Teams Destined For Early Postseason Exit

Every team that makes it into the MLB postseason deserves to be there, but some appear destined for failure. Here is one team in each league I think will make an early exit.

Pittsburgh Pirates
It has been some season for a team the has been, well, not dominant for a while. I know I didn't think the Bucs would be here. This last month though has made me wonder if they are really a good enough team. They've gone just 12-12, they've let an winnable NL Central slip away, they are in danger on losing home-field in the wild card game, they've hit just .232, their ERA has increased by 0.74, do I need to continue? I love the underdog, and would love to see the Pirates go deep, but it isn't happening. In a one-game playoff at home, I like their chances, on the road or in a best-of-five series against Atlanta or St. Louis, I don't like their chances.



Pirates after heartbreaking loss in 1992 NLCS, where Atlanta scored 3 runs in the 9th to win 3-2. This was the Pirates last playoff appearance before this year.

Oakland Athletics
Anyone who has ever watched Moneyball would know how the A's and Billy Beane do it. They would also know that he would of thrown a chair at his TV when he saw them talking about the excellent power Coco Crisp has shown, and a desk across the hallway during each of the five times he has been caught stealing. None of this change the fact the A's could make a movie on how to only win two games every year they've played in the division series. In fact they've lost 3 games to 2 in the ALDS in five of their six tries. The other year? They got a sweep only to be swept in the League Championship Series. Here's a tip for your picks this year: pick the A's losing if 5, free points. There is no reason why that won't change this year. If you don't believe me here's a link:

http://espn.go.com/mlb/history/teams/_/team/oak

Overrated and Underrated Stats

People don't realize the importance of some some stats, and people put to much emphasis on other stats, Here I take a look at those stats.

Overrated:

Pitch Count: Why do people always worry so much about the number of pitches someone throws? The only question should be: are they still effective? When the answer to that is no, then you can take a pitcher out of the game.

Batting Average: People say a walk is as good as hit. Then why should we care how someone gets on base?

Underrated:

WHIP: Maybe instead of pitch count we should worry about this. WHIP: The number of walks and hits per innings pitched a pitcher allows, or effectiveness. 

OBP: A stat that makes walks as good as hits. 

AL Players to Watch

In order for any team to still be around in October, someone is going to have to take charge. Sometimes that player is someone you'd expect, for some teams, like the Indians, it is someone that at the start of the season you could have never predicted. Here I take a look at what player will be the most important for team on the outside looking in on an AL playoff spot.

AL:

Kansas City: 4.5 WCGB

Billy Butler: What's more of a surprise is that KC is still in it, not how important Butler will be. This year he is hitting .292 with 14 HR and 72 RBI. Kansas City is running out of time, and have a tough schedule with their next 15 games against teams above .500. If he doesn't continue his good play over those next 15 games, KC will end up where everyone expected them to be: not even close.

Cleveland: 3.5 WCGB

Joe Smith: I told you this one would surprise you. Of all the Cleveland pitchers I could have picked, such as Jimenez, Kazmir, Perez, this is the guy I pick. It would be the equivalent of saying that Kelly is going to be more important that Mo and Robertson down the stretch for New York, but I'll tell you why I like him. We all know how important your the bullpen is for any team in September. Well, guess who has been arguably the most valuable reliever for Cleveland this year. In 60 games this year, Smith owns an ERA of just 2.47, to go along with 46 SO and a team leading 20 holds. Obviously shutting teams down in the late innings will be important, and Smith will have to do just that.

Baltimore: 3 WCGB

Chris Davis: You probably saw this one coming. Anyone that has hit 47 HR will be important in September. Do I need to continue?

New York Yankees: 2.5 WCGB

CC Sabathia: Out of all the things that have happened to the Bombers this year, should he not have been one of the few sure things? Despite not being affected by injuries, the Yankees rotation has changed just as much as the rest of the team. Nova spent time in the minors before winning the Pitcher of the Month award by August. Pettite has been inconsistent, Kirosa has struggled recently, Hughes has been demoted to the bullpen, and CC hasn't been CC. To make it CC will have to be CC. 

Postseason Predictions

Here are my predictions for the teams and winners in the postseason.

Wild Card Games
AL
4- Texas Rangers 3
5- New York Yankees 4

NL
4- Pittsburgh Pirates 6
5- Cincinnati Reds 4

American League Division Series
1. Detroit Tigers 3
5- New York Yankees 1

2- Boston Red Sox 0
3- Oakland Athletics 3

National League Division Series
1- Atlanta Braves 3
4- Pittsburgh Pirates 0

2- Los Angeles Dodgers 3
3- St. Louis Cardinals 2

American League Championship Series
1- Detroit Tigers 4
3- Oakland Athletics 1

National League Championship Series
1- Atlanta Braves 2
2- Los Angeles Dodgers

World Series
AL- Detroit Tigers 3
NL- Los Angeles Dodgers 4

AL Wild Card Race

     This years wild card race doesn't look like it's going to be as good as it was last year, the NL wild card teams, wit the exception of the NL Central, appear to be set. The AL race appears to have some life though.

Division Races
This year is the first year in a while where every division leader, if they lost their lead would be in a wild card spot. Don't underestimate the value of winning your division though, Atlanta learnt that the hard way.

AL East: With just one game separating Boston from Tampa Bay, this race could be the most exciting in the AL. Despite their one game lead though Boston may be a bit of a long shot: Tampa Bay has played four fewer games. Both teams are going to have a tough series ahead of them against red hot teams. Boston is visiting the Dodgers who... you know, while Tampa Bay is hosting a no longer injured Yankees team that has won 11 of their last 14 games. Both Baltimore and New York are long-shots for receiving a first round bye at 5.5 and 6 games back.

AL Central: Cleveland at 5 games behind isn't out of this division, but they're a long shot to win the central. They do have 3 games left against the Tigers though, so you never know. It will take great baseball though, and a 3-game sweep in their Tigers series.

AL West: Oakland has made a habit of losing the game 5 in the division series, they're 0-5. It would say that there is a good chance that that would carry over into the wild card game. They might have a bit of motivation to get the 2.5 games they're behind Texas back. The A's can do it though, just look at last year.

Wild Card: There are two pivotal weekend series going on: Baltimore vs. Texas and New York vs. Tampa Bay. For Oakland and Tampa Bay they can knock two teams that appear as if they could be threats, or make them even more threatening. For New York and Baltimore their seasons are on the line. Along with Cleveland those teams could be more dangerous than ever or they could be forced to forget their postseason dreams.

MLB Dream Team

What if Cy Young could pitch against Justin Verlander? What if we could see Cano play against Hornsby? Here I pick one player at every position for a team featuring active players and non-active players.

Active Players:

SP: Justin Verlander

CP: Mariano Rivera

C: Yadier Molina

1B: Joey Votto

2B: Robinson Cano

3B: Miguel Cabrera

SS: Derek Jeter

OF: Mike Trout

OF: Bryce Harper

OF: Andrew McCutchen

DH: David Ortiz

Breakdown:

7 AL, 4 NL

3 New York Yankees, 2 Detroit Tigers, 1 St. Louis, 1 Cincinnati, 1 Los Angeles Angels, 1 Washington Nationals, 1 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1 Boston Red Sox

Non-Active Players:

SP: Cy Young

CP: Dennis Eckersley

C: Yogi Berra

1B: Lou Gehrig

2B: Rogers Hornsby

3B: Mike Schmidt

SS: Honus Wagner

OF: Babe Ruth

OF: Ted Williams

OF: Hank Aaron

DH: Paul Molitor

Breakdown:

The players are considered to of played for the team that they were a member of during their last MLB appearance, with the league being the league that their team is currently a member of. Since their final team is listed, the team they're associated with may not be listed. An example of this is Yogi Berra who made his final appearance as a Met, not a Yankee.  If the player was a member of a relocated team their modern teams in listed. 

7 NL, 4 AL

Note: If you consider only the team each player was associated with, 7 players were American Leaguers. 

2 Atlanta Braves*, 1 New York Mets, 1 New York Yankees, 1 Baltimore Orioles, 1 Pittsburgh Pirates, 1 Philadelphia Phillies, 1 Boston Red Sox, 1 Milwaukee Brewers, 1 Minnesota Twins, 1 St. Louis Cardinals

*Babe Ruth played his final season with the Boston Braves, the modern day Atlanta Braves.

Will the Yanks Make a Playoff Push

If 2011 was any indication, no team is a lock for the playoffs. There always seems to be a team that stays well back for the longest time, then sneaks up and challenges for a playoff spot that just a bit earlier seemed out of reach. This year, especially with the 2nd AL Wild Card spot, there are a lot of teams that can't quite be counted out yet. But can the Yankees who have battled injuries all year come back from 5 games back this late.

Thanks to their injuries, wins and runs have been tough to get. Despite a line up that should put them closer to 40 wins than 57, the Bronx Bombers find themselves just 5 back of a playoff position. Assuming Jeter comes back soon, the Yankees line up should be able to produce numbers similar to those of last years team that made it to the ALCS. It will be tough, but they have the team to do it. If St. Louis can come back from 9.5 WCGB in late August why can't the Yanks come back from a 5 game deficit in early August?

August 2nd Predictions

Here are my predictions for todays games:

Friday
LA Dodgers at Chicago Cubs
Probables:
LAD: Hyun- Jin Ryu (9-3, 3.14 ERA)
CC: Travis Wood (7-7, 2.79 ERA)
Prediction: LA Dodgers 3, Chicago Cubs 4

Atlanta at Philadelphia
Probables:
ATL: Kris Medlen (7-10, 3.74 ERA)
PHI: Ethan Martin (0-0, -.--)
Prediction: Atlanta 10, Philadelphia 1

Colorado at Pittsburgh
Probables:
COL: Jhoulys Chacin (9-5, 3.54 ERA) 
PIT: Gerrit Cole (5-4, 3.56 ERA)
Prediction: Colorado 2, Pittsburgh 1

Seattle at Baltimore
Probables:
SEA: Aaron Harang (5-9, 4.89 ERA)
BAL: Chris Tillman (13-3, 3.62 ERA)
Prediction: Seattle 5, Baltimore 6

Chicago White Sox at Detroit
Probables:
CWS: Hector Santiago (3-6, 3.33 ERA)
DET: Doug Fister (9-5, 3.67 ERA)
Prediction: Detroit 5, Chicago White Sox 2

Arizona at Boston
Probables:
ARI: Randall Delgado (3-3, 2.85 ERA)
BOS: Jon Lester (10-6, 4.27 ERA)
Prediction: Arizona 1, Boston 0

Cleveland at Miami
Probables:
CLE: Ubaldo Jimenez (8-5, 4.17 ERA)
MIA: Jose Fernandez (7-5, 2.71 ERA)
Prediction: Cleveland 4, Miami 3

Kansas City at New York Mets
Probables:
KC: Wade Davis (5-9, 5.50 ERA)
NYM: Dillon Gee (7-8, 4.13 ERA)
Prediction: Kansas City 0, New York Mets 3

San Francisco at Tampa Bay
Probables:
SF: Madison Bumgarner (10-6, 2.76 ERA)
TB: Chris Archer (6-3, 2.39 ERA)
Prediction: San Francisco 6, Tampa Bay 4

St. Louis at Cincinnati
Probables:
STL: Shelby Miller (10-7, 2.79 ERA)
CIN: Bronson Arroyo (9-8, 3.26 ERA)
Prediction: St. Louis 8, Cincinnati 4

Houston at Minnesota
Probables:
HOU: Jarred Cosart (1-0, 0.86 ERA)
MIN: Samuel Deduno (7-4, 3.18 ERA)
Prediction: Houston 3, Minnesota 2

Washington at Milwaukee
Probables:
WSH: Jordan Zimmerman (12-6, 3.19 ERA)
MIL: Tom Gorzelanny (2-4, 2.83 ERA)
Prediction: Washington 3, Milwaukee 5

Texas at Oakland
Probables:
TEX: Alexi Ogando (4-3, 3.05 ERA)
OAK: Tommy Milone (9-8, 4.10 ERA)
Prediction: Texas 3, Oakland 7

Toronto at LA Angels
Probables:
TOR: Todd Redmond (1-1, 3.81 ERA)
LAA: Tommy Hanson (4-2, 5.15 ERA)
Prediction: Toronto 1, LA Angels 3

New York Yankees at San Diego
Probables:
NYY: CC Sabathia (9-9, 4.64 ERA)
SD: Andrew Cashner (7-5, 3.88 ERA)
Prediction: New York Yankees 6, San Diego 5

Miracle Comeback

     Sorry I haven't done any blogging these last two weeks, I've been on vacation.

     When you have your largest comeback by your team since July 3rd, 1940, you know it was a big comeback. The Red Sox had their largest comeback in the final two innings since that date. How big was it? 3 runs? 4 runs? 5 runs? If you guessed any of those numbers you were wrong, they trailed by six going into the home half of eight. The Sox scored 1 run in the 8th and 6 in the 9th to win 8-7.

Manager John Farrell described it the right way:"In a word, magical."

Team Rankings- Top 15 for 1st Half

1. Oakland 56-39
2. St. Louis 57-36
3. Boston 58-39
4. Texas 54-41
5. Atlanta 54-41
6. Pittsburgh 56-37
7. Tampa Bay 55-41
8. Detroit 52-42
9. Baltimore 53-43
10. Cincinnati 53-42
11. New York Yankees 51-44
12. Arizona 50-45
13. Cleveland 51-44
14. Washington 48-47
15. Philadelphia 48-48

A Tribute to Mo

Rivera's career has been one that will be deservingly remembered. Here are some photos and videos commemorating his 5 greatest career moments.

5. May 17th, 1996: Rivera's First Save



4. October 21st, 1998: Rivera's First World Series Title as Closer



3. September 19th, 2011: Mo Breaks Save Record



2. July 16th, 2013: Final All Star Game

http://wapc.mlb.com/play/?content_id=28929249&topic_id=vtp_asg_sponsor&query=2013%2Ball%2Bstar%2Bgame

1. ?????
With all the great moments he has had it is impossible and unfair to pick a best.

All Star Game

Here is the starting lineup for the AL and NL rosters, along with my prediction.

AL Starters:

1. Mike Trout, LF

2. Robinson Cano, 2B

3. Miguel Cabrea, 3B

4. Chris Davis, 1B

5. Jose Bautista, RF

6. David Ortiz, DH

7. Adam Jones, CF

8. Joe Mauer, C

9. J.J. Hardy, SS

SP: Max Sherzer

NL Starters:

1. Brandon Phillips, 2B

2. Carlos Beltran, RF

3. Joey Votto, 1B

4. David Wright, 3B

5. Carlos Gonzalez, LF

6. Yardier Molina, C

7. Troy Tulowitzki, SS

8. Michael Cuddyer, DH

9. Bryce Harper, CF

SP: Matt Harvey

Prediction: NL 8-3

HR Derby- My Picks

1. Robinson Cano

2. Chris Davis

3. Prince Fielder

4. Bryce Harper

5. David Wright

6. Pedro Alvarez

7. Michael Cuddyer

8. Yoenis Cespedes

Top 10 Prospects

With the Futures Game coming up I decided to count down basesball's top prospects.

10. Francisco Lindor, Cleveland, SS

.306 AVG, 1 HR, 27 RBI

Positives: Contact, Defence, Speed

Negatives: Power

Scouting Report: Lindor is considered to be the best defensive shortstop in the minors. He not only has a very good arm but also has great instincts at his position. He also is a capable contact hitter with above-average speed and great base running instincts that have allowed him to steal 20 bases in 83 games this year.

9. Miguel Sano, Minnesota, 3B

.293 AVG, 22 HR, 66 RBI

Positives: Power

Negatives: Contact, Speed

Scouting Report: Sano has extreme power to all fields, but is too often a free swinger with 91 K in 84 games. He does walk a fair amount with 43 BB. Sano has enough power to make it into the MLB on that alone, but he will need to stop free swinging if he wants to have a successful major league career.

8. Billy Hamilton, Cincinnati, OF

.243 AVG, 5 HR, 29 RBI

Positives: Speed

Negatives: Contact

Scouting: Watching Hamilton run is something special, last season he stole a record 155 bases. He continues to develop as a hitter and will probably have the hitting ability to make it into the big leagues and be a starter. His real ability is finding ways to get on base, he can bunt, get infield singles, and has 28 BB.

7. Zack Wheeler, New York Mets, RHP

3.93 ERA, 4-2, 1.28 WHIP

Positives: Great Velocity, Good Command, Good Curveball

Negatives: Poor Changeup

Scouting Report: Wheeler has great command with 27 BB/ 73 K to go along with a WHIP of 1.28. In 13 starts this year he has managed and ERA just under 4 with 4 wins and has a fastball that Dan get up to 98 MPH.

6. Byron Buxton, Minnesota, OF

.333 AVG, 9 HR, 63 RBI

Positives: Contact, Speed, Defence

Negatives: Discipline 

Scouting Report: Buxton could us a little plate discipline, he has 49 BB/ 68 K, but is a solid all-round player. He isn't expected to play for the MLB Twins until 2016, he's only 19, but I think he is going to be one of the best and most talented when he does make it.

5. Danny Hultzen, Seattle, LHP

2.14 ERA, 5-1, 0.86 WHIP

Positives: Velocity, Above- Average Breaking Balls

Negatives: Control

Scouting Report: He is the best (and only) LHP on this list. His fastball often hits 93. Last year though he lost his control greatly with 5.4 BB/ 9 innings after he moved up to AAA, but this year it has been a completely different story with 7 BB/ 39 K. 

4. Wil Myers, Tampa Bay, OF

.286 AVG, 14 HR, 57 RBI

Positives: Contact, Power

Negatives: Discipline

Scouting Report: His time with Rays this year has given us a good idea of his abilities. He can hit for power and contact to all fields. He has however got just 29 BB/ 71 K.

3. Gerrit Cole, Pittsburgh, RHP

2.91 ERA, 5-3, 1.06 WHIP

Positives: Velocity, Great Fastball, Good Command, Solid Breaking Balls

Negatives: No Real Weakness

Scouting Report: He has incredible velocity with his fastball that has reached triple-digits, and easily gets up to 98. He has good command with 28 BB/ 47 K. He collects a lot of Ks thanks to his great slider with big movement that creates lots of swings and misses. He also has a good curveball, but it isn't as effective as his slider.

2. Taijuan Walker, Seattle, RHP

2.16 ERA, 6-7, 1.04 WHIP

Positives: Great Fastball and Curveball

Negatives: Poor Control

Scouting Report: Walker's control can often desert him allowing 35 BB, but he makes up for it with his ability to get SO, he has 112 this year. He has a developing changeup, that along with his curveball compliments his superior fastball.

1. Oscar Taveras, St. Louis, OF

.306 AVG, 5 HR, 32 RBI

Positives: Hitting

Negatives: No Real Weakness

Scouting Report: He is considered by many to be considered the best pure hitters in the minors today. He is a rare type of talent that could be compared to Robinson Cano if he comes a bit more powerful. I wouldn't be surprised to see him in the middle of the Cardinals lineup soon.

 

Lincecum Throws No-Hitter

     A perfect game: it is the pinnacle of perfection. No walks, no hits, no errors. No men reach base. But no-hitters are great accomplishments that are often overlooked. In fact when Homer Bailey threw his no-hitter he was asked if he was disappointed with his result because it wasn't a perfect game.

     Last night Tim Lincecum threw a no-hitter against the Padres that included 4 walks, and like any no-hitter or perfect game featured a few saving moments. I couldn't get the link working though, but you can see those videos at mlb.com. 

Cosart's Gem

How about a no-hitter to start your major league career? That is almost what Jared Cosart did last night as he took a no-hitter into the 7th. That was part of his gem last night against the Rays. He went on to allow two hits in the Astros 2-1 victory. He could of even got a complete game shutout if it weren't for allowing a walk in the bottom of the ninth. 

 

San Francisco's Struggles

They haven't exactly been playing well these last two months. So far they have a league worst .208 AVG this month to follow up their 7th best .267 AVG in June. Don't worry though Giants- haters, their pitchers went a 29th ranked 10-17 record in June. July? 2-8, 4.94 ERA. The Giants overall record this season is 41-50. They are 6.5 games out of their division and are going to have some work to do to even get a chance to defend their World Series championship. 

Freeman and Delabar Win Final Vote

Steve Delabar and Freddie Freeman won a spot in the 2013 all-star game via the final vote. You can see where I ranked the players before the vote in one of my previous entries.

Details on Deadline Day

There are a lot of questions going into trade deadline day, what teams will be sellers and what teams will be buyers, who will be the winners and who will be the losers, and most importantly what players will be moving.

Buyers: Boston, Tampa Bay, Baltimore, New York Yankees, Toronto, Detroit, Cleveland, Oakland, Texas, LA Angels, Atlanta, Washington, St. Louis, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Arizona, LA Dodgers, San Francisco

Sellers: Kansas City, Minnesota, Chicago White Sox, Seattle, Houston, Philadelphia, New York Mets, Miami, Milwaukee, Chicago Cubs, Colorado, San Diego

Players Who Could Move-Rankings:

Starting Pitchers:

1. Cliff Lee 2.86 ERA,10-3, 1.00 WHIP

Possible Fits: Baltimore, Cleveland, LA Angels

Role: Great pitcher capable of filling #1 spot in almost any teams rotation, but a high salary will scare away most teams.

2. Matt Garza 3.22 ERA, 5-1, 1.07 WHIP

Possible Fits: Boston, Baltimore, Toronto, Cleveland, Texas, Washington, San Francisco, San Diego

Role: Could fill a spot in the middle of the rotation nicely, maybe even a number 2 spot.

3. Bud Norris 3.63 ERA, 6-8, 1.41 WHIP

Possible Fits: Cleveland, San Francisco

Role: His WHIP is far too high be high in the rotation, but can provide good depth at a number 4 or 5 spot.

4. Yovani Gallardo 4.85 ERA, 7-8, 1.46 WHIP

Possible Fits: Arizona, Toronto

Role: Could fill a 4 or 5 spot in the rotation quite nicely, and could benefit from getting away from Milwaukee.

Relief Pitchers:

1. Luke Gregerson 2.61 ERA, 12 HLD, 1.00 WHIP

Possible Fits: Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Baltimore, St. Louis

Role: Is a good, solid reliever. He is mainly a setup man but he could be a good middle-reliever too.

2. Glen Perkins 1.93 ERA, 20 SV, 0.77 WHIP

Possible Fits: Baltimore, St. Louis, Oakland, Atlanta

Role: He has proven that he is capable of being a closer, but he could also make up a good setup man.

Hitters:

1. Chase Utley, 2B .275 AVG, 11 HR, 30 RBI, .976 FPCT

Possible Fits: Toronto, LA Angels

Role: He can play a starting second baseman, or come in as a pinch hitter, good for teams need leadership and an offensive spark. 

2. Michael Young, 3B .289 AVG, 6 HR, 26 RBI, .969 FPCT

Possible Fits: New York Yankees

Role: He can play solid third base while providing good offence, but could also make a good utility player, he can play any infield position.

3. Alfonso Soriano, OF .264 AVG, 15 HR, 47 RBI

Possible Fits: New York Yankees, San Francisco, Texas

Role: He is a good outfielder that can hit for power.

4. Andre Ethier, OF 273 AVG, 5 HR, 27 RBI, .994 FPCT

Possible Fits: Texas, New York Yankees

Role: Is a good defender that can provide good offence at the 5 or 6 spot.

Player Rankings

Catcher
1. Buster Posey .316 AVG, 13 HR, 50 RBI
2. Yadier Molina .343 AVG, 6 HR, 45 RBI 
3. Joe Mauer .316 AVG, 8 HR, 30 RBI

1B
1. Chris Davis .310 AVG, 33 HR, 85 RBI
2. Allen Craig .327 AVG, 10 HR, 71 RBI
3. Paul Goldschmidt .311 AVG, 21 HR, 76 RBI

2B
1. Robinson Cano .299 AVG, 21 HR, 62 RBI
2. Brandon Phillips .264 AVG, 12 HR, 67 RBI
3. Dustin Pedroia .318 AVG, 6 HR, 53 RBI

3B
1. Miguel Cabrera .366 AVG, 29 HR, 93 RBI
2. Pedro Alvarez .253 AVG, 23 HR, 60 RBI
3. Adrian Beltre .318 AVG, 20 HR, 53 RBI

SS
1. Troy Tulowitzki .347 AVG, 16 HR, 51 RBI
2. Ian Desmond .280 AVG, 15 HR, 49 RBI
3. Jean Segura .319 AVG, 11 HR, 36 RBI

OF
1. Mike Trout .320 AVG, 15 HR, 58 RBI
2. Nelson Cruz .276 AVG, 22 HR, 68 RBI
3. Carlos Gonzalez .302 AVG, 24 HR, 63 RBI

SP
1. Adam Wainwright 12-5, 2.30 ERA, 0.99 WHIP
2. Clayton Kershaw 8-5, 1.89 ERA, 0.90 WHIP
3. Max Sherzer 13-0, 3.06 ERA, 0.95 WHIP

CP
1. Joe Nathan 30 SV, 1.36 ERA, 0.76 WHIP
2. Mariano Rivera 29 SV, 1.89 ERA, 1.29 WHIP
3. Jim Johnson 30 SV, 3.92 ERA, 1.28 WHIP

The Captain is Back

The New York Yankees are going to get some much needed help as Derek Jeter will return to MLB action for the first time since he broke his ankle in game 1 of last year's ALCS. The name Derek Jeter will be written on a New York Yankees card for the first time since October 13th, 2012 when they play their afternoon game vs. the Royals.

 

All-Star Game Final Vote: Player Preview

With the deadline for the final vote coming up soon, I rank the possible players.
American League
1. Koji Uehara, Boston
Stats: 38.1 IP, 53 SO, 1.88 ERA, 0.81 WHIP
Reason: Uehara ranks 1st in WHIP and 2nd in SO out of the final vote, but the real reason I picked him is because he has a rare and very well-developed special talent: as a RHP he has held lefties to just 9 H in 74 AB. That earns him a .122 BAA. He also is better than most RHP against righties too, he has a .219 BAA. In total his BAA is at just .167. I think anyone who can handle any matchup out of the bullpen has a chance, but anyone who can do it like that shouldn't have been in the final vote because he should have already made it. Uehara got my vote, even as a Yankees fan I have to pick him over Robertson.

2. Joaquin Benoit, Detroit
Stats: 36.1 IP, 46 SO, 1.73 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
Reason: My 2nd choice goes to Benoit, he has the lowest ERA out of the final five. Benoit has begun to settle in to the closer position on the team that most needed it, and he has thrived. Over his last 10 games he has allowed just 1 ER, and picked up 5 saves, so he's been red hot, but he has still had a great season., it hasn't been confined to 10 games. Overall he has allowed just 7 ER in 36.1 IP, an ERA of 1.73. I ranked him second mainly because his WHIP is higher than Uehara's.

3. Steve Delabar, Toronto
Stats: 41.0 IP, 57 SO, 1.76 ERA, 1.24 WHIP
Reason: My 3rd choice goes to Delabar, who much unlike Puig has silently put up very respectable numbers. His WHIP may be the highest of the final five, but he is a very close 2nd in ERA. Delabar has actually had a bit of a weird season statistically, his WHIP is up from his career average of 1.16, but his ERA is well down from his career average of 3.00. That doesn't really matter though, what matters are the great stats this year that have earned him a chance to get into the all-star game. Delabar has been a big steal for Toronto this season, they're paying the 29-year-old just $498,900. Delabar has been a great, but quiet story for the Jays, but I rank him 3rd because his stats just aren't comparable to Uehara's and Benoit's.

4. Tanner Scheppers, Texas
Stats: 44 IP, 29 SO, 1.84 ERA, 1.09 WHIP
Reason: Scheppers has proven to be a great set-up man this year for Texas, as him and Joe Nathan have made a fine back-end to the Rangers' bullpen. This year Scheppers has 18 holds, good for 4th in the AL. Scheppers is an absolute righty killer, they hit only .167. He has allowed just 9 ER and has a BAA of .201, and at the age of 26 he will certainly be an all-star in the future, but I don't think it will be this year because just like most all-stars you need a second good season to prove yourself. He wouldn't be a bad choice though.

5. David Robertson, New York Yankees
Stats: 36.1 IP, 46 SO, 2.23 ERA, 0.96 WHIP
Reason: David Robertson has had a career year for the Yankees, low ERA and WHIP, high SO total, and he ranks 2nd in the AL with 21 holds. He may be having a career year but I not going to go very in depth into his chances because compared to the other 4 choices his ERA is in the stratosphere.

National League
I'm not including Puig because I already posted another blog on why he shouldn't make the NL all-star team.

1. Adrian Gonzalez, Los Angelas Dodgers
Stats: .298 AVG, 13 HR, 57 RBI
Reason: Gonzalez is on pace for a solid 104 RBI season, and provides great power vs. RHP. 12 of his 13 HR have come against righties, or 92.3%, and 31 of his 57 RBI have come against righties, or 54.4%. He still is solid against LHP, with a respectable .286 AVG, but it's .304 vs. RHP. He could provide a great situational bat on the bench for the NL, and with home-field advantage at the world series on the line that's why he gets my vote.

2. Ian Desmond, Washington
Stats: .278 AVG, 15 HR, 49 RBI
Reason: Desmond is a very solid, all-round player. He has quite a bit of power, he's on pace for a solid 27 HR this year and 41 doubles. He has good speed, he's projected to have 18 SB. He hits lefties and righties well at .272 and .280 respective. Finally, he has hit well lately with a .308 AVG during the last 7 days. Overall I think he deserves to get ranked 2nd.

3. Freddie Freeman, Atlanta
Stats: .305 AVG, 9 HR, 56 RBI
Reason: Freeman is a great clutch hitter, hitting .389 with RISP, and is 5-for-6 with the bases loaded with 12 RBI. Freeman though just doesn't have the power to compete with Desmond and Gonzalez, so I ranked him 3rd.

4. Yasiel Puig, Los Angelas Dodgers

5. Hunter Pence, San Francisco
Stats: .267 AVG, 13 HR, 43 RBI
Reason: He may have a bit of power, but I don't think a .267 AVG should even be considered.

Surprises of the Season

AL East:

-Boston

It may be a bit biased to say that I didn't expect much out of the Red Sox after their indescribably poor 2012 season as I am a Yankees fan, but I'm sure I wasn't the only one. So far this season Boston has dominated baseball's toughest division, leading by 3.5 games with a 54-37 record.

-NY Yankees

With how long their injury list was (and still is) it is amazing that they are only 1.5 games out of a playoff position.

AL Central:

No teams in the AL Central have really out-preformed their expectations.

AL West:

-Oakland

The A's are always a surprise, but who could have predicted that Josh Donaldson would be hitting .319, or Grant Balfour's ERA would be 1.77.

NL East:

-Philadelphia 

Howard may only have a combined 25 HR over the last 2 seasons, but the Phillies have been a pleasant surprise, even if they're a couple games below .500.

NL Central:

-Pittsburgh

The other Pennsylvanian team could stop being the best example of imbalance in sports. They are well on their way to stopping their consecutive below-.500 seasons streak at 20, the longest in MLB history.

NL West:

No teams in the NL West have really out-preformed their expectations.

My Opinion on AL All-Stars

American League

Starting Catcher: Joe Mauer

My Pick: Joe Mauer

Stats: .309 AVG, 8 HR, 30 RBI

Starting 1B: Chris Davis

My Pick: Chris Davis

Stats: .316 AVG, 33 HR, 85 RBI

Starting 2B: Robinson Cano

My Pick: Robinson Cano

Stats: .293 AVG, 20 HR, 58 RBI

Starting SS: JJ Hardy .254 AVG, 15 HR, 46 RBI

My Pick: Jhonny Peralta .304 AVG, 7 HR, 42 RBI

Starting 3B: Miguel Cabrera

My Pick: Miguel Cabrera 

Stats: .364 AVG, 28 HR, 90 RBI

Starting OF: 

-Mike Trout .315 AVG, 15 HR, 57 RBI

-Adam Jones .291 AVG, 16 HR, 61 RBI

-Jose Bautista .265 AVG, 20 HR, 52 RBI

My Picks:

-Torii Hunter .304 AVG, 6 HR, 42 RBI

-Nelson Cruz .275 AVG, 22 HR, 67 RBI

-Mike Trout

Starting DH: David Ortiz

My Pick: David Ortiz

Stats: .318 AVG, 17 HR, 61 RBI

Yasiel Puig- Should he be an NL All-Star

     Puig got of to an incredible start to his career. In his first 132 AB he got 54 hits, 8 HR and 19 RBI. He shocked the baseball world and became an instant Dodgers fan favourite. If he had of played all season he would have been making a first all-star appearance, but he hasn't. But, do his incredible stats deserve an appearance despite just playing 33 games?

     I know the fans want him in, and the all-star game is about the fans, he doesn't deserve a spot for one reason: one player on the final vote who has worked hard all year to earn a spot won't get it because someone had a good month.

Max Sherzer Makes History

Before him, 13 times had someone accomplished what he did with his win last night. McNally did it, Allen did it, Clemens did it twice. He won his first 10 decisions of the season. A 10-0 start. Sherzer accomplished this with a his Tigers beating the Orioles 5-1 last night.

"Yeah, you have to savour this a little bit because of the history of this organization," explained Sherzer. "It's special to be 10-0. But at the end of the day, I don't measure my success on being 10-0. I measure my success on everything else I do on the mound."

This is the first time a pitcher has gotten of to a 10-0 start since Roger Clemens got of to an 11-0 start in 1997 for the Toronto Blue Jays.

June 17th Prediction Results

Scoring: 1 point for team, two extra poits for score.

1. Chicago Cubs 2, St. Louis 5
Prediction: Chicago Cubs 6-2
Result: 0 Points/ 0 Points

2. Kansas City 2, Cleveland 1
Prediction: Kansas City 5-4
Result: 1 Point/ 1 Point

3. Philadelphia 5, Washington 4
Prediction: Washington 3-0
Result: 0 Points/ 1 Point

4. Colorado 0, Toronto 2
Prediction: Toronto 7-4
Result: 1 Point/ 2 Points

5. Baltimore 1, Detroit 5
Prediction: Baltimore 3-1
Result: 0 Points/ 2 Points

6. New York Mets 1, Atlanta 2
Prediction: Atlanta 11-1
Result: 1 Point/ 3 Points

7. Pittsburgh 1, Cincinnati 4
Prediction: Pittsburgh 4-3
Result: 0 Points/ 3 Points

8. Oakland 7, Texas 8
Prediction: Oakland 7-5
Result: 0 Points/ 3 Points

9. Chicago White Sox 4, Houston 2
Prediction: Houston 1-0
Result: 0 Points/ 3 Points

10. Miami 3, Arizona 2
Prediction: Arizona 4-2
Result: 0 Points/ 3 Points

11. Seattle 3, Los Angelas Angels 11
Prediction: Los Angelas Angels 8-6
Result: 1 Point/ 4 Points

12. San Diego 5, San Francisco 3
Prediction: NONE

Result: 4 Points/ 36 Points, 11.1 %

June 17th- MLB Predictions

Chicago Cubs (28-39, 4th NL Central) vs. St. Louis (44-25, 1st NL Central)
Probables:
CHC: Wood (5-5, 2.65 ERA)
STL: Miller (7-4, 2.21 ERA)

Prediction: Chicago 6-2

Kansas City (33-34, 3rd AL Central) vs. Cleveland (34-34, 2nd AL Central)
Probables:
KC: Shields (2-6, 2.79 ERA)
CLE: Carrasco (0-2, 15.26 ERA)

Prediction: Kansas City 5-4

Washington (34-34, 2nd NL East) vs. Philadelphia (33-37, 3rd NL East)
Probables:
WSH: Haren (4-8, 5.70 ERA)
PHI: Lannan (0-1, 6.14 ERA)

Prediction: Washington 3-0

Colorado (37-33, 2nd NL West) vs. Toronto (32-36, 5th AL East)
Probables:
COL: De La Rosa (7-4, 3.49 ERA)
TOR: Johnson (0-2, 5.40 ERA)

Prediction: Toronto 7-4

Baltimore (40-30, 2nd AL East) vs. Detroit (38-29, 1st AL Central)
Probables:
BAL: Arrieta (1-1, 6.63 ERA)
DET: Scherzer (9-0, 3.19 ERA)

Prediction: Baltimore 3-1

New York Mets (25-39, 4th NL East) vs. Atlanta (41-28, 1st NL East)
Probables:
NYM: Gee (5-6, 4.84 ERA)
ATL: Hudson (4-6, 4.41 ERA)

Prediction: Atlanta 11-1

Pittsburgh (41-28, 3rd NL Central) vs. Cincinnati (42-28, 2nd NL Central)
Probables:
PIT: Liriano (5-2, 2.36 ERA)
CIN: Leake (6-3, 2.76 ERA)

Prediction: Pittsburgh 4-3

Oakland (42-29, 1st AL West) vs. Texas (38-31, 2nd AL West)
Probables:
OAK: Straily (4-2, 4.45 ERA)
TEX: Tepesch (3-6, 4.30 ERA)

Prediction: Oakland 7-5

Chicago White Sox (28-38, 5th AL Central) vs. Houston (26-44, 5th AL West)
Probables:
CWS: Quintana (3-2, 3.86 ERA)
HOU: Norris (5-6, 3.47 ERA)

Prediction: Houston 1-0

Miami (21-47, 5th NL East) vs. Arizona(37-32, 1st NL West)
Probables:
MIA: Turner (1-0, 1.80 ERA)
ARI: Cobin (9-0, 2.28 ERA)

Predition: Arizona 4-2

Seattle (31-39, 3rd AL West) vs. Los Angelas Angels (30-39, 4th AL West)
Probables:
SEA: Harang (3-6, 5.60 ERA)
LAA: Vargas (5-4, 3.74 ERA)

Prediction: Los Angelas Angels 8-6

San Diego (35-34, 4th NL West) vs. San Francisco (35-33, 3rd NL West)
Probables:
SD: Volquez (5-5, 5.87 ERA)
SF: Zito (4-5, 4.79 ERA)

Jays Starting Turn-Around

The Jays got off to a terrible start this season. It was supposed to be "the year". Their problem was simple.
Their hitting and pitching were terrible. You don't have to go to far back. On June 11th they were 27-36, 10 games out of a playoff position. They ranked 9th in the AL in runs scored and batting average, and 12th in ERA. Today, just a week later they are 32-36, 5.5 games out of a playoff position. Today they still rank 9th in batting average, but they've climbed two spots in runs scored, scoring 31 this week. They climbed 3 spots to 9th in ERA, lowering it by 0.23 ER. Finally, although they still rank 12th, and their WHIP has only gone down 0.01 points, they have improved that stat as well.

What will it take to get into the playoffs: If the Yankees and Rangers maintain their winning percentage of .551, they would win 89 games. With 94 games remaining in their season, the Jays will need to finish with a 62-32 record. A .660 winning percentage. I don't know if they can do that but it is possible, they're 8-2 in their last 10 games.

Thrilling Day of Baseball

There was an 18 inning, 14 inning, and 13 inning game last night. But they were just three of six one-run games. There were also a few blowouts, two teams scored 10 runs. The only game that wasn't either a blowout out or a one-run game was the Toronto-Texas game, that Toronto won 3-1. Thursday was certainly an exciting day. In the two days prior, 30 games saw 9 one-run games (there were nine games Thursday), along with just 2 extra-innings games. Neither of which went past the 10th inning.

Oakland and Yankees Play in Extra Inning Thriller

It wasn't the most exciting game you'll ever see, the two teams combined for 22 hits and 5 runs, but it was 18-innings. 5 hours and 35 minutes. Oakland tied it at 2 in the 3rd, which were the last runs scored by either team untill Oakland won it in the 18th.

This game has summerized these teams play recently. Oakland has won 21 of their last 26 games, and 108 games of 162 games since this time last year, while New York's loss resulted in getting swept by Oakland. New York will try to end that streak against the Angels tonight, while Oakland will look to continue their great play against Seattle.

Grading MLB Teams- American League

AL East
1. Boston Red Sox
Hitting: A
Pitching: B
Overall: A-

2. NY Yankees
Hitting: B-
Pitching: A
Overall: B+

3. Baltimore Orioles
Hitting: A+
Pitching: C
Overall: B

4. Tampa Bay Rays
Hitting: A-
Pitching: B
Overall: B+

5. Toronto Blue Jays
Hitting: B-
Pitching: C-
Overall: C

AL Central
1. Detroit Tigers
Hitting: A-
Pitching: A+
Overall: A

2. Cleveland Indians
Hitting: B+
Pitching: B-
Overall: B

3. Kansas City Royals
Hitting: C
Pitching: A
Overall: B

4. Minnesota Twins
Hitting: C
Pitching: C
Overall: C

5. Chicago White Sox
Hitting: F
Pitching: B+
Overall: C-

AL West
1. Oakland Athletics
Hitting: B+
Pitching: A
Overall: A-

2. Texas Rangers
Hitting: B+
Pitching: A-
Overall: A-

3. Seattle Mariners
Hitting: D
Pitching: A-
Overall: C+

4. LA Angels
Hitting: B
Pitching: D
Overall: C

5. Houston Astros
Hitting: D
Pitching: F
Overall: F

Yogi Berra

Yogi Berra has come up with some of the great baseball quotes, here are some of his best. Most of them have nothing to do with baseball.

"Baseball is ninety percent mental and the other half physical"
"Always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours"
"Half the lies they tell about me aren't true"
"If you come to a fork in the road, take it"
"I never said most of the things I said"
"The future ain't what it used to be"
"If the world was perfect, it wouldn't be"
"Nobody goes there anymore. It's too crowded"
"He hits from both sides of the plate. He's amphibious"
"It gets late early out here"

CY Young Picks- June

AL
1. Clay Buchholz, Boston
1.62 ERA, 1st AL
8 Wins, 1st AL
1.02 WHIP, 5th AL

2. Yu Darvish, Texas
2.77 ERA, 8th AL
7 Wins, 5th AL
0.93 WHIP, 4th AL

3. Hisashi Iwakuma, Seatle
1.94 ERA, 2nd AL
6 Wins, 10th AL
0.83 WHIP, 1st AL

NL
1. Patrick Corbin, Arizono
2.06 ERA, 3rd NL
9 Wins, 1st NL
1.05 WHIP, 9th NL

2. Shelby Miller, St. Louis
1.91 ERA, 1st NL
7 Wins, 5th NL
0.90 WHIP, 1st NL

3. Clayton Kershaw, LA Dodgers
1.93 ERA, 2nd NL
5 Wins, 15th NL
0.96 WHIP, 5th NL

My MVP Picks

AL
1. Miguel Cabrera, Detroit
.373 AVG, 1st AL
17 HR, 2nd AL
66 RBI, 1st AL

2. Chris Davis, Baltimore
.357 AVG, 2nd AL
20 HR, 1st AL
52 RBI, 2nd AL

3. Edwin Encarnacion, Toronto
.265 AVG, 47th AL
17 HR, 2nd AL
48 RBI, 3rd AL

NL
1. Paul Goldschmidt, Arizona
.336 AVG, 5th NL
14 HR, 4th NL
53 RBI, 1st NL

2. Troy Tulowitzki, Colorado
.349 AVG, 1st NL
15 HR, 3rd NL
48 RBI, 2nd NL

3. Adrian Gonzalez, LA Dodgers
.328 AVG, 7th NL
8 HR, 25th NL
43 RBI, 5th NL

Miami Clinic Linked to Drug Scandal Involving Big-Name Players

Baseball has for years been considered the biggest sport for using PEDs (Performance Enhancing Drugs). This however reached a all-time high when Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Nelson Cruz, and Melky Cabrera were involved in yet another drug scandal. Reports claim that Anthony Bosch, the founder of a Miami anti-aging clinic supplied the players with the PEDs. Until recently, Bosch had denied the reports, but after newer reports stated that he didn't have the money to support his defence, he decided to cooperate.

If the MLBPA didn't exist, then these players are most likely gone for the rest of their life. In my opinion the should be. Its not official yet, but all four players are looking at 100-game suspensions. 100 games is alot for any professional athlete to have to watch on TV, but as I said before it isn't enough.

Left-Right: Alex Rodriguez, Ryan Braun, Nelson Cruz, Melky Cabrera

What Impact Will There be On the Affected Teams

Alex Rodriguez: A-Rod will be the only player of the four that has no impact on his team because of his injury, and the Yankees have an all-star filled line up.

Ryan Braun: Milwaukee will probably have the largest affect of the four teams with Braun's departure. He ranks 5th on the team with a .292 BA, 2nd with 9 HR, and 1st wirh 35 RBI.

Nelson Cruz: Cruz's numbers, despite being better than Braun's, won't have as large of an impact because Texashas a much better line up. He ranks 1st on the team in both HR and RBI, with 14 and 40 respectively. He also ranks 9th in BA at .268.

Melky Cabrera. Although he won't have the impact of losing Brun and Cruz, his departure will be a huge loss to Toronto's line up. He ranks 5th in BA at .284, 9th in HR with 2, and 5th with 29 RBI.



2013 Postseason Predictions- June

AL East

1. NY Yankees (1)

2. Boston (5)

3. Toronto

4. Baltimore

5. Tampa Bay

AL Central

1. Cleveland (3)

2. Detroit

3. Chicago White Sox

4. Minnesota

5. Kansas City

AL West

1. Texas (2)

2. Oakland (4)

3. LA Angels

4. Seattle

5. Houston

NL East

1. Washington (3)

2. Atlanta

3. Philadelphia

4. NY Mets

5. Miami

NL Central

1. Cincinnati (1)

2. Pittsburgh (4)

3. St. Louis

4. Milwaukee

5. Chicago Cubs

NL West

1. San Francisco (2)

2. Colorado (5)

3. LA Dodgers

4. Arizona

5. San Diego

WILD CARD GAMES
4. Oakland
5. Boston

4. Pittsburgh
5. Colorado

ALDS
1. NY Yankees (3)
4. Oakland (0)

2. Texas (1)
3. Cleveland (3)

NLDS
1. Cinncinnati (2)
5. Colorado (3)

2. San Francisco (3)
3. Washington (1)

ALCS
1. NY Yankees (4)
3. Cleveland (2)

NLCS
2. San Francisco (4)
5. Colorado (0)

WS
AL1. NY Yankees (4)
NL2. San Francisco (1)

3 Things That Need to Change in Current Playoff Format

1. Home Field Advantage in Divisional Series

In the current format, the higher seeded team plays the first two games on the road, followed by the remaining three at home, which puts the higher seeded team at a huge disadvantage. A perfect example is last years ALDS between Oakland and Detroit. Oakland was the 2nd seed, while Detroit was the 3rd. Detroit however got to play the first two games at home, winning both, 3-1 and 5-4. Because of this Detroit had a 2-0 strangle-hold in the series. When Oakland won their first two at home, 2-0 and 4-3, you had to feel that series would have gone differently if Oakland started at home. Oakland went on to lose game five, 6-0. There is no true way to know if that made a difference, they could have blown that 2-0 series lead like Detroit almost did, but that doesn't make the format right. A best-of-5 series is bad enough to begin with, but it makes it even less fair hor a higher seeded team. If the lower seeded team wins both at home, they essentially had home field advantage.

How it Should be Fixed: They should return to the old 2-2-1 format. That format guarentees that the higher seeded team can't play more road games than home games.

2. Divisions Determining Playoff Teams

Even with the one wild card format, this system was bad. Now with the two wild card format this has become very unfair. A perfect example of this happened in the American League last year. Detroit qualified for the playoffs with the lowest record amoung AL qualifiers, 88-74, and even recieved the 3rd seed as the AL Central champion. Tampa Bay finished with a 90-72 record. They however failed to win their division, five games behind the Yankees. They also didn't get into the wild card game, as they were three games behind both Texas and Baltimore. Also last year, Texas and Baltimore were the 4th and 5th seeds, and Detroit was the 3rd seed despite having five fewer wins.

How it Should be Fixed: Either let the top four teams get into the playoffs regardless of their division. If there has to be a division qualifier, seeding shouldn't be determined by whether or not a team wins their division, but by record.

3. One Game Wild Card Playoff

 Far too much can happen in one game to be fair in determining a 162-game season. The 163rd game was guarenteed between Texas and Baltimore anyway, as they both had 93 wins. The NL wild card provided a perfect example of its unfairness. In 2011 Atlanta would have been guarenteed a spot in the NLDS against Washington. They had six more wins than St. Louis, but Atlanta's season ended (most likely, although there is no way to know for sure) because of umpire Sam Holbrook's infamous infield fly rule call. That game also marked the end of Atlanta all-star Chipper Jones' career. That call not only cost him an appearance in the NLDS, but also a shot at his second World Series Title.

How it Should be Changed: They need to return to the one team wild card format, that had worked well for years. Forcing teams into a one game playoff to determine the fate of their season isn't worth adding one team in each league to the playoffs.