drewski6

Thats captain Trevor Story to you.

Trevor Story hater says what?

Run differential in reg season does not equal run differential in playoffs, is my point. Things like #5 pitcher, and half your bullpen matter more in reg season than they do in playoffs, for example.

I agree.

I dont think Breslow loved the offense he was building. So I dont think it was an example of him having too much faith in like Roman/Duran et al. I think he failed to execute his offseason plan, and Im not going to go back into it, but its pretty well documented. I think he did a great job of salvaging. I think turnign to pitchign and D first was a pivot. But I think so far it has worked out well. And if we beat the yankees, Ill be stoked. But if we have a repeat of last year vs the yankees, score like an avg of 2/game and lose the series. It will be hard to be jazzed for an offense that went out with a whimper the prev 2 years, and I like Mead but I dont think thats enough to change that. So what I need to see is some playoff potency on the offensive side. Win or lose, give me 4 runs per game in the postseason (or more) and Im happy. Im also happy if we win one series , even if we fail to score 4/game. But going down 2 years in a row because you couldnt hit a very reasonable 4 runs/game in the playoffs, and then coming into the offseason jazzed about that offense with no additions (actually subtractions, cuz youre a Story hater) - just doesnt feel right to me. And if we do salvage some playoff potency with zee bats. If we do get to my 4 runs per game, you know who my best guess is going to be the reason why? Captain Trevor Story. Arias can wait another year.

In the playoffs last year, 5 of the 12 teams that made it had greater than 4.0 runs per game. The Blue Jays, Reds, Dodgers, Mariners, or Yankees Our 2026 season is TBD. Either 1) get by the yankees (dont care how if we win) or 2) lose the series to the yankees but score more than 4 runs per game If we lose to the yankees and the games are like 3-1, 2-0....then what did we really do. Take a team that wasnt good enough at hitting last year to make a deep run, and then go into these playoffs with a team that wasnt good enough at hitting to make a deep playoff run? Doesnt sound like the gigantic nobody can question this success, to me. Yes, so far so good. But this is one of the occasions, when borderline cartoonish level negativity Fred can be insightful. The goal is not to be an easy out in the first round. I wont call for Breslows head if we lose 2-0. 2-0 in the yankees, even though at one point in this season I would have called for his head with this outcome. So Ive come around. He gets a full reset from me. But taking a team that couldnt score enough to win in the playoffs and turning them into a team that couldnt score enough to win in the playoffs - Im not going to parade him around on my shoulders. Also, if we lose to the yankees, it will be his (Craigs) 4th year ended with 0 playoff series won. If we beat the yankees, I will be glad that we extended him. But I think that if we lose to the yankees and score less than 4 runs/game, then sure - ill give craig some points this year for the turnaround , but i wont join you in celebrating how awesome he is. Eventually, the helm of a team who has a slew of first round exits , year after year, becomes a "cant get over the hump guy". The most important games are in October. Im not Fred. Im not saying Breslow will be that guy if we cant beat the yankees. But I am saying that a legacy of a GM who lost over and over in teh first round is not a great one. A book is only as good as its ending. If we are noodlebats and lose to the yankees because of it, the sour ending will undo a lot of the good (not all of it).

Including chasing reg season run-differential. Everything is case by case, always.

Yup.

My favorite part.

Only thing we can do is accept it. And I do think we can be fine with this duo. I do like Breslows activity and willingness to turn the roster over. I do like his stockpile of depth. Ive seen some hiccups when it comes to dealing with humans, but Ive also seen him acknowledge that he wants to be better with communication. And the pitching side, which he built up, has been carrying us last 2 years now. I would like to see him focus on offense, but its not like its all pitching. He went out and got contreras, traded some pitching for durbin, grabbed mead and adley at the deadline.

All I know is that 3 weeks ago when people were trying to figure out who would be on our playoff roster, I was like guys guys guys.....We dont need to worry about this now....By the time the playoffs roll around , it will all be clear who are best 26 are, and we'll bring em. Well here we are on the doorstep of the playoffs, and its .....um....clear as mud. Puddle of mudd!

True, true.

A complication is Mickey Gasper cooling. One week ago , I would have agreed with you. Maybe even if the playoffs started today. But Mickey was the choice because he was too hot to take out, and he may no longer be. I wouldnt even be surprised if a third option enters for DH like Romy. He was scorching hot last I checked.

Absolutely shocking that Moon doesnt know who she is, but she has one hit and it was 30 years ago. I just dont know if Id call her "modern". We are getting older. Our childhood crushes are not "modern" in 2026. She might be due for a little comeback though. The heroin/junky hottie look is coming back like the Calvin Klein models in the 90s. With the rail thin and the black eye makeup and the ripped fishnet stockings. The "use me" look.

better love bugs than the freaking latern flies.

Its been higher than 98% since last week, and youve predicted 6 times this week we wont make it. Similar to last year when you were crowing about how we wont make it when we had a 99.7% chance of making it.

Its Trevor Story.

To me Houck and Oviedo are 100% gearing up to compete for a spot in the rotation in 2027 (far from guaranteed for both). Crochet, Im really really hoping we get something from in 2026, but my confidence is not as high as it was 2 weeks ago.

Houck and Oviedo - sure, but Crochet doesnt belong in the same category as those 2. Especially with Slaten going down and Miller struggling. Game 3 against the yankees protecting a 1 run inning in the ninth with 2 dangerous lefties coming up, I may go Crochet over Chapman.

Do you realize that I had two over the fence homeruns in the Bentley University whiffle ball tournament in 2004.

But like 5 of the best 7 pitchers in the mlb this year were 6'5 and above. But Lincecum and Pedro were bosses and Yamamoto is a boss. There are always a couple guys who defy physics. The little guy is an underdog with the deck stacked against him, like Pedey or Pedro or even Daniel Bryan. But it doesnt mean they cant be the hero, and its extra special when they are. But Justin Gonzales does have a better chance of being an MLB stud than he would have if he was 5'11 like me.

I wouldnt give Mickey the contract we gave Roman, and I still expect Roman to make good on that contract. This is a big (but not the only, obviously age too, and ability to play the field) reason why (frame difference). But when it comes down to who I play today, game 1 of playoffs, the ranking of things I consider gets shuffled. And hotness/current streak moves up considerably. Im as case-by-case as they come. The only thing I believe to be 100% true is that nothing is 100% true. SO while I am frequently bringing up size (e.g. I think its hard to compare pitcher durability without it), its not like size is the only thing I consider in every situation. But I dont think Tolle would be Tolle if he wasnt 6'6, so Ill point this out if someone thinks a 6'1 guy is the next tolle.

Joe Kelly has a lot of fight in him. He may have been an exception and actually needs the adrenaline of a big battle to be his best. But most guys do better when they approach playoffs as just another game. Most guys you want ice-veins. But there are exceptions. Joe Kelly prob would be better if you literally slapped him before he took the mound. "Get angry" Smack. Then he looks at me like he is about to kill me, and i point at the batter and i say take it out oh him, then joe kelly throws 106 down the middle for strike 3 and we win world series. Then Joe and i hug it out.

To me, I will never trust Houck in 2026. Im not saying Id never pitch him in 2026 playoffs, saying Id never feel comfy. Same Oviedo. Crochet is my example.

I agree. I picked a bad example , but this shows what guys have to play for. If ROman hit .560 since coming off IL, then wed prob run with Duran in LF and Gasper at DH. I dont think that it would be safe to assume that a .560 in september guy will just become superstar in october just because of pedigree.