MLB 2018 Season

[🏀]

The baseball All Star game is awesome.

Agree.

[Lennys Tap]

The baseball All Star game is awesome.

Agree. I remember as a kid and even a young adult really looking forward to it. Not the same with so many games on TV, but it's the only all star game worth watching.

[TallTitan34]

The baseball All Star game is awesome.

Might be the first thing we agree on.

It would be nice, however, to see the National League win a game now and then.

[TallTitan34]

I would love for baseball to add a skills contest.

Set up the Tom Emanski garbage can behind the plate (and maybe the bases) and have outfielders try to throw it in.  Having a bunting contest with more points the better the spot. Home to first speed.  Maybe a pitch location contest. Lots of fun stuff you could do.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

I would love for baseball to add a skills contest.

Set up the Tom Emanski garbage can behind the plate (and maybe the bases) and have outfielders try to throw it in.  Having a bunting contest with more points the better the spot. Home to first speed.  Maybe a pitch location contest. Lots of fun stuff you could do.

This is why my rotator cuff in my right arm is shot.  Thanks, Tom.  Thanks, McGriff.

[MU Fan in Connecticut]

The baseball All Star game is awesome.

It's the only All-star game I'll watch.

[CTWarrior]

It's the only All-star game I'll watch.

Me, too, because it is the only all-star games where the players are giving their best on both offense and defense, and the nature of the sport is such that you don't have to be teammates for an extended period of time to play well together.

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Something that shocks me:
Cubs records through 87 games:

2015 47-40
2016 52-35
2017 43-44
2018 51-36

I thought the cubs were doing way better in 2016 compared to 2018. I guess the weaker nl central gave way to me thinking just how much better the cubs were in 16'. I never dreamed they were only 1 game behind pace.

The reason for the similar records in 2016 and 2018 is the Cubs had a 5-15 stretch (or something similar) leading right up to the break in 2016.  Then they basically dominated the rest of the way. 

[Vander Blue Man Group]

I just have to wonder, when was the last time an OFer made an All Star team while hitting 4 HRs to go along with 1 steal. 

I'm not sure, but I am kind of willing to guess it has never happened. 

And while he is 2nd in batting in the NL right now, he is just on the edge of being a qualified player.  So he is 30th in hits, has no power, isn't stealing any bases, isn't walking, isn't Andruw Jones in the OF.  He has had a nice first half to be sure, and hitting .320 is great, but he hasn't made an all around case to be an All Star. 

Rhys Hoskins didn't make the team.  He has a higher OBP, SLG and OPS.  He has more 2B, more HR, more BB and more SB (and even a better SB%).

Brandon Nimmo has better OBP, SLG, OPS, fewer 2B, but more 3B, more HR, more SB.

David Peralta has better OBP, SLG, OPS, fewer 2B, but more of everything else. 

The list could go on and on.

There are a lot of very talented players in the OF in both leagues.  A guy needs more than a good BA to make it to the All Star team.  Especially now, when BA is being devalued more year by year.

EDIT: Thought of a possibility on those numbers and checked it out, and while he was better (stole one more base -- but the exact numbers weren't the point) very old (39) Tony Gwynn was about at those numbers in 1999, his last All Star appearance.  But he was hitting .338, had a OBP just under .400 had K'd 7 times and well, was, most importantly, already a legend.

I agree that Almora shouldn't make it but he does have an OPS of .810, an OPS+ of 114, and an wRC+ of 118, so he's not just a slap hitter.  He does have a bit of pop despite having only 4 HRs, however I do expect his average to regress a bit in the 2nd half.

He also has a bWAR of 2.4 and a fWAR of 1.7.  While he is not Andruw Jones in CF he has played GG caliber defense, which typically doesn't matter in terms of an ASG selection.  Here are the WARs of the other players you mentioned. 

Hoskins: bWAR - 0.1/fWAR - 1.2
Nimmo: bWAR - 2.3/fWAR - 2.5
Peralta: bWAR - 2.5/fWAR - 2.2

Again, I agree that he didn't deserve to make the team but I don't think it's some sort of completely outlandish thought when you look at the overall value of the player. 

FYI for Schwarber:  bWAR - 2.0/fWAR - 2.6

[chapman]

It would be nice, however, to see the National League win a game now and then.

Thankfully the home field gimmick is over.  A horrible idea that lasted far too long.  Best record is the way to go, though the disparity in the AL this year at least has me wondering if alternating has its benefits.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Especially after last night's Giants game--Anthony Rizzo:  Hungover, hurt or has become a head-case?

[Vander Blue Man Group]

Especially after last night's Giants game--Anthony Rizzo:  Hungover, hurt or has become a head-case?

The only reasonable thought there is the one in the middle.  Here's a post that shows there are some underlying concerns but that he's also been extremely unlucky this year:

http://www.bleachernation.com/2018/07/10/anthony-rizzos-groundball-rate-has-done-some-weird-stuff-this-year-and-its-gnawing-at-me/

The Cubs need him and Bryant to produce as expected in the 2nd half. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

The only reasonable thought there is the one in the middle.  Here's a post that shows there are some underlying concerns but that he's also been extremely unlucky this year:

http://www.bleachernation.com/2018/07/10/anthony-rizzos-groundball-rate-has-done-some-weird-stuff-this-year-and-its-gnawing-at-me/

The Cubs need him and Bryant to produce as expected in the 2nd half.

His fielding and hustle/effort last night was particularly poor. Joe yanked him on a flip last night and is sitting him tonight.

[wadesworld]

So Corbin Burnes looked okay...

[Vander Blue Man Group]

His fielding and hustle/effort last night was particularly poor. Joe yanked him on a flip last night and is sitting him tonight.

His two errors were terrible but the run actually scored on the play due to Javy's lack of urgency. Maddon has also removed him a number of times in extras on double-switches or for a pinch runner so that's not terribly unusual.

As for the night off, he's been scuffling, the Cubs are facing a lefty, and Maddon likes to sit guys before an off day so they get two days in a row. Again, nothing particularly unusual.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

So Corbin Burnes looked okay...

Does he get dealt to Baltimore?

[TallTitan34]

Schwarber and Baez will be in the homerun derby.

[SaveOD238]

Does he get dealt to Baltimore?

I don't think Machado will cost us Burnes.  One of our surplus OFs, plus Ortiz or Woodruff, and then were talking.  Top guys just don't get traded for rentals anymore (see the JD Martinez trade).

[jsglow]

Does he get dealt to Baltimore?

Bad idea.

[TallTitan34]

Top guys just don't get traded for rentals anymore (see the JD Martinez trade).

2016 Gleyber Torres for Aroldis Chapman

[Vander Blue Man Group]

2016 Gleyber Torres for Aroldis Chapman

Yeah but that was an outlier considering the 108 years.

[buckchuckler]

I think the Orioles will get a pretty solid return for Manny.  He is in pretty high demand, with a lot of teams with good farm systems in on the bidding.  Detroit seemingly just made a bad teade with JD, possibly because of lack of demand, but I think someone will pony up for Manny.  And if I am the Brewers, putting him in the lineup in a position where they have had minimal production could make a big difference.  I like Saladino and all, but he aint Manny.

[MerrittsMustache]

I don't think Machado will cost us Burnes.  One of our surplus OFs, plus Ortiz or Woodruff, and then were talking.  Top guys just don't get traded for rentals anymore (see the JD Martinez trade).

LA traded a Top 50 prospect (Calhoun) for Darvish last season.

The Brewers only have 2 Top 100 prospects (Hiura and Burnes). If they aren't willing to give either of them up, they're not getting Machado. The O's have reportedly already received 7 offers. You really think that the best offer for a top 10 player is going to be built around a 25yo AAA pitcher and a fourth outfielder?

Now, if the Brewers would take Chris Davis too, that could be a different story.

[chapman]

Line of thinking now is that Burnes is only dealt if it returns pitching.  A+/AA are stocked with pitching talent that might go in exchange for a bat.  Ortiz and Medeiros are most commonly mentioned, but I'd expect teams are going to be asking for Zack Brown and Diplan.

[TallTitan34]

Jed Hoyer on the Score:

"We're going to be talking to a lot of teams about pitching and pitching depth ahead of the deadline."

"There's nothing I want more than to have (Darvish) out there pitching well, but at the same time we have to go forward thinking about our  depth...about having enough pitching. Yu coming back would be fantastic but injuries can linger & we need to be aware of that."

On bullpen depth: "We got away with it in '16 riding (Aroldis) Chapman hard. We probably didn't have the necessary depth in the bullpen ... The game is played different in the playoffs."