The 2019 Major League Baseball Player Chatter, News and Fantasy Thread.

[stevenash]

Braves such a surprise this year, never thought they would run away with that division.

Even without Harper the Nationals should have won that division with the better pitching.

Braves kids are starting to prove they are ready for prime time.
Acuna is proving he's going to be a star center fielder, and Albies the same at 2B.
Swanson is fine at SS, wonder kid Soroka could be not just a team ace but a true ace.
Teheran and the pick up of Keuchel fill out a pretty decent rotation,

Signing of Josh Donaldson at 3B was a terrific pick up and fellow corner man Freddie Freeman at 1B is solid.
The 12 million singles hitter that is Nick Markakis is always steady too, McCann as a part time catcher is a born clubhouse leader.
They have had a lot of timely hits this season and are very good at situational hitting.

Braves relief corp is not very good, has more holes than Swiss cheese and will be their down fall.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Even without Harper the Nationals should have won that division with the better pitching.

Braves kids are starting to prove they are ready for prime time.
Acuna is proving he's going to be a star center fielder, and Albies the same at 2B.
Swanson is fine at SS, wonder kid Soroka could be not just a team ace but a true ace.
Teheran and the pick up of Keuchel fill out a pretty decent rotation,

Signing of Josh Donaldson at 3B was a terrific pick up and fellow corner man Freddie Freeman at 1B is solid.
The 12 million singles hitter that is Nick Markakis is always steady too, McCann as a part time catcher is a born clubhouse leader.
They have had a lot of timely hits this season and are very good at situational hitting.

Braves relief corp is not very good, has more holes than Swiss cheese and will be their down fall.

solid? I'll argue that Freeman is the most underrated player in baseball and on a HOF trajectory. He hits .300 every year with 30+ homers, 100+ rbi and a .400 OBP.

[Cross]

Braves starting rotation maybe the biggest surprise. Everyone knew that lineup would be good.

[stevenash]

^@ my man Jake
Nothing wrong with solid. lol

Hey, I'm a big time Freeman fan, almost in Votto's class, and if argued he's in Votto's class I'd listen.

[Chi_archie]

• Nationals ace Max Scherzer is eligible to come off the injured list Monday, though that’s unlikely to happen, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Back troubles have limited Scherzer to one start since July 6, but he is making progress in his recovery. The three-time Cy Young winner began a throwing program Friday, tossing 25 balls at 70 feet on flat ground.
• One of Scherzer’s new Nationals teammates, just-acquired reliever Roenis Elias, suffered a right leg injury running down the first base line Friday, as Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post was among those to cover. “He was told not to swing, about as many times as I could tell him in Spanish and English,” manager David Martinez stated. “But he’s competitive, you know? He said sorry to me.” While Elias suggested it’s not a serious ailment, he’s unsure if he suffered a hamstring pull or just a cramp. The Nationals will re-evaluate him Saturday. In better news, the left-hander did contribute to the Nationals’ victory over the Diamondbacks where he’s supposed to – on the mound – as he retired both batters he faced.
• This has been an injury-ravaged year for Blue Jays left-hander Ryan Borucki, whom elbow issues prevented from making his 2019 debut until July 22. Borucki’s season is only two starts old, but he’s already back on the IL with elbow inflammation. The Blue Jays now plan to consult with famed orthopedist Dr. James Andrews in regards to Borucki, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet writes. Andrews performed Tommy John surgery on Borucki in 2013, and the hurler required another procedure to remove bone spurs from the joint in 2015. The 25-year-old’s latest injury has stopped him from building on a solid 2018 in which he pitched to a 3.87 ERA/3.80 FIP in his 17-start, 97 2/3-inning major league debut.
• The Mets had been considering using shortstop Amed Rosario in center field, but that’s off the table for the time being, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. Rosario will stick at short because his recent performance at the position has encouraged the club, manager Mickey Callaway said Friday. Fielding metrics haven’t liked Rosario dating back to last year, his first full campaign in the majors, as the former top prospect has combined for minus-31 Defensive Runs Saved (minus-15 in 2019) and a minus-11.2 Ultimate Zone Rating (minus-6.0 this season). The 23-year-old Rosario has at least upped his offensive production this season, though, having hit a respectable .276/.316/.438 (99 wRC+) with 11 home runs and 12 steals (18 attempts) in 432 plate appearances.

how will sherzer look

[Stallion]

Freeman is a solid player. No media attention.

[koz-man]

Cubs' Hamels, out for July, starts vs. Brewers

The Chicago Cubs have activated left-hander Cole Hamels off the 10-day injured list to start Saturday's home game against the Milwaukee Brewers.
Hamels was placed on the IL on June 29 with a left oblique strain suffered against the Cincinnati Reds the previous day.
The 35-year-old is 6-3 this season with a 2.98 ERA in 99 2/3 innings. He has 97 strikeouts and 35 walks over 17 starts.
Hamels made two minor league rehab starts at Triple-A Iowa in preparation for his return, pitching a combined 5 1/3 innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits and six walks with six strikeouts.
In a corresponding move, right-hander Brad Brach was designated for assignment. Brach, 33, was 4-3 with a 6.13 ERA in 42 relief appearances this year.

[batt33]

Dropped the hammer .

Doesn't seem that harsh

[JMobile]

Gingergaard roughed up by Padres in MLB debut

Buehler will get them back on track.

[BigSpoon]

Former Jays Aaron Sanchez and Joe Biagini helped the Astros no-hit the Mariners. Meanwhile the player they were traded for had to leave the game because he got hit in the face on a botched catch in the outfield.

[jrgum3]

Its fun watching the Giants try to make the postseason. Those are words as a fan I thought I wouldn't be saying this season but they haven't given up and thats nice to see. Unfortunately, the teams in front of them are all very good and I just can't see them pulling it off. I'd argue that if Bochy found a way to sneak into the postseason this year it would be his most impressive managing job with the Giants because this roster at first glance shouldn't be in the Wild Card conversation...

[EmpireMaker]

• It’s been a season to forget for Cardinals infielder Matt Carpenter, who, before being placed on the IL with a foot contusion on July 16th, was scuffling to the worst batting line of his accomplished career. Good news tonight, though, from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who reports that Carpenter will rejoin his teammates on Saturday night in advance of a possible Sunday activation. Carpenter has some work to do in the season’s remaining months if he wants to end up with a more characteristic batting line–his .215/.321/.372 slash and 86 wRC+ are a far cry from the production Cardinal nation has become accustomed to over the years (129 career wRC+).
• As Jordan Bastian of MLB.com points out, the Cubs might have erred in trading defensive backstop extraordinaire Martin Maldonado in a deadline deal–with the hamstring injury endured by starter Willson Contreras on Saturday, Chicago’s catching depth is likely about to be tested. Contreras grabbed his right leg while running out a fly ball in the seventh inning, but manager Joe Maddon was unwilling to place a firm prognosis on the injury. “I really don’t know at this point,” said the manager. “We’ll just wait and see how it plays out.” While Contreras is scheduled for an MRI on Monday, the club will look to Victor Caratini to man the dish in his absence. The call-up of Triple-A Iowa’s Taylor Davis is a definite possibility in the event of an eventual injured list placement.
• Early in the day, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reported that Angels shortstop Andrelton Simmons was a scratch from Saturday’s game due to “left foot soreness”. Fletcher later relayed that Simmons injured his foot in the batting cage before Saturday’s loss to the Indians and that an MRI was set to follow. Any extended loss of the defensively stingy Simmons would obviously be a blow to the beleaguered Los Angeles club, who turned to David Fletcher to man short in today’s action. Simmons had been hitting .274/.315/.382 on the year while turning in typically strong defensive marks.

[dudekid]

Astros have their latest success story in Aaron Sanchez?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Cubs Contreras pulled a hammy yesterday, they might miss playoffs.

[Chi_archie]

Cubs Contreras pulled a hammy yesterday, they might miss playoffs.

Devastating

[batt33]

Its fun watching the Giants try to make the postseason. Those are words as a fan I thought I wouldn't be saying this season but they haven't given up and thats nice to see. Unfortunately, the teams in front of them are all very good and I just can't see them pulling it off. I'd argue that if Bochy found a way to sneak into the postseason this year it would be his most impressive managing job with the Giants because this roster at first glance shouldn't be in the Wild Card conversation...

Even longshots come in!

[stevenash]

^
Right now SF has a 4 percent chance of making the playoffs as a Wild Card.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

[JAKEPEAVY21]

^^

just how dominant has Kirby Yates been this season? No pitcher in MLB history has ever had a sub 1.00 ERA and FIP but he has a shot and he is in some fine company up to this point of the season.

[koz-man]

Twins' Cruz hits 3 HRs for second time in 10 days

MINNEAPOLIS -- Nelson Cruz is hardly slowing down. If anything, he's heating up.
The 39-year-old Minnesota slugger extended his recent tear Saturday night, hitting three home runs in a game for the second time in 10 days and powering the American League Central-leading Twins to an 11-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
A day after he homered, doubled twice and drove in five runs, Cruz again had five RBIs.
"I think my approach is the right one," Cruz said. "My body feels good, and I have the right approach."
Cruz hit a two-run homer in the first inning, a solo drive in the second and a two-run shot in the sixth. He didn't get a chance at a record-tying fourth home run -- he was left on deck when Jorge Polanco grounded out to end the eighth.
Cruz has 11 homers and 23 RBIs in his past nine starts.

[Stallion]

The Jays management is a complete joke. They need to fire Shapiro and Atkins.

[stevenash]

^^

just how dominant has Kirby Yates been this season? No pitcher in MLB history has ever had a sub 1.00 ERA and FIP but he has a shot and he is in some fine company up to this point of the season.

His WH/IP since joining the Pads has been stellar.
Like I have mentioned, SD has some very nice pieces, the additions of Hosmer and Machado was great.
Wild Card nextt year?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

His WH/IP since joining the Pads has been stellar.
Like I have mentioned, SD has some very nice pieces, the additions of Hosmer and Machado was great.
Wild Card nextt year?

he learned the split finger fastball a couple of years ago and he has gone from one of the worst pitchers in MLB to one of the most dominant.

yes, I have high hopes for the coming years you can see the talent if you watch them but they are also learning on the job and wildly inconsistent. I expect improvement from most of the young players next year and the Padres brass needs to make a couple of trades in the offseason and figure out which prospects they can part with. Initially, I did not like the Franmil Reyes trade but after thinking about it for awhile he had a lot of flaws especially defensively. They need a #1 starter that can also mentor the rest of the young pitchers. There are more waves of talent coming as well, look out for Mackenzie Gore and Luis Patino both could be really good starting pitchers.

[stevenash]

^
How about those Amarillo Sod Poodles?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

^
How about those Amarillo Sod Poodles?

as you know, the entire farm system is very strong..still ranked #1 AFTER Tatis, Paddack, Naylor and a few others have graduated to the majors and are off the prospect rankings.

As I mentioned earlier, the 2 big gun pitchers that I'm waiting for next year are Gore and Patino.

[BigSpoon]

His WH/IP since joining the Pads has been stellar.
Like I have mentioned, SD has some very nice pieces, the additions of Hosmer and Machado was great.
Wild Card nextt year?

Hosmer was a weird signing, is he even a top 10 1B in the NL?

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Hosmer was a weird signing, is he even a top 10 1B in the NL?

He was signed more for his leadership, clubhouse presence and mentoring the youngsters. He had an awful year last year. This year he is much better and currently 15th in the NL in rbis. He is a good complimentary player when other good players surround him. If he is the main guy like he was last year, it won't end well.

[JaimeMiro]

Dodgers already are a scary team. Just need to work on that bullpen and they win it all

[JAKEPEAVY21]

Dodgers already are a scary team. Just need to work on that bullpen and they win it all

Astros will own them yet again.

Not sure how you expect them to work on their bullpen? They can;t trade for anyone and what they have aint gonna cut it.

[stevenash]

Dodgers already are a scary team. Just need to work on that bullpen and they win it all

Team	W	L	SV	G	IP	K/9	BB/9	HR/9	BABIP	LOB%	GB%	HR/FB	ERA	FIP	xFIP	WAR
Yankees	32	12	38	357	434.1	9.9	3.58	1.18	0.299	75.40%	45.90%	14.30%	3.85	4.02	4.12	5.8
Athletics	19	19	26	378	401.1	8.93	3.63	1.01	0.292	74.10%	36.20%	9.70%	3.99	4.03	4.85	4.7
Indians	22	10	30	354	347.1	9.17	2.88	1.09	0.291	78.70%	40.10%	11.10%	3.32	3.87	4.43	4.3
Twins	20	16	31	342	370.2	9.45	3.3	1.21	0.316	70.40%	39.80%	13.20%	4.47	4.15	4.41	4.2
Rays	31	26	30	392	518	9.09	3.25	1.18	0.285	75.20%	44.60%	13.60%	3.87	4.12	4.3	3.6
Giants	29	11	30	374	422.2	9.2	3	1.06	0.288	75.10%	46.10%	13.20%	3.75	3.88	4.11	3.4
Cardinals	24	14	34	358	383	10.1	3.57	1.15	0.269	74.60%	40.20%	13.60%	3.83	3.98	4.16	3.3
Red Sox	22	16	21	399	428.1	10.69	4.24	1.22	0.314	71.90%	42.50%	13.90%	4.52	4.19	4.34	3.2
Astros	22	11	28	327	375.2	9.65	3.31	1.37	0.269	75.40%	44.10%	16.20%	3.79	4.21	4.08	3.1
Brewers	26	24	31	378	452.1	10.11	3.88	1.27	0.291	70.60%	44.40%	16.00%	4.56	4.22	4.11	3
Padres	22	19	37	356	413.2	9.99	2.89	1.33	0.316	70.60%	45.20%	15.90%	4.57	4.03	3.93	2.8
Angels	34	19	25	384	524.2	9.28	3.72	1.44	0.299	74.00%	40.80%	14.80%	4.58	4.61	4.66	2.4
Reds	19	24	30	369	371.1	9.69	3.95	1.28	0.285	73.30%	44.20%	16.60%	4.27	4.32	4.16	2.3
Dodgers	28	18	30	344	352.1	9.17	3.22	1.23	0.27	68.40%	43.70%	13.80%	4.11	4.25	4.41	2
Rangers	22	18	24	330	420.1	8.71	3.92	1.48	0.303	71.80%	42.60%	15.90%	4.8	4.87	4.77	1.9
Blue Jays	26	18	20	381	468	9.44	3.79	1.46	0.294	78.10%	42.10%	15.50%	4.19	4.62	4.57	1.7
Diamondbacks	15	20	25	351	392.1	8.76	3.67	1.22	0.294	72.10%	45.90%	14.80%	4.52	4.41	4.45	1.7
Royals	12	24	25	336	380	8.5	4.17	1.09	0.324	72.00%	45.20%	12.40%	4.76	4.49	4.83	1.6
White Sox	17	15	23	360	376	8.11	4.09	1.22	0.284	72.70%	47.40%	13.90%	4.26	4.68	4.83	1.5
Rockies	18	19	20	381	395	8.32	3.76	1.39	0.303	69.80%	44.10%	14.60%	5.04	4.77	4.84	1.4
Pirates	22	23	23	357	420.2	9.52	4.15	1.41	0.306	72.30%	43.40%	15.00%	4.77	4.7	4.72	0.8
Nationals	15	25	28	362	333.1	9.15	4.21	1.43	0.323	65.00%	40.00%	13.60%	6.1	4.87	5.1	0.7
Cubs	23	20	27	373	361.2	8.68	4.23	1.19	0.287	75.10%	48.50%	16.30%	4.16	4.57	4.45	0.5
Tigers	17	23	22	384	402	8.15	3.96	1.63	0.29	70.20%	44.20%	16.70%	4.93	5.21	4.98	0.1
Phillies	21	16	27	366	383.2	9.31	3.75	1.67	0.309	75.40%	41.30%	18.00%	4.64	4.95	4.57	0
Orioles	13	19	22	343	444	8.7	4.18	1.82	0.306	67.90%	42.90%	18.70%	5.96	5.54	5.04	-0.2
Mariners	17	22	23	355	453.1	8.76	4.21	1.61	0.282	68.80%	43.60%	17.50%	4.96	5.11	4.8	-0.2
Marlins	13	20	21	341	366	9.42	4.03	1.38	0.297	73.70%	37.60%	13.50%	4.62	4.65	4.89	-0.3
Braves	29	13	30	389	403.1	9.28	4.4	1.41	0.292	75.10%	42.30%	15.20%	4.13	4.78	4.77	-0.7
Mets	20	23	27	334	361.2	9.23	4.33	1.47	0.316	71.70%	40.60%	14.50%	5.23	4.97	5.06	-0.8

[stevenash]

Hosmer was a weird signing, is he even a top 10 1B in the NL?

And he's a very good glove man.
I was shocked to learn who is the number one ranked defensive 1B this year so far?
Any guesses? (without looking it up)

[Cross]

Contreras, what a bummer. He is best catcher in MLB.

[stevenash]

^
Matt Olsen is the top ranked defensive 1B so far this season.

[JAKEPEAVY21]

^
Matt Olsen is the top ranked defensive 1B so far this season.

interesting, knew is was not Hosmer...he has underwhelmed me this year on defense, has dropped numerous routine throws in the air right to him...baffling really.

[stevenash]

Holy Mother of God.
McNeil just went yard to put the fancy Metropolitans up 13-0.

13 runs on 16 hits (8 extra base hits) through six innings and change.
Poor Cano, having a career game and pulls up lame rounding first trying to leg out his third double.

Hey Noah, STFU about not getting run support now.