2016 MLB Season Thread

[Phil The Thrill]

Unless San Diego is picking up most of that, there are much better options. Shields gets lit up at Fenway and he's been in a decline for a bit.
 
He can't even put up decent numbers at Petco.

 

[brett05]

MadBum has the same number of homeruns in his career as Babe Ruth when Ruth pitched in basically the same number of innings (Ruth threw 30 less to date both hit 13).

 

[brett05]

MadBum has the same number of homeruns in the last 190 PA as Trout and Harper (11).

 

[A.E]

A day after being called "shit" by team President, the Padres give up 9 runs, in the 9th inning, with 2 outs. LOL

 

[Mudge]

The Red Sox offense has been lights out, but it is providing an effective smokescreen for a below average pitching line so far.
 
Boston currently sports a .854 OPS (OBP + SLG).  The next best MLB team in that comprehensive offensive category are Colorado and St. Louis (both at .793).  The AL team second to the Sox are the Mariners at .780.  Where it is piling up for Boston is in the doubles production: 137 so far (the Rockies are #2, but way back at 109).  No surprise than that the Red Sox lead the majors in Runs Scored (324 -- 31 more than St. Louis).
 
BUT, the pitching...not so good.  The staff has a combined ERA of 4.44 (starters: 4.79)and has allowed 253 runs, both good for 9th worst in the majors.  Sure the Run Differential is a +71 (though nothing even close to the Cubs' +134), but that gap has been diminishing of late.  And Price might be 7-1, but his ERA is a gaudy 5.11.  Add in Porcello's 7-2 record and his 4.00, and you have a combined 14-3; 4.55.  
 
No way the offense keeps up this pace (6 of 9 regulars are sporting an OPS over .850 -- unheard of).  The pitching is going to have to improve if the Red Sox really want to contend.

 

[Mudge]

We are a third of the way through the 2016 season, and the question is: are the Cubs that good?
 
The answer is YES, even taking into account some inevitable regression. The fact is the Epstein and company have clearly assembled the perfect storm, from manager down to long reliever, and then some.
 
Their 37-15 record makes complete sense at this juncture. The outstanding pitching staff (2.60 ERA to lead the majors -- 2.38 for the starters) have given up only 150 runs. Everybody knows about Arrieta and his 9-0 record coupled with a 1.56 ERA. But not far behind him are Jason Hammel (6-1; 2.06) and Jon Lester (6-3; 2.29). Add in Kyle Hendricks (4-4; 2.84) and John Lackey (5-2; 3.16) as your 4th and 5th starters, and you don't really even need much offense.
 
But offense they do have, maybe not to the degree right now of the Red Sox (who else is?), but #3 in runs scored (284) and #5 in OPS ain't nothing to shrug at. Bottom line: the Run Differential is off the charts. Hence, the sky-high .712 winning percentage. 
 
And the offense, like the pitching, is coming from a range of players, some young, some old: Zobrist, Fowler, LaStella, Bryant, Rizzo (in that order) have OPS ranging from .959 to .879. 
 
A Red Sox - Cubs World Series would not only be historic; it would be pretty good.

 

[snipezo]

I love Lindor.

 

[brett05]

 
A Red Sox - Cubs World Series would not only be historic; it would be pretty good.
 

I don't think it would be historic outside of the Cubs finally getting there.  The time to look at the Red Sox as a jinxed or drought team has long since past.

 

[cruzg24]

Holy fuck, Madbum has 11 home runs in the past 3 years. 
 
Bochy needs to pull a Maddon and bat him higher in the lineup. 

 

[Phil The Thrill]

Dontrelle Willis used to be a pinch hitter back in the day. I think he pinch ran a few times too.
 
I think Greinke has pinch hit before too.

 

[Mudge]

I don't think it would be historic outside of the Cubs finally getting there.  The time to look at the Red Sox as a jinxed or drought team has long since past.

 
I agree on that point, but I'm thinking in terms of
 
1. The Cubs
2. The Ballparks
3. Theo Epstein (think about it: if the Cubs win the WS, he becomes the guy who orchestrated the end of the drought -- and a drought it was -- for both teams).

 

[Mexi]

Holy fuck, Madbum has 11 home runs in the past 3 years. 
 
Bochy needs to pull a Maddon and bat him higher in the lineup.

did you see yesterday's?
Hit it a freakin mile. Kris Bryant, Giancarlo territory

 

[PWNdroia]

Red Sox sucking so much right now.

 

[elcheato]

Jose Ramirez is playing fantastic for the Indians 

 

[cruzg24]

This hard on for the fucking Cubs is annoying. Yea theyre really good and have been good before, so what?

I guess its more annoying since I live in Chiraq

 

[JZsportswhiz]

Cubs have a 9.5 game lead on the 2 teams who had the best records in baseball last year and it's the first week of June

#WeAreGood

 

[Mexi]

https://twitter.com/nickgroke/status/738930304354635776

Arenado furious with Nick Hundley for calling a first pitch fastball to Kemp. Kemp hit it out first pitch

 

[Mexi]

All i got was "fuckin fastball every fuckin time" from reading his lips

 

[lilbravesfan22]

Julio Teheran >>

 

[Mexi]

Corey Seager >> Teheran