Six thoughts at the halfway mark
Nov 22, 2017 22:55:25 GMT -8
johnw- ATL, Erick RockiesGM, and 3 more like this
Post by aaron_commissioner on Nov 22, 2017 22:55:25 GMT -8
We are officially halfway through the season. I'd like to revisit some of my pre-season predictions and continue the theme with some thoughts on the future.
1. Biggest (good) surprises
Keep in mind these are (my own) personal surprises:
- Toronto: I honestly thought Toronto would be disappointed with their performance this year and potential end up near the bottom of the division. Instead, they are at the top of a very difficult division, and have a lot of players doing very well.
- Cleveland's pitching. Yes, we already knew they were good, but this year, they have been something else. Cleveland on track for its third straight 100 win season with a surprisingly lackluster hitting core.
- Minnesota Twins. I thought the Twins were well positioned, but I didn't expect them to be this scary this soon. They look poised to take a playoff spot from Seattle or an AL East team.
- Los Angeles Dodgers. On track for 120 wins. They are clearly the team to beat in the ABL and no one seemed to see this coming.
2. Biggest dissapointments
- San Francisco. I thought they would be the best team in the NL. Instead, they spent some time as the worst, and are now in fire sale mode.
- Colorado's (and Washington's) bullpen. Colorado actually seems to have a more talented team than I originally thought. However, they are squandering their potential with a truly terrible bullpen. Washington? Same story.
- Boston. The Red Sox had some injury problems in the spring, got off to a slow start, and have never fully recovered. They are fully in the race for the division, but will have to fight for it (and a playoff spot).
3. Early look at the award race
AL MVP: Austin Meadows
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
AL Cy Young: Corey Kluber
NL Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard
AL ROY: Garrett Stubbs
NL ROY: Kuan Xie
AL GM: Twins
NL GM: Dodgers
4. Early look at the playoff race
AL: Cleveland, New York, Texas, Seattle*, Minnesota*
NL: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh*, Colorado*
5. Trade trends
I've been trading so much myself that it's difficult to gauge trends among other teams. However, I'll try:
- SP have been moved, but the price is lower than anticipated.
- Teams are hesitant to move superstars, even if they are rebuilding.
- Prospects seem to still be the hottest commodity, which is probably not typical for around the trade deadline when many teams are looking for solid vets.
6. Looking ahead...
- Both Philadelphia and Detroit were active this offseason in hopes of competing. How will they respond this next year?
- Cincinnati looks really, really scary. The same way Minnesota did last offseason. I'm interested to see how the Reds move from "future powerhouse" to "current powerhouse."
- As we approach our third offseason, teams that were perpetually in "win-now" mode may start to feel a financial crunch and a prospect shortage. We are approaching the time when teams that abandoned their systems will start to feel the pain.
Any other thoughts from others...?
1. Biggest (good) surprises
Keep in mind these are (my own) personal surprises:
- Toronto: I honestly thought Toronto would be disappointed with their performance this year and potential end up near the bottom of the division. Instead, they are at the top of a very difficult division, and have a lot of players doing very well.
- Cleveland's pitching. Yes, we already knew they were good, but this year, they have been something else. Cleveland on track for its third straight 100 win season with a surprisingly lackluster hitting core.
- Minnesota Twins. I thought the Twins were well positioned, but I didn't expect them to be this scary this soon. They look poised to take a playoff spot from Seattle or an AL East team.
- Los Angeles Dodgers. On track for 120 wins. They are clearly the team to beat in the ABL and no one seemed to see this coming.
2. Biggest dissapointments
- San Francisco. I thought they would be the best team in the NL. Instead, they spent some time as the worst, and are now in fire sale mode.
- Colorado's (and Washington's) bullpen. Colorado actually seems to have a more talented team than I originally thought. However, they are squandering their potential with a truly terrible bullpen. Washington? Same story.
- Boston. The Red Sox had some injury problems in the spring, got off to a slow start, and have never fully recovered. They are fully in the race for the division, but will have to fight for it (and a playoff spot).
3. Early look at the award race
AL MVP: Austin Meadows
NL MVP: Bryce Harper
AL Cy Young: Corey Kluber
NL Cy Young: Noah Syndergaard
AL ROY: Garrett Stubbs
NL ROY: Kuan Xie
AL GM: Twins
NL GM: Dodgers
4. Early look at the playoff race
AL: Cleveland, New York, Texas, Seattle*, Minnesota*
NL: Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Pittsburgh*, Colorado*
5. Trade trends
I've been trading so much myself that it's difficult to gauge trends among other teams. However, I'll try:
- SP have been moved, but the price is lower than anticipated.
- Teams are hesitant to move superstars, even if they are rebuilding.
- Prospects seem to still be the hottest commodity, which is probably not typical for around the trade deadline when many teams are looking for solid vets.
6. Looking ahead...
- Both Philadelphia and Detroit were active this offseason in hopes of competing. How will they respond this next year?
- Cincinnati looks really, really scary. The same way Minnesota did last offseason. I'm interested to see how the Reds move from "future powerhouse" to "current powerhouse."
- As we approach our third offseason, teams that were perpetually in "win-now" mode may start to feel a financial crunch and a prospect shortage. We are approaching the time when teams that abandoned their systems will start to feel the pain.
Any other thoughts from others...?