2026 MLB Thread

[GB Warrior]

Murphy usually leads off Turang against righties and Chourio against lefties.  I expect that will continue in the playoffs, but ya never know with Murph--he does like to change things up a lot.

Think it's Turang. Chourio is a quintessential 2 or 3 hitter. Would love Sal to come back strong, but not counting on it

[Uncle Rico]

Think it's Turang. Chourio is a quintessential 2 or 3 hitter. Would love Sal to come back strong, but not counting on it

Jortz

[JWags85]

Amazing that the runnerup for MVP last year May now be in the lead for worst starting position player in the league.

He's making the 2014 Chris Davis follow up season after his torrid 2013 look like a minor slump in comparison.

[Shaka Shart]

Season series tie with a top NL team and two games they could have/should have won being the losses. I'll take that from the white sox

[GB Warrior]

Season series tie with a top NL team and two games they could have/should have won being the losses. I'll take that from the white sox

You are allowed to feel tepid satisfaction. But certainly not joy.

[Hards Alumni]

https://x.com/GeorgeOnTap/status/2090122215870370204

Presented for your enjoyment.

[cheebs09]

https://x.com/GeorgeOnTap/status/2090122215870370204

Presented for your enjoyment.

A pretty big gamble from Ohtani. Did his "interpreter" suggest the deal?

[MUBurrow]

Watch Ohtani get private equity-ed.  Welcome to same hellscape as the rest of us.

[MU82]

From The Athletic:

The Dodgers gave four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker $240 million last offseason, and he's returned the favor by hitting .232 with a .694 OPS and 0.0 WAR (yes, 0 WAR). And it's not just his bat: His -9 outs above average ranks last among the 199 players who've played at least one inning in right field this season.

[Jockey]

From The Athletic:

The Dodgers gave four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker $240 million last offseason, and he's returned the favor by hitting .232 with a .694 OPS and 0.0 WAR (yes, 0 WAR). And it's not just his bat: His -9 outs above average ranks last among the 199 players who've played at least one inning in right field this season.

I was truly amazed he got that contract. He was not a very good player last year.

[CreightonWarrior]

Angels are wrapping up the 7 Year contracts on Anthony Rendon and Stephen Strasburg this year. They got a combined 265 games out of the 2.

[Jockey]

Baseball is a strange game.

Since the 4th of July, Joey Ortiz has a better OPS than Ohtani, PCA, or Alvarez - 2 of whom will win MVP this year.

[TallTitan34]

From The Athletic:

The Dodgers gave four-time All-Star Kyle Tucker $240 million last offseason, and he's returned the favor by hitting .232 with a .694 OPS and 0.0 WAR (yes, 0 WAR). And it's not just his bat: His -9 outs above average ranks last among the 199 players who've played at least one inning in right field this season.

And don't forget, because the Dodgers are well above the tax threshold, his $60M this year also comes with a $60M tax.

They are paying $120M this season for that.

[wadesworld]

And don't forget, because the Dodgers are well above the tax threshold, his $60M this year also comes with a $60M tax.

They are paying $120M this season for that.

A little less than that because he's deferring $30MM total, because of course.  But yeah.  Only the Dodgers could afford to offer Tucker about 2x what he was expected to be offered, have a ton of it taxed, have him play like trash, and be fine.

[MU82]

Only the Dodgers could afford to offer Tucker about 2x what he was expected to be offered, have a ton of it taxed, have him play like trash, and be fine.

Yup. And why should the players accept a salary cap to help rein in one wildly spending team? How about if the owners fix their revenue-sharing system so that the current have-nots become have-somes at the expense of the have-all Dodgers?

[Uncle Rico]

Yup. And why should the players accept a salary cap to help rein in one wildly spending team? How about if the owners fix their revenue-sharing system so that the current have-nots become have-somes at the expense of the have-all Dodgers?

We have to bailout billionaires

[Hards Alumni]

We have to bailout billionaires

The real job of true American patriots

[Uncle Rico]

The real job of true American patriots

Won't anyone think of the poor owners of professional sports teams?

I'm reading a book "The War of the Baseball Magnates" about the 1901 season.  White Trash would be furious about how the poor owners suffered (through stupidity).  Baseball owners deserve ZERO sympathy or support.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Yup. And why should the players accept a salary cap to help rein in one wildly spending team? How about if the owners fix their revenue-sharing system so that the current have-nots become have-somes at the expense of the have-all Dodgers?

Por que no los dos?

[TallTitan34]

Only the Dodgers could afford to offer Tucker about 2x what he was expected to be offered, have a ton of it taxed, have him play like trash, and be fine.

Are we sure they are fine?

[SoCalEagle]

More bad news for Dodgers. Pages broke his left hand last night. Hopefully he's good to go when we get to the playoffs.

[MU82]

Holding a 5-4 lead over the Cubs with 2 outs in the 9th inning, Mariners reliever Andres Munoz threw a 101 mph fastball past Alex Bregman. Munoz then threw a 102 mph fastball past the clearly overmatched Bregman.

So did Munoz then just throw another 102 mph fastball to end the game? Of course not! Munoz (or whoever calls pitches for the Mariners) decided to get cute, and he hung a meatball slider that Bregman deposited over the fence to tie the game.

[MU82]

Well, that was fun!

[Uncle Rico]

Well, that was fun!

PCA almost had it.  Just another 40' or so

[wadesworld]

PCA almost had it.  Just another 40' or so

His effort just jumped his fWAR by 2.5 points though. He's now on pace for the best single year of baseball played in the history of the game.