Stop Luke and Listen

 

I hate that people needed to be reminded that Luke Voit led the league in home runs in 2020. Like, yes, it's a lot more impressive that Aaron Judge is leading the league in homers into the sixties, but for Luke Voit, who was a good 1st baseman with power but never incredible, to spring into action and hit 22 home runs in 56 games of a shortened season, that's still pretty incredible.

For the record, 22 home runs is also around the number that Voit is shooting for this year, split between San Diego and Washington, over 125 games, the most he's ever played in a season.

I'm guessing it really was that one shining moment for Voit, sad to say. Dude is still an excellent power hitter, but there's a reason the starting first baseman for the Yankees is Anthony Rizzo right now. And there's a reason Voit, who could have been contending in San Diego this year, is starting for the Nats.

Controversially, of the two first baseman swapped for each other at the trade deadline, Voit is actually having the better season. Voit has a 0.5 WAR in his time in Washington, has hit 8 homers and is a useful, if one-dimensional, piece for the rebuilding Nats squad. Bell, who was outrageous in Washington pre-deadline, has a -0.4 WAR in San Diego, with only 3 homers and 12 RBIs in 45 games. Both of these players are known for being inconsistent and streaky, but Bell's heights have been higher. Bell also requires more of a learning curve in new places, and Voit has gotten off to decent starts in both markets he's landed in, though not breathtaking. 

If Nelson Cruz does retire after this season, which seems likely, I am guessing Voit will be the starting DH for the Nats going forward. I'm not sure if the Nats are gonna use some control method to cut Voit and make room for younger pieces, and if that's the case it sure is likely, but I actually think this team thinks they can use Voit for a bit going forward. There really aren't a lot of power hitters left on this team, and nobody has a full-season total that can match Juan Soto's half-year mark of 21. At least having Voit, who's a power hitter whose better numbers have passed, gives them SOME power hitting, rather than the depleted lot they have right now. And considering that the legend of Joey Meneses is powering the team right now, who even knows if Meneses will have anything else after the 2022 season. Though keeping around people like Lane Thomas and Alex Call is a nice start for a team trying to reestablish its power core.

The Nationals have been handed so many pieces that can help them in between their next real quest for a title, and Voit is one of them. I know the next few years won't be pretty, but I hope they're not as unpleasant as this year. 

Coming Tomorrow- One of the most sought after free agents of the offseason, and how he completely fumbled the ball.

Saint Louis Linwood III

 

We traded for Anthony Rizzo, he went on the COVID list, and at that exact moment, the Yankees' preexisting 1st baseman made us regret it.

Luke Voit might be the most traditional power hitter on the team, even moreso than Giancarlo Stanton. Voit just...slams the ball wherever he wants. He has that power built up, and he just hacks things away and enjoys the spoils. If 2020 had been 162 games, I don't think that Voit would still have led the league in homers, but I think he would have gotten close. And even though he's missed a lot of time so far this year, he's come back at an opportune time and has caught fire, hitting .353 since the All Star break with 4 homers and 21 RBIs. Rizzo had a nice start but has petered off, and Voit has remained strong and consistent. So much so that the Yankees are starting Giancarlo Stanton, also hot as hell right now, in the outfield so that Voit can still make starts as DH. 

The Yankees themselves have been riding some recent hotness as well, which I am overjoyed about. This team, which was .500 in July, has won 11 straight, riding on the success of Stanton, Voit, D.J. LeMahieu and Andrew Velasquez. The fact that they have kept streaking with the comparatively minimal rotation of Cole-Montgomery-Taillon-Heaney-Cortes is kind of eye-opening. Like, I don't think I would have called Nestor Cotres becoming a solid starter for us. Granted, the control-maneuvering use of Luis Gil is slightly suspect, but considering the lack of runs, I'm not complaining.

With the streaking and clobbering, it's easy to forget that the Yankees are still a wild card team, and still 4.5 games behind the Rays, who kept their lead strong by tossing around the Phillies this week. Plus, the Yankees have to play the A's this week- regardless of their slipping from the wild card standings, they are still a contender, and they still have some major pieces to work with. So I won't exactly be shocked if the streak ends relatively soon. But...the Yankees have established themselves as major contenders, even for the wild card race. I hope it all goes according to plan.

Cause if not...y'know...it'd kinda suck for me.

Coming Tomorrow- The big RBI-hitting pitcher dude that was injured for two months and is now back for the purposes of never allowing a Phillies team to compete apparently. 

2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #37-45

 Spring Training games have begun. Normally by the time that happens during a normal season, I'd have already opened packs of cards. Not the case in 2021. I had to get a couple blasters online, overpriced, just so I wouldn't have to have retail shops keep letting me down.

So, all the more incentive to keep cranking out these 2020 Final Edition cards. So here's the next binder page of the set. 

Card #037- Anthony Santander ASG, Baltimore Orioles

The way these supposed 2020 rosters would have worked, Anthony Santander would have been the sole Oriole on the AL team. Not a huge shock, as they didn't have a pitching standout or league talent in 2020 other than the hard-hitting Santander. But you also have to consider that A.) the team hero, Trey Mancini, is already out for the season, and B.) Santander gets injured with a good month or so left to go in the season. Either it's an indicator of a long career or a reward for a peak season. The ASG gods know not.

Card #038- David Phelps, Milwaukee Brewers

Topps did David Phelps so dirty in 2020 that he has two base cards in this set, both with different teams. Phelps was coming off a season split between Toronto and Chicago, and signed with Milwaukee for a lower key market year. This move made Phelps into an early season threat in relief for the Brewers, with a 2.77 ERA in 12 games. In a season of disappointment, Phelps was one of the highlights. Which meant that Phelps was prime for a trade, and...we'll talk about his Philly woes in another post. 

Card #039- Luke Voit ASG, New York Yankees

Luke Voit would be blocked at getting the starting 1B job for the AL ASG team by Jose Abreu, but a season like Voit's could not be ignored, and so he'd get a reserve nod. Seeing as Voit would finish the season with a league-high 22 home runs, I can see why. Voit is slowly turning into a great power hitter, and he has enough of a dimension to him that he's not at Schwarber or Pederson levels of one-dimensionality. 

Card #040- Sam Huff, Texas Rangers

After several catching options for the Rangers got either injured, traded or were Jeff Mathis, the Rangers decided to bring up their top prospect at backstop, Sam Huff, for a 10 game run. Yes, the Rangers were out of the conversation and it wasn't long enough for anyone to really make an impact, especially considering that Jose Trevino would likely have the catching position in 2021, but Huff would still be able to make a statement. And that he did, hitting .355 with 4 RBIs including 3 homers, and a .5 WAR, in that ten game run. It's not certain whether or not this impressive audition means anything for the 2021 season, but it's clear how good Huff could be on a lengthened run.

Card #041- Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles

After Mullins debuted in 2018 and Topps missed the boat by cashing in on his rising star in 2019, as Mullins was hitting below .100, they decided to not make a card of him for 2020...of course, the one season where he actually gets stuff done at the MLB level. In a backup outfielder role, which became more frequent after Santander got hurt, Mullins hit .271 with 12 RBIs and 3 homers, certainly not a bad run of things. Thanks to the return of Santander and Trey Mancini, Mullins might be looking at another backup role in 2021, so hopefully he'll continue the strong numbers off the bench.

Card #042- Jared Hughes, New York Mets

Now that we know that Hughes has hung up his cleats after 2020, Topps' decision not to give Hughes a final release is a bit more of a betrayal. Hughes had spent the 2019 season split between the Reds and Phillies, and signed with the Mets during the offseason. In 18 games in Queens, Hughes had a 4.84 ERA, 21 Ks and a 1.6 WHIP. Not the greatest final career stats, but he had a storied career in relief, and was a standout for Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

Card #043- Tony Watson, San Francisco Giants

Speaking of former Pittsburgh relievers, Tony Watson is still riding out his three-year deal in San Francisco in 2020, and Topps...seems to have forgotten about him, due to his less starry and more useful role in the Giants' bullpen. His 2020 was a step up from his 2019, as he finished the season with a 2.50 ERA in 18 innings, with 2 saves as well. The Phillies have banked on Watson for a minor league deal out of spring training, and hopefully he keeps up his 2020 momentum. 

Card #044- Zack Godley, Boston Red Sox

A few years removed from his prime spot in the Diamondbacks rotations, Zack Godley has become just another okay starter just trying to get gigs where he can. In 2020, he was plugged into the leaky Red Sox rotation, and his efficiency was still not where it was in Phoenix. He started 7 games, lost 4, and left with a very dire 8.16 ERA, having his rotation spot handed to Tanner Houck. I'm not sure where he'll end up this year.

Card #045- Austin Nola, San Diego Padres

Austin Nola has become something of a feel-good MLB story. After years of toiling in the minors as a member of the Marlins organization, Nola signs with the Mariners and gets a starting gig well into his first season with the team. Then, after he becomes one of the standouts of the lineup in 2020, he's traded to a contender, San Diego, where he has a chance to be the starting catcher in 2021 for one of the most powerful teams in the league. Nola's appeal is in his offense, and despite his .222 Padres numbers, he still had 3 postseason RBIs this year. 

Next one of these is on Friday. A few more utility guys, and another player who's already retired. 

Luke Alive

 21 home runs in a 60-game season. Perhaps one or two more, but as I write this, 21, which still isn't bad. 

Gotta be nice to be Luke Voit right now. Dude hasn't been this hot since August 2018, when he came up in the Bronx, and now he's the starting 1st baseman [Mike Ford has been demoted], has the most home runs in baseball, is a MVP CANDIDATE, and is part of a now-strong Yankee battery along with DJ LeMabieu, Gio Urshela, Clint Frazier and...yeah, and Judge and Stanton. But this season has proved that the Yankees can still be a playoff team with spotty reception from their two marquee stars, as well as Gleyber Torres. LeMahieu and Voit have MVP campaigns, and LeMahieu actually has a nice shot at the award. 

The pitching has also strengthened a great deal, and the core of Gerrit Cole, Masahiro Tanaka, J.A. Happ and Deivi Garcia is one I'd trust in playoff formation. Yes, Garcia and Tanaka have been rocked lately, but they've still had fine seasons. Happ has engineered a solid comeback after a slow start, and now has a 3.25 ERA with 39 Ks. And Gerrit Cole is...Gerrit Cole. If it weren't for Shane Bieber I'd say he has a shot for a Cy Young. 

However, this is still a 2nd-place Yankee team, who likely will only be 4th or 5th seed, going up against someone like the Twins who, while not 1st place either, still could be tough. Like usual over the last few years, it's not gonna be easy for them to get to the end, and they have some flaws that could inevitably keep them back a few rungs. But if they end the season with the right momentum, they could take off this October. I'm not 100% certain, but...it would certainly be nice.

Coming Tonight: Rookie for a team that is desperately hanging onto slim playoff chances.

Null and Voit

There's a scene in the movie Clue where, after a number of people have died, yet another person comes to the house and asks to use the phone. And the characters in the house have to internally remember which rooms in the house don't have dead bodies in them. Michael McKean's character nearly slips, as well.

That's where the Yankees are at this point. They have to keep track of who's injured and who isn't, and that stat might even be different within the hour. Already we've lost Luis Severino, Aaron Hicks, Dellin Betances, Miguel Andujar, Giancarlo Stanton and Troy Tulowitzki, in addition to Jordan Montgomery and Didi Gregorius who were out for a while anyway. Meanwhile, they're 5-5, and in danger of dropping more games to teams that haven't lost a lot of players.

As for the replacements...for the most part, they're pretty good. DJ LeMahieu has taken over full time as an infielder, and is hitting beautifully. Clint Frazier has used Stanton's injury to FINALLY propel himself into the lineup regularly, and judging by his high average already, it's going well for him. And Greg Bird is using Luke Voit's near-full-time DH tenure as a way of...finding a new way of refusing to hit for average. Tyler Wade is guilty of this too. So while it could be a lot worse, there's still some inconsistency. I mean, I don't love that in a year that we're supposed to be competing, we have Mike Tauchman and Gio Urshela vying for lineup spots, but...hey, in 2009 we had Cody Ransom and Ramiro Pena, so what the hell do I know?

At least the pitching isn't a huge problem. Paxton works as a Yankee. Loiasiga has done well as a starter. Domingo German has been a suitable replacement for Sevvy. It's Happ and Tanaka that need work. And the bullpen, as expected, has been pretty sharp thus far.

The good news is that most of these injured players are expected back by either the end of the month or the beginning of next month, so they won't need to be ailing for long. However...hopefully those guys can help bring us a bit higher than .500

Coming Tomorrow- A rare good player on the Miami Marlins.

AL Wild Card: Inevitability

I was thinking the game would end in a Yankees win, but I'd hoped it would be closer than that.

I dunno, something about this bullpen brought out the best in the Yankee bats, with Judge and Stanton going yard, and RBIs from Hicks and Voit, making it a deserved win for one of the best hitting teams of the year. And I'm also pretty happy with Luke Voit for going from a no-name St. Louis farmhand to the starting first baseman of a playoff Yankee team. Hats off to him.

The Yanks will need to prepare for this Red Sox series, but they seem to have the momentum, and they seem to have a knack for penetrating shoddy bullpens, so it could go pretty well.

As for the losing squad...

I'll be honest, I really liked this A's team. I thought their shoestring-budget approach and minimalistic way of putting a team together was pretty nice, and the way they scooped up players past the deadline was insanely crafty. This was a team that could have been fun in October, but...either way, with the strength of competition, may not have lasted too long.

I really hope they can keep the basis of this squad together and make another run next year, because there was something refreshingly fun about these guys.

TONIGHT: NL BATTLES.