The Big Orange Juice is Starting to Look Half Full

The Big Orange Juice is Starting to Look Half Full

 

 

Being a Houston Astros fan the last few years had been a practice in futility for the present and an unbearable practice of patience for the future. As the old saying goes though, “it’s always darkest before the dawn.” Well if you look close enough out in left field just above the train you’ll see the sun starting to rise and dawn starting to break. 

We’ve heard all the names: Springer, Singleton, Correa, Appel, DeShields Jr. but now we’re starting to see the faces on the Major League level. First up was George Springer, the right fielder and arguably best player in the system. Springer came up and didn’t perform well out of the gate but he turned things around and won himself the AL Rookie of the Month Award for May. He hit .294 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI, showing the Houston faithful what they could come to expect for the future. Then came Jon Singleton. Singleton became the first player in history without any Major League service time to sign an extension. He was called up to the Big Leagues the next day amid scrutiny over the deal. Many people feel that Singleton hurt his future earnings by banking on himself now and allowing an unprecedented three team options to be part of the deal. Truth be told it should matter to no one other than Singleton and his family what kind of deal he signs so if they’re comfortable with it we should be too. Singleton had some nerves in his first game last night striking out twice and committing two errors but he also took a 3-1 pitch out deep to right center and got the fans on their feet. After reaching the dugout the cameras picked up on something that hasn’t been seen for a long time in an Astros dugout. Smiles and dancing surrounded Singleton, the biggest one belonging to Springer, and in that instance it showed that this team is starting to believe in themselves and their talents. The future is now.

In addition to Springer and Singleton there are many other instances of this team finally putting things together. There’s All-Star catcher Jason Castro who is not hitting as well as he has in the past but is still getting himself on base. Dexter Fowler who came over in the offseason from Colorado has given the Astros another guy who can get on base and has played some great defense in centerfield, which is no easy task in Houston with Tal’s Hill. Matt Dominguez mans the hot corner with ease and could find his way to a Gold Glove in the future. Lastly on offense there’s Jose Altuve, the smallest guy in baseball who just happens to be 5th in the AL in batting average and 1st in hits. He has been batting leadoff a lot though he is more of a prototypical two hitter but wherever you put him he’s going to hit. On the pitching side of things the bullpen is still a work in progress but Astros starters have pitched very well this year. Scott Feldman has given the rotation a veteran presence and although he’s been up and down thus far can be a good example for the young guys to follow. Speaking of those young guys, Collin McHugh has finally put everything together and pitched to a 2.52 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. There is also Jarred Cosart who is proving that he can be a middle of the rotation/back end starter on a successful major league team. At only 24 years of age he still has some improving to do but he’s showing enough signs that the improvement will come with time. Finally, the hidden gem of the Astros rotation is lefty Dallas Keuchel who leads the team in wins, ERA, and strikeouts. Despite a very short porch in left field at Minute Maid Park, the lefty has pitched extraordinary at home against right handers and should absolutely find himself in Minnesota for the All-Star Game.

The Astros will not contend this season but the future is certainly now. Carlos Correa could see some time at the Big League level when September call ups roll around, Mark Appel will be hitting the Majors around the same time, and Houston is also armed with the number 1 overall pick in the 2014 Amateur Draft. If they can shore up their bench and improve the bullpen this team will rule the AL West for many years to come.

If a Team Out West Makes Noise Does Anyone Hear It?

If a Team Out West Makes Noise Does Anyone Hear It?

 

At this point in the season I shouldn’t have to be breaking news to anyone who follows the game of baseball but just in case I have to, everyone needs to know, the Oakland A’s are good. I’m sorry, scratch that, the Oakland A’s are dominant. Analysts want to concentrate on a division with five mediocre teams all grouped around .500 and call it a competitive race but the A’s just keep wasting away the competition out west.

When looking at this team the first and most important thing that jumps out at you is their run differential. Oakland is +112 in run differential which is staggering enough in itself but when you take into account that number is +61 runs better than the 2^nd place team (San Francisco) it really opens your eyes to just how dominant they have been. When Jarrod Parker and A.J. Griffin went down most thought it spelled doom for Oakland as they were two of their best pitchers. However, Billy Beane being the genius he is was well prepared. First he signed Scott Kazmir coming off his career rejuvenating year, banking on the fact that Kazmir was in fact back to form and bringing him to a pitcher’s park in Oakland would only help improve those stats. Next, Beane looked into his bullpen and saw Jesse Chavez, a four pitch pitcher who could translate well to the rotation, and translate he has. Chavez has been a revelation as a starter. Having Sonny Gray ready to step in the rotation and pitch phenomenally has also helped. I can’t remember a starter who primarily threw two pitches being the dominant force Gray has been. Thanks to this three headed monster, the team’s biggest weakness turned into its biggest strength. Beane did a phenomenal job filling out the rest of the roster as well making Oakland one of, if not the deepest teams in baseball. Finding the right guys at the right price has always been Mr. Moneyball’s biggest strength and he’s showing he hasn’t lost his touch yet.

I would also be remiss if I didn’t mention the most valuable player in the American League not named Cabrera or Trout and that man is Josh Donaldson. Donaldson is the heart and soul of the Oakland A’s and the most underrated player in the game.  He had a coming out party last season and is showing that it was no fluke. When you can package a gold glove level defense together with a smart, patient, power hitter you feel like you’ve hit the lottery. Also, there’s no one in the game with a better hairstyle than Donaldson’s hybrid mullethawk.

As the season goes on Oakland is going to continue to prevail on its way to having home field advantage throughout the American League playoffs. Their depth and rotation will be a huge advantage come playoff time as will their loud, ravenous crowd that makes A’s games as must see as their play does. They just have to hope they get some luck on their side and don’t have to see Justin Verlander.

Did Mariano Rivera Kill the Closer Role?

Did Mariano Rivera Kill the Closer Role?

 

At the end of last season when Mariano Rivera retired from the game of baseball, could anyone have predicted he would possibly retire the closer role as well? This season has seen perhaps the shakiest outings by “closers” in recent memory. Quite a few teams (A’s, Mets, Cubs, and Indians) have already switched closers at least once this season and there are other teams whose closers should be on a short leash (Tampa, Seattle, and Detroit).

There are currently three closers I would feel absolute confidence in to get the job done and shut the door on a game. Those three closers are Craig Kimbrel, Greg Holland, and Huston Street. Three closers out of 30! Granted maybe this could just be a bad year for closers but pitching continues to dominate the game like its 1968 all over again. So how exactly can pitching be so dominant yet closing pitchers be so ineffective?

Despite having three excellent closers still left in the game, it might be time managers and front office personnel shift away from having one specific pitcher to do the job in the 9^th inning. We’ve already seen such an analytical adjustment when it comes to shifts against the offense, lefty specialists in the bullpen, and things of that nature, maybe it’s time we institute the old closer by committee.

Even as a Yankee fan watching Mariano Rivera dominate for his whole career it has always struck me as kind of funny that all the pressure of winning a close game and getting a “save” has fallen on the shoulders of one guy. To designate one guy to be the man who is in charge of finishing the job. Basing a decision on a statistic, which is exactly what a manager is doing when it comes to saves and closer usage always seemed crazy to me. They wouldn’t do the same thing in another game situation so why that one?

As stated before, in the year 2014, with all the changes and advancements that have taken place in the game lets add one more. Eliminate the closer’s role and let your best guys, not guy, get you the victory. There are not and will never be guys who can close like Rivera or Kimbrel. They are the exception not the rule.

Have the Rockies Finally Found Their Third Banana?

Have the Rockies Finally Found Their Third Banana?

 

The story of the Colorado Rockies in recent years has been can Tulowitzki and CarGo stay healthy and can they find a third guy to help with the offensive burden? In 2014 they may have finally found that guy and his name is Nolan Arenado. Since coming up to the Majors Arenado has been neck and neck with Manny Machado as far as defensive proficiency at third base but his offensive prowess had yet to materialize. So far this season he is hitting .304 with 4 home runs and 16 RBI. His power is still developing but the potential is there for many 20 homer seasons. He has grown leaps and bounds as a hitter and is still improving. Being under team control gives the Rockies the promise that the future is just as bright as the present. The Rockies have been one of the bigger surprises of the young season so far thanks in large part to Tulowitzki and CarGo being healthy. They have also gotten tremendous production out of nowhere from Charlie Blackmon in the leadoff spot. He won’t be able to sustain this Human Torch run he’s on but for now the Rockies and their fans are going to enjoy the ride.

The Rockies have done a good job the last few years finding pitchers who may not be household superstar names but their stuff translates well to Coors Field. This season they did it again when they acquired Jordan Lyles from the Astros in the Dexter Fowler trade. Lyles isn’t going to be in contention for All-Star appearances or Cy Young Awards but he is just the type of pitcher who can have success in the thin air of Coors.

Right now the Rockies look like contenders due to the emergence of Blackmon and Arenado and the good health of their superstars but they need to hope those DL trips stay far away. As long as that happens, playoff baseball should be returning to Denver.

Can the Royals Win With a Power Outage?

Can the Royals Win With a Power Outage?

 

The Kansas City Royals have a serious power outage. With 12 home runs as a team on the season they cannot for the life of them hit the ball out of the park. Now granted, hitting a lot of home runs does not necessarily guarantee winning, but it sure does help. If they want to contend not only with the Tigers for the division title but with the rest of the American League for a chance at the World Series they are going to have to solve this power issue.

The Royals have many exceptional contact hitters such as Nori Aoki, Omar Infante, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler, and Alex Gordon. The problem is, especially these days, there are so many defensive shifts that contact hitting is getting more difficult. There needs to be guys in the lineup that can scare the opposition into thinking they could hit it out.

The Royals do play in a more pitcher friendly park so that is going to affect power numbers anyway but if they cannot start hitting home runs with consistency it won’t matter how well they pitch. So far this season their pitching is what has kept them afloat. Losing Ervin Santana should have been a much bigger blow than it’s been but Jason Vargas and Yordano Ventura have come in and shined thus far.

The arms are there for Kansas City to make some noise and their hitters are good enough to break out of the power slump they are in but they need it to happen soon. The AL Central is up for grabs no doubt as Detroit has yet to show any ability to dominate and break away from the pack. The Royals need to be able to make a statement and show they are in this race for the long haul.

The Angels Need Arms In Order to Fly

The Angels Need Arms In Order to Fly

 

 Something just doesn’t add up. It doesn’t seem possible. How can a team that has the best player in baseball and the best player of a generation continuously miss the playoffs? The answer: offense alone doesn’t win games. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are in need of pitching. They were in a dire need for starting pitching which they may be on their way to correcting but their bullpen is atrocious.

Jered Weaver may not be a flame thrower but he is a proven winner who knows how to pitch. C.J. Wilson is a guy I’m not really a fan of personally but he is a capable starter and should be given credit for turning into such a starter after years of relieving. Hector Santiago, Tyler Skaggs, and Garrett Richards have pitched fairly well thus far and could very well be what the rotation was missing. The bullpen is a completely different story.

Ernesto Frieri has already lost his job as closer due to ineffectiveness. His replacement, Joe Smith, is a journeyman reliever who has bounced around his whole career. The rest of the bullpen has trouble throwing strikes and holding leads. If there was ever a year for the Angels to do whatever was necessary to win it’s this season. They could easily be the second best team in the division and the rest of the American League is not exactly lighting the world on fire. They could almost assuredly grab a playoff spot, but they need to overhaul the pen. When you have talents like Mike Trout, who has never tasted the playoffs, and Albert Pujols, the number one objective should be to surround them with the talent it takes to win. The Angels have done a very poor job of that prior to this offseason.

Mike Scioscia has gotten some criticism, some deserved some not so much, but what it comes down to is this. Scioscia excels when he can hit and run, steal bases, play National League style baseball. The team he has right now cannot play to those strengths. That part of the blame goes to management for not getting enough of those types of players. However, Scioscia cannot escape blame either. Great managers adapt to their team, not the other way around. If Mike Scioscia was truly the great manager a lot of people think he is he would do a better job at crafting his decisions to play to the teams strengths. 

If the Angels miss the playoffs again this season there needs to be a complete organizational overhaul.  Anyone not named Pujols, Trout, or Hamilton (and only because of the contract) must go. Being forced to keep Hamilton and his albatross of a deal would mean getting someone who can get through to him to go back to his old approach at the plate. When healthy he’s become too pull happy, too aggressive, and gotten home run-itis. He looks like a completely different player. The new hitting coach has to be able to get through to him but also hold him accountable for his bad mistakes. Failure to institute these changes in the organization will lead Mickey Mouse and the gang to go shopping for Dodger blue.

Thank you for joining us for Day 3 of 30 Days Around the Majors. Come back tomorrow for Day 4 as we will discuss the Kansas City Royals and their ability to contend without hitting home runs. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for our continuing coverage of the national pastime.

The Mets are Closer to Contention than You Think

The Mets are Closer to Contention than You Think

 

 

Growing up in New York City the Mets have always been the little brother and running joke of the city. Even in years they were good they were living in the shadow of the Yankees. The tide is about to turn though because the Mets are poised to overtake the Yankees and not look back. Now I know most of you are going to laugh at that and point to history and the Yankees’ checkbook as your arguments but I am here to tell you this time is different.

The Mets are playing very well right now thanks in large part to the consistency of their starting rotation. Seeing how the National League has played out thus far there’s no reason to think the Mets couldn’t be a factor down the stretch and be playing meaningful baseball after the trade deadline. I don’t personally feel the playoffs will be reached by the team this year but getting the experience of playing in meaningful games and being in the race is key. 
The future is bright for this team. The talent in house is there. Next year will be when everything falls into place. That is of course if ownership can open up the checkbook and sign on the dotted line for the outside help this team will need to supplement what’s there already.
Whether it is at/before the trade deadline or even in the offseason, the number one priority for this team is shortstop. Ruben Tejada is not cutting it and never will. Fans are ready to see just about anyone out there at short in his place. The good thing for the Mets is that there are plenty of options available. They had an interest in Stephen Drew but he was asking for more than a one year deal and wouldn’t budge. Can’t get him? Who cares try one of the other options. The Arizona Diamondbacks have two shortstops, Chris Owings and Didi Gregorious, attempt to acquire one of them. The Cleveland Indians have a prospect by the name of Francisco Lindor who could very well see the Major Leagues come September. His presence makes Asdrubal Cabrera expendable. This offseason J.J. Hardy will be a free agent and I don’t see him going back to Baltimore. He may very well be the best all around shortstop in the game, make a run at him if you feel he’s the best choice. Regardless of what direction the Mets choose to go, they need to pick one. Tejada must go.
The bullpen will also need to be retooled but not too much. Bobby Parnell will be back and can slide into the closer role again or even into a setup role for Vic Black, a guy that I personally see as this team’s future closer. He will get the call up at some point this season and will not look back. Jake DeGrom is another impact arm I see fitting into the bullpen at some point this season and not looking back. Adding these two guys into the mix with a healthy Parnell will solidify the relievers.

There will also be a surplus of starters on this team that they can choose to do many things with. The old saying goes that you can never have too much starting pitching but the Mets may in fact have that problem. A returning Matt Harvey will join Zack Wheeler, Jenry Mejia, Jon Niese, Noah Syndergaard, Dillon Gee, Rafael Montero, and one more year of Bartolo Colon. That’s more than enough firepower and they can use any and all of those names as trade bait. Figure out who you see as your future and get whatever you can for the rest.

As far as the offense is concerned, other than a shortstop this team can do some damage with what’s in house and what they can promote in the future. Travis D’Arnaud needs to stay healthy, which he’s done a fairly good job of since being a main stay on the big league roster. If he can do that he will produce. Dominic Smith is down in the minors working his way to the show but for now Lucas Duda is capable of holding his spot. If guys like Prince Fielder and Ryan Howard can still get away with playing first base so can Lucas Duda. Now granted I realize he is nowhere near the offensive player these guys were and in Howard’s case still is, even though Howard is well past his prime due to injuries. That’s not the point. He moves better than both and is not as big a liability in the field so you take what you can get at the plate. Daniel Murphy is a good player to have on your team and can handle the bat. Nothing needs to be said about David Wright. He’s the best player in all of New York and the building block of the franchise. Juan Lagares has proven he can play an exceptional centerfield and is another guy with whom you take what you get at the plate. Curtis Granderson may need to stay in a platoon role with Chris Young or whomever else the team wants to bring in from the right side. Brandon Nimmo will be a permanent fixture in the outfield once he is ready. He is swinging an unbelievably hot bat at the moment which of course will cool down but he is an everyday player in this league.

As stated before there are pieces in place and ready to be put in place to achieve success. Management and ownership needs to do their part to help. Another huge reason this team is ready to take over their city is the fact that with Derek Jeter retiring the last shred of greatness and Yankee tradition will be gone. The Yankees will be ushering in a new era and will have to do whatever they can do in order to get many New Yorkers to still believe in the team. The diehard fans won’t go anywhere but the casual fans and those others with no true allegiance are up for grabs. This is the Mets opportunity. They need to grab it by the horns and not let go. Do not let history repeat itself. Stop being a laughing stock and become a powerhouse.

Thank you for joining us for Day 2 of 30 Days Around the Majors. Come back tomorrow for Day 3 as we will discuss the Los Angeles Angels and whether they can make a run at contention in the AL West. Be sure to follow us on Twitter @changingspeeds for our continuing coverage of the national pastime.