2020 Topps Final Edition: Cards #298-306

 We reach the last true hero number of the set, hurdle the last 100th post, and begin to head towards the home stretch of this 2020 Final Edition set. Some big guns here, and a few who've already been DFA'd in 2021

On we go...

Card #298- Yu Darvish ASG, Chicago Cubs

By the point in the 2020 season that, if simmed correctly, would have been accounting for an All Star break, Yu Darvish was the best, most dominant pitcher in the NL, and was off to one of the best starts of his career. Though he lost traction to Trevor Bauer as the season went on, Darvish definitely would have been the starting pitcher for the NL ASG team had the season played out at a normal pace, and nobody would have argued with it. At 34, Darvish is still one of the more consistent pitchers in the bigs, and may go down as one of the greatest Japanese pitchers ever to cross over. 

Card #299- Kenta Maeda ASG, Minnesota Twins

Speaking of Japanese players that had incredible 2020s, Kenta Maeda, who, it's very hard to believe, is a year younger than Darvish, would have qualified for his first ever ASG nod, thanks in part to his blistering August with 6 beautiful starts, a 2.39 ERA and 42 Ks. Maeda had control like he hadn't since his rookie year in the states, and led the Twins to great heights. Unfortunately, his follow-up season in Minneapolis hasn't been as celebrated.

Card #300- Sixto Sanchez, Miami Marlins

Yeah, I think Sixto was a pretty obvious pick for a hero card as well. Going into 2020, Sixto Sanchez was one of the biggest prospects in baseball, and was already a steal for the Marlins having been traded there from Philadelphia in exchange for J.T. Realmuto. Sanchez was called upon to supplant the rotation in August, and was undeniably one of the factors that led the Marlins to the postseason, with a 3.46 ERA and 33 Ks in 7 starts, plus a shutout start against the Cubs during the postseason [despite getting roughed up by Atlanta in the next round]. With Sixto's excellent 2020, it's a saddening factor that injuries and rotation capacity have led the Marlins to keep Sanchez down in 2021. Hopefully he'll be back to his old tricks soon.

Card #301- Jonah Heim, Oakland Athletics

Despite Sean Murphy's strong season behind the plate for the A's, the A's were lacking in strong backups at that position last year. So after the trade deadline, they brought up Jonah Heim, a catching prospect, and he was decent in 13 games, with good defensive numbers despite a .211 average. Heim was one of the pieces dealt in the trade that sent Elvis Andrus to Oakland, and Heim, unlike fellow trade package-mate Khris Davis, is still on the Rangers, albeit hitting sub-.200

Card #302- Jon Jay, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jon Jay has been with a different team every season since 2016. The former Cardinals outfielder has become a designated defensive outfield replacement who can hit for average if possible. Last season, Jay spent the summer with the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team he'd been with before in 2018. Unlike his last tenure with the D-Backs, Jay struggled off the bench, with a .160 average in 18 games. Jay actually did pretty well with Anaheim this year before being DFA'd and later demoted to the minors.

Card #303- Antonio Senzatela ASG, Colorado Rockies

Yes, surprisingly, the best starter in Colorado last year was not German Marquez, nor Jon Gray, nor Kyle Freeland, but their fellow battery partner Antonio Senzatela, who'd struggled in the years since his 2017 callup. Senza's 2020 would have definitely been worthy of an ASG nod, with consistency in the face of injury, and a 3.44 ERA in a snakebitten Rockies climate. He's a bit shakier in 2021, but his 2020 should have been commemorated.

Card #304- Tyler Matzek, Atlanta Braves

Talk about another feel-good comeback story from 2020, the season of many. Tyler Matzek was a former Rockies starting piece who struggled in his first two seasons, then spent a good 5 years in the minors, fighting to come back. After a nice minor league year with the 2019 D-Backs, he was signed by Atlanta, impressed in relief in the minors, and was brought to the majors for 2020. Matzek's 2020 was an excellent one, with a 2.79 ERA in 29 innings, with 43 Ks as well. Matzek also had a 1.09 postseason ERA with 14 more Ks, and a winning outcome against the Dodgers! So far he's dealing similar stuff for the Braves, which will hopefully get nastier as the Braves do.

Card #305- Cameron Maybin, Chicago Cubs 

Maybin, like Jay, has also changed teams multiple times since 2015. Mostly, because Cameron Maybin often signs with lower-market teams, has great seasons with them, and always is traded to competitors. It happens. EVERY. YEAR. Maybin began the 2020 season with the Tigers, did an excellent job in a starting OF role, and was subsequently traded to the Cubs. In Chicago, he hit .250 with 5 RBIs, and didn't get much done in his 2 postseason at-bats. Maybin did his best in a run with the Mets, but barely got any hits at all. Not sure what's next for the veteran.

Card #306- Nick Anderson ASG, Tampa Bay Rays

Undeniably one of the best relievers of last year, Nick Anderson definitely would have been called upon by A.J. Hinch as a relief asset for the AL ASG team in a 2020 scenario. Anderson came to prominence as one of the hardest-throwing relievers in Miami before getting dealt to the Rays, getting playoff time, and then having a HUGE 2020 with a 0.55 ERA and 26 Ks in 16 innings, as well as a strong first two postseason series before getting chewed up by the Astros and Dodgers. Anderson's out for the majority of the season, but will hopefully be a strong asset when he returns. 

Monday we get the next 9 cards in this set, the third-to-last post of this project. Can confirm 2 big rookies and 1 big traded player.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Rays

 

So yeah. The 2020 Rays were the best team in the AL, by a very wide margin, and spent the entire season getting better and better, right until the duel-of-the-gods World Series, which they came very close to winning. While it may have been impossible for anybody to top the Dodgers, the Rays were able to knock out the Jays, Yankees and Astros without making it look that difficult. This was a season that had been building for the past 2, and I'm so glad it didn't infuriate me entirely.

Austin Meadows, while not topping his 2019 breakout, was still pretty good in a limited season, with 27 hits and 13 RBIs in 36 games. The .205 average is concerning, but hopefully he'll work on his contact skills when given a full season of production. 

2021 Prediction: 25 homers and a full season of strong material to make up for a slightly-less-dominant Rays team.

Yandy Diaz was also limited by injuries this year, playing only 34 games, but he still made the most of it, hitting .307 with 35 hits and 11 RBIs, and 9 hits and an RBI in the postseason. He doesn't get a lot of play, but Yandy Diaz is still one of the sturdiest, most impressive members of these Rays teams, and while Mike Brosseau had the bigger moment this year, Diaz might be the more important 3rd baseman.

2021 Prediction: Thanks to Brosseau, Diaz isn't gonna play at 3rd as often as he did, and might play DH more, but will still be a .300 hitter.

Ji-Man Choi didn't have quite the power-hitting year that fans were used to, but he still hit .230 with 16 RBIs, which isn't horrible. He also had 10 hits, 4 RBIs and 2 homers during the postseason, so he was still a crucial member of the team then.

2021 Prediction: Unless he improves as a power-hitter, the Rays are gonna get rid of him.

I...try not to make Mike Zunino customs. He's...in my opinion, the single most overrated player in the league. Zunino has only hit higher than .250 on a season ONCE in his 8-year career. His career WAR is 6.7, which is the kind of stat Mike Trout can pull in a full season. The fact that he can consistently hit .199 and still get work blows my mind. But...Zunino was essentially the starting catcher for the Rays in the playoffs, and had 8 RBIs and 4 homers throughout the postseason, despite a .170 playoff average. So...yes, he can hit for power, but he can't hit for average, which must be frustrating. 

2021 Prediction: I still think the Rays are gonna sign someone else as a starting catcher, so Zunino will do alright, but...as a backup.

The Rays have finally heeded my advice and made Ryan Yarbrough a full starter, no opener BS or any of that. Yarbrough responded with his best season to date, with a 3.56 ERA and 44 strikeouts in 11 games. Yarbrough is a consistent, workhorse of a pitcher, and his ability to eat innings helped the Rays out a lot this year.

2021 Prediction: More of the same. 13 wins, lots of innings, good solid work.

After coming over from Miami last year, Nick Anderson continued his reign as the best reliever you've never heard of, giving up a single earned run in 19 appearances, and notching 6 saves, 26 Ks and a .55 ERA. Absolutely insane numbers. His postseason numbers...less appealing. 8 earned runs, 2 losses, and only 9 strikeouts [only, he says].

2021 Prediction: Has and keeps the closing gig, with slightly higher ERA but similar consistency.

The most impressive breakout relief pitcher for the Rays, in a field of MANY, was Pete Fairbanks, traded at last year's deadline for Nick Solak to Tampa, and finally getting some substantial playing time. In 27 innings, Fairbanks had a 6-3 record, a 2.70 ERA and a 'pen-leading 39 Ks. In the postseason, he sported a 3.65 ERA  with 17 Ks. Even with a few postseason earned runs, Fairbanks was hot as hell all year.

2021 Prediction: Less consistency, but he's still gonna be one of their most prevalent bullpen pieces.

And I can't not make a custom of the Rays' Game 4 hero Brett Phillips, whose ninth-inning RBI off of Kenley Jansen shook the country, and kept the Rays alive against the Dodgers in the World Series. Despite not being a very impressive bench presence for Kansas City or Tampa this year, Phillips still had his brief moments of power, including Game 4. 

2021 Prediction: Back to uneventful bench OF work.

Coming Tomorrow- Speaking of AL East teams who have recently been to the World Series, let's examine why the Boston Red Sox ['s pitching] fell apart.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2019: Rays

Not only have the Kevin Cash Rays teams been good...they've been interesting. It's not like the Cardinals, where they're good in the face of mediocrity or whatever- the Rays have so many individual pieces to talk about that made them a great team this year. And the best part is they're not relying on many contracts- the established stars that were here this year (Garcia, Sogard, Aguilar) were never permanent...although having one perennial guy like Charlie Morton certainly helps.

Yonny Chirinos was given a larger starting role this year, despite injury, and had a 3.54 ERA in 18 starts, with a 1.045 WHIP. Chirinos is still being used both as a starter AND a reliever due to the fluidity of Cash's pitching, but he's still figured out how to stick around
Why Him in 2019?: Had a better, and more versatile, year than 2018 ace Blake Snell
2020 Prediction: A full year, with an ERA closer to 4.

After breaking through in 2018, Joey Wendle took a backseat to new additions like Brandon Lowe, but he still came through when he could, hitting .235 with 18 RBIs in 75 games.
Why Him in 2019?: His demotion/injury made way for Brandon Lowe to take over.
2020 Prediction: Will embrace a utility role until an injury puts him back into the forefront.

Another amusing rookie infielder post-Lowe was Mike Brosseau, the infield bat who hit .273 with 6 homers in 50 games. Brosseau was also the starting 2nd baseman in Tampa's wild card game against Oakland.
Why Him in 2019?: Took over for Lowe after the injury.

And then there's the other rookie named Lowe, Nate Lowe, who hit more for power than the other guy with that name. Nate hit 7 homers and 19 RBIs in 50 games, and gave the team a bit more corner infield mobility.
Why Him in 2019?: Hit .313 in July with 12 RBIs, and fueled the Rays' comeback after dropping to 2nd.
2020 Prediction: More starts at 1B/DH

And now for the bullpen standouts. And there are a ton. Like last year, Ryan Yarbrough was the resident long man, notching 141 innings, which was more than any starter not named Morton. Yarbs also had an 11-5 record, also impressive for a long man, and had 117 strikeouts, third most on the staff. This guy is being used so impeccably by Cash and co. that he blurs the line between starter and reliever.
Why Him in 2019?: Most effective long reliever in the MLB
2020 Prediction: Probably more of the same, with maybe an ASG for his efforts.

Colin Poche was the more traditional setup man type, and despite his 4.70 ERA he still has 72 strikeouts in 51 innings. He also allowed only 31 hits, a low for all Rays pitchers who pitched over 50 innings this year.
Why Him in 2019?: Led all non-closer, non-Yarbs relievers in WHIP.
2020 Prediction: A lower ERA, but a less prevalent year

And then you have Chaz Roe, who fared slightly better with a 4.06 ERA, and seemed to be the Rays' expert on coming in for exactly one batter.
Why Him in 2019?: Gave up the fewest amount of homers of all relievers with 40+ innings.
2020 Prediction: His role will change following the limit on batters per reliever.

An amusing experiment was the saga of Brendan McKay, brought in to start games and occasionally be a two-way player. This didn't go perfectly well, as McKay had a 5.14 ERA and a .200 average.
Why Him in 2019?: Proved that Michael Lorenzen and Shohei Ohtani are just really dang talented.
2020 Prediction: Will have more of the same material before a trade.

Speaking of trades, perhaps the smartest one the Rays made is the one that brought Nick Anderson and Trevor Richards to Tampa. While Richards seemed to be the draw, he only pitched 7 games, started 3. Nick Anderson on the other hand, the deadly Miami reliever, fared way better, getting right back to his tricks with a 2.11 ERA and 41 strikeouts in 21 appearances.
Why Him in 2019?: Biggest relief boost after losing Kolarek.
2020 Prediction: An ASG gig and a lot of major relief accolades are coming this guy's way.

And the other amusing get at the deadline was Jesus Aguilar, who wasn't hitting in Milwaukee, and in Tampa...he hit a little better. .261 in 37 games with 16 RBIs. He's definitely not a dead bat, and Miami will bank on him for 2020.
Why Him in 2019?: Primary DH for the postseason run
2020 Prediction: Will hit 25 home runs in Miami, but not for average.

Coming Tonight: So I have a lot for Xmas Eve, so tonight's will be some remnants of a Red Sox season that didn't go as planned.