The major problem with this year's All Star Game uniforms

Major League Baseball went with a very unique look for the All Star Game this year. Focusing on the Padres history with the colors yellow and brown, the league went all in on the concept.

The jerseys and hats were not great. At times, it just seemed to be too much going on at one time. However, they were interesting and brought a distinct look to the festivities. The real problem with the uniforms was the socks.

Now, as a disclaimer, I am not a uniform hater. Many of the designs that are hated on online and in the media I find really cool. One of my favorite uniforms of all-time is the old New Jersey Nets matte uniform that is hated by many.

Jose Altuve
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There are few things as aesthetically pleasing than a baseball player in high socks. Whether they are stirrups or just regular socks, the look is timeless and makes the baseball uniform distinct from other sports.

Some All Stars last night, including Jose Altuve and Manny Machado, wore All Star Game specific socks from Stance. Stance makes great socks, but these were the ugliest baseball socks I have ever seen: Navy blue with yellow stripes with the All Star Game logo on the side and the team, National or American, below the logo.

There are many bones to pick with this sock.

First, they do not match the uniforms of the people wearing them. During the All Star Game, players wear the uniforms of their team, not the All Star Game uniform. Therefore, those socks would only match the Padres color scheme. As a result, the socks do not match with any other team's color scheme, and therefore, almost of all the players in the game.

Second, there is so much going on. The baseball stirrup or sock is at its best when it is simple. Either as one full color or a main color with stripes, the best socks do not go over the top. These socks go all over the place. The logo, the team name, the stars are all additions to the sock that take the grandeur out of it.

Francisco Lindor
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Third, the sock does not always line up correctly. Because the All Star logo is so big on the sock, it is easy to see if it is in different locations on each leg. And for a few All Stars, one leg had the logo on the back of the calf while the other leg had the logo on the side of the calf. It is not a major detail, but it is an element that can make or break an outfit.

This issue is even more noticeable when some players do not wear the ASG socks. Francisco Lindor, for example, wore his regular Cleveland stirrups (arguably the best in the game) and it looked great.

For the Home Run Derby, I can live with the socks because players are wearing the All Star uniform and their respective socks would not match the All Star uniform. But, the sock is still way too much. It is obvious that having this sock is just a marketing ploy, hoping that youth will want to buy the sock. People will buy the sock, whether is is used in the game or not. But, putting it in the game is not going to result in more sales.

Let's not put money ahead of the game. While socks will not have an impact on the game, MLB should want the All Star Game to be its best product. The All Star Game socks are arguably its worst product.

New Rules for Home Run Derby Prove to Be Successful

Todd Frazier
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That was an exciting, and important, Home Run Derby last night.

MLB implemented new rules to improve the Derby and the event was need of some excitement after last year's struggles with weather and home runs.

There were potential hiccups last night, including worries about rain and the new format, but they did not come to fruition. 

The new format is fantastic, and here to stay.

Skepticism about the new rules proved to be erroneous. The bracket is a great edition to the event as it adds more drama to the early rounds. There were multiple times that a participant hit a home run or just missed clearing the fence at the buzzer.

MLB also succeeded with the four minute clock. Originally five minutes, the clock was shorten to four due to weather concerns. And four minutes seemed to be a perfect fit. It gives the hitter enough time to get warmed up and not too much time that they are wiped out by the last round.

That does not mean that the format is perfect. The second hitter in the bracket won every round except one (4 seed Joc Pederson over 1 seed Albert Pujols in the semifinals). While that may be an anomaly, MLB should try to think of a way to give the first hitter some type of advantage. 

Joc Pederson
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Also, the 30 second bonus needs to be readjusted. It was not hard to get the bonus round. If they want to include it, maybe just have it be a guaranteed bonus round where they have a 45 second break after the first four minutes and before the bonus round.

The success of the Derby should also be attributed to the players. Each of the eight players did a great job and was exciting. Anthony Rizzo hit eight home runs in one round, the least of the day. Last year, only two players hit over eight home runs in one round (Jose Bautista and Yoenis Cespedes). The players hit homers like they were supposed to do and that is a key to the Derby's success.

The success can be shown in the TV ratings. The ESPN broadcast got a 4.9 rating, better than last year, and about the same as 2010-2013. There was also a 57% increase on viewership on WatchESPN. 

The MLB hit a home run with the new rules for the Home Run Derby. Unlike other skills competition changes that fell flat and were flops (ex: the 2014 NBA Slam Dunk Contest), the Derby's new rules are improvements on the original product and should be long lasting. 

The Dodgers-Braves Trade: Impact on the Dodger's Third Base Situation

The Teams: Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves

The Deal: Atlanta Receives: 3B Juan Uribe and RHP Chris Withrow
                Los Angeles Receives: INF Alberto Callaspo, RHP Juan Jaime, LHP Eric Stults, 
                and LHP Ian Thomas

The Assignments: Jaime was sent to Extended Spring Training
                              Stults was designated for assignment
                              Thomas was sent to Triple-A Oklahoma City

The Stats: Uribe - .247/.287/.309, 1 HR,  6 Runs, -0.2 rWAR, .981 Fielding%, 2.21 RF/9
                 Withrow - Recovering from Tommy John
                 Callaspo - .203/.293/.252, 1 HR, 12 Runs, -0.4 rWAR, 1.89 RF/9 (at 3B
                 Jaime - 2 G, 0 GS, 0-1, 6.75 ERA, 10.64 FIP, 3.000 WHIP, 0.0 rWAR
                 Stults - 9 G, 8 GS, 1-5, 5.85 ERA, 5.38 FIP, 1.280 WHIP, -0.4 rWAR
                 Thomas - 5 G, 0 GS, 0-0, 3.38 ERA, 6.51 FIP, 1.688 WHIP, 0.0 WAR

Juan Uribe
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While this trade does not appear to be a major deal based on stats alone, it will have a big impact on the Dodgers. Juan Uribe was a beloved teammate in Los Angeles and many players and fans are going to be sad and angry to see him go. Even though he was struggling to start the year, Uribe was coming off of arguably the best season of his career. While I believe Uribe is past his prime, he would have been a good contributor and leader off the bench for the Dodgers. 

This deal opens up the starting third base spot, where Justin Turner and Alex Guerrero will battle for it. Both players have had hot starts, which made Uribe expendable in the first place. Turner and Guerrero are also both in their second seasons in LA, even though their roads to this point are extremely different. 

Turner is a 30 year-old utility infielder in his fifth full major league season. After struggling in his first few seasons, he finally hit his stride last season, hitting .340 with a .404 OBP and 4.2 rWAR in 109 games. He is continuing the trend this season with slash line is .287/.374/.529 and a rWAR of 1.3.

Guerrero is a 28 year-old Cuban defector who signed for four years and $28 million before the 2014 season. He started the season with the Dodgers, but was soon sent to Albuquerque (The Dodgers 2014 Triple-A affiliate). While he hit .329 with 15 homers and 14 doubles in 65 Triple-A games last season, the biggest news involving Guerrero was the fact that he lost part of his ear in a fight with fellow teammate Miguel Olivo. 

However, Guerrero has put that incident in the back burner and is having a great start to the 2015 campaign. He has a .313/.348/.687 slash line along with eight homers and beat out teammate Joc Pederson for NL Rookie of the Month for April. 

A formal decision between the two will most likely not be made for a few weeks. Nevertheless, Turner has the current upper hand and will probably get the job. Turner has started 15 games at third compared to Guerrero's nine, including four of the last five games. Guerrero has spent most of his games in left field this season and played most of his games last season at second base. 

Justin Turner
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Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman is known for signing and trading for players who have good on-base percentages and defensive skills. In both of those categories, Justin Turner is the better player, which is bad news for Guerrero. Guerrero has gotten playing time this year due to the injuries to Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford. When Puig comes back, it is going to be really tough for Guerrero to get playing time. Pederson and Andre Either are both having monster years and will not be displaced when Puig comes back (unless Either is traded). Scott Van Slyke is also having a good year as a utility outfielder. Guerrero has potential to be a very good player in this league; yet, it looks like he is going to be out of starting job soon. If he becomes available in the near future through trade, I would look to make a deal for him in a heartbeat. But in the meantime, he should focus on playing well and trying to earn a spot on the contending Dodgers. For Turner, he just needs to keep playing well and putting in work. He is on his way to become an above-average major league third baseman, which is exactly what the Dodgers need.

The 2016, Not 2015, Chicago Cubs Will Be Great

Jon Lester
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Much of the hype this winter around the hot stove has been about the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs signed up ace Jon Lester, traded for quality catcher Miguel Montero, and hired well-liked and respected manager Joe Madden. With these moves, their World Series odds rose from 50-1 to 12-1. While those three moves are major for the ball club, calling the Cubs World Series contenders in 2015 is very optimistic. The Cubs are still a year away from being contenders.

When a team signs a clutch playoff performer like Jon Lester, they are immediately put into the spotlight and become bandwagon favorites. However, it has been the little moves they have made that will set them up for success. They signed Jason Hammel, who they traded in July, but had pitched very well for the Cubs in his time at Wrigley. Ryan Lawarnway, a former top 100 prospect, was claimed off of waivers and could find his way into a important bench role. And, in an extremely underrated move, the Cubs signed Jason Motte for one year and four and a half million dollars. Motte saved 42 games in 2012 before undergoing Tommy John in 2013 and struggling in 2014 for St. Louis. If Motte proves to be successful, he could be a major cog in the Cubs bullpen in future (or they can trade him at the 2015 deadline for prospects). All of these players can have major impacts on the Cubs next year.

Kris Bryant
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However, even with these big moves, the Cubs have to be prepping for the 2016 season. By 2016, 2014 Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Kris Bryant and 2014 Oakland A's Pre-Season Top Prospect Addison Russell will be in the majors, solidifying what will be the best infield in baseball (with Anthony Rizzo and Javier Baez). Baez, who struck out at an astronomical rate last year, will have a full season under his belt where he can learn to be more selective. Arismendy Alcantara and Jorge Soler will also have the benefit of being in the majors for a full season. Also, most of the players on the Cubs roster have never been in a playoff race, and the experience they will gain on being on a competitive team in 2015 will help them in 2016.

Here is the Cubs' possible starting lineup in 2016

LF - Arismendy Alcantara - S/R - 24 - 2014 #100 Prospect according to Baseball America
2B - Javier Baez - R/R - 23 -  2014 #5 Prospect according to Baseball America
3B - Kris Bryant - R/R - 24 -  2014 #8 Prospect according to Baseball America
1B - Anthony Rizzo - L/L - 26 - 2014 MLB All-Star
RF - Jorge Soler - R/R - 24 - 2014 #41 Prospect according to Baseball America
SS - Addison Russell - R/R - 22 - 2014 #14 Prospect according to Baseball America
C - Miguel Montero - L/R - 32 - 2014 MLB All-Star
CF - Albert Almora - R/R - 22 - 2014 #36 Prospect according to Baseball America

That is one stacked line-up, top to bottom. And that does not include 24-year-old three-time All-Star Starlin Castro, who the Cubs have locked up until 2020, or 2014 1st Round Pick Kyle Schwarber. Castro is major trade bait, but if Theo Epstein can not get the players he wants in a trade for Castro, he can move Castro, a mediocre-at-best defensive shortstop, to third base or the outfield (much like what Boston is doing with Hanley Ramirez). That lineup will not be as developed in 2015 as it will be in 2016, with players like Chris Coghlan (rWAR in 2014: 0.2) or Junior Lake (rWAR:-1.5 /fWAR: -1.0) filling in until all the top prospects reach the big show.

CJ Edwards
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The 2016 rotation also looks very good, headlined by Lester, Hammel, and Jake Arriata. I have confidence that the Cubs rotation in 2016 will be above average. Pitching coach Chris Bosio is one of the best in the game right now. He has taken below average pitchers that last few years and made them above average, even potential stars. With Bosio on the staff, the Cubs can trust that they will get the best out of their starters. Their bullpen will also have some good pitchers, headlined by Hector Rondon (29 saves and 2.42 ERA in 2014). In 2016, the Cubs will also most likely have top pitching prospects CJ Edwards and Pierce Johnson in the MLB as important contributors.

While it is early to be making predictions, withstanding any more major developments, here is my prediction for the Cubs in 2015. They will start off slow, as players like Baez and Soler, are still getting themselves adjusted. By mid-May, the Cubs bandwagon is a lot lighter than it is now. However, they show improvement and by July 1st, Baez is fully adjusted and Bryant is up in the bigs. The Cubs play very well, albeit under the radar, for the last few months of the season. The North Siders finish the season with a record around 80-82. 

2016: They are my early, way, way-too early, World Series favorites.

Was the 2014 MLB Japan All-Star Series successful?

2014 Japan All-Star Series logo
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A Major League Baseball All-Star Team traveled and played an All-Star Series against the Japanese National Team, called Samurai Japan over a ten day stretch that ended last week. The MLB All-Star Team played seven games, six against Samurai Japan (five competitive and one exhibition game) and one against a combined Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants team. Samurai Japan also played an exhibition against a combined Fukuoka Softbank Hawks and Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters team. In the competitive games, the MLB All-Star Team lost the series three games to two. The games, played in six different stadiums, drew great crowds. The question is, was the MLB Japan All-Star Series successful

For the Japanese National Team and Japan, it was the equivalent of a no doubt homer. The National Team got in six games against great competition that will no doubt help them when the World Baseball Classic rolls around in 2017, which was their hope. Also, they won the series, beating the MLB All-Stars in three series games and a final exhibition. Any time a tema can beat a team of MLB players, the winning team's confidence grows.

Not only did they win the series, they also no-hit the All-Stars in the Game 3 of the series. Pitchers Takahiro Norimoto, Yuki Nishi, Kazuhisa Makita, and Yuji Nashino combined to throw nine innings of no-hit ball with 13 strikeouts and only three walks. That game was the highlight of the Series for Japan.

The attendance at the games was good, with the Game 2, 3, and 4 of the Series having the best crowds; all four games were at the Tokyo Dome, the country's most famous baseball stadium. The crowds of the some of the games could have been better, but it did not help that Japan won the series in three games. The Japanese baseball fans are some of the best in the world and deserved to get to see MLB players live. And they showed up in large numbers.

Now, on the Major Leaguers side, where the answer is not so black-and-white. Losing to Samauri Japan does not help the case for the trip being successful. MLB had made ten trips to Japan before this year and lost only one of those series.

Evan Longoria and Carlos Santana
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However, very few of MLB's best players went to Japan. Of the 62 players at this year's All-Star Game, only four made the trip: Jose Altuve, Robinson Cano, Salvador Perez, and Yasiel Puig. While there were some former All-Stars, rising stars, and very good players who went to Japan (f.e. Chris Carter, Hisashi Iwakuma Evan Longoria, Carlos Santana, and Matt Shoemaker), only a few of the game's best attended. If a few more of the greats in the MLB made the trip, I think they would have won the Series. 

The one huge problem with losing the series is that it ruins MLB's brand. You cannot claim to be the best baseball league in the world when your All-Star team loses to other leagues (even if few All-Stars attended). While few Americans will remember the Series by next July, the Series will be remembered in Japan and it will affect Major League Baseball's brand there.

In conclusion, the MLB All-Star Series was a major success for Japan, while it was a borderline success for the MLB. While all signs point to the trip being a failure for the MLB, the players did get some good work in and represented the league very well. Also, it is tough being the team to travel across the world. If there is a next time, however, the MLB All-Star team will need a series win to call the trip a success.

The Greatness of Madison Bumgarner

With more than 24 hours since Game 7 of the World Series, we move farther past arguably the greatest Game 7 performance in World Series. Madison Bumgarner, who threw 117 pitches in a Game 5 complete game shutout on Sunday, came back for Game 7 on Wednesday to pitch five innings with 68 pitches to close the game and Series for the Giants. 

It was incredible, marvelous, inconceivable.

Coming into the game, it was known that Bumgarner was available to pitch. Many pundits were saying if he pitched, which many believed was likely, he would go two innings, three at best. I myself thought he would go two shutout innings. 

It his side day to throw a bullpen session so when Bumgarner was seen warming up in the bullpen in the top of the fifth, few were surprised. The Giants were up by one run and pitcher Jeremy Affelt (who replaced starter Tim Hudson in the second inning) had reached his max. I was thinking Bumgarner would go two or three and then handing the ball over to set-up man Sergio Romo in the eight and after that, closer Santiago Casilla. 

Bumgarner did not look like himself when he first came in. Omar Infante, the first batter he faced, lined a base-hit to right field. He then got an easy out when Alcides Escobar bunted over Infante. Many considered that at-bat the game changing play. Escobar was swinging a hot bat and analysts thought he should have been allowed to hit. However, the next at-bat, not Escobar's bunt was the play of the game.

Nori Aoki came up with one out and Infante on second. Bumgarner threw him two straight balls (he also threw Escobar two bad balls, which was as common this playoffs as a Halley's comet sighting). After throwing a strike, Bumgarner threw Aoki a two-one slider. Aoki got good wood on the pitch and sent the ball the opposite way. It was slicing down the line and normally would have dropped for a double with Infante scoring easily. However, left fielder Juan Perez, who got the start over Travis Ishikawa due to his defensive skills and experience, got a prefect jump on the ball and make the catch. If Perez is not in the game and have perfect positioning before the pitch, that ball is dropping and the game is a whole new ball game. Royals can complain about the bunt and leaving in Guthrie in too long, but the Perez's catch was the game-changer.

The next batter, Lorenzo Cain, stuck out.

After that, Madison Bumgarner was pitching like he was pitching on five days rest against a bunch of amateurs. His curveball and slider were on point, his fastball was constantly reaching 93 miles per hour, and his location was pinpoint. Batters had no chance of getting good hits on his pitches. When Bumgarner he struck out Infante in the seventh, it started to hit me what was happening. History was happening.

He retired the side in the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth.

At this point Bumgarner had thrown four innings and 52 pitches. Manager Bruce Boche had said that Bumgarner was given a 45-50 pitch limit. Yet, no one was warming up in the pen: Bumgarner was going to finish the game.

And he was going to have to get out the middle of the Royals order. Cleanup hitter Eric Hosmer was first up in the bottom of the ninth with the game still tied at two. Bumgarner got behind Hosmer, but struck him out on a fastball. 

One down, two till the title.

Next up was Billy Butler, the designated hitter, and he popped out to Brandon Belt.

Two down, one more out till the title.

Alex Gordan, the Royals star left fielder, was the Royals final hope. On a 1-0 pitch, he hit the ball to center field and... it dropped in front of Blanco for a single and then the ball got by him.

In the most shocking moment of the World Series, Gordon's regular single dropped in front of Blanco and inexplicably got passed him. The ball went all the way to the wall.  Perez picked the ball up and... fumbled it. By the time Crawford received the ball as the cutoff man, Gordon was... on third.

The question will always be asked: Should Alex Gordon have gone home? The answer is simple: no. He would have been out. It all comes down to when he was running out of the box, he was not running like it was a double. He was running like it was a normal single, aka not at full speed. If Gordon knew the ball was going to get passed Blanco or the ball was more in the gap, he would have been running faster because he would have had to and only then would he have went for home and score. You cannot blame Gordon for not scoring. It would have been tough for even Terrance Gore to score on that ball if he was running out of the box like a normal.

So, Bumgarner is on the mound with the game-tying runner on third and Royals best hitter this series, Salvador Perez, at the plate. Perez had the game-winning hit in the AL Wild Card game vs. Oakland this year. Bumgarner and catcher Buster Posey had a plan. They were going to pound Perez, who has been a free-swinger this postseason, with fastballs. The first pitch was above the hands and Perez swung for strike one. He followed that pitch with another high four-seamer, which Perez took for a ball. Bumgarner threw another high fastball for strike two and then another one that Perez took for a ball. Perez fouled the off pitch five. Pitch six, he popped up into foul territory on the third base side. Pablo Sandoval made the catch.

Game over. World Series over. The Giants are champs.

At the end of the game, Bumgarner had four strikeouts and threw 50 strikes for a 73.52 strike percentage. He was originally given the win, but was later in the night it was changed to a save. This was the third five-inning save of the last twenty-five years, regular or postseason. 

What makes this game legendary is the greatness of Bumgarner. From the NL Wild Card Game to Game 7 of the World Series, Bumgarner has been extraordinary. His final World Series stats are: 21 innings, 0.43 ERA, 2-0, 0.476 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts to 1 walk. He was great in Game 1, going seven and giving up only one run. He was even better in the aforementioned Game 5 and was at his finest in Game 7.

Bumgarner's performance represents the best baseball has to offer. Pitchers do not go as deep into games as they used to, and that mean pitchers will not be as dominant and imposing as they can be if batters knew they would have to face them all game. Bumgarner has made that different. He has elevated himself into a select few of pitchers: the Elite of the Postseason. In this exclusive club is Christy Mathewson, whose performance in the World Series, especially the 1905 World Series, made him the first ever clutch pitcher and two-time World Series MVP Sandy Koufax, and Curt Schilling, whose clutch performances in the 2001 and 2004 World Series have made him a legend.

His Game 7 performance is indescribable, and while I have tried to describe, I still feel like I still have not expressed how well Bumgarner performed.

This performance was incredible, marvelous, inconceivable.

Madison Bumgarner is now a legend, but his greatest moments are not myths, they are based on the stats from the 2014 World Series.

5 Players That Are Key to the Royals Winning and Why They Are Fun To Watch This Postseason

Mike Moustakas
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On May 22nd, 3B Mike Moustakas was sent down to the Omaha Storm Chasers. The former top ten prospect and Joe Bauman Home Run Award winner had hit rock bottom in the majors. He was hitting .152, had a .223 on-base percentage, and a .320 slugging percentage in 40 games. However, Ned Yost expressed faith in him, saying, "He's a guy that is going to help us win a championship." Five months later, he has been one of the Royals best players so far in the playoffs. In Game 1 of the ALDS vs. the Angles, he hit a go-ahead homer run in the eleventh. Then, in Game 1 of the ALCS against Baltimore, he hit a two run homer in the tenth that gave the Royals, who were up one at that point, two much needed insurance runs. Finally, in last night's game, he not only hit a homer that put the Royals up 4-3 in the fourth, but laid down a sacrifice bunt in the ninth to advance the runner, Terrance Gore, who scored when the next hitter Alcides Escobar hit a double. Moustakas has turned his career around at the best possible moment. 

Brandon Finnegan
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When Moustakas was sent down to the minors, Brandon Finnegan was a junior and the ace for the TCU Horned Frogs. He went 9-3 with 2.04 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and 11.41 Strikeouts per 9. In his last college game against Virginia, Finnigan went eight innings, giving up only one earned runs. TCU lost game 3-2 in fifteen innings. Finnigan was drafted 17th overall by Kansas City in the 2014 Draft. He reported to Wilmington in July, where he was unhittable. In 15 innings, he had an 0.60 ERA and a 0.467 WHIP. He was not as good in Double-A Northwest Arkansas, but was good when he was called up to Kansas City. He pitched seven innings in the regular season, giving up only one runs and struck out ten batters. In the Wild Card Game, Finnigan pitched two and a third innings in relief, getting three strikeouts, but allowed an earned run (the runner scored when Jason Frasior was pitching). He got the win in Game 2 of the ALDS. However, he has struggled in both of the ALCS games so far. He has made a large impact out of the pen so far and will continue to. 

Lorenzo Cain
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Lorenzo Cain was a fringe outfielder for the last few years in Kansas City. That is, until he had a breakout year this year. He led the team in hitting (.301), was second in slugging (.751), OPS+ (108), rWAR (5.0), and fWAR (4.9). He also is having a fantastic year defensively, especially in the playoffs. Every game seems to have multiple fantastic plays by Cain. It does not matter if he is in center or in right field, Cain is making every play, no matter the difficulty. Cain, batting in the three hole, has also been hitting extremely well. He had two hits, two runs, and two ribbies in the Wild Card game. In Game 1 vs. Baltimore, Cain went two-for-three with two walks and two runs scored. He was even better in Game 2, going four-for-five with two runs scored and an RBI in the ninth that put the Royals up two. Cain has been a pleasant surprise and has been at his best this October.

Wade Davis
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The best set-up man, maybe even the best relief pitcher, in baseball this season is Wade Davis. His regular season numbers are off the charts. He made 71 appearances, all out of the pen, was 9-2, with 1.00 ERA, 0.847 WHIP, 3.9 Wins Probability Added, and an astonishing 399 ERA+. For comparison, Clayton Kershaw's ERA+ this year was 197, Mariano Rivera's highest ERA+ was 316, and Eric Gagne's Cy Young season's ERA+ was 337. Davis has appeared in every postseason game for the Royals so far. He has given up only one run so far, in the Royals 8-3 win over the Angels. In Game 1 of the ALCS, Davis went two innings, struck out four batters, and got the win. Davis has continued his successful regular season. For the Royals bullpen to be as effective as it has been so far, they need Davis to be the man. 

Terrance Gore
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Terrance Gore is the most unlikely member of the playoff roster of any player in the postseason. Gore spent most of the season in Adavcned-A Wilmington, until he was called up to Triple-A Omaha in August and was a September call up when major league rosters expanded. He hit .218 with a .284 on-base and a .258 slugging in Advanced-A, but he did have 36 steals and was only caught four times.Gore did a little better in Omaha, but that was in an extremely smaller sample size. In his one month in the majors, he had two plate appearances (he grounded out and was hit-by-pitch) and stole five bases. Yet, thanks to his incredible speed, he was put onto the postseason roster. He has played in four games, has had no at-bats, but does have three steals and scored the go-ahead run in yesterday's Game 2 win. It has been 40 years since Herb Washington was the pinch runner in Oakland and it has taken 40 years for another incarnation of pinch runner to come along.

Notes on MLB, MiLB, and Cape Cod Baseball

Jackie Bradley Jr Demoted

Jackie Bradley Jr.
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Jackie Bradley Jr's first season in the majors has been impressive yet disappointing at the same time. His slash line of .216/.288/.290 is the sign of someone who is not ready for major league baseball. But, his 13 assists, eight double plays, 1.000 fielding percentage, and 16.8 UZR indicate Bradley is very deserving of a Gold Glove. He is in the bottom of the league in hitting and the top of the league in defense. What do you do with a guy like that? The Red Sox have decided enough is enough on the hitting side and have sent him down to Triple-A. Considering the expansion of rosters to 40 players is less than two weeks away, this is an interesting time to move Bradley down. They should have moved him down earlier. On the flip side, it is smart to move him down so he can get at-bats and boost his confidence.

Joey Gallo Hits 40th HR in Minors for 2nd Straight Season

Joey Gallo of the Frisco RoughRiders hit home run number 40 yesterday against the Tulsa Drillers. Gallo, the number one prospect in the Rangers organization, is the first player since Ron Kittle in 1981-82 to hit 40 homers in back-to-back minor league seasons. Gallo is on track for an even better year then last. He is hitting for a higher average and getting on base at a higher clip. However, he strikes out way too much and is questionable fielding even though he has a great arm. Gallo will need another season under his belt before he starts making his impact felt in Arlington. 

Rusney Castillo's Decision

Rusney Castillo
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Rusney Castillo is rumored to make his decision on which team to sign for in the near future. Castillo defected from Cuba in December 2013. He is a center fielder with very good speed. When he showed up to his workout last month, he added twenty pounds, which impressed scouts. The added mussel means he has more power now. His defense has been rated as questionable. 28 teams went to his workout and the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, and Phillies are known to be interested. Castillo has potential to become a very good major league center fielder. The big question is when will he be ready. I think he can make an immediate impact, albeit small, in October. He is not going to be of the quality of a Yasiel Puig or Yoenis Cespedes, but he has a good chance of becoming a nice, everyday player.

Y-D Wins Cape League Championship

The Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox won the Cape Cod Baseball League championship on Saturday by defeating the Falmouth Commodores 10-4. The Red Sox had defeated the Commodores 5-0 in the first game of the best-of-three championship series on Friday. The Red Sox had previously defeated the Orleans Firebirds and the Harwich Mariners in round one and two of the playoffs. Y-D's Walter Buehler and Marcus Mastrobuoni were the Co-Postseason Most Valuable Players. Buehler, a pitcher, went 2-0 in the playoffs, including an eight inning gem in Game One of the championship. Mastrobuoni, a catcher, went five for six with two walks, five ribbies, three runs scored, a double, and a homer during the championship series. This is the fourth title for the Red Sox under Scott Pickler and their first since 2007.

Chris Carter

Chris Carter
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Astros' DH Chris Carter is an interesting case of a player with tremendous power but has trouble making contact. Carter has 29 home runs, a .516 slugging percentage, and a .283 isolated power average. He leads the MLB in fly ball percentage at 53.5%. Those are numbers of a true slugger. However, he makes contact only 65.6% of the time and 78.7% of the time when the ball is in the strike zone, which is worst and third worst in the majors respectively and has 129 strikeouts and strikeout 30.4% of the time. Carter is comparable to Adam Dunn, but without the plate discipline and walks. In Dunn's age 27 season, he had 40 homers, 101 walks, 165 strikeouts, 26.1 K%, 46.5 Fly Ball %, and a 23.8 HR/Fly Ball %. Carter, through 109 games, currently has 29 home runs, 34 walks, 129 strikeouts, 30.4 K%, 53.5 Fly Ball %, and a 21.2 HR/Fly Ball %. Carter will have to make changes to his approach to reach the value of Ådam Dunn, but he is currently showing why he may have a part in the Astros' future. 

Winners, Losers at the Trade Deadline

Winner: Boston Red Sox

Yoenis Cespedes
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When any team trades three pitchers who started a game in the World Series for them the season before, you expect the worst. However, the Red Sox got back great pieces. Yoenis Cespedes is a very good player and is now playing in a pitchers park. He will be an All-Star playing in Fenway Park. His power numbers will surge being able to pull the ball off and over the Green Monster. Not only that, Cespedes is a good defender with a cannon of an arm. Joining Cespedes in the Red Sox outfield is Allen Craig. Craig has struggled this season after being an All-Star last year. However, he has not been fully healthy this year. There is a very good chance Craig returns, either this year or next year, to being a very good hitter. The one thing I wonder about getting Cespedes and Craig is that they are joining an outfield with lots of young players. I think getting rid of Stephen Drew is a smart move. He was stalling the progress of their young players. I think they could have gotten more for Andrew Miller. 

Winner: Oakland Athletics

Jon Lester is a huge pick-up for the Athletics. They have always struggled in October.  He is a big-game pitcher who is having a fantastic season. Jonny Gomes is also a nice pick-up as a platoon player. He hits southpaws very well. You also have to remember that the Athletics also picked up Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel earlier in the month. My one problem with the Lester deal is the man the A's gave up: Yoenis Cespedes. As I already discussed, Cespedes is an All-Star talent. I never though that Cespedes would be out of Oakland so quickly. He is a free agent after next season, so the A's would have had at least until next July before they thought about trading him. The A's also got Sam Fuld from the Twins for Tommy Milone. Fuld was released by the A's earlier in the year, so reacquiring him is interesting. He will most likely platoon with Gomes in left field. The Athletics are in win now mode and you cannot blame them for it. 

Winner: Detroit Tigers

David Price
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I am all in on the Tigers. Their rotation looks dominant, absolutely dominant. 2011 Cy Young and MVP Justin Verlander, 2012 Cy Young Winner David Price, 2013 Cy Young Winner Max Scherzer, 2013 ERA Leader Anibal Sanchez, and Rick Porcello, who is in the middle of a career year. All five guys are top guys on any staff. The one factor I think goes under the radar is that one of those starters will be in the bullpen in the playoffs. I would assume it to be Porcello because he usually goes to pen in the playoffs. This would help the Tigers sketchy bullpen. Remember, they also added Joakim Soria earlier in the month. Even though he has struggled, he should be a good fit by playoff time. 

Winner: Seattle Mariners 

The Mariners did not make any big splashes, but they made key moves to help them down the stretch. They traded for Chris Denorfia, a versatile outfielder, who will be a good fit with them. And then they joined in on the David Price deal, acquiring CF Austin Jackson from Detroit and only giving up Nick Franklin. Jackson has struggled the past two years after three good seasons. Lloyd McClendon was the hitting coach in Detroit before becoming the manager of Seattle before the season. If anyone could help fix Jackson's hitting woes, it would be McClendon. Also, Jackson fills two major needs for Seattle: Right Handed Bat and Center Fielder. He improves the Mariners and makes them a bigger player in the playoff hunt.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers

Gerardo Parra
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Mets+v+Arizona+Diamondbacks+_jjRqqlAuoNl.jpg

On a day where Lester and Price captured the headlines, the Brewers made an under-the-radar trade that will pay dividends in the playoff race and in the playoffs. They acquired OF Gerardo Parra from Arizona for two minor leaguers, LHP Anthony Banda and OF Mitch Haniger. I would expect Parra to take over Khris Davis' spot in left field or move Ryan Braun back to left (where he played from 2008-12) and put Parra in right. Parra is going to be an impact player for Brewers. He is fantastic defender with a rocket arm and a decent hitter at the plate. Plus, he bats left-handed, which is a surprising key. Scooter Gennett is the only usual starter that bats left handed so Parra gives the Brewers more lineup diversity. Parra will be a key for the Brewers down the stretch.

Loser: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies desperately wanted to make a deal by the deadline, but they could not. They have been holding off rebuilding for a while and now that they are trying to, they cannot get anything done. They have a lot of parts that they could have gotten prospects and young players for. These include Marlon Byrd, Cliff Lee, Jimmy Rollins, Cole Hamels, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard. The Phillies needed to make a move and were expected to make a move. The fact they didn't on a day with more then a dozen moves is shocking. They missed out big time.

Loser: Houston Astros

I really don't understand this trade. They traded RHP Jarred Cosart, UTL Enrique "Kike" Hernandez, and OF Austin Wates to Miami for 3B Colin Moran, OF Jake Marisnick, RHP Francis Martes, and a draft pick. Jarred Cosart is a top of the rotation pitcher and could be a team ace for the future. Hernandez was fantastic in Triple A (.337/.380/.508) before being moved up to the big club, where he has been playing well. He may become a important piece on a playoff team. Wates is a speedy outfielder currently in Triple-A that has potential. Those are three interesting players who may have been a part of the Astros future. Moran may be a good player, whilee Marisnick has big potential

Loser: Tampa Bay Rays

Willy Adames
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It is always tough to give away a franchise player, but you can always expect to get a lot in return. The Rays did not get a lot and that makes them losers at the deadline. They got middle infielder Nick Franklin from Seattle and LHP Drew Smyly and minor league SS Willy Adames from Detroit. Franklin hit extremely well in Triple-A last year, but hit .222 with Seattle in 2013 and .128 in 17 games with Seattle this year. He has potential, but he will need to hit to be a major league starter. Smyly is good starting pitcher, maybe a 3 or 4 starter, but no All-Star. The key piece for them is Adames. Adames is an 18-year old shortstop from the Dominican Repblic. He is currently in his second professional season. He played in Rookie ball in 2013, but was playing with the Tigers' Class A franchise this year. Adames is a raw talent and the Rays are clearly high on him. However, they could have definitely gotten at least one more player for Price. The Rays did not get enough for the Price deal to it to be considered at least somewhat successful.

Jury Out: New York Yankees

The Yankees picked up three hitters before the deadline: Chase Headley on July 22nd and Stephen Drew and Martin Prado today. Headley has played well in New York, but he will never play like he did in 2012. Of the three players, I like Martin Prado the best because he is the most versatile, is a very good fielder, and is good hitter. Stephen Drew is a great defender, but he has never played second base in the majors or the minors. He also has not hit at all this year. Time will tell whether these deal work out. The Yankees also picked up Brandon McCarthy on July 8th and he has been great, going 3-0 with a 2.55 ERA and a 3.05 FIP. 

Jury Out: St. Louis Cardinals

John Lackey
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The Cardinals made two moves for starting pitchers on the last two days before the deadline. They acquired RHP Justin Masterson from Cleveland for OF James Ramsey and then John Lackey and minor league LHP Corey Littrell from Boston for OF/1B Allen Craig and RHP Joe Kelly. These moves are clearly made to boost their rotation that experienced injuries and some struggles. However, their rotation has not been the problem, it is their line-up. They have had little slugging from them and have had difficulty scoring. They have the second-to-last runs scored in the majors with 387. Both starters they received are good but inconsistent. The big question is whether or not they missed out on an opportunity to get a bat. 

Jury Out: Washington Nationals 

With Ryan Zimmermann is out indefinitely, the Nats decided to go out and get infielder. They got Asdrubal Cabrera for the Indians for Zach Wolters. Cabrera, who was playing short in Cleveland, will be playing second base in Washington. That means Anthony Rendon will move to third base, where he is most comfortable. Cabrera has gold glove potential, but he is a streaky hitter. His versatility is a big key, but we need to see how he performs in DC to see if the Nationals are winners or losers. 

Winner: Baseball

What a day for baseball! After a very uneventful and boring deadline day last year, this deadline day was exciting, interesting, and fascinating. First the two big Red Sox deals, then the Price rumors with the smaller deals, and then 15 minutes before the deadline, the Price deal is made. The day was a roller coaster ride. These trades will impact teams for many years to come. This was the best trade deadline of any sport in years and a great day for baseball.

Is Jose Altuve the Best Baseball Player in the Majors?

Jose Altuve
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The Houston Astros are 42-63, second worst in the major leagues. They have a run differential of -107 and their hitters have the second most strikeouts of any team. Astros' pitchers have the third worst ERA (4.47) and WHIP (1.41) in the majors. They are on their way to their sixth straight losing season and possibly their fourth straight 100+ loss season. There have been few bright spots on the Astros in these last few years. One of those bright spots has been Jose Altuve, an unheralded prospect who is leading the major leagues in hitting and made his second All-Star Game this year. While Mike Trout, Troy Tulowitzki, Jonathan Lucroy, and other star players are being discussed as MVP, Altuve is not being heavily considered. However, he may be the best player in the league this year.

Altuve is 5'6", 175 pounds, so he is never going to be a man who hits many home runs, but he can hit the ball with the best of them. He is currently hitting .344, which is first in the MLB. He has 148 hits, most in the majors, with 30 doubles, tied for fourth in the majors. He has also only struck out 39 times and has averages one strikeout per eleven at-bats, which is third best in the league. Not only is he raking at the plate, but he is also making a fantastic baserunner. He is second in the majors in stolen bases with 42, and has only been caught five times. 

Defensively, Altuve has been good. He is second in the majors in putouts (192), assists (295), and double plays turned (72). His 4.98 range factor per nine innings is fourth in the league. Some other advanced defensive metrics have Altuve as a middle of the pack second baseman, but he still very good defensively. 

The sabermetrics are not very high on Altuve. His fWAR is 3.6, which is 19th the majors, and his rWAR is 3.9, which is 22nd. With his production this year, I would think they would be higher. His secondary average is not in the top 75 and his 1.6 win probability added is 44th in the majors. He is top ten in a few sabermetrics. He is fifth in the league in offensive runs above replacement level, eighth in the majors in runs created with 77, and first in runs above replacement level. 

Jose Altuve
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Altuve has been great this season. His combination of hitting and speed has not been seen in the majors in the last few seasons. The problem with Altuve is he is on one of the worst teams in the majors who may lose 100+ games for the fourth straight season. That is the reason Altuve is not in the MVP race. While most sabermetrics do not due Altuve justice for his production, he should be put into the best baseball players of the year category. He is not the best, but he is playing exceptionally and should be rewarded for it. He is a player that plays the game with a lot of heart and does the little things exceptionally well. Altuve is in elite tier of second baseman and should be there for a long time.  

Chicago or Colorado: Which Team Has Had The Better Players So Far?

Colorado Rockies Logo
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Chicago White Sox
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The MLB season may be barely a month in, but it is never too early to evaluate the performances of teams. While neither the Chicago White Sox or the Colorado Rockies are leading their divisions, both have been playing better then expected and have received some fantastic play from their players. Both teams have players that fill up the league's leader board in both of their leagues and in major league baseball overall. Both are ranked in the top three in hits, runs, RBIs, doubles, extra base hits, total bases, weighted runs created plus, batting average, batting average on balls in play, slugging percentage, OPS. While looking at league leaders, I asked the question: which team has had the better players so far? 

Catcher: Tyler Flowers vs. Wilin Rosario

Tyler Flowers
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258/files/2014/04/tyler-flowers-mlb-chicago-
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Wilin Rosario
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Flowers has been on a tear to start the year. The catcher is hitting .359, has an on-base percentage of , and OPS+ of 127, and a . He is also thrown out 35% of the runner trying to steal against him. Rosario has gotten off to a decent start. He is hitting just under .250, but his on-base percentage is about .276, which is abysmal. He  needs to get that up at least 50 points. He is also throwing out runner at a 33% clip. Flowers has had a monster start to the season and has been better then Rosario without a doubt. 

First Base: Jose Abreu vs. Justin Morneau

Jose Abreu
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Justin Morneau
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Abreu has been off to a monster start so far. The rookie from Cuba has already hit ten home runs (most by a rookie in the month of April ever) 32 RBIs (also most by a rookie in April) ,and is making a name for himself in the big leagues. Morneau has been on a tear this April with a slash line of .357/.381/.643. This is one of the toughest ones to call. Both players have about the same rWAR, roWAR, and rdWAR. In the end, I say the rookie wins this matchup because of the roll he has been on and the excitement he has brought to the south side of the Windy City.

Second Base: Marcus Semien vs. DJ LeMahieu

Marcus Semien
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DJ LeMahieu
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LeMahieu is playing like an above average second baseman, while Beckham has been having a lot of trouble. LeMahieu is hitting .305 with an on-base percentage of .363. He is not hitting for much power, but he is getting the ball in play. Semien has been struggling at the plate hitting only .233 with a .294 on-base percentage and a .379 slugging percentage. Not only that, he is tied for the most outs created by any player in either league so far. The advantage is to LeMahieu for being the better player.

Shortstop: Alexei Ramirez vs. Troy Tulowitzki

Alexei Ramirez
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Troy Tulowitzki
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The Rockies have the best player in the league and a top ten player in the league. Troy Tulowitzki has been outstanding so far. Tulowitzki is the current league leader in rWAR  (3.0), on-base percentage (.486), slugging percentage (.753), OPS+ (223), runs created (33), and offensive win percentage (.916). Not only that, Tulowitzki has been impermeable at shortstop. While Ramirez is the leader in the AL in batting and has played great, he is not even in the same area code of Tulowitzki right now. 

Third Base: Conor Gilliapse vs. Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado
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Conor Gilliapse
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Conor Gillapse has been playing well at third. He is hitting over .300, but was just recently placed on the DL with a bruised hand. Arenado has been playing fine. He is not on a complete tear, but he is also hitting over .300, but needs to draw more walks. Both of these guys are playing well and their numbers are very similar. This position is a push. You can pick either one as the better player so far and your point can be proven. 

Left Field: Alejandro De Aza vs. Carlos Gonzalez

Carlos Gonzalez
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Alejandro De Aza
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At first glance, this matchup would seem to be easily won by Carlos Gonzalez just based on past performance. However, Gonzalez comes away with the victory due to the fact De Aza has played awful during the first month of the season. De Aza is hitting .191 and getting on base at a percentage of .255. Gonzalez is not doing much better (His slash line is .240/.288/.433), but at least he is giving the Rockies something at the plate.

Center Field: Adam Eaton vs. Charlie Blackmon

Adam Eaton
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Charlie Blackmon
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No one has been an all-around better player the Tulowitzki so far. His teammate, Charlie Blackmon, however, has been close.Blackmon first appeared with the Rockies in 2011 and was splitting time between the big league club and Colorado Springs, the Rockies Triple-A affiliate until he won the starting centerfield and leadoff spot this year. He has proved that the Rockies made the right choice with his play. He currently lead the league in batting average and is runner up or in the top five in many other categories, including OPS, rWAR, fWAR, Adjusted OPS, runs and created. He has also only struck out seven times. Eaton at this point cannot compare to Blackmon.

Right Field: Dayan Viciedo vs. Michael Cuddyer

Dayan Viciedo
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Michael Cuddyer
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Viciedo has started doing something he has never done since coming up to the majors in 2010 and that is hit for average. In his first four season, he hit .264 with a .306 on-base percentage. This year, Viciedo is hitting .341 with a .406 on-base percentage and a .506 slugging percentage. Cuddyer was on the DL for part of the season, but he is back and is also playing well. The 2013 NL Batting Champ is hitting .317, has an on-base percentage of .373 and a .533 slugging percentage. This is a really tough matchup to pick. It's a push, but I am leaning towards Viciedo.

Bench/DH: Chicago (Gordon Beckham, Jordan Danks, Adam Dunn, Leury Garcia, Paul Konerko, Adrian Nieto) vs. Colorado (Brandon Barnes, Charlie Culberson, Corey Dickerson, Jordan Pacheco, Josh Rutledge, Drew Stubbs)

Adam Dunn
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Brandon Barnes
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Adam Dunn is the White Sox's DH. Dunn has never been a guy to hit for average, but if he continues to .280, his current batting average, he would have his best batting average of all-time. This would also be the same for his on-base percentage (currently .409) and OPS+ (currently 154). Gordon Beckham was injured for most of the first month of the season, but now that he is back, he has taken over the starting second base spot. Brandon Barnes has been off to a hot start with .333 batting average and .410 on-base percentage. Dickerson has also been off to a hot start while starting on the outfield while Michael Cuddyer is on the DL. He has an OPS of .941 and an OPS+ of 145. The bench advantage goes to the Rockies, who have players on their bench who are playing better then their regular starters.

Ace Starting Pitcher: Chris Sale vs. Jorge De La Rosa

Chris Sale
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Jorge De La Rosa
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Sale has been tremendous. He's 3-0 with a 2.30 ERA, 0.841 WHIP, 2.32 FIP, and a 190 ERA+. That WHIP immediately jumps of the screen at me and says he has been impossible to hit. There is just one problem with Sale; He is currently on the DL and has been since the 18th of April. De La Rosa has been mediocre so far. He has a 2-3 record, 5.23 ERA, 4.51 FIP, and 79 ERA+. Even with the injury, the win goes to Sale due to his sheer dominance and the lack-luster start for De La Rosa.

Rest of Starting Rotation: Chicago (John Danks, Felipe Paulino, Jose Quintana, Andre Reizino) vs. Colorado (Tyler Chatwood, Jordan Lyles, Franklin Morales, Juan Nicasio)

Jordan Lyles
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Jose Quintana
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Jordan Lyles has been the best starter for Colorado so far, with a 3-0 record, 2.93 ERA, 1.109 WHIP, 3.54 FIP, and 141 ERA+. Everyone else has been decent or below average. Jose Quintana and John Danks have been good for the White Sox. Quintana is 1-2 with a 1.333 WHIP and a 8.0 strikeouts per nine innings ratio. John Danks has been 2-1 and with an ERA of 3.48 and a WHIP of 1.419. Pauilno has struggled in his starts, while Rienzo has been mediocre. While neither rotation is in the top part of the league, the White Sox is better then Colorado's through April. 

Closer: Matt Lindstrom vs. LaTory Hawkins

Matt Lindstrom
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LaTroy Hawkins
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Lindstrom has not had as many opportunities to get the save in as many games as Hawkins (Lindstorm has three saves compared to Hawkins nine), but both have been effective pitchers. Hawkins, however, has been better and by a lot. He has a better ERA (2.38 to 3.75), WHIP (1.059 to 1.583), FIP (3.91 to 4.70), and ERA+ (177 to 119), among other things. The most telling stat for me is Lindstrom's strikeouts per walk is 1.00. That needs to improve for him to keep pitching well.

Bullpen: Chicago (Ronald Belisario, Maikel Cleto, Scott Downs, Zach Putnam, Jake Petricka, Daniel Webb) vs. Colorado (Matt Belisle, Rex Brothers, Tommy Kahnle, Boone Logan, Adam Ottavino)

Jake Petricka
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Adam Ottavino
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Adam Ottavino has been excellent coming out of the pen. His numbers are unbelievable. He has a 0.73 ERA, 0.811 WHIP, 1.17 FIP, and a 576 ERA+. It is very unlikely that he keeps up those numbers for the rest of the year, but if he can keep pitching well, he should be an All-Star and possible breakout star. He may even overtake Hawkins for the closer role. Rex Brothers has also been pitching well out of the Colorado pen. Jake Petricka has been very good out of the pen for Chicago, as has Zach Putnam and Daniel Webb. The Rockies have had the best bullpen so far, mostly because they Ottavino.

Winner: 

While both teams have great players, so far Colorado has had the better players. Almost all of their position players are hitting over .300. It seems like everyone on the Rockies is on a hot streak. Even though their pitching is not great, having a guy who is as dominant as Ottavino really helps. The team from the Mile High City has a lot of players playing great baseball. 
Note: Stats are as of the morning of 4/30