Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Nationals

 

Okay. The Washington Nationals, without Ryan Zimmerman, Anthony Rendon, Stephen Strasburg and Sean Doolittle, were a last-place team. It is that simple. Yes, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer and Juan Soto all did well, but the uniformity and consistency across the board that made the Nationals borderline good enough to catch fire in October was gone this year. And it's very clear why.

First of all, Victor Robles, who was fantastic last year, was back to his usual middling performances. Dude hit .220 and led the team in strikeouts with 53. Nothing close to his 2019, and the outfield sort of wilted without his better numbers.

2021 Prediction: An improvement, and more of a contact year, but I feel like every subsequent Victor Robles season is gonna pale in comparison to last year.

On the last season of his multi-year deal in Washington, Adam Eaton hit the first Nats home run of the season, and the first home run off of Gerrit Cole in 2020, but beyond that he continued his post-White-Sox decline, hitting .226 with 17 RBIs. After hitting at least .280-something in his prior seasons, this was the weakest year of Eaton's career, and it was a huge hit to his free agency chances.

2021 Prediction: A reunion with the Chicago White Sox will revitalize his offense numbers even as his defensive numbers continue to go downhill.

In the absence of Stephen Strasburg, and Anibal Sanchez' better numbers, Erick Fedde still provided solid rotation support for Scherzer and Corbin. In 11 games he had a 4.29 ERA with 28 Ks, not bad for a lower-tier arm. 

2021 Prediction: Officially becomes the fourth man in that rotation. Like, there's a difference between being fourth in the rotation and being the FOURTH of Scherzer, Strasburg, Corbin and Fedde. And I think 2021 is his year. 

It's not gonna show in like 8 years when he's up for HOF election, but Kurt Suzuki might be one of the more reliable backstops of the 2010s. The A's, Twins, Braves and Nats have enjoyed his [mostly backup] catching material for years, and 2020 was no exception. Zuk hit .270 off the bench, with 30 hits and 17 RBIs in 33 games. 

2021 Prediction: I think one more season backing up somewhere [hell, maybe back in Oakland] before he calls it a career.

Right. Now we get into the saga of the million middle infielders in Washington. Buckle up, cause this is where it becomes clear why the Nats sucked this year. 

Starlin Castro was signed during the offseason to play 2nd for the Nats. I thought it was a good deal for them, and as the season began, Castro seemed to look very sharp, hitting .267 with 2 homers in his first 16 games. Then he gets injured, and is out for the season, throwing 2nd base into limbo for the remainder of the season.

2021 Prediction: More health, but a gradual shift to DH.

So now we go to other infield options. Asdrubal Cabrera played some games at 2nd, as it's his primary position, but he played more at 1st, switching with Eric Thames. At 36, Cabrera may no longer be a feasible defensive option, as his defensive levels were at replacement level, and he only hit .242 this year. So he wasn't the answer.

2021 Prediction: I don't think anyone's gonna sign him this offseason.

The next option would be Howie Kendrick, who also came up as a second baseman, yet has been starting a lot at 1st. This year, he was the primary DH in Washington, and hit .275 with 14 RBIs when he wasn't injured. Okay, so two members of this team aren't feasible 2nd base replacements. Now bring in some signees.

2021 Prediction: Perhaps a victory lap season before he retires.

After being released by the Phillies right before the beginning of the season, Josh Harrison was very quickly scooped up by the Nats, and was the next, and more substantial, 2nd base option of the early season. Harrison hit .278 with 14 RBIs in 33 games, though his defense wasn't quite as starry. 

2021 Prediction: Seemingly more backup work in Washington. 

But then they also get Brock Holt from the Brewers, and plug him into utility work, which makes FIVE SECOND BASE OPTIONS, and five infielders over 30 roaming the roster and preventing over, younger infielders from getting work. And the ones that did, like Carter Kieboom and Wilmer Difo, weren't great. So Holt is the starting 3rd baseman for a bit this year, does a decent job with a .262 average, but is more of the same veteran mediocrity that is bringing this team down.

2021 Prediction: A similar, multi-team backup year to this one. 

FINALLY, in September, the Nationals found an answer with their sixth middle infield option, as Luis Garcia got the 2nd base gig and seemed to earn it. In 40 games, he has 37 hits, 16 RBIs and bats .276, the kind of wild start that gets some heads, especially his clutch abilities. The Nats were teasing good things from this guy for 2021, and I believe them.

2021 Prediction: Starts the whole year at 2nd, hits 25 homers and gets 75 RBIs and we never have this problem again. 

Coming Tomorrow- Surprisingly the Orioles weren't completely terrible this year. 

NLDS Update: UGHHHH Edition

[loud grumbling]

This was the thing that you weren't supposed to let happen, Atlanta. This is why we start Julio Teheran from the getgo instead of Mike Foltynewicz.

Oh, god, this was tough to watch. Folty and Fried got obliterated by the Cardinals lineup, scoring 10 runs in the first inning. It was one of the hardest-to-watch baseball innings of all time, because I still don't think this team was good enough in the regular season to warrant this kind of run. And the Braves...were. THEY deserved a chance.

But anyway. Cardinals won, it wasn't close, everybody had RBIs including Harrison Bader, and Jack Flaherty was untouchable. Argh.

And the Braves just deserved better. Their lineup was dynamite, and their bench was impressive as hell. This looked like the year they'd get far into the playoffs...and then the pitching staff ruined it for them. Looking back, you had guys like Dallas Keuchel and Mike Foltynewicz letting them down, to the point where it doesn't look like this pitching staff had any high points to begin with. Brian McCann just retired, and it happened literally the day of this loss, so that just says it all.

Meanwhile, this happened.

This, uh...kinda shocked me.

The Dodgers during the regular season didn't have any opportunities to look human. They just cruised. And the guys that finish them off are the NL Wild Cards, and a team that looked dead in May. This is what takes out Dave Roberts' Dodgers.

Now...the Nats DID break their streak of playoff series' without a win, and are finally looking like they've gotten a fine team together, ironically the year after Bryce Harper leaves, but...they are still the underdog in every subsequent race. Especially the upcoming NLCS, where the favorites are now the goddamned St. Louis Cardinals. So now...I must root for the Washington Nationals to make the World Series.

It sounds ridiculous, but with Anthony Rendon, and with this pitching staff...it could happen.

And there goes my World Series pick.

I really enjoyed this Dodgers team. They had so many good players, and so much good momentum, and...I really wish they'd been able to get past this. Because this was tough, but they've been much tougher. This has got to be heartbreaking, especially for Clayton Kershaw who made the comeback happen. I really hope these guys can finally put together a winning team next year, because this is just getting depressing.

Today...we have Rays-Astros. If the Rays win, the Yankees have an easy time. If the Astros win, it's better for baseball, and it's better for the AL's shot to win the World Series. So I don't know.

Nat's Entertainment

(Music Pun #18. We'll end this streak with The Jam, I guess)

To be honest, the Nationals have gotten solid stuff from the exact people they knew they wouldn't have to worry about. Which is nice. Anthony Rendon, Patrick Corbin, Stephen Strasburg, Sean Doolittle and Max Scherzer are all playing beautifully, and Howie Kendrick is continuing his late-career renaissance.

...but beyond that? Yeesh.

It's not like the Nats haven't tried. They've brought up Carter Kieboom and Jake Noll, signed Brian Dozier and Anibal Sanchez, and tried to emphasize youth and contact-hitting over the home runs that propelled them into the postseason so many times. And this hasn't worked. The rookies aren't doing well, the new signings aren't panning out, and now Trea Turner, Juan Soto and EVEN RENDON are missing time with injuries. Yes, it's nice that Strasburg just surpassed 1500 strikeouts, and yes it's nice that Max Scherzer just hit 2500, but...the team has no depth.

I mean, Kieboom's numbers could turn around, and there could be some young players willing to take up the mantle down there, but...the core of the team is aging, and I don't know if Juan Soto is ready to carry the team yet. Because he may have to very soon, and it may cost him his best years.

They're in fourth, and while they're not exactly out of it, they need to figure out whether it's worth it to compete this year or not. Because the losses are gonna keep hurting if so.

Coming Tonight: A guy who's FINALLY becoming a star player for his increasingly-okay team.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2017: Nationals

For a team that's perennially left the playoffs in the first round...the Nats have become pretty damn great.

I mean, they haven't made many fundamental changes, sticking with what works and slowly adding insanely talented people, and keeping the base around the MVP and Cy Young winners that bookend this post.

Bryce Harper was injured for a bit this year. But that didn't stop him from staying near his 2016 numbers when he wasn't. He's still one of the best in the league, and he's still the powering presence behind one of the best teams in baseball. So nothing's really changed.

Trea Turner moved to the infield indefinitely this year, which definitely helped mend the absence of Danny Espinosa, as well as moving the Zim-Murph-Trea-Rendon infield into even more of a legendary status then the last iterations of it. He's proving he has legs, and he's hopefully gonna keep the numbers up.

Tanner Roark was the fourth of the four deadly Nationals starters yet again this year, giving fantastic numbers and keeping his end of the bargain. At this point, I feel like they don't even need the 5th guy- the four are just so good.

Michael Taylor was the backup-outfielder of the year, in that once Adam Eaton, Bryce Harper and Jayson Werth became injury-plagued, he became one of the few constants and did a pretty nice job of it. I imagine he'd be in line to start, as Eaton and Harper will definitely be back. If they re-sign Kendrick (or Werth?), expect him to return to his backup role.

Adam Lind was a surprisingly powerful force coming from the bench, doing his best numbers since his Toronto days, and actually hitting above average for once. I don't think he'll be back with Washington next year, nor will he be anywhere near his 2017 numbers (hell, maybe some poor schmuck will start him).

Howie Kendrick was a late-season pickup for the Nats that worked like a charm, as he continued his unstoppable numbers from Philly and plugged right into the Washington outfield. It's unclear what role Kendrick will have next year, as he wasn't used in the postseason, but I hope someone will at least pick him up.

Victor Robles is the outfielder of the future for the Nats, and could very easily overtake Michael Taylor and Brian Goodwin for the last OF spot next season. His 2017 numbers weren't the greatest, but if the Nats believe in him, they could give him a shot for 2018.

Now...THIS GUY won his SECOND CY YOUNG in 2017, and proved once and for all that he's not only one of the most consistent pitchers in the game, but he's also one of the greatest pitchers working right now. He's on the way to 3000 strikeouts, he's got some amazing career numbers already, and the Nationals have him working alongside another strikeout artist, Stephen Strasburg. Couldn't be going any better for them, or for Max Scherzer.

Coming Tomorrow- They had a nice start, and...couldn't pull the rest together.

How on Earth did Howie Kendrick End up on the Phillies???

Yeah, I wasn't exactly expecting the Phillies to be, you know, BUYERS this offseason.

2016 was a down year, obviously, for them, but it was semi-optimistic. Thanks to some nice performances from usually-dormant fielders like Cesar Hernandez and Freddy Galvis, as well as the new blood of Cameron Rupp, Jerad Eickhoff and Tommy Joseph, the team did a lot better than they had any business doing.

So now, the Phillies have made a pretty major move in landing Howie Kendrick, a legitimately good veteran infielder/outfielder, in exchange for Darin Ruf and another prospect. And...somehow the Phillies...you know, the 2010's Phillies...got the better end of the deal.

Look, Darin Ruf's had the potential to be a killer offensive player for the past 4 seasons, but the Phillies have had nowhere to put him, and when they HAVE started him at first (in favor of Ryan Howard), he's disappointed. Plus, now that they have Tommy Joseph, who can basically do the exact same crap that Ruf did but with a better average and more playability, they don't really need him. Sending him to LA might not do him much good, though, as he's being blocked at first base by A-Gon, and the outfield will be mighty crowded if the Dodgers hold onto Yasiel Puig, as well as if they have healthy performances by Andre Ethier and Joc Pederson.

So, that leaves Howie Kendrick in Philly...and I think that legitimately helps us. The plan, according to the GM, is for Howie to play left field, which gives, along with Odubel Herrera and what I can only assume is a healthy Aaron Altherr performance, a much healthier outfield picture than the Phils have had in over 5 years. Kendrick is a steady average hitter, and even if he didn't absolutely dominate in LA, he's still a pretty nice performer, and the Phillies are extremely lucky to have him.

So...that makes me feel a smidge better about my Phils for 2017. Maybe some pitching would help as well?

This Year

Well done, Cubs. Well done.

This year's World Series will be one for the ages. Two teams that haven't won in over half a century. One's been waiting over 100 years. Both want to win. Both took so many leaps to get here. This may be the World Series to end all World Series, and I am so ready to watch.

As for the runners up:

The Dodgers came a long way this season, giving some definite postseason effort and building a team with youth. Sadly, it didn't come to fruition this year, but they can definitely make it work in the near future. There's enough there, including Corey Seager, Kenta Maeda and that roster depth, that has a championship team in the making.

Now...onto wait for a World Series to die for.

Custom Card of the Day: Kendrick Edition

The Dodgers...I love how they don't need to make complete rehauls anymore. All they need to do to refine their well-oiled machine is sign a few players, trade away a few aging players, and keep the same success train going. For instance, they got rid of Juan Uribe a few days ago, because what's the point of playing with two third basemen when the backup's better than the starter? And at the top of the season, they made room for Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick, and got rid of a spare outfielder to accommodate the roomiest, and most impressive, outfield combination in baseball (even without Puig it's still pretty impressive).

And now, they're back to smoking the ball like they were last year. Sure, Kershaw's a little rusty, but Greinke and Mike Bolsinger are pretty impressive (with an emphasis on the former). Plus, they are indeed hitting, and like crazy.

Howie Kendrick is currently on a bit of a streak, having an impressive last few games, and finally coming into his own as a Dodger. The location change wasn't really going to be a problem, since his old team's right down the highway. I wasn't worried about him hitting, because he became an offensive threat in his last few seasons in Anaheim, after being mostly considered a defensive one. Still, the combo of him and Jimmy Rollins at short is one that may have been predicted by people who enjoy playing MLB The Show, because that'd probably be my dream middle infield too, but now that it's actually happening, it's going pretty well.

I hope the Dodgers hang onto their lead, and don't let the Giants sneak into the top spot in an odd year.

Coming Tonight: Boy, Arlington's been a source of a lot of news lately. First Fielder gets hot, then Joey Gallo comes in and hits a homer. But I wanna talk about the guy that almost all of Arlington counted out, because he's back to hitting consistently well for the first time since, well, his last tenure with the team.

Uncustomed Heroes of Baseball: Angels (Part One)

So, if there are any fans of the blog that I haven't lost after my no-post November, they'll remember that every December I commemorate the best stars of baseball that I haven't customized during the season. I used to organize the customs by year, but since that got to frenzied with the addition of non-Topps designs, I do it by team now. But darn it, there got to be too many customs for a lot of teams, so for the guys that have a lot going on, I'll split the post into two.

Also, for the players this year that have made a definite impact on the game, due to their 2014 season,  there may be some second-customs for a lot of people. Like, I already made one during the season, but they were so great this year that I wanted to make another.

So Matt Shoemaker had a terrific rookie season, becoming one of the standouts of the team by August, and pitching into the postseason, as well as rocking some incredible facial hair.

David Freese's first season as an Angel was not as productive as a lot of Angels fans would have preferred. Freese was injured for a little bit, and when he was active, he didn't contribute too much outside of a few hits here and there.

Kole Calhoun was the resident utility outfielder, who came in halfway through the season and became the team's regular right fielder over time, which was nice, even if he didn't match the star power of the guys in center and left. He had a modest season for a guy trying to win a spot.

Howie Kendrick had another really nice season without being a league standout. People are calling Kendrick one of the most underrated position players in the game, and I would agree with a lot of those people, as he is a nice little second baseman, without a lot of pomp.

Later today I'll post some more uncustomed Angels.

Year by Year Customs: 1990

 

A wild yet still cool set leads off the last few days of Year by Year. It's been a fun month of customs, and it'll total up to the most amount of customs per year. 

Also, as you can probably tell, 3 out of 4 of these are from the update set.

 

 

Dunno if he was 'Howie' or 'Howard'.

 

Coming Tomorrow- A design that has always been hellish to customize. Wish me luck.

Year by Year Customs: 1981

Sorry these took so long. I had a busy weekend. Yesterday was spent watching my Eagles tackle the Jets from the Linc (yes I was there), and getting home in time to watch the finale of Survivor (which none of you care about). But these customs are up now, and I got a head start on tomorrow's.

If I do an Update segment, this guy will be airbrushed into a Philly uniform.

Still not the most polarizing person named Howie out there.

Coming Tomorrow- A cool design, and a card I've been saving since October of a Cy Young contender.