I did not say that, but the media in Cincinnati IS saying that. Elly is a couple of years younger than Miguel Vargas, who also flopped in his first season in MLB. The media makes a good argument as to De La Cruz’s regression, but where they lose me is the assertion that a several-month slump is an indication of De La Cruz’s future as a ball player, which is…
In a season that has been so improbable, it has been a fun ride! But, now we are all dying to get to the Legends of the Fall (one of my favorite movies, BTW). Hopefully, some more legends will be made then. Bobby Miller has been anointed as the Dodgers Ace… a year or two earlier than anyone could have predicted. The only question is whether he starts game one…
A person on this site (I won’t say who) once said that Miguel Rojas was “garbage” and should not be on the team. They were absorbed by the statistics and “Fantasy Points” in baseball, and if you are looking for fantasy points, then you would be a moron to draft Miggy as his .237 BA and .619 OPS will not win you many fantasy championships. The thing is, this is…
I think the MVP Award for the NL will be partially decided in the last two weeks of the season. As of now, here is the comparison: The last two weeks will seal the deal. Right about now, Acuna is better in some areas, and Betts is better in others, but WAR, OPS+, and wRC+ are all “Advantage Betts.” This is “Mookie’s MVP to Win.” It shall be interesting to…
I am not going to be labor the point, but most Dodger fans thought the Padres would be the team doing the celebrating. Dodger fans were outraged and irrational that the Padres and maybe the Giants and D-Backs had passed the Dodgers in talent. This was the mantra before and even during the season, and at the Trade Deadline, many fans pronounced the Dodgers dead on arrival for their lack…
“In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened!” All Dodger fans know that was the best line from Vin Scully’s storied career, as we know that 1988 was nothing short of a miracle. But baseball is like that, and momentum is a tangible, fungible thing. Just about anything can happen, and Underdogs sometimes win. As the Dodgers go into Seattle, they are without a starting rotation,…
I was somewhat surprised that Kyle Hurt was added to the roster, but there is no denying that he has the profile of a reliever… and maybe a “lockdown reliever.” I just did not expect to see him this year. I do not think Kyle will ever be a starter because his curve and slider are way below average, and his control is very erratic. However, his fastball moves with…
There is no way to sugarcoat this, so I will just say it: “Andrew Friedman failed the Dodgers by not having starters stacked at least twelve deep.” At the start of the season, the Dodgers had Clayton Kershaw, Dustin May, Julio Urias, Tony Gonsolin, and Noah Syndergaard. Syndergaard was the guy that many (me included) thought would benefit from the Dodgers’ “Magic Fairy Dust” used to resurrect pitchers’ careers. It…
Here we go again! Sandy Koufax pitched 57 Post-Season Innings, while Clayton has pitched 194 iPost-Season innings to date (notice that I left the door cracked open for more). That is a lot more exposure; Sandy’s ERA was 0.95, while Clayton’s is 4.22. Clayton won 13 games in the playoffs while losing 12. Sandy won four while losing three. Somehow some belive that Koufax won 40 World Series games. However,…
… at least he is THIS year. Next year, he will have to contend with Walker Buehler for that role, assuming that Striker can come back strong from his Tommy John Surgery. Bobby Miller is having an excellent rookie season, but in all likelihood, it may be better than the statistics indicate. While Clayton Kershaw was younger, he pitched 108 innings as a rookie and allowed 109 hits; he walked…