Breg for Mercy

 Here are some storylines that would have been a lot better than the Astros just winning the AL West in a runaway yet again.

-The Athletics retain their midseason lead over the Astros, continue to pound them into submission, eliminate them from the conversation in late August, and find a spot in the postseason against the White Sox, making this ALCS a thrilling rematch of last season's wild card series, with different stakes and new heroes and villains.

-The Mariners somehow build off their July-August run, go toe to toe with the Astros in August, nailing them as the season ends, then watching with glee as they lose a one-game playoff to the Blue Jays. Jake Fraley, Tyler Anderson and Paul Sewald become postseason icons as the Mariners end their 20 year drought.

-The Angels keep Trout, Rendon AND Ohtani, and replenish the pitching staff at the deadline, outmatching the Astros throughout the season, and leaving them plenty of room to take the West.

-The Astros go through a Yankees-like train of injuries, losing Altuve, Correa, McCullers, Greinke, Alvarez, Bregman and Gurriel in a week's span, and having to bring up replacements to get by. And unlike the Yankees, this kills them and they can't come back for it.

-The Rangers use Kohei Arihara, the new young cheap free agents, and Adolis Garcia's home runs to defy logic and ascend the AL West, pushing LA to last, and embarrassing Houston in August.

-The Astros get returned to the NL Central and get pulverized by the Cardinals in September.

I'd rather a season where any of those happened, as unlikely as some of them are, than another boring year where nobody can catch the Astros and they just make the postseason automatically almost. The lack of serious reparations on this team is allowing them to continue their reign over the game, and even if they miss the World Series this year, they're still an evergreen contender. And new members like Luis Garcia, Jose Siri and Jake Meyers are ensuring that this team has a chance even when Altuve, Bregman, Correa and the gang all graduate. 

All I am asking...is for someone in the AL West to become better than the Astros. Not for a month, not for a few games. For the year. Give them a chance to feel like losers, which they don't get enough chances to. Let them sit with what they've done. Show them how you felt. I'll take any of the other 4 teams, including the once-loathsome Rangers. Just...for 2022, shoot for that particular fence. 

Because the Astros are probably gonna be awesome next month, and we're once again looking at an Astros-Rays ALCS unless one of the more fun teams sneaks a win through. So I really hope this team loses some of their momentum over the coming weeks, and lets a more deserving competitor get some glory this year. Cause...I don't know how many more years of this crap I can take.

And I should know about contenders that don't need to be there, I'm a Yankees fan.

Coming Tomorrow- A third baseman who broke into the league 13 years ago, and is still chasing postseason glory.

Both Sides of the Cain

 

My dad was reading the paper and checking the standings the other day, and he muttered aloud "the Brewers might have a decent chance this year"

And I nodded, pertaining to their recent rise to the top of the NL Central, their recent clinch of a playoff spot, their pitching hydra. But then I thought about it. COULD the Brewers make a World Series this year?

They have the team for it. The pitching will slow down any playoff competitor, and I have a feeling they'll do well against the Braves [or Phillies but probably the Braves]. The lineup is surprisingly meaty, especially now that Cain and Yelich are healthy and coming into their own again. There's a ton of really nice defensive players, especially Cain, Omar Narvaez and Jackie Bradley Jr. There's a ton of depth, and a ton of bench bats waiting to go [especially Jace Peterson and Manny Pina]. And, let's be honest, I don't think any of those three starters are gonna hold anything back for a playoff scenario. 

So okay. In an NLDS against the Braves, they're the favorite. In an NLCS against the Giants...they might be the favorite as well, as they're a younger, quicker, and more consistent team. In an NLCS against the Dodgers, they're even, and it may be the full 7, but they still have a chance at winning. And in an NLCS against the Cardinals, they're still probably the favorite despite the Cardinals' usual October sneakiness. And then they might have enough going for them to take down the Astros, Rays or even the White Sox.

Playing as they are right now, with the tools they've cultivated, and with the luck they're skating off of...the Brewers might be the favorite to win the World Series right now. How crazy is that?

It's definitely be the next step in a crazy year for Milwaukee sports. The Packers nearly made a Super Bowl, the Bucks finally won a Championship. The Brewers have never won one, and are one of two teams in this playoff configuration to have never won a Super Bowl ring. Hell, this may even come down to both of them, as the Rays could very well make a World Series as well. It would be very nice if this team keeps this momentum going into October and takes down a lot of potential head-shakers for me as WS winners.

It could be a long shot, and it could be a misfire...but it also could happen. So let's see.

Coming Tonight: Third baseman for a team I would really, really, really like to not win the World Series.

Yaz You Were

 

The White Sox are inches from clinching. They're pretty much the single most surefire division winner in the AL, and only a complete disaster could stop them taking first in the Central, but...with another few wins, they're in, and they get to pivot towards the postseason. Which is a nice feeling, considering that last year they had to go in as a wild card. 

But right as the postseason is in sight, a few minor snags have happened. First, Carlos Rodon got injured, and now he's questionable for the postseason. On one hand, that does still leave us with an impressive trio of Lucas Giolito, Lance Lynn and Dylan Cease for an initial postseason rotation. But...I think we'd all prefer Rodon to Cease right now. Yes, Cease is 12-7 with 202 strikeouts, but his ERA is significantly higher than Lynn and Giolito's, and may be subject to slight battering considering the probability of the Astros being their ALDS opponent.

We're also going in with a lineup that was supposedly retooled in July but still isn't perfect. Cesar Hernandez has more strikeouts than hits with the Sox. Billy Hamilton has more RBIs than stolen bases. Brian Goodwin, who is hitting .230, is still a probable starting option for the postseason, especially with Andrew Vaughn still down. I still would have preferred Nick Madrigal to Hernandez, injury or no, and I'm still not very sure about that last outfield spot. Let's see how Leury Garcia does. 

And while the bulk of this team is impressive, and guys like Yasmani Grandal, Jose Abreu, Luis Robert, Eloy Jimenez and Tim Anderson are all in very fine form...I still worry that the comparative human nature of this team could hold them back from being a playoff threat once again. And I really don't want those fears in a year where the Sox are looking at an ALDS against the Astros. I've said in the past that I really, really don't want an Astros-Rays ALCS, but that's really where things are looking right now unless things shift. And the White Sox would be a wonderful playoff contender that I'd love to see take down some of baseball's villains this year. 

Of all the teams that I don't despise that have been linked to the AL playoffs this year, the White Sox have the best chance of doing anything. This October, I might be a White Sox fan. So I really hope they don't let me down.

Coming Tomorrow- It's really been six years since he won a ring with Kansas City? He's got a decent shot at doing it again with the Brewers. 

Soler Flare

2021 Braves Opening Day outfield [Acuña, Ozuna, Pache] home run total: 32
2021 Braves outfielders netted at the trade deadline [Pederson, Soler, Duvall, Rosario] home run total: 34
ADV: NEW GUYS

I don't know how it happened. I thought this team was looking really good before the start of the season. I thought Ozuna and Pache would pick up where 2020 left off. I especially thought Acuña would stay healthy and snag that MVP. But for all 3 to be either injured, suspended or in the minors by mid-July? Ouch. That should have been the death nell for the Braves this year, and it should have been a sign to start prepping for 2022. But...Brian Snikter persevered. And he saw a competitor in this team still, and so he just...rebuilt the outfield and they went from there.

I'll give the Braves credit- last night I was talking about the Rays' rotation being the one weak spot of the team, and possibly a factor that could hold them back in October. The Braves have a great rotation, a great bullpen, great power and contact, a hell of an infield...and now, with any combination of Joc Pederson, Jorge Soler, Adam Duvall and Eddie Rosario, the Braves have a great outfield. Rosario has been hot as hell recently, hitting for the cycle the other day. Duvall has had 14 homers as a Brave. Jorge Soler has been hotter than he was in KC earlier this year, and has hit 10 homers and is looking good. Pederson has cooled down since his big August, but is still a useful tool. And if any of those don't work, Guillermo Heredia is a great defensive pick. 

So the Braves have every element working right now, and have reached the durability and versatility they've been looking for all season. The only problem is that the division is not quite theirs yet, and the Phillies still have a shot at lapping them for the East. Yes, it's a slim shot, but the Braves aren't quite as hot as they were in August, and there is a small chance they could let this go.

Though...if they make the playoffs, they have a very nice chance of getting extremely far. So it's gonna come down to these last 2 weeks.

Coming Tomorrow- He has been playing for a competitor every season since 2015, with three different teams. Still no ring, though. Will this year be the year?

Shanes of Love

 Right now, there's a guy pitching for the Rays named Shane, and somehow it's not this guy.

Yeah, after 3 years of him gestating in the minors following the Chris Archer trade, Shane Baz, one of the most sought-after and feared pitching prospects in the league finally debuted for the Rays, and as I write this, has been pitching really well. This is a big deal, because the Rays are already in first, and look to be the first seed in the AL. They will be starting Shane McClanahan, Ryan Yarbrough and Michael Wacha in the postseason- two players with postseason experience and one who's excellent this year. And to give themselves even more of an x-factor in this, they have brought up Baz as another potential postseason starter.

Which means the Rays might just be starting two rookies named Shane in a top seed postseason situation. Which is a choice.

And that's really the one flaw in the entire Rays strategy this year. They can outhit competitors, and have enough people that can surprise you, including Brett Phillips, Mike Zunino, Joey Wendle and now Jordan Luplow. They still have a strong bullpen, with a lot of great setup and longman options, in addition to Kittredge in the ninth and Anderson working his way back there. The big stars of this team, including Kevin Kiermaier, Brandon Lowe, Randy Arozarena and Austin Meadows, are still trustworthy. And there's enough depth and flexibility to last them until the World Series again.

But...the Rays' starting pitching is the most lackluster one going into the playoffs.

You think of 9 other teams going in, even counting some of the ones that have a chance to squeeze in, and I can name one or two healthy, big-star arms and one or two surprise ones behind them. The Jays have Robbie Ray, Steven Matz and Jose Berrios. The Sox have Sale, Eovaldi and Pivetta. Even the A's, a long-shot for the playoffs, have Sean Manaea, Frankie Montas and James Kaprielian to stay safely behind. the Rays have Shane McClanahan, and then some shaky Michael Wacha and Ryan Yarbrough seasons, and also maybe Shane Baz now, or Luis Patino. Only Yarbs remains from their 2020 rotation, and Glasnow's injured. So...there's a lot riding on Baz, and on the rest of this rotation, to stay strong in a playoff scenario. Because the Rays are the alpha in the AL, and some misfires by the rotation could bring someone like the Red Sox, or Blue Jays [or sure maybe even the Yankees, I dunno] further into the postseason. 

Don't get me wrong, a Rays ALCS would be boring...but I have a feeling this could be how the Rays lose a playoff series. And I'd rather them lose one to someone tame than to the Astros.

Coming Tomorrow- A power-hitter for a team that still has a very good shot of clinching the NL East.

Anything Left in the Tank?

 

Two weeks to the end of the season and it's become very clear which teams have nothing to do for the next few weeks, and the Rangers and Pirates are among them. So let's see what's left for them to do.

The Rangers made a very big move yesterday, in DFAing Kohei Arihara. At the beginning of the season, the acquisition of Arihara marked the Rangers putting themselves back into the ring as a potential contender, trying to rebuild their pitching and go for a smaller-rate, more homegrown success. However, Arihara struggled in the US, got injured trying to match US velocity rates, and was outdone even by Mike Foltynewicz. So, he was cut, and who knows where he'll end up next, if anywhere.

The Rangers are playing the second-raters. Andy Ibanez, Jason Martin, DJ Peters, Spencer Howard...all sort of playing decent roles for the Rangers. A lot of them netted in trades, and Howard the biggest one, proving that it wasn't Philly that was the problem. AJ Alexy and Glenn Otto's early dominance hasn't exactly lasted, and Otto has had some rough starts as of late, but I still see them being big pieces next year. Not sure how much better they'll be next year than 2021, but...I'll allow them to make something of it.

As for the Pirates...I mean, it must have been easier for them because they didn't have a huge free agent signing, or the hopes of getting anywhere higher than 5th. Look, the Brewers, Cubs, Cardinals and Reds all started the season making a push, so it was never gonna be the Pirates anyway. The fact that they had two all stars, even if one of them left for San Diego, is an accomplishment. But...regardless of Reynolds, Frazier, Bednar and Stallings, the Pirates still were kind of a mess this year.

This team has been a continued home for low-rent fringe players and small free agents, and people like Ben Gamel, Colin Moran, Philip Evans, Wilmer Difo, Yoshi Tsutsugo, Dillon Peters and Bryse Wilson have thrived here. You're also beginning to see some of the prospects beginning to come out of the woodwork. Max Kranick has had a few really nice starts in between the malaise. Rodolfo Castro has made a case for 2022, even if his offensive numbers don't show it yet. Keller and Hayes have big roles. If things go a little better in the next few years, you never know how quickly this team could crawl back.

I do think the Rangers have more pieces ready now than the Pirates, and have a chance at competing sooner. But I'd love to be proven wrong.

Coming Tonight: A rookie starter for the best team in the AL. How weird is that sentence?

Simba's Pride

 Andrelton Simmons and Josh Donaldson in the Twins lineup. Worked a lot better in concept than in practice.

Donaldson has been decent this year, but we may have finally reached the end of Simmons' peak years. His defense is still pretty damn good, and he's an upgrade at shortstop for Minnesota, but...his batting numbers are still a weak point. He's hitting .223 with 30 RBIs, not exactly a very showy year for him. When compared to people like Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton and Luis Arraez, who ARE doing well, it stands out more. And even if it is a one-year deal, it's a year that doesn't look very good when it ends up being a last place year for the Twins.

I feel like this was avoidable. Not Buxton getting injured, not Maeda slumping, not the kids tanking. This was a competitor last year, and the pieces were still in place for it. Jorge Polanco, Byron Buxton, Max Kepler, Mitch Garver and Taylor Rogers are still where they were before, their quality hasn't exactly changed. But readying the other pieces of this team and ensuring that it all fit together, that could have been avoided. Nick Gordon so far has been the only younger player who's really made it work in the majors this year, though Joe Ryan, through 3 starts, has been promising. There's still no room for Willians Astudillo, and he's beginning to leave his prime years. The rotation is coming down to people like Bailey Ober and Griffin Jax who just don't have it yet.

The confidence and power this team had last year is gone, even if the big pieces of it haven't all left.

I imagine some pieces of the old guard are gonna be cleared this offseason. Maybe some bigger ones, like Buxton and Garver, will stick around, but I do think this team is gonna tank again and focus on rebuilding a contender, no matter how long that takes. And honestly, other than maybe Ryan, I don't know how many of this new youth movement is gonna make it to that.

As for Simmons...eh...maybe head to a low-market team, see if that works?

Coming Tomorrow- Some guy with a beard from Pittsburgh.