Brownie19

https://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/2838156/ranking-the-2024-mlb-spring-training-hats Look at the new Spring Training hats. I like the Jays one (as does the score) and may need to pick one up. Thank god we've finally moved away from a maple leaf on a hat.

I suspect the probability of Vlad being a 4 WAR+ player this year are over 50%. There's probably an 85% chance he's above 3 WAR.

The Jays were 14th in runs scored last year (7th in wRC+). You act like we were 25th. A simply return to a normal batting average with RISP would probably push us into the Top 10 in runs scored - even if there was little to no improvement from our core players. Minor bounce back seasons by Vlad, Springer, Kirk and Varsho and/or some breakouts by our prospects (Schneider, Horwitz, Barger, Orelvis) would help offset any other declines we may see (Turner, KK, Springer) and the loss of Chapman. Large bounce back seasons from those hitters and/or major breakouts for a prospect or 2 and we're probably a Top 5 offense. I can appreciate what you're saying about the starters, but we do have more pitching depth this year than I can remember. A rebound season from Manoah alone would go a long way to covering any regression or injuries in the rotation. We also have Yariel Rodriguez, White, Francis, Ricky T and Chad Dallas to turn to if Manoah is finished and/or we have injuries. Now of course of Manoah is finished and 2 of our other starters need TJ surgery, we're f***ed - but so would almost every other team in baseball.

1. Perhaps he doesn't feel as though that's true (or has been told it's not true); 2. Either way, the goal is to maximize the # of wins - not maximize the offense. You may think the offense is what needs to be fixed, but I doubt you felt our offense was a major concern heading into last year. It turns out us fans are wrong pretty often.

You understand why that is right? Because all projection systems suggest they will. I would hope everyone would want a FO that looks at projections, instead of saying "well they sucked last year, so we should expect the same from them this year" - just the same as they shouldn't say "well that player was great for us last year, so let's blindly assume he'll be great for us this year". And to be fair, the FO did add Yariel Rodriguez to add to our SPing depth (to go along with some of our prospects being a year older and more ready to contribute).

There are going to be a lot of solid players who have to settle for minor league contracts with an invite to STing. I suspect we'll try and nab a few of them to give us options. Schneider in LF with Espinal at 2nd base may also be an option v. LHP. Biggio also hits LHP about as well as he does RHP - so he could play LF also.

I don't think any RP should be considered a generational talent. Randy and Pedro both meet my criteria. I don't consider Ichiro to be generational. I think people overrate those 'pure hitters' like Gywnn and Ichiro (add Rose in there if you want too). I appreciate guys who can hit .350 and rack up 200+ hits year - but neither of them should EVER be discussed as "one of the greatest hitters of all time". Gwynn's career high season was a 154 wRC+, Ichiro's was 131. Even someone like Jeff Bagwell was a SIGNIFICANTLY better hitter than both these slap hitters and nobody ever talks about Bagwell being one of the best hitters of all time.

Oh f*** yeah. Duh. Can't overlook the GOAT.

I'm curious how you're leaving Griffey and A-Rod off this list. A-Rod had 6 seasons over 9 WAR.

I think most reports even question if he can play 2nd defensively at the ML level. No idea how someone goes from playing SS 2-3 years ago to being unplayable on the infield. Impressive work.

100% those 3 are generational. I don't put Harden on that pedestal, but I think Joker is right there. Emiid needs more seasons. Westbrook is close (like Harden)

Interesting debate. When people say "generational player" does that mean he'll be the best player drafted by a particular team "in this generation"? or are we talking about the best 4-5 players in all of MLB within "a generation"? Personally, I'm not sure I consider Harper to be a generational player - or even a no doubt HOFer at this point (although I more than likely he will get in). Harper certainly entered the league with a lot of fanfare and had a massive 2015. He's a great hitter - but I look at someone like Chase Utley and he may not even make the HOF, let alone be considered a generational talent. Utley had 5 straight seasons over 7.2 WAR. Harper has 1 in his career. I never considered guys like Jeff Bagwell, Sheffield, Votto or Edgar Martinez to be generational players - yet they'll all probably end up with much higher career wRC+ numbers than Harper (and some will have more career WAR). When I think of generational players, I think of Trout, Pujols, Griffey Jr., A-rod. And if we're talking just bats, guys like Frank Thomas and Manny. Even current players like Judge and Yordan are way ahead of Harper with the bat IMO. Great player, probably a future HOFer, but not generational IMO.

This is a poor take if you aren't going to factor in his age. Age and results in the minors can be very good indicators of ML success. Kirk was raking in A+ ball as a 20 year old (when he was 2.4 years below the average age) and raked in the majors as a 23 year old in his first full season. This are very good indicators that Kirk is a legit, ML hitter. That's obviously much different than Riley Adams, who raked in A+ ball as a 23 year old.

I mean, in Moneyball, they were going around preaching to (seemingly) everyone that they should see more pitches, knock that starter out early, etc. So I guess it could happen. Moneyball is really the only insight I have in how teams may influence their players. Perhaps they kept showing them the numbers and the value of spreading the ball around and using an all-fields approach? It just seems so mind numbingly stupid that I can't believe it's true. Each player needs their own strategy, based on their abilities/skills.

Rob Friedman (@pitchingninja) • Instagram reel WWW.INSTAGRAM.COM 84K likes, 394 comments - pitchingninja on January 31, 2024: "Bartolo Colón vs. His Helmet.". That is the greatest stat of all time. No idea of true but let's just blindly assume it is!

Yimi got paid because he has almost a 2 MPH jump in velo in 2021, including very good results after joining Houston. Good stuff, good projections. Nobody was considering what Yimi did in 2019.

Luckily - there seems to be a ton of interesting arms in our upper minors, who can hopefully help replace these guys for next to nothing.

I think most did find Green's contract to be odd and/or complicated. Why is this good for SD? If Peralta is good - he's going to opt out and leave. If he sucks, then SD is stuck with him (for up to 4 years). How is a pitcher coming off a s***** -0.5 WAR season getting a 4 year deal? I expected him to get a spring training invite to be honest. I thought SD was trying to cut payroll. Their new strategy seems to be signing lots of RP'ers.

Sorry, we're only evaluating teams on this planet.

Surely this can't be true.

https://www.thescore.com/pga/news/2834707/pga-tour-investment-group-make-3-b-deal I don't exactly know what this means for the PGA, but it sounds like a big deal. Anyone care to give me the Cole's Notes?

I know - but he's not some unknown now man. People are talking about him.

The bottom of the Jays lineup isn't very impressive from an offensive perspective. The team is clearly built on pitching and defense. That said, you're correct that the bottom of the lineup for most teams, even contenders, are often full of guys who are at, just above or just below league average at the plate. Bottom of the Phillies lineup, with Steamer wRC+ projections in brackets: Stott (100) Bohm (107) Marsh (98) Rojas (83) Orioles: Mullins (103) Hays (105) O'Hearn (105) Westburg (107)/Urias (95) Mateo (82) - unless Jackson Holliday starts Even the Dodgers (greatest team ever created on paper): Teo (110) Outman (103) Lux (109) Heyward (101) / Taylor (91) / Margot (99) Jays: Varsho (106) Schneider (113) / Biggio (99) KK (91) IKF (89) There is little doubt the Jays offense is only going to go as far as the stars take it. As of right now, our offense is probably 7th-12th overall, based on the expectation that we get bounce back years from Springer, Kirk and Vlad (whom are all projected to do so). If we're going to become a Top 5 offense, we're going to also a couple of guys to breakout or overperform. That would likely be Bo, Jansen, Varsho or Schneider.

Are you suggesting GM's shouldn't be using projections when constructing their teams? They should only look at actual results from previous years?

Basallo is MLB's 17th ranked prospect in baseball. People are talking about him. You're going to need a new schtick.