2025 MLB Season

[wadesworld]

The Brewers have been better than almost everyone in the last decade. If I understand the argument correctly, Milwaukee is too small of a market to not choke in the playoffs. If the system is not entirely crooked, please explain:

2018: Lost Game 7 of the NLCS.

2019: Trent Grisham can't field the ball; the team they let advance wins it all.

2020: The under-.500, 4th place Brewers are granted a postseason berth. The team they lose to in the "super wild card round" wins it all.

2021: They lose to a team that is 15th in payroll, (I think... payroll in general is really boring). That team wins the WS.

2022: Their payroll forces them to choke in September rather than October.

2023: They lose to a team that, (I think) has a lower payroll than the Brewers. That team wins the pennant.

2024: They host all three wild card games, but lose to the team with the higher payroll. That one had some sting on it.

2025: They receive a first-round bye and home field advantage throughout the World Series; however, due to economic factors, manage 4 runs in the NLCS.

If there was a salary cap, the Brewers have 2-3 World Series championships since 2018. At least I think that's the argument.

The argument has nothing to do with the Brewers.

[wadesworld]

A salary cap is not really going to be possible given that the players would have to approve, and there is no way they are doing that. MLB acquiring all local television rights, and allowing for some pooling of those rights, is a much more likely outcome. My guess is that the players would approve of that in return for a salary floor of some sort.

And that's fine by me. A cap just means that owners will pocket more.

Regardless, it certainly isn't impossible for lower revenue teams to win the World Series. But it certainly makes their window that much smaller. And when you have a high revenue team that is also extremely well run, like the Dodgers now or the Yankees of 1996-2003, its extremely difficult for even the best of low revenue teams to win.

This is accurate.  The Brewers can compete...some years.  2018 was their year to win the World Series.  The Taylor miracle catch took away that opportunity.

This year, nobody was touching the Dodgers.  And nobody will next year if they're healthy.

I don't blame the Dodgers for doing what they're doing, nor am I disappointed about where the Brewers are.  The Brewers are an extremely well run organization.  Probably the best run organization in baseball...and the deck is still stacked very much against them from winning a title.  That's the point.  Can small market teams win a World Series?  It's possible.  But the idea that all teams have the exact same chance to compete for a title is bafflingly out of touch with reality.

[18thandWells]

Let me know when the Cubs have 5 starting pitchers that are capable of winning a Cy Young award

Yamamoto, Snell, Glasgow, (I guess, but not really), Ohtani, and ?

I don't think you're really saying Clayton Kershaw has a chance of another Cy Young. Who am I missing?

[JWags85]

This year, nobody was touching the Dodgers.  And nobody will next year if they're healthy.

I understand the point you're trying to make, but you say that as the Jays were a hair away from going up 2-1 in the series with a 22 year old rookie in his 6th MLB starting Game 1 and rotating a pair of journeyman 30 year olds (who both spent time in the minors last year) in RF because their Silver Slugger acquisition is hurt for the WS.

That doesn't mean that they were going to go on to win the series.  But it wasn't like the Brewers series where they just throttled them.  Its been very much an even matchup so far.

[JWags85]

Yamamoto, Snell, Glasgow, (I guess, but not really), Ohtani, and ?

I don't think you're really saying Clayton Kershaw has a chance of another Cy Young. Who am I missing?

Clearly its Kirby Yates.

I like Glasnow, but I don't think a guy in his 30s who is a 1 time AS and has only had 1 sub 3 ERA season in his career 5 years ago (and also struggles to stay healthy) is a Cy Young caliber pitcher.

I mean the fact that the Dodgers have 2 Cy Young caliber starters (Snell and Yamamoto), a former Cy Young winner with tons of experience and still has elite stuff for stretches (Kershaw), an upper level starter (Glasnow) plus a Cy Young ceiling guy they can call when needed (Ohtani) is insane enough without need for exaggeration about 5 Cy Young pitchers.

[wadesworld]

Yamamoto, Snell, Glasgow, (I guess, but not really), Ohtani, and ?

I don't think you're really saying Clayton Kershaw has a chance of another Cy Young. Who am I missing?

No, Kershaw isn't going to win another one, especially because he's retiring.  But he was the Dodger's second most reliable starter in the regular season and a guy who has won 3 Cy Young Awards and an MVP as a pitcher (so I'm selling them short as having 3 MVPs on the roster, it's 4).  He went 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA and 1.216 WHIP this season.

Glasnow is absolutely capable of winning a Cy Young.  He had a 2.77 ERA with a 0.932 WHIP, giving up 5.6 hits per 9, 1 home run per 9, 2.8 walks per 9, and striking out 12.6 per 9 through 14 starts in 2021 before he tore his UCL.  Robby Ray won the AL Cy Young Award with a 2.84 ERA and 1.045 WHIP that year, giving up 7 hits per 9, 1.5 home runs per 9, 2.4 walks per 9, and striking out 11.5 per 9.  Would Glasnow have kept that up over another 16 starts?  Maybe not.  But he's certainly a Cy Young caliber arm.

[wadesworld]

I understand the point you're trying to make, but you say that as the Jays were a hair away from going up 2-1 in the series with a 22 year old rookie in his 6th MLB starting Game 1 and rotating a pair of journeyman 30 year olds (who both spent time in the minors last year) in RF because their Silver Slugger acquisition is hurt for the WS.

That doesn't mean that they were going to go on to win the series.  But it wasn't like the Brewers series where they just throttled them.  Its been very much an even matchup so far.

They can hang a "Almost won 2 games against the Dodgers" banner in the Rogers Center next spring.

[MU82]

I understand the point you're trying to make, but you say that as the Jays were a hair away from going up 2-1 in the series with a 22 year old rookie in his 6th MLB starting Game 1 and rotating a pair of journeyman 30 year olds (who both spent time in the minors last year) in RF because their Silver Slugger acquisition is hurt for the WS.

That doesn't mean that they were going to go on to win the series.  But it wasn't like the Brewers series where they just throttled them.  Its been very much an even matchup so far.

Exactly.

Toronto crushed them in game 1, putting 5 runs on unhittable Blake Snell. And if Toronto gets one key hit over the final 9 innings last night against a bunch of minimum-wage relievers, they are up 2-1.

Obviously the Dodgers are outstanding and have a bigger margin of error than anyone. And Toronto will be badly hurt by Springer's injury. But through 3 games, LA has hardly been a dominant team. Only one of their 3 unhittable starters pitched well enough to win.

The Yankees won 4 titles in 5 years from 1996-2000. MLB was doomed because rich teams were gonna win all the championships. Except that didn't really happen over the next 2 decades.

The Dodgers have been a rich, high-spending organization for decades and decades. Why did they win only 4 NL pennants - not even talking about WS - between 1982 and 2023?

But maybe things are different now from all the other post-1975 situations in which baseball was doomed, and maybe the Dodgers will never lose again. I guess we'll see.

[18thandWells]

No, Kershaw isn't going to win another one, especially because he's retiring.  But he was the Dodger's second most reliable starter in the regular season and a guy who has won 3 Cy Young Awards and an MVP as a pitcher (so I'm selling them short as having 3 MVPs on the roster, it's 4).  He went 11-2 with a 3.36 ERA and 1.216 WHIP this season.

Glasnow is absolutely capable of winning a Cy Young.  He had a 2.77 ERA with a 0.932 WHIP, giving up 5.6 hits per 9, 1 home run per 9, 2.8 walks per 9, and striking out 12.6 per 9 through 14 starts in 2021 before he tore his UCL.  Robby Ray won the AL Cy Young Award with a 2.84 ERA and 1.045 WHIP that year, giving up 7 hits per 9, 1.5 home runs per 9, 2.4 walks per 9, and striking out 11.5 per 9.  Would Glasnow have kept that up over another 16 starts?  Maybe not.  But he's certainly a Cy Young caliber arm.

I get it now. You should include pitching coach Mark Prior.

[Billy Hoyle]

Yamamoto, Snell, Glasgow, (I guess, but not really), Ohtani, and ?

I don't think you're really saying Clayton Kershaw has a chance of another Cy Young. Who am I missing?

he must be looking ahead to next season when they have Skubal.

[tower912]

Well, if it next season, then the Tigers got a decent trade package.  If it is '27, then, yeah.  Probably.

[wadesworld]

he must be looking ahead to next season when they have Skubal.

Nah.  They'll just wait until he's a free agent and give him $500MM.  No need to give away assets for them to obtain talent.  They'll sign Peralta to come out of their bullpen that offseason, too.

They'll just add Kyle Tucker and Framber Valdez this offseason.  The Brewers will match the Dodgers' offseason with Devin Williams and Jose Quintana.

[18thandWells]

The Brewers will match the Dodgers' offseason with Devin Williams and Jose Quintana.

This has nothing to do with the Brewers, (I've been told).

[wadesworld]

This has nothing to do with the Brewers, (I've been told).

Agreed.  Every team in baseball has the chance to pay Shohei $365MM, Freddie Freeman $162MM, Shohei $700MM, Blake Snell $182MM, Yoshinobu Yamamoto $325MM, Tyler Glasnow $136.5MM.  It's a completely even playing field.  Baseball really has it figured out.

[Billy Hoyle]

Well, if it next season, then the Tigers got a decent trade package.  If it is '27, then, yeah.  Probably.

Perhaps. It's Chris Ilich we're talking about.

[18thandWells]

Agreed.  Every team in baseball has the chance to pay Shohei $365MM, Freddie Freeman $162MM, Shohei $700MM, Blake Snell $182MM, Yoshinobu Yamamoto $325MM, Tyler Glasnow $136.5MM.  It's a completely even playing field.  Baseball really has it figured out.

I think you might be paying Shohei more than once; nonetheless, you should try forgetting about the economics for a night and enjoy the Series. It's been remarkably competitive. I'm a little biased to G7 of 2016, but last night's game ranks very high in the best I've ever seen.

[tower912]

Perhaps. It's Chris Ilich we're talking about.

And Scott Harris.  Ilitch and Harris swear the money is there to sign Skubal.  IMO you will see Detroit shop him at the winter meetings. If they get a good offer, say starter/closer/right handed hitting CF, I think they pounce.  If not, they make a market rate offer to say they did, knowing he isn't going to accept it.

Far more interesting to me is what they have Greene and Torkelson work on in the offseason and how they finesse the glut of minor league infielders ready to make the jump.  Maybe they throw in Lee with Skubal to get the three impact players.

[wadesworld]

And Scott Harris.  Ilitch and Harris swear the money is there to sign Skubal.  IMO you will see Detroit shop him at the winter meetings. If they get a good offer, say starter/closer/right handed hitting CF, I think they pounce.  If not, they make a market rate offer to say they did, knowing he isn't going to accept it.

Far more interesting to me is what they have Greene and Torkelson work on in the offseason and how they finesse the glut of minor league infielders ready to make the jump.  Maybe they throw in Lee with Skubal to get the three impact players.

The good news is I've learned in this thread the ability for some teams to spend more than other teams doesn't matter. So it comes down to whether Tarik likes Detroit or not and not whether a team gives him $200MM more than the Tigers can.

[18thandWells]

The Brewers MLB teams in general struggling with the unfairness of the current structure should look at joining whatever league the Chicago Dogs play in. A guy at work told me they don't pay their players very much at all.

[Uncle Rico]

The good news is I've learned in this thread the ability for some teams to spend more than other teams doesn't matter. So it comes down to whether Tarik likes Detroit or not and not whether a team gives him $200MM more than the Tigers can.

Any team can win as long as they don't have the wrong color flag of the opposing team they just beat at a postgame picture

[tower912]

I liked Detroit's chances against anybody during the 3/4 of the season they were hitting at a high level.   I was stunned they beat Cleveland hitting that poorly.  I expected them to lose to Seattle if they didn't hit.

.118 loses to the Rockies.

[Uncle Rico]

I liked Detroit's chances against anybody during the 3/4 of the season they were hitting at a high level.   I was stunned they beat Cleveland hitting that poorly.  I expected them to lose to Seattle if they didn't hit.

.118 loses to the Rockies.

Correct.  Especially when you take a pic with a flag of the opposing team you just beat.

[MuggsyB]

It's going to be very difficult fir Toronto to bounce back tonight after such a gut-wrenching loss.  I feel like they blew the opportunity.  I might try some unorthodox tactics today. 

[MuggsyB]

Good grief.  This home plate ump is incompetent. 

[MuggsyB]

That was a tier 1 Mammoth dinger for Gurrero Jr. and Toronto!  Nothing is over.