MLB Standings Update: Spring Training Edition
Arizona Diamondbacks 22-8
Los Angeles Angels 16-8 (3 games behind)
Cleveland Indians 16-12 (5)
Texas Rangers 17-13 (5)
Colorado Rockies 15-12 (5.5)
Chicago White Sox 15-13 (6)
Milwakuee Brewers 14-13 (6.5)
Seattle Mariners 15-14 (6.5)
Cincinnati Reds 15-16 (7.5)
Los Angeles Dodgers 13-15 (8)
Kansas City Royals 14-19 (9.5)
Oakland Athletics 11-16 (9.5)
Chicago Cubs 11-17 (10)
San Francisco Giants 12-19 (10.5)
San Diego Padres 10-19 (11.5)
Washington Nationals 18-4
Toronto Blue Jays 17-6 (1.5)
Minnesota Twins 19-10 (2.5)
Detroit Tigers 17-11 (4)
Houston Astros 17-11 (4)
Philadelphia Phillies 15-10 (4.5)
Tampa Bay Rays 12-12 (7)
New York Yankees 13-15 (8)
St. Louis Cardinals 11-13 (8)
Miami Marlins 10-13 (8.5)
Baltimore Orioles 11-15 (9)
Boston Red Sox 12-18 (10)
New York Mets 7-17 (12)
Pittsburgh Pirates 8-20 (13)
Atlanta Braves 6-20 (14)
Do Spring Training records matter?
Conventional wisdom has always held that people are better off not looking at spring training records. Players usually come in out of shape, pitchers are typically trying new stuff to see what works, and most of the players involved in the games will be in the minor leagues on Opening Day. That being said, I thought it would be interesting to take a look back and see if there was a good argument for spring training games mattered. So I took a look at the last six seasons to see how the AL & NL Champions that made the World Series fared in Spring Training.
2015: Royals (20-10) vs Mets (19-12)
2014: Giants (17-12) vs Royals (12-16)
2013: Red Sox (17-17) vs Cardinals (16-15)
2012: Giants (18-15) vs Tigers (20-8)
2011: Cardinals (14-16) vs Rangers (13-16)
2010: Giants (23-12) vs Rangers (10-19)
Some things I noticed:
-The Mets won the Grapefruit League last season, but the only other Cactus or Grapefruit League winner to appear in the World Series was the Giants' 2010 Cactus League & World Series-winning squad. The American League champion Rangers finished last in that league.
-The Royals won the Cactus League in 2013, the year before they began their streak of World Series appearances. This causes one to believe that the Royals' young players were already showing potential as a team before they got to the show.
-The Cactus League produced 7 World Series teams against the Grapefruit League's 5, making the difference between leagues insignificant in that regard.
So Spring Training records don't necessarily matter...except when they do. Glad I could answer that question.
Reds Update
Growing up just south of Cincinnati, there are few traditions I am more loyal to than Opening Day. Due to its status as professional baseball's first city, Cincinnati hosted the first baseball game of the season for generations. That ended thanks to ESPN giving Major League Baseball some money back in 1994 and Marge Schott balking at the idea of an Opening Night, but Opening Day is still the biggest date on Cincinnati's social calendar, there's still a Findlay Market Parade, and the Reds still start every season at home.
This year, the Reds host the Philadelphia Phillies. One of the few teams expected to finish below the Reds in the win column this season, the Phillies are in the same rebuilding mode that the Reds & half the National League are in this season. This will probably make for less than stellar baseball this season, but the Phillies have several young players on their roster that should be key factors in their eventual return to prominence. They also have manager Pete Mackanin, who managed the 2007 Reds to a 41-39 record after he took over when Jerry Narron was dismissed. That record made him the best Reds manager of the 2000s. The 2000s was a pretty dismal decade for the Cincinnati Reds.
This week the Reds will host the Phillies & the Pittsburgh Pirates for three games each. While the Pirates have been markedly better than the Reds over the last two seasons, the Reds won the season series with the Pirates in 2014 & 2015. Gerrit Cole, the Pirates' ace, is being saved for Friday's game instead of going against the Cardinals...considering his abysmal record at Great American Ballpark I'm not sure that's the best of ideas. Don't be surprised if the Reds have a winning record after Week 1 by taking two from the Phillies & two from the Pirates.
It may be their last winning record of the season, but we'll take what we can get.
Most Ridiculous Injury of Spring Training
Baseball is known for ridiculous injuries. For whatever reason, baseball players seem to suffer more ridiculous injuries than players of other sports. They walk through glass doors. They throw their back out while sneezing. They scorch themselves in tanning beds. All sorts of crazy things happen to keep baseball players from doing their jobs.
Matt Harvey almost missed Opening Day. He was suffering from a bladder infection that caused clots & some discoloration in the ol' urine. Harvey told reporters that the infection was caused by regularly waiting too long to urinate. Believe it or not, quite a few people found this pretty hilarious. Deadspin's headline of "Matt Harvey's Wee-Wee Hurts Because He Didn't Do Enough Tinkles" pretty much sums it up. Harvey was quite angry about the response to his serious medical ailment and refused to talk to reporters the day after the news came out & prompted headlines like "Ya Gotta Relieve", "Whiz Kid", "Field of Streams" & "Pee Brain".
Sure, I'd probably be pissed too if I was Harvey. But what did he expect to happen when he dropped that knowledge? In an America where one of the front-runners for President spends most of his time in the gutter ridiculing his opponents and gets higher poll numbers every time he does it, public figures have to expect to get insulted for anything and everything. It's what we do now, for better or worse.
Even if a bladder infection is a more serious medical ailment than burning yourself in a tanning bed, it's still the type of injury that only baseball players get. You'd think that baseball players would have more opportunity to urinate than other athletes. Especially a pitcher that gets long breaks between his innings. Really, the only athlete that has more time available to urinate than a baseball player is a stock car driver. Matt Harvey's bladder infection might not really be a laughing matter, but it sure is ridiculous.
MLB Predictions
Most of the preseason preview magazines that come out and are awesome to read feature horrible predictions. I feel a certain obligation to predict records & placement in divisions & playoffs & World Series thanks to these magazines. I expect none of these to be right.
AL East
1. Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)
2. New York Yankees (91-71, WC1)
3. Boston Red Sox (90-72. WC2)
4. Baltimore Orioles (78-84)
5. Tampa Bay Rays (68-94)
AL Central
1. Kansas City Royals (95-67)
2. Cleveland Indians (88-74)
3. Detroit Tigers (86-76)
4. Minnesota Twins (81-81)
5. Chicago White Sox (75-87)
AL West
1. Houston Astros (98-64)
2. Los Angeles Angels (89-73)
3. Texas Rangers (83-79)
4. Seattle Mariners (71-91)
5. Oakland Athletics (65-97)
AL Wild Card Game: Yankees over Red Sox
AL DS: Astros over Yankees, Blue Jays over Royals
ALCS: Astros over Blue Jays
NL East
1. New York Mets (97-65)
2. Washington Nationals (91-71, WC2)
3. Miami Marlins (82-80)
4. Atlanta Braves (67-95)
5. Philadelphia Phillies (62-100)
NL Central
1. Chicago Cubs (99-63)
2. St. Louis Cardinals (95-67, WC1)
3. Pittsburgh Pirates (89-73)
4. Cincinnati Reds (71-91)
5. Milwaukee Brewers (69-93)
NL West
1. San Francisco Giants (87-75)
2. Arizona Diamondbacks (83-79)
3. Los Angeles Dodgers (82-80)
4. San Diego Padres (74-88)
5. Colorado Rockies (72-90)
NL Wild Card Game: Cardinals over Nationals
NLDS: Cubs over Cardinals, Giants over Mets
NLCS: Giants over Cubs
World Series: Astros over Giants
The Giants win the National League every even numbered year. I don't make the rules. They typically win the World Series too, but I feel like this is Houston's year. Tanking will finally be rewarded and half of the National League will think they're heading on the right track.
Three Series To Watch This Week
1. NY Mets at Kansas City (Sunday, Tuesday): It's only two games, but it's a rematch of last year's World Series. The Mets fared pretty well against the Royals last year except in the later innings, and they're sending their top two pitchers (Harvey, Noah Syndergaard) to try & shut down last year's World Champions. You would think the Royals would be fat & happy after taking the title last year, but reports are that they're still mad at Syndergaard for throwing at Alcides Escobar in Game 3 & talking smack after the game. You would also think that winning the title would be enough retaliation, but the Royals are known redasses, especially early in the season when they want to set a tone. Don't be surprised if somebody gets thrown at, players walk out onto the field, and everybody goes crazy.
2. St. Louis at Pittsburgh (Sunday, Tuesday-Wednesday): The Cubs are getting all the headlines & preseason love, but the Cardinals have dominated the NL Central for most of this decade & the Pirates were the cute up & coming team before the Cubs were. These two teams have had close season series the last few years and I expect this year to be no different.
3. Boston at Toronto (Friday-Sunday): The Sawx are expected to be dramatically improved this season, and this series will be a good indication of how far along they are. Former Jay David Price is currently scheduled to face R.A. Dickey on Saturday afternoon, I'm sure he'll get a respectful ovation from the Toronto faithful.
That's it for this week! Join me next week when we have actual games & happenings to talk about, and let me know what you'd like to read or see!
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