I Leave You Alone for Five Minutes..

 

The way I usually post customs, I try and go from the top down, or at least how the division looks how I make them. So a couple weeks ago the AL West customs were going in a pretty understandable order. Rangers, Angels, Mariners, Astros, A's. This is how the division looked for most of April.

I check the AL West standings a couple days ago and it's like someone's done a prank on me. The Angels are in last, the A's are in second, the Astros are in third [where they've belonged for the past three years], the M's are in first, and the Rangers, who looked so good early on in April, were circling fourth. It had been well reported how many close wins marked their first week back, but that didn't ring any alarm bells for me. Ultimately, far too many starters were hitting below .200 for this to in any way resemble a first place team, so here they are in fourth.

Thankfully, today's an off day. So they can figure it out hopefully while they can breathe.

At the time of their last off day, April 21st, the Rangers were 13-9. Perfectly respectable record, on the right foot. Then after the day off they go 4-8. It is possibly because Corey Seager gets hurt during this stretch, and isn't back until yesterday. But it does also feel like some of these issues were bubbling up. Joc Pederson has been absolutely terrible this year, hitting .094 with 8 hits in 85 at-bats. Marcus Semien, who at least has experience being cold in April, is hitting .182. Jake Burger was doing so poorly he got sent down to the minors, joining Evan Carter, who's yet to even have any time in the majors this year. Luke Jackson, despite having 8 saves already, has a 6.00 ERA. Even all-stars like Josh Jung, Adolis Garcia and Jonah Heim have shown their inherent flaws despite some decent enough averages. Even with Langford, Seager and Smith all doing well, there's a morose, sluggish feel to this team, and it's become even more evident when compared to the Mariners and A's, who feel revitalized.

The one place the Rangers haven't suffered too greatly is in the starting pitching, which is weird considering they've already had to cut Dane Dunning and put Kumar Rocker on ice. Jacob deGrom, Nate Eovaldi and Jack Leiter have had excellent starts, and are perfectly reliable arms for the current moment. deGrom has a 2.61 ERA and 36 Ks, so he finally seems to be his old self again. The surprises have been the two fliers- Patrick Corbin has done a 360 from his Nats days, and has a 3.28 ERA, and a 2-1 record, through 5 starts. He's not perfect, but he's reliable, which is...wild.

And Tyler Mahle, after too many consecutive years of injury troubles, looks better than he has since leaving the Reds. In 7 starts he's 3-1 with a 1.19 ERA and 32 strikeouts. Smooth, strong and unstoppable. He's not overexerting himself at the moment, he's just doing his thing, and it's led to him being considered the league best starter of April. Hopefully he doesn't let that go to his head, because we all know how soon he can get himself onto the IL. 

The Rangers ultimately have a lot that works, especially in its pitching. So the hope is that whatever offensive issue has stopped the team from competing at the moment subsides in time for them to really dominate going forward. Semien, Garcia and Pederson have had slow starts before, and hopefully they can get around these ones. 

Coming Tomorrow- The Dodgers have had a streak of organizational pieces not coming to fruition. Zach McKinstry, Jonny Deluca, Josiah Gray, James Outman. Has this guy just broken the streak??

Uncustomed Heroes of 2024: Rangers

 

Virtually everything the Texas Rangers did this season can be rooted back to injuries. The two big rookies from last year, and the big rookie from this year, were limited by injuries. The majority of the rotation missed time with injuries, and most of them were actually doing really well before hitting the IL. One of the best offensive performers of the year wouldn't have happened without a big injury. And a season that was once again looking like an MVP caliber one from the team's star was cut short due to an injury. Regardless of the talent this team compiled to follow up their first ever World Series win, and regardless of how many were playing well, nobody could stay healthy. And so when it was up to the b-team, nothing was gonna happen.

Josh Jung's season began so happily, with a cheerful mic-ing up on ESPN during one of the first games of the season. The Rangers' 3rd baseman had such a great 2023 three that all eyes were on him for a satisfying follow-up. Ultimately, Jung's season would be cut short soon into April, resulting in Josh Smith taking 3rd for the majority of the season. Jung would return by the end of the season, but it'd be too late. In 46 games he hit .264 with 7 homers and 16 RBIs. Good while he was there, but he wasn't there for long.

2024 Prediction: Another All-Star season.

Meanwhile, Evan Carter, who had an incredible postseason last year, was primed for an equally satisfying full season of work. He'd already broken so many records for rookie performers in the postseason, now it was his turn to go all year. Except...like Jung, he didn't make it all year, and when he wasn't injured he only hit .188 with 5 homers and 15 RBIs in 45 games. Clearly this wasn't the season Carter wanted, and at 21 you can tell he's still got a lot more to prove.

2025 Prediction: Starts with a .280 average, proves this was just an early-career fluke.

With Gray, Bradford, Scherzer and deGrom all hurt, the next-nearest veteran at the helm of the Rangers this season was Andrew Heaney, who, admittedly, has been much better recently as a lower-tier starter. Heaney succeeded last year because he had coverage from Eovaldi, Scherzer and Montgomery. So this season, when the eyes were on him for 32 healthy games, he went 5-14 with a 4.28 ERA and 159 Ks, less than some of Eovaldi's numbers [and he missed 3 starts]. 

2025 Prediction: I think people are gonna learn the wrong lesson and a team with a majority youth rotation is gonna sign him to lead it. And I don't think it's gonna go very well for Heaney.

Leody Taveras, with Carter and Langford out for a bit, got a ton more opportunity to start this year. The 25-year-old, at best, is handy--he doesn't have to be the focal point of the lineup but he can give you some good plays and some good hits. This year he hit .229 with 44 RBIs and 110 hits, but more importantly he led the team in stolen bases with 23. He's still very useful, but I reckon once Carter and Langford can play everyday, and come into their own as they head into their 20s, Taveras will have less of a presence here.

2025 Prediction: Still has some contact and speed moments but, yeah, won't be starting by the end of the year.

The Rangers' bullpen surprised people, as their strategy of bringing on veterans actually worked. Kirby Yates had a comeback year, and David Robertson, now 39, had an extremely strong year staying in Arlington and doing his thing. In 68 games he had a 3.00 ERA, 99 strikeouts and a 1.7 WAR. He was the fourth-oldest player in the league this year, yet he can still get things done like he has all 16 years.

2025 Prediction: One more season, somewhere he hasn't played. It's halfway decent. And then he hangs it up.

As the starters fell, the Rangers decided to turn to their top prospect, former #2 overall pick Jack Leiter. Leiter had been developing for a few years but hadn't seemed to completely excel as he did at Vanderbilt. In 9 games in the majors this year, Leiter struggled, walking away with an 8.83 ERA, 3 losses, 31 Ks and a -1.6 WAR. Not a great start, but it took his father a bit to come into his own as well.

2025 Prediction: Some improved starts, but given that more people will be healthy next year and his Vandy teammate has lapped him in the depth chart, I don't know how many chances he'll get.

Much like his former Tigers teammate Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, on the way to definite Cooperstown enshrinement, was limited this year thanks to injuries. Though, per the theme, when he was healthy he was still peak Scherzer, which Rangers fans did appreciate. In 9 starts, Scherzer had a 3.95 ERA and 40 Ks, despite a 2-4 record. The big moment for Scherz came when he lapped Greg Maddux on the all-time strikeouts list, moving into 11th overall. He's 100 away from lapping Walter Johnson, for the record, and JV still has Scherzer beat by 9 Ks.

2025 Prediction: 2025, no matter who signs him, will be the last great season of Scherzer's career. He'll have gotten the injury issues out of his system, he'll have some truly great starts, and he'll be in position to retire on a high note.

I dunno, man, ever since leaving the Reds Tyler Mahle has had such troubles staying healthy. He barely was a factor with the Twins, he was signed by the Rangers knowing he'd miss half the season, and he made 3 starts for Texas before getting injured again. His line wasn't great, he had a 4.97 ERA, 10 Ks and a 0-1 record. And thus the reclamation project continues.

2025 Prediction: 20+ starts, and they're good. Unfortunately the majority of them won't be for the team that trades for him at the deadline. But for Pittsburgh or whoever has him the first half...*chef's kiss*

The Rangers knicked 2 different players from the Detroit Tigers right before the Tigers became huge without them. First their primary catcher, Carson Kelly, was added as an alternative to Jonah Heim. Kelly was passable in 31 games, hitting .235 with 8 RBIs and 2 homers. Andrew Chafin was also brought on to strengthen the veteran-led bullpen, which made this Chafin's eighth different MLB team since 2020, seven if you want to count the Tigers twice. Chafin was traded at the 2023 deadline as well, and the Brewers got the worse end of it. 2024 was somewhat similar, as the Tigers got the better season from Chafin; the Rangers got a 4.19 ERA and a 1.655 WHIP in 21 games. 
2025 Prediction: With the Rangers getting Higgy, Kelly will be headed somewhere else. I honestly think he'll be a nice piece for the Cubs, and possibly will outdo Amaya in some areas [UPDATE 12/13: Not too shabby!!]. As for Chafin, give it up for team #9, and possibly #10 if these trends continue. My guess is Toronto. 

And these last two pitchers were the 'well, what are you gonna do?' late season activations. Jacob deGrom, after already missing the World Series, missed 5 more months this year, and showed up in September after the season had already been lost. At the very least, deGrom's stuff was still incredible; in 3 games, he had a 1.69 ERA and 14 strikeouts. He hasn't lost his mojo by any stretch, it's just those injuries that have lessened his appeal. 

2025 Prediction: At long last consistent health, and a return to glory for the Rangers.

And then you have Jack Leiter's former Vandy teammate Kumar Rocker, initially drafted by the Mets, not signed, and then slyly brought over to the Rangers. Waiting for Rocker and Leiter to come up seems to have been more exciting than the reality of having them both in the majors, but Kumar Rocker did give the Rangers something to be excited about in 2025. In 3 starts he had a 3.86 ERA, with 14 strikeouts. Ultimately his control isn't there yet, and those 2 losses do speak to the quality of the 2024 Rangers. But he's definitely got a lot of time to come into his own.

2025 Prediction: Kumar Rocker will be getting Rookie of the Year votes. Lots of them.

Coming Tomorrow- The last remains of a Rays team I really couldn't find much to say about this year.

Uncustomed Heroes of 2022: Twins

 

The Twins have done the '1st place team falls apart and doesn't make the playoffs' thing as recently as 2017. The Twins have done the 'Byron Buxton gets injured and the team shutters without him' thing as recently as last year. And the Twins have done the 'finishes low in a tight race but still doesn't make the playoffs' thing as recently as 2018. 

The Minnesota Twins by the halfway point were playoff favorites, and by the end of the season they were in third behind the exactly .500 White Sox. What a fall. It's not that it was a bad year, as Luis Arraez had an incredible year, and so many young pieces came alive. But two of the team's top 4 performers, Carlos Correa and Gio Urshela, will not be on the team as they suit up in...underwhelmingly-designed new uniforms.

Nick Gordon, after years of bubbling up, finally got a full year to showcase his skills in Minneapolis, and the 26-year-old hit .272 with 110 hits, 50 RBIs and 9 homers. Gordon seems to be a bit more versatile than his older brother [who bowed out with Washington this year], and can be useful as a power hitter, a contact hitter, an outfield bat and a speedster. And, as another one-up on Dee, he's not on any illegal substances.

2023 Prediction: Another full year, some more great production, and perhaps a nice extension of some sort?

Trevor Larnach, like Buxton, was excellent when he was healthy but bowed out too soon to aid the team down the stretch. In 51 games, Larnach hit .231 with 37 hits, 18 RBIs and 5 homers. The goal is for him to be more useful over the course of a full year, but we've never seen such a year from him so far.

2023 Prediction:  Kepler hasn't gone yet, but I reckon he will at some point, after which Larnach will get a ton more reps and a ton more eyes on him. I think he'll notch 20 home runs at least.

Several Twins starters this year fell into the category of 'how the mighty have fallen'. Dylan Bundy was a strikeout artist in his prime, and was a phenom for LA as recently as 2020. However, he struggled mightily last year, and this year he tried his damndest to not rely on throwing hard as much as he had. Bundy started all 29 games, and had a 4.89 ERA, an 8-8 record and 94 strikeouts. An improvement over 2021, but a pretty boilerplate year overall.

2023 Prediction: Minor league deal, maybe a few MLB starts, but the big stuff might be over for this guy.

Similarly, Chris Archer was an absolute stud for the Rays before he lost his footing and never picked it up again. He'd done well in Tampa last year with more control, but his hard stuff is sorely missed. This year with the Twins, Archer, had a 4.56 ERA, 8 losses and 84 Ks in 25 starts. Yes, fuller season than usual, but like with Bundy, the edge is gone.

2023 Prediction: I hate to say it, but I don't think anyone comes calling. Maybe he tries the international leagues.

Bailey Ober starts were fleeting this year due to both call-ups and injury, but he made the most of them, with a 3.21 ERA and 51 Ks spread across 11 starts. Ober is young, reliable, and coming into his own, and if the Twins' rotation wasn't so crowded in 2022, he could have proved it.

2023 Prediction: Thankfully the rotation will be a lot sparser next year, so he'll get 28 starts and be a top arm for this team.

The injuries got so bad at one point that the Twins called upon Voorhees, NJ product Devin Smeltzer, who they'd flirted with giving some starts to in 2019, for some integral starts. Smeltzer outdid expectations, with a 5-2 record, a 3.71 ERA and 40 Ks over 70 innings. Once some more arms got activated and dealt for, Smeltzer's role diminished, and after the year he was cut to make room for...somebody.

2023 Prediction: I really, really hope someone picks him up. You always want local kids to succeed, and he's pretty sharp.

Royce Lewis was the Twins first overall pick in 2017, and it's taken him this long, thanks to injuries and such, to make it to the majors. Ironically, his first ever MLB season was halted in its tracks by another injury, but until then he was actually doing pretty well for the Twins, hitting .300 with 5 RBIs and 2 homers in 12 games. 

2023 Prediction: Correa and Urshela are both gone, Farmer will get one infield position...maybe Lewis tries at another one, and plays more than 12 games this year.

As for the trade deadline deals, the Twins got saddled with some bad luck. Tyler Mahle was a great piece for them, as he'd been stellar in Cincinnati. Mahle only got 4 Twins starts, with a 4.41 ERA and a 1-1 record, before he was injured for the majority of the season. Meanwhile, Spencer Steer, who he was traded for, got some playing time in Cincinnati. 

2023 Prediction: My thinking is he stays healthy and pitches well enough for his own good, but not enough to make much of a difference.

Then, after a phenomenal year in the bullpen for the Orioles, Jorge Lopez landed in Minneapolis with the closing job basically his. The only thing that could stop Lopez was a third party getting in the way, and that's ultimately what Jhoan Duran did, though Lopez' 4.37 ERA and 2 blown saves didn't help either. Lopez filled in as a decent middleman, but was nowhere as dominant as he was in Baltimore.

2023 Prediction: An improvement, but I don't think he'll be used in the ninth as much as he was.

Tomorrow, more about that 81-81 White Sox team.

Top 10 Trade Deadline Deals of 2022

 Alright. Prolonged it enough. Built it up enough. Delayed it with National posts. But here, as per usual, is my personal list of the Top 10 Trade Deadline deals this year. I am judging this on how much it affects a team's playoff chances as well as future outlook, and I am keeping in mind star power as well as how much a team gave up to make this.

Here we go, right in with #10:

#10: David Peralta to the Rays, prospects to the Diamondbacks

This was a move a lot of D-Backs fans had figured was coming, and an interesting move as, in a deadline year where the Rays have given up Brett Phillips and had attempted to give up Ji-Man Choi, the Rays still end up as buyers. Peralta is not at his peak anymore, but he's a solid outfield bat, and he can provide star power for a depleted, falling Rays team. I'm not sure if the Rays will make as great of an impact on the postseason as they usually do, but competing with someone like Peralta will definitely give them a slight advantage. 

#9- Tyler Mahle to the Twins, prospects to the Reds

As much as it pains me to see the Reds unload the rest of the talent that made their teams so fun at the end of the last decade, this is at least a useful move because it reunites Mahle with Sonny Gray, and it adds him to a burgeoning rotation that could use some consistent innings eaters. Mahle will be a heck of a talent playing for a true competitor, and might have the best mileage of any of these pitching additions, even a teammate of his. 

#8- Trey Mancini to Houston, Jose Siri to Tampa, prospects to Baltimore

One of the first real blockbusters of the deadline. People had a feeling Mancini would be leaving the O's, as it's the kind of move they can make without compromising the core they've been building this year. Mancini is still a great hitter and can be a massive upgrade at 1st from Yuli Gurriel, giving them yet another upgrade in a monolithic year for the Astros. Meanwhile, Jose Siri is the kind of roster addition in Tampa that could yield outrageous dividends sooner or later. I equate him to somebody like Randy Arozarena, Isaac Paredes or Tyler Glasnow, where they weren't much in their initial farm system but once they got to Tampa, they figured it out and in a big way. Siri is gonna be huge for the Rays very soon, and I think he'll be the big name in this deal contemporarily. 

#7- Andrew Benintendi to the Yankees, prospects to the Royals

Yes, only #7. While this is a great deal that provides an outfield upgrade for the Yankees to people like Joey Gallo, Aaron Hicks and Giancarlo Stanton, as well as bringing a surefire contact hitter like Benny to the Bronx...a couple things have pushed this down. 1, the Yankees have made better moves this deadline. 2, the Yankees also got a major defensive upgrade in Harrison Bader thanks to a deal I will be talking about in another post, and 3, Benny hasn't figured out hitting in Yankee Stadium in his first few games there. I hope it's not like a Joey Gallo thing where the pressure's too much, and I honestly doubt it will be, but it's brought this one down a bit. Still, great move, and one that solves a lot of problems for the Yankees.

#6: Christian Vazquez to the Astros, prospects to the Red Sox. 

I had said somewhere that the only thing keeping the Astros from an essential waltz to the ALCS was a better catcher than Martin Maldonado. WELL...THEY'VE GOT ONE NOW. Vazquez was having another nice season for the Sox, now that he's in Houston he plugs in nicely. I don't think this team has many holes anymore, and it unsettles me. The Astros could very well win the whole thing this year, and Vazquez is more reassurance at backstop than they've had in a while. Excellent move, even at #6.

#5- Noah Syndergaard to the Phillies, Mickey Moniak and prospects to the Angels

Well...I CERTAINLY LOVE THIS MOVE. No offense meant towards people like Kyle Gibson and Ranger Suarez, but the back half of the Phillies rotation has a lot of very dull innings eaters without a lot of fun upsides. We NEEDED a guy like Thor. First of all, hooray, reunited with Wheeler. Second of all, while he's been a strikeout artist for years, those injuries have mellowed him into a more controlling, thoughtful pitcher, and he's had a nice start for the Angels. And thirdly...guys, Noah Syndergaard gets to pitch for one of my teams. As if I needed another excuse to love this guy. Yes, there's the issue of injuries, and Thor has had a ton over the years, which is why this is lower than some other pitching moves, but...on paper this is great. Thor on the Phils. Really helps our postseason chances.

#4- Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino to the Yankees, J.P. Sears and prospects to the Athletics.

Well...this was the Yankees big pitching move this year. I think it's really good. Montas, while never the standout of the A's rotation, has always been a nasty little strikeout guy for them, and has had some big games even this season. Trivino, while he's struggled recently, has had masterful control as a bullpen asset there. And even if we lose a starting option like J.P. Sears, especially in the wake of losing ANOTHER STARTING OPTION BRIAN, Montas is not only an innings eater, he's an impressing starting asset that gives us another leg up in terms of our rotation. Cole, Montas, Cortes and Taillon are all looking good, even if that fifth spot still worries me [THANKS AGAIN BRIAN]. 

#3- Josh Hader to the Padres, Taylor Rogers, Dinelson Lamet et al to the Brewers

This was my biggest shock of the deadline. Yes, contracts are contracts, but HADER getting dealt, as one of the best closers in the game right now, is huge. Especially considering that this is a deal between two competitors, and they're honestly helping each other. I have a whole post prepared tomorrow involving these kinds of 'you scratch my back' deals, and why they baffle me, but this one I can kind of see the benefits of. Rogers is still a great closer for the Brewers, and he can still help them compete. Hader, meanwhile, is pretty much a rental for the Padres, but he helps them become even more ironclad in the ninth, and adds to the 'all-star team' mentality San Diego is going with for this run. Probably has the most immediate ramifications of any of these deals, and it's still pretty impressive.

#2- Luis Castillo to the Mariners, prospects to the Reds

Initially you look at this deal and it's not very big. Okay, the Mariners get a solid innings-eater like Castillo, big whoop. Well...then you start to think about it. The Mariners got the #1 arm on the board this deadline. They got one of the top arms on the board in the offseason as well, Robbie Ray. So now their rotation is Ray, Logan Gilbert, Castillo, Chris Flexen and Marco Gonzales, with the occasional assist by George Kirby. That is...that is outstanding. Even if this team has had trouble with Houston and now is fighting New York tooth and nail, Luis Castillo puts them over the edge from novelty streaker into the main lexicon of competitors. Luis Castillo could be the Mariners' way of breaking the 21 year playoff drought. And I think he's the exact right guy for this team. 

In a normal year, that'd be a ballsy yet respectable pick for #1, completely changes a team's gameplan and makes for a new favorite in the wild card race. 

This, however, is not a normal year.

#1- Juan Soto and Josh Bell to the Padres, Luke Voit, Mackenzie Gore and C.J. Abrams, along with some prospects, to the Nationals. 

Well...crap. A.J. Prefer just broke the deadline, guys. Let's be clear, we knew Soto would be changing hands, the team and him weren't on great terms, you could see it. We had a feeling Josh Bell would be leaving too considering his season. But...not like this. Oh my gosh. Putting not only Soto but BELL in the same lineup as Manny Machado, Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham and eventually Fernando Tatis Jr....uh...yeah, that's gonna be hard for anybody to beat. In terms of the return, the Nats did pretty well too, getting a power-hitting 1B/DH in the wake of Zim's departure, a starting phenom in Gore that I'm surprised the Padres parted with, and a shortstop that wasn't getting any playing time in SD anyway. The Nats now have Abrams, Gore, Josiah Gray, Keibert Ruiz, Lane Thomas, and all these new prospects chilling in the minors. Don't be shocked if they take off in a couple years. For now, the Padres won this deadline, and they got the biggest piece on the board. Get ready for what they're about to do in the NL.

Tomorrow, we're gonna talk about some of these that didn't make much sense.

Mahle Rally

 

A huge start, and then a week without a win. Burning the candle at both ends is the big thing for the Reds, it seems

It's definitely not helping that two of the huge names of last year's mega-rotation, Sonny Gray and Luis Castillo, aren't pitching well at all right now. It's also probably not helping that two guys who were beginning to hit really well, Aristedes Aquino and Mike Moustakas are now injured. And it most certainly doesn't help that Eugenio Suarez just isn't hitting well right now. Not that 2020 was a harbinger of things to come, but the Reds have enough of a core that losing Trevor Bauer should not have wounded them this much.

This team has quickly turned into 'a few people are doing really well and everyone else has kinda limping along'. Like, Tyler Mahle is having another excellent season in the rotation, with 36 Ks in his first 5 games, and Nick Castellanos is hitting .317 with 15 RBIs, and Jesse Winker and Tucker Barnhart are still really hitting for average, but...the rest of the pack has kinda diminished. What, Tyler Naquin was crazy good during the first few weeks and now he's back to hitting .263 despite those 19 RBIs jutting out like mad. Sean Doolittle was flawless in his first few appearance and now has a 5.19 ERA. We're clearly not all on the same page here.

Right now the Brewers have the division, and everyone else is either at .500 or below .500, and the Reds need to make up a lot of time in the divisional race. Because if not, they're gonna keep the Pirates in 2nd place, and considering that the Pirates have to start Trevor Cahill right now, that won't sit right with a lot of people. The Cardinals are gonna probably lap the Cubs and Pirates thanks to their series with Philly, so they're fighting back towards the top, but who are the Reds fighting right now? The Dodgers. One of the best teams in baseball right now. So the climb back might take a bit more time than they need.

In a few weeks, when I have to post about the Reds again, hopefully I'll have a better idea about where they stand in all of this. I thought I knew a few weeks ago, I didn't. I don't know now. Maybe they'll have made their minds up in May. 

Coming Tonight: In the year of Ohtani's return and the Astros' mad start, they're sitting at 2nd place in the AL West. And pretty much everyone is confused as to why they're there. 

Uncustomed Heroes of 2020: Reds (Part One)

Of all the fringe teams that squeezed into the playoffs this year, the one that made me happiest might have been the Cincinnati Reds. This team has been so close to good recently, and even if this team still had some issues, the fact that they made the playoffs even for a few games against Atlanta is still pretty cool. 

The big issue for this Reds team is the fact that while the pitching staff definitely showed up, the lineup was a few steps behind last year's. And you had guys like Eugenio Suarez, who were AWESOME in 2019, having more human moments, and hitting .202 despite leading the team in homers with 15 and RBIs with 38. Geno is still a great player, but he's gonna get caught up if he doesn't figure out how to strike out less.

2021 Prediction: Another 30 homer year with an ASG gig. Not sure if all of it will be with Cincinnati, though.

It's become clear that Joey Votto is officially past his prime, with a negative WAR year and some very perfunctory stats, and it's looking like he's just gonna have the Cabrera/Pujols status of continuing to play and do what he can without being very statistically impressive. Which is fine. I mean, Votto is a future Hall of Famer, he's had a ton of great seasons and everything, but...hitting .226 is new for him. Yes, he still hit 11 homers, but his contact abilities have lessened, and I can only imagine if the DH stays in the NL he'll be moved over there.

2021 Prediction: A slight upswing in average, but similar, end-of-career stats.

In his first season in Cincinnati after two strong years in a row, Mike Moustakas was...slightly disappointing. Look, he still had 8 homers and 27 RBIs, but he hit .230 with barely enough WAR totals to really register as a member of this team, similar to Nick Castellanos. Is it the oddity of the season, or is Moose beginning to trail off himself?

2021 Prediction: 30 home runs, barely any average to go with it.

Tucker Barnhart had a strong year this year, with his best defensive numbers since 2017, earning him his second gold-glove behind the plate. His plate numbers aren't the priority, but he did...alright. .204 with 13 RBIs. That's fine, especially if he's still an awesome catcher. I'll take that.

2021 Prediction: A full potential, all-star, better-offensively season for Barnhart. And then the eyes of the rest of the league start watching

Alright, so the big 3 of the Reds rotation truly made waves in 2020, and set the rest of the league ablaze. Yet the one starter that sort of fell through the cracks was 2018's standout, Tyler Mahle, the homegrown fireballer who fanned 60 in 10 games with a 3.59 ERA. Which means, yes, lower ERA than Sonny Gray.

2021 Prediction: Most likely to succeed early next year, and most likely to be traded if the team doesn't succeed. 

The fifth member of the rotation, Anthony Desclafani, took a huge step backwards after a return to form year last year. Disco was saddled with a 7.22 ERA in 9 games, and was eventually moved to the bullpen. Not a great way to end his tenure in Cincinnati.

2021 Prediction: A low-cost signing that pays off for SF. 

I have a ton more bullpen/post-Opening-Day members of this team that I'll post later tonight.

These Guys Just Won a Series Against the Phillies

The Cincinnati Reds are the best bad team in baseball. No matter what, even if they're in last and being decimated, they won't...stop...taking wins away from people.

I saw this team up close back in June, and their under-the-radar prowess can't be underestimated. They still have a killer core of Eugenio Suarez, Joey Votto, Scooter Gennett and Scott Schebler, the best defensive catcher in the NL in Tucker Barnhart, one of the best base-stealers in baseball in Billy Hamilton, an up-and-comer like Phil Ervin, and Jose Peraza playing some decent defense as well. The lineup is strong, and it doesn't look like it's going to be split up a great deal.

The pitching is still a weak point, but at least Tyler Mahle has emerged as someone who can go 6 innings without getting completely clobbered. I feel like Mahle would be a decent third-or-fourth starter on a better team, but here, where he's one of the sole good starters, he's been comparatively great. So has Matt Harvey, but a lot of people reportedly want to trade for him, so it may just be Mahle and the mess of undercooked youngsters from here on in.

The Reds have a possibility of chasing the rest of the division next year...but the problem is, I feel like all 4 want to compete, and the Reds would be infringing on that. It could be very complicated, but if something in that rotation FINALLY clicks, we could be onto something for 2019.

Coming Tomorrow- One of the Rangers' last few lines of defense as the deadline approaches.