Who is Your Pick?

As the Dodgers continue their quest for a World Series Championship, the possible first in over 30 years, a number of things must happen. The starting and relief pitchers must pitch well, and the hitters must hit well able to string together hits. They must play like they expect to win and not that they hope to win. That is, with confidence. They must be the hot team and not fall victim to another unexpected hot team. Somewhere along the line someone has to get a significant hit, perhaps a defining moment hit, and perhaps by an unexpected source. That is, not a Kirk Gibson, but a Mickey Hatcher. Since  I am writing this article and get the first pick, I am selecting Edwin Gabriel Ríos to get that hit.

Third baseman/first baseman Rios was selected by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2015 First Year Player Draft  making him the No. 192 overall pick in the that draft. His selection on the one hand might have been a bit surprising for the Dodgers that early in the draft as an infielder coming off his third year at Florida International University in Greater Miami.

On the other side of the ledger was The Baseball Draft Report that listed Rios as the second best third base prospect from Division I colleges behind only David Thompson of the University of Miami Hurricanes.

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, Rios attended Osceola High School in Kissimmee, Florida and fully expected to be selected in the First Year Player Draft out of high school. That was not to be as he didn’t get the call.

“The phone never rang. I was very disappointed, I was crushed,” the 2012 Osceola High graduate said.

However, in retrospect the hurt was healed and the future brighter as Rios came to appreciate his time playing with the Panthers and without question feels it was worth the wait to finally get selected in the draft.

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. FIU helped me get ready for this moment and helped me become a better player, a better student and a better person,” Rios said. “It was a great journey and now it’s time to start another one.”

Rios continued: “It was a blessing that I didn’t get drafted after high school. I would have signed for anything. Now, I’ve been away and learned how to be on my own for three years. I was able to start my education, and that will help me.”

Playing first base in his junior year at FIU because of an arm injury Rios was a key player in the Panthers’ Conference USA championship run in 2015. He posted a triple slash of .314/.427/.610 along with a team leading 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in. He had 37 strikeouts on the season and 39 walks.

With success at the college level and more prepared for the road ahead Rios moved up in the class of 2015 and this time he got the call.

“I was so happy, it was such a relief. There was so much stress while I was waiting; it was so stressful. I’m glad that it’s over,” he said. “But, I am happy to be going to a great organization like the one in Los Angeles. I am very happy to be selected by them, and very grateful.”

Interestingly enough Edwin Rios and former Dodger Yasiel Puig had something in common besides the name on their uniforms.

“My advisor, my agent, represents Yasiel Puig, so he has a lot of knowledge about dealing with that organization,” Rios said. “I’m ready. I can’t wait to get out there and get my career started.”

The 6’3” – 220 lb third baseman did get his professional career started in 2015. On July 22nd he had three hits in three at bats with the Arizona League Dodgers.

After two games with the Dodgers he was moved on to the Ogden Raptors of the rookie level Pioneer League. In 20 games with the Raptors, playing primarily third base, Rios hit .235 with three home runs and 13 runs batted in finishing the season on September 8th with a three hit game against the Grand Junction Rockies.

The 22-year old left-handed hitter who throws with his right arm began the 2016 at extended spring training. He debuted with the Great Lakes Loons on Saturday, April 23rd going hitless in three at bats. He followed that game up on with a three hit performance against the Bowling Green Hot Rods. In the field he handled eight chances flawlessly showing a strong arm on throws to first base.

Rios, who bats left but throws right, began the 2016 campaign with the Great Lakes Loons of the Midwest League and by season’s end was named the Dodgers Minor League Position Player of the Year. With the Loons in 33 games, he hit 6 home runs. His home run against the Bowling Green Hotshots was a tape measure shot at 450 feet and at that time was the longest home run ever hit at Bowling Green Ballpark.

Rios was promoted to the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes of the California League on June 5,2016 and proceeded to terrorize the league, hitting 16 home runs in 42 games while driving in 46 runs and posting a .367 batting average. His offensive outburst earned him another promotion, this time to the Tulsa Drillers of the AA Texas League. With the Drillers in 2016, Rios hit six more home runs giving him a total of 27 on the season.

After 77 games with the Drillers in 2017, once again where he split his time between third base and first base, the then 23-year-old Rios took the next step towards MLB with a promotion to the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers of the Pacific Coast League.

At the time of his  promotion, which  seemed to be a bit overdue,  his offensive numbers were near or at the top of the Texas League.

  •     15 home runs (second)
  •     62 RBI (second)
  •     163 total bases (first)
  •     .317 batting average (third)
  •     .891 OPS (first)
  •     .533 SLG (first)

After a five-RBI game on May 31, 2017 Rios explained why he felt his Texas League production had improved so dramatically.

“I feel like it has to do a lot with growing up and not throwing away AB’s,” Rios said. “I feel like the older you get, the sounder you get and you just have a better idea. This year I’ve been able to stay disciplined most of the time and have a plan when I go up to the plate and I’ve seen results. It’s been a lot of fun.”

In 51 games with the OKC Dodgers he hit .296 with nine home runs and 27 runs batted in.

Rios spent the entire 2018 season with the AAA  Dodgers but was limited to 88 games due to injury. He missed an opportunity – due to his injury – to get a call to Dodgers when Justin Turner was injured. Max Muncy got the call and the rest is history.

In his shortened 2018 season Rios continued to hit well slashing .304/.355/.482 with 10 home runs and 55 runs batted in.

During the 2019 season Rios hit .270 with 31 home runs along with 91 runs batted in over 104 games. This time he did get call to the Dodgers and over 28 games hit .277 along with 4 home runs and 8 runs batted in 47 at bats. His OPS was a nifty 1.010.  He did not make the post-season roster.

During  the current campaign Rios in 76 at bats hit .250 with 8 home runs and 17 runs batted in. He had 6 doubles which means 14 of his 19 hits were for extra bases. His OPS was .939.

Rios, now 26, has made an impression in the past three years.

Playing 132 games between Triple-A and the majors last season, he hit 35 home runs, including the longest homer of the season by a Dodger hitter. FanGraphs grades his raw power as a 70/70 on a 20-80 scouting scale.

In spring training in 2020 he drew some attention and played himself into the picture.

This from Dodger manager Dave Roberts.

“Even as we were going to break [in spring training] with 26, he was a real big part of the conversation,” Roberts said. “That’s a credit to Edwin. And now you’re talking about an expanded roster.”

“[His] defense continued to get better, the at-bat quality, as we’ve seen recently, has continued to get better,” Roberts said. “I’m really proud of Edwin.”

For much of his career Rios was described as a man with no position moving between first base and third base. It seems he is now more comfortable settling in at third base.  Although it is a small sample, in 2020 he started 13 games at third base and posted a .953 fielding percentage.

On July 29th Rios became part of baseball history. He is the first player to ever hit a two-run home run to lead of an inning. Against the Astros and with the new rule during the pandemic to begin the extra innings with a runner on second he homered as he led off the thirteenth inning for the Dodgers. As of that game there have been  72,191 leadoff home runs in baseball history and only one of them  has produced two runs.

“I was able to work a pretty good count, get my pitch and I was able to do some damage,” he told reporters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfDVh4nT76U

For Rios, as with many players, the strikeout has played a big part in his statistical summaries. In his 56 at bats with the Dodgers in 2019 he struck out 21 times, or 37 per cent. During the current campaign he has struck out 18 times in 83 at bats or 22% The sample is also small but so is his MLB experience facing the best pitchers in the world. It is an encouraging sign.

So what does Rios have to say about it?

“At the end of the day,” Rios, 26, said, “I’m going to have to perform if I want to be up here with the guys.”

Edwin, I am calling it. Get that big hit. Remember the other Edwin. That would be Duke Snider.

This article has 66 Comments

  1. At the end of the day the key will be scoring more runs than the Padres in three of the games! Who can argue with this insight!

  2. I wanted to continue the dialogue I had with Bear in the previous post:

    Jeff
    October 5, 2020 at 12:01 am
    So you don’t think they will re-sign Baez? Treinen makes $10M, Baez $4M. They have just about the same career ERA and Baez’s WHIP is much lower. Baez may be the better SO pitcher. Jake McGee?

    Michael Norris (AKA Bear)
    October 5, 2020 at 1:00 am
    I do not think they will keep Pedro, just a opinion. I think they like Treinen more. I do not think the money is going to be an issue since Joc, Kike, and even Turner’s huge salary’s will be gone. I think Turner resigns, but for a lot less than he is getting now. I also like the idea of retaining McGee. He has been pretty good. I think they keep Trienen as insurance since he has closer experience and no one else does. I might be wrong.

    Does anyone else feel that the Dodgers don’t sign Pedro? I would be surprised if they didn’t. He has made some big strides in his game. I think retaining McGee is a no brainer.

    Treinen has been steady but he has broken down a few times. At $10M, I would think he deserves a shot at closer. Drew Pomeranz makes $8-10M and has never been a full time closer. Trevor Rosenthal, who will be a FA and has a couple of years of impressive closer stats with the Cards, last made $7M. I might favor Rosenthal slightly over Treinen for the $$. What are your thoughts about that? I know AC likes him.

    Do you really think JT will take a big hit in salary? That guy could just be the DH and do serious damage. No one is like JT on this team. Certainly he will be replaced at 3B but having him as a backup 3B/full-time DH is a ++ for me. Maybe they would shave off a few million but they won’t insult him considering what he has done and still can do for the team.

    I can see Joc being gone, and logically Kike if he is blocking any kid. CT3 does it all and for less money there are always utility guys in the wings. Without Joc and Kike’s salaries, they should have the bucks to sign a closer.

    Regarding Price, what happens if there is no difference in the status of Covid and the same season without fans is instituted. Will Price opt out again? He is signed through next season at $16M with Boston paying the other $16M. I guess the only positive that could come out of that is the continued development of the young guns. At 36-37, we won’t be seeing Price pitch for the Dodgers in 2022 because they will never pay him his price and he would be blocking them. Maybe they buy him out. There is a lot to like about the future pitchers that we already have. We just have to decide about the future closer as Bazooka, IMO, is not ready for that. Closing by committee is not a bad concept as long as the quality of those arms is good.

    1. Here’s the 800-pound gorilla in the room:

      There aren’t going to be a lot of big contracts handed out next year with all the red ink teams are bleeding, so who stays and who goes are hard to predict. Joc had a bad season and with many teams having to cut payroll (and staff), he may not get a great offer.

      Baez, Treinen and McGee – there will be interest, but at what price? Plus the Dodgers have lots of young arms in the minors. The Dodgers have price through 2022 and maybe he is tradable, depending upon his performance. There will be vaccines starting in November and by May, they should be available to the world. I could see a 120-140 game season next year that starts in Mid-May.

      It’s fun to try and figure out who will be on the team next year, but you never know with this front office. A year ago, who would have predicted Betts and Price and that Betts would be a lifetime Dodger? I think Bazooka could be the closer by the end of 2021.

      Another thing is that the Dodgers will need to free up money to sign Seager and there is very little correlation between big contracts and bullpen arms. Some of the best are the cheapest. You are better off to grow your own. Ask the Rockies!

    2. Why do you say you think they like Treinen more than Baez? Because of how they used each pitcher?(remember, Baez was hurt), or because of what the Dodger brass has told you, or because you like him more?
      Im just curious because it has been very hard to think along w Freidman and Co.

    3. Reason I think Dodgers will move on from Baez: his fastball velocity decreased by 2 mph in last 2 seasons, averaging only 94.4 mph in 2020; he only threw the fastball 42% in 2020; and, his strikeout rate has dropped 30% in the last 2 seasons. His drop in velocity has been offset somewhat by the use of change-up (36% in 2020), and slider (22%). And, it appeared that he was well over his listed weight of 232 lbs.

      1. These are some good comments, SoCal. He seems like a more steady and reliable pitcher but like you say, he needs to discipline his weight management. Kenley, too. I would think this is a primary rule for athletes. Losing fat and adding muscle is the right formula. Both of them are far from that.

        1. Pedro’s numbers, though down, are not that bad. 1.000 WHIP. Yes, he’s 33 next year but it’s not like he’s been overused. I’m not going to toss him out for 17 innings in this bizzaro year. He would be cheap enough to give an offer to. That said, we have plenty of options and lots of money.

          1. It seems to me that many relievers go downhill very quickly, and teams watch closely for indicators that the pitchers best is behind him. If Dodgers sign Baez I think it will be after he tests the free agent market, then in a lower base with incentives.

        2. Conditioning is so important, many players hire personal trainers, and some their own dietitians to make certain they are in peak physical form. I think the Dodgers saw a lot of talent this summer from Sborz, White, Santana, Graterol, and Gonzalez with Gray likely ready for 2021 that they can afford to let a pitcher like Baez go via free agency. Even if he signed for the same as 2020 (non prorated) it would be approximately the same as those six pitchers would be paid in 2021. From the little that I saw of Ryan Pepiot this year, I think he could pitch next season for Dodgers if needed. And IF Marshall Kasowski can command his pitches he too could be a bullpen piece.

          1. I think you’re right. We have options. The thing about Baez is he’s proven. I’m pretty sure Roberts likes him, but, he likes everybody so Baez wouldn’t be missed.

  3. Edwin Rios has won me over and won an opportunity to start at 3B next year. He was a “doughboy” who did not move very well and he has re-styled his body. He went from becoming a behemoth to being a beast. He’s faster, quicker, and leaner. I would say he dropped about 25-30 pounds and has kept it off. I questioned his bat speed but since he lost weight, I see no reason, he can’t have a nice run at 3B, starting… maybe now!

  4. Rios would be one of those feel good stories that I’m willing to see happen… Give him 3B until he gives it back…
    The Pederson and Kike saga continues!!! Cut the umbilical cord and trade em..
    CT3 is a keeper…
    I hope that JT can be a Dodger for life… Although I don’t like the DH, JT could handle that and a lil 3B play for for a few years to come…
    I remember going to San Bernadino and watching a catcher named Jansen working out in the bullpen… The rest was fun to watch…
    We HAVE a stopper or two on the 40!!! Just need to put him in position for success…
    P.S. Anyone out there know if Ogden is going to suit up this season???

    1. Joc and Kike are Free Agents – most likely they are gone, unless the Dodgers give them the Qualifying Offer, which ain’t happening.

      I see a two year/$18 Million deal for JT.

      I would bet Ogden plays next year… but it might be in an Independent League.

      1. Based on JT’s play and WAR for the past few years, I think he’ll get a lot more than $9MM per year. If not from us, then from somebody else. This is assuming the DH is permanently in place.

        He’s still performing at a high level and the DH allows him to stay healthier. He’s getting $20MM (pro-rated) this year. I would expect something like 2/$30MM or 3/$40MM and I expect his deal will keep him in a Dodger uni rather than going somewhere else. Let’s see which of us is closer on our numbers.

        1. Turner’s defense at third base took a nose dive in 2019, and has not improved this season; and he turns 36 in November. I think he may give LA a discount to finish his career as a DH and occasional third baseman with the Dodgers, but if it takes more than $10M AAV for two years I think he will play elsewhere.

          1. Out of respect for who he is I expect the Dodgers to offer him a reasonable contract. His WAR this year, multiplied by 2.7 is 3.5. There’s no reason why, as a DH/utility role he couldn’t put up a 2.5 WAR and that’s worth more than $10 million. He’s no doubt a great role model for the younger players. Pending a physical I can see 2 at $13+ per with an option for a third year. He will be 36, so his on field role will be diminishing. But that guy is a Dodger through and through, even grew up as a Dodger fan. We have to let him know what he means to us.

          2. Badger – Excellent point about his worth. And, as the primary DH his WAR could even be higher.

  5. Edwin Rios, the Dodger’s secret weapon, I think he will come through big time in the playoffs. So, I agree with you DC. He has that confidence you write about and a famous first name to boot. I absolutely love his level swing. It is beautiful to watch. Thanks, DC, for writing about him. Enjoyable.

    On a non-baseball question, DC, was that 17-foot great white shark caught in NS, near to you?

  6. Isn’t Jansen signed for next year? What do you do with him? As a clubhouse leader can you just toss him aside without giving him a chance to close next year?

    1. Yes, for $20M. He will not be tossed aside, but he will likely have to win the closers role in 2021 Spring Training.

    2. Platoon him, Cassidy. There is no reason not to do it and this will give the new closer an opportunity to ease into the position and Kenley will be given his transition time for retirement.

  7. My pick is more simple but I’m thinking Turner will start it off with the bat and will never look back. At any rate it’s gonna start the 1st inning and Dodgers’ll keep their lead and the ‘theme’ is ‘not this time’!

  8. Jeff. The main reason I think Baez is gone is because there are too many arms just like him available. And I also agree with SoCal about the loss of velocity. He uses his change up a lot more now. I am probably wrong about Treinen, but I still think AF likes the guy a lot, and so does Dave. Rios is a great pick for the guy who delivers a big hit. But I am looking for Bellinger to have a great series. He is a career .250 hitter against the Pads, but he has 12 HR’s against them. He was hitting .333 over the last two weeks so maybe his bat is waking up. Read a report today the Clevinger threw an aggressive BP yesterday and could be on the playoff roster. Lamet is less likely to pitch. No matter who the Pads run out there, the Dodgers need to play their best baseball. And I honestly believe defense is going to play a huge part in this series. Especially since they are in a ball park that is not made for HR’s. MLB.com had their position by position comparison on the Dodger site today. Padres own the infield winning at SS, 3B, and 1B. Dodgers led at all 3 outfield positions, starting pitching, DH, Bench, and Catcher. Padres bullpen was rated as better than the Dodgers. They were 2 games better during the season, they only need to be one game better now.

    1. I like Treinen’s nasty sinker (97 mph) that resulted in a outstanding 64% groundball rate this season, and only 4 of 15 inherited runners scored. But only a 7.7% strikeout rate, and opposing hitters had a .297 BABIP average is concerning.

  9. My pick for MVP of the World Series will be Will (the thrill) Smith . Great write up on Rios Harold! Amazing you dig up so much information.
    I see Rios next year playing 3rd full time. JT moves over to 1st and DH . Question becomes what to do with Mad Max? I’m hoping he has a great play offs.

  10. I under stand why SS & 2B are not left handed, but why are there not left handed catchers?

      1. Depends on which side of the plate the hitter is hitting from if the steal is attempted. With a lefty hitter, a left handed catcher would have a clear shot at 3rd. Same going to second. If a RH hitter were up, it would be a little harder. Babe caught when he was at St Mary’s for a while. I caught playing softball. I even had a LH catchers mitt.

    1. Concur

      In the AF era at least, the Dodgers have not given a position to a player – Turner earned 3B, Seaver earned SS, Bellinger earned 1B, no one earned 2B yet (Lux, Kiké, CT3). CT3 has earned a starting job this year, but with his versatility he does not seem to have as single position.

      Ríos will not likely be an exception but I expect him to earn a starting job – likely 3B.

  11. I agree JT will be here on first for a few more years. Max I hope can lock down 2nd next year. Rios 3rd. CT3 the Swiss Army knife will be playing nearly every at every (well not catching) position. Lux starts the season in AAA. Seager ss, Belli center, Mookie right, Pollock in left, and Smith behind the plate. Very solid team.

    1. You know what is weird, Belli actually has a better BA when he plays right. I thought that was kind of strange.

  12. Well, it’s official, Violet Rae Timmons entered this world as our 6th granddaughter. I wanted my son to name her Rey Skywalker Timmons, but they threw me a bone at least! She is healthy and they should head home tomorrow.
    VRS(1)
    VRT

    1. Congrats Mark. I have 3 gran daughters, one grandson and a 1 year old great grand daughter.

    2. Congratulations Mark
      Thanks for sharing

      As 2demeter2 said
      “Grandchildren are the best!”

  13. Congratulations, Mark. I am sure she will be as much a joy as your other grandchildren are. What did she weigh? She looks tiny. Nice photos. Thanks for sharing.

    1. 19. 5 inched/7.2 pounds – lots of hair, like her father and long fingers like him.

  14. That’s the good news.

    The bad news is that I had to send over 30 people home today – 3 with COVID-19 and the others who were exposed. We came this far with no positives until this weekend. Oh, well, the good news is that if a fatass 74-year-old unnamed person with a bad diet can recover, anyone can. Indiana has hit an all-time high of cases while hitting an all-time low in deaths.

    You should do what I have done: contact your physician and plan what might happen if you get it.

      1. 30 people? Yoiks. That’s terrible. Hope nobody gets seriously ill.

        What a day for you buddy. I know it has to be mixed feelings. Congratulations on Violet Rae. Best of luck with tour company and the employees. I know they are like family to you.

  15. Congratulations Mark on the new family member. Cute baby.
    Great article on Rios, DC. I didn’t know all the details about him. I do know his defense has gotten much better as has his body, as you guys mentioned.
    I’ve not focused on next year much at all. I’m caught up in today, tomorrow and the next day. But I do have some initial thoughts on next year:
    *Joc and Kike gone.
    * JT signs for 2 more years to retire a Dodger and stays in the organization. His role should be permanent DH with occasional (and I mean occasional) play at 3rd.
    * CT3 should have a legit shot at everyday 2nd base. McKinstry can take over the job of Swiss Army Knife now occupied by Kike and CT3. I would see what the market is for Lux.
    * Rios should get a big time look at 3rd and it’s his job to lose. I like his homers per at bat stat but he needs to hit more and K less. Who doesn’t?
    * I want to keep McGee and the Bazooka as a closer in progress. KJ will have to agree to a new role or move on.
    * What’s the future in the organization for DJ Peters, Luke Raley, Cody Thomas and Zac Reks. Others here know these way better than I do. I saw them in spring training only. Can they play on this team or are they trade bait? I can see a job in centerfield if Belli moves to first. I would explore trading Muncy.
    * Here’s my capper. AK and Doc have a nice long chat with Seager after the season and see how badly he wants to stay at short. Would he consider a move? If not, he stays at short for awhile and we move on with Rios at 3rd competing with ?. If Cody is receptive to moving to 3rd (my pick over 1st where he’s wasted) than AF actively pursues Lindor. I think Lindor and Tim Anderson are the 2 best in the game. How would I like to see Mookie leading off and switch hitting Lindor at 2 or 9. Imagine having Lindor at 9, Mookie at 1 and Seager at 2? It’s like 2 lead off hitters. (I know Lindor might need more AB’s)
    * I would package some of the mentioned prospects including Lux and see what it would take. Lindor might be priced out but who knows. We thought Mookie was out of reach.
    * I like our young starters and bullpen with CK for another couple of years.
    These are just some initial ideas without researching the coming market..
    But right now, lets focus on kicking the Padres smart asses.

    1. That’s why I say when idiots ask should there be an asterisk beside this year, I say:

      In every other season, if you have the best record, you get home field advantage. In this case, we go to Texas! What a crock!

  16. Thanks Bobby. I wondered if my cutout would still be there. I am glad it is and it is rooting for Oakland big time.

    1. DBM, where is your cutout? Mine is in Lodge 118 apparently (not that I’ve ever seen it live)

      1. Somewhere in the Loge also. Do not know which one or at least maybe I forgotf if they told me. All I know is I am not visible in the games as far as I can see.

  17. If you look behind home plate, those are not the same cutouts that were there during the season. Good news, Ted Barrett is the home plate ump for game one. Bad news is they get Angel Hernandez for the entire series. He is suing MLB for racial discrimination. I am sure if he checked he would find he has not been given prime assignments or his own crew because he sucks as an ump. Also one of the most combative umps in the game.

    1. What is Angel Hernandez doing in the post season? You would think MLB would know better.

  18. Just read that Angel Hernandez has been assigned to the Dodgers-Padres series . I do not know if any teams have had their problems with him but I know the Dodgers have. Being that he needs to go back to Umpire School, in my opinion, I am surprised and disappointed at the appointment.

    1. He is suing MLB for discrimination. Might be they are throwing him a bone prior to going to court with him. I know he is a very bad umpire. He had 3 calls at first over turned in the 2018 Division series with the Red Sox-Yankees series on review. He has not umped in a world series since 2005. He also complained about not being named a crew chief. This season he was appointed a temporary crew chief because of all the umps who opted out. I think they would have been smart to just fire him years ago. I would venture a bet that he blows a call by a lot and the decision will be over turned, and at least one player is going to get into an argument with him. Dodgers will submit their roster tomorrow. Best guess is a one for one with Floro joining and Gore leaving. I do not think they will go with more than 14 pitchers in the second round.

      1. Angel Hernandez is not a bad umpire… he just has bad luck when it comes to making calls.

  19. As of today, the Padres are optimistic that Clevinger will be on the roster. Lamet is pretty much out.

  20. Watching the Yankee-Rays game. This is an example where good batting beats good pitching. You have two top pitchers on the mound with 5 HRs given up, 3 for NY, 2 for Rays. Even the Great Cole can be hit and scored on. Can’t wait to see the Dodger/Yankee matchup in the WS!

    Higashioka, 2-4 hitting with a HR. Last season when I mentioned possibly signing him, he got shot down. He’s a backup C!

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