AL Beasts of the East - Division Race '23

[John_Havok]

The front office and the high (a.k.a. low) performance team fell behind somehow. Tampa Bays numbers are unexplainable.

 

Did Tampa bay get even one new position player? I just went through their team stats and every player was also on the 650 run .377 slugging team last year.

 

They've improved their slugging percentage 120 points with 0 new players. Honestly what the hell is going on? Every single player has improved dramatically since last year, out performing projections.

 

Gone from 139 homeruns to on pace for 300 with the same team. Like f***ing honestly. Give us some answers here.

 

Meanwhile our guys, with historically better pedigree and track records, at least for power, are all losing a bit of power.

 

I'll do a deep dive post on this later, but I can tell you I've found a really good explanation for Tampa's success offensively, and the Jays struggles.

[Stangstag]

I'll do a deep dive post on this later, but I can tell you I've found a really good explanation for Tampa's success offensively, and the Jays struggles.

 

Does your deep dive include a reason as to why Tampa is 20wRC+ above the next best team? I have a simpler explanation

[Olerud363]

Does your deep dive include a reason as to why Tampa is 20wRC+ above the next best team? I have a simpler explanation

 

PEDs or sign stealing? If latter how with pitch com?

[John_Havok]

Does your deep dive include a reason as to why Tampa is 20wRC+ above the next best team? I have a simpler explanation

 

It pretty much does actually, but it doesnt indicate whether or not it will continue.

[Jays333]

Maybe we are going to play .200 against our division and .750 against the rest of the league.

[BigCecil]

GTFO. 11-10 over LAD. Their 39th W. Can the Rays stop f***ing winning already??!!!!

[Olerud363]

It pretty much does actually, but it doesnt indicate whether or not it will continue.

 

If we assume Rays have a system that allows them to recognize pitches earlier and/or anticipate what pitch is coming it will continue until other teams make adjustments.

 

If they are identifying tells on pitchers, then teams will have to identify the same tells on their own pitchers and clean them up, that will happen eventually.

 

If they are using advanced pitching machines, video and other drills to recognize pitches early then other teams will eventually pick up on the same drills (and offense will increase overall for every team).

 

If they are using analytics and AI to get an edge on predicting pitch sequencing somehow, other teams will have to adjust by randomizing pitch sequencing and eliminating any patterns that could be picked up by other teams.

 

If they are using red-bull laced with nicotine and expresso and timing the intake of this (legal) potion exactly right, and also doing advanced nutrition/sleep/ minimizing alcohol to maximize alertness, then other teams will eventually pick up on the same strategies.

[Spanky99]

lol... good chuckle on that one Johnny O.

[jaysblue]

Will say the Trop isn't that bad of a ballpark as it's made out to be. Exceeded my expectations. Still nothing that great, but I was expecting way worse. But yeah fun place to watch a game. Felt like you were watching a game at a dome in Japan or Korea.

 

Prices for food and beer are crazy expensive though, even more than the Rogers Centre I think.

[G-Snarls]

Siri with a clutch 2 run homer to put the Rays up by a run in the 8th

[jaysblue]

Siri with a clutch 2 run homer to put the Rays up by a run in the 8th

 

Unbelievable the Rays are hitting on all these bats. I understand one or two breakouts, but it's almost their entire lineup this season.

[G-Snarls]

And in comes Julian f***in Merryweather in the 9th to load the bases for Diaz and Arozarena

 

Thanks

 

Thanks so much

 

 

 

Edit - They brought in Fulmer and he got them out of it

Edited May 31, 2023 by G-Snarls

[G-Snarls]

Not that it matters much

 

Pretty much zero chance the Cubs can score 2+ here

 

OMG Yan Gomes pinch hitting with the bases laoded in the bottom of the 9th

[Spanky99]

Umpire gave that game to the Rays, f*** him.

[G-Snarls]

Flies out to left

 

Rays win

 

Failures by multiple ex Blue Jays who now play for the Cubs

[G-Snarls]

Umpire gave that game to the Rays, f*** him.

 

The Rios hit by pitch call?

[G-Snarls]

Clearly the umps are in on the Rays cheating system

[Spanky99]

The Rios hit by pitch call?

 

Ball 4 to Gomes on the 3-0 pitch.

[John_Havok]

Ball 4 to Gomes on the 3-0 pitch.

 

Looked well within the zone.

 

[Spanky99]

Looked well within the zone.

 

Not from the box on the tv.

[John_Havok]

Not from the box on the tv.

 

I've learned this season, the TV box is decidedly smaller than the real zone, especially for width.

[G-Snarls]

Bumping

 

Yankees losing game one of a double header and ainst White Sox

 

Mostly cause Jake Burger

[jaysblue]

Baltimore won today.

[John_Havok]

Baltimore won today.

 

Yeah the Brewer's blew a 3-0 lead... *******s.

[G-Snarls]

Bumping

 

Yankees losing game one of a double header and ainst White Sox

 

Mostly cause Jake Burger

 

White Sox hold on ton win game 1

[G-Snarls]

Red Sox vs Guardians

 

How come Aaron Civale has hardly pitched this year? IL time?

[Stangstag]

White Sox hold on ton win game 1

 

Ooof Tim Anderson almost f***ed up that double play to end it

[BigCecil]

Rays playing .700 + ball in mid June. We need to leap frog the Os and Yanks while we are relatively healthy. You can’t win every “winnable” game but honestly in this division you kind of have to at this point. No longer “early”. Last night was a tough L.

[Olerud363]

Gunnar Henderson warming up and has been looking great.

 

Baltimore is not a "great" organization because the "got" 5 top 5 picks in a row, they are great because they (so far) have nailed every pick along with some lower ones. Colton Cowser .480 on base percentage, Jackson Holliday .450 on base percentage,

 

Jordan Westburg .978 OPS and 17 homers.

 

Blue Jays Message Board - Orelvis Martinez is something else, legend power, 16 homers, average now at .220, what a guy.

 

You f***ing idiots. Westburg has more homers than Orelvis and is hitting .300.

 

Take all your f***ing stupid little Blue Jays prospects that are hitting for power like Orelvis and Scheider, take your stupid powerless *******s that are hitting .300 with a .420 on base but only 2 homers like Roden and Horwitzs, now make them all hit for both power, on base and average and you have a Baltimore Orioles prospect.

 

Henderson, Rutschman, Holliday, Cowser, Westburg, Kjerstad, and Joey Ortiz, all in the same lineup for 700k a year for the next 3.

 

Or maybe they make some trades, they have no long term commitments.

 

And as it stands, with only 2 of 7 great prospects up they are 5 games ahead of the Jays.

 

What exactly are people not understanding about the Orioles being a great organization? "but, but, they lost 5 years in a row, not great"

 

They lost 3 years in a row, and rode Covid like aces, adding 2 additional meaningless losing seasons because there were no and limited fans.

[Olerud363]

FYI. Even Buck Martinez had some interesting comments as the Twins hammered Gausman.

 

a) This wasn't normal. They were taking too many splitters, and having too many aggressive swings.

In this day and age the good organizations have entire teams dedicated to both searching for tells on their own pitchers, and searching for tells on opponents.

c) These teams are crunching all the time, between games, and during games. Buck was talking like he has inside info on how the Yankees system works, and it sounds like the team is crunching video in game and relaying what they find to the dugout.

 

I think this explains a lot.

 

Tampa Bay is obviously 200% ahead of everyone in this, and their hitting performance is explained by in game and out of game advanced pitch type and location anticipation system.

 

All the other teams are doing the same thing, just not as good at it as TBR.