By Dalton Del Don
Watching the New York/Florida game Monday, the Mets announcers were comparing Jose Reyes to Hanley Ramirez. Both concluded they’d “easily” take Reyes over Ramirez. There’s homerism, and then there’s downright delusional. Sure, Ramirez may eventually need to switch positions, but it’s not like Reyes is some gold glover at shortstop. Ramirez both gets on base more and hits for more power. His career OPS is 126 points higher. And this isn’t even factoring in Reyes’ attitude problems.
A.J. Burnett’s contract makes him difficult to trade for: if he pitches well over the rest of the season, he can opt out and become a free agent. If he suffers a major injury, then he won’t opt out, and the team would be on the hook for $12 million. However, he has the type of arm that can be a true difference maker for a contending team come October. His 4.50 ERA is obviously disappointing, but his FIP is 3.50, which is one of the bigger discrepancies among all pitchers in baseball. His groundball (1.44 G/F) and strikeout (9.18 K/9 IP) rates are fantastic, and his current BABIP (.338) is 52 points higher than his career mark.
If you haven’t watched “Mad Men,” I suggest you rent the season one DVDs. Season two started Sunday, and it’s not too late to catch up. Great show.
Hiroki Kuroda might be the most inconsistent pitcher in baseball. After going all of May allowing three runs or fewer in every start, he’s since allowed zero runs during three outings and five runs or more in five of his six other starts. Lately, the trend has been going the wrong way.
For someone batting .253 with just one homer and 21 RBI, Willy Taveras has been an awfully valuable fantasy outfielder. With Scott Podsednik shelved, he’ll now see even more playing time, and his 92 percent success rate on steals is nothing short of fantastic. He’s on pace to swipe 70 bases this season.
Daisuke Matsuzaka’s 11-2 record and 3.04 ERA sure do look nice, but this is one inefficient (and lucky) pitcher. He’s walked multiple batters in 16 of his 18 starts this year, leaving him with a horrendous 86:62 K:BB ratio. He’s not easy to hit, but his 3.40 ERA and 1.38 WHIP are mutually exclusive, so expect some regression moving forward.
I mean, “The Dark Knight” was made well and all, but I’m starting to be over all these superhero type films. Heath Ledger was terrific (did you hear he died?), but the movie dragged on a bit. Maybe I let all the hype get to me too much.
I liked the Mark Teixeira trade for both teams. The Angels are a legit contender, but their offense was missing a big bat, and they are one of the teams that can possibly sign Teixeira long-term after the season. Both are plus defenders at first base, and the Braves are now obviously in rebuild mode. Casey Kotchman hasn’t exactly lived up to his potential, but he’s a 25-year-old with developing power and amazing plate discipline, although more walks would certainly be nice. Speaking of the Braves, has there been a team more snake bit this season? They’ve had to endure serious injuries to John Smoltz, Tim Hudson, Rafael Soriano, Tom Glavine, while Jeff Francoeur is doing his best Andruw Jones impression.
Leave a Reply