A Realistic View of 2024: Part II

[mvp 78]

Hamilton homered in his next at-bat after you posted this.

 

Post it again next time he’s in the lineup…

 

Hamilton is a bad SS tho. If his bat works at the MLB level, he'll still need a different position.

 

Field: Inconsistent footwork and fringy range at shortstop. Can make the routine play, but there are concerns about how he would adjust to the speed of the major league game there. Has shown a tendency to rush plays and has trouble fielding the ball on the run. Looks more comfortable and profiles better at second base. Hands work and has shown solid range there. Footwork is sloppy second as well, but is within the more forgiving margin for error at that position than at shortstop. Speed and athleticism might be best suited for center field, where he has played on occasion in 2022 and 2023. Potential below-average defender at shortstop and average defender at second base.

 

I think Romy should have been the call up.

[mvp 78]

How many players throw L and bat only R?

 

0.0%?

[mvp 78]

I think Rafaela is going to be your home opener SS, or at least probably should be.

 

The defense is better that way as it puts Rafaela as a solid SS and Abreu is subbed at a corner OF spot. There is less of a defensive drop off doing that than putting Reyes at SS or the worst option of Hamilton at SS.

[notin]

Remember this game in 2020?

 

Tampa started NINE left-handed hitters against the Sox. No switch hitters. And eight of them threw right-handed.

 

No need to pay me

 

Forgot to link the box score

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TBA/TBA202009110.shtml

[notin]

How many players throw L and bat only R?

 

Just Rickey Henderson and a bunch of guys that play or played outfield for the Astros…

[mvp 78]

Just Rickey Henderson and a bunch of guys that play or played outfield for the Astros…

 

Rickey should have hit lefty. WTH?

[mvp 78]

The Dollop did a great podcast on Rickey Henderson which was fantastic. They also did ones for Bill Lee and Satchel Paige.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

Hey - Sox are #10 in USA Today's Power Rankings... the only losers ahead of 7-3 Boston are Philly and Arizona (they're still "better" because they were last year -- yup, that makes sense).

 

When Boss Steinbrenner was still kicking, it was ok every preseason to predict the Yankees to win it all, because you knew he'd make impactful acquisitions every summer, depending on need.

[mvp 78]

Hey - Sox are #10 in USA Today's Power Rankings... the only losers ahead of 7-3 Boston are Philly and Arizona (they're still "better" because they were last year -- yup, that makes sense).

 

When Boss Steinbrenner was still kicking, it was ok every preseason to predict the Yankees to win it all, because you knew he'd make impactful acquisitions every summer, depending on need.

 

AZ just went 1-5 against ATL/NY. C'mon man! Fix the damn rankings!

[Nick]

Forgot to link the box score

 

https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TBA/TBA202009110.shtml

 

Good find....thx

[mvp 78]

Red Sox are now projected to go 82-80 per FanGraphs and have a higher playoff chance than the Jays.

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds

[jacksonianmarch]

Probably, but if they just vote on the most current facts -- who won, who lost this week -- that makes more sense than basing it on what happened four months ago or what might happen in the next month.

 

If they're not going to base it on actual results, why even keep score? Just pick the teams with the biggest, strongest players -- those always look good on paper (or on screen).

 

You can’t make judgements when 60% of your games, to this point, have been vs the A’s and Angels. You also can’t make judgements in April. The sox will be cut down to size in May or June, when the good teams will start to roll

[mvp 78]

@tylermilliken_

Reese McGuire’s numbers through 9 games:

 

26 PA

.333/.385/.625/1.010

2 HR, 1 2B

8 RBI

187 wRC+

0.4 fWAR

 

Last season in 72 games, he finished with an 0.5 fWAR and had 16 total RBI.

 

Reese almost matching his last year's fWAR in 10 games.

 

I get the Reese's candy bar, if you read that name Reese's that's an apostrophe-S. Reese-apostrophe-S, on the end of that name. That means the candy bar is his, I didn't know that! Next time you're eating a Reese's candy bar and a guy name Reese comes by and says "Let me have that," you'd better hand it over. "I'm sorry, Reese, I didn't think I'd ever run into you! You're a f***in' bully, man! Let me at least have a piece!"

[mvp 78]

You can’t make judgements when 60% of your games, to this point, have been vs the A’s and Angels. You also can’t make judgements in April. The sox will be cut down to size in May or June, when the good teams will start to roll

 

Wrong. Good teams LOSE to bad teams all the time. That the Sox went out to the West Coast and won 7 of 10 is a good thing. Last year's team wouldn't have come back 7-3. This year, the pitching looks better and the defense looked better prior to Story going down.

[Maxbialystock]

You can’t make judgements when 60% of your games, to this point, have been vs the A’s and Angels. You also can’t make judgements in April. The sox will be cut down to size in May or June, when the good teams will start to roll

 

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

 

A Yankees fan who recognizes that their current record of 8-2, at immense cost to the Steinbrenners, is chimerical and that their almost quarter century of postseason failure (one WS since 2000) is likely to continue.

 

Your honesty is a credit to all Yankees fans, although I suspect very few will thank you for it.

[Maxbialystock]

It’s way early, but perhaps not too early to discuss two new faces--CBO Craig Breslow and pitching coach Dave Bush--in the Sox management hierarchy since last season. And just maybe those two have made a difference--with a nod of the head as well to manager Alex Cora.

 

This was an excellent West Coast trip to start the season--7-3 against the 4-6 Mariners, 3-7 A's, and 5-4 Angels.

 

And the pitching--yes, just 10 games--is beyond excellent with an insane ERA of 1.49, best in MLB, and WHIP, 0.96, also best in MLB. I cannot remember a better rotation at the start of any Sox season since 1949.

 

It gets better because all five are a bunch of no-names whose total salary, approx. $14M, is less than closer Jansen's $16M. So we probably need to acknowledge a 4th influencer, owner John Henry.

 

We should also note that the previous CBO, Chaim Bloom, whom I defended endlessly, gets credit for bringing in Trevor Story ($22.5M/year) and Masataka Yoshida ($18M/year), neither of whom has earned even half of his salary. So far Yoshida can’t field or hit (OPS .775). Story is an excellent fielder at SS or 2B, but has yet to hit (OPS under .700) and has played a total of 137 games in his first two seasons and appears to be out for a big chunk of this one.

 

Compare those two to Breslow’s pickup of Tyler O’Neill who has the Sox highest WAR (just 10 games) of 0.8.

 

Of course I fundamentally agree with jacksonianmarch--not that the Sox will fold, but that 10 games is infinitesimal, 1/16th of a season. On the other hand, looking at how the Yankees have failed season after season despite one of the biggest--and sometimes the biggest--payrolls in MLB. George's boys have managed to elevate John Henry to semi-genius level among MLB owners.

[moonslav59]

@tylermilliken_

Reese McGuire’s numbers through 9 games:

 

26 PA

.333/.385/.625/1.010

2 HR, 1 2B

8 RBI

187 wRC+

0.4 fWAR

 

Last season in 72 games, he finished with an 0.5 fWAR and had 16 total RBI.

 

Reese almost matching his last year's fWAR in 10 games.

 

I get the Reese's candy bar, if you read that name Reese's that's an apostrophe-S. Reese-apostrophe-S, on the end of that name. That means the candy bar is his, I didn't know that! Next time you're eating a Reese's candy bar and a guy name Reese comes by and says "Let me have that," you'd better hand it over. "I'm sorry, Reese, I didn't think I'd ever run into you! You're a f***in' bully, man! Let me at least have a piece!"

 

I was very hopeful our catchers would improve, this year- both on O and D. many catchers mature in their late 20's and even after 30-31.

 

I hope this can continue, but expect something over .725 from our catchers, combined. Maybe .750+ is not too much to think might occur.

[moonslav59]

This was an excellent West Coast trip to start the season--7-3 against the 4-6 Mariners, 3-7 A's, and 5-4 Angels.

.

 

These teams have these records vs others:

2-4 SEA

3-4 A's

4-2 Angels

 

9-10 overall

[mvp 78]

These teams have these records vs others:

2-4 SEA

3-4 A's

4-2 Angels

 

9-10 overall

 

SEA also played CLE (1st place) and MIL (playoff team last year, 6-2)

A's played CLE (1st place) and DET (6-3)

ANG played BAL (playoff team last year) and swept MIA

[mvp 78]

@gfstarr1

Manny Ramirez wants to get in the batter’s box at Fenway tomorrow.

 

“I need 400 hits (to reach 3000)… and I think they need my bat!”

[redsoxrules]

Haha love it. Manny being Manny

[mvp 78]

Haha love it. Manny being Manny

 

The Sox are more fun when it has a few characters on it.

[moonslav59]

@gfstarr1

Manny Ramirez wants to get in the batter’s box at Fenway tomorrow.

 

“I need 400 hits (to reach 3000)… and I think they need my bat!”

 

He should sign with the A's for minimum.

[notin]

Rickey should have hit lefty. WTH?

 

Ask him and he’ll yell you “Rickey doesn’t bat left-handed”…

[notin]

The Sox are more fun when it has a few characters on it.

 

And yet you keep poo-pooing Trevor Bauer…

[mvp 78]

And yet you keep poo-pooing Trevor Bauer…

 

[moonslav59]

And yet you keep poo-pooing Trevor Bauer…

 

Manny wasn't a creepy character. Bauer looks to be one.

[mvp 78]

He should sign with the A's for minimum.

 

He should go to COL.

[moonslav59]

He should have gone to COL.

 

Fixed it for you.

[redsoxrules]

And yet you keep poo-pooing Trevor Bauer…

 

That's not a fun character. Not even close to it.