A Realistic View at 2021: Part III

[moonslav59]

Here were the final Sox post season OPS numbers:

 

1.260 Kike

1.135 JD

1.029 Devers

.835 Verdugo

.833 Bogey

.718 Schwarber

.709 Vaz

.632 Arroyo

.576 Renfroe

.536 Plawecki

.400 Shaw

.000 Dalbec & Santana

 

ERA (Listed in order of most IP)

4.79 Eovaldi 20.2 IP

2.63 Pivetta 13.2

4.97 ERod 12.2

5.23 Houck 10.1

8.00 Sale 9.0

2.16 Whitlock 8.1

5.06 Robles 5.1

9.00 Brasier 9.00

2.25 Ottavino 4.0

2.25 Taylor 4.0

 

WHIP

0.68 Houck

0.72 Whitlock

0.75 Ottavino

0.95 ERod

1.00 Taylor

1.02 Pivetta

1.16 Eovaldi

1.50 Robles

1.78 Sale

2.00 Brasier

[moonslav59]

Sox HR Leaders Reg Season + Playoffs

 

43 Devers

31 Renfroe

31 JD

26 Bogey

25 Dalbec

25 Kike

16 Schwarber (35 WSH + BOS)

 

[moonslav59]

All-in-all, it was a great season.

 

It was fun to watch this team battle back for so many come from behind games, and come from looking down and out to making the playoffs.

 

It was fantastic knocking the Yanks out.

 

Beating the pesky Rays was no easy feat, but we toasted them after the game one loss.

 

We looked poised to beat the Astros, and the wheels came off. I don't see it as a choke, because the Astros had something to do with our demise. There is plenty of blame to go around, but it seemed like it just was not meant to be. (And, I don't even believe in fate.)

 

Great job, Sox!

 

Better luck, next year!

[Old Red]

All-in-all, it was a great season.

 

It was fun to watch this team battle back for so many come from behind games, and come from looking down and out to making the playoffs.

 

It was fantastic knocking the Yanks out.

 

Beating the pesky Rays was no easy feat, but we toasted them after the game one loss.

 

We looked poised to beat the Astros, and the wheels came off. I don't see it as a choke, because the Astros had something to do with our demise. There is plenty of blame to go around, but it seemed like it just was not meant to be. (And, I don't even believe in fate.)

 

Great job, Sox!

 

Better luck, next year!

 

Well said Moon.

[moonslav59]

I'm going to run down some 2021 AL Team stats. These numbers do not tell the whole story, but they are informative and may point to where we need the most improvement for 2022.

 

American League Only

 

fWAR Everyday Players

33.9 HOU

30.5 TOR

29.8 TBR

25.3 CWS

23.2 BOS (5th in offense component/9th in defense)

22.7 OAK

18.2 NYY

 

Ranking by Position

1st SS

2nd DH

3rd 3B

3rd CF

4th 2B

7th LF

10th 1B

10th RF

11th C

 

OPS

.797 TOR

.783 HOU

.777 BOS

.758 CWS

.749 TBR

7. NYY .729

 

Here is the surprise:

3rd Pitching

 

27.1 CWS

22.3 NYY

19.2 BOS

18.7 TBR

16.9 HOU

15.4 LAA

15.1 OAK

14.6 TOR

 

Starting Pitchers

19.3 CWS

14.8 NYY

14.6 BOS (nearly second!)

13.9 OAK

13.3 HOU

13.0 TOR

10.8 TBR (4 of top 7 rotations in ALE!)

 

Pen

7.9 TBR

7.8 CWS

7.5 NYY

7.0 SEA

4.7 LAA

4.6 BOS (nearly 5th)

14th TOR

15th OAK

 

Overall Pitching Rankings

5th SIERA 3.99

5th xFIP- 95

5th K-BB% 16.0

6th ERA- 90

15th BAbip .323 (next worst was .305/ 11 teams under .290)

 

 

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

I'm going to run down some 2021 AL Team stats. These numbers do not tell the whole story, but they are informative and may point to where we need the most improvement for 2022.

 

American League Only

 

fWAR Everyday Players

33.9 HOU

30.5 TOR

29.8 TBR

25.3 CWS

23.2 BOS (5th in offense component/9th in defense)

22.7 OAK

18.2 NYY

 

Ranking by Position

1st SS

2nd DH

3rd 3B

3rd CF

4th 2B

7th LF

10th 1B

10th RF

11th C

 

OPS

.797 TOR

.783 HOU

.777 BOS

.758 CWS

.749 TBR

7. NYY .729

 

Here is the surprise:

3rd Pitching

 

27.1 CWS

22.3 NYY

19.2 BOS

18.7 TBR

16.9 HOU

15.4 LAA

15.1 OAK

14.6 TOR

 

Starting Pitchers

19.3 CWS

14.8 NYY

14.6 BOS (nearly second!)

13.9 OAK

13.3 HOU

13.0 TOR

10.8 TBR (4 of top 7 rotations in ALE!)

 

Pen

7.9 TBR

7.8 CWS

7.5 NYY

7.0 SEA

4.7 LAA

4.6 BOS (nearly 5th)

14th TOR

15th OAK

 

Overall Pitching Rankings

5th SIERA 3.99

5th xFIP- 95

5th K-BB% 16.0

6th ERA- 90

15th BAbip .323 (next worst was .305/ 11 teams under .290)

 

 

 

Cool overall season stats. In perspective, they underscore what kind of shape teams' rotations and bullpens are entering October. Every club is affected by injuries, but it's hard not to think how far the Sox could've gone if they still had Barnes closing like a first-half All-Star. Of course, that is, as long as Tampa was still missing Glasnow, and Houston was without McCullers...

[moonslav59]

Cool overall season stats. In perspective, they underscore what kind of shape teams' rotations and bullpens are entering October. Every club is affected by injuries, but it's hard not to think how far the Sox could've gone if they still had Barnes closing like a first-half All-Star. Of course, that is, as long as Tampa was still missing Glasnow, and Houston was without McCullers...

 

HOU also lost Verlander and TBR Chirinos.

[Bellhorn04]

HOU also lost Verlander and TBR Chirinos.

 

Dodgers lost Kershaw, and Muncy, and then J. Turner.

[Maxbialystock]

All-in-all, it was a great season.

 

It was fun to watch this team battle back for so many come from behind games, and come from looking down and out to making the playoffs.

 

It was fantastic knocking the Yanks out.

 

Beating the pesky Rays was no easy feat, but we toasted them after the game one loss.

 

We looked poised to beat the Astros, and the wheels came off. I don't see it as a choke, because the Astros had something to do with our demise. There is plenty of blame to go around, but it seemed like it just was not meant to be. (And, I don't even believe in fate.)

 

Great job, Sox!

 

Better luck, next year!

 

Good summary, right down the line.

[moonslav59]

Dodgers lost Kershaw, and Muncy, and then J. Turner.

 

...and Bauer & Dustin May.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

...and Bauer & Dustin May.

 

LA lost Kershaw, Bauer and May... and yet, the Dodgers are now getting hammered for burning out Scherzer so badly in the postseason that he couldn't save their postseason.

 

The problem is that LA had a big-time bullpen, too. At least RS Nation is split on Cora using Nate to try closing on his "bullpen day" because he couldn't trust actual relievers; some fans have selective memories, because when AC used starters in late innings in '18 -- and it worked -- he was smaaaht.

[oldtimer]

I'd like to make a case that having dominant starting pitching is what wins championship series. I can't see that the data supports that in the case of the Braves impressive 6 game series win over the Dodgers. Here is what happened. The Braves came in with 3 very good starting Pitchers (Fried, Anderson and Morton). Here's how they farred.

 

G1 Fried went 6 and gave up 2 ERs

G2 Anderson went 3 and gave up 2 ERs

G3 Morton went 5 and gave up 2 RRs

G4 Chavez went 1 as an opener and gave up 0 ERs

G5 Fried went 4.2/3 and gave up 5 ERs

G6 Anderson went 4 and gave up 1 ER

 

I know this is a small sample but it seems to indicate that having a strong BP with quality starters is what wins series. The starters went 23 2/3 inning and the BP went 28 1/3.(I'm assuming the Dodgers got up in 9 innings a game although they may only have gotten up 8 in games they won, but it doesn't change the fact that the BP pitched more innings than the starters). You need both facets of pitching to be effective in the championship series. It will be interesting to see how this plays out during the WS.

[Larry Cook]

What the Red Sox did this year was beyond amazing. To go from 4th worst to one of the final 4, and stay under the luxury tax was incredible.

 

They were counted out a dozen times in august and September and still made the playoffs,

 

They beat the rays and the Yankees! Very sweet!

 

What a great year. The year of a thousand come from behind wins!

[dgalehouse]

LA lost Kershaw, Bauer and May... and yet, the Dodgers are now getting hammered for burning out Scherzer so badly in the postseason that he couldn't save their postseason.

 

The problem is that LA had a big-time bullpen, too. At least RS Nation is split on Cora using Nate to try closing on his "bullpen day" because he couldn't trust actual relievers; some fans have selective memories, because when AC used starters in late innings in '18 -- and it worked -- he was smaaaht.

 

Cora used his starters out of the bullpen in the 2018 post season as part of the " all hands on deck " approach. It was not really a new strategy. Whether or not it was entirely necessary, it did work. And Cora did get credit for it. It should also be noted that these pitchers almost all had problems with health and productivity in 2019. I don't know if there was a connection there , but these guys are human. They have limitations.

[moonslav59]

Cora used his starters out of the bullpen in the 2018 post season as part of the " all hands on deck " approach. It was not really a new strategy. Whether or not it was entirely necessary, it did work. And Cora did get credit for it. It should also be noted that these pitchers almost all had problems with health and productivity in 2019. I don't know if there was a connection there , but these guys are human. They have limitations.

 

He used Pivetta in relief then again pretty soon afterwards.

He used Eovaldi in relief on his "throwing day," and the dumb talks shows down here in Houston were shocked, but then Cora did yank Nate kinda early his next start.

 

It is an interesting topic.

 

[redsox87871]

What the Red Sox did this year was beyond amazing. To go from 4th worst to one of the final 4, and stay under the luxury tax was incredible.

 

They were counted out a dozen times in august and September and still made the playoffs,

 

They beat the rays and the Yankees! Very sweet!

 

What a great year. The year of a thousand come from behind wins!

 

Such a fun year! I really thought after game 3 in Boston we were going to win the whole thing! You never know in baseball, makes it all the more interesting!

[notin]

Such a fun year! I really thought after game 3 in Boston we were going to win the whole thing! You never know in baseball, makes it all the more interesting!

 

Three games into the season, it looked like we’d be battling for fifth in the AL East. Right before the last 3 games of the postseason, it looked like we might take the AL pennant.

 

And I can’t knock any season where we eliminate the Yankees…

[moonslav59]

The no knock season.

[Bellhorn04]

Cora used his starters out of the bullpen in the 2018 post season as part of the " all hands on deck " approach. It was not really a new strategy. Whether or not it was entirely necessary, it did work. And Cora did get credit for it. It should also be noted that these pitchers almost all had problems with health and productivity in 2019. I don't know if there was a connection there , but these guys are human. They have limitations.

 

With what happened to the Red Sox in 2019, and with what happened to Scherzer this year, managers might shy away from this strategy in future.

[moonslav59]

With what happened to the Red Sox in 2019, and with what happened to Scherzer this year, managers might shy away from this strategy in future.

 

Probably true, but maybe game 7 not so true.

[mvp 78]

Since the Seattle Mariners were established in 1977, EVERY MLB team has played in at least one World Series except for the Seattle Mariners. Since 1990, the only teams aside from the Mariners to not reach the World Series are the Pirates, Brewers and Orioles. The Mariners' 20 year playoff drought is the longest current streak in North American pro sports.

[moonslav59]

Since the Seattle Mariners were established in 1977, EVERY MLB team has played in at least one World Series except for the Seattle Mariners. Since 1990, the only teams aside from the Mariners to not reach the World Series are the Pirates, Brewers and Orioles. The Mariners' 20 year playoff drought is the longest current streak in North American pro sports.

 

Harsh on harmonious harmony.

[mvp 78]

@Mariners

A historic day for our franchise!

 

Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. has joined the Mariners Partnership Group.

 

Wow, they actually did it! Successful season!

[harmony]

Since the Seattle Mariners were established in 1977, EVERY MLB team has played in at least one World Series except for the Seattle Mariners. Since 1990, the only teams aside from the Mariners to not reach the World Series are the Pirates, Brewers and Orioles. The Mariners' 20 year playoff drought is the longest current streak in North American pro sports.

For 20 years the Seattle Mariners have been unable to bunch together enough wins in a single season to advance to the postseason.

 

Over that 20-year span Seattle has a better cumulative regular-season record than nine MLB teams (all of whom have bunched together enough wins in one season to make a postseason appearance).

 

FWIW over the past two seasons the Mariners have a better cumulative regular-season record than the Red Sox. Nevertheless the Red Sox advanced to AL Championship Series this year while the Mariners were left again on the October sidelines.

 

The tough-luck* Mariners have become more and more endearing. If Seattle can bunch together wins in one season, the M's may make another postseason appearance during this poster's lifetime.

 

Or not.

 

BTW the Red Sox should be commended for a fine season.

* although Pythagorean suggests the Mariners were lucky in 89- and 90-win seasons in 2018 and 2021

[mvp 78]

For 20 years the Seattle Mariners have been unable to bunch together enough wins in a single season to advance to the postseason.

 

Over that 20-year span Seattle has a better cumulative regular-season record than nine MLB teams (all of whom have bunched together enough wins in one season to make a postseason appearance).

 

FWIW over the past two seasons the Mariners have a better cumulative regular-season record than the Red Sox. Nevertheless the Red Sox advanced to AL Championship Series this year while the Mariners were left again on the October sidelines.

 

The tough-luck* Mariners have become more and more endearing. If Seattle can bunch together wins in one season, the M's may make another postseason appearance during this poster's lifetime.

 

Or not.

 

BTW the Red Sox should be commended for a fine season.

* although Pythagorean suggests the Mariners were lucky in 89- and 90-win seasons in 2018 and 2021

 

Sucking to get the best pick in the draft and then making the ALCS the following season seems like a better strategy than going for the perpetually mediocre Mariners seasons. Or not. I'm sure an extra win in May is better than wins in October.

[mvp 78]

Hang’em Chaim got xxxed on this deal, kc ran a massive xxxxx on him!

there ain’t enough xxxxxxxxx xxxxx in the state to quench the xxxxxxx xxxxxxxxx he feels whenever he xxxxx a xxxxxx!

 

@ChrisCotillo

Source: Franchy Cordero cleared waivers and was outrighted to AAA Worcester.

 

Okay, okay, I see what's happening, yeah

You're face-to-face with greatness and it's strange

You don't even know how you feel, it's adorable

Well, it's nice to see that posters never change

Open your eyes, let's begin

Yes, it's really me, it's Franchy, breathe it in

I know it's a lot: the hair, the bod

When you're staring at a baseball god

 

What can I say except "you're welcome"?

For the hits, the RBI

Hey, it's okay, it's okay, you're welcome

I'm just an ordinary baseball guy!

[moonslav59]

For 20 years the Seattle Mariners have been unable to bunch together enough wins in a single season to advance to the postseason.

 

Over that 20-year span Seattle has a better cumulative regular-season record than nine MLB teams (all of whom have bunched together enough wins in one season to make a postseason appearance).

 

FWIW over the past two seasons the Mariners have a better cumulative regular-season record than the Red Sox. Nevertheless the Red Sox advanced to AL Championship Series this year while the Mariners were left again on the October sidelines.

 

The tough-luck* Mariners have become more and more endearing. If Seattle can bunch together wins in one season, the M's may make another postseason appearance during this poster's lifetime.

 

Or not.

 

BTW the Red Sox should be commended for a fine season.

* although Pythagorean suggests the Mariners were lucky in 89- and 90-win seasons in 2018 and 2021

 

In this case, it's "NOT."

[harmony]

In this case, it's "NOT."

Is that a death wish?

[moonslav59]

Is that a death wish?

 

I don't see the M's getting better. They've tried spending. Nothing works.

 

I don't wish misery on you, but I just don't see success in the near future.

[notin]

For 20 years the Seattle Mariners have been unable to bunch together enough wins in a single season to advance to the postseason.

 

Over that 20-year span Seattle has a better cumulative regular-season record than nine MLB teams (all of whom have bunched together enough wins in one season to make a postseason appearance).

 

FWIW over the past two seasons the Mariners have a better cumulative regular-season record than the Red Sox. Nevertheless the Red Sox advanced to AL Championship Series this year while the Mariners were left again on the October sidelines.

 

The tough-luck* Mariners have become more and more endearing. If Seattle can bunch together wins in one season, the M's may make another postseason appearance during this poster's lifetime.

 

Or not.

 

BTW the Red Sox should be commended for a fine season.

* although Pythagorean suggests the Mariners were lucky in 89- and 90-win seasons in 2018 and 2021

 

FWIW the Red Sox and their fans don’t take delight in doing better than teams that punt…