Each Team’s Step Up Player

Today is one of the those days where I have decided to turn control over to the three Lynch kids. I have each of them to identify the player from their team who is about to take a big leap forward or play a bigger role. When I first posed the question, I am not quite sure if they understood what I was looking for. Caitlyn said Aaron Nola was her guy and then I had to remind her that he was an established Major Leaguer coming off a solid season. After clarifying my request, their minds went to work. What follows is the finished product in their own words (with a little commentary from me).

Perhaps Brett Baty can stick around for all of 2025. Credit: New York Post

New York Mets: Brett Baty

After a great start to 2024, Baty was sent down to Triple A at the end of May. With Mark Vientos firmly entrenched at third base, Baty seemed to a be man without a position. Matthew’s reasoning for Baty to play a big role for the Mets in 2025 is based on his Spring Training numbers. He has three home runs and ten extra base hits in 18 games. Jeff McNeil‘s injury has opened the door to a roster spot where he is getting a long look at second base. Perhaps the role as a swing infielder in the Jose Iglesias mold is where Baty will help the Mets the most in 2025.

Philadelphia Phillies: Orion Kerkering

The 23 year old right hander became an important piece of the Phillies’ bullpen during their 2023 playoff run. Kerkering had a tremendous first full season in 2024 with a 2.32 ERA in 63 games. He will be asked to expand his role this season with All Star Jeff Hoffman now in Toronto. Hopefully, Kerkering can channel the advice from his former teammate which you can read about here. Not only is Hoffman gone but Matt Strahm may not open the season in Philadelphia as he is dealing with a shoulder impingement. Even more pressure is on him because if he fails, Caitlyn will be requesting to meet him in the parking lot.

New York Yankees: Anthony Volpe

The Yanks’ shortstop had an uneven second campaign as his homer output was sliced nearly in half but he raised his batting average 34 points. Volpe’s grand slam in the World Series has fans hopeful that his bat can be much more viable in his third season. His club will need him to improve the anemic less than .300 on base percentage dramatically with the loss of Juan Soto and the potential long term unavailability of Giancarlo Stanton. His defense regressed in 2024 but Ryan looks forward to a Gold Glove caliber season in 2025. If New York wants to win back-to-back pennants, Volpe will have to become a next level player.

Garrett Stubbs Sent to the Minors, Sadness in the House

It wasn’t the best of Thursday evenings for us. It has nothing to do with mine and Matthew’s brackets being busted by dinner time. A bit of bad news in baseball cast a pall prior to St. John’s beginning their NCAA Tournament run. A week before the rest of MLB teams play their first games came the words no player wants to hear.

Unfortunately, Garrett Stubbs was sent to Triple A. Credit: 97.3 ESPN

The Philadelphia Phillies sent Garrett Stubbs to Triple A Leigh Valley.

Caitlyn is devastated.

After all, she would tell anyone who would listen (whether they wanted to hear her opinion or not) that Garrett Stubbs was the best backup catcher in baseball. On the field, he performed well on the rare days J.T. Realmuto would need a day off or play as a designated hitter. Off the field, he was one of the most popular players on the team. He was the guy that created the “Phils Win” playlist during the Phillies’ 2022 pennant winning season. Callum Scott’s, “Dancing on My Own” is now on Caitlyn’s playlist and frankly, the song is pretty darn good. He would wear red pinstripe overalls and a case of beer on his head whenever the Phillies would have a champagne celebration.

Stubbs was sent down because he still had one Minor League option remaining. Rafael Marchan, who has been in the Phillies’ organization since age 16, is now Realmuto’s backup. He was out of Minor League options and played well enough during Spring Training to stick with the team. For Caitlyn’s sake, let’s hope we see Garrett Stubbs in a Phillies’ uniform again this season.

The Glazing of Shohei Ohtani Needs to Stop

I like Shohei Ohtani.

Really, I do.

Assuming he pitches to a high level again, we will never see a another player quite like him. The combination of power at the plate, speed on the basepaths and filth on the mound won’t ever be duplicated. We should celebrate him and his role as Major League Baseball’s poster boy is the right marketing call. There is just one issue that continues to gnaw at me (and lots of other fans, including my kids) and it was triggered by an alert I received on my MLB app earlier today.

Shohei is wonderful but there are 51 other guys in a baseball game. Credit: Yahoo Sports

The excess glazing of Shohei Ohtani needs to stop.

The alert I mentioned above read, “Shohei Ohtani ignites Dodgers en route to win over Cubs”. If you watched the game like I did (or at least the action where the Dodgers scored three of their four runs), you know that Ohtani did nothing special other than get his team’s first hit. Equally as important were the following:

Andy Pages‘s walk.

Ohtani’s hustle to score the go ahead run.

Tommy Edman‘s single and slide to break up a double play.

Teoscar Hernandez‘s hustle down to first and then taking second on a throwing error.

Will Smith‘s single.

In other words, it was a total team effort, not the work of one player.

Equally infuriating were the Fox cameras showing Ohtani in the dugout seemingly every third pitch. NFL fans voiced their displeasure for cameras finding Taylor Swift. That was maybe one, two times per quarter. Taylor Swift is invisible compared to Shohei Ohtani.

Of course, nothing beats MLB Network’s Top 100 Players and the logic of selecting Ohtani over Aaron Judge. Bobby Witt Jr. was #3 and Juan Soto was #4. The reason for that order was because Witt was a more complete player than Soto who is much more one dimensional. For making Ohtani #1 and Judge #2, Greg Amsinger used the exact opposite logic in declaring Ohtani the best player in the game as a designated hitter. To boot, he implied you were a moron to think otherwise. No Greg, being a DH with lesser offensive numbers than a guy who played center field does not make for a better player. Judge outperformed Ohtani in in home runs, RBI’s, batting average, on base percentage and slugging. Sorry, but Ohtani is not the better player until he takes the mound again.

I’d like to give the correct Lynch kid credit but I do believe it was Ryan who said baseball didn’t care about stolen bases until Ohtani started going for 50-50 in 2024. I disagree. They made the bases slightly larger to increase the prevalence of the stolen base.. However, if younger fans are noticing how much MLB is forcing Shohei Ohtani down our collective throats, how long before they quit watching Dodgers’ games? Have him pitch Jack in the Box burgers. Give him New Balance cleats to hawk. Make Decoy a pet food spokesdog. Just stop insulting us by making him a singular focus during our viewing of baseball games.

MLB Schedule Is March Madness

Hand wringing. Sleep walking in the morning. Attention diverted from work. If you think I am talking about the NCAA Tournament, you are correct. All of the above conditions are the feelings felt by sports fans and the rest of the population that believes they will win their office pools. It truly is March Madness. There is another period of time during this month that can also be described as March Madness. However, unlike the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat that comes with the Tournament, this time of March is just………maddening.

Opening Day in Japan is March Madness at its worst. Credit Yahoo Sports

I am referring to the beginning of Major League Baseball’s regular season.

For the second straight year, there is no real Opening Day. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs open the season in Japan on Tuesday, a full nine days before the rest of the league begins playing games that count. Madness. Two teams play regular season games and then don’t participate in another meaningful contest for close to a week and a half. Madness. The first important games of 2025 and they begin at 5:10 AM CST and 3:10 AM PST for the two fanbases they affect. Madness. As you can tell, I am not a fan of this first series being played an ocean away. I’ve long given up on the idea that MLB would restore Cincinnati as the rightful place to play the first game of every regular season. To begin a season where 95% of fans who love a sport (like my family and me) will watch no more than two innings of a game in a country that needs no introduction to baseball is sheer madness.

To be sure, we will be watching Cubs-Dodgers on Tuesday and Wednesday before heading off to school and work. Some baseball is better than no baseball. I get that Major League Baseball is trying to spread its product worldwide. But to do so at the expense of the cherished traditions of Opening Day is………..complete madness.

Bryce Harper Switching Positions? Big Deal!

There have been two recent stories regarding Bryce Harper offering to move away from first base in order to help out the Philadelphia Phillies. The first was was when he admitted to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (via SI.com here) that he would have gone back to the outfield had the Phillies signed Pete Alonso. The second was along the same lines per Todd Zolecki of mlb.com, in that should Philadelphia make a move for a first baseman, Harper would be willing to switch positions because of his desire to win a World Series. While it is noble for a player of Bryce Harper’s caliber to be willing to move from his preferred spot, it’s not exactly an unheard concept for a star to move somewhere else.

Bryce Harper switching positions would not be a big deal for him. Credit: Philadelphia Inquirer

In other words, this is not exactly a big deal.

In fact, there are a host of superstars over the last 20 years that have made accommodations for the betterment of the team. That’s what winning players do. Aaron Judge moved to center field in 2024 to make room for Juan Soto. Mookie Betts has changed positions multiple times since coming to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Alex Rodriguez was the best player in the game as a shortstop but moved to third base when the New York Yankees acquired him. Craig Biggio was a catcher, a second baseman and an outfielder during the course of his Hall of Fame career. If you want to go back even further, Robin Yount was an MVP at shortstop for the Milwaukee Brewers. A shoulder injury would necessitate a move to center field but he was Robin Yount, if he wanted to, he could have stayed put. All he did was win another MVP award as an outfielder.

Bryce Harper willing to move positions to help his team should not come as a shock to anyone. A World Series championship is the only thing missing on his Hall of Fame resume. You can bet he would do anything in his power to win not one World Series, but multiple ones. I am sure if the Player’s Association allowed it Harper would take a pay cut to help the team sign an important free agent. That’s why a story about him changing positions is not a big story at all.

Gerrit Cole, Starting Pitchers and the Hall of Fame

I was enjoying the silence of my drive home from work Monday afternoon. I have given up “Evan and Tikki” for Lent so either I’ll surf for something else on the radio or take in the quiet. Most times, I appreciate the lack of noise and with the weather turning warmer, the window will go down so I can listen to the sounds of birds chirping in slowing traffic. I was about 85% of the way home when I got the alert that all fans of the New York Yankees were dreading: Gerrit Cole will be having Tommy John surgery. Based on reports from Sunday, this was not exactly a surprise. The silence of the remaining drive allowed my mind to ponder an interesting question.

We won’t be seeing Gerrit Cole pitch in 2025. Credit: Northjersey.com

How many of today’s starting pitchers will make the Hall of Fame?

I thought about this because, let’s face it, the best of Gerrit Cole is over. By the time he returns to a Major League mound, he will be 36 years old. It is safe to say that he will not repeat his Cy Young season of 2023. He may not pitch more than 120 innings in a season for the rest of his career. Cole will go down as one of the best pitchers of this era with six top five Cy Young finishes, a two time ERA champion and the leader in strikeouts in two other seasons. His career ERA is 3.18 in an age where an ERA of 3.75 to 4.00 is considered fairly good. If this was 20 years ago, I would say Gerrit Cole would not be going to the Hall of Fame.

Now? He will be elected to Cooperstown. How many others that are pitching this decade will join him? Justin Verlander, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer are locks. I can see Jacob deGrom getting in. After that? Your guess is at good as mine. This does not diminish the quality of starting pitching. It’s just the way they are used is not conducive to everlasting greatness. I’m sorry, the Hall of Fame cannot reward a starting pitcher whose career innings pitched per start is less than six, no matter how dominant he is. I honestly believe that once the group of starting pitchers I mentioned above are elected to the Hall, it might be a long time before we see another one enshrined.

I thought of two guys that might have a chance should they continue on their current trajectory: Framber Valdez and Spencer Strider. Valdez has been one of the American League’s best pitchers over the last five years with three top ten Cy Young finishes and a World Series Championship. Strider, despite coming off TJ surgery, is still only 25 and has the makeup and dominance to be a true ace.

How about you? Who do you think has a chance to a great starting pitcher, so great that he might get a plaque in the Hall of Fame?

It’s Spring Training and the Injuries are Piling Up

Has it really been three months since my last post? I mean the last time you heard from me was when Juan Soto signed with the New York Mets. The past 90 days have been extremely busy for me with work, coaching basketball and the distraction of other sports (St. John’s is ranked #6 in the country!). But I am back with the promise I won’t go an additional three months between entries. With the warm sunshine of Florida and Arizona invading our TV’s with Spring Training games, we are getting ready for our favorite pastime. Unfortunately, there are a number of big name players who will have their debuts in 2025 delayed by injuries.

Luis Gil is one of many players who will miss significant time in 2025. Photo from Yahoo Sports

Actually, I feel like this is an usually high number of players who will miss the start of the season because of IL stints.

Start with the two New York teams. Though it’s no surprise that Giancarlo Stanton is hurt, the timing is new. I feel like he is heading for surgery even though that has been described as a last resort. Luis Gil is out for three months. DJ LeMahieu will be out for who knows how long with a calf injury. On the Queens side, Frankie Montas (another shocker) will be out as long as Gil and Sean Manaea might return by the end of April. The Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively unscathed on the injury front. However, Caitlyn is already waffling between excitement and gloom after the Phillies’ staff was torched for 29 runs in two games earlier this week.

As far as the rest of the league goes, key players on playoff contending teams are dropping. MVP candidate Gunnar Henderson could miss the start of Baltimore’s season with an intercostal strain. In addition, the O’s will be minus starter Grayson Rodriguez to start the season with arm trouble and Andrew Kittredge for months after knee surgery. Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves will miss four to six weeks with a rib injury. Seattle’s George Kirby, arguably the team’s best pitcher, will start the season on the IL with shoulder inflammation. Dodgers reliever Michael Kopech is dealing with forearm tightness. Detroit’s Parker Meadows (nerve issue) and Matt Vierling (rotator cuff) are both expected to be placed on the IL. Other notable names due to miss significant time are Andrew Benintendi and Anthony Rendon.

Maybe it’s just me and this is a normal amount of injuries we see in Spring Training. Maybe it feels like this is an abnormal amount of hurt players because of the volume of Yankees and Mets that will miss time. It stinks that so many good players will miss Opening Day. I pray for the health of all players and that they return in time to play the majority of games in 2025.

The Juan Soto Reaction From Home

Well, my Juan Soto prediction was completely wrong. The last time you read my blog, I stated that Soto would not sign until after the New Year and that he would be going to the Washington Nationals. The closest part of my prognostication was that he landed in the National League East. The New York Mets won the Soto Sweepstakes with a contract that has the potential to exceed $800 million dollars. My thought is this. It’s a win-win situation for the Mets if they win two World Series in five years and Soto decides to exercise his opt out clause. They could decline the option, let him walk, and don’t have to pay all that money for the following ten years.

This man is smiling because he just broke the bank. Photo from CBS Sports

As for the rest the family:

Matthew: He’s the one that broke the news to us. “I don’t even know how to feel” was his text to the family group chat. He’s super confident the Mets will win the World Series in 2025 but realizes more work needs to be done. If the Mets fail to re-sign Pete Alonso, Matthew said it would be a bittersweet goodbye. Many people assumed early on that if New York grabbed Soto, Alonso would be gone. Well, there is nothing from stopping the richest owner in baseball from signing both guys for at least the next seven years. I expect Matthew to follow the Alonso Sweepstakes until its conclusion. If it goes the way he wants, he may even enjoy school for the rest of the year.

Ryan: Disappointment is an understatement. According to him, the only reason why the New York Yankees were in the World Series in 2024 was because of Juan Soto. Now he fears it will be another 15 year drought between Fall Classic appearances. He doesn’t like the traitor label Soto is getting on social media but as I told him, he was going to the highest bidder all along. Even with the defection, the Yankees are still the favorite to win the American League pennant. You know they will make other moves to compensate for this huge loss. You can’t fault the Yanks for finishing second. They actually offered an extra year, albeit at less money. Ryan will get over this once Spring Training starts.

Caitlyn: She offered quite the perspective once the news broke of the signing. “He should have joined the Phillies. We are a team full of bag chasers, he would have fit right in” (just kidding). Her main gripe is that the Phillies have done nothing this offseason, at least until today. The Phillies were not considered a serious contender even if they were brought up in the early stages of the offseason as a destination. When news broke of Jordan Romano signing a one year deal with Philadelphia, she had a one word response: “Finally”!

Juan Soto Will Go to…….the Washington Nationals

The definitive question of the Major League Baseball offseason is where will Juan Soto sign? It is the question that, in my opinion, will linger past the New Year. My household is intently following the news about Soto’s meetings with a number of teams in the league. After all, the New York Yankees, New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies all have the means to pay the exorbitant asking price. However, I believe none of those three teams will be the one to sign the 26-year old Soto. Nor will it be the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, it will be a team that only a few see coming. It actually shouldn’t come as a surprise.

The once and future National? Phot from CBS Sports

He’s going home.

Juan Soto will sign with the Washington Nationals.

I know that’s not the team you were thinking. However, all of the elements are there for Soto to stay in Washington for the rest of his career. Let’s start with the projected Nationals’ payroll. With Patrick Corbin‘s deal set to come off the books, total salaries for 2025 are estimated to be approximately $87 million dollars according to Fangraphs. Soto, even if his number is $55 million, along with some other additions, will put the Nats’ payroll slightly above average relative to the rest of the league. Another reason why I believe a reunion is in order is the fact Washington did offer him a contract extension shortly before trading him 2022. It was reported that the offer was for 15 years and $440 million dollars. I don’t expect Washington to shy away from making a package available just because the overall number has greatly increased. Finally, it’s a location that he is familiar with and where he enjoyed his greatest team success. He owns a World Series ring with the team and his two highest OPS marks came in 2020 and 2021. Why not return to the place where he knows a World Series can be won?

It’s going to be a long offseason with news about Juan Soto meeting with teams on a weekly basis. It will certainly keep baseball fans interested as Fall turns to Winter. In the end, one team will get the prize. That team will be the Washington Nationals.

MLB Offseason: Yankees Play Landlord, Phillies Speculation, Mets Injury News

The Major League Baseball season ended two weeks ago and though it seems Spring Training is years away, in reality, we are under 100 days. By far, the biggest storyline of the offseason is where is Juan Soto going to sign? Given that Scott Boras is his agent and that he will have a handful of big money suitors, I don’t expect his decision until after New Year’s. The business of baseball over these next three months is more than just Juan Soto. There are still awards to hand out, players to be wined and dined and of course, the Winter Meetings in December. Our three teams have been in the news for one reason or another so far. All three have big expectations for the 2025 season. Now is the start of it.

Steinbrenner Field, home of the Rays in 2025. Photo from NBC News

Yankees Hosting a Rival

When Hurricane Milton rolled through southwest Florida in October, one of the casualties was Tropicana Field, home of the Rays. Extensive damage was done to the roof of the Trop, casting doubts on where the Rays would play in 2025. It was revealed that Steinbrenner Field, Spring Training home of the Yankees and the home of their Single A team would be Tampa’s domain for the season. With a capacity of 11,026, Steinbrenner Field is a more viable alternative to the other ballparks in the area. In exchange for their “generosity”, the Yanks will receive $15 million, helping them pay for about 38% of Aaron Judge‘s salary for 2025.

Interesting Phillies’ Rumor

Rumors are everywhere at this time of year. One that caught my eye, and when Caitlyn learned of it was “devastated”, is Alec Bohm being traded, as reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. In corresponding speculation, Buster Olney of ESPN stated that the Phillies could a be place for Alex Bregman to land. This potential swap of third basemen is curious. Signing Bregman for a position that is not really a need adds another large salary to an already high Phillies payroll. Bohm has another two years of club control and is coming off his first All-Star selection. However, his steep drop in the second half and playoff disaster is giving management pause in making him the long term answer at the hot corner.

Met Injury News

The offseason got off to a painful start for Mets’ outfielder Tyrone Taylor. At the end of October, he underwent an umbilical hernia repair as well as right elbow surgery. Although this sounds troubling, Taylor is expected to start Spring Training on time. With Harrison Bader a free agent, Taylor is currently the only center fielder on the roster. He received a lot of playing time during New York’s playoff run, seeing action in every game and contributing a home run. Ideally, his role would be that of fourth outfielder, getting around 350 at bats between all three spots.