I'm a believer. He's made this baseball season kind of exciting to me. Even though it seems like I'm not as big of a diehard follower as I use to be.
Baseball's on par with golf and NASCAR as borderline sports. I know it's a staple in America, but there's a reason it's not in the Olympics anymore. This isn't blind hate... this is coming from someone who grew up playing ball with three current MLB players and whose 6'7" cousin is considered a serious MLB pitcher prospect. The things we had to do in basketball and football just required so much more athletic ability and so much more of a work ethic that I can't even consider baseball a "sport." At the very least, if you insist on calling it a sport, don't call them "athletes." I'm sure some are, but are you telling me that the guy I grew up working out with, who could barely lift the bar in high school and would get winded during ladders is a big time pro athlete for the Padres? I call bullshit on the "athlete" title.
While I'm NOT saying it's better debut than Puig's year so far, SEA's Nick Franklin came up the same week and (in 7 more at bats) has just as many homers, 3 more doubles and 9 more RBI. Now, his OPS is 175 points lower (1.007 to .832) , but I can't remember the last time the Mariners had a premium bat in the middle (C, 2B, SS, CF). Now, we could conceivably have Zunino (C, but just got his hand injured), Miller (SS/Leadoff), Franklin (2B) and Ackley (CF) to go along with Seager (3B) and Smoak (1B). Get a couple of corner outfielders and...
IMO, the state of baseball is in a great place. Lots of young stars (Trout, Puig, Harper, Stanton, McCutchen, Franklin, Machado, Harvey, Cole, Fernandez, etc)....Lots of players turning their backs on cheaters, forcing the union to to turn it's back on the cheaters as well Great time for Portland to get a team, IMO
Yet so many "young stars" seem to fall off so much more quickly these days. Is it because of the money?
and, just on cue... (I don't know where the tongue-in-cheek icon is) Yasiel Puig 32nd-likeliest active player to make the Hall of Fame. Franklin #37. Well, to be fair, it said:
I like how in Baseball and Football, almost any team can win the world series/superbowl, and in some years, the defending champ (i.e., SF Giants this year) aren't necessarily the best team (or even competitive) the next year.
agreed on young players... but not as many Marketable young guys. Trout, Puig, Harper, and McCutchen were the only ones on your list who I knew who they were right away. Machado took some time to think, same with Harvey (Mets SP right?)
You forgot Buster Posey: 2 World Series rings, one MVP, 2 All-Star appearances, one ROY, has caught two no-hitters (one of which was a Perfecto), and he's only playing in his fourth season. Don't disrespect the man like that, FAMS!
Injuries, FAMS. Injuries. Short offseason after winning the WS, and then the World Baseball Classic. But I get your point. A few tweaks here and there, and you do have teams in the MLB and NFL that go from terrible to great, or vice versa. Hell, the Niners turned it around overnight. And I expect the Ravens to be fairly mediocre this season.
Roger that... not sure who Cole and Fernandez are off the top of my head but that could just be cause they are both rookies
Both starting pitchers. Cole for Pirates (22 years old, number 1 starter type) Fernandez for Marlins (20 years old, freak, number 1 starter type)
imo he is getting a little lucky, his 25% k rate, and 5% bb rate seem to suggest a sharp dropoff after regression to the mean in fact his last 21 games his slash is .280/.348/.390 (still respectable for a supposed 22 year old, but not hall of fame worthy) with 2 home runs, 6 rbi and 28 Ks if i had to guess, id say the cuban juice is wearing off, and pitchers realized he swings at everything
If you look at his arc, he is doing slightly better than was expected. As big an asshole as he may or may not be, kid is a stud.
