Ridiculously Early 2015 Bold Predictions: Boston Red Sox
Next up in our 2015 preview series, the 2013 World Series Champion Boston Red Sox, who spent 2014 going from first to worst.

One of the problems for Boston this year was injury. Dustin Pedroia, Shance Victorino, Will Middlebrooks, and Clay Buchholz all could not stay healthy. Besides this, many players just did not match their 2013 performances. Koji Uehara struggled as a closer, Jonny Gomes struggled at the plate, and Pedroia, when healthy, had the worst season of his career. Here's what we think will happen in 2015:

• David Ortiz plays 110 games but fails to hit 25 homers. The past two times Ortiz has failed to reach the 25 homer mark was because of injury. In fact, the last time Ortiz hit less than 25 homers and played more than 110 games, he was 26 and a member of the Minnesota Twins. Ortiz will be 39 heading into the 2015 season. He put up great numbers in 2014, but not as great as we're used to seeing from him. This also means that he will have to wait until 2016 to hit the big number 500.
• Rusney Castillo is the American League Rookie of the Year. Castillo went 12 for 40 in his brief, end of the season stint with the Red Sox, an average of .333. Because he was called up in late September and only had 40 at bats, he is eligible to win ROY. Castillo will bring some excitement to a lineup that will likely miss its second straight postseason.
• The Boston Red Sox finish 2015 with the exact same record they had in 2014. The chances of that happening have to be very slim. I expect more production from guys like Castillo and Pedroia, but it won't be enough to have a huge impact. It makes more sense to believe they will have a better season next year, but for the sake of bold predictions, I'll say it's another 71-91 year for the Sox.*

*Unless Boston is able to court Jon Lester and/or Pablo Sandoval.

Ridiculously Early 2015 Bold Predictions: Houston Astros
Coming in with the same 70-92 record that Twins had is the Houston Astros, who finished the year 4th in the AL West.

Houston had a lot of good in a year 22 games below .500. Jose Altuve is a hitting machine, Chris Carter, George Springer, and Jon Singleton all showed glimpses of brilliance, and Collin McHugh and Dallas Keuchel pitched well in the starting rotation. However, their bullpen was a mess, as was the front office, who had many issues surrounding draft picks (see Mark Appel and Brady Aiken). Here's what we think will happen next season:

• George Springer will hit 40+ home runs. Springer only played 78 games this past season, but hit 20 homers in those games, including an impressive streak of 6 homers in 6 days. With Altuve hitting in front of him, Springer can easily reach the 100 RBI mark as well.
• While I'm at it, Chris Carter will also hit 40+ home runs. He hit 37 last year, which doesn't make this thaaat bold. But still, the Astros having 2 players hitting 40+ home runs?! That's crazy. But we think it will happen. FYI: The last time a team had 2 players hit 40+ homers? The 2006 Chicago White Sox. Jermaine Dye hit 44 and Jim Thome hit 42. 
• The Houston Astros enter September play within 10 games of first place in the AL West. How much of an improvement is this? Well, the Houston Astros entered September play this previous season 25 games out of first place. How does this happen? 1. The hitters who impressed this year continue to impress last year. That means everyone I mentioned in the introduction paragraph above. 2. They step it up in the field. Houston ranked 24th of all MLB teams in errors committed. 3. The bullpen doesn't suck. Obviously, a bullpen can't just stop being unproductive. But the Astros blew 24 saves. If they somehow found a way to squeak out just half of those 24 games, they would have finished the year at an impressive 82-80.

Ridiculously Early 2015 Bold Predictions: Minnesota Twins
Next up in our series of articles previewing the 2015 season, the Minnesota Twins, who finished the year at the basement of the AL Central.

The Minnesota Twins hosted the All Star Game this year, so at least they have that. Kurt Suzuki was impressive, hitting .288 and signing a contract through the 2016 season. Ron Gardenhire was fired shortly after their season ended, so the front office will have to find a new manager this offseason. Here's what we think will happen next year:

• Brian Dozier is an All Star. This may be tough seeing as the American League 2nd basemen are stacked at the top with Altuve, Kinsler, and Cano, but Dozier ranks right up with them with his 5.2 WAR. His 23 homers were also tops of all MLB 2nd basemen (tie with Neil Walker). We think he has a breakout season for the Twins.

(via ESPN MLB stats)

• Phil Hughes walks at least 40 batters. This doesn't seem so crazy, seeing as Hughes walked over 40 in both 2012 and 2013. But this past season, Hughes only walked 16, and set an MLB record for a season for K/BB ratio with an 11.63. His K/BB ratio had never been over 4 in his first seven MLB seasons.
• The Twins don't play a game next season with a record over .500. They open on the road vs Detroit. OK, this isn't so bold, but I've been using the last of the predictions as a team prediction in previous articles, and Minnesota doesn't look to be very good team next year. Especially vs the AL Central which features 3 potential playoff teams in the Tigers, Royals, and Indians. It will be a couple years until the Twins are able to compete for a playoff spot.

Ridiculously Early 2015 Bold Predictions: Texas Rangers
30. Arizona.
29. Colorado
And today, 28. We continue moving up the standings in our early 2015 preview article series with the Texas Rangers.

After barely missing the playoffs in 2013, the Rangers plummeted to the basement of the American League. Part of the reason why is the number of injuries the team had to deal with. Ron Washington is also gone after resigning, and the front office will have to find a new manager. Here's what we think will happen in 2015:

• Prince Fielder will hit 40 home runs. He only hit 3 homers in 42 games last year, but if he starts the year healthy, there's no reason to think he can't reach 40 for the first time since he hit 46 as a Milwaukee Brewer in 2009. 
• Elvis Andrus will have a career year. And by that we mean a batting average above .300 for the first time in his career. Andrus is signed through 2022 and has already showed signs of regressing, but if we think our next prediction is going to come true, Andrus is going to have to have a big year at the plate. Which leads us to our final prediction that....
• The Texas Rangers will make the playoffs. The Red Sox went from last in the AL East to World Series Champions from 2012-2013. If Yu Darvish can pitch at full health for the whole season, and everyone else can remain healthy for the majority of the year, the Rangers could do the same. If not, it might be time to start rebuilding. Darvish and Adrian Beltre could yield numerous prospects if traded.

Ridiculously Early 2015 Bold Predictions: Colorado Rockies
The Arizona Diamondbacks, being at the bottom of the MLB standings, kicked off our series of posts predicting what lies ahead for each team in 2015. Today, we stay in the NL West to take a look at the second worst team in baseball, the Colorado Rockies.

Colorado had a lot to be excited about in April 2014, starting the year 22-14 with star Troy Tulowitzki shining. Tulo was hitting .340 with 21 homers when he went down with an injury. Carlos Gonzalez also failed to stay healthy. Here's what we think happens next year with the Rockies:

• Troy Tulowitzki plays 150 games. Tulowitzki hasn't played 150 games since 2009. While we're talking about him, let's discuss his future in Colorado. With the Orioles resigning J.J. Hardy, the shortstop free agent market grew even thinner. Teams would be willing to trade a ton of prospects for Tulowitzki, because even though he is injury-prone, he is one of the top 10 MLB players when healthy. The Rockies should seriously consider trading him if they want to start rebuilding, because they aren't going to be winning with him anytime soon.
• The Rockies pitching staff won't have a 10 game winner. Colorado actually did not have a 10 game winner in 2012 either, so we can't say this is too bold. Coors Field is too hitter-friendly, and it will again lead MLB ballparks in runs scored. In 2014, no other field was even close:

(via http://espn.go.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor)

• The Rockies will finish dead last in the National League. Wait, this isn't bold at all. But it's clearly time for the franchise to actually start rebuilding.

Ridiculously Early 2015 Bold Predictions: Arizona Diamondbacks
There are still 153 days until Opening Day, but that's not gonna stop us from starting to look at what the 2015 season has in store. We're going to take a look at each team over the next few weeks and give some (not always but most of the time) bold predictions. Hopefully we can do better with this than with our postseason predictions (we took the Royals in 4), but I guess we won't know until next October.
Starting from the bottom, so first up is the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Arizona finished the year 64-98, the worst record in all of baseball. Paul Goldschmidt was a bright spot for the D-Backs however, hitting .300 with 19 homers before a season-ending hand injury. Next year, we don't expect the Diamondbacks to grab the NL West title nor a Wild Card spot, but here are a few things we think will happen:

• Aaron Hill will be hitting .300 into the All Star break. Hill was especially terrible this past season; his .244 batting average was his lowest ever as a Diamondback. I personally have a bittersweet relationship with Hill. When he hit for the cycle twice in 2012, he was on my fantasy baseball team, and in the league I was in, teams got huge bonus points for players hitting for the cycle. Hill was on my team again this past season, and I couldn't get myself to drop him because I knew he would hit for the cycle as soon as I did. He didn't.
• Josh Collmenter will win twice as many games as he did in 2014. That means he will win 22 games. Collmenter was outstanding the last month-and-a-half of this past season, and in 2015 he will be on the starting rotation right away. The last 22-game winner for Arizona was Brandon Webb in 2008. Before that? The Johnson-Schilling duo in 2002. Which reminds us: Read our Randy Johnson Fun Facts article!
• The Diamondbacks will finish third in the NL West. Arizona does not have what it takes to hang with the Dodgers and Giants, but third place will be a huge improvement from their 2014 campaign. 

Division Series Recap

Yesterday, we correctly predicted the Giants to beat the Nationals, our first correct prediction since Game 1 of the Cardinals-Dodgers NLDS. This gives us a final record of 4-10 for the division series. Which is terrible, but not as terrible as some ESPN analysts. Couple things we learned from the first round and what we are looking forward to in the second round:

• We are excited to watch Bryce Harper fully-healthy next year.
• The rise of Brandon Finnegan has been incredible. 
• The starts failed to shine. Especially in Los Angeles. We're looking at you, Mike Trout and Clayton Kershaw.
• There were no Game 5s, but the majority of the DS games were intense to the end. Hopefully the CS games continue the trend.
• The same teams continue to get it done in the NL. The Giants and Cardinals in the NLCS is like Groundhog Day.
• Finally some new teams representing the AL. No one likes a Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers snoozefest.
• Royals speed vs Orioles power is going to be awesome.

Predictions for both Championship Series' coming tomorrow.

ALDS Preview: Detroit Tigers vs Baltimore Orioles

3 Players to Watch on Detroit:

1. Joe Nathan. Nathan has 35 saves this year and a 4.81 ERA. Besides a hiccup on September 16th vs the Twins, he's has a solid month. The last three outs of the game are the most important, especially with this Orioles lineup that can score anywhere in the lineup. Good sign for Tigers fans: The current O's are 9 for 51 vs Nathan, a batting average of .176. Also, the O's heavily rely on the home run, and Nathan hasn't allowed a homer since June. In the May series vs Baltimore, Nathan pitched 3 scoreless innings, recording 3 saves and helping the Tigers sweep.
2. Torii Hunter. Hunter has a higher batting average (.389) vs Baltimore this year than any other team in the American League. Along with that impressive batting average comes 3 home runs and 7 RBIs. Getting on forces opposing pitchers to pitch to Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Also of note: This season, Hunter has homered vs Chris Tillman, Miguel Gonzalez, and Bud Norris, 3 of the 4 probable Baltimore starters this series.
3. Justin Verlander. This one is obvious, but not as obvious as it was last year or two years ago. Verlander has struggled this year, but his velocity is up this past month, and his final two regular season starts combined for 15.1 IP and only 2 ER. He pitched an 8-inning, 2 ER gem vs Baltimore in April (although he did take the loss). If Verlander can perform at the high level we've seen in past postseason games, the Tigers easily can become the American League Pennant favorites.

3 Players to Watch on Baltimore:

1. Steve Pearce. The argument could made be that Pearce is the MVP of the Orioles season. His .293 was a career high (min. 100 PAs) and his 21 homers this season were more than his first 6 seasons in the majors combined. His emergence has played a big role in helping plug the hole in the Orioles lineup that was once Manny Machado, Chris Davis, and Matt Wieters. Pearce only played in two games vs the Tigers this year, both before he started heating up at the plate, but is a career .333 hitter vs Scherzer and Price combined. 
2. Delmon Young. Young off the bench has been a huge part of the Orioles success this year, hitting .302 with 7 homers in a very limited role. He also brings postseason experience to a team that lacks it, having won the 2012 ALCS MVP award as a member of the Tigers. If this series gets to game 4, expect Young to have started the two games vs Price and Porcello, who he has hit .325 off of in his career.
3. Zach Britton. I was going to choose the entire Orioles bullpen for this last spot, but I'll talk about them a little bit later. Britton has anchored the Orioles bullpen since Tommy Hunter lost his closer role in May. He's been lights outs, collecting 37 saves with a stellar 1.65 ERA. In order for the O's to pull out close games, Britton may need to get guys like Miguel Cabrera out, who, in 9 PAs, has 4 hits and 3 walks (an OBP of .778). Britton has yet to face the Tigers this year, but in his career he has 3 starts vs them and has gone 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA.

3 Matchups to Watch:

1. Jones and Cruz vs the Tigers Starting Rotation. Games 1 and 2 pose favorable match-ups for the Orioles 3-4 tandem. Take a look at their splits vs Max Scherzer:That's pretty scary. And vs Price they are a combined .292 with 3 homers and 8 RBIs. However, once we get to Game 3 and possibly Game 4, the stats change. Jones and Cruz are combined 13 for 64 (.203) vs Verlander with 18 Ks. And they are even worse vs Porcello, going 8 for 50 (.160) with 13 Ks. If this series comes down to Games 3 and 4, look for other guys such as Nick Markakis and Delmon Young, who both have solid numbers vs Verlander and Porcello, to step up for the O's.
2. Miguel Cabrera vs the Orioles Bullpen. It's no secret that Miguel Cabrera is one of the best hitters in the game, if not the best hitter in the game. It's also well known that Orioles starters don't always last in the game long, and the bullpen is usually involved by the 7th inning. The Orioles dream 7th-8th-9th inning scenario is Andrew Miller-Darren O'Day-Zach Britton. Miggy hits .600 vs those three combined. Getting Cabrera out in late inning situations will be huge for Baltimore success. 
3. Ian Kinsler vs Orioles Starting Rotation. Kinsler was 5th in the AL this year with 100 runs scored. When he gets on base, he forces pitchers to pitch to the big bats of Cabrera and the Martinez duo behind him. If Kinsler can consistently get on vs the O's starters of Tillman, Chen, Gonzalez, and Norris, who he hits for a combined average of .289, there could potentially be some long innings for the Orioles pitching staff.

Prediction:

Both these teams are capable of winning a World Series this year. They have their weaknesses at certain positions (Tigers bullpen and Orioles at 3B), but strengths to overcome them. I'm biased being an O's fan, but I think the Orioles will take both home games before heading to Detroit, and ultimately win the series in 4.

All stats via Baseball Reference. 

The Official Closer Walk-On Song Playoff Bracket
Heading to the bottom of the 9th. It's a one run game. All of a sudden, a bell starts ringing. Dong.  The whole crowd stands. Dong. The gates to the bullpen open. Dong. Trevor Hoffman emerges and jogs towards the infield. Dong. This is the moment everyone has been waiting for: Watching one of the greatest closers of all-time finish a game. Hoffman's Hells Bells was a walk-on model for other closers in the 1990s; in fact, it was the inspiration for Yankees executives to start the Mariano Rivera and Enter Sandman tradition.
We looked at the walk-on song for every closer in the MLB. We polled a group of baseball fans. Each division has a winner, and there are 2 wild cards for each league. So it's pretty much the MLB Playoffs.

AL East:
Baltimore: Zach Britton-For Those About to Rock (AC/DC)

Boston: Koji Uehara-Sandstorm (Darude)

New York: David Robertson-Sweet Home Alabama (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Tampa Bay: Jake McGee- My Way (Limp Bizkit)

Toronto: Casey Janssen- DOA (Foo Fighters)

Winner: Britton. Spoiler: The AC/DC song usually wins. Robertson takes second as he does hail from Alabama (so it makes sense even in NYC). Third to Koji. Fourth to Janssen. Fifth to McGee.


AL Central:
Chicago: Jake Petricka- The Pretender (Foo Fighters)

Cleveland: Cody Allen- The Outsiders (Eric Church)

Detroit: Joe Nathan- Stand Up and Shout (Steel Dragon)

Kansas City: Greg Holland- Fade Away (Breaking Benjamin)

Minnesota: Glen Perkins- Right Here, Right Now (Fat Boy Slim)

Winner: Petricka. Even though he stole it from 2012-2013 Jim Johnson. Holland in second. Allen third. Nathan fourth. 100 yards of crap. And then Perkins with his Fat Boy Slim.


AL West:
Houston: Chad Qualls- Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine)

Los Angeles: Huston Street- Kashmir (Led Zeppelin)

Oakland: Sean Doolittle- For Whom the Bell Tolls (Metallica)

Seattle: Fernando Rodney- Animals (Martin Garrix)

Texas: Neftali Feliz- Con Los Pies (Chimbala)

Winner: Street. We didn't even realize this was Street's walk-on until we started this project. Great pump up song. Rodney second because that song just matches his personality perfectly. Doolittle third. Feliz and Qualls tied for fourth.


NL East:
Atlanta: Craig Kimbrel- Welcome to the Jungle (Guns N' Roses)

Miami: Steve Cishek- Send Me/Represent (116 Clique)

New York: Jennry Mejia- Los Mate (Tego Calderon)

Philadelphia: Jonathon Papelbon- Bout That Life (Meek Mill)

Washington: Rafael Soriano- Pitch, Soriano (Soriano's Dominican friends made this for him)

Winner: Kimbrel. Easy choice. Soriano second. Really worth a listen if you have never heard his song. Cishek third. Papelbon and Mejia at the bottom. Papelbon would be a favorite in this competition if he were still in Boston with Shipping Up to Boston.


NL Central:
Chicago: Hector Rondon- No Idea

Cincinnati: Aroldis Chapman- Wake Up (Rage Against the Machine)

Milwaukee: Francisco Rodriguez- Sandunqueoso (Tego Calderon)

Pittsburgh: Mark Melancon- Thunderstruck (AC/DC)

St. Louis: Trevor Rosenthal- Hail to the King (Avenged Sevenfold)

Winner: Melancon. Via AC/DC rule. Rosenthal second. K-Rod third. Rosenthal fourth. Could not find Rondons walk-on song anywhere. But it wouldn't beat Melancon anyway.


NL West:
Arizona: Addison Reed- Your Betrayal (Bullet For My Valentine)

Colorado: LaTroy Hawkins- All Me (Drake)

Los Angeles: Kenley Jansen- California Love (2Pac)

San Diego: Joaquin Benoit- My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Fallout Boy)

San Francisco: Santiago Casilla- Cult Personality (Living Colour)

Winner: Benoit. We had no idea that was the actual title of that song. Casilla second. Hawkins third. Jansen fourth. Reed fifth. But all these songs were pretty good.


Playoffs:
AL Wild Card Game: Sweet Home Alabama VS Animals

ALDS 1: Sweet Home Alabama VS Kashmir
ALDS 2: The Pretender VS For Those About to Rock

ALCS: Kashmir VS For Those About to Rock

NL Wild Card Game: Pitch, Soriano VS Hail to the King

NLDS 1: Pitch, Soraino VS Thunderstruck
NLDS 2: Welcome to the Jungle VS My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark V

NLCS: Thunderstruck VS Welcome to the Jungle

WORLD SERIES: Thunderstruck VS Kashmir

Thunderstruck and Mark Melancon is the winner. Close final vote but it pulled it out over Kashmir and Street. Also shout out to Pitch, Soriano. Made a good run.

Leave a comment below if you agree/disagree with anything!

Wild Card Matchup 10/1/2014: San Francisco at Pittsburgh
How do the Pirates stack up vs Madison Bumgarner?
Josh Harrison:               4/5     .800
Travis Snider:               Never Faced
Andrew McCutchen:    2/10   .200
Neil Walker:                 3/9     .333
Starling Marte:             Never Faced
Ike Davis:                     0/3     .000
Jordy Mercer:               3/7     .429
Russell Martin:             3/7     .429
Edinson Volquez:         1/5     .200

Chris Stewart:               Never Faced
Gaby Sanchez:             3/9      .333


Not a lot of ABs vs Bumgarner for the Pirates. Josh Harrison has been very successful, but the sample size is small. All of Ike Davis' outs have been recorded via strikeout. Bumgarner faced Pittsburgh in July and got hit pretty hard, only lasting 4 innings while giving up 5 ER, taking the loss.

How do the Giants stack up vs Edinson Volquez?
Gregor Blanco:              5/19      .263
Joe Panik:                      Never Faced
Buster Posey:                 5/9       .556
Hunter Pence:                7/36     .194
Pablo Sandoval:             6/13     .462
Brandon Belt:                8/18      .444
Brandon Crawford:       3/20      .150
Travis Ishikawa:            1/4        .250
Madison Bumgarner:    1/4        .250

Michael Morse:             3/4        .750

Solid numbers for San Francisco vs Volquez. Pence's stats are a concern, as he has struck out 16 times. However, 3 of his 7 hits are homers. Michael Morse is questionable because of an oblique injury. Also watch out for the ever dangerous Madison Bumgarner at the plate. Volquez has yet to face the Giants in 2014.


This is going to be a good game. Pittsburgh had an amazing atmosphere last year during the playoffs (Remember the Cueeeee-to chant? Definitely worth watching again). However, I like the Giants in this one. Bumgarner has been pitching well recently, and will bounce back from his earlier loss to Pittsburgh to send San Fran to the NLDS.

All stats via Baseball Reference. 

Wild Card Matchup 9/30/2014: Oakland at Kansas City 
How do the Royals stack up vs Jon Lester?
Alcides Escobar:    6/17    .353
Nori Aoki:              4/9      .444
Lorenzo Cain:        5/16    .313
Eric Hoser:             4/13    .308
Billy Butler:           4/28    .143
Alex Gordon:         4/25    .160
Salvador Perez:      3/6      .500
Omar Infante:        3/20     .150
Mike Moustakas:   3/12     .250


The top of the lineup has been very successful vs Lester, with numbers 1-4 hitting a combined .345. That being said, Lester is 3-0 vs Kansas City this year, with one of those wins coming as a member of the Red Sox. He pitched 20.2 innings and given up 6 ER. Butler, Gordon, and Infante are signs of concern for the Royals, hitting a combined .151 with a pretty large sample size for each player. Gordon and Butler combine for 21 strikeouts vs Lester.

How do the Athletics stack up vs James Shields?
Coco Crisp:            6/28    .214
Adam Dunn:          7/35    .200
Josh Donaldson:     2/9     .222
Brandon Moss:      3/14    .214
Josh Reddick:        7/22    .318
Jed Lowrie:           3/21    .143
Stephen Vogt:        2/6      .333
Derek Norris:        0/5      .000
Eric Sogard:          0/5      .000

Geovany Soto:      1/9      .111
Sam Fuld:             2/10    .200

The Athletics don't look as impressive vs Shields as the Royals look vs Lester. Josh Reddick is a bright spot; 3 of his 7 hits are homers. Shields faced the A's twice this year in, going 1-0 while pitching 14 innings and giving up 5 ER.


When Lester and Shields have been on the mound vs the Royals and Athletics this year, their teams have not lost. Something is going to have to give on Tuesday. I like the Royals in this game. Lester has pitched very well vs them this year, but the Royals have gotten a look at him three times, and have some dangerous hitters vs him at the top of the lineup. Add in a home crowd that has been waiting for postseason ball since 1985, and you get a Kansas City victory.


All stats via Baseball Reference.

Player A vs Player B
This is a little game we like to play. It's kinda like the blind resumes of bubble teams you see on ESPN during the weeks leading up to Selection Sunday. We give you the stats of two anonymous players from a certain season, and you choose one over the other. Good luck.


Scenario 1:

Hypothetical situation. You are the GM of an MLB team. Both of these players are on your team. Both of these players are rookies. You're tight for cash and can only sign one long-term. Who do you choose? Obviously, you're going to pick Player B. But if you happen to pick Player A because of the better SO:BB numbers and speed on the base paths, congrats! Player A is the 1986 rookie season of Barry Bonds. Player B is the 2006 rookie season of Dan Uggla. Not that Dan Uggla is terrible or anything.


Scenario 2:

New situation. You're a baseball writer who has a vote for the NL MVP. Take a look at these numbers. Who do you vote for? Besides a few more home runs and RBIs, there is really nothing that would lead you to picking Player A over Player B. Unfortunately, that's what many voters did in 2006. Player A is Ryan Howard, the NL MVP from that year, while Player B is MVP snub Albert Pujols, who finished second that year in voting. Also to note: Pujols had a 8.4 WAR that year. Howard? 5.2 WAR.

Scenario 3:

Same situation as above. In fact, Player A is still Ryan Howard. But Player B still has some decent numbers in comparison. More hits, doubles, higher BA. His 4.9 WAR is comparable to Howard's 5.2 WAR. And he has struck out less than half as many times as Howard. I don't think Howard deserved to win the 2006 NL MVP, however, I'd still take him over Player B here. But it would be a close vote, right? Nope. Player B is Garrett Atkins, who finished 15th in NL MVP voting in 2006. 

Scenario 4:

This one isn't really much of a situation than it is a fun observation. Besides having 1 more hit, Player A has essentially nothing on Player B. Another fact about Player B: This was his rookie of the year season. He is Angel Berroa, 2003 AL ROY. Player A? That, too, would be Angel Berroa. Obviously it's not his rookie year, so what is it? That would be the next most impressive season Berroa would have in his career (2005 to be specific). Most players get better their first couple of years, peak at around 26-30, then slowly decline towards their retirement. Not Berroa. His career was straight downhill after his rookie season. 

Scenario 5:

Saved the best for last. This one is completely ridiculous. Again, you're a voter for the AL MVP award. Who do you choose? Unless you are that bothered by the difference in stolen bases, there is essentially no reason to pick Player A over Player B. By the way, Player B's 36 homers, 137 RBIs, and .356 batting average led the AL. Yeah, he won the Triple Crown. The "Mike Trout" argument doesn't work here either: Player B had a 10.6 WAR; Player A had a 8.2 WAR. And yet, after all this, Player A was voted the AL MVP over Player B in 1942. Player A was Joe Gordon of the New York Yankees. Player B: Ted Williams.

Source: Baseball Reference

The All-Jose Team 2014
Jose Altuve is all over the place with his record-breaking hits season. Jose Abreu is one of the most feared sluggers in the American League, and is the favorite for AL Rookie of the Year. And Jose Valverde is fun to watch. Below is our top-Jose team of 2014, along with a random fact about each.

1B Jose Abreu
Abreu has more home runs vs Justin Verlander than Robinson Cano and Adrian Beltre combined. He has 12 AB's vs Verlander. Beltre and Cano have 101 AB's vs Verlander. Yeah.

2B Jose Altuve
He owns Felix Hernandez. But on the other side of that spectrum, Bronson Arroyo owns him. Altuve is 0/13 vs Arroyo, the most ABs he has vs any pitcher without a base hit. The next closest is Joe Smith of the Angels, of whom he is 0/7 against.

3B Jose Iglesias
Yeah we know he missed the whole year with stress fractures in his shins. But oh well.
His Twitter name is @JoseIglesias_SS. We needed somebody at third though, and he has played third base 37 times in his career.

SS Jose Reyes
Reyes has more triples (115) in his career than he has home runs (111). He also did this.

LF Jose Constanza
Basbeall-Reference has Constanza listed as an "Outfielder and Pinch Hitter".

CF Jose Tabata
He pinch-hit for Travis Snider on September 20th. After falling behind 1-2, the runner on first was caught stealing. Tabata was then removed as the Pirates went to their bullpen in the next half inning. So he essentially did nothing.

RF Jose Bautista
He's played every position except shortstop. Not quite on Ben Zobrist's level. And we don't see him playing short for Toronto anytime soon because of the other Jose on this list. Other Jose as in Reyes.

P Jose Fernandez*
He has given up 14 homers in his short career. 2 of those homers were to Jedd Gyorko. And his first career home run was a hoot. 

C Jose Molina
In Babe Ruths last speech at Old Yankee Stadium, he said, "I was glad to have hit the first home run in this park. God only knows who will hit the last." That last homer would be by Jose Molina.
He is also 1 for 1 with a triple and 2 RBIs vs Juan Cruz.

Note: There are probably a couple accent marks missing from the majority of these names.
*You didn't actually think we would put Valverde here over Fernandez, did you?

Question: Which Jose would you most want to build a team around? Leave a comment and let us know.

Sources: Baseball Reference

Things Pete Rose Was Good At That Has Nothing To Do With Betting On Baseball
Here at Ben Zobrist Green Ellis, we are firm believers that Pete Rose belongs in the Hall of Fame (You already knew this if you read our first post ever). Yes, we know he bet on the game. And we know that betting on baseball is the cardinal sin. But the best players go to Cooperstown. And like it or not, Charlie Hustle was one of the greatest to ever play the game. Hate him all you want, make him sit in a corner wearing a dunce cap, tell him he's a disgrace. But let him in.
We compiled a list of things that Pete Rose was good at. All of which have nothing to do with him betting on baseball. Even if you hate him, at least try to enjoy and appreciate the helluva baseball player he was.


1. Pete Rose had 4256 hits, more than anyone else ever.
Everyone knows this. What everyone doesn't know is that 4256 is more hits than the following combinations of players:
-Johnny Bench and Mike Piazza
-Barry Larkin and Jorge Posada
-Mark McGwire and Reggie Jackson
-Jason Varitek and Barry Bonds
-JJ Hardy, Hideki Matsui, and Nomar Garciaparra
-Ty Cobb and Caleb Joseph
-Derek Jeter and Buster Posey
-Hank Aaron and Yoenis Cespedes

That's a lot of hits.



2. Pete Rose scored 2165 runs in his career, 6th all time.
Again, this is more than the following combinations of players:
-Jackie Robinson and Chase Utley
-Ryan Howard, Prince Fielder, and Matt Kemp
-Edwin Encarnacion, Troy Tulowitzki, Adam Jones, and Matt Joyce
-Willie Mays and Will Middlebrooks
-Roger Maris and Vladimir Guerrero



3. Pete Rose hit 746 doubles, 2nd most all time.
Let's play our combination game again:
-Sammy Sosa and Tino Martinez
-Ernie Banks and Brady Anderson
-Mike Schmidt and Ichiro Suzuki
-Jose Bautista, Evan Longoria, Grady Sizemore, and Robert Andino
-Cal Ripken Jr and Giancarlo Stanton
-Ted Williams and Phil Nevin



4. He played for 24 seasons. By the time he retired, he had been on an MLB roster for more than 53% of his life.



5. Not only did he play for 24 seasons, but he only struck out 1134 times over the course of his career.
There are 31* Hall-of-Famers who have played 24 or less seasons and struck out more often.
 *This number will be higher in a few years. It's not including current future Hall-of-Famers (Jeter) or guys who haven't been inducted yet (Griffey Jr.)



6. Rose debuted in 1963. In 1964, he was benched for some time because of a hitting slump. But from 1965-1983, Rose never missed more than 15 games per season. Eight of those years he played in every single game. And 15 of those years, he hit over .300. He was the model of consistency of the time.



7. In the postseason, Rose was a .321 lifetime hitter, and was the 1975 World Series MVP. He won 3 world titles, 2 with Cincinnati and 1 with Philadelphia. There are over 100 current Hall of Famers that never won a single World Series.



8. Batting Average vs the some pretty decent pitchers:
Catfish Hunter*: .308
Fergie Jenkins*: .316
Don Sutton*: .339
Gaylord Perry*: .304
Bob Gibson*: .307
Don Drysdale*: .328
Jim Bunning*: .318
Juan Marichal*: .341

*Denotes Hall-of-Famer



9. He has a hit playing every position in the field except for shortstop. Not quite Ben Zobrist-esque. But close.



10. I'm going to put up the stats of two players over the course of their careers:

Player A:
-79.1 career WAR, 2165 runs, 4265 hits, 746 doubles, 135 triples, 160 home runs, 1314 RBs, 1566 walks, .303 BA, .375 OBP

Player B:
-69 career WAR, 1322 runs, 2397 hits, 410 doubles, 109 triples, 211 home runs, 1215 RBIs, 895 walks, .303 BA, .376 OBP

If you've read anything above this, you should be able to tell that Player A is Pete Rose. Who is Player B you ask? Player B is not a single player, but the average statistics of every player in the Hall of Fame (excluding pitchers obviously). Sure looks like Pete Rose is better than the average Hall-of-Famer. Well, besides the home runs. Maybe he should have taken some steroids to get those numbers up... not like steroid use gets you banned for life or barred from being on the Hall of Fame ballot.


Pete Rose was one of the greatest, if not the greatest, player of his generation. It's a shame he's not allowed in the Hall of Fame because of something that has little/nothing to do with his amazing playing career.

MLB Player Wife/Girlfriend Power Rankings
We've compiled a list of the 15 hottest wives/girlfriends of MLB players. Not included are those who are suspended (Chris Davis), injured for season (David Wright), or DFA'd (Reid Brignac). Maybe they will make the future rankings. Let us know if we missed anyone, or if you think our rankings are off. Although it is really hard to argue against any of the following people being higher or lower than anyone else. Enjoy. (Also towards bottom NSFW)

15. Leah Niese- Wife of Jon Niese (P-NYM)

14. Kelly Reynolds- Girlfriend of Alex Cobb (P-TB)

13. Jacquelyn Frazier- Wife of Todd Frazier (3B-CIN)

12. Taylor North- Girlfriend of Kevin Gausman (P-BAL)

11. Lisalla Montenegro- Wife of C.J. Wilson (P-LAA)

10. Emily Greinke- Wife of Zach Greinke (P-LAD)

9. Brittany Svendgard- Girlfriend of Matt Joyce (OF-TB)

8. Lindsay Clubine- Wife of Clay Buchholz (P-BOS)

7. Chelsea Goff- Fiancee of Freddie Freeman (1B-ATL)

6. Dallas Latos- Wife of Mat Latos (P-CIN)

5. Larisa Fraser- Wife of Ryan Braun (OF-MIL)

4. Kim DeJesus- Wife of David DeJesus (OF-TB)

3. Jaime Edmondson- Fiancee of Evan Longoria (3B-TB)

2. Amanda McCarthy- Wife of Brandon McCarthy (P-NYY)

1. Kate Upton*- Girlfriend of Justin Verlander (P-DET)

*The more recent pictures are illegal. 

The Devil Rays
Tampa has been eliminated from postseason contention this year, and can only lose one more game to avoid a losing record for the first time since 2007. What was so special about Tampa's 2007 season you ask? That was the last time they played as the "Devil Rays". In honor of the sucky year the Rays had, let's take a look at how changing the name from "Devil Rays" to "Rays" changed the course of a franchise.

• The Devil Rays had a record of 645-972 over the course of 10 seasons. That is a winning percentage of .399. The Rays had a 550-423 record in 6 seasons. That's a winning percentage of .565. 
• More on winning records: the Devil Rays never had one. They went 10 straight seasons below .500. The Rays have gone 6 straight with a record above .500. A perfect finish this year would make that 7 in a row.
• The Devil Rays swam at the bottom of the AL East for 9 of their 10 seasons. Only once, in 2004, did the Devil Rays not finish in the basement. That year, they finished 4th. The Rays have yet to finish a season anywhere below 3rd place.
• The Devil Rays made the playoffs 0 times in 10 years. The Rays made the playoffs 4 times in 6 years.
• In 1998, their inaugural year, the Devil Rays finished 51 games back of the AL East leading New York Yankees. After they became the Rays, and excluding the years they won the east, they would finish a combined 35.5 GB of first place in 6 seasons. 
• The Devil Rays had a run differential of -1621, an average of -162.1 per season. The Rays have a run differential of +572, or an average of +95.3 per season.
• In his two years on the Devil Rays, Ben Zobrist played only one position. Shortstop. They sucked both years. In their inaugural Ray year, Ben Zobrist played 6 different positions, 7 if you include the DH. They won the AL East and made it to the World Series. I'm not saying the Rays got so good after they changed their name because of Ben Zobrist, but the evidence is there. 
• Steve Irwin died on September 4th, 2006 after being attacked by a stingray. The Devil Rays finished that season 6-19, including a losing streak of 9 games, their longest of the season. That's a winning percentage of .240. This terrible end to the season also included a 16-1 loss to the Yankees on September 25th. Read more about blowouts here.

All stats are excluding this current season, because this is the first year the Rays have sucked as the Rays. That being said, they still have 7 games to turn it around. And even with 75-80 record, they still have a run differential of +10. Not as stellar as the usual +95.3, but not as terrible as the dark days of the Devil Rays*.
*That rhyme was completely accidental

Sources: Baseball Reference 

Position Players on the Mound in 2014

This year in baseball, there have been many things to gawk at: Blockbuster trades like the David Price deal, the collapse of the Oakland A's after dealing Yoenis Céspedes, even no-hitters from teammates Josh Beckett and Clayton Kershaw within 3 weeks of each other. Most importantly, we like to call 2014 "The Year of the Position Player Pitcher."

1. Adam Dunn (CHW)-- Dunn found himself on the mound against the Rangers in a 16-0 losing effort. He threw an inning and gave up one run on two hits using 22 pitches.
2. Andrew Romine  (DET)-- A lost cause game against the Twins saw this guy on the mound, where he gave up three runs on four hits in one inning. The final score turned out to be 20-6 Minnesota.
3. Chris Gimenez (TEX)-- Continuing the theme of blowout games, Gimenez came in during a 15-6 rout by the Angels. Unlike most position players, he actually threw up a zero, something the actual pitchers on the team had trouble doing for the rest of the game.
4. Steve Tolleson (TOR)-- Tolleson has two (2!!!!) pitching appearances this year totaling one inning. He came in to sit the Indians (.1 IP) down in May then did the same thing to Boston (.2 IP) in August.
5. J.P. Arencibia (TEX)-- The Rangers were down by a lot so they put a non-pitcher on the mound. Sound familiar? Arencibia took care of business against the Rays, needing only 10 pitches and facing four batters.
6. Mike Carp (BOS)-- No, not Mike Trout or Tim Salmon. While the possibility remains that they could all be distant cousins, Carp has done something that Trout and Salmon have never done in their careers. Carp came in to face the Yankees on April 24 this year. Even with walking five people, Carp somehow managed to give up only one run using 38 pitches.
7. Mitch Moreland (TEX)-- May 6 in Colorado, Mitch Moreland came in to show the Rangers how to pitch. He sent the Rockies down in order, and the bullpen thanked him for saving arms. The final score was a Texas loss, 12-1.
8. Leury Garcia (CHW)-- Garcia came in for the 14th inning of a tied ballgame against the Red Sox. This is the first player on the list to record meaningful innings. The Red Sox proceeded scored two that inning and Garcia took the L for the White Sox. The final score was 6-4.
9. Dean Anna (NYY)-- One of the many 18.00-ERA-Club members on the list, this Yankees' middle infielder surrendered two runs in one inning against the Rays on the day of 16-1 rout. 
10. Danny Worth (DET)-- The veteran pitcher of the list, Danny Worth has been on the mound for two innings this year, more than actual pitchers on the team, Kevin Whelan and Jose Ortega. Both times being in the same series against Texas, Worth gave up a combined one run while striking out two. Both games were already lost causes, so, yet again, the position player had no major impact on the game.

Quick reminder that every single time a position player has pitched this year, teams are 0-12.... But who cares? This is one of the top sights of the MLB. My list goes no hitters, playoffs, playoff races, then position players pitching.

All stats provided by Baseball Reference and ESPN

Happy Anniversary, Randy!

                 Randy Johnson hit his only career home run off Doug Davis at Miller Park on September 19th, 2003. In honor of the 11th anniversary of that accomplishment, here are the Top 11 Most Useless Randy Johnson facts.

1. Randy Johnson owns Rickey Henderson. Henderson is 7/61 vs the Big Unit, a batting average of .115. Oh, and of those 54 outs, 30 were recorded via strikeout.

2. Reed Johnson has faced Randy 21 times, 4 of which resulted in a Hit-By-Pitch. So you could say Reed Johnson peed his pants a little whenever Randy was on the mound that day.

3. The player with the most plate appearances and no strikeout vs Johnson? Mel Hall with 18.

 

4. Randy Johnson has a career WAR of 102.1. Is that the highest of anyone to come out of the University of South California? Nope. USC alum Tom Seaver had a career WAR of 110.5.

5. Randy Johnson had more complete games in 1999 than the careers of Francisco Liriano, Edwin Jackson, and Corey Kluber combined.

6. Randy Johnson has 4 of the top 10 single season strikeout records after 1900. That’s more than strikeout king Nolan Ryan himself. 

7. He killed a bird once. You could say it was a “fowl” ball.* Oh, and it's en Español.

8. On June 30th, 1999, Johnson struck out 17 batters vs the Reds. And lost the game. In fact, Johnson struck out 14+ batters in 5 games that year, and went 2-3 in those games. 

9. Johnson’s final career appearance on October 4th, 2009 resulted in him entering the game as a relief pitcher and blowing a save.** He did, however, have 2 strikeouts in the 1.0 inning of work.

10. Randy Johnson is an aspiring rock photographer. Seriously. Follow him on Twitter at @RJ51Photos.

 

11. He gave John Kruk a heart attack (the video is worth your time)






We warned you they were useless...

*Sorry.

**Orioles fans will understand.

All stats via Baseball Reference
Sources: noisecreep.com

The Ugliest MLB Blowouts

We were looking forward to watching some great games tonight. Maybe see King Felix toss a no-no vs the hungover Angels? Or check out the Thursday Night Football game? But Felix Hernandez gave up a hit in the third inning. And Atlanta leads Tampa Bay 56-0 heading into the fourth quarter. 56-0! This got us thinking: What MLB games in history can compare to such a one-sided matchup? In honor of the manslaughter Atlanta is committing on Tampa Bay tonight, we went back and found some of the most one-sided games in MLB history. Enjoy.

August 22nd, 2007

Texas Rangers 30, Baltimore Orioles 3

Perhaps the best part about this game was that it was actually a close game for 5 innings. Baltimore actually lead 3-0, and heading into the top of the 6th, the Orioles were still in it, only down 5-3 And that's where the wheels came off. The Rangers scored 9, including a Marlon Byrd grand slam, to make it 14-3. Two innings later, Travis Metcalf (who?) added a grand slam of his own as part of a 10-run inning to make it 24-3. Another 6 in the top of the ninth gave them 30. Oh and by the way: this was the first game of a doubleheader. The Orioles actually had to trot back out there in front of that crowd (assuming there was a crowd) and play another game. Which they lost 9-7. But 9 runs compared to 30 runs? The pitching staff definitely made progress that day. Here's the Rangers box score:

August 31st, 2004

Cleveland Indians 22, New York Yankees 0

This one is really shocking. Coming into this game, the Yankees boasted an 81-49 record, whereas the Indians were just .500 at 66-66. It's why we love baseball though. Anything can happen. Cleveland tacked on three runs in each of the first three innings to jump out to a quick 9-0 lead. A Coco Crisp 2-run blast in the 5th leader to 6 more. Also of note: Victor Martinez was in the Indians lineup, going 2 for 4 with a homer. 10 years later and it's still a lot of the same from V-Mart. And who was on clean up duty for the Indians for the last two innings that day? None other than Jeremy Guthrie, who starts this Sunday for the Royals in a huge series vs the Tigers. Box Score: 

September 16th, 1975

Pittsburgh Pirates 22, Chicago Cubs 0

Another 22-0 thriller. Difference here is that the Pirates were the obvious favorite and better team heading into the game. 22-0 is still eye-opening nonetheless. Pittsburgh scored 9 in the top of the first and never looked backed. Rennie Stennett went 7 for 7, accounting for nearly 4% off his hits during the entire 1975 season. Rick Reuschel was the losing pitcher, only lasting 0.1 of an inning. Two years later, Reauschel would be an All Star and finish 3rd in Cy Young voting. Box Score: 

July 23rd, 2002

Boston Red Sox 22, Tampa Bay Devil Rays 4

There were other games that had bigger margins of defeat, but we choose this one because a) It was more recent and not in a year like 1830 b) Nomar Garciaparra hit 3 home runs, had 8 RBIS, and it was his 29th birthday c) Johnny Damon and his luscious hair were playing d) Manny Ramirez was also playing and Manny Ramirez is the most amusing player ever. Box Score: 

The football game is finally over so we'll stop there. The Bucs ended up losing 56-14, not as bad as a 30-3 baseball loss. But still pretty pathetic. And we are only minutes away from the 11th anniversary of Randy Johnson's only career home run. So stay tuned.

Sources: espn.com, baseball-reference.com

The 10 Best Bobblehead Giveaways of 2014

It's September 6th. The Tampa Bay Rays are out of the playoff race. And yet, 17,969 fans, above average for a home Rays game, pack the Trop. Why? Is it because of the Ben Zobrist appeal? Yes. But more importantly, it's Evan Longoria 80s Hair Band Bobblehead Drummer Night. And the only thing baseball fans love more than going to a baseball game to watch baseball is free bobblehead night. Especially in Colorado (you'll see). Here were the top giveaways of the 2014 season, in chronological order.

1. Apr. 20 Colorado Rockies - The Dinger Bunny Bobblehead Gnome 
What better way to spend 4/20 in Colorado than going to a Rockies game for a free bobblehead of some unknown purple creature? The Dinger Bunny Bobblehead Gnome is exactly what it sounds, a bobblehead and a garden gnome. Go ahead, put it in your front yard. 33,563 attended. Phillies 10 Rockies 9.
Price: $12.99 on eBay

2. May 16 Chicago Cubs - Babe Ruth Called Shot 

Yep. The Cubs have nothing good of their own to make into a bobblehead, so they just decided to use Babe Ruth. But who wouldn't. This has to be one of the hottest items of the year. 35,771 attended. Brewers 4 Cubs 3.

Price: $98.99 (!!!) on eBay

3. May 18 Colorado Rockies - Super Cargo Bobblehead Gnome

Even with Carlos Gonzalez injured, fans packed Coors Field for another amazing Rockies giveaway. Cargo + Superhero = Must Have. And the fans got to see a 2-run walk-off homer by Justin Morneau in the bottom of the 10th. A win-win. 44,092 attended. Rockies 8 Padres 6.

Price: $19.99 on eBay

4. June 8 Colorado Rockies - Sasquatch Bobblehead Gnome 

Something about the Rockies and these bobbleheads that double as garden gnomes. Grab one of these quickly before they disappear into the wild. It also kinda looks like Johnny Damon pre-2006. Aaaand Clayton Kershaw pitched. Why wouldn't you go? 38,111 attended. Dodgers 6 Rockies 1 (game was rain-shortened however).

Price: $35.00 on eBay or if you want to spend more

5. June 12 Seattle Mariners - Macklemore Bobblehead

Now selling at the Thrift Shop. I have the Same Love for this bobblehead as I do for the others. Can't Hold Us back from waiting in line hours before the gates open to grab one of these. Yea I know all those puns were shit. 40,596 attended. Yankees 6 Mariners 3.

Price: $39.99 on eBay

6. June 21 Cincinnati Reds - Ken Griffey Jr. 500th home run 

Easily one of the most epic bobble heads. Ken Griffey Jr. is one of the greatest, most amazing players to watch in the history of the MLB. Seriously. I mean he actually hit the warehouse at Camden Yards. 42,530 attended. Reds 11 Blue Jays 1.

Price: $39.99 on eBay

7. July 4 Minnesota Twins - Lou Gehrig Bobblehead

Commemorating the 75th anniversary of Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech. Great collectors item. Strange, however, that it was the Twins that gave it away. 36,952 attended. Yankees 6 Twins 5.

Price: $19.99 on eBay

8. July 13 Colorado Rockies - Golden Arenado Bobblehead Gnome

Another Rockies gnome. This one has an eye-opening golden hat. Put it right next to the Dinger Bunny and Super Cargo. Your neighbors will admire the landscaping work. 35,743 attended. Twins 13 Rockies 5.

Price: $16.99 on eBay

9. Aug. 17 Washington Nationals - Racing President Bill 

Do you think William Taft ever thought that 100 years after his presidency a baseball team would design and hand out a figurine of him running around a baseball diamond? It's a shame this couldn't have happened in 1913. He could have put it on his desk in the Oval Office. Nationals won this one in a walk-off sac fly in the bottom of 11. 34,430 attended. Nationals 6 Pirates 5.

Price: $19.95 on eBay

10. Sept. 6 Tampa Bay Rays - Evan Longoria 80s Hair Band 

There is so much awesome about this one. A. It's Evan Longoria as an 80s rock drummer. B. They're playing the Orioles (excuse our bias). C. Ben Zobrist (the greatest 1B/2B/3B/SS/LF/CF/RF to ever play in MLB history) went 0 for 1 with 4 walks. D. The game ended with a walk-off passed ball. 17,969 attended. Rays 3 Orioles 2.

Price: $15.99 on eBay

The total comes to $319.87. Totally worth it.

Sources: eBay.com