Season In Review: Washington Nationals

Preseason Prediction: 5th in NL East

Regular Season Outcome: 5th in NL East

Summary: Nobody expected much from the Washington Nationals, nor did they get it. But if you’re a fan of the Nationals, or even a player reading this column for some inexplicable reason (hear me out, Nyjer Morgan), there’s no reason to hang your head. The Nat’s 69-93 record was the best they have posted in the last three years, and the team’s young talent continues to develop. They’re not shy about the fact that they’re in a rebuilding — or with this franchise maybe we should simply call it a “building” — period. If they go about the process wisely and patiently, they will continue to improve.

High Point: On Tuesday, June 8th, the Nats called up their insanely hyped pitching prospect, (then) 21-year-old Stephen Strasburg. It was the start of a three-game series against the Pittsburgh Pirates and 40,315 fans packed Nationals Stadium. Strasburg proved he was everything he had been cracked up to be, going seven innings, giving up four hits, two earned runs, walking none and striking out fourteen — all on just 94 pitches. Washington used that momentum to sweep the series and improve to a respectable 30-31. Sure, everyone knew the Nats wouldn’t win the pennant, but the young phenom gave us all a peak at just how bright the future could be.

Low Point: He provided the high point, so why not the low point as well? After over a month of filling stadiums and striking out hitters in droves, Stephen Strasburg was preparing for a July start against the Braves when he felt tightness in his shoulder. Wisely, the Nationals shut him down and let him skip a couple starts. Unfortunately, the rest wasn’t enough, and in late August they announced he had a torn ligament in his right elbow. Strasburg elected to get Tommy John surgery, effectively ending his 2010 AND 2011 seasons. The surgery has a high success rate, and hopefully he can come back strong, but it was devastating news for a team whose future hinges on a just a few young stars.

Ongoing Prognosis: There is talent on this team. Third Baseman Ryan Zimmerman, now 26, has developed into one of the smartest hitters in the league. Shortstop Ian Desmond continued to improve throughout his first full season. Outfielder Matt Morse had an OPS of .870 in 266 at-bats and figures to be a regular starter in 2011. The team has also indicated they have money, and will spend it. They intend to target a veteran pitcher along with a power bat. Adam Dunn seems to want to resign, and after great production in the middle of the lineup, it’d be smart to keep him. But if they pass, they could use that money to make a run at Jayson Werth. If General Manager Mike Rizzo mixes smart spending with more solid draft picks, this could be a competitive team in the future. Come 2013, when Stephen Strasburg is back to full health, young phenom Bryce Harper is up with the big club to compliment Ryan Zimmerman and Ian Desmond in their peak years, the NL East might have to watch out for the Washington Nationals.

Season in Review: Pittsburgh Pirates

PRESEASON PREDICTION: 6th

REGULAR SEASON OUTCOME: 57-105 6th in NL Central

SUMMARY: Avast ye PIttsburghians, another season has ended with the Pirates bringing up the rear in the NL Central. This is the fifth time in six years that the lowly Pirates have finished dead last in their division but went one step farther finishing dead last in all of baseball. When your #1 starting pitcher is Pat Maholm with a 9-15 record and a 5.10 ERA, it’s hard to look back fondly on any moments of the 2010 season. The team used a franchise record 28 pitchers and gave up more runs (866) and hits (1567) than any other team in baseball.

On a positive note, the Pirates have some good young hitters in rookies 2B Neil Walker (.296 AVG, 66 RBI) and 3B Pedro Alvarez (16 HR, 64 RBI in 95 G) to go along with the speedy young OF Andrew McCutchen (33 SB) and power hitting 1B Garrett Jones (21 HR). However, their inexperience shown through this year as they were shut out 15 times and were 2-13 against the AL. Also, it’s hard to win games when you need to score 6+ runs every day. And then, inevitably, John Russell was let go by the Pirates this week. Oh, he was their coach, in case you have never heard of him before.

HIGH POINT: Middle Reliever Even Meek was lights out all year and probably preserved 5-10 of their wins. He finished with a 5-4 record, 2.14 ERA, 1.05 WHIP in 70 G and could be their closer of the future. Their infield, consisting of 1B Garrett Jones, 2B Neil Walker and 3B Pedro Alvarez look to be a solid foundation for the future. They are young and eager to play and showed it this season, averaging 16 HR and 72 RBI each. Look for Walker to get some Rookie of the Year votes.

LOW POINT: The road should have been less travelled for the homesick Pirates. They finished the year at 17-64 away from PNC Park, tying the 1963 New York Mets for the worst road record in a 162 game season. It doesn’t get much lower than that.

THE FUTURE: The Pirates have rarely been a team that anyone in the NL Central has been concerned with and that doesn’t look to change anytime soon. They do have a lot of young talent but few veterans will be willing to sign with a franchise than has been rebuilding for 15 years. If they can somehow attract a good manager to harness the team’s youth, they have a chance to take a step forward next season. But before that can happen they need some serious help on the pitching front. We will see if they can bring in some guys to salvage what’s left of a franchise that is a sinking ship that hit bottom in 2010.

Top 7 Free Agents of 2011

For the many of us who are hopelessly obsessed with the sport of baseball, the season is never over. Sure, the World Series will end and there won’t be a game of any importance until April of 2011, but that doesn’t stop the most devoted fans from scouring the internet for off-season news. While this is not the most talented crop of Free Agents in recent years, there are some big names worth keeping an eye on. And some teams who feel free agency is the one thing that can turn things around for them in 2011.

Carl Crawford, OF

Considered by most to be the prize free agent of the 2011 class, Crawford is truly the complete player. He’s an excellent fielder, he hits for decent power, gets on base, and uses his blazing speed to wreak havoc on the base paths. Crawford’s versatility can really alter a lineup, as he’s a great fit for the first, second or third spot in the order. Tampa Bay will no longer be able to afford him, but after the numbers he put up in the first half of his career, there’s sure to be an intense bidding war for his services.
PREDICTED DESTINATION: Boston Red Sox

Jayson Werth, OF

Likely to be the consolation prize for the losing team in the Crawford bidding, Werth is no slouch. This is his fourth straight season posting an OPS over .850. His above-average power compliments his excellent on-base skills and he is solid at all three outfield positions. Werth blossomed late, and at 31 he’ll likely be looking to sign a contract that will cover most of the second half of his career. With new agent Scott Boras, he’ll likely get it.
PREDICTED DESTINATION: Los Angeles Angels

Cliff Lee, SP

The 2008 Cy Young winner is easily the best starting pitcher on the market, and one of the best pitchers in baseball. Back problems slowed him in the second half of this season, but that didn’t stop him from leading the American League in WHIP (1.00) and Complete Games (7). Every team looking for a great starting pitcher will take a look at Lee, and the competition for his services will drive up his price. Keep in mind, he’s owned the Yankees in the last couple years, and you better believe they’ve noticed. What’s the best way to make sure they no longer have to face him?
PREDICTED DESTINATION: New York Yankees

Victor Martinez, C

What makes Martinez such a hot commodity is his position. If he remains behind the plate, he’ll be one of few catchers in the league that has the ability to hit for both power and average. If he’s shifted to First base or DH, his value decreases significantly. Any team is greatly improved when they add a power-hitting catcher to the middle of their lineup, and as usual there are multiple teams looking to fill that need. Boston will make an offer, but it doesn’t seem they are willing to give the number of years other teams will.
PREDICTED DESTINATION: Detroit Tigers

Rafael Soriano, RP

After three seasons with the Braves in which he filled multiple relieving roles, Soriano was traded to the Rays where he flourished as a full-time closer. He was 45-for-48 in save opportunities, while posting a WHIP of 0.80 in 64 appearances. There’s no question that Soriano has what it takes to be a great closer –the best closer on the market, in fact– the question is how much money teams are willing to throw at a 30-year-old reliever with a history of arm trouble. He’s another Boras client, and will get paid. The price just may not be what he’s hoping.
PREDICTED DESTINATION: Arizona Diamondbacks

Adrian Beltre, 3B

Yet another Scott Boras client (in case you don’t know, or haven’t caught on by now, Boras gets the $$$), Beltre is an interesting Free Agent. There’s no question he was excellent with Boston this season. His .321 Avg. was fourth in the American League and he drove in over 100 runs for a potent Boston offense. But this is not the first time we have seen this from Beltre in a contract year. After posting a staggering 1.017 OPS for the Dodgers in 2004, he signed a massive contract with the Mariners only to see his OPS drop over .300 points. There’s no promising he’ll have another strong year at the plate. Regardless, he remains a gold-glove defender and will continue to make great money.
PREDICTED DESTINATION: Boston Red Sox

Adam Dunn, 1B/OF/DH

Adam Dunn wants to remain in the field. Problem is, nobody else seems to want him there. Dunn is an incredibly gifted power hitter whose high strikeout rate is negated by his ability to walk and reach base (.381 career OBP). The big knock on Dunn is his defense, which is not pretty, regardless of where you put him (The Reds preferred LF, the Nationals tried 1B). Dunn has said he does not want to be a Designated Hitter, but once he sees where the contract offers are coming from, I think we’ll see him change his mind.
PREDICTED DESTINATION: Detroit Tigers

We can speculate all we want, but it won’t be until December when the fun bidding gets underway and we really get to see how things shake out. If you’re surprised to see Detroit on this list twice, keep in mind they have over $70 million coming off the books and they’ll be looking to put together a powerhouse.

So forget about all that boring playoff stuff, baseball fans, and get ready for the offseason.

Crazy Baseball Tricks

And you thought you were good with a baseball….

Roy Halliday No Hits The Reds!!!!!!

Roy Halliday No Hits the Reds in his Phillies post-season debut. In one of the best performances ever seen in October, Roy Halliday becomes just the second hitter in postseason history to accomplish such a feat.

The Phillies ace has come along since the cellar of the NL East and the Toronto Blue Jays. He came to Philly to win a title and get a chance to pitch meaningful games in September and earn a trip to October. He got just that and didn’t disappoint. He gave a sold out house of Phillies fans exactly what they were hoping for. He’s a winner and he proved it today.

Rangers vs. Rays: Playoff Preview

The Rays and the Rangers will face off in the Divisional Series in what is to be a pretty even matchup. It’s the matchup of two potent line ups and two durable and dependable pitching staffs. There isn’t an easy winner in this series but let’s see how they matchup.

LINEUP
The lineups of these two teams are powered by two of the games better young players: the Texas Rangers MVP Candidate Josh Hamilton and phenom thirdbaseman for the Rays Evan Longoria. Evan Longoria has fared very well against the Rays during the regular season and hopes to see that continue against a very tough pitching staff that features post-season ace Cliff Lee. The Rangers, on the other hand are looking to counter with not so much Hamilton but rather the work of Vladimir Guerrero. He has ate up the Rays relievers and if he has anything to say about it he’ll be chasing them early and often.

ADVANTAGE: Rays. Their lineup is too good top to bottom.

STARTING PITCHING
This is once again the battle of two aces. The Rangers will feature Cliff Lee who proved last season that he is as good as it gets in big spots. The Rays will counter with their ace David Price. He’s got a big win total and he’s been nearly unhittable all season. The key here is getting to Lee. The Rays have had a lot of success against Lee, beating him 3 times in the regular season. If they have the same success against Lee in the post-season it will be a short series for the Rays and bad news for the Rangers.

ADVANTAGE: Rangers. It’s hard to believe that Cliff Lee won’t come up big. He’s fearless and won’t let the 3 losses bother him. He’ll be ready to play.

BULLPEN
Both of these teams boast pretty good bullpens. The Rangers as a staff ranked 6th in Batting Average Against while the Ray ranked 3rd. The Rays had 51 saves this year while the Rangers had 46. This stat might be a little skewed because the Rangers scored so many runs but that doesn’t mean that the Rays don’t have one of the best closers in the Business. Soriano has the postseason experience needed in this series.

ADVANTAGE: Rays. There is no substitute for a staff that has been there before. That could be the big difference in the whole series.

PREDICTION: Rays in 5. This will go down to the wire but the Rays have too much experience to lose this series.

Reds vs. Phillies: Playoff Preview

Over confidence is a problem in the playoffs. If you look past a team and onto the next series then you could end up watching the rest of the playoffs from home. There doesn’t appear to be a more lopsided matchup in the playoffs than this one. The Phillies have been to the World Series the last two seasons. The Reds are full of young players all looking to avoid the jitters of their first trip to October. From a distance it certainly seems like the Reds have the decks stacked against them but let’s take a closer look.

LINEUP
The Reds certain have a potent lineup led by Joey Votto, the leagues likely MVP winner this season. The Reds are also hoping that Jay Bruce continues his surge. The Phillies might have the most even lineup of any team in the postseason. They have Rollins, Utley, Werth, and Howard. They have an even distribution of speed and power. It’s been enough to get them into the playoffs the last three years. What’s more is they have the experience that means so much in the postseason.

ADVANTAGE: Phillies. Not only are they good but they have been through it before. That matters a lot this time of year.

STARTING PITCHING
The Reds have a solid rotation and one that was undervalued going into the season. They have been the most consistent in the NL Central which is why they were able to stave off the Cardinals. The Phillies were good before they hired Roy Oswalt to be their number 2 starter. They boast what is the best 1,2,3 punch in baseball. If Halliday, Oswalt, and Hamels pitch the way they are capable of there is no way they lose.

ADVANTAGE: Phillies. It’s boys against men when it comes to the starting staffs here. Too many aces. Not enough experience for the Reds.

BULLPEN
These two teams find themselves pretty evenly matched. Chapman gives the Reds a shroud of mystery but that doesn’t mean the kid has what it takes to pitch well in a pressure filled moment. The Phillies on the other hand have a great amount of postseason experience. When Lidge is right he’s the lock down closer and the Phillies will need him to be right.
ADVANTAGE: Phillies. Experience, experience, experience.
PREDICTION: Phillies in 3. Their aces will be too much for the inexperience of the Reds.

Yankees vs. Twins: Series Preview

This would appear, on paper, to be one of the more lopsided matchups in this postseason. Much like the Twins have been the achielles heel to the Chicago White Sox for years, the Yankees have been that to the Minnesota Twins. The Twins have figured everyone else out but the Bronx Bombers. But these aren’t the same Twins of the last few years. They are confident and they are battle tested. Losing your closer, MVP first baseman and various others will put a little resiliency into your team. The question is if their new found confidence is enough to slay the beast that is the New York Yankees.

LINEUP
Neither one of these teams have any trouble scoring runs. The Yankees lineup is a who’s who of sluggers while the Twins may have the best young hitter in the game in Joe Mauer. The Twins are dealing without Justin Morneau and that should hurt them, but with the addition of the Thome and Delmon Young the Twins won’t make it easy on C.C Sabathia and company. The Yankees don’t have a soft spot in their lineup and it’s going to take an ace performance by the Twins to keep the Yankees at bay.

ADVANTAGE: Yankees. There is no one to argue with such good hitters including Derek Jeter who, despite a down year, always comes through when you need him to.

STARTING PITCHING
This is a lot closer than you might think. Sure the Yankees have the best pitcher in the series in C.C Sabathia, they don’t have much else past that. Burnett is not slated to be used in the Divisional Series and Phil Hughes hasn’t been that consistent. The Twins on the other hand don’t have a name that will knock your socks off(and may be the only team playing that doesn’t) but what they have is steady arms who will keep them close. Pavano has been great at times for them this season and Liriano has been pretty steady as well.

ADVANTAGE: Twins. There are a lot less question marks in their rotation than there are in the Yankees. That’s enough to give them the edge.

BULLPEN
There is one name that makes the Yankees bullpen a force: Rivera. He’s been the best closer in baseball forever and with Chamberlain and Wood they have a formidable 7,8, and 9th inning trio that will cause problems for the Twins. Make no mistake though that the Twins have a solid bullpen too. While they lost Joe Nathan, they do have Matt Capps and Jon Rauch and those guys can be really helpful in the 8th and 9th innings. With both teams lacking a really strong rotation it could come down to how effect the bullpen is.

ADVANTAGE: Yankees. It’s close but they have the single best closer in post season history and while he’s struggled in September, it’s doubtful he’ll continue that trend when the lights shine brightest.

SERIES PREDICTION: Yankees in 4. This series will come down to the bullpen and the strength of the starting lineup and the Yankees have the edge in both places. And you have to factor in history. The Twins are great at getting to the post season, not so great at making an impact there.

Season in Review: Kansas City Royals

PRESEASON PREDICTION: 4TH/5TH

REGULAR SEASON OUTCOME: 5TH

SUMMARY: It tough to peg this season for the Royals. Was it a disappointment? What were the expectations? The Royals have been so low for so long it’s hard to think they thought about winning the division. However, coming into the season they had Greinke and Meche leading a young and talented rotation. They acquired resurgent leadoff hitter Scott Podsednik and were aiming to be competitive within the fairly weak AL Central. However, KC turned out to be the same old KC: just a few years away from winning, but with no plan in sight. It’s the same thing that keeps KC cellar dwellers each and every year.

HIGH POINT: As a team KC had no trouble hitting the ball. They ranked third in baseball in team batting average. With a robust .274 they hit better as a team than most of the teams heading into the postseason. Still it wasn’t enough.

LOW POINT: It’s easy to score runs and get on base if you are the Kansas City Royals. It’s far more difficult to get people out. This would explain why they ranked 29th in team ERA with a disappointing 5.04. It’s hard to beat teams when your staff is giving up 5 runs a game on average. Even Greinke didn’t have the season everyone hoped he would.

ONGOING PROGNOSIS: The truth for KC is not a pretty truth. It’s the same truth that affects the Pirates, Marlins, and a host of other teams. They simply don’t have the money to stay relevant for any amount of time. They will have to rely on catching lightning in a bottle. Won’t be easy. There are two ways for them to have sustained success in their division: 1. Beef up their payroll like the Twins, White Sox, and Tigers but they simply can’t afford it. 2. Build a good farm system like the Twins and the Padres. But doing that and doing it for years is hard to do. Minus a fluky season it will be a struggle for Royals until a salary cap is put into place.

Who’s Hot/Who’s Not: Year End Edition

We have finally reached the end of the MLB regular season and many teams will be going home for the winter, again. However, many young rookies have used the final month to showcase their talents. Once the rosters expanded, it gave some players you’ve probably never heard of a chance to get some big league experience and show why they deserve to be in the majors next season. But, it also gave some players a chance to show that they will probably be career minor leaguers. Let’s take a look at some young talented athletes that have had a September to remember and others that will be heading back to the minors. Here are the rookies who were hot in September and the rookies who fizzled to the finish line:

Who’s Hot?
NL Batting
1. Pedro Alvarez (3B) Pirates – .311 AVG, 5 HR, 26 RBI, 15 R, 10 2B, .573 SLG
2. Mike Stanton (OF) Marlins – .316 AVG, 8 HR, 19 RBI, 16 R, .5 2B .612 SLG
3. Logan Morrison (OF) Marlins – .291 AVG, 1 HR, 8 RBI, 22 R, 20 BB, .405 OBP

NL Pitching
1. Daniel Hudson (SP) Diamondbacks – 3-0, 1.50 ERA, 0.81 WHIP, 36 IP, 28 K
2. Madison Bumgarner (SP) Giants – 2-2, 1.13 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 32 IP, 32 K
3. Craig Kimbrel (RP) Braves – 2-0, 1 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.66 WHIP, 10.2 IP, 22 K, 1 HLD

AL Batting
1. Danny Valencia (3B) Twins – .310 AVG, 5 HR, 17 RBI, 12 R, .512 SLG
2. Kila Ka’aihue (1B) Royals – .274 AVG, 6 HR, 18 RBI, 14 R, 12 BB, .548 SLG
3. Austin Jackson (OF) Tigers – .280 AVG, 2 HR, 12 RBI, 19 R, 5 SB, .421 SLG

AL Pitching
1. Brian Matusz (SP) Orioles – 2-0, 1.89 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 19 IP, 17 K
2. Neftali Feliz (RP) Rangers – 1-0, 6 SV, 0.00 ERA, 0.44 WHIP, 11.1 IP, 12 K
3. Chris Sale (RP) White Sox – 2-0, 3 SV, 1.46 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 12.1 IP, 14 K, 1 HLD

Who’s Not?
NL Batting
1. Alcides Escobar (SS) Brewers – 11-72, .153 AVG, 13 K, 1 GDP
2. Roger Bernadina (OF) Nationals – 14-85, .165 AVG, 19 K
3. Rusty Ryal (OF) Diamondbacks – 4-26, .154 AVG, 11 K, 0 RBI, 0 XBH

NL Pitching
1. Esmil Rogers (RP) Rockies – 0-0, 1 BSV, 9.95 ERA, 1.97 WHIP, 12.2 IP, 6 BB, 2 HBP
2. Daniel McCutchen (RP) Pirates – 0-0, 10.03 ERA, 2.14 WHIP, 11.2 IP, 2 BB
3. Barry Enright (SP) Diamondbacks – 1-5, 6.89 ERA, 1.47 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 7 BB

AL Batting (Sorry Seattle fans, it’s just been that kind of year…)
1. Greg Halman (OF) Mariners – 1-21, .048 AVG, 7 K, 0 R
2. Michael Saunders (OF) Mariners – 10-64, .156 AVG, 19 K
3. Matt Tuiasosopo (1B) Mariners – 4-28, .143 AVG, 13 K, 3 GDP

AL Pitching
1. Jeanmar Gomez (SP) Indians – 1-3, 7.78 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, 19.2 IP, 10 BB
2. Jeff Manship (RP) Twins – 1-1, 10.45 ERA, 1.94 WHIP, 10.1 IP, 2 BB
2. Kyle Drabek (SP) Blue Jays – 0-3, 4.76 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 17 IP, 5 BB, 2 WP

Next Page »