At the trade deadline, the Dodgers sent right-hander Ross Stripling to the Toronto Blue Jays. Certainly, a number of fans, myself included, were sorry to see Ross go. I do think it is a good move for him where he can be assigned a definite role, most likely a shot at a regular starting assignment. That certainty should help him out not having to be concerned that each start will be his last. As he approaches free agency, he may well acquire more leverage than he currently has.
In exchange the Dodgers received two players to be named later. Eric Stephen on SBNation postulated that at least one of the PTBNL would come from this list.
- Orelvis Martinez SS/3B
- Gabriel Moreno C
- Miguel Hiraldo IF
- CJ Van Eyk RHP
- Eric Pardinho RHP
- Alan Kloffenstein RHP
- Kendall Williams RHP
- Rekelvin De Castro SS
- Estiven Machado SS
- Otto Lopez 2B/SS
He was correct as Kendall Williams was soon announced as the first of the two to be named later. It seems unlikely another will come from that list as all are on the Blue Jays’ Top-30 list at No. 19 or much better. Rikelvin De Castro (No.19) and Estiven Machado (No.17) are both international signings and as teenagers have not yet started their professional careers.
The right-handed Williams was selected by the Blue Jays in the second round of the 2019 June Draft with the 52nd pick. He was born in Olive Branch, Mississippi and grew up and attended school in his home town.
His early life presented a challenge as his parents divorced when he was just 12 years old. During the next few years, his relationship with his father grew stronger and stronger. His dad, Brent, worked long hours as the owner of a construction company yet always had time for his son playing countless hours of ball with him. He would play catch, pitch to him, field ground balls and simply fostered a love for the game.
“I look up to him and his opinion holds a lot of weight for me,” Williams told Blue Jays Nation of his father. “I put my head into baseball, and it was a little bit of a safe place for me.”
He played for his high school team in Olive Branch until the end of the semester in his sophomore year in January 2017. At that point he made a big decision. That is, to move to Bradenton, Florida and enroll at IMG Academy which is a noted preparatory boarding school. His move away from his family to further his baseball skills paid off very quickly as Baseball America ranked him the 17th-best prep prospect in the 2019 MLB draft class.
“I told my dad that this is the place I need to go to get me where I want to be,” Williams said. “This gives me the best shot. We made it happen, and I’ve been happy ever since and have made big strides forward.”
On the year as a senior in 2019 Williams posted a 6-0 record along with a 0.91 ERA and 69 strikeouts over 46 innings pitched. He walked 15 and held opponents to a .139 batting average against him. MaxPreps selected him to its High School Baseball All-American Team as a member of the second team.
Following his graduation Williams had to decide between joining the elite baseball program at Vanderbilt or begin a professional career if selected in the 2019 draft. Well not quite, although he expected to get drafted it is never a sure thing but he had a strong indication that the Blue Jays had a definite interest.
The Blue Jay interest was a bit hard to disguise as their Tampa area scout, Brandon Bishoff, was at every single one of his games during his senior year at IMG. Williams and Bishoff developed somewhat of a relationship through their early conversations.
“He always came up and talked to me, and I got a really good vibe from him,” Bishoff said. “He was a player that stayed at the top of my list throughout the year and he was a kid that I really did get to know well.”
On one occasion Williams acknowledged Bishoff in the stands while the 6’6” righty was doing his stretching exercises. That was unusual and noted by his catcher who was surprised by the gesture. His comment to the scout:
“ He must like you, because he doesn’t talk to anyone on game days!”
He didn’t go into the draft with a specific number in mind he needed to sign and, after a lengthy discussion with his family, decided that if it was only his baseball abilities that needed to be honed, he could do that at the professional level. He did sign on for $1,403,200.
He attributes the move to IMG Academy and his own hard work for the opportunity he has been given to pursue a MLB career.
Williams said he “would not go back and change” his decision to attend IMG Academy and believes “ultimately it will pay off,” even though he had to move away from his family.
“It’s surreal,” Williams said. “I never thought I’d be in these shoes as a young kid. Now that I’m here, it’s really bittersweet because I know that I put all this work in throughout my whole life for this one goal.”
He became good friends with fellow right-hander Brennan Malone at IMG and the two fed off each other and pushed each other during their time together at the Academy. Malone was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks with the 32nd overall selection in the 2019 draft.
“I’m actually super excited that I got him down here, and he was on my team,” Williams said. “We got to go through all of this together. We push each other in the weight room, classroom and on the field.”
So what else do we know about Kendall Williams?
We do know he stands 6’6” tall and weighs 205 pounds and he will now become teammates with right-hander 6’6”/200-pound Jimmy Lewis who was selected by the Dodgers with the 78th overall pick in the same draft. Perhaps one day Williams and Lewis will be teammates with 6’6”/180-pound right-hander Dustin May.
This other tidbit is from BLUEJAYS NATION.
We do know, by his own admission, that he is not in awe of analytics and numbers although he understands their significance.
“I think it’s cool, but I’ll never be one of those people that’ll ride or die by the numbers,” he remarked. “Numbers don’t mean everything, but there’s definitely some importance in having good numbers.”
We also know he had a strong rookie league debut in 2019 with the Gulf Coast League Blue Jays. He pitched to an ERA of 1.13 in 16.0 innings, striking out 19 and walking just seven in five starts. He was not sure where he would be assigned for the 2020 season but was not overly concerned where the assignment might be. With the 2020 season gone belly up Williams now can think about where he might go to start the 2021 season. I am hoping with the Great Lakes Loons.
“I try to control the controllable,” he said of his 2020 season. “You just have to put your head down, do your stuff, and people will notice. You’ll get moved as soon as you need to get moved.”
What does Andrew Friedman think about his latest acquisition?
“We are definitely getting a guy that we like and feel like will fit in really well with our next crop of prospects that are coming and then another guy that will come from a bigger list that we’ll have some time to work through.”
What do others say?
MLB Pipeline ranked Williams as the 13th-best prospect in the Jays’ farm system, calling him “the quintessential projectable high school right-hander” with “potentially huge upside.” The 6’6″ right-hander has a fastball that is approaching mid-90’s velocity, though his biggest asset could be his overall four-pitch arsenal rather than any one signature offering.
Baseball America’s scouting report cites Williams’ slider, curveball, and changeup “could all be average or better.”
Jonathan Mayo, who covers the draft and the minors for MLB.com, said on MLB Network’s broadcast last night right after the announcement of Williams’ selection, that the 18-year-old will throw harder once he gets into professional baseball.
The longtime general manager of the Rockies, who now serves as an analyst for MLB Network, Dan O’Dowd, praised the Blue Jays’ second selection:
“This is a great value pick for where we are in the draft.”
Williams stands out with his size of 6-foot-6, 208-pounds, and has a five-pitch arsenal, something unusual for a prep pitcher. He throws the four-seamer, two-seamer, curveball, changeup, and slider. His fastball sits in the low 90’s while regularly touching 94mph, according to MLB.com’s scouting report.
MLB.com, one year ago, gave the following scouting grades to Williams: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 45 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 50 | Overall: 50. According to MLB.com “Players are graded on a 20-80 scale for future tools — 20-30 is well below average, 40 is below average, 50 is average, 60 is above average and 70-80 is well above average.”
According to MLB.com’s scouting report, Williams’ fastball has creeped up to the mid-90s and he has a 2023 estimated big league arrival:
“There’s a lot to dream on and potentially huge upside, though he’ll need time to develop and refine his craft in the Minors.”
Perfect Game wrote up an early April, 2019 start at a major tournament, the NHSI in North Carolina:
He worked in a full arsenal of off-speed pitches as well, all of them flashing at least average. The curveball is his preferred breaking ball, thrown in the upper-70s with 12-to-6 to 11-to-5 shape, showing power depth and spin when he’s on top of it. It’s a pitch that could be projected as plus long term. His changeup was actually better than the curveball for a fair amount of his time on the mound, thrown in the 81-84 mph range with outstanding tumbling action and fade to the arm side. He throws the pitch with conviction and trust, and it accounted for a great deal of the swings-and-misses he elicited on this day. There were also flashes of a slider, a pitch he’s been trying to master for a while now and seems to have found a grip that he likes and is comfortable with. It’s not as consistent yet as the rest of the arsenal, but he broke off a couple with sharp tilt and firmer velocity from his curveball.
Eric Longenhagen at FanGraphs rated Williams as the 16th-best prospect in the Blue Jays’ system, noting: Williams had some cross-bodied mechanical violence as an amateur that might be ironed out in pro ball, and already may have been. He had a Mike Clevinger look in the bullpen this spring. Whether or not more velo comes, Williams is already a big, strong kid whose fastball has been up to 96, and he creates vertical depth on his breaking ball. There’s sizable relief risk here because of the delivery, but No. 4 starter ceiling if that’s corrected or overcome.
Kiley McDaniel at ESPN wrote of Williams
“He was dealing fastballs up to 96 mph and flashed three average-to-above pitches in high school, but with a delivery that needs some work.”
Keith Law at The Athletic in February said Williams was,
“a projectable right-hander from Florida who is 6-foot-6 and can show both velocity and spin on breaking stuff. But he needs help with consistency in his delivery and also has some physical maturation ahead of him.”
Time is needed to develop and refine his craft with consistency of delivery as he matures. The Dodgers player development team has gained a bit of reputation for doing just that. It seems that Kendall Williams is on the same page.
“I’m really big on the little things,” Williams cleverly remarked. “The biggest thing we’ve worked on is the smoothness and effectiveness of my delivery without outputting as much work.”
In the following video from his first professional season Williams indicated his mound mentality is that of a bulldog looking to send the hitter back to the dugout in any way he can. Huh!
I felt bad that Ross will not be here to help them in the post season, and I think a lot of people jumped on the guy because he had some bad games. Yeah, he gave up a lot of homers, but so did CK last year. Strip has always been better out of the pen, and so has Urias. But I was also happy that Strip will get a chance to do what he loves to do. He started tonight for the Jays. He went 4.1 and gave up 3 runs, enough for him to get the loss. But he did not pitch as bad as it may look. First start in a new league and a new city, he walked 2 struck out 4. He did not give up a homer. I hope Strip gets better for the Jays as he gets his legs under him.
One of my first thoughts upon hearing Williams’ profile, was another 6’6″ RHP? That would make at least four in the organization – with May, Miller, Lewis – and three acquired within the last two years. It suggests – at least in my limited estimation – that there is something to read into there. Or maybe it’s just bizarre coincidence? It doesn’t seem to be a bad profile to chase if you’re into types, though. Last time we traded a veteran(s) for prospects, it worked out pretty well, and I like it better as opposed to Luis Rengifo. Still, was Stripling that desirable for the Blue Jays to give up on a 2nd round pick after 2 years? It reads like they were fairly enamored with Williams prior to picking him. Did something go sour? Or did they really, really want Stripling?
I wasn’t thrilled with losing Stripling. Maeda’s post season contributions in long relief the last three years was pretty effective and vital imo, and I thought Stripling could fill that role this year. However, it seems Friedman’s long term plan all along didn’t include Stripling. He tried trading him once Price was acquired, and again once Wood returned and the three young arms acquitted themselves over a 5+ starts. I’m still concerned how we fair this post season without our #3 and #4 veteran starting pitchers from the past few years, and thought Stripling gave us a veteran option in addition to the long relief he could provide. Maybe it’s a psychological move with the three young guys knowing there’s not really a veteran looking over their shoulder. Probably a little risky, but I’m pretty encouraged with how they’ve all responded so far.
I didn’t include Miller as he is listed at 6’5″ but that is pretty close to the 6’6″ club.
SI again reported yesterday that David Price could opt back in…
Where there’s smoke…
I’m guessing that Strip’s relationship w the Dodgers was getting worse. First they shuttle him back and forth, then they try to trade him, which went public in a bad way, then he only gets a shot at starting by default, and next would have been moving him back to the bullpen. As nice of a guy as he is it’s not hard to imagine his morale would be low.
Dodgers did him a favor by allowing him to get a fresh start, plus they have plenty of replacements.
I do not think that was the case at all Daniel. Strip is a pretty smart guy and a total team player. He understood his role and his standing with the team. And no matter what happened on the mound, he never looked or talked like his morale was low. Friedman said the Dodgers wanted to give Strip the opportunity to do what he always wanted to do and that was start regularly. He went to a team that had that need.
From what I have read, Williams is another young pitcher with potential who may greatly benefit from time at Driveline Baseball, and Dodgers pitching development staff. Josiah Gray was very complimentary about the Dodgers giving him direction, and teaching him the finer points of pitching after being acquired from Cincinnati. Any young pitcher should be thrilled with the opportunity to be developed in the Dodgers organization. Include me in the Ross Stripling mooching and chowder society. I loved his team first attitude, whether pitching as a starter or reliever, he was all about the team which is not always the case in this MLB generation.
Harold,
Thanks for the research on Williams. Superb… as usual!
He’s young and you never know, but he certainly is projectable. I am sure he is on a “Driveline Track.” His floor is that he’s an AAAA pitcher. The ceiling is that of a #3. It will likely take 3 years to know… or longer. The more of these guys you have the better the chances.
Alex Wood on going to the BP (From the LA Times):
“The situation that I came back to is the not the same that I left and that’s OK,” Wood said, referring to his time on the injured list. “I knew that even during a regular season that that had a chance to happen. I could end up in the pen potentially. I feel like I’m a good, quality starter. I feel like I got a lot of innings left in the starter role, but I came back to the Los Angeles Dodgers to win a World Series.”
So, if I read all that right, I think Williams must be around 6’6”.
He’s a 50 grade pitcher with some upside. We got him for a 50 grade starter with some downside.
Our pen gave up 4 earned, Jansen looked sloppy and another example of why wins by a bullpen pitcher are meaningless. Ferguson got one out, gave up a grand slam, got a BS and a W which is BS. But…. what a fun game to watch.
Price may opt in huh. Do we need him?
Nothing gets by you Badger. I noticed that too.
He is on fire when he has Jalapeno’s for breakfast.
And Bazooka, who set the whole thing up by hitting a batter and walking a guy got a hold. That is pretty shaky scoring in my book.
It’s the only way Price redeems himself to me, Badger. 🙂
Jansen does look wobbly. It seems every appearance, he starts off putting a man on base. He’s gonna pay. Treinen is the natural stand in for Jansen, not McGee, I believe. Ferguson is starting to bend at the edges.
I just wonder how kenley will do in the playoffs against better competition as he does seem a little shaky at times
Jansen, if my memory is very good, has had exactly one clean inning all year. That is not good for ones stress level. And it sure takes a toll on the fans.
Interesting write-up on Kendall Williams. Looks like a good pick-up with plenty of upside.
There were stories just before the trade deadline that Friedman wanted to make a trade to add to the farm system and he certainly did that. I like this deal better than the one with the Angels that fell apart — felt more like a salary dump and the “prized” Angels utility player hasn’t exactly been a whiz with the bat this summer.
As to David Price, never quite sure why he opted out. Underlying health issue or concerns for a family member? Seems a little late to opt back in, not sure what his role would be.
I’m sure he’s not thinking BP. Why else would he come back if not to start unless his wife is driving him crazy.
If Price is actually thinking about opting back in, he’d better make up his mind quickly. Even if he’s been throwing at home, he can’t just decide to come back at the end of September and be ready to pitch a playoff game.
I can’t see any scenario under which he’d come back to be a bullpen piece.
My guess is that it’s just a rumor and won’t happen.
We have our 5 starters. If one of them doesn’t work out, we have Wood as first option to step in.
If that doesn’t work out, Kike mentioned on the game last night that he was toying with the idea of becoming a pitcher if he doesn’t start hitting better. He said it as a joke, but somehow I got the idea that he was actually thinking about it. He certainly has the arm for it.
David Price 2018 World Series against Dodgers.
Game 2 starter: 6 innings pitched, allowed 2 runs, gets the win
Game 3: reliever faced 3 batters got 2 outs. This was the 18 inning game
Game 4 rest day
Game 5 starter: on three days rest went 7 innings allowing one run
David Price is a gamer and will be starting if if decides to opt back in. I hope he does.
I do not see him coming back. 20 games left. They are trying to get the kids as many reps as they can prior to the playoffs. He has not faced hitters since March. Even if he is throwing at home, he is not facing batters. His stuff might be ok, but it is a lot different if someone is at the plate. I think it is a really bad idea, and I do not have a clue why he would even consider it.
Pollock recently looked horrible against RH pitchers with any kind of slider, but last couple against RH’ers he took several pitches from CF to RF with excellent results.
I had a jalapeño from my garden on my hash browns this morning so I’m feeling it here.
Lux says Hoese is hammering it at S.C. I think Pederson often looks like he just woke up from a nap. Rios can and has played left field. Is it possible to have Hoese, Rios, Lux, Ruiz, with Gray on the mound by next year?
In this bizarrely constricted Covid social violent year these young guys that are here, may not get the at bats they need to be ready to take over. That’s a shame, but it’s a league wide issue. Personally I think Lux can be All Star good and I think Rios has similar potential. They’ll get what? maybe 35-40 at bats to prove the are postseason ready? I can’t help but doubt that happens. But next year, when the madness is behind us? All those young eager Dodgers playing together? Or is it just the pepper talking?
Love the Lux quote about Hoese – “…a very, very, very good hitter…”
When I I saw him in that intrasquad game at Dodger Stadium a couple of weeks ago, I swear he had a swing like Kris Bryant’s.
I think that is a very good comparison. Zach Reks looked very good in that game as well; hit 2 home runs off Gonsolin and also doubled. Michael Busch looks like a hitter as well. the next group of prospects has a lot of talent
Hopefully that dinger last night gets Joc going. He’s a force when he gets hot. This has been a long bad streak for him!
Hey guys…I read everyday but dont post much.
Two things over the past few days that jumped out to me.
Is there a worse option that Jansen in this new runner on 2nd setup. The other night Jansen looked lost with the guy on second to start the inning. We are not even a year out from him just balking guys to 3rd cause he didn’t like that setup and now its a rule for him to potentially start innings like that. I know he was Reliever of the Month or whatever but he inspired zero confidence when watching him pitch as a closer.
I also understand there are probably not better options for that role but there needs to be a trade, promotion and a long talk with Jansen about his role going into next year I think. He hasn’t been right since the 2017 playoffs. Not thinking he ever will “that guy” again.
he winds up and looks like he is going to throw a freight train down your throat and all that comes out is a little 90-92. He WAS getting it up into the 94-95 the other night a few times but too few and far between nowadays.
The other bitch is Joc. Joc is what he is. A fairly one dimensional player that has has some great moments in the past. Nobody can convince me that after being dominated by Sherzer a few years back that if Joc doesn’t take him deep late in the game, LA certainly doesn’t win that game and probably not the series.
However, one can argue his value and ability but not hustling is simply not acceptable. Last night, he grounds a ball to second that appears to be a routine out. BUT WAIT……bobbled, kicked and Joc STILL never turned on the jets.
I only coach 5th and 6th grade girls softball, but that young lady would have been pulled off 1st for a runner and done for a few games. Right then, right there. A life lesson for her, and all my other girls. That cannot and will not happen.
Ive like Joc over the year but his consistent lack of hustle this season in a game I believe LA is down one at the time is simply mind bogglingly allowed.
Anyway, been a fun and interesting season to watch. Watching Betts is a treat. Always heard he was great but I don’y watch the Sox play but the hype for for real. Does everything perfect. CT3 is also so fun to watch albeit with much less talent. Love guys that play like him.
I’m with you Jason on Betts being better then advertised. Watching him everyday gives me the opportunity to enjoy just how good he is. Besides his obvious skills he does the little things right, every time. I don’t know who coached him up or what he’s picked up on his own, but his routine execution of small fundamentals is uncanny. Many of these small things go unnoticed by the casual fan. The other night, Mookie went from first to third an a routine single to left in a blow out. The standard play would jogging into 2nd. Not Mookie. He busted to 3rd. It’s just fun to watch him never miss an opportunity to hustle.
Nice research Harold. Thank you.
Saxfan3, you mentioned another 6’6″pitcher in Williams. Have you ever been to Fall Ball? The teams in Fall Ball parade one tall (6’4″ to 6’8″ 225 to 240 lb) pitcher after another to the mound. It’s incredible the size of most pitching prospects. If I was coaching pitchers now I would be at the Middle School basketball programs recruiting young pitchers.
Williams went to the controversial IMG Academy as Harold pointed out. Most readers here are probably familiar with IMG. In case you’re not here are some details. IMG was started in 1978 by Nick Bollettieri as a tennis ranch in Bradenton Fl. IMG turned out stars like Andre Agassi, Monica Seles, Anna Kournikova, Serena Williams, and Maria Sharapova.
Over the years it has morphed into a luxurious boarding school grades 6 – 12 offing academics and top instruction in 8 sports including baseball. They have 10 baseball teams based on age and talent. Tuition varies by sport but the average is about $88,000 per year. Not a small commitment for parents. Despite being subsidized by UnderArmour and Gatorade, they claim the do not give scholarships, so everyone pays. Look at the facility if you get a chance. I have to believe they would have the latest technology in every sport including baseball. That would be Driveline or something like it. They also provide camps and tournaments like Perfect Game does.
The controversy with such academies is obvious. It’s costly. Also Americans seemed opposed back in the day when Eastern Block countries plucked young kids with a talent and shipped them away from home to turn them into international competitors. The “BELA” gymnastics program was a famous example. Americans aren’t opposed to that model anymore. The difference is the parents pony up for it and send their kids to Florida. Also California has banned their high school programs from competing against IMG.
Thoughts on last night:
I love the adjustments that Dustin May is making to get better. I mentioned before that he needs a change up to get to the next level which I still believe is true. I don’t know how many he threw last night but his incorporation of his breaking ball at 83 is a huge weapon with decreased use of the “marginal” cutter at 96. With that “heat seeker” 2 seem sinker at 100, he can get stuff moving to all quadrants of the zone with about a 15 mph differential. I love his desire to improve every time out.
* Nice to see everybody in the lineup get at least one hit.
* The way the Dodgers nurse pitchers along with counts, if Price comes back he should be up to 4 innings by December.
* Nice to see Joc hit a Dinger. Not to keep kicking him but it was fortunate that the ground ball he hit that was booted at 2nd bounded about 10 feet away. That made a play at first impossible. Lucky for Joc as he loafed 92 feet.
It takes no talent to hustle, Joc.
Good thoughts Phil. Depending upon your view, “pay to play” has become the boon or scourge of youth sports. One thing is certain, it seems to be here to stay. In my neck of the woods, I know of many parents who are up to their eyeballs in debt, paying for softball, basketball or baseball travel teams, football camps and a wide assortment of training programs, such as Driveline, just so their Johnny or Susie can have a leg up on the competition.
Hi guys – the LAD steamroller keeps chugging along, flattening everything in its path.
Hard to gauge where we are at, because we have had a very generous schedule.
The more I watch Post Season play, the more i see a Crapshoot. Let’s hope it’s our year to get some luck, and get over the line.
Just driving with 7 pals to Belfast for a Saturday night out, in the modern Covid restricted world.
Have been golfing in Northern Island, and played Portrush yesterday, where last year’s Open was played.
Conditions have been testing to say the least. Windy doesn’t describe it properly.
I know some of you guys like your golf. If you get the chance – I can strongly recommend it.
David Price. No chance. Not good for moral. He knew when he opted out that this moment would come, and made his decision. Leave it at that.
Thanks for the Kendall Williams introduction Harold! I hope that one of our 6’5″ – 6’6″ pitching prospects turns into the next Don Drysdale. It’s been awhile since we’ve had someone like him. We can only hope.
He would have to match Big D’s temperament for that. Big D was asked what he would do if his mom crowded the plate….his reply…..throw at her.
I am not going to pile on Fergie, who has been one of the better arms out of the pen. for that dinger. Bazooka put him in that position by hitting the first hitter he faced and walking one. Fergie made a great pitch that popped Blackmon up, but it landed in no man’s land for a hit. Then he threw one bad pitch to Pillar. To the teams credit, they just went out and got all four runs back plus one. Then Jansen, who has not had a clean inning since Badger was a kid, makes things way to interesting in the 9th. Makes me wish they had traded for Rosenthal or Hader. Unfortunately I once again had to suffer listening to the Rockies announcers. When Pillar hit that homer, you would have thought they won the world series.
Congrats to Trout who last night tied Salmon for the career lead in homers. Angels sure like their fish. 299 already? WOW. Yankees were expected by many to be in the World Series with all the talent on that team. They will be lucky to win the wild card the way things are going for them injury wise. Their two big guns, Stanton and Judge are both still out. DC has zero chance of making the playoffs. How far the mighty have fallen. A J Ramos was signed by the Rockies. His 3rd team in less than 3 weeks. One thing this really weird season has done is allow a lot of players I have never heard of to be in the majors. On the Rockies homer broadcast last night they mention some insane number of players have made their debut this season. Not sure of the actual number because the old memory of recent things is a little iffy, but it was well over 100. Got an old Wally Moon card yesterday. I can close my eyes and hear Vin calling another Moon shot. Ahh the good old days at that classic ball yard. the LA Coliseum.
Bear, congratulation to Trout tying Salmon last night.
Both are on my all-ichthyology team. Other members of this school are:
Mike Carp, AJ Pollock, Tyler Pike, Kevin Bass, Shad Fish, MudCat Grant, and Catfish Hunter.
Here are a few more. Sid Bream..yes there is a fish called a Bream, Ed Zander, Marlin Stuart, Dorado Reyes, Art Garibaldi, Chester Guppy, George Haddock, Art Herring, and Bobby Sturgeon.
Try the all body parts team..it is a hoot.
I’m not sure I could get that list passed the censors, Bear.
Ha, I think it would be easy. Start with Rollie Fingers and Brad Hand.
I am looking forward to seeing what AJ Ramos might do if he gets recalled. He was one I thought had a chance to help the Dodgers bullpen. Colorado’s bullpen needs all the help they can get. I hope he does well, except against the Dodgers.
1.- If Price decides to opt back, welcome, an arm with more experience will always be very helpful.
2.- We all know that Jensen is not the most reliable, he is no longer, the league knows it, that is why Treinen was hired, why don’t they let him close the games?
3.- It is true that sometimes it seems that some players do not run faster to the base, what you mention about Joc is true, but he is not the only one, last night Seager looked the same when he grounded for doubleday, it seems that they have the “Manny syndrome”
4.- If you think the Colorado commentators are bad, you should listen to the San Diego commentators …. They talk about the players and the plays as if they were gods!
Trienen and McGee both have closer experience. Why put all of the load on Jansen is right. With that mediocre outing in a game where the closer should not have been, he made 21 pitches which pretty much keeps Doc from using him if needed tonight. I save Blake for the 9th tonight, or McGee, who pitched the last game of the D-Backs series. Doc wants to save the young arms so much, do the same for Jansen, who’s bullets are not as lethal as they used to be.
Tongue-in-cheek…maybe Doc pitched Jansen last night so that if he needs a closer in a close game tonight Jansen won’t be available?
I too have long supported Joc, and defended him more than a few times. But his lack of hustle, and his body language seem to suggest he really is not giving it his all. Maybe being traded and then suddenly not traded affected his mental state. But I also think it might have a little to do with his being a new father and missing some time with his kid. Whatever the reason, they need some sort of consistency out of the guy. He will play every game of this series since all of the Rockie starters are RH. He is streaky. And with the homer last night maybe he is beginning one of those streaks. Pollock has been at least a close clone of the player he was when he first came up. He hustles all the time, does not take bad at bats out to the field, and he has begun to hit RHP which he was not doing earlier. .270 with 8 dingers and 20 RBI’s being platooned is pretty good. Muncy seems to have awakened from his slumber also. 3 players, Betts, Muncy and Belli have double digit homers so far. Pollock and Seager within easy striking distance of that. And with a little more consistency, Joc could reach double digits too.. Smith with 5 has an outside chance. Dodgers have raised their team BA to .254. 3rd in the NL, SD has dropped some points and now is only 8 points in front of LA at .262. LA leads in homers, and trails in total runs by 1.
MLB had an interesting story about the 15 most likely trade candidates this winter. Top of the list was Badgers favorite SS, Lindor. Story of the Rockies was on the list too. Bryant of the Cubs. Interesting to me was the inclusion of Andujar who was the Yanks 3rd baseman not too long ago, but now is playing the outfield some since his fielding is a little iffy at 3rd. But the 2 names I really perked up over were Iglesias of the Reds, and Hader. Texans signed Watson to a 4 year, 160 million dollar deal….WOW……Naturally the Lakers looked pretty bad against the Rockets. I attribute that to the long layoff before they could play. It will be a different story in game 2.
Some observations:
Please, get Joc off the field. Or, better yet, get off the team. He just continues to disrespect the game, the fans, the Dodger organization, and his teammates. I can’t believe Roberts let’s him get away with his lack of effort. Yeah, just release him now. If Hoese is hitting so well at USC (as Lux states) then bring him up and see what he can do. We need a RH bat for DH. What do the Dodgers have to lose (just Joc, which is nothing)?
Agree with those who said we need to start firming up an everyday lineup. Such as:
Smith C
Muncy 1B
Lux 2B (either make or break it)
Seager SS
Turner 3B (Rios for days off)
Pollack LF
Bellinger CF
Betts RF
Did anyone notice Senzatela when left the mound after being pulled. He walks off mound kisses his fingers and points to the sky, crosses himself, pounds his glove and lets out an F bomb. Whaaat? The full spectrum in less than 15 seconds. Funny stuff.
I really enjoy watching Will Smith hit. Developing a great eye. Has hit the ball hard all season and is now starting to see the ball drop in for him. When he hits a home run it never looks like more than a fly ball to the OF when it leaves his bat. It just keeps carrying until it clears the outfield wall. Amazing power from someone who looks like he’s in high school. Love watching him throw out runners stealing. Very calm when he releases the ball and seems to be focused on accuracy as supposed to rushing the release and throwing it hard.
Watching Kenley the other night against Arizona I’m thinking “this is the guy we’re depending on to close games in the playoffs”? Oh my. I continually buy into “now Kenley has it figured out” or “his velo has increased” hype. Bottom line, Kenley has no idea where the ball is going when he releases it. It’s been that way the last three years. Hopefully, the Dodgers are planning a replacement closer for next year and relegate Kenley to a 7/8th inning guy. I know 20 million is a lot to pay for non closer, but we’ve received good value for Kenley over his entire career. When it’s time, it’s time.
It’s fun watching Bellinger and Muncy start to have success at the plate. Felt so bad for Muncy. He’s been so solid for the Dodgers. I kept waiting for the bubble to burst with Max, but he’s the real deal. What a find! With Belli, hitting well during the regular season is expected and he usually doesn’t disappoint. But, it’s the playoffs where he needs to be a star. I just came a across a stat that showed he has a 39% SO rate in playoff appearances. Hopefully, this year that can change.
Finally, the entire pitching staff has been outstanding. I would like to see Roberts let the starters go further into the game. Seems like 4-5 innings is the acceptable outing this season. Like 7 innings the last 20 years and like 9 innings were in the 20th century. Look forward for starting pitching salaries to fall if that’s the case. Who’s going to pay $25-35 million for 150-175 innings a year (5 innings x 30 starts)?
This was really good post, Ted. Some really solid points.
Talent wise, this 2020 team is every bit as good as the 2017 version if not better. This team has added Mookie, Muncy and AJ. Corey Seager has improved even more than the 2017 version. 2B is still…well a hope and a prayer. Everyone continues to say that Smith is superior than Barnes, and I really do not disagree, except when Kershaw pitches. Belli and JT are still Belli and JT.
CK is back even better than 2017. Buehler is better than the 2017 Yu Darvish. The #4 starter, Alex Wood is the #6 on this team. May and Gonsolin should be better than Hill and Wood. No I did not forget Julio Urias who I do not believe is as good as are May and Gonsolin. The 2017 bullpen with KJ, Brandon Morrow, and Maeda was dominant, but after them??? Fields, Baez, Strip, Watson, and McCarthy. Strip isn’t considered good enough to make this year’s post season bullpen, and what bullpen would not be better without Brandon McCarthy?
I do not know who will make the final bullpen roster, but overall it will be far superior than the 2017 version. Without the dominant KJ, one thought I had was, IMO Tony Gonsolin is a superior starting pitcher than is Julio Urias. However, not that much better that AF and Doc have to consider putting Gonsolin in as the closer. For one inning, his fastball and change combo is unhittable. I think Gonsolin could impact a short series more as a closer (any late inning high leverage situation) than as a 4th starter. I really cannot think of another playoff caliber team that would have a better #4 than Urias. Gonsolin could solidify an already good bullpen. Just a thought.
We all know that the cheating Asterisks stole the WS, but what they were really missing was that ONE player who would not allow them to lose. 1988 had Kirk Gibson in one AB show the Dodgers they were good enough to beat more talented NYM and Oakland teams. This year, Mookie is that guy. He just makes everyone around him play better in that moment. This 2020 team refuses to lose. Last night’s game was just ANOTHER example. Most teams would have surrendered after the slam. Not LAD. The spirit of Mookie lives in the souls of the Dodger players.
18 out of 21. Yes they are teams they should beat, but they are beating them. The one game I felt that they lost more than the other team beating them was the Friday night game against the Giants. While the 2017 team was loaded, this team wound never go on a 1-16 streak as the 2017 team did. The 2020 team is special, and poised to win it all. Last night was just a snapshot.
I agree, Jeff. Like Kirk Gibson, Mookie has the “killer instinct.” I don’t mean that his personality is the same. Gibson was a wildman. Mookie has the opposite temperamant: well-balanced. Yet, they both are capable of taking over a game, dominating it through will and talent. As talented as Belli is, I haven’t seen that side of him yet. And as much as I admire Kersh, he doesn’t have it in the post-season. He is too hard on himself. You feel he carries the weight of everyone’s expectations and his own on his shoulders. When he gives up a HR in a crucial situation, you just see in his facial expression and body language how down on himself he gets. As much as he tries to leave it behind, I think Kersh is burdened by the failures of the past, and it gets in the way in critical situations. With Mookie, it’s a different story. JT has the killer instinct, but as good as JT is, Mookie plays at another level. The really great ones seem to turn it on at will. Cory may have it, too. Now that is he finally right physically, he seems to be making up for lost time. He must have been frustrated last year, when his body wouldn’t do what he wanted. He didn’t seem comfortable all year. Now he does, so look out! Mookie, Cory, and the pitching, especially the young guns and the bullpen, will carry us.
One of our weaknesses, I’m afraid, is Doc’s sentimentality. I know he’s a player’s manager. That’s all good. “A happy ship is a good ship!” (from Master and Commander). However, his belief in certain players, his positivity, works against him. Leaving Kersh in one inning too long in the playoffs. Keeping KJ as the closer, despite his shakeiness. Giving Kike endless chances to be the regular second baseman. Doc is too invested in those guys. Too much Positive Psychology! Doc needs to develop the killer instinct, too. Give the ball to the guy who has it. Treinen looks like he has it. No room for sentimenality anymore! As Leo Durocher famously said, “Nice guys finish last!”
I like it, Dave!
Durocher managed the Cubs. They finished last. Guess he was a nice guy.
Guess I was wrong about Treinen!
Vogel was just added to the 60 man pool per Twitter and Dodger Report.
At least they’ll get to see what they drafted and he’ll have some exposure to some of the other guys.
Do we know who he’s replacing on the roster?
They had an opening. I think because of Stripling.
Jansen is 32.
He’s getting older. His performance will drop. A further drop-off in effectiveness should be anticipated.
He’s still near elite, but no longer elite. But does this mean he’s no longer the closer? Of course not.
Tonight’s lineup:
Mookie
Seager
Muncy
Belli
Joc (DH)
Pollock
Lux
Rios (3b)
Barnes
Gonsolin
Jeff can you repost the article you wrote on Jake Vogel on June 18? You did a great job with a lot of research into it.
https://ladodgertalk.com/2020/06/18/jake-vogel-cf/
Cubs release Jharel Cotton….
Was he, is he, or could he still be a good pitcher?
It’s obviously not very good, right?
He had TJ surgery in 2017, pitched a few games in the minors for the A’s last year but wasn’t effective.
He may be one of those relatively few pitchers that never comes back from TJ.
Maybe we should get him back here and see if we can fix him. That would be a nice story.
In my opinion It’s past time for Doc to give CONSISTENT AT BATS to Lux, Rios, Beaty to find out if any should be starting games in the playoffs. Also CONSISTENT at bats for Pollock against righties to find out if he hits them consistently.
We need answers to those question marks. And no matter who plays the remainder of the regular season we are going to the playoffs.
There are only 6 guys in my opinion that are CLEARLY everyday starters in the playoffs. Smith, Bellinger, Muncy. Betts, Seager, Turner. The rest of the spots are to be determined.
Gonsolin continues to pitch good. I called him an underrated player and wondered why he wasn’t on the roster from the beginning. I have no problem with him starting a game in a three-game series.
Now everybody knows him and what he can do so the name underrated I guess should be retired.
he does not pitch like a rookie at all.
Pitch count is getting up there for the Goose. Looking for the pen and the bats to bail him out.
Pitch count is actually low for most pitchers with 6 complete innings. Doc is a nervous little guy. Why not leave Gonzo in to try and get him a win? It’s total BS how he pulls these young guns before they can earn something for their own confidence. Getting a W is important. Don’t like the way Doc manages these guys. It’s a formula.
Maybe because it’s so freakin hot out there.
He took him out because Blackmon was coming up and Gonsolin hadn’t fooled him once today.
And Victor Gonzales continues to look really good!
Amazing. When one of Doc’s moves backfires, he gets torched. For some when his moves do work he still gets torched. Some just do not like Dave Roberts, and that is okay.
There are exceptions to everything. In general, the kid gloves do nothing for preparing them mentally.
What kind of inanity is this?
What are you basing your player development knowledge on, Jeff?
MadBum comes off the IL to face the Giants. He leaves after 4 losing 2-1. He threw 72 pitches, 44 for strikes. 2 walks, 2 K’s, and 2 HR’s.
The bullpen is coming back down to earth as I unfortunately expected. Still a good bullpen though.
1 game!
Mark
Yesterday’s bullpen performance was bad too. Up until recently the bullpen has been exceeding my expectations and now they are coming back down to earth as I expected. That’s all.
Denver beating the Clips!
Dodgers will have to come back, again!! Do they have it in them, this time?
Uh-oh, Wood just gave up two more runs. 🙁
Roberts should never have pulled Gonzo. Look what has happened. Wood over McGee?
Your right. They should have let Gonsolin pitch a complete game. The Rockies got to Treinen in the 8th. No Dodger pitcher has gone into the 8th inning. Maybe next time, Roberts should call you to see who should pitch. Dodgers win 40 out of 60, 18 out of 21, and Roberts is the problem, and gets no credit. Not Treinen or Joc or Belli or Muncy or Rios. Doc should have known those four were going hitless tonight. Give credit to Marquez and the Rockies bullpen and the Rockies hitters beating the shift. It is not always the Dodgers fault when they get beat. It just might be that the other team played better that night.
However, Trevor Rosenthal might have looked good in Dodger Blue.
So you are saying it is AF’s fault because he couldnt close a deal for Rosenthal? Hmm. I’ll give it some thought. Maybe you are right. Decisions have echoes that appear throughout the games of every team. Maybe it doesn’t register at first, but all of a sudden, boom, something clicks and you see its results. It’s esoteric, Jeff Jr, not a popular view among fans who only watch game to game and have no big picture, just a big TV.
I just checked my post and I did not see where I blamed AF for not getting Rosenthal. I did say he would look in Dodger Blue. Unlike you I do not have all of the knowledge at my disposal when decisions are made. It sure would be great to have your pre-cognitive skills.
4 Denver hitters hit exactly like old-fashioned. i like that style
the same like Pollock
Yes, when the Dodgers win, it is in spite of Doc, and when they lose it’s because of Doc.
Those of you who continually beat that drum have ZERO credibility with me and very little respect.
I simply cannot take you seriously!
Dodgers picked a good time to lose one. The Pads lost, the Braves lost, and the Cubs lost 2. They are still up 6.0 games over the Pads and Braves and 6.5 games over the Cubs. The best record in the AL is Tampa Bay. The Dodgers are 2.5 games better than the Rays.
Ferget about it! Over and done. Rockies made some spectacular defensive plays, they beat the shift 3 times in one inning,. and they had a pinch hitter come through. Doc stuck to his script for the year so far, and Treinen had a bad inning. Stuff happens. Rocks are still under .500, and that was their first win over the Dodgers this year. No biggie. Beat them tomorrow, They have a kid pitcher going and the Dodgers have Mark’s pick to click, Urias. Joc still sucks though, and they hit into 3 double plays, of course that is Roberts fault right?
It’s Roberts’ fault Joc is still playing. This has gone past the point of reasonable. He’s blocking the development of someone else. There has been no development of Joc. He is that same player he was when he first came up, a poor hitter who has some power but can field decently and is probably a decent guy. He’s no longer ‘cheap’ so I would imagine he is gone by next season.
What is he supposed to do Jeff? Put the guy on the bench and not play him? Who at the alternate site has the experience he does? Yeah, he will probably not be a Dodger next season. If things had worked out, he would not be one now. But he hit a homer in the first game, they had a RH pitcher out there, so Doc played the percentages. He has to play the players he has available to him, and Joc is one of those guys. But it is not Doc’s fault that the whole offense was shut down by the Rockies pitching. A great catch in right kept them from taking the lead on a ball everyone thought was going out.
Durocher did beat the Dodgers in the 1951 WS, though he cheated to do it (which kind of proves my point!).
They never proved the Giants stole signs. There was never an investigation into the allegations, and it it kind of asinine to assume that the Giants coming from 13 1/2 games back, and catching the Dodgers on the last day of the season was all cheating. That is moronic to even think that. They had a 15 game winning streak at one point, and they were not playing all of those games at the Polo Grounds where they were supposed to be stealing signs. And it wasn’t the 51 WS, it was the playoffs. And the first two games, which they split, were in Brooklyn. The Giants won 12 of their last 15 games, They just played better baseball while the Dodgers floundered. The Giants, not counting the playoffs, beat the Dodgers 6 of their last 7 games.