No Brantley return 2B Altuve SS Pena DH Alvarez 3B Bregman 1B Mancini RF Tucker LF Diaz CF McCormick C Maldonado/Vasquez Move Pena back to the 2 hole where he thrived.
I think Dusty has to have a feeling he won't be back next year. That's the only logical explanation for not playing Trey Mancini everyday. He's going to go down doing it his way. How hard can it be to rotate Mancini between 1B/LF/DH? Diaz can adequately play five positions and "Dayoff Dusty" could really thrive by resting others and still keeping Diaz in the lineup. Doesn't always have to be LF. I know we like to be armchair managers all the time, but realistically, this situation really shouldn't be that difficult to navigate.
MLB is set up no differently than the NBA or NHL or March Madness or most any other sport except the NFL.
Right... but the playoffs are set up so the number 2 seed gets to play the worst division winner or worst wild card team. Unfortunately, as it stands now, the top 2 wild card teams will be better teams than the other 2 which is a bad look for the first year this system is in play. There will be years that isn't the case. If not, I suspect things will change.
I'd add, MLB plays a lot of games such that the divisions really aren't needed except for scheduling. The teams should be seeded by record with division winners only being guaranteed a postseason birth.
Sure - but that's also how other sports have worked. NBA only recently stopped putting division winners above wildcards, I believe - for most of its existence, it was the same, where a bad division winner got seeded above better wildcard teams from other divisions. The reward for being #1 seed vs #2 seed is homefield advantage if those two teams play each other. Beyond that, it doesn't necessarily mean you get the easiest road prior to that. I liked the idea of letting teams pick their opponents, though I totally get why MLB scrapped that idea.
So at it stands today, you'd rank them? *Astros *Yankees Jays Mariners Rays *Indians *Division winners
That looks more or less right (not sure on tiebreakers). Strongest team on top, weakest team on bottom.
The twins are missing which could replace the indians as the divisions winner i suppose. but then that'll push them to the wild card race Balt has also played themselves into a possible postseason birth
The Twins are currently tied with Cleveland for the Central and Cleveland owns the head to head 6-5 with 8 games left. So as it is right now Minnesota is on the outside looking in.
oh yeah. i was just noting that those 6 teams aren't necessarily the best 6 teams in the AL. still a good amount of time to shuffle between the last couple of spots
Would work if it meant he'd get more fastballs, but until he stops chasing the stuff off the plate, no one should change their approach with him - even if he was batting between 'Tuve and Yordan.
I'd rather face the weaker team in the ALDS than have Home field advantage in the ALCS. For one, home field doesn't matter as we have seen numerous times like with the Braves and Nationals in 2019. Secondly, there is no guarantee the Yankees would even make it to the ALCS. I'm rooting for the 2 seed.
The stros record in the playoffs for the last several years says different. and anyone that's been to MM during the postseason knows the atmosphere is definitely significant if you would rather face the weaker team in the ALDS that means you're rooting for the 1 seed that sets up to play the weaker rank (4-5 series over 3-6 series), unless you just assume the #6 team is going to beat the #3 team in the WC. That is the only scenario where the 2 seed plays #6
