***2021 MLB Thread: BACK***

Discussion in 'The Mainboard' started by teel, Mar 31, 2021.

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  1. bro

    bro Your Mother’s Favorite Shitposter
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    Genuine question: is judging spin based on first pitches fair? Do pitchers normally get more spin further into their starts?
     
  2. The Goat

    The Goat Well-Known Member
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    Rizzo drops an easy foul popup and the next pitch Machado takes deep.
     
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  3. electronic

    electronic It’s satire!
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    In 2021, 10 players have gotten time with the Seattle Mariners and their AAA affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers. Combined, those 10 players have hit .324 and slugged .571 in Tacoma. In Seattle, they’ve hit .170 and slugged .306.

    Mariners.
     
  4. Bert Handsome

    Bert Handsome I'm sorry, the card says Moops
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    The Mariners should trade for Keaton Hiura and they would have the best AAAA squad of all time
     
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  5. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    Soto had a .870 OPS in 50 April ABs, so that was solid. But it dropped to .732 in 87 May ABs

    He's off to a great start this month though. Had 4 extra-base hits in each April and May. He's matched that through 6 games in June. Hopefully he stays healthy and keeps crushing the ball like this
     
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  6. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    from Schoenfield at ESPN+

    Still-too-early 2021 MLB All-Stars: AL and NL roster predictions

    One of the best stories of the season has been the reemergence of Buster Posey as a dominant offensive player for the first-place San Francisco Giants. Posey opted out the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and after playing through a hip injury in 2018 before finally undergoing surgery that August, he hadn't been a force at the plate since 2017. Given his age (34), lack of power in 2018 and 2019 (12 home runs) and all those games behind the plate (nearly 1,000 entering 2021), his time as an elite player appeared over.

    He homered in the first two games of the season, however, and hasn't stopped hitting, batting .333/.411/.583 with 10 home runs for the surprising Giants. He has been so good that San Francisco Chronicle columnist Scott Ostler recently wrote a column arguing Posey is making a case to become a Giant for life -- a big shift from what his future seemed to be a few months ago, when the odds favored the Giants not exercising a $22 million club option for him for 2022.

    In a season when many hitters are struggling just to make contact, Posey has retained the skill that allowed him to win a batting title in 2012, when he hit .336.

    He started 39 of the Giants' 59 games entering Tuesday's contests as manager Gabe Kapler has worked well with Posey to keep him as fresh as possible. Posey is also catching what has been one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. Because of his excellent start, Posey leads my annual Still-Too-Early All-Star rosters.

    A lot can change between now and the MLB All-Star Game on July 13 in Denver, but two-plus months of play gives us a solid framework to fill out our hypothetical National League and American League squads. As you follow along and disagree with my selections, here are the guidelines: 32-man rosters with 20 position players and 12 pitchers (including at least three relievers), two designated hitters for the AL, and each team must be represented.

    My general philosophy: I emphasize 2021 numbers, but I also want legitimate All-Stars on my teams, not two-month wonders, so performance from recent seasons is also considered. Mookie Betts isn't off to a great start, but he's still an All-Star and he's on my team -- he hasn't played poorly enough to play himself off the team, in other words.


    National League starters
    C - Buster Posey, Giants (.333/.411/.583, 10 HRs, 22 RBIs). For all the kvetching about the state of catching prior to the season, the NL is actually deep so far with four regulars posting a .400 OBP. Posey gets the starting nod, which would be the fifth of his career if the fans end up voting him in.

    1B - Freddie Freeman, Braves (.229/.358/.449, 13 HRs, 31 RBIs). This is a good example of an elite player not yet playing himself out of the starting position in my book. Freeman isn't putting up MVP numbers again, but he hasn't been terrible. Max Muncy is the clear starter here based solely on 2021 numbers -- first base in the NL has been pretty weak other than Muncy -- so if you want to go with him, that's fine. The odd thing about Freeman's 2021 campaign is the lack of doubles. He has just six, this from a player who led the league in 2018 and 2020.

    2B - Ozzie Albies, Braves (.256/.326/.502, 9 HRs, 37 RBIs). Albies certainly isn't the player I expected him to be coming up through the minors -- a speedy, .300-hitting middle infielder -- but he contributes offense across the board and should be headed to his second All-Star Game and first starting gig.

    3B - Kris Bryant, Cubs (.308/.386/.582, 13 HRs, 38 RBIs). This is a good debate, as Bryant has actually played more games in the outfield than third base, but he's listed on the ballot as a third baseman so I'll give him the starting nod over Nolan Arenado. Once you get past those two and Austin Riley, however, it's been a disappointing season for NL third basemen. Manny Machado has been mediocre, Eugenio Suarez is hitting .162 and Alec Bohm has struggled.

    SS - Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres (.283/.366/.660, 17 HRs, 39 RBIs). Tatis has missed 18 games due to a shoulder injury and then COVID, got off to a slow start and has made 15 errors for an unacceptable .898 fielding percentage -- and he's still fifth in the NL in FanGraphs WAR among position players. He was tied for the NL lead in home runs and stolen bases through Monday, and since April has hit .342 with 15 home runs and 36 RBIs in 31 games. He might need to clean up his defense to warrant MVP honors by the end of the season, but he's in the middle of the discussion.

    OF - Ronald Acuna Jr., Braves (.278/.386/.598, 17 HRs, 35 RBIs). An easy choice to earn his second All-Star nod and second start, Acuna is probably the front-runner for MVP right now. The strikeout numbers are starting to creep back up again, however, and after hitting .341 in April, he has hit just .226 since then.

    OF - Mookie Betts, Dodgers (.258/.372/.438, 5 HRs, 20 RBIs). The power numbers are down from last year, but he's drawing walks, hitting doubles and playing great defense. This is exactly why you don't overrate or underrate what has happened in two months. Mookie is a star and should start the All-Star Game.

    OF - Nicholas Castellanos, Reds (.359/.415/.627, 12 HRs, 31 RBIs). He gets my third outfield slot over teammate Jesse Winker. They ranked 1-2 in batting average, but Winker's defense is atrocious and Castellanos has a more consistent track record at the plate (Winker has produced high OBPs in the past, but as a part-time platoon player). Castellanos also leads all NL position players in WAR at 3.0, ahead of Acuna (2.8) and Bryant (2.7).

    P - Jacob deGrom, Mets (5-2, 0.62 ERA, 58 IP, 25 H, 8 BB, 93 SO). The NL pitching staff is absolutely stacked with All-Star candidates, but when people are asking, "Can he beat Bob Gibson's 1.12 ERA?" he should probably start the game. He has allowed four earned runs -- matching the total he has scored as a hitter. He has fanned 45.4% of the batters he's faced and allowed a .128 average. No, he's not asked to pitch nine innings every start like Gibson did in 1968, but this isn't 1968 and deGrom's performance has been remarkable.

    National League reserves
    C - Yadier Molina, Cardinals (.277/.314/.493, 7 HRs, 27 RBIs). How cool is it to have Posey and Molina both playing like it's 2012 in 2021? Molina is a nine-time All-Star and a 10th selection would put him with just 10 other catchers who have made 10 All-Star teams.

    C - J.T. Reamulto, Phillies (.295/.410/.485, 5 HRs, 23 RBIs). He's hitting for average and getting on base, and he has been the best all-around catcher the past few seasons.

    1B - Max Muncy, Dodgers (.264/.422/.527, 13 HRs, 30 RBIs). Muncy hit 35 home runs in 2018 and 2019 (when he was an All-Star), but never got going last season when he hit just .192. He has been a walking machine to go with his double-digit home runs, so his .422 OBP leads the NL. He also has started 15 games at second base, adding to his value.

    2B - Adam Frazier, Pirates (.332/.394/.472, 2 HRs, 23 RBIs). Frazier is our only Pirates rep, but he makes the team on merit due to the high batting average. It's not an empty .332 either, as he leads the league with 20 doubles.

    3B - Nolan Arenado, Cardinals (.287/.333/.522, 11 HRs, 40 RBIs). As expected, his transition away from Coors Field hasn't been an issue. In fact, his 139 OPS+ would actually be the highest of his career -- and he has an .859 OPS on the road, higher than his career mark of .793 entering the season. Evan Longoria deserved consideration here before injuring his shoulder Saturday in a collision.

    SS - Trea Turner, Nationals (.311/.354/.491, 10 HRs, 29 RBIs). One of the best active players never to make an All-Star Game, Turner should finally get selected this year.

    SS - Brandon Crawford, Giants (.262/.351/.537, 12 HRs, 37 RBIs). Crawford is a two-time All-Star, but he has always been known more for his three Gold Gloves than his bat. Like several of his teammates, he has hit for more power the past two seasons after the right-field fence was moved in at Oracle Park. Crawford is eligible for free agency after 2021. Maybe the Giants should consider making him a Giant for life as well.
    SS - Trevor Story, Rockies (.255/.322/.424, 5 HRs, 23 RBIs). Yes, he's currently on the IL and not crushing the ball, but he should be activated this week and this is actually why you need to consider past performance. The Rockies need somebody, and Story has been one of the best players in the league since 2018 with two All-Star trips to his name. I guess you could consider Ryan McMahon, but a .309 OBP in Coors? Pass. So let's go with Story ... assuming he's not playing for the Yankees on July 13.

    OF - Jesse Winker, Reds (.350/.412/.664, 17 HRs, 37 RBIs). He already has set a career high in home runs thanks to two three-homer games and he's hitting .379 against right-handers as a more aggressive approach at the plate has paid off.

    OF - Juan Soto, Nationals (.278/.407/.449, 7 HRs, 25 RBIs). OK, the power numbers are down, but he is still 12th in the NL in OPS and his previous performance warrants a spot on the team. Here's the other thing: According to Statcast measurements, he has been one of the unluckiest hitters so far -- with an expected batting average and slugging percentage of .317 and .582.

    OF - Chris Taylor, Dodgers (.275/.394/.497, 7 HRs, 31 RBIs). It seems like every time I do one of these one of my final spots comes down to Bryce Harper and another player or two -- which points out that he's never a lock, despite his status as one of the most famous players in the game. Taylor has starts at six different positions, with most of those coming in center field before Cody Bellinger's return. He has been a terrific super-utility player going back to 2017 and gets the edge here over Harper and Pittsburgh's Bryan Reynolds based on that .394 OBP and all-around value.

    OF - Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks (.382/.417/.607, 4 HRs, 14 RBIs). The Diamondbacks don't really have a strong candidate as Marte missed more than a month with a hamstring injury. Carson Kelly has a .400 OBP and seven home runs, but that all came in his first 17 games. Marte was fourth in the MVP voting in 2019 and should have 50-plus games by the time the All-Star Game rolls around, so let's go with track record instead of Kelly's three hot weeks.

    National League pitchers
    SP - Brandon Woodruff, Brewers (4-2, 1.42 ERA, 76 IP, 39 H, 17 BB, 92 SO). He strikes batters out. He doesn't give up many hits. He limits home runs and walks. I guess the only thing left to prove is doing this over 180 to 200 innings (career high of 121.2 in 2019), but he looks like a No. 1 starter.

    SP - Kevin Gausman, Giants (7-0, 1.27 ERA, 77.2 IP, 43 H, 16 BB, 93 SO). What a career transformation he has made over the past two seasons. He has allowed 13 runs in 12 starts, which includes one five-run outing. In three starts against the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, he's allowed two runs in 18 innings. Back when nobody was expecting the Giants to contend, he looked like prime trade bait, but now they have to keep him -- and ride him in October if they get there.

    SP - Max Scherzer, Nationals (5-4, 2.22 ERA, 77 IP, 48 H, 15 BB, 104 SO). Oh yeah, don't forget about me. He's one of 11 NL starters holding opponents to a sub-.200 batting average. He might have heard that batting average is down in 2021.

    SP - Yu Darvish, Padres (6-1, 2.25 ERA, 72 IP, 50 H, 17 BB, 84 SO). He's been exactly what the Padres hoped, especially given Dinelson Lamet's injury has limited his availability and the so-so work from Blake Snell and Chris Paddack.

    SP - Corbin Burnes, Brewers (3-4, 1.97 ERA, 59.1 IP, 35 H, 7 BB, 94 SO). No, I don't know how he has lost four games either (well, he allowed one run in two of those defeats). He had that long walk-less streak to start the season and his ratio of 13.43 strikeouts for every walk would be the all-time record for a starter (Clayton Kershaw had a 15.64 mark in 2016, but pitched 149 innings so missed the 162-inning qualifier).

    SP - Trevor Bauer, Dodgers (6-4, 2.40 ERA, 82.1 IP, 46 H, 27 BB, 103 SO). He has given up a few too many home runs (13) and also walks a few more batters than some of the other elite starters, but batters are hitting .159 against him and he's tied for the league lead in innings. Any of the top four Dodgers starters could make it, but Bauer is the only one I can squeeze on my roster.

    SP - Trevor Rogers, Marlins (6-3, 1.97 ERA, 68.2 IP, 51 H, 24 BB, 81 SO). He's the Marlins' one player on the roster, but makes it on merit with that ERA, strong strikeout rate and ability to keep the ball in the park (just three home runs). He's the top Rookie of the Year candidate right now and pitched 136 innings in the minors in 2019, so the Marlins should be able to comfortably get him up to 160 innings or so.

    SP - Zack Wheeler, Phillies (4-3, 2.51 ERA, 82.1 IP, 59 H, 18 BB, 100 SO). Wheeler earns my final starter nod over Joe Musgrove, Walker Buehler and a couple of others. He's been a workhorse, the stats are great, and he has done it in a tough park with a bad defense behind him.

    RP - Josh Hader, Brewers (3-0, 0.76 ERA, 14 SV, 23.2 IP, 10 H, 41 SO). The key number here: Zero home runs. As great as Hader was in 2019, when he saved 37 games, he allowed 15 home runs, which at least made him a little vulnerable despite all the whiffs. Not the case in 2021, which is why he's perfect in save chances. He's headed to his third All-Star Game.

    RP - Craig Kimbrel, Cubs (1-2 0.75 ERA, 14 SV, 24 IP, 10 H, 41 SO). Wow, after a 6.00 ERA the past two seasons, we didn't see this coming. This looks like vintage Kimbrel again, which means we shouldn't write off his Hall of Fame chances if he keeps this going for a few more seasons.

    RP - Mark Melancon, Padres (1-0, 0.66 ERA, 19 SV, 27.1 IP, 17 H, 22 SO). He's not as dominant with the K's as Hader and Kimbrel, but he leads the majors in saves and his two "blown" saves were unearned ghost runners in the 10th inning.

    Biggest NL snubs: Reynolds and Kershaw have the highest WAR of my snubs (2.1), and Musgrove and Freddy Peralta have certainly been terrific. Heck, I barely considered Buehler, that's how deep the NL pitchers are this year. And Harper? He certainly feels like an All-Star, but missing 20 games didn't help an otherwise borderline case so far.

    American League starters
    C - Salvador Perez, Royals (.279/.308/.513, 14 HRs, 40 RBIs). He still walks about once every full moon, but he's been an outstanding hitter the past two seasons and in a very weak group of AL catchers should receive his sixth All-Star start and seventh selection.

    1B - Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (.333/.436/.662, 18 HRs, 47 RBIs). First base has been a little soft in the AL in recent years, but not in 2021. Still, Vladdy is the easy starter here -- he's been so astounding at the plate that he easily leads AL position players in FanGraphs WAR even though he doesn't bring much value with the glove. Certainly the front-runner for MVP honors at the 60-game mark.

    2B - Marcus Semien, Blue Jays (.294/.365/.531, 13 HRs, 32 RBIs). After struggling in 2020, Semien is looking again like the player who finished third in the 2019 MVP voting. He's hitting for average, for power, he's 8-for-8 in stolen bases and his defensive metrics are excellent.

    3B - Jose Ramirez, Indians (.262/.348/.525, 13 HRs, 13 RBIs). If you want to go with Rafael Devers, I won't argue, but this is one where I'm using past performance as a tiebreaker and Ramirez has three top-three MVP finishes since 2017.

    SS - Xander Bogaerts, Red Sox (.321/.378/.535, 10 HRs, 36 RBIs). I wouldn't exactly call him underrated since he has made two All-Star Games and plays for the Red Sox, but he does fly a little under the radar given his consistent excellence since 2015.

    OF - Mike Trout, Angels (.333/.466/.624, 8 HRs, 18 RBIs). Dang it. Trout was on path to maybe his best season ever at the plate but is now likely out until after the All-Star break, so we'll have to replace him on our squad even though he likely still gets voted in. The amazing thing is he's STILL second among AL outfielder in WAR even though he hasn't played since May 17.

    OF - Aaron Judge, Yankees (.295/.398/.540, 14 HRs, 32 RBIs). The one Yankee who is hitting, Judge's most important stat: he's played in 57 of the Yankees' 60 games.

    OF - Mark Canha, A's (.259/.388/.477, 11 HRs, 22 RBIs). The top AL outfielders have been decimated with injuries -- Trout, George Springer, Byron Buxton, Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Michael Brantley -- so we're scrambling a bit to find three starters. Bob Melvin has stuck Canha in the leadoff spot all season, and he has responded by leading the majors with 47 runs.

    OF - Cedric Mullins, Orioles (.322/.390/.533, 9 HRs, 18 RBIs). Yes, this could be a two-month tear before Mullins falls back to Earth -- but in lieu of any other clear candidates with a proven record of All-Star play, I'll go with the go with the best numbers and Mullins leads all AL outfielders in fWAR and is second behind Guerrero among all position players.

    DH - Shohei Ohtani, Angels (.255/.339/.585, 16 HRs, 42 RBIs). J.D. Martinez has the second-highest OPS in the AL behind Guerrero, but Ohtani is ninth and, well, don't we all want to see Ohtani start an All-Star Game? Yes we do.

    SP - Gerrit Cole, Yankees (6-3, 2.26 ERA, 75.2 IP, 55 H, 11 BB, 104 SO). An easy call over a field of starting pitchers that is much less deep than their NL counterparts. The run-scoring environment isn't so much a factor -- AL teams have averaged 4.42 runs per game while NL teams have averaged 4.33 -- so this appears to be more of a case where the NL simply has more elite starters. At least two months into the season.

    American League reserves
    C - Mike Zunino, Rays (.197/.285/.525, 12 HRs, 24 RBIs). Remember all those complaints about the state of catching in the majors? Welcome to the American League, the sorriest group of catchers you will ever see. Really, the second-best option here is Yasmani Grandal, but I can't bring myself to call a guy hitting .153 an All-Star, no matter how often he walks. Zunino, of course, hasn't been much better with that .197 average, but he's provided power, some clutch hits and has expertly handled that revolving door of a pitching staff.

    1B - Matt Olson, A's (.278/.365/.576, 15 HRs, 40 RBIs). Olson struggled with contact in 2020 and hit .195, but he's cut his strikeout rate from 31.4% to 16.5%, an amazing accomplishment and still nearly 10% lower than his 25% rate over 2018-19. Throw in his big power numbers and good defense, and he's a sleeper MVP candidate if Guerrero falters at all and the A's continue to rule the AL West.

    1B - Yuri Gurriel, Astros (.325/.397/.528, 8 HRs, 41 RBIs). Anybody hitting in 2021 deserves extra credit! Gurriel hit just .232 last year, but had hit .299, .291 and .298 from 2017-19. Man, it would have been fun to see him in his prime.

    2B - Jose Altuve, Astros (.302/.367/.467, 9 HRs, 27 RBIs). It's good to see Altuve back in form after last year's struggles and potentially headed to his seventh All-Star Game. With DJ LeMahieu struggling and Brandon Lowe hitting .192, there isn't a lot of competition here. Whit Merrifield comes up just short.

    3B - Rafael Devers, Red Sox (.274/.342/.567, 15 HRs, 48 RBIs). He's proven that outstanding 2019 when he had 90 extra-base hits and led the AL in total bases was no fluke. With a hard-hit rate in the 98th percentile, few players hit the ball as hard as consistently as Devers.

    SS - Carlos Correa, Astros (.280/.367/.481, 10 HRs, 32 RBIs). It's never been an issue of talent for Correa, but his lone All-Star appearance came back in 2017 -- in part because the AL has been so deep here in recent seasons, but also because he's had trouble staying on the field. With his two-way play this year -- and good health -- he's on his way to a fat contract in free agency.

    SS - Tim Anderson, White Sox (.297/.335/.432, 6 HRs, 22 RBIs). Anderson ended up being my final position player selection over teammate Yoan Moncada.

    OF - Austin Meadows, Rays (.248/.350/.533, 14 HRs, 48 RBIs). Tied with Devers for the major-league lead in RBIs and tied for second in extra-base hits behind Devers, Meadows has also hit .321 and slugged .717 with runners in scoring position. He made the All-Star team in 2019.

    OF - Mitch Haniger, Mariners (.261/.308/.517, 14 HRs, 38 RBIs). One of the feel-good stories of 2021, Haniger was an All-Star in 2018, but hadn't played since June of 2019 due to several injuries and surgeries. He's really the only Mariner worthy of All-Star consideration, but he's been very good in a lineup without any support around him.

    OF - Adolis Garcia, Rangers (.277/.314/.549, 16 HRs, 42 RBIs). Is he for real? I have my doubts, given that 58/10 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He's also hit just three doubles, and I'm skeptical about a player hitting that few doubles keeping up his batting average. That said, Garcia has been one of the more entertaining players of the first half, the defense and the raw power have been impressive. Garcia makes it over Ramon Laureano, ensuring that we also get a Rangers player on the team.

    OF - Byron Buxton, Twins (.370/.408/.772, 9 HRs, 17 RBIs). We're going to need a Twins player and nobody on the pitching staff stands out, so let's roll the dice on Buxton, who was the best player in the league in April. He's starting a rehab assignment this week, so he should be back soon. If not Buxton, Nelson Cruz would be the next choice, but I'd rather not go with three DHs on the roster.

    DH - J.D. Martinez, Red Sox (.321/.389/.569, 12 HRs, 39 RBIs). Maybe he really just needs to watch video between his at-bats.

    American League pitchers
    SP - Shane Bieber, Indians (6-3, 3.08 ERA, 79 IP, 65 H, 29 BB, 117 SO). He hasn't been quite as dominant as his 2020 Cy Young season, but he's still averaging 13.3 K's per nine and is also 3-0 in three starts against the White Sox.

    SP - Lance Lynn, White Sox (7-1, 1.23 ERA, 58.2 IP, 37 H, 17 BB, 63 SO). He missed two weeks in late April, but is otherwise putting together the best season of his underrated career, holding batters to a .172 average and .236 OBP.

    SP - Tyler Glasnow, Rays (4-2, 2.69 ERA, 77 IP, 46 H, 25 BB, 106 SO). Glasnow has pitched at this level in spurts over the past couple of seasons, but he's going deeper into games while leading the AL in lowest batting average while trailing only Cole in strikeout rate. With the gloves off on his innings total, he could give Cole a run for Cy Young honors.

    SP - Kyle Gibson, Rangers (4-0, 2.06 ERA, 65.2 IP, 47 H, 19 BB, 53 SO). With a career 4.57 ERA over 200 starts entering 2021, I'm not exactly convinced Gibson has suddenly reached a new level. The Statcast numbers suggest some good luck on balls in play, but even if those are normalized he's been pretty good even with a pedestrian strikeout rate by 2021 norms.

    SP - Zack Greinke, Astros (6-2, 3.38 ERA, 82.2 IP, 74 H, 16 BB, 60 SO). We're already getting into "Real or not?" territory, but we know Greinke is a proven performer, a future Hall of Famer. He leads the majors in innings and remains a master at changing speeds and inducing soft contact, despite an average fastball velocity that ranks in just the seventh percentile.

    SP - Hyun Jin Ryu, Blue Jays (5-3, 3.23 ERA, 64 IP, 60 H, 11 BB, 59 SO). I'm going with another proven performer over a pitcher with similar two-month stats. Given the way the ball was flying in Dunedin before the Jays moved to Buffalo, New York, Ryu's numbers may be even more impressive than the 3.23 ERA suggests.

    SP - John Means, Orioles (4-2, 2.28 ERA, 71 IP, 46 H, 13 BB, 69 SO). The only hesitation here is that he just landed on the IL with shoulder fatigue, but it sounds like it will be a short stay. If he doesn't make it back, other candidates could include Lucas Giolito, Nathan Eovaldi, Dylan Cease or Jose Berrios (especially if we bump Buxton and need a Twins player).

    SP - Spencer Turnbull, Tigers (4-2, 2.88 ERA, 50 IP, 37 H, 12 BB, 44 SO). He's currently on the IL with a forearm strain, so there's a good chance he's out until after the All-Star break. If that's the case, you can sub in Casey Mize (3.34 ERA) or Matthew Boyd (3.90) on a Detroit team lacking any other reasonable candidates.

    RP - Liam Hendriks, White Sox (2-1, 1.85 ERA, 15 SV, 24.1 IP, 15 H, 40 SO). He's been the best reliever over the past two seasons and his 40-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio no doubt reminds Tony La Russa of the days when Dennis Eckersley was his closer with the A's.

    RP - Aroldis Chapman, Yankees (4-0, 0.39 ERA, 12 SV, 23 IP, 7 H, 43 SO). He doesn't throw 100 on every pitch, but a splitter has made him as tough as ever. He's allowed two runs all season, one of those a ghost runner. The only other run came on an Andrew Vaughn homer.

    RP - Matt Barnes, Red Sox (2-1, 2.73 ERA, 14 SV, 26.1 IP, 12 H, 47 SO). Barnes has averaged over five walks per nine the past two seasons, but he's throwing strikes and blowing batters away in his first full season as Red Sox closer after primarily serving as a set-up reliever since 2015.

    Biggest AL snubs: Thanks to a .424 OBP, Moncada ranks among AL leaders in WAR. I mentioned Laureano and Jared Walsh of the Angels is sixth in the AL in OPS. Past All-Stars and MVP candidates like Alex Bregman and Jose Abreu could certainly play themselves onto the team over the month.

    Starting lineups
    Finally, my batting orders!

    National League

    RF Ronald Acuna Jr.
    DH Juan Soto
    SS Fernando Tatis Jr.
    1B Freddie Freeman
    3B Kris Bryant
    LF Nicholas Castellanos
    C Buster Posey
    CF Mookie Betts
    2B Ozzie Albies
    SP Jacob deGrom

    American League

    2B Marcus Semien
    RF Aaron Judge
    1B Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
    DH Shohei Othani
    3B Jose Ramirez
    SS Xander Bogaerts
    C Salvador Perez
    LF Mark Canha
    CF Cedric Mullins
    SP Gerrit Cole

     
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  7. Tobias

    Tobias dan “the man qb1” jones fan account
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    all star selections should literally be based on 2 month wonders or whatever he calls them tho. i dont care how good freddie has been in the past or how unlucky he's been with hard hit balls this year. he shouldnt be on the all star team. it should reward players on how they're playing this year instead of projecting the end of their year or accounting for past seasons.
     
  8. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    Brantley back in the lineup for Houston tonight vs Boston. Should be a kickass series
     
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  9. Tobias

    Tobias dan “the man qb1” jones fan account
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  10. electronic

    electronic It’s satire!
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    Career minor leaguer getting first call up. Gotta love stuff like this:

     
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  11. Charles DeMar

    Charles DeMar Smug Outlaw
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  12. poor paul

    poor paul Well-Known Member
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    I love this but I can't imagine 10 years in the minors.
     
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  13. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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  14. fucktx

    fucktx ruthkanda forever
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    Thank god there was zero reason for him to be on a rebuilding roster
     
  15. Jack Parkman

    Jack Parkman Endorsed by Fred McGriff
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  16. Charles DeMar

    Charles DeMar Smug Outlaw
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    Was just coming to post that, tough spot to be put in and thought something was wrong with the video/sound during the awkward silence early on
     
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  17. Truman

    Truman Well-Known Member
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    [​IMG]
     
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  18. The Goat

    The Goat Well-Known Member
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    I better see an offensive explosion in the 2nd half the way people are treating this sticky stuff crap. I have my doubts of the true impact and this is MLB covering up their shit ball they picked along with the garbage strike zone we see night in and out.
     
  19. bro

    bro Your Mother’s Favorite Shitposter
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    if everyone is using, then harsh to make the best pitchers the face of this. Cole may have benefited from the use of sticky substances, but did he benefit more than all the other guys who are using?
     
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  20. WillySaliba

    WillySaliba Well-Known Member
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    Probably everyone but deGrom.
     
  21. teel

    teel Schiano Man
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    Manfraud keeps skating by and the game's stars like Cole are becoming villains because of stupid shit when there's much bigger problems
     
  22. Tobias

    Tobias dan “the man qb1” jones fan account
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    i just wished the yankees cared even half as much about cheating as they do about facial hair and dreads tbh
     
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  23. bro

    bro Your Mother’s Favorite Shitposter
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    yep. Star pitchers are going to get slaughtered over this when Manfred should step in and say we allowed what we allowed, and now we will be cracking down, but the current and past players should not be vilified. Should be simple
     
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  25. Tobias

    Tobias dan “the man qb1” jones fan account
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    i was at that game. and the one before it that they also won
     
  26. burnttatertot

    burnttatertot butt tuck zoomies
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    There are no bigger problems than a Yankee succeeding, it must be stopped at all costs.
     
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  27. Tobias

    Tobias dan “the man qb1” jones fan account
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  28. burnttatertot

    burnttatertot butt tuck zoomies
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  29. Tex

    Tex Decoy Cooler
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    Nice start for the good guys
     
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  30. Sean Connery

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    Ke’Bryan Hayes called out after a homer for not touching 1st :roll:

    Pirates baseball, ladies and gentlemen
     
  31. ashy larry

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  32. Charles DeMar

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  33. dblplay1212

    dblplay1212 Well-Known Member
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    Manfred is hanging these guys out to dry. Pretty shitty. And letting it go so long is going to hurt the teams that paid guys based on it too.
     
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  34. Tex

    Tex Decoy Cooler
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    Lol Boston
     
  35. bro

    bro Your Mother’s Favorite Shitposter
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    lol oh no Pittsburgh


     
  36. poor paul

    poor paul Well-Known Member
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    1000% agree with Kevin there. Cole was a jumbled word salad but he’s absolutely right, and it’s a systematic thing, not something individual players need to be answering for right now.
     
  37. ashy larry

    ashy larry from ashy to classy
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    i think it’s pretty well established everyone is using something but they’re not using a universal substance and that’s where you see the crazy increases in spin rate. the rosin/sunscreen combo seems to be what most pitchers are using but their increases seem to be more modest. the ones with crazy spin rate increases (100+ rpm) are probably using spider tack

    mlb should probably approve something universal. not sure how you police sunscreen/rosin so probably just allow that

    either way- just approve something. cant fault anyone for trying to gain an advantage of you’re not policing it
     
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  38. devine

    devine hi, i am user devine
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  39. devine

    devine hi, i am user devine
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  40. Cornelius Suttree

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    Yordan has crazy power
     
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  41. Tex

    Tex Decoy Cooler
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    Crushed it
     
  42. Tex

    Tex Decoy Cooler
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  43. Owsley

    Owsley My friends call me Bear
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    460’. 116 mph ev.
     
  44. Degausser

    Degausser #NewProfilePic
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    116 mph and 460 ft for Acuña off Nola
     
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    Uncle Tupelo Well-Known Member
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  46. laxjoe

    laxjoe Well-Known Member
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  47. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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    Sounds like a groin and at least it's not his arm or shoulder
     
  48. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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  49. Cornelius Suttree

    Cornelius Suttree the smallest crumb can devour us
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  50. Beachy Toast

    Beachy Toast He wants you too, Malachi.
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