2021 MLB Season Thread

[Donerail]

The MLB number sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the other sports all hovering around 50% of their leagues.

None of those other leagues play 162 games a season. The purpose of the playoffs is to select the best team; to allow a three-game series to decide who advances makes the length of the season pointless.

[Donerail]

Opening Day will come for everyone except the Red Sox, who foolishly continue to play in a "historic stadium" instead of a beautiful, weather-resistant dome like their AL East betters.

[Donerail]

Lights-out pitching combined with an offense that absolutely loathes scoring, but a 1-0 win is still a win. Very Raysey start to the season.

[Donerail]

I feel bad for Josh Fleming, who started for the Rays tonight — he was looking forward to pitching against his childhood hero only for him to get DFAed hours before.

https://twitter.com/TriciaWhitaker/status/1390078590570610689

[Donerail]

Pujols to the Dodgers

Did not see that one coming

Where exactly is Pujols going to play? Cody Bellinger (when he returns) and Max Muncy split first base, there's only a DH when they play in AL parks, and that probably won't be Pujols (ESPN has it as A.J Pollock). So what's his role going to be? Pinch hit specialist, and primary backup to Muncy, so Bellinger can play the outfield full-time?

He'll play first. You don't have a backup 3B with Rios sent down, so if Turner's not playing you slide Muncy over to third & let Pujols play first. I don't imagine he'd start often, but as a pinch-hitter he's probably an improvement (esp against lefties) over Raley or Peters.

[Donerail]

I am choosing to believe Pujols is the PTBNL in the Tsutsugo trade.

[Donerail]

Is it accurate to describe Max Muncy as a utility infielder?

No, he is a regular starter.

[Donerail]

Is it accurate to describe Max Muncy as a utility infielder?

No, he is a regular starter.

That’s not what utility player means. A utility player can be a regular starter. It means a player who plays different games at different positions. Muncy plays games at first base, second base, and third base.

That's not what utility player means. A utility player is a bench player who you can bring in to fill several different positions if the starter is injured, needs a rest day, or matches up particularly poorly with the opposing pitcher. Muncy is a routine starter, not a utility player.

[Donerail]

The Sugar Kings unis? They're 🔥

[Donerail]

Jacob DeGrom's ERA through two months is literally 0.71.

That's not a typo.

I'm not sure what more he has to do to prove he's a first-ballot Hall of Famer at this point if he keeps putting out ridiculous numbers like this.

Keep in mind his ERA the last three seasons has been, 2.38 (2020), 2.43 (2019) and an equally absurd 1.70 (2018).

Rich Hill's ERA in May is 0.78. First-ballot Hall of Famer imo

[Donerail]

https://twitter.com/LasMayores/status/1407508404722180100

Wander has arrived. His first major-league hit is a game-tying three-run homer, and he came back out of the dugout for a curtain call after — Trop’s as loud as I’ve ever heard it. And he’s 20!

[Donerail]

And he’s 20!

Ah good, so he will be traded for prospects by 24

Already dreaming of the prospect haul we're gonna get out of the Padres for this guy

[Donerail]

And tonight we have a pitcher ejected after one pitch!  The Marlins have a long history of hitting Ronald Acuña Jr., and tonight Pablo Lopez hit him on the first pitch and was tossed after a long discussion by the umpires.  In the subsequent argument (which has now been going on for about 15 minutes) Marlins manager Don Mattingly was also ejected.

The Marlins got off lightly. Repeated intentional hitting of a batter should be grounds for a forfeit.

Acuna should be suspended for at least fifty games, and Mattingly should be suspended for the rest of the season.

???? Why should Acuña be suspended 50 for getting hit? That'd be 20 more than Chapman got for domestic violence...

[Donerail]

Lmao at Cubs fans who thought for a moment they were getting Bart and LWJ.

Mercifully I didn’t see it until it had already been debunked; would’ve panicked.

Instead they're getting... a couple slapdick prospects? Would've thought they could get more for Bryant but

[Donerail]

But because we are a fundamentally unsound team with an atrocious manager, we will fall apart when we have to play those much superior teams in the final six weeks - no doubt. They'll replace Glasnow - next man up mentality.

Not so confident about that. Wacha has been, at best, inconsistent, and Archer has been injured most of the season. The rest of the rotation options are Yarbrough and a bunch of rookies. All the rookies have looked exceptional at points, but heading into a playoff series with Patiño, McClanahan, Fleming and Baz mostly just makes me nervous.

[Donerail]

Why don't you google it, read some of the links, and get back to us on that question?

[Donerail]

Freddie Freeman has hit for the cycle in his first four at-bats tonight (double, triple, single, homer).  The Braves lead the Marlins 7-2 in the bottom of the 6th.

I wonder what the quickest anyone has reached a cycle is? Like how many innings?

Mike Lansing, 2B for the Rockies (playing at home, which helped), in 2000 — triple in the first, homer in the second, double in the third and single in the fourth.

[Donerail]

ALWC: Yankees over Red Sox | NLWC: Dodgers over Cardinals

NLDS: Giants over Dodgers in 5, Brewers over Braves in 5
ALDS: Rays over Yankees in 4, Astros over White Sox in 5

NLCS: Giants over Brewers in 7
ALCS: Rays over Astros in 6

World Series: Rays over Giants in 6

[Donerail]

I wish the Red Sox the best as they face the most evil franchise in pro sports next round. Our prayers are with them.

As far as I know, the Rays are the only organization in professional sports to contain a member of the Atlas Forum community.

Wait, a player/coach/front office staff/member of ownership of the Tampa Bay Rays posts here and I didn't notice?

Yes, I am actually Rays centerfielder Manuel Margot. I post on this forum to blow off steam between games. I wasn't going to say anything, but, well, now you know.

[Donerail]

https://twitter.com/pkcapitol/status/1445598728933371911
Someone tell me again why the Yankees got Gallo?

Adding to their collection of very large Italian-American men?

[Donerail]

As much as I love baseball, this can be a big time commitment to watch a game from beginning to end, with lots of delays that can be excessive (batter stepping out, pitcher stepping off, etc).  The real issue that I have is how these games can go so late at night, to the point where I have to turn it off and go to bed in the 6th or 7th inning.  I say this as someone who lives in the Central Time Zone, and I can’t imagine how rough this must be for ET viewers.

It's very rough. I don't even try to watch Braves night games when they're playing out west. Even their home games go so late that I'm sometimes falling asleep before it's over.

Don't worry! MLB is addressing this by playing NLCS game #3 at 2pm on a Tuesday afternoon to maximize viewership.

[Donerail]

You're right. It would not surprise me if both the Ashtros and Barves are stealing signs this playoffs.

And just why would you suspect the Braves of stealing signs for any reason other than your evident personal dislike of them?  The Astros have a history of it; the Braves don't.

I warned you that his sports opinions are Not Good — anyone who's a Brady Hater can't be trusted to have any good opinions on, well, anything

Anyway go Braves

[Donerail]

I won't contest terms one, three and four but I do have steady work and a fixed residence.

[Donerail]

Four ex-Rays on the Braves (Morton, d'Arnaud, Heredia, Smyly) and just two on the Astros (Odorizzi and Stanek). Easy choice 4 me

[Donerail]

CFM
https://twitter.com/JeffPassan/status/1453184090799288321