach, if they hadn't just come off of being in the World Series two years in a row.

These guys have one of the most complete rosters in baseball, with a still-intact and impressive infield, guys who can hit home runs whenever they want, the best catcher in the AL, and some surprisingly still potent pitchers. These guys deserved the title last year, and it's kind of sad to see a lot of the roster having low batting averages, or to see people like Chris Young get constantly chewed up at the plate.

The main problem was the loss of the two people that made the Royals World Series winners last year- a solid ace in Johnny Cueto, and a more BA-friendly second baseman in Ben Zobrist. Both of those guys left in favor of NL squads, both of which are surging like hell right now. Omar Infante can play second base pretty well, but Zobrist was obviously the looker in comparison. The pitching staff is pretty okay this season, as Ian Kennedy, Edinson Volquez and Yordano Ventura are, for the most part, pretty effective, but the latter half is where the trouble starts, and the Royals have been trying to plug in newer pitchers in order to stop the bloodflow, which is....sort of working.

The elements that are working are working pretty damn well, by the way. Eric Hosmer's having his best season in years, Lorenzo Cain's gotten surprisingly hot in the last few weeks, and once Mike Moustakas gets off of the DL, he'll get back to murdering the hell out of AL pitching.

I'm not supremely worried about the Royals- they're probably going to end up with a winning record this season. I do think that they have what it takes to get back to the top, and contend with the White Sox for the division title, but it's going to take the rest of the team to start hitting again, and some other factors to click into place. It's not going to be a cakewalk like the last few years.

Coming Tonight- The guy's spent ten seasons in Cincinnati. This might be his last one.

ALCS: A Rematch 30 Years in the Making

In one corner, a team that hasn't been to the postseason since their World Series win in 1993, surrounded by a lineup filled with stars they've added in the last twelve months, who've only improved the already-surging core of a power-hungry team. Taking the role of the million-to-one-shot, THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS!

AND TAKING THEM ON AS THE HOME TEAM...They were here last year. They're desperate to get back to the World Series and finish what they started. Now even stronger, with more pitching, more hitting, and more overall power, there is absolutely nothing stopping these powerful, reigning AL Champions. Everyone's Favorite and Nobody's Least Favorite, unless you're the Cardinals, THE KANSAS CITY ROYALS...


Nice clean fight, gentlemen. Sure to be an amazing one, though.

The Kansas City Behemoth (!?!?!?!)

Hey...remember when the Royals were terrible?

I mean, back in 2010, Sports Illustrated put out an article about the Royals farm system, and talked about how they had people like Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas warming up in the minors, and that eventually, this team would be a major contender. I remember reading that and going 'yeah, right'.

Well...right now the Royals are, far and away, the best team in the American League. I'll give you a stat. The Twins, right now, are the second best team in the AL Central. AND THEY ARE THIRTEEN GAMES BEHIND!!!!

Nobody in the AL is anywhere close to where the Royals are right now. I have no idea how the Royals were able to do it, but they have become a powerhouse, with a combination of homegrown guys, guys they landed when they were rookies, and guys they've picked up in the last few seasons. Somehow they got Kendrys Morales to play better than he has his entire career. Somehow they traded away one of the best pitchers in baseball, Zack Greinke, and landed two outstanding pieces to their offense, Lorenzo Cain and Alcides Escobar. Somehow they almost made Omar Infante an All Star Starter.

This Royals team is doing outstanding things, and it's all thanks to people like Eric Hosmer, the guy who became the unofficial leader the second Alex Gordon landed on the DL, and was already becoming one of the gold standards for this team. Hosmer is a great first baseman, a great hitter, and a great overall player. He's a great guy to base a team around, and the fact that he's having a nice season is pretty great.

For the record, what makes this team amazing is its depth. Any other team would be screwed at the loss of somebody like Alex Gordon. The Royals, not only do they have Jarrod Dyson, but they have Paulo Orlando. That makes TWO really nice backup outfielders. Plus, their pitching has been doing better as the season's progressed. I didn't expect this team to get so far with Edinson Volquez as their top pitcher. But with everything Johnny Cueto's been doing for the team, I'm not worried. Plus, they have one of the best bullpens in baseball. Wade Davis, Kelvin Herrera, Luke Hochevar, Ryan Madson and Greg Holland...in the same fricking rotation. That should be illegal.

So the Royals are going to waltz to the playoffs, but hopefully they're going to get further than one rung in, because they deserve so much. I'd personally love to see them back in the World Series, if this whole Yankees thing doesn't pan out. Really, anything this season is a success. This team has come so far in just a few short years, and I love that.

Friday Night in Review

How about the Baltimore Orioles, guys. In two games, they have been going wild on the Tigers, considered to be one of the best teams in baseball.

It's happened the same way both times- the bullpen, including former Yankee phenom and current Hagar the Horrible lookalike Joba Chamberlain, is not able to hold the team down during the 7th and 8th. It happened (in a huge way) Thursday night, and it happened again last night, with Delmon Young (wow, the Rookie Class of 2007 was well-represented in this game) having some huge hits to seal the win.

They have today off, but once they get to Detroit, things are going to be huge. After all, if they win, the whole damn thing will be over, and the Tigers will be out...which is a very nice thought if you're rooting for Baltimore.

Meanwhile, the Giants had a very close game that was won by some nice bullpen work, and by some young players getting back home very quickly. Joe Panik, for instance, made some big plays last night. Panik is only supposed to be filling in for Marco Scutaro this year, however judging by the last few months, it looks like he may be sticking around.

That's not to say the Giants have this absolutely wrapped up, though.

This guy also hit a home run last night, along with Bryce Harper. So while the Giants are working with singles and RBIs, the Nats are playing for power. Tonight, chances are we're going to see some of that power in a larger scale. I still think the Nats are the better team, and I don't want them to be screwed this postseason.

Speaking of getting screwed, I do not want the Dodgers to lose this series. Because if they lose, then the Cardinals will inexplicably wind up back in the NLCS, and potentially get back to the World Series, and potentially win again. This would not be good for me, seeing as I really don't like the Cardinals, even without David Freese. They're just infuriating, and last night was no different.

Matt Carpenter just kept beating up Clayton Kershaw, and driving in hits and home runs all over the place. I felt sorry for Kershaw.

The game ended with a 10-9 victory, and it stung a little bit. I want the Dodgers to fight back next game.

How about this guy?

Man, the Angels-Royals game was so boring up to the 11th, when Hosmer had a huge home run to break it all up, and from there it was basically over. I'm so happy for the Royals, who've had three postseason victories in a row, and are in position to sweep when they get back home. This is great news for them, because they deserved this season.

I'll be back with an update after the games.

WHOA!!

Now, class, raise your hands if you saw THAT ONE coming?

I mean, wasn't that a fun matchup? You had two teams that were definitely fighting for it, and that took leads at separate parts of the game, and made it a really tough one to decide.

I have to hand it to the Royals for pulling through here, because I didn't think it would happen, and I'm a little glad it did. Because they took down a big threat for the playoffs, and are now an underdog team going deeper into the postseason, which is really good.

Unfortunately they'll play the Angels for the ALDS, which may be a well-fought battle, but the Angels are indeed the heavy favorite, and it may not be the outcome they want. But it could go either way. They were the underdog tonight and won, so who knows how well it'll go then.

Custom Card of the Day: Hosmer Edition

(First of all, I love this card)

Poor Eric Hosmer. He's on one of the league's least profitable teams, his lineup never does anything, his team's pitching staff is mediocre, and he's been touted as a high-end prospect and has yet to break out. A lot of sad stuff going on.

I mean, I get that all of Kansas City is sorta on him to do well, but you can't really help but feel sorry. Still, I kinda believe in him. I think he's gonna do well in 2013. I don't know if his Royals will, but I think he'll have a decent enough year.

(I have nothing else. This post was cooked up last minute.)

Coming Tomorrow- One of the reigning World Series champs. Skadoosh.

Custom Card of the Day: Hosmer Edition

A lot is being said of the Royals right now, and for good reason. They've developed a team full of young stars with loads of potential, even to the point where they're being considered pennant contenders. The man up top is one of the stronger bats. The guy has made a name for himself as the team's biggest young star, and is expected to have a strong sophomore season. At least I hope he does- somebody has to prevent the Tigers from winning this year.

Coming Tomorrow- The lone bat on a struggling team in a town named after the sound a toilet makes.

Custom Card of the Day: Royal Edition

Right now, the man who had the most hype in 2010 is still rehabilitating, which says a few things about hype. I don't remember hearing too much hype about Eric Hosmer before the year started. He snuck in quietly, and started going crazy at the plate in the last two weeks. And suddenly, while the Royals had absolutely no chance last year, now it's a young team, with a few strong players, and surprising pitching (Who knew Jeff Francis could rebound?). I think if Hosmer can keep it up, we could be looking at this team again in October. Could be.

Also, I apologize for my lack of posting in the last few days. I know I owe some people some trades (okay, maybe just one person), but I'm about to begin finals soon in school, and I'm getting homework out the wazoo. People that talk about the joys of being young don't remember this crap. So if I'm a little late sending out trade packages, or making more customs, blame the school systems and not me. I'll be back near the middle of June, when my freetime will have skyrocketed.

Coming Tomorrow (?)- The only person named Russell that gets an ounce of respect.