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Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
The Houston Astros Are the Real Deal
It’s no secret that the Houston Astros are on fire. They have won 10 straight games, including a sweep of in state rival the Texas Rangers over the weekend. They currently have 41 wins through just 57 games into the 2017 campaign. That puts them on pace for 116.5 wins as of right now, if they kept winning at such a rapid pace. Of course that probably won’t happen, since every team eventually loses. But it should be noted that Houston is just the fourth team since 2000 to win 40 of their first 57 games. The 1906 Chicago Cubs and 2001 Seattle Mariners hold the record for most wins in a single season at 116. Who knows, The Astros could match that. A lot of people are saying this is the team to win the World Series, but it’s way too early to make those type of predictions. But I can tell you that this team is extremely talented in all aspects of the game.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedBronx Bombers Are Building for the Future
The New York Yankees have always built their team with seasoned veterans and star players. In the last few years, that methodology has changed for the Bronx Bombers. Brian Cashman has made some very interesting, and smart trades in the last year. The Yankees aren’t a World Series contender anymore. But they are building a team that could be sooner rather than later. Cashman made some intriguing trades last year — most notably the Aroldis Chapman trade, in which he acquired top prospect Gleyber Torres from the Cubs. Another eye opening move was the Andrew Miller trade to the Indians, where the Yanks acquired power hitting prospect Clint Frazier and lefty Justus Sheffield. Let’s take a look at these three prospects, who could be taking the field at Yankee stadium within the next few years.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedThe Atlanta Braves Will Be Better Than You Think in 2017
The Braves currently have one of the best farm systems in all of the bigs, with many starting pitchers on their top 10 prospect list. But that’s not it. Led by top prospect and number one overall pick in the 2015 draft Dansby Swanson, the future is looking bright for Atlanta. Based on how they finished the 2016 season — winning 20 of their last 30 games, there is nothing but optimism in the Braves front office.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedThe Rise of Cody Bellinger
If you’re a fan of Major league baseball, you have heard the name Cody Bellinger. The 21 year old has made a splash in the big leagues so far, becoming a household name for Dodgers fans and helping LA sit among the best in the MLB with a 32 and 20 record.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedTaking a Look at the Blue Jays Top 3 Prospects
The Toronto Blue Jays made some interesting moves this off-season. Most notably not re-signing All-Star slugger Edwin Encarnacion, and instead, bringing in Steve Pearce and Kendrys Morales to replace him. Regardless, they could have a player in their minor league system who could supplement the power source Encarnacion provided.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedIs Bryce Harper Really the 400 Million Dollar Man?
In December of 2016, news broke that OF Bryce Harper was reportedly seeking at least a 10 year, $400 million contract as a free agent in 2018. This kind of deal is almost completely without precedent — no player has ever signed a contract worth more than $325 million, and no player has ever signed for an AAV of $36 million.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedTaking a Closer Look at the Top 5 Prospects of the 2017 MLB Draft
The 2017 MLB Draft is just weeks away; a time where dreams will come true for many college and high school players. According to MLB pipeline, there could be three high school players picked within the top five. Headlining the high school ranks is Hunter Greene, a player who scouts have been drooling over thanks to a triple digit fastball.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedMatt Harvey and the Trailblazers of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Surgery
SP Matt Harvey is coming off of another setback to what had been a promising career, hampered by injury. In 2013, he was one of the best pitchers in the league, pitching to a 2.00 FIP and going 9–5 with an otherwise lackluster Mets squad. In 2014, he missed the entire season with Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he was almost as brilliant as he was in 2013, with a 3.05 FIP and going 13–8, powering the Mets to the World Series. In 2016, he crashed and burned thanks to thoracic outlet syndrome.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedIan Happ Won’t Be an Everyday Big Leaguer With the Cubs
The Cubs No. 2 overall prospect and the 25th overall prospect in all of baseball, Ian Happ, is showing that he deserves to play at the big league level. He’s hitting .264 in AAA Iowa with six home runs in just 13 games. He proved in spring training that he has all the talent to compete at the big league level, hitting .417 in 24 Cactus league games. As we know, the Cubs big league roster is already stacked. You have Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist at second base, the primary position that Happ plays. Happ can also play outfield, but there isn’t any room out there for him, either. There’s Kyle Schwarber in left, Albert Almora and Jon Jay in center, and Jason Heyward or Zobrist in right. No matter how great Happ plays in Triple-A, I honestly don’t see a place for him on the Cubs roster in the long run.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedAdam Wainwright and Very Good (But Not Great) Pitchers
Adam Wainwright was a good pitcher. Hell, he was a great pitcher. From 2009 to 2014, he was 5th among starters in FIP and 6th in WAR. He’s finished 3rd or higher in the NL Cy Young voting four times.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedShould Jose Altuve’s Early Struggles Raise Concerns for the Astros?
Baseball is a game of failure. You fail 3 out of 10 times, you’re a hall of famer. Through eight games, Jose Altuve is hitting just .188. He hasn’t hit any home runs, no extra base hits, and has only stolen one bag. It’s not the typical play we see from Altuve, but it’s so early in the season, there really isn’t any reason to worry.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in UnbalancedDr. Dallas and Mr. Keuchel — The Two Faces of the Astros Ace
Plenty of aces fell off of cliffs in 2016. There was Adam Wainwright, who looked to be moving towards inevitable age-related decline. There was Zack Greinke, who crashed and burned after signing a huge contract. And then there was Dallas Keuchel — the 2015 AL Cy Young Winner.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced