2020 MLB Playoffs Prediction

Earlier in the year I did not think we were actually going to make it here but somehow we did. It’s time for the baseball playoffs. So let’s do some predictions. 

NL Wildcard Round

Dodgers over Brewers

Reds over Braves

Cubs over Marlins

Padres over Cardinals

AL Wildcard Round

Rays over Blue Jays

White Sox over Athletics 

Twins over Astros

Indians over Yankees

NLDS

Dodgers over Padres

Reds over Cubs

ALDS

Rays over Indians

White Sox over Twins

NLCS

Dodgers over Reds

MVP: Betts

ALCS

White Sox over Rays

MVP: Giolito

World Series

White Sox over Dodgers

MVP: Dallas Keuchel

Baseball Player/Pokémon Mashup

I have a wide range of interests and this is one of the weird things that happens in my mind sometimes. Enjoy. 

1. Logan Forscyther 

                       Logan Forsythe + Scyther

2.  Yasmani Granbull

   

                   Yasmani Grandal + Granbull

3. Seung-Hwan Ho-Oh

               Seung-Hwan Oh + Ho-Oh

4.  Paul Golduck

       Paul Goldschmidt + Golduck

5.  Luke Weavile

                  Luke Weaver + Weavile

6. Jacob deSnom

                      Jacob deGrom + Snom

7.  Starly Marte

                         Starling Marte + Starly

8.  Delino DeShieldon Jr.  

          Delino DeShields Jr. + Shieldon

9.  Indeedee Gregorius

      Didi Gregorius + Indeedee

10.  Joey Gallade

                         Joey Gallo + Gallade

11.  Aron Judge

                    Aaron Judge + Aron

12.  Tommy Donpham

                    Tommy Pham + Donphan

13. Johan Macargo

              Johan Camargo + Macargo 

14.  Shin-Soo Pikachu

                 Shin-Soo Choo + Pikachu

15. Victor Caratini

                  Victor Caratini + Victini

2020 Cardinals Predictions

You know I had to do some Cardinals predictions, so let’s get to it.

1.  Kolten Wong and Yadier Molina win Gold Gloves
Wong had a breakout year last year and is the frontrunner again this season.  Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I don’t see why he shouldn’t repeat. Molina has been one of the best defensive catchers of all time. Yadi isn’t in his prime anymore, but in a 60 game sprint to the finish season, he won’t have to worry about getting worn down. This could be just the ticket for one last Yadi Gold Glove.

2.  The Cardinals will win the Central. 
I touched on this in my standings predictions, but I can go into more depth now. The Cardinals are set  up great for this season. Inevitably there will be times when players go out with Covid. When that happens the Cardinals have such a deep roster, they will be able to replace them with MLB ready players. There are pitchers in the bullpen that would be in most other rotations and hitter that didn’t make the team who would be on many other benches . I think a lack of depth will catch up with other teams. Also with a schedule consisting of the NL and AL Central, a third of their games will be against Pittsburgh, Kansas City and Detroit, who should be very bad this year and allow the Cardinals to rack up some wins. I predict a finish of 35-25.

3. Jack Flaherty wins the Cy Young. 
Flaherty had an unreal second half last season.  Legitimately one of the best in history.  He has turned the corner and there is no reason for this not to continue. Flaherty finished 4th last season.  Reigning winner Jacob deGrom has been dealing with a back issue.  He’s ready to start the season but I’m interested to see if this pops up again. Hyun-Jin Ryu finished 2nd but he is in the American League now. Max Scherzer finished 3rd but was just a few points ahead of Flaherty. (And I personally think Flaherty had the better season). Flaherty is only going to get better and I think this is his year.

4. Kwang-hyun Kim wins Rookie of the Year
This is perhaps my favorite prediction.  Rookie of the Year is always have so hard to predict.  Many rookies don’t play well their first season. Many rookies don’t have the opportunity or playing time needed. Kim is a dark horse candidate. The front runner going into the season is the Dodgers’ Gavin Lux. However, he isn’t starting the year in the majors. Granted I expect him to be called up in about a week after his service time manipulation is done. He could still come up and be great but I’m playing a hunch on Kim. Foreign professionals are still considered rookies and with Kim announced to start the year as the Cardinals closer, he will have the opportunity to make a big impact from the outset of the season.

5. Paul DeJong finished top 10 in the MVP
Paul DeJong is an underrated player.  He got off to a blazing hot start last year but got hardly any games off over the course of the season and that wore him down.  He has some of the most power from the shortstop position and is a very underrated defender. (He was a gold glove finalist last year).  I think this is the year he puts it all together. I almost had him as my dark horse MVP winner but my awards predictions were starting to get a little too Cardinals-centric. But expect DeJong to have an exceptional season.

2020 MLB Awards Predictions

Predicting awards is one of my favorite things about the baseball season but that is especially difficult this season. It doesn’t take a superstar to have an unreal 2 month stretch. So I would not be surprised if some of the winners come out of absolutely nowhere. But nevertheless, here we go. 

AL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Luis Robert

Robert is one of the most talented rookies this year, should have playing time from opening day and could run away with it this year. 

NL Rookie of the Year

Winner: Kwang-hyun Kim

This is an outside-the-box take here, which is often what ROTY ends up being.  Playing time is always a key to this award. Top rookies often don’t start the season on the team due to service time manipulation, which could be even more prevalent in a 60 game season. Kim is set start the year as the Cardinals closer and could easily get the opportunity he needs for this. 

AL Cy Young

Winner: Shane Bieber

Bieber was 4th in Cy Young last year, among the league leader in strikeouts and is following the trend of elite Indians starters.  

Dark Horse: Jose Berrios

I’ve been high on Berrios for a while now. He’s been an All-Star the past 2 years and I wouldn’t be surprised to see him take that next leap. 

NL Cy Young

Winner: Jack Flaherty

Flaherty was the most dominant pitcher in the 2nd half of last year and I fully expect that to continue this year as well. 

Dark Horse: Carlos Martinez

After a season and a half of injury and recovery as a reliever, Martinez is back in the Cardinals rotation. He was an All-Star in his last full season and when healthy has some of the best stuff in the league. 

AL MVP

Winner: Mike Trout

It’s Mike Trout. 

Dark Horse: Yoan Moncada

Moncada is an electric player and if the White Sox take the next step like I expect them to this year, he will be at the forefront of their surge.

NL MVP

Winner: Mookie Betts

Betts is a perennial MVP candidate. He will be part of a loaded Dodgers lineup and they should run away with the league. Everything is pointed in a good direction for him this year.

Dark Horse: Eugenio Suarez

This is the same logic as Moncada. Suarez had a breakout season last year and if the Reds make a run, he will be leading the charge. 

And there we go. That’s my best guess as to how the awards will go this year. But who really knows? Anyway, let me know what you think!

2020 MLB Standings Prediction

This baseball season is going to be interesting. I like these predictions but I could be completely wrong. Even a bad team can have a good two week stretch and in a 60 game season that can make all the difference. Also if a team has a COVID outbreak and a few key players miss time, that will have a major impact. So who knows? Anyway, here we go.

NL Central

St. Louis Cardinals

Cincinnati Reds

Milwaukee Brewers

Chicago Cubs

Pittsburgh Pirates 

The Cardinals won the division last year and have some of the best depth in the league, which will be crucial this year. The Reds made a lot of improvements in the offseason and I think they are poised to make a jump. Conversely, the Brewers lost a few pieces and I see them taking a step back. The Cubs have some high end talent but a lack of depth which I think catches up to them this year. And the Pirates are also in this division.

NL East

Atlanta Braves 

Philadelphia Phillies

Washington Nationals-WC*

New York Mets

Miami Marlins

The Braves have a very talented, young roster and should be able to win the division again. The Phillies have added a lot of talent the past couple years and should be very good this year. The Nationals have an elite rotation and some very good players in the lineups but also a few question marks. I see them being neck and neck with the Phillies but could easily do better than that. It all depends on how much their rotation carries them. The Mets have some very talented players, including the best pitcher in baseball. The could be a problem but I don’t see them quite at the level of the teams ahead of them. The Marlins are accumulating some good, young talent but they aren’t there yet.

NL West 

Los Angeles Dodgers

Arizona Diamondbacks

San Diego Padres-WC*

Colorado Rockies

San Francisco Giants

The Dodgers have the best roster in the league and should win the division easily. Granted they do sometimes get off to a slow start so maybe that is a factor but I doubt it. The Diamondbacks have a very solid team. Bumgarner acing the staff now could be big. The Padres have been building up their roster the past few years and I see them making a jump this year challenging for 2nd place with the Diamondbacks. The Rockies and Giants are both needing to rebuild. Colorado has a little more high end talent putting them a little ahead of San Fran.

AL Central

Minnesota Twins

Cleveland Indians

Chicago White Sox-WC*

Kansas City Royals

Detroit Tigers

Minnesota has the most powerful lineup in the league and a couple pretty solid, could-be-great starters. I see it as their division to lose. The Indians have a few Cy Young caliber pitchers in the rotation but their lineup has lost a few pieces the past couple years and they have the looming question of when they trade Lindor. The White Sox are loaded with young talent and added a couple really good players in the offseason. I wouldn’t be surprised if they won the division but it comes down to how quickly their young talent has developed. Last year they were a distant 3rd. Conservatively I see them closing that gap and being neck and neck with Cleveland. The Royals have a couple very talented players but are still in the midst of a rebuild. It will be interesting to see how Mike Matheny manages a young, rebuilding team for a change. And the Tigers are bad.

AL East

Tampa Bay Rays

New York Yankees

Toronto Blue Jays

Boston Red Sox

Baltimore Orioles

The Rays have a very solid overall team with a lot of depth. Obviously I could see the Yankees winning the division but I think this could be one of the things in sports that doesn’t play out quite like it should. The Blue Jays are similar to the White Sox in that they are full of young talent and I think it starts to come together this year. But the top of this division is higher caliber than the Central and will be more difficult to crack. The Red Sox were average last year, then traded away Mookie Betts and David Price, as well as losing ace Chris Sale to Tommy John surgery. It’s going to be a disappointing season for them. And the Orioles are bad.

AL West

Oakland Athletics 

Houston Astros

Los Angeles Angels-WC*

Texas Rangers

Seattle Mariners

This division is the toughest to figure out. I could see any of the top 4 teams winning in a shortened season. The Astros have been perennial front runners but like the Rays, I just see the Athletics pulling it out. The Angels have a very deep, talented lineup but their rotation is a little lackluster. New manager Joe Maddon has historically done a good job of getting the best out of his teams so they could make a run at it. The Rangers were better than expected last year and if newly acquired Corey Kluber can pitch like his old self, they could be surprising as well. Finally, I’m not sure how bad the Mariners really are but in a season playing the two west divisions, I don’t see it going well for them.

Ultimately, I’ll go with the Braves over the Yankees in the World Series.

*Update. After I posted this, MLB announced expanded playoffs. It will be the top 2 teams in each division and then the next two best records in each league. My predictions have been updated to reflect this, with WC designating the last two teams in each league.

Well there we have it. This season could be a crap shoot but I’m just happy to have baseball back. Let me know what you think!

How Should the Astros Be Punished?

By now we’ve all heard about the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. They used video and computer algorithms to steal opposing pitchers signs in game and then relayed them to the batter via banging of a trash can in the hallway to the clubhouse (and maybe buzzers on the batter’s person, we don’t know for sure).  GM Jeff Lunhow and manager AJ Hinch were suspended for a year. Alex Cora and Carlos Beltran were relieved of their managerial duties with the Red Sox and Mets respectively (Cora has been the Astros bench coach and Beltran a player who masterminded the scheme).  However no active players were punished.  And that has a lot of fans and some opposing players upset. Should Astros players be punished? It sounds good, in theory. But how would it practically work out?

Suspending the players on the Astros would be simple enough. There might be some pushback from the players union but with as many players are upset with the Astros I think I would happen.  But there are separate issues with suspending players from those Astros teams.  What do you do with minor league players who came up for a couple games and might not have had anything to do with it?  What do you do with players who are now are on other teams?  

Is it fair to those teams to suspend a player for something they did with another team?  Do players who retired just not face any punishment?  I feel like there are too many complicated issues with suspending the players. 

Another option many people have suggested is to void the Astros 2017 World Series Championship.  Take it out of the record books. Make the Astros take down their World Series banner and remove the trophy from their trophy case. Have no winner for that year. There is no way to tell who would have won it. Could have been the runner up Dodgers. Could have been the Yankees who lost the ALCS to Houston. Could have been another team. Maybe Houston would still have been good enough on their own merit to win. There is simply no way to tell. This is the punishment I think fits the best. It punishes all players equally. Winning the World Series is why players play the game and now they officially haven’t. 

How do you think Houston should be punished?  Is what they’ve done enough?  Should something harsher be done?  Let me know. 

New MLB Rules for 2020 Season

The following rules will be in place staring in the upcoming 2020 MLB season.

3 Batter Minimum

All pitchers (starters and relievers) will be required to pitch to a minimum of 3 batters unless they record the last out of an inning or suffer and injury. 

26 Player Roster 

The active roster will increase from 25 to 26 players. This includes a limitation of 13 pitchers. (Games witch would have previously allowed for 26 players, for e.g., double headers, will allow for 27 players, with a 14th pitcher being allowed).  

September Rosters 

September rosters will be limited to a mandatory 28 players, from a previously optional up to 40 players. These rosters will allow for 14 pitchers. 

Two Way Players

Players who have accrued at least 20 innings pitched and 20 games started as a position player/DH with at least 3 plate appearances per start in the current or previous season (for 2020 season only previous 2 seasons will be counted) can be listed as a “two-way player” and will not count toward number of pitchers on team. 

Position Players Pitching

Position players will only be allowed to pitch in games following the 9th inning or if their team is ahead or behind 6 runs. 

Injured List and Option Period for Pitchers

Pitchers and two-way players can not be reinstated from the injured list or called back up from the minors until 15 days have elapsed, increasing from 10 days 

Challenge Time Reduction

Managers will have 20 seconds to challenge a play, down from 30. 

Here are my thoughts on these rules. 

I actually like the 3 batter minimum. This is a controversial opinion. One of the main reasons for this rule is the speed up the game and I agree with most people that this is a dumb way to do that. Cutting down ad time is a much better way to accomplish this. But I think the effect this rule will have on the game is good. It will cut down on one dimensional pitchers and will force them to adapt and be more skillful, which I think makes for a more interesting game. 

I don’t have too strong of an opinion on the 26 man roster. Overall I like it. 30 extra MLB jobs is good and gives teams a little more flexibility.  And I like that the number of pitchers is limited. Again a ton of relievers at the end of the game just gets uninteresting after a while. 

The limitation of September rosters to 28 very good. Pennant chase games should not be played with vastly different rules than the rest of the games. This keeps the games relatively consistent. 

With the increase in the number of players who can pitch and hit, having a set explanation and rule of what a two way player is and how they fit on the roster is good. 

I don’t see the point in the new position player pitching rule.  The only times they would pitch is in extra innings or if their team was up or down by a lot. It just seems unnecessary. 

So these are the new MLB rules this season.  Let me know what you all think about them!

Why the XFL Will Succeed

The XFL begins today. The current rendition of the professional football league kicks off its 10-game season. I am very excited about it. It’s nice to have professional football back in St. Louis. Go Battlehawks! But the big question about this league is how much of a chance does it have in succeeding?  Here are a few reasons why I think it has a good shot. 

First the XFL has already failed once. The XFL was originally in existence for 1 season back in 2001 It folded after that year after viewership went down.  It was the Xtreme Football League, created by WWF owner Vince McMahon. The main issue the first time around was it was too gimmicky.  It tried to be more violent, exciting, players wore nicknames on the back of their uniforms (He Hate Me). This time around the league can learn from the mistakes it made last time. It knows what worked and what didn’t work. 

Speaking of leagues that failed, last year the Alliance of American Football (AAF) folded after 8 weeks of its 10 week season.  The league had issues with sponsors and ran out of money.  The XFL shouldn’t have that issue. Vince McMahon is a successful, proven businessman and has reportedly put up enough money to fund the league for 3 years. That should give the league enough time to get established, iron out kinks and hopefully gain a solid following.  

Another reason I believe the AAF failed was its poor marketing. A big issue was it did not secure good tv deals. Most of the games were on CBS Sports Network and the Bleacher Report app. Seriously, the Bleacher Report app. The XFL secured much more accessible and popular tv channels to air their games: ESPN, ABC, and various FOX affiliates. The much more reliable tv deals should allow for much higher visibility and commercial success. 

I’m excited to see how this season goes. The XFL has a lot of good things going in it’s favor which should lead to some success. My hope is that it is able to get settle, established and find its place in sports culture. But for now, I’m just going to enjoy football in STL again.