2014 Midseason Report
Our second
season with 16 teams has been an interesting one, as parity continues to grow
throughout the league. The new league playoff format makes the unbalanced
schedule crucial in getting that wildcard spot. With so many teams still in the
hunt, the trade deadline should really be hopping. Who can make the right moves
to find their way to the post season?
Time to see how we're doing
prediction-wise so far this year.
North Division
Darin's Take:
Through
early to mid-June, this was a four team race. At one point, three teams were
tied for first while the fourth was just 2 games back. Since then, Halifax has
jumped out ahead, but the other three teams are still tightly bunched,
jockeying for position both in the division and in the wildcard race. Who will
make a move to put themselves ahead of the rest? Can Halifax build on this
lead, or will they fall back to the pack? This one will be fun to watch.
Dylan's Take: Well, everything is going just about the
opposite of the way I thought it would, so that’s super. Philly is going
from worst-to-first-to-worst, but the North Division is the second closest
division (behind the Euro) so who knows what will happen. So far so good for
Darin, he’s batting 1.000 on his North Division picks. Bastard!
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 1st in
North / Dylan: 3rd in North
Current Standing: 51-38 (1st in North)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .269 / 405
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.99 /
379
All-Star Selections: P Craig Hansen, 1B Prince Fielder,
1B Brad Hawpe, 2B T.J. Mackey
|
Darin's
Take Welcome
back Sailors, and thank you for making my first place prediction look good
(so far). Halifax has jumped ahead in the division, thanks to resurgent years
from Fielder and Young plus unexpected run production from Mackey. The
pitching has held up their end of the bargain, and the result is not only the
division lead, but a neck and neck race with Atlanta for the coveted first
round bye in the playoffs. You never know why your team hits or doesn’t,
but Sailor fans are glad that the team brought the thundersticks this year. Biggest Surprise: T.J.
Mackey has already surpassed his career high in RBI and we’re only at
the midway point in the season. Having a third option for run production in the
middle of the order has made this a far more formidable lineup thus far. Biggest Disappointment: The team
can’t get anything out of center field. Both Dyche and Rios have
struggled mightily at the plate and there isn’t an obvious replacement
on the roster (unless the team decides to call up Gillespie). Man on the Spot Update: Niemann
has already matched last year’s win total (9), so I think he’s
off the hot seat. First Half MVP: Prince
Fielder is back in a big way. He should be in the MVP discussion this year;
his numbers may not quite be up to Lemming/Peppers level, but it can be
argued that no one has been more valuable to their team thus far. Second Half Preview: So the
team is ahead of the pack, but will it be content to rest on its laurels
(whatever laurels are) or will management be aggressive on the trade market?
That first round bye could mean avoiding Atlanta, so it seems that the team
should do everything it can to keep improving. |
Dylan's Take First
Half Recap: Call these guys the reverse
Philly. The Sailors won just 66 games in 2013, but have already won 51 times
this season. Nice of Prince Fielder to wake up this year after sleeping
through 2013. Even bigger news for the Halifax faithful is that the pitching
staff has improved leaps and bounds from last years effort, shaving nearly a
half a run off per game. Combine that improvement with a better offense, and
voila! First place. Biggest Surprise: Mark McCormick has cut over a
run off of his 2013 ERA, already matching his quality start totals from last
year. Horacio Ramirez has just about matched him, cutting over a run off of
his ERA as well. The answer to this question could be either one of these
guys. Wait a minute, you’re telling me that if your offense gets
better, and your pitching staff does the same, your team will improve?
BRILLIANT! Biggest Disappointment: I guess I’ll go with
Delmon Young here. He hasn’t been awful, but on an offense that’s
taken a step forward in 2014, Young has taken a step backwards. I mean, when
your starting shortstop has a higher OPS than your right fielder,
that’s not good, right? Man on the Spot Update: Eric Ridener has won seven
games with a 4.11 ERA. Hardly award caliber, but he’s been serviceable.
The good news is that those seven victories would place him just two wins shy
of second-best on the Sailors 2013 staff. First Half MVP: Without a doubt it’s been
Fielder. The Prince is on pace to have by far his best season ever, finally
living up to his considerable upside (not to mention waistband). Second Half Preview: The future, at least for the rest of this season, looks bright. Who would have thought before the season that Halifax would be just half a game behind Atlanta for the best record in the American league? Probably Darin, that’s who. The Sailors have a 6.5 game lead over the rest of the North, and probably only Cleveland has a chance to challenge them the rest of the way. |
Down on the Farm:
This farm system was among the
worst in the league just a year ago, but look at them now. The Sailors have
done a fantastic job drafting hitters, as evidenced by the big years by
Gillespie, Corcoran, Maddox and Dravinger. Gillespie could have been AAA MVP
and looks to be a future #2 hitter. If Rand McPherson isn’t the best
pitching prospect in the minors, he’s top 3. Amazing year for the 20 year
old lefty.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 3rd in
North / Dylan: 2nd in North
Current Standing: 44-44 (T-2nd in North, 6.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .263 / 376
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.42 /
408
All-Star Selections: P Daniel Pursel, C Neil Walker
|
Darin's
Take It’s
been an up and down season for the Dawgs. Early on, they looked like the team
to beat, but the team has fallen back to the pack and is now fighting to stay
out of last. Giving up more runs than you score usually leads to bad results,
and despite the surprising breakout year by Daniel Pursel, the pitching has
its problems. This is a very young offense, and as such, can only be asked to
do so much. Biggest Surprise: Neil
Walker for sure. There have been a lot of good hitting catchers come up in
recent years, but who predicted this guy would be an All Star? Walker leads
the team’s offense and is outplaying Coon, Sizemore and Betemit. Biggest Disappointment: Alex Gordon.
Seriously, how many years do we have to wait for this guy? He’s always
hurt, platooned, slumping…something. Too soon to call him a bust? Man on the Spot Update: Yep,
Gordon has not been there. Seemingly cannot be relied on. Sad. First Half MVP: Daniel
Pursel for sure. Zito and Kazmir have done okay, but nobody predicted the
young Dawg would be leading the league in wins at the break. If this guy had
gone the way of Miller, Mangan or Frey, the team would be totally screwed. Second Half Preview: I could
almost cut and paste the Philly preview here. The team is just a trade or two
from jumping out in the wildcard race, and at just 6.5 back in the division,
the North title isn’t out of the question. There is work to be done for
sure. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Well, I picked Cleveland to
finish in second, and they’re in second. Of course, they’re just
2 games out of last, but whatever. Considering the lack of production from
Kazmir, Zito and Verlander, (combined 31.5 million this season) and injuries
to Gordon and Coon, Cleveland has to be somewhat relieved to be as close as
they are. Biggest Surprise: Has to be Daniel Pursel’s
All-Star season. He’s cut almost 2.00 runs off his ERA from 2013 and
his 12 wins are four more than he had in all of 2013 and lead the SLB.
How’s he doing it? Well, after giving up 40 homeruns last year,
he’s allowed just 13 in 2014. Biggest Disappointment: Either Verlander or Kazmir
could win this “honor”. To his credit though, Verlander’s
health has been the disappointment, so I’m going to go with Kazmir
here. 9 million a year for a 4.49 ERA? Ouch. Man on the Spot Update: We’re getting perilously
close to “bust” status with Alex Gordon. The tenth overall
selection from 2011 has played in only 24 injury plagued games this year
after posting a disappointing .759 OPS his rookie season. Gordon is still looking at another few
weeks before stepping back on the field, but he needs a really, really strong
second-half to get his numbers up to a respectable level. First Half MVP: This one is easy, where would
this team be without Pursel? With Verlander on the shelf, Pursel has filled
in and against all odds kept the Dawgs in the running. Second Half Preview: The good news is that even with all the injuries and pitching struggles, the Dawgs are close (just a game out of the wild-card). Verlander and Coon are back, Gordon will be back in late July or early August and Zito and Kazmir are better than they’ve played. I don’t see them catching Halifax, but the playoffs are a definite possibility. |
Down on the Farm:
Rough year in Hawaii, but not
without its standout performances. Rich Mangan had a nice year on the bump,
giving up just 89 hits in 102 innings. Calvin Y’Barra had a nearly 10:1 K
to BB ratio but gave up 40 HR in 160 IP (wow). The team drafted more hitting
this year (after a pitching run last year), grabbing the very promising Alex
Hildenbrand (already promoted) and Jack Horner. Voorhees has good upside but
clearly has some work to do.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 2nd in
North / Dylan: Last in North
Current Standing: 44-44 (T-2nd in North, 6.5 game out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .254 / 357
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.83 /
350
All-Star Selections: 3B Eric Chavez
|
Darin's
Take Same shit,
different year. It seems like I write the same thing every season. Bedford is
just stuck in a pattern of having exceptional pitching but a lousy offense,
leading to losing 3-2 over and over again. The offense has barely scored more
runs than the pitching has surrendered, and the team batting average is among
the worst in the league. Thankfully for Crunch fans, Eric Chavez is back to
his Hall of Fame self and Troy Glaus is having a last hurrah with the stick.
Otherwise it’s been a lot of quality starts that have gone to waste. Biggest Surprise: Luis
Martinez has made himself useful! Granted, this is one of those teams that
make bad pitchers look good, but it’s nice to have a cheap option as a
fifth starter, especially when they throw left-handed. Biggest Disappointment: The entire
outfield has sucked butt. Seriously, Bedford can’t put anyone out there
who can hit worth a damn. Erstad, Matsui, Kotsay, Johnson, Monroe,
Koovitz….all failures. When you aren’t getting run production
from either corner OF spot, your offense will struggle. Man on the Spot Update: Glaus may
not be hitting like he did back in the day, but he can still park one now and
again. His career is winding down, but he’s trying to go out with a
bang. First Half MVP: Has to be
Eric Chavez. Last year he looked like he had lost a step, but he’s back
to his career form. If he was struggling, you may have been looking at one of
the worst records in the league. Second Half Preview: Despite
being just a game out of the wildcard, Crunch management has announced their
intentions to be sellers on the trade market. Will the team reverse course if
they have the wildcard lead in a few weeks? If not, this should be your first
call if you need pitching. Escobar or Willis would be a big impact on a team
looking to jump ahead. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: If it wasn’t for the
starting pitching (all 5 starters have an ERA under 4.00) this might be the
worst team in the league. They have the second lowest slugging percentage and
third worst on-base percentage in SLB, and are sitting at .500. What the
hell? The offense really misses JD Drew and David Ortiz, because their
replacements (Erstad and Youkilis) have been absolutely terrible. Biggest Surprise: What the hell happened to
Matsui? While he’s certainly not great anymore, he’s been
serviceable at least for the last few seasons. Now he has 2 HR and a .613
OPS, forcing the Crunch to put him on the trade block. If they can’t
trade him, at least they only have him for 2 ½ more years. DOH! Biggest Disappointment: With JD Drew and David Ortiz
both sailing off into the sunset following 2013, Bedford really needed a
strong performance from Matsui. What did they get? A .223 batting average and
two homeruns (just one more than Tai Fong rookie pitcher Jim Bauers). Chop-sucky.
Man on the Spot Update: I said before the season that
Hochevar needed to step it up, and Luke has been about as good as the
Crunch could have hoped, helping the Bedford staff keep the team afloat in
the playoff race even with one of the three or four worst offenses in the
league. First Half MVP: Dontrelle Willis has been the
anchor in a sturdy Crunch rotation. 2014 makes three straight very good
seasons for the underrated southpaw. Without him Bedford would be fighting
Baltimore to stay out of the American League cellar. Second Half Preview: Well, they aren’t catching Halifax, that’s for sure. And unlike Cleveland they don’t have a bunch of injured players returning to spark them, so I expect the Dawgs to leave them in the dust as well. They have a lot of money coming off the books in the off-season, but they need to resign at least one of Willis and Kelvim Escobar, so they desperately need to stay out of last to avoid the cap hit. Luckily, Philly’s pitching has been awful, giving the Crunch a two game head start to stay above them. |
Down on the Farm:
The offensive prospects are
piling up in Detroit, particularly in the outfield and at third base. Sloat,
Avila and Woodward are all strong contenders to eventually replace Eric Chavez
at the hot corner, each bringing a different skill set. Todric Johnson was
great in both AAA and Rookie Ball, while Basil Elton-John was good but not
great. Bryan Parson is the best pitching prospect, showing good control.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: Last in
North / Dylan: 1st in North
Current Standing: 43-47 (Last in North, 8.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .269 / 418
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.39 /
410
All-Star Selections: 1B Craig Brazell, 3B Miguel
Cabrera, SS Wilson Betemit, LF Wily Mo Pena, CF Jay Bruce, RF Will Hunting
|
Darin's
Take Last
year’s division champs have had a rough time defending their crown,
mostly due to the losses of Penny and Webb in the off season. The offense has
done well (as evidenced by the six All-Stars) but no suitable replacement was
found for last year’s key starters. Couple that with a terrible season
from Neal Cotts, and you have what is now a last place team. To be fair, the
Fever are just two games out of second place (and three back in the wildcard),
so this isn’t a lost season yet. Biggest Surprise: Val
Pasucci has stepped up the power, slugging above .500 and contributing from
what is usually a light hitting position. Biggest Disappointment: Neal Cotts
was a one year wonder. Probably predictable, but his failure to even come
close to last year’s numbers has been the difference so far this
season. Shame on management for relying on him to contribute. Man on the Spot Update: What more
can you ask for from Brownlie? He is 9-1 and is putting together his best
season in years. The team would be screwed without him right now. First Half MVP: Will
Hunting. This guy does it all. I still can’t believe he got re-signed
for so cheap. Probably the best #3 hitter not playing for Atlanta. Second Half Preview: The team
is right in this thing despite being 4 under .500. A trade for a better
pitcher and continued production from this no-name offense can get the Fever
to the playoffs for the second straight year. The question is whether GM
Brian B is willing to part with some prospects to get what he needs. |
Dylan's
Take Well, the pitching staff
definitely reverted. After finishing in the top half of the league in team
ERA last year, the Fever are giving up half a run more a game in 2014. Other
than Brownlie and a couple of relievers, there isn’t much to like about
the staff’s first half performance. Offensively they haven’t been
awful, they just haven’t scored enough to make up for the pitching
woes. Biggest Surprise: I’d like to say the pitching,
but I really should have seen this drop off coming. I guess I’ll go
with Scott Strickland, he hasn’t had a decent season since managing to
not suck for 13 innings in 2008. Now he has a sub 3.00 ERA. Oooooook. Biggest Disappointment: Neal Cotts won 16 games last
year and put up a 4.07 ERA. Fast forward to now and he’s 5-11 with an
ERA pushing 6.00. Hey-O! Man on the Spot Update: I said that if Philly wanted to
stay on top that Jay Bruce would have to repeat his .978 OPS from 2013.
What’s his 2014 OPS? .790. What place is Philly in? Last. There you go. First Half MVP: Bobby Brownlie is the one
bright spot in an otherwise dismal rotation. At the halfway point he’s
9-1 with a 3.48 ERA, striking out more than a batter an inning. Second Half Preview: Well, they’re in last, but only 8.5 back in the North and just 3.5 back in the Wild Card. The offense has struggled in spots but it still above average, so if the staff wakes up, there’s still hope for a second straight post-season berth. |
Down on the Farm:
The Philly farm system is on
quite a roll. They seem to be in (or close to) the AAA championship series
every year now, even with some player turnover. Harrison and Hunter were
unbelievable this year; Hunter had 32 HR in just 84 games. Yeesh. The pitching
has been thin, but Van Giel and Barkley had very impressive debuts in rookie
ball, so maybe that’s changing.
South Division
Darin's
Take: Though the current order of the division is pretty much what I
predicted, I didn’t think it would be this close. Atlanta has fallen back
to the pack while Baltimore has taken some baby steps towards improvement. The
defending champs have had a tough time with injuries, but if they can get
healthy, they, along with San Juan, are playoff contenders. It still looks like
Atlanta’s division to lose, but it won’t be over in early August
this year.
Dylan's
Take: Who thought
that Atlanta would be so un-Atlanta like? Sure, they still have the most wins
in the SLB, but last year they had already won 63 games. San Juan is the only
other team in the division above .500, and with its pitching, and if the
Senadores make it into the playoffs, they could really do some damage. Savannah
has fallen a long way from last year’s Championship club and Baltimore,
well, Baltimore is still Baltimore.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 1st in
South / Dylan: 1st in South
Current Standing: 53-38 (1st in South)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .277 / 432
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.89 /
369
All-Star Selections: P Homer Bailey, P Mark Prior, P
Carlos Zambrano, C Jeffrey Clement, 2B Jed Lowrie, CF Darren Lemming, RF Dennis
Dennis Jr.
|
Darin's
Take The team
has been good this year, but they are no longer the ludicrously unfair squad
we saw a year ago. The offense has scored nearly 100 fewer runs and the
pitching, while still good, has given up more than a year ago. There are some
holes in the lineup (third, left field) and the overall power is down.
Jeffrey Clement has shaken off a slow start to put up numbers we expected,
making the trade of Troy Paris look good. Biggest Surprise: Adam Lind
has become a legit, top line first baseman for this team. He is second on the
team in RBI (ahead of Clement and Dennis); not bad for a former third round
pick in the Amateur Draft. Biggest Disappointment: Carl
Pavano has not done well despite the great run support the team provides.
Eric Valent has had injury problems and has fallen way below is All Star form
of 2013. Man on the Spot Update: Clement
has done everything the team could want. They unloaded Paris to make room,
gaining $5 million in the deal, and to this point, the rookie has outplayed
his Kyoto counterpart. First Half MVP: Carlos
Zambrano has showed no ill effects from last year’s arm injury. He
leads the team in wins, helping to offset the poor season from Pavano. Expect
him to be in the Cy Young picture at season’s end. Second Half Preview: No reason
to panic, as this is still the team to beat in the South. Is Jim Master
content merely fielding a 90 win team, or will he step up his usually
conservative trading efforts to help out his weaknesses? The bullpen could
really use some help, but Masters is usually reluctant to give up quality
prospects. If the team ends up having to play in the first round, can the
team (as built now) beat the pitching of, say, San Juan in a seven game
series? |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Well, they haven’t been
the Atlanta we expected, but they’re still in first. Lemming is still
the best player in the league and Bailey and Zambrano are probably the best
1-2 pitching combo in the league. I think the loss of Morgan Ensberg hurt
this team a lot more than anyone thought it would, as his replacements have
combined for a whole three homeruns! Who turned out the power? Biggest Surprise: No real shockers here, maybe we
expected a little too much from Lemming after the way he tore through the
league last season, but his OPS is down almost .150 points from his 2013
total. It’s hard to be disappointed with 26 homeruns and 77 RBIs at the
break, though. Biggest Disappointment: Jacobo and McCann haven’t
done a damn thing in their combined 385 at-bats at third base. They have just
33 extra base hits between the two of them, and neither of them have an
on-base percentage over .300. There were half a dozen decent third basemen on
the market in the off-season, but Masters stayed with his in house options, offering
last year’s third baseman, Morgan Ensberg, only $1.8 million over three
years. Man on the Spot Update: Jeffrey Clement made the
all-star team in his first full season, and maybe more importantly, has
performed much better than his predecessor (Troy Paris) has in Kyoto. On pace
for over 30 homeruns and over 100 RBIs, cant ask for much more out of your
rookie catcher. First Half MVP: I’m going to go with
Homer Bailey here. He continues to plow through SLB hitters, and is on pace
for his third consecutive CY Young. It’s scary to think of what kind of
salary he’s going to command when he hits the market. Unfortunately for
the rest of us, that won’t be for another two and a half years. Damn
you Atlanta! Second Half Preview: As long as they can hold off San Juan, they should be ok. All the ingredients are there, so I can’t see them not reaching the playoffs. Hell, if Masters can find a warm body to play third, they might reach 2013’s rarified air again. |
Down on the Farm:
Charleston nabs another
championship on the back of a crazy loaded roster. Tucker and Hurley won their
awards and Burns was a close second in Top Hitter voting. The pitching is
strong, with Tucker, Krieger, Plantier and Hernandez. Heck, the only pitcher
who had a bad season was Sneed. Sick.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 3rd in
South / Dylan: 3rd in South
Current Standing: 45-43 (2nd in South, 6.0 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .275 / 365
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.62 /
329
All-Star Selections: P Danny Haren, P Jonathan Papelbon,
P C.C. Sabathia, 2B Scott Hodges
|
Darin's
Take Here we
are again. In San Juan’s second season, they once again are right in
the wildcard picture at the half way point of the year. 2013 resulted in a
late season slide into third place, but will history repeat itself? The
Senadores have the best team ERA in the league, and with an improved offense
(thanks to Larkin and Co.), the team seems to be in good shape to contend the
rest of the way. The team has proven to be streaky, and outside of their main
pitchers, have some question marks in the rotation. It doesn’t hurt
having the best closer in the league (how does zero earned runs on the year
sound?). Biggest Surprise: Gil Meche
is having a career year as the #3 starter. Too bad Buehrle and Fossum
can’t say the same. Biggest Disappointment: An injury
has held rookie Floyd Larkin to just over 40 games so far this year. Looked
like it could be a special year for him, though a healthy return this year
will do nothing but help the team down the stretch. Man on the Spot Update: In HSH, I
said that if the tandem of Meche/Buehrle/Fossum could eat up innings and be
at least “average”, the team wouldn’t finish in last place.
You could argue that they’ve been slightly above average, and none of
the three has missed a start. First Half MVP: Offensively,
Scott Hodges, who is putting up numbers like the old days. Pitching-wise,
Danny Haren, who has 17 QS in 18 games. Woah. Second Half Preview: Things are
looking up in the near future with both Larkin and Hafner coming off the DL
in the next week or two. GM Bill Gluvna is working the phones hard to try to
add another starting pitcher, but so far he hasn’t found a deal to his
liking. Expect at least one deal to go down here. If the team can add a front
line quality arm, this rotation will be hell to play in the playoffs. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Everyone’s favorite
success story, Bill Gluvna’s San Juan Senadores are 45-43 and just 6.0
games behind Atlanta and are a game up in the Wild Card race. A second year
team in the playoffs you say? Preposterous. Guess what though, with the pitching
this squad has, they may not just make the playoffs, they might do some
damage. We all saw what happened last year when Savannah got in and its
pitching got hot. This is not how an expansion team is supposed to perform. Biggest Surprise: Scott Hodges has always been a
good player, but he struggled somewhat in 2013 and San Juan, in its short
history, has been a place where offense goes to die. Well, Hodges has already
eclipsed the numbers from last season and is well on his way to a career
year. Biggest Disappointment: The Senadores needed offense,
so they resigned Xavier Nady after the leftfielder had a pretty decent 2013.
Well, it’s a few months later and Gluvna has been quoted in the press
saying that he is bringing up prospect Brad Miller because he is “tired
of Nady sucking ass”. After hitting .313 last year, Nady is down to
.263 in 2014. Sucking ass, indeed. Man on the Spot Update: I said they needed a big year
out of Sabathia to reach the playoffs, and boy have they gotten it. The big
man has won 10 games with a 2.36 ERA, striking out 125 batters in 125
innings. Couldn’t ask for much more than that. First Half MVP: As good as Hodges and Sabathia
have been, Danny Haren has been better. The right-hander has only given up
four homeruns on the year, and has 17 quality starts already. Haren has been
the most valuable, but Papelbon has been the best player. He hasn’t
given up an earned run all season! Second Half Preview: The Senadores are leading the pack as far as the wildcard goes, but they have to hold off a group of contenders. Of those contenders, a now healthy Cleveland team looks like the best bet to unseat San Juan and topple its playoffs hopes. If they can hold off the Dawgs, this team can do some real damage in the playoffs. |
Down on the Farm:
Despite good years from Brad
Miller and Luis Feliz, Caracas put up the worst record in AAA. The pitching was
flat out horrible. Seriously, WTF? It was addressed in the draft, with last
year’s NCAA Reliever of the Year Alvin Dailey being added. Eddie Degerman
just looks overmatched.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 2nd in
South / Dylan: 2nd in South
Current Standing: 43-48 (3rd in South, 9.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .255 / 368
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.27 /
402
All-Star Selections: P Eric Gagne
|
Darin's
Take I
shouldn’t be too surprised that last year’s champs have struggled
a bit (I did, after all, predict them to finish in third place). Injuries
have certainly taken a toll on the team, with extended DL stints for key
players like Oswalt (and now Linden, who is lost until September). The
offense is way down from a year ago, and the pitching has fallen off as well.
Management is doing what it can, sending a pile of players through waivers to
try to get the right guys on the roster. Biggest Surprise: Tough call
in a season full of so many down years. I guess Runelvys Hernandez
outpitching the likes of Humber, Oswalt and Halladay is what jumps out at you
here. Biggest Disappointment: The
offense hasn’t been able to manufacture runs this year like they did a
year ago. Jay Gibbons has really failed to produce. On the pitching side,
Phillip Humber has suddenly become decidedly average. Man on the Spot Update: I asked
how much Andruw Jones had left. To this point, he has played like a guy who
is past his prime. First Half MVP: Todd
Linden was the best of a paltry offense. His numbers were about as good as
you could expect considering no one was getting on base for him. Now
he’s injured, which could send this team into last place. Second Half Preview: Could be
rough sailing ahead if this offense can’t start figuring things out. Is
it too soon to call up Brandon Leahy? The team has won some key series with
Baltimore, keeping the Panthers safely in last place, but at the rate the
team is going, there is no guarantee that the Sabers can hold them off for 2
½ more months. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Well, this is just
disappointing. They are in third place, and the team that surprised everyone
and won the 2013 title is struggling with a capital S this year. They just
can’t hit. Their homerun totals are up, but everything else is down and
the pitching has been decidedly average, all four starters that have tossed
over 100 innings have ERAs over 4.00. Ugly. Biggest Surprise: Who the hell is Todd Linden?
The 33 year old was a 37th round draft pick in the original draft
and has only been a full timer once in his career, but this season the switch
hitter is batting .323 with 20 homeruns and 29 stolen bases. He has a 960 OPS
and has been the best hitter on this downtrodden offense. Great! Oh, what?
He’s out for two or three months? Daaaaaamn. As bad as this offense has
been, he might still have the best numbers on the team when he comes back. Biggest Disappointment: Just two seasons off a 44
homerun 69 stolen base year in Havana, Carlos Beltran has become basically a
platoon player with an OPS below .700. He’s only making slightly more
than $1 million a season, but with two-and-a-half years left on his contract,
Saber fans were hoping for more. Man on the Spot Update: At the beginning of the year, I
said that whoever won the third base job would have to hit for this team to
succeed. Well, I don’t know if I was right, because Garrett Atkins and
Joe Crede have formed a pretty decent little platoon, and the Sabers are
still under .500. The pair has combined for 19 homeruns and 64 RBIs, but the
team still isn’t winning. Look on the bright side, though, Atlanta
would kill for that kind of hot corner production. First Half MVP: Without a doubt Todd Linden.
Too bad he won’t be the second half MVP. Hell, we might not see him the
rest of the season. It’s a shame too, he was on pace for almost 40
homeruns and 60 stolen bases, a Lemming-like combination of speed and power.
He’s usually played well when given the chance, but who saw that
coming? Second Half Preview: They’ve got Oswalt healthy again, so that’s good, but without Linden’s big bat they’re going to need someone to lead the offense, and looking at the roster, there’s not a lot of options. I don’t see them catching San Juan, so it looks like these champs are one-and-done. |
Down on the Farm:
Overall it was a down year for
Tampa, but the Tux have one of the best hitting AND pitching prospects in the
game. Brandon Leahy can flat out hit, posting an OBP of .411 in AAA and .440 in
Rookie League. On the pitching side, the team brags Frank Wood, drafted from
Notre Dame last season. He a 7-4, 2.86 effort in AAA with a 6-0, 1.06 showing
in RL (holy shit!) His play overshadowed very nice pitching by Milt Richardson.
John Atwood looks like a keeper.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: Last in
South / Dylan: Last in South
Current Standing: 38-52 (Last in South, 14.0 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .255 / 345
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.51 /
415
All-Star Selections: P Jon Switzer (alt.)
|
Darin's
Take You wish
you could report a ton of progress from the perennially bad Panthers, but I
guess even a few more wins is something, right? While the hiting has taken a
slight step back, the pitching has knocked nearly ¾ of a run off the team
ERA. You would expect better progress from a team that perennially has a top
5 pick in the draft, but nothing has panned out so far. Mayberry has
struggled, Ubardo was rushed to the majors, and all three of the picks from
2010 (Mahara, Cam Johnson and Vecchio) are off the team. Add in an aging
middle of the lineup and all sorts of bad in the bullpen and you have what
you have…a last place team. Biggest Surprise: Jason
Marquis hasn’t let the black hole of pitching ability completely suck
the life out of him. Biggest Disappointment: Mayberry
is hitting .248 with one (count em’) ONE home run. Man on the Spot Update: Sowers has
drastically improved his numbers but still can’t win. Such is life on
the Baltimore pitching staff. First Half MVP: I guess
you could go with either Marquis of Vladdy Guerrero here. Both are trying
their damndest to make this team better, even when everyone else on the team
is phoning it in every day. Second Half Preview: GM Jose
Gutierrez is flat out determined to not finish last this year, if only to
quiet those of us who doubt them year after year. But will that short term
goal mesh with what should be a long term plan to make this team a perennial
contender? Watch carefully for who will/won’t be shopped at the
deadline and what affect that could have down the line. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Oh Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore.
The new good news is that they don’t have the worst record in the
league. The bad news, of course, is that they have the second worst. Vlad is
hitting and Sowers and Marquis are pitching well, but other than that,
it’s just Baltimore being Baltimore. Biggest Surprise: Jeremy Sowers lost 20 games and
had a 5.61 ERA last year, but this season he’s picked it up in a big
way, slicing over two full runs off that number. He’s still on pace to
lose almost 20 games, but you can’t really blame him, the Panther
offense is last in the SLB in runs scored. Biggest Disappointment: Dallas McPherson has hit better
than .300 in three of his last four years. He’s also belted out less
than 30 homeruns only once in the last seven seasons. This year? He’s
hitting .258 with an OPS under.750. He’s knocked out just ten
longballs, helping “lead” (for lack of a better term) Baltimore
to a league-low 58 homeruns. Man on the Spot Update: Sowers has certainly picked it
up and is on pace to have his best year since 2011. It’s amazing to me
that as bad as the offense has been, Baltimore is actually on pace to win
more games than it did a year ago. First Half MVP: Once again, I’m going
with Sowers here. The lefty has helped lead to a starting rotation that
performed very admirably considering the fact that the offense sleeps through
most of their starts. Second Half Preview: After finishing 55.0 games back a year ago, the Panthers hit the All-Star break just 14 games behind Atlanta, though that’s due more to Atlanta’s regression rather than their own performance. If they can hold off London (35 wins) and Taipei (38), they won’t be the worst team in the league! It’s a start, I guess. |
Down on the Farm:
How is it that the Flyers have a
late round pick every year but have a WAY better farm system than Baltimore?
Sure, there are some decent looking guys on the team, but the talent level is
nowhere near where it should be with the number of Top 5 picks the team has
amassed. Vanderwal did impress in his pro debut.
Euro Division
Darin's
Take: The Euro has
been turned on its head this year, with last year’s bad teams doing well
and vice versa. Paris is back to its winning ways while London has been an
unmitigated disaster. Scotland currently leads the wildcard on the back of
strong pitching and an improved lineup, while Ireland’s roster
experiments have resulted in some interesting (if not entirely consistent)
results. Who knows how this will turn out..
Dylan's
Take: Well, me and Darin both picked Paris for
last. Oops. The Pimps are in first and London, last season’s division
winner, is in dead last, with the worst record in the league. Everything is
going exactly how I planned, just replace London and Paris. I like how I said
that everything is going exactly how I planned, when I only got 50% of my guess
right.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: Last in
Euro / Dylan: Last in Euro
Current Standing: 50-38 (1st in Euro)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .276 / 409
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.50 /
410
All-Star Selections: P Tim Hudson, 3B Youliesky
Gourriel, LF Carlos Valderrama
|
Darin's
Take Well
clearly I’m surprised here. I predicted the Pimps to finish dead last
in the Euro, claiming the team was too old to compete. Well clearly these
vets have some fight left in them, as Paris has stiff-armed Scotland for the
past month to hold onto first place in the division. A big reason for the
team’s success has been the two younger hitters. Rookie Gourriel has
been awesome at third base, leading the team in HR while just one behind
fellow All Star Valderrama. Derrek Lee is hitting like the days of old, and
Rollins has been his typical self at leadoff. A healthy Jerome Williams has
been a nice addition, though he has yet to regain his Cy Young form. The
bullpen has really stepped it up. Biggest Surprise: Valderrama
has been little more than a bench guy most of his career, but now he’s
a key player in this lineup. With Berkman and Morneau having down years, his
contributions are invaluable. Biggest Disappointment: Berkman
and Morneau have combined for just 15 HR and 43 RBI so far. Remarkable that
the team isin first plce. Man on the Spot Update: Williams
is 6-5 with a 4.28 ERA. Not as good as years past, but a heck of a lot better
than not playing at all. First Half MVP: Gourriel
has been everything Paris has wanted and more. He’s a strong candidate
for ROY and should be an anchor for the Pimps at third for years to come. Second Half Preview: 2 ½ months
is a long time to hang on, so GM Michael Taylor needs to do what he can at
the deadline to try and put some distance between themselves and the Rebels.
Scotland has yet to play its best baseball, so this is going to be a tough
task. If the Pimps can solve the fifth starter position and can get their
marquee hitters healthy, they look good for a return to the playoffs. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Well, we certainly didn’t
see this coming. The team Darin and I both picked to finish in last survived
the injuries of Justin Morneau and Lance Berkman, and not only that, they
ended up winning 50 games and went into the All-Star break just 2.5 games
away from having the best record in the whole league. Way to make us look
like idiots, Paris. Biggest Surprise: Uh, the fact that they’re
winning? A resurgent Derrek Lee is having his best year since 2001 and the
rest of the team has combined for a .474 slugging percentage, good for second
place, behind Osaka. Did you really think that at the All-Star break these
guys would have a higher team OPS than Atlanta? Biggest Disappointment: It’s hard to be too
critical of a team when they’re sitting in first, but Jerome Williams
has been really bad this year. The four-time All-Star was lost for the entire
2013 season after going on the DL in early April, and just hasn’t been
himself since returning, posting a 4.28 ERA in 18 starts. The Pimps fans are
hoping that he knocks some of that dust off and gets back to his old winning
ways. He’s making over $10 million in this, the final year of his
contract, so he better. Man on the Spot Update: Morneau has hit when he’s
been healthy, appearing in 55 games and splitting time between first base and
right field. Honestly, Gourriel, Valderama, Lee, Berkman and Morneau are a
pretty fearsome five-some to have to face in the lineup everyday, and
they’re doing it all for a grand total of $12.3 million dollars, or
just slightly more than Albert Pujols. That’s bargain shopping at its
finest. First Half MVP: Derrek Lee is the choice here.
He’s hitting .341/.408/.580 and he’s doing it all $1.5 million
dollars. You can’t beat that. The other option would be Zach Day, who
leads the team in wins with eight and has a 2.75 ERA. Oh yeah, he’s
making just $5 million himself. It’s like Paris went on Supermarket
Sweep, but got baseball players instead of crappy hams and turkeys. Second Half Preview: After a first half where everything went right, can the Pimps keep it up? Like I mentioned earlier, they went an amazing 18-4 in one run games, a number that without a terrific bullpen seems unsustainable. Especially considering that as of right now, they’ve given up more runs than they’ve scored. They’re only a game up on Scotland, and while I expect the Rebels to pass them up, a shot at a Wild-Card berth is surely possible, and as Savannah showed us last year, that might be all it takes. |
Down on the Farm:
It’s all about the hitting
in Quebec where Vanderaarde, Head and Dinkman star. The team added Clay and
Watwood this year, making this one of the best lineups in the minors. There was
some pretty good pitching during the AAA season (Pawelek, Unser), but it was
atrocious in RL. What happened?
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 1st in
Euro / Dylan: 1st in Euro
Current Standing: 49-41 (2nd in Euro, 2.0 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .270 / 392
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.94 /
364
All-Star Selections: P Mark Mulder, 1B Ryan Howard, 2B Josh
Barfield, LF Adam Dunn
|
Darin's
Take Scotland’s
big acquisitions in the off season lead to some high expectations, and though
they haven’t proved to be world beaters, the Rebels have hung in there
in the Euro division race. The team currently leads the wildcard on the back
of improvements in both the lineup and the rotation. The hitting coach has
finally figured out the climate and dimensions in Scotland, tutoring the
young hitters (Stubbs and Longoria) to thrive. Dunn, Howard and Barfield have
found a home here, hitting more homers than I thought anyone could in
Edinburgh. The Rebels also have the luxury of six rock solid starters, giving
them options come trade time. Biggest Surprise: Josh
Barfield is on pace to set a career high in homers. Shocking considering the
typically difficult hitting conditions in Scotland. Nice pick up. Biggest Disappointment: The
bullpen has struggled mightily while the rotation has rocked. Shane Mungitt
is the biggest disappointment with his 6.00+ ERA. Man on the Spot Update: His
average isn’t great, but Adam Dunn is leading the team in power.
He’s been about as good as you can expect. First Half MVP: Tough
choice, as there have been plenty of great individual performances.
I’ll go with Drew Stubbs though, as he has really solidified the
leadoff role for this lineup. Stubbs makes the lineup go when he gets on
base. Second Half Preview: The team
looks to be in a real battle with Paris for the Euro title, with the second
place team likely taking home the wildcard spot. Assuming all the pitching
stays healthy, it seems like a good idea to try to turn one of the starters
into some pieces to help finish the puzzle. At this point, the playoffs look
pretty likely for the Rebels, but you can’t take for granted that Kyoto
or Ireland are going to scuffle the rest of the year. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Scotland is playing just how I
thought they would, it’s just that Paris is playing better. 2013 draft
picks Drew Stubbs and Evan Longoria are up and hitting the ball all over the
park and the starting pitching has been fantastic. Who saw Javier Vazquez
reaching the mid-way point with a 2.57 ERA? Not I. Biggest Surprise: Evan Longoria may one day
become the most famous Longoria in the world. Well, probably not, but
settling for No. 2 wouldn’t be too bad. The 2013 first rounder has 14
homeruns and 43 RBIs and is hitting almost .300 on the year. He has a curious
lack of doubles (15), which has limited his slugging percentage, but other
than that you really can’t argue with his performance. Biggest Disappointment: Scotland dropped $7.5 million
on Orber Moreno and he’s given them a tidy 7.18 ERA for all its
troubles. They also spent $5.25 on Brock Landers, who crapped out a 5.02 ERA
in the first half. Thanks for nothing, guys! Man on the Spot Update: Brandon Webb hasn’t
equaled his 2013 season (18-3, 2.65), but with a 3.24 ERA in 108.1 innings,
he’s certainly earning his money. He’s limited opponents to just
82 hits in those 108.1 innings and if he does that in the second half, get
ready to watch that ERA plummet (and the win totals rise). For $9 million a
year, he’s been a steal. First Half MVP: Sitting in the final year of a
3-year,$27 million dollar contract, and after two consecutive seasons with
ERA’s in the fours, Mark Mulder took a new approach to his off season
training regimen, and it paid off. The big lefty has struck out 140 batters
(second in the league) and lowered his ERA by over a point and a half from
last year. There’s some good pitching on the market for next year, but
if Mulder keeps this up, he’ll get his money from somewhere. Second Half Preview: I really think that Scotland is going to overtake Paris. If you look at the standings, the Pimps are 18-4 in one run games, by far the best in the league. They’ve also done this without the benefit of a great pitching staff (4.58 ERA), so it seems a bit fluky. If Scotland stays healthy in the second half, watch for them to make a serious run at the best record in the World. |
Down on the Farm:
Boarman and Willemberg lead the
Squirrel offense this year (though the latter was traded to Chiang-Mai). The
team added Parks and Gladden in the draft, giving them even more power options.
Andrew Miller is developing nicely and seems to be the most likely to succeed
in the majors.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 3rd in
Euro / Dylan: 3rd in Euro
Current Standing: 45-44 (3rd in Euro, 5.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .277 / 422
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.77 /
359
All-Star Selections: P A.J. Burnett, P Tadeshi Kawabata,
P Jeff Weaver, C Earl Hickey, 1B Boog Johnson, CF Marlon Byrd
|
Darin's
Take I have to
say, this has been a very interesting team to follow. The team with the $50
million pitching staff and $1.75 offense is a game above .500 and could make
this a three team race in the Euro. Ireland has almost always been a team
that favors veterans, but this new look, super young offense has done a great
job thus far. Rookie Boog Johnson is not only a front runner for ROY, but is
in the hunt for a batting title. Earl Hickey has picked up where he left off
last year, while Whammy May is doing his best Miguel Tejada impression.
Overall, four different players have already topped 50 RBI. The starting
pitching has been very impressive, but the closer spot has been a total
merry-go-round. In the last few weeks, Wheeler, Bush, Redding, Wood and
Clement have all had a shot in the 9th, but management
hasn’t seen what they’re looking for yet. Biggest Surprise: Aside from
the tremendous play of the rookies, you have to go with Jeff Weaver. A 2.50
ERA? Who could have guessed? Biggest Disappointment: There
really isn’t anyone who I expected to be great who hasn’t been.
So I think the biggest disappointment is simply that despite the offense
doing well and the starting rotation excelling, the wins just haven’t
come easy. On paper, you’d think this team’s record should be
much better. Man on the Spot Update: I had
Hickey on the spot because I wasn’t yet buying him as a star player. I
think he’s answered his critics thus far. First Half MVP: The
rookies. May, Johnson and Hickey have been just about as good any offensive
threesome in the league. All for a total of $600,000. Second Half Preview: If the
numbers stay this good, you have to believe that some of the breaks will
start going the Invaders’ way. If they do, this team is going to be a
pain in the wildcard race. Can the young players keep up this level of
performance over the long haul? Can the pitching stay healthy? Can the team
find a closer? All interesting questions. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Ireland has somehow managed to
take one of the best lineups and best pitching staffs in the league and
parlay it in third place. They have an offense equal to Paris’ and the
best pitching staff in the Euro, but here they are, at 45-44 and 5.5 games
behind the Pimps. Biggest Surprise: Uhh, welcome to the team Jeff
Weaver. The right-hander came over for the low, low price of $2.25 million a
year in the off season and has responded with his best year in, uh, ever. He
hasn’t had a year with an ERA lower than four since 2011 (3.98), so his
2.50 ERA at the intermission is quite the shock. Biggest Disappointment: The biggest disappointment is
that this collection of talent is somehow just one game above .500. If the
offense continues to rake like they did in the first half, expect that to
change. Look out Paris and Scotland, they don’t call these guys the
Invaders for nothing. Man on the Spot Update: After playing for five teams in
2013 (ending up in Halifax twice), Josh Beckett has settled into Ireland
quite nicely, thank you very much. The veteran right-hander has continued his
dominant pitching, leading the league with 141 strikeouts, reaching the break
with a 3.37 ERA. Strangely enough, Beckett, who despite great peripherals has
never been lucky enough to win more than 16 games, is continuing that trend,
winning just four games for Ireland this year. Weird. First Half MVP: Just how good was that 2013
draft class for Ireland? The Invaders first three picks are all up, and two
of them (Boog “Booger” Johnson and Earl Hickey) made the All-Star
team. The third, shortstop Whammy May, should have made it, as well. He
certainly deserved to go over Jose Reyes and actually had a higher OPS (.969)
than Alex Rodriguez (.960). Of the trio, it’s hard to pick which one
has been better. You could pick either May or Johnson and you wouldn’t
be wrong. How does a slow guy like Booger have ten triples? How is May
leading the team in homeruns (18)? If one of these two doesn’t end up
with the Rookie of the Year award, it will be a shock. Second Half Preview: The offense is great, the pitching is great, the record is…sub par. Expect Ireland to make a big push in the second half, meaning that the Euro race is shaping up to be quite a lot of fun. |
Down on the Farm:
With all the good rookies playing
in the majors, the Aussie team was pretty bare. The draft brought
reinforcements with Howard, Collins and Murphy. Murphy did not impress
considering his amazing NCAA season. The team could not be any thinner on
pitching prospects.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 2nd in
Euro / Tom: 2nd in Euro
Current Standing: 35-54 (Last in Euro, 15.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .261 / 368
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.65 /
422
All-Star Selections: P Daisuke Matsuzaka, C Michael
Barrett, SS Jose Reyes
|
Darin's
Take Amazing.
After a few seasons of build up and finally making the playoffs, everything
is back to square one again. London is pulling a first to worst, dropping 7
games below last year’s pace while giving up more runs. The team
won’t hit, most noticeably in the middle of the lineup, where Jeremy
Reed and Kendry Morales are experiencing the worst seasons of their careers.
The pitching has been a letdown as well, with Chris Volstad failing to come
through and Lance Broadway completely stinking it up; he failed to win a game
before being shipped to Chiang Mai for William Bray (who is a meager 4-8).
The bullpen really rots, with no one’s ERA below the mid-4’s. Biggest Surprise: Michael
Barrett suddenly becomes a useful catcher. He isn’t great, but
he’s done well enough that were Reed and Morales hitting to their
norms, he’d be a nice supplement to the lineup. As it stands now,
he’s among the team leaders with his 39 RBI. Biggest Disappointment: Gotta go
with Morales. You could write this guy in for 40 HR and 120 RBI every year
but now he’s suddenly crap? Off the HGH or something? Man on the Spot Update: Jeremy
Reed just isn’t getting it done. He’s barely hitting his weight. First Half MVP: Justin
Upton leads the team in runs, doubles and triples and is second in hits and
SLG. He and Reyes are doing what they can at the top, but the middle of the
order just isn’t knocking them in. Second Half Preview: At 15.5
out of first, things look bleak for the Knights. The team has some valuable
commodities to trade, lead by Johan Santana. If the team can get good return
on him, they might want to think about continuing with the “going
young” thing next year as they have some pretty good looking prospects
in the pipeline. Can’t say that I’m too optimistic about the team
staying in the race this year. The Diego Clemente sweepstakes look like a
better option. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: This team can’t really be
as bad as they’ve played, can they? The bullpen has totally, completely
imploded, and other than a resurgent Michael Barrett, and the Jose
Reyes-Justin Upton combo, the hitting has been terrible. Seriously, if
someone told you before the season that Michael Barrett would be the best
hitter on the team at the break, what would you have said? Last place,
that’s what. Biggest Surprise: Michael Barrett hasn’t
been good since…ever. Well now he’s cranking lefties to the tune
of .429 (!), and has the highest OPS on the team. This on the heels of a
terrible performance for expansion Taipei last year. He really should have
started the All-Star game over fellow Euro backstop Earl Hickey. I guess
Hickey got the vaunted potato farmer vote. Biggest Disappointment: Oh, this is an easy one. Wherefore
art thou, Kendry Morales? The 2013 Euro MVP followed up last year’s
second consecutive award winning performance by laying a big egg during the
first half of 2014, putting up just a .768 OPS. Luckily for London, if he
starts hitting during the second half, they have the talent to pass Baltimore
and Taipei and avoid having the worst record in the league. That should get
the Knight fans off their butts. Man on the Spot Update: You can’t peg the
Knight’s downfall on Santana, that’s for sure. The lefty has
tossed 122 innings with a 3.38 ERA. Can’t ask for more than that, not
from him anyway. First Half MVP: It’s a toss up between
Barrett, Santana and Japanese import Daisuke Matsuzaka. Matsuzaka has been
the best pitcher, while Barrett has been the best hitter. I’ll go with
Barrett here, since he has been so much better than the average catcher, and
has tried his best to carry this terrible offense. Second Half Preview: If the bats pick it up in the second half, this team has a chance at…well, not much. The Knights are ten games behind Ireland and thirteen and a half behind Scotland. They aren’t going to catch those guys, so they have no chance at a wild-card birth. They really need to avoid finishing in last, though, since they’re already over the cap and they don’t want to absorb a cap hit. Good thing they added all that young talent in the dra…oh wait, they skipped four picks? Contract them! |
Down on the Farm:
Jim Russell is the real deal. The
team HAS to figure out how to get him into the lineup next year. The team
wasted their draft this year, picking just one player before disappearing.
Lame.
Far East Division
Darin's
Take: Chiang-Mai’s
stay at the top of the division was brief, allowing the more established (and
better) Ronin squad to claim the top spot in the division. After Osaka, the
division really isn’t pretty, as Kyoto has perfected the art of
underachieving, the Kwaan are having an off year, and Taipei is still building
its franchise. It seems unlikely that anyone from the Far East will make the
wildcard.
Dylan's Take: I think we all knew that Osaka would take
this division, but who thought that Kyoto and Chiang Mai would disappoint so
much? The Ronin keep hitting the ball like they’re at a Canseco family
reunion and Taipei is making a push to get out of the cellar with some big wins
over Paris, Scotland and Osaka. Does Kyoto have what it takes to make a run at
a Wild-Card berth?
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 1st in
Far East / Dylan: 1st in Far East
Current Standing: 52-37 (1st in Far East)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .278 / 513
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.77 /
458
All-Star Selections: P Don Drysden, P Wade Miller, 1B Dave
Peppers, 2B Alfonso Soriano, 3B Chest Rockwell, SS Alex Rodriguez
|
Darin's
Take It should
surprise no one that Osaka is in control of the Far East this year. We knew
the Kwaan were losing too much to keep up and Taipei is still in building
mode. With Atlanta’s struggles, Osaka now easily has the best offense
in the league, good enough to overcome one of the worst (ERA-wise) pitching
staffs. The Ronin have the best infield in baseball, combining for 95 HR and
233 RBI in the first 89 games (and that’s with Rockwell missing two
weeks. The team is relying on three good starters and not much mess, with the
bullpen being a particular eyesore. Biggest Surprise: Jack Schalk
is putting up numbers that would have him leading a team like Savannah in
offense. Biggest Disappointment: Tankersly
and Sheets have really fallen on hard times. What gives? Man on the Spot Update: I
nominated the bullpen, and really they’ve all been pretty awful. Will
Tom ever find a reliable reliver? First Half MVP: Despite
Dave Peppers and his MVP caliber numbers I’m going with Miller and
Jennings. They are a combined 21-2 on a staff that is riddled with huge
ERA’s. Second Half Preview: It seems that
it’s not a matter of if Osaka will win the division but when. That
said, is a great offense and three goos starters enough to advance through
the playoffs? The bullpen needs help, but Hey usually seems reluctant to
invest much into that area of the team. Hey has to win a title eventually,
and with no other real dominant team, why not this year? |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: What can you say about Osaka?
Is their fence like 250 feet out? Peppers and his merry bunch of homerun
hitters are mashing, leading the SLB by far in homeruns (184) and runs scored
(513). Biggest Surprise: Why hello there Wade! After a
somewhat pedestrian career, Wade Miller (11-1, 2.92) has been the best
pitcher on a pretty bad Osaka pitching staff. He’s going to have to
continue his output going forward, because while the Ronin are easily good
enough to win the Far East, they won’t win anything more than that
without some pitching. Biggest Disappointment: Ben Sheets has been
uncharacteristically bad this year, his 5.72 ERA is the worst among the Ronin
starters. He needs to turn it around if the Ronin are going to do any damage
in the playoffs. I could see a team like San Juan beating them by scoring a
few runs and relying on its pitching to keep the Ronin hitters in the park. Man on the Spot Update: Reuben Brown was fantastic in
limited time last season, and while he’s been good (.280, 19 HR 54
RBI), he hasn’t been as good as he was in 2013. Not that it matters
when everyone on the team is a freaking All-Star. First Half MVP: Peppers has been the best
hitter and Miller has been the best pitcher. I’ll go with Wade, since
the offense would still be great without Big Dave, but the staff would be
sunk without Miller. Second Half Preview: Well, no one is catching them in the Far East, I’ll go out on that limb. This team is going to have to find some consistent pitching if they’re going to do anything more than win a division crown, though. |
Down on the Farm:
Prior to the draft, Juan Thomas
was the only hitting prospect to get much attention. That’s changed now,
as Jerry Kimm and Mike Henderson had unbelievable RL numbers. The pitching
needs help. Robert Ojeda Jr. has remarkable control, but can he keep that up at
the next level?
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 3rd in
Euro / Dylan: 2nd in Far East
Current Standing: 46-45 (3rd in Far East, 7.0 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .250 / 363
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 3.74 /
354
All-Star Selections: CF Josh Hamilton
|
Darin's
Take It’s
truly amazing. When this team was in Havana, they usually had great offense
and mediocre pitching. How times have changed. A different hemisphere and a
bigger stadium have reversed the team’s fortunes, hamstringing an
offense that on paper should be pretty good. Who could have predicted such
down years from Utley, Choi and Paris? Dalton (big All Star snub) and
Hamilton have had to shoulder the load, with Utley only recently starting to
pick it up. On the other side, the pitching has really been great. Myers,
Peavy, and the ever impressive Kuo lead a staff where even the long
unemployed Juan Cruz is excelling. The young bullpen has been up and down al
year. Biggest Surprise: Kuo had a
nice season last year, but critics were skeptical that he could carry it
over. He has 17 quality starts in 18 games and would probably be in stronger
standing for Cy Young with a little more run support. Biggest Disappointment: The team
threw $5 million at Atlanta to get Troy Paris, hoping he’d repeat his
100 RBI performance of a year ago. No dice. Man on the Spot Update: Myers has
been great so far, winning 11 games and putting up a great ERA. Don’t
blame the mediocre season on this guy. First Half MVP: Myers again.
The guy is 8 over .500 on a team that’s 1 over. Do the math. Second Half Preview: So, here
we are, a handful of games out of the wildcard with 70 games to play. Is this
team built to compete for the long haul? If the hitting doesn’t
improve, probably not. A lot will happen in the next few weeks as GM Darin
Keesing as he assesses whether this team is a buyer or a seller at the
deadline. Maybe the team is one hitter away from a big run? Or maybe
it’s better to cut their losses and set up for 2015. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Who knew the offense would be
this bad? Ahead of just Bedford and Baltimore in runs scored, the lineup in
no way deserves the pitching staff that Keesing has put together, which has
managed to somehow give up less runs that the pathetic offense has managed to
score. The Bushido has hit a lot of homeruns (119, second only to Osaka in
the entire SLB), but with a .291 team OBP, they just can’t score any
runs. Biggest Surprise: I can’t believe just how
bad this offense has been. Josh Hamilton and Eric Dalton have been their
usual outstanding selves, but absolutely no one else is hitting worth a damn.
Troy Paris, Atlanta’s perennial All-Star backstop came over in a cash
deal during the off season and has managed to completely fall off the map. Biggest Disappointment: Troy Paris has averaged 80 RBIs
a season during his four year career, but through 91 games in 2014, the
catcher has knocked in just 33 runners and has an OPS under .700. The Bushido
gave up $5 million for the rights to the catcher, who is under contract for
one more year, and you know Kyoto wanted more. Man on the Spot Update: Jake Peavy is leading the team
in K’s with 120 and has thrown the most innings in the league (133.1).
The starting rotation has been just fantastic for Kyoto this year, which has
kept them in the Wild Card hunt despite the awful offense. First Half MVP: What in the hell are they
feeding Hong-Chih Kuo? The 31-year old lefty has been a spot starter/reliever
for the last three years, playing serviceably for a variety of teams, but it
looks like he has figured it out in Kyoto. He’s gone 9-5 with a 2.17
ERA throughout the first half, the lowest ERA among all starters in the SLB.
VIVA KUO! Second Half Preview: If they can figure out how to actually hit the ball, they should have no problem finishing second in the Far East (they won’t catch Osaka). Making the playoffs might be a stretch though, as Scotland has a decent head start on the Bushido. The Rebels are scuffling though, so anything could happen, especially if hitting coach Leon Lee gets this team to get their asses on base again. |
Down on the Farm:
In one word, “meh.”
The team was disappointed in the lack of growth from Jonathan Zizzo and Lee
Dedaux, but were thrilled with Dallas Buck and Hank Daniels. The team went with
4 hitters in the draft this year, all of whom impressed in their RL debuts. If
the expensive FA’s aren’t retained in the auction this off season,
you could see some of these guys next year.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: 2nd in
Far East / Dylan: 3rd in Far East
Current Standing: 40-50 (3rd in Far East, 12.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .261 / 385
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.76 /
431
All-Star Selections: P Billy Koch
|
Darin's
Take This is
not how GM Ben Royer planned to follow up his division title. The Kwaan story
is very similar to London, with the team suffering several years of bad
baseball, ascending to the division title, only to fall right back to
mediocrity the next year. Chiang-Mai has suffered, in part, from a total lack
of production from B.B. Boo-Ya and Carl Crawford, the two top of the order
hitters who made the lineup go last season. Cap Jackson has improved (to a mighty
.256), but it’s clearly not enough to make up for the others. Joe
Belinda is having a promising rookie season, and a nice deal was swung with
London to land promising 1B Daniel Callahan. It’s no surprise that the
pitching has suffered with the losses of Verlander and Nathan, and outside of
Billy Koch, the offense has not distinguished itself. Biggest Surprise: Jordan
Parraz has floated around in AAA for several years but is doing quite well
now that he’s been handed an every day job. Biggest Disappointment: Boo-Ya.
He’s only got a .658 OPS this year (compared to a career mark of .829). Man on the Spot Update: Brad Penny
has been decent, but not at all what the team needed him to be. He
won’t reach last year’s numbers…not even close. First Half MVP: Murman has
the best overall run production numbers, but I’m going to give it to
rookie Joe Belinda, who has found a new gear this past month. Second Half Preview: Sadly, it
looks like it’s going to be more of a battle to stay out of last than a
battle for a playoff spot. The team is 9 out of the wildcard with 3 teams to
jump. You would think that guys like Boo-Ya will bounce back next season, so
there is no need to panic, but decisions must be made to figure out what the
best direction is for moving forward. The best bet is to trade off a couple
of expensive contracts and set up for the off season. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: The Kwaan lost a lot in the off
season and have struggled to recapture their 2013 glory. The pitching has
been pretty bad basically the whole way through, and the offense, while
certainly not awful, hasn’t been nearly good enough to overcome the
pitching deficiencies. Chiang-Mai did find a couple of keepers in Jordan
Parraz and Daniel Callahan, both of whom have slugging percentages of over
.600. If the Kwaan can develop (or buy) some pitching, the future is bright. Biggest Surprise: Way to go Callahan! Joining the
group of talented, young first basemen in the league (Johnson in Ireland,
Posedel in Taipei) Callahan has a chance to be the best of the bunch. He came
into the league relatively unheralded, drafted by London in the second round
in 2012, he found himself traded to Chiang Mai in the Vernon Wells deal. No
matter where he’s been, he’s done nothing but hit. Biggest Disappointment: What in the hell happened to
Carl Crawford? After three straight years of hitting around .300, the speedy
outfielder has struggled with injuries and poor performance, hitting just
.212. His 22 stolen bases are also uncharacteristically low. Man on the Spot Update: Well, Penny entered the year
underrated, and has just gone ahead and done pretty much nothing after
signing his 3-year/$16.5 million dollar contract in the offseason. So much so
that the Kwaan have been recently trying to move the right-hander. First Half MVP: It’s tough to do an MVP
for the Kwaan. None of the pitchers deserve it and while Parraz and Callahan
have hit well, Parraz has done it in limited time and Callahan did most of it
for London. Murman has 22 homeruns, but is hitting just .248 and has a sub
.300 on base percentage. In an upset victory, I will give the midseason MVP
award to London GM Sean O’Hallaran for giving up Callahan for Wells and
Bray. Kind of an ugly deal right there. Second Half Preview: After a division title in 2013, the Kwaan are just hoping to stay out of the cellar in 2014. Taipei made a late charge in the first half of the season, and since neither team has what it takes to make it to the playoffs, their fans will have to be content with the fight to stay out of last. |
Down on the Farm:
Good season for Springfield,
though the two biggest offensive stars (Wineapple and Parraz) weren’t
rookies. The system does have Zalusky, Bayne and Blong, and now has added
Kargel to the mix. The pitching was improved with the additions of Collmenter
and Grenier in this year’s draft.
Predicted
Finish: Darin: Last in
Far East / Tom: Last in Far East
Current Standing: 38-52 (Last in Far East, 14.5 games out)
Team BA/Runs Scored: .270 / 401
Team ERA/Runs
Allowed: 4.70 /
453
All-Star Selections: LF Nick Swisher
|
Darin's
Take It’s
the second year in the league for Taipei, and I wish I had better news. While
San Juan sits in the wildcard lead in the AL, the Tai Fong have improved
exactly ½ a game since this time last year. The young offense is 7th
in the league in runs scored, but 14th in team ERA, and an 11-25
record against the AL has been the downfall of the team. The vets have lead
the way as Swisher, Pujols and Ramirez have been the main run producers, but
the younger guys are improving and showing hey may be able to lead this team
in the near future. The starting pitching has also been good (four of the
five anyways), but the bullpen has been just brutal, compiling a 12-20 record
(Kozlowski is 1-8). Ouch. Biggest Surprise: Aramis
Ramirez has been the definition of mediocrity to this point in his career,
but he’s put together a nice year so far. Biggest Disappointment: I guess
that the bullpen has kept this team from improving. GM Dylan Goforth has
drafted well but the results haven’t been there….yet. Man on the Spot Update: Pujols has
definitely stepped it up after a poor 2013 season. He’s leading the
offense the way he should have last year. First Half MVP: I’ll
go with Nick Swisher. He’s outplayed Pujols and made his second
straight All Star appearance for the Tai Fong. Second Half Preview: With so
many contenders needing help in the bullpen, it’s unlikely Goforth can
do much to help himself there this year. This year’s top pick Antonio
Mule was just called up and his presence should help this offense. The best
idea right now is to let these kids play and give yourself enough stats to
evaluate who can contribute in 2015. |
Dylan's Take First Half Recap: Well, they’re in last
place, but the Tai Fong are on pace to improve on last year’s win
total. Tom Maple has taken a big step forward, they just called up first
round draft pick Antonio Mule, and the starting pitching (outside of Bauers)
has been decent. Baby steps, here, people. Biggest Surprise: Albert Pujols is back in a big way.
After a disappointing 2013, Pujols is back to his old self again, hitting
well over .300, finding himself on pace for over 30 homeruns as he begins to
close out his Hall-of-Fame career. Biggest Disappointment: The bullpen has been A-W-F-U-L.
GM Dylan Goforth spent a lot of money in the off season and had a lot of
turnover to plug holes in his bullpen, and the results have been as bad if
not worse. Hey, it’s only money, right? Man on the Spot Update: The King has improved ever so
slightly, maybe? His ERA is better, but his peripherals are worse and he
still can’t win games. Probably
not what Taipei hoped they would get for their money, but it’s not like
he’s costing them a shot at the playoffs or anything, here. First Half MVP: Nick Swisher keeps on hitting.
He’s not an MVP candidate or anything, but the third round pick in the
2013 Supplemental draft is certainly worth the $4.5 million that Taipei
dropped on him in the offseason. The sophomore leftfielder is a doubles
machine, cranking out 37 in half a season this year, after belting out 61 in
2013. Second Half Preview: Can they catch Chiang Mai? They’re only a game and a half behind them right now, and they’ve been playing better as of late, going 14-9 in their last 23 contests. Finishing out of the cellar would be a coup for a team that finished just one game ahead of the worst team in the league in 2013. |
Down on the Farm:
The Lander pitching staff
apparently has the same problems as the bullpen in Taipei. The new faces
didn’t distinguish themselves either. The offense is better, though the
best hitter (Mule) is already in the majors. Sam Sheppard has promise.