The Marlins are Awesome!

Posted By on September 18, 2024

It seems like every time the Dodgers score nine runs, they win, but the Marlins are evidently the best team in baseball because, after all, we have been told that the best team always wins! Right? Of course, I am being sarcastic! In baseball, unlike a game like basketball, the best team does not always win. In fact, in baseball, every team is going to win about 54 games and lose about 54 games. The best team absolutely does not always win, but the best team will win more of the remaining 54 games than other teams.

We hope the randomness of it all does not hit in the playoffs like it has the past two seasons. Oh, and while I am at it, Bobby Miller has no business pitching in Little League, let alone on an MLB mound! I told you his season was over after his last start. He is a total mess and needs a total reset. He needs to be shut down and unlearn his current muscle memory. Many baseball people believe that the ability to throw a curve or a slider is innate – it’s either in your DNA or it’s not. I happen to believe that because I could never throw a curveball or a slider. I taught both of my sons how to, but I never could. Go figure! Bobby Miller has a decent curve, so that is not his problem. Perhaps he needs to lose 2-4 MPH on his fastball and spin it more. I am not a pitching guru, but I can see that what he is doing is not working.

BaseballSavant.com rates him like this:

You can scroll down the page and see that just about every metric screams, “I am a horrible pitcher!” He is not going to be successful pitching at the MLB level if he keeps doing the same thing. His pitches haven’t changed so much as the league understands what his pitches are doing and in what sequence. This is not going to be an easy fix and he is going to need a personal guru to work with him… for quite some time. I would send him to Camelback Ranch today, along with whoever is going to tutor him.

This deep dive post on X.com helps us see how far he has fallen:

Daniel Hudson was unconscious most of the season. His ERA is still a very good 2.75/1.00 WHIP, but he has lost 2-3 MPH velocity, making the separation on his slider less effective. He is either tired or hurt… or both. He might need to rest or go on the IL. Michael Grove is up and down. Here’s my list of pitchers who are no on the playoff roster:

  • Miller
  • Grove
  • Honeywell

Ryan Brasier is also down in velocity… maybe he is building up after being out for so long… or maybe he is injured, too. It’s going to be a war of attrition as to who makes the roster, and right about now, I would say that Tony Gonsolin has a shot. His fastball has been 92-94 MPH, but will tick up 1-2 MPH on an MLB Mound. If I had to guess what the pitching staff looks like in the playoffs, I would say this it is:

  1. Flaherty
  2. Yamamoto
  3. Stone
  4. Kershaw
  5. Knack
  6. Kelly
  7. Hudson
  8. Vesia
  9. Gonsolin
  10. Graterol
  11. Treinen
  12. Phillips
  13. Kopech

Of course, I am assuming a lot with Stone and Kershaw not even pitching off a mound… but that is my opinion, and maybe I am wrong. We shall see…

Shadrack is Growing. At 14 weeks, he is 35 Pounds.

This article has 62 Comments

  1. I know it was never an option to sign Bauer, but it would have been nice to have him now.
    Another one I always liked was Bumgarner, but he wasn’t an option either, although I doubt they would have been worse than Miller and Buehler.

    1. Jorge,Bauer was never ever going to happen. The Dodger brass decided that a long time ago.

      1. Go look at the video just released of him throwing a haymaker at his woman and get back to me. If you still feel this way we all know what kind of man you are.

  2. Any reason why Casparius hasn’t been brought back up? The one game I saw him pitch was in AZ, high pressure situation and he threw strikes.

  5. Agree with your playoff pitching roster Mark, but I would not rule out Buehler just yet. He has that fire in his belly, and looked pretty good in his last outing.

      1. That seems right.
        Buehler has been making progress–and now it looks like Stone will still be on the IL.
        I wouldn’t rule out Ohtani.
        The Dodgers might–but I wouldn’t.

  6. 6:40 PM ET

    Dodgers (89-62)
    Marlins (56-95)

    SP Landon Knack R
    2-4 3.70 ERA
    SP Ryan Weathers L
    3-5 3.55 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    DH S. Ohtani L
    2B Mookie Betts R
    RF T. Hernandez R
    1B F. Freeman L
    SS Tommy Edman S
    C Will Smith R
    CF Andy Pages R
    3B E. Hernandez R
    LF Chris Taylor R

    In Domed Stadium

    1. Rojas was scratched from Wednesday’s lineup due to leg discomfort, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports.

      Rojas downplayed the seriousness of the injury and implied he could be ready to return to action as soon as Thursday. Tommy Edman will shift from center field to shortstop and Andy Pages will enter the lineup in center field Wednesday.

  7. Kershaw (toe) threw a bullpen session Wednesday at LoanDepot Park, David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports reports.

    Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said the left-hander threw 80-83 pitches in what was his first time throwing off a mound since he landed on the 15-day injured list at the end of August with a bone spur in his left big toe. Roberts previously had said it was unlikely Kershaw would make it back before the end of the season, but that he was able to throw so many pitches in the bullpen Wednesday suggests the door is ajar.

  8. Per MLB Trade Rumors:
    “Dodgers manager Dave Roberts announced to reporters that right-hander Gavin Stone is still experiencing shoulder soreness and is “very unlikely” to return this year. Alden González of ESPN was among those to relay the news on X.”

  9. The latest
    “The Dodgers announced that they have reinstated right-hander Joe Kelly from the 15-day injured list and selected the contract of left-hander Zach Logue. Righties Bobby Miller and Michael Grove were optioned in corresponding moves. Righty Tyler Glasnow was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot for Logue.

  10. Even after a tough start, Knack stepped it up tonight. I’m really impressed by this kid. My Sharona! I still like this.
    Flaherty
    Yamamoto
    Knack
    Beuhler
    I love Clayton and Tony. Get em healthy. That would deepen their arsenal.
    Book em

  11. Shohei is having a historical season. 49 steals, 48 homers. 110 RBIs. Some might say I am nitpicking, and maybe I am, but one thing he is terrible at is hitting with RISP this season. His slash line is .223/.346/.354. His OPS is .700. Not very good, and one of the reasons has to be his 158 strikeouts. His career high is 189 set in 2021. He is only 3 away from matching his 161 in 2022. Last year, when he hit .304, he struck out 143 times. And any fan who has watched him all year has to be frustrated by the number of times he has stood like a statue as a ball goes right down the pipe and then will swing at a ball, he couldn’t hit with a telephone pole on the other side of the plate. He could easily have 20 or 30 more RBIs with a little less swinging for the fences.

    1. Valid points, Bear, except for your example of someone trying to hit a ball with a telephone pole, which I would think would be nearly impossible.

      That said, even with his shortcomings, we’d probably all settle for a lineup with 9 Ohtanis in it.

    2. He also has one of the highest OPS’s and AVG from the 8th inning on.

      I wouldnt nit pick the MVP and the ONLY person ever to go 50-50 (most likely)

    3. You’ve noted that a number of times we get it. You have issues with Ohtani. Maybe it’s all the time spent on Jeff’s site.

      2. Not a chance and right now, because of Jeff’s rehab, I am doing 90% of the writing. It is an observation. I got the same vibe when watching Bellinger, who obviously was much worse. flail at outside pitches his last couple of years. Ohtani is a very good hitter, and he is doing something no one else has done, but he could be even better with a little plate discipline.

        1. So based on all the stats that you see, I guess what, you expect Ohtani to have 150 rbis? He’s better than just about every other player in baseball, and yet you want him to be better. And by the way this isn’t the first second or third time you’ve mentioned that so like I said give it a rest dude. I read your historical stuff on Jeff’s site and enjoy it. Comment section
          … Not so much.

        2. I totally agree Bear.He could hit 350 or better if he chose to be a contact hitter.If he would just hit better pitches,oh my

  13. Let’s see. Nit pick or flat pick, I will take the latter. I don’t always nitpick. But when I do….I drink Dos Equis.
    Book em

  15. With all the struggles we’ve been having with pitching this year it still doesn’t make any sense to me why we traded Yarbrough – he had the ability to be a real mid game inning eater when the starting pitcher decided to not show up.

    1. Totally agree and was mystififying why he was left off the Post Season Roster last year when we had no pitching???

      Evidently an injured Kershaw was the answer!!

  17. 4:40 PM ET

    Dodgers (90-62)
    Marlins (56-96)

    SP Jack Flaherty R
    12-7 3.04 ERA
    SP Edward Cabrera R
    4-7 4.55 ERA

    Confirmed Lineup
    DH S. Ohtani L
    RF Mookie Betts R
    1B F. Freeman L
    C Will Smith R
    SS Tommy Edman S
    3B Max Muncy L
    2B Gavin Lux L
    CF Andy Pages R
    LF Chris Taylor R

    In Domed Stadium

  18. Porpoise, I like Modelo Negra also. But once ordered it in a Mexican restaurant as , Negra Modelo. The server had a stunned look and said that means ‘Black Model. Oh well!!

  19. Shohei Ohtani has been in a slump recently, especially in the past 15 games. But his second ion HR to Aaron Judge and is 51st in Strikeout %. When you are a HR hitter, you are to strike out some, but his strikeout percentage is incredibly low. OPS is a lot more important than BA.

    1. They have him for 2025 and I think they might extend him – he’s a candidate for that. Maybe 5 years for $75 Million.

  23. I mean shohei ohtani is great and all that, if only he could……… Uh, never mind!
    Bwaaàahahaha!

  24. Shohei reads here and was insulted so he went off. 6 for 6 with 3 HR and two doubles and 10 RBI’s.

    What a chump! 😉

  26. I know some have criticized Shohei because of his “poor performance” with RISP. However, performances like today reminds us of the immense upside and force he is becoming as he establishes himself on a legitimate contending major market team. Ohtani is a special player, period!

    Now the question becomes, is his bat too important to risk a pitching related injury? Given the health related volatility of our pitchers, is it best to keep Shohei away from the bump?

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