***Official*** MLB 2025 Thread

[Dan Druff]

The NL is shaping up to be one where a couple good teams miss the playoffs.

At least two of the Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Padres, Braves, Cards, Cubs or Giants are going to miss out. The top teams are playing great baseball at this point and all are around 30 wins and close to playing .600 ball. And the Braves and Cards have been playing great baseball after slow starts.

We will the 1/3 mark of the season this coming week with a lot of baseball to be played. With numerous teams going to be long out of it by July, the trade deadline should be active this year.

I think the Cards probably fade. They're playing over their head now. This team has no real stars, and not much starting pitching.

Giants might also fade. That's another team playing over their head. Unless you expect Wilmer Flores (10 HR, 42 RBI) to keep up his current pace.

Probably will be Dodgers/Cubs/Mets as division champs, and Phillies/Padres/Braves as wildcards. You can pretty much already count out the Reds, Pirates, Marlins, Nationals, and of course Rockies. Brewers and Dbacks have an outside chance at postseason but as you said, too many good NL teams this year to compete with.

[simpdog]

Rockies 8-42 worst 50 game start in modern baseball.

Discuss.

[Dan Druff]

Rockies 8-42 worst 50 game start in modern baseball.

Discuss.

I've never seen a team where visitors are so routinely -300 against them.

This really might be a worse team than last year's White Sox. They actually have some decent hitters in Brenton Doyle, Ezequiel Tovar, Hunter Goodman, Ryan McMahon, and maybe Mike Toglia. The problem is that they don't have anything close to a star hitter, and the pitching is horrendous. Plus the team has zero heart and seems to lay down each game.

[Dan Druff]

I was just told that the Rockies monitor PFA, and were so insulted by simpdog's post that they decided to actually try today.

They beat the Yankees 3-2, despite an Aaron Judge HR.

[Dan Druff]

San you will like this....

Yamamoto was the projected #1 starter for the Dodgers, and still is.

Projected 2-5 were: Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki, Ohtani

Actual 2-5 are: May, Kershaw, Gonsolin, Knack

Ouch

[The Boz]

San you will like this....

Yamamoto was the projected #1 starter for the Dodgers, and still is.

Projected 2-5 were: Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki, Ohtani

Actual 2-5 are: May, Kershaw, Gonsolin, Knack

Ouch

Yet still overwhelmingly the favorites to win the WS.

Still +300 or less while Yanks are around +650 then Tigers and Phillies at 10-1.

[gut]

Rockies 8-42 worst 50 game start in modern baseball.

Discuss.

I've typed plenty on that sad sack of a franchise, although they are just the exclamation point on this seasons run of shit teams. One small winning streak and they'll be right with the Sox, Marlins, Orioles (!), and Pirates.

Sadly, the White Sox are the only one there doing the traditional teardown/rebuild. Orioles refused to spend for pitching, and their bargain basement purchases have all flopped.

Rockies, Pirates, and Marlins are all just grifter franchises, and should be relegated to playing the Savannah Bananas

[gut]

Rockies 8-42 worst 50 game start in modern baseball.

Discuss.

I've typed plenty on that sad sack of a franchise, although they are just the exclamation point on this seasons run of shit teams. One small winning streak and they'll be right with the Sox, Marlins, Orioles (!), and Pirates.

Sadly, the White Sox are the only one there doing the traditional teardown/rebuild. Orioles refused to spend for pitching, and their bargain basement purchases have all flopped.

Rockies, Pirates, and Marlins are all just grifter franchises, and should be relegated to playing the Savannah Bananas

Fun brain exercise, take those 5 teams, and subtract the Orioles position players and the Pirates pitchers, and try to come up with a squad that would even sniff .500

I don't think its possible.

[Dan Druff]

I’m seeing signs that Skenes is already really tired being a Pirate, and wants out.

How many gems does he have to keep pitching and lose/no-decision?

He’s made a few passive aggressive remarks implying he wants to be elsewhere.

Can’t wait for his 2030 Dodgers debut (if his arm hasn’t fallen off).

[BCR]

If you would have told me a month ago the AL Central and NL West would be mirror images at the 60 game point I would have thought that nuts with how West started and how bad the Central was.

[gut]

Roger Clemens kid, a random depth piece picked up off the waiver wire.....killing it for the Twinkies

[Jayjami]

I’m seeing signs that Skenes is already really tired being a Pirate, and wants out.

How many gems does he have to keep pitching and lose/no-decision?

He’s made a few passive aggressive remarks implying he wants to be elsewhere.

Can’t wait for his 2030 Dodgers debut (if his arm hasn’t fallen off).

Fun fact. Worst run support in MLB history:

At 2k career innings pitched, Matt Cain takes the cake with 3.96 RS/9. Felix Hernandez is 2nd here at 4.31

At 2.5 career innings pitched, Felix is first with 4.31 RS/9

At 3k career innings pitched, Zack Grienke is first at 4.69 RS/9

[Sanlmar]

San you will like this....

Yamamoto was the projected #1 starter for the Dodgers, and still is.

Projected 2-5 were: Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki, Ohtani

Actual 2-5 are: May, Kershaw, Gonsolin, Knack

Ouch

“Andrew Friedman loves his glass cannons”

[Dan Druff]

Aaron Judge might end up with one of the best offensive seasons of all time.

Right now he's hitting .395 with 18 HR. He's played 51 games -- a little less than a third of a season.

Judge, who was born in April 1992, signed a 9-year, $360m deal to last from the 2023-2031 seasons. Might end up being one of the most team friendly deals of the 2020s, when it comes to modern free agents. He's currently 33 and better than ever.

Poor Giants almost had him. He's from NoCal, so he was seriously considering it.

BTW, Judge was adopted when 1 day old. He has stated that he has no interest in searching for his biological parents, and is very close with his adoptive parents. He figured out he was likely adopted at around age 10, when he was very large and looked mixed-race, whereas his parents were both white and small. They admitted to him at that point that he was right, and indeed had been adopted.

I wonder if his biological parents realize who he is (they probably do), and if they've attempted to make any contact.

[Sanlmar]

Aaron Judge might end up with one of the best offensive seasons of all time

Especially in this 3 outcome era where strikeouts are no longer stigmatized as long as your launch angle is on fleek.

There are fewer and fewer .300 hitters every year. At a quick glance I see a generous 24 sniffing or above .300 this year.

What Judge is doing in this era is absurd. Adjusted for the current analytical approach and specialist pitching he’s like .470 inflation adjusted against late 90’s or early aughts.

[Sanlmar]

Judge is +140 to hit a home run in Coors. Is this a historic low?

Edit
Was +125 yesterday.
Even if I had tomorrow’s paper I would never bet that but people do. and win no less

[BCR]

First 0-4 day this season I think. Not on the tribe, I knew better.

I laughed at my last loss. I had some 50% profit boost with the rare high bet allowed. I took the Mets and took the run line all the way down to 5.5 and it was still +216. Opened at 10.5 but got bet down.

Three first inning runs and 3-1 final. When you can’t put up 5 in 5 against Knack something is wrong.

[gut]

Judge is +140 to hit a home run in Coors. Is this a historic low?

Edit
Was +125 yesterday.
Even if I had tomorrow’s paper I would never bet that but people do. and win no less

Ive been a Judge.....lets say....quasi-naysayer. But goddamn the kid is just un-pitchable.

Eventually I have to slow the Yankee-hate and just recognize......

[Dan Druff]

Judge might be extra motivated after the 2024 World Series fail. People remember the dropped ball, but in reality, the main issue with him was the fact that he was an automatic strikeout. He choked over and over. It went from my feeling fearful when he was up to being happy to see him enter the batter's box. He was completely lost at the plate, for whatever reason.

He endured mockery for the entire offseason, including Yankees fans partially blaming him for the loss. He hit .222 in the Series, but that doesn't tell the story. He was 2-for-15 in the first 4 games, with zero extra base hits, and 1 RBI, despite coming up with a lot of opportunities to drive in runs.

Now he's been crushing for the first 2 months, and I can't say I'm surprised.

[Sanlmar]

Judge might be extra motivated after the 2024 World Series fail. People remember the dropped ball, but in reality, the main issue with him was the fact that he was an automatic strikeout. He choked over and over. It went from my feeling fearful when he was up to being happy to see him enter the batter's box. He was completely lost at the plate, for whatever reason.

He endured mockery for the entire offseason, including Yankees fans partially blaming him for the loss. He hit .222 in the Series, but that doesn't tell the story. He was 2-for-15 in the first 4 games, with zero extra base hits, and 1 RBI, despite coming up with a lot of opportunities to drive in runs.

Now he's been crushing for the first 2 months, and I can't say I'm surprised.

This would describe the Dodgers first round exit 2023. Hitting from the top 3 was non existent. Except the ridicule cause Dodger fans are eternal optimists which is gay.

Speaking of which, aging Mookie is really interesting to examine. Time flies. Damn