Apr 4, 2008

Good-Bad-Ugly: Apr 3rd Recap - Majors

Noteworthy developments from April 3rd games:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

THE GOOD

  • John Danks allows two hits, two walks and one earned run over 6.2 innings with 2 Ks
  • Alex Gordon hits his 2nd home run in a 2-for-5 day with 2 RBI
  • Mike Napoli hit his 2nd home run in a 1-for-4 effort

THE BAD

  • Kevin Slowey exits in the fourth inning with a biceps strain
  • Gary Sheffield tears a tendon in one of his fingers - missed time forecast not yet available

NATIONAL LEAGUE

THE GOOD

  • Johnny Cueto Ks 10 in seven one-hit innings. He already is what most are hoping Francisco Liriano will come back to be
  • Chris Burke is now 1B eligible in leagues with 1 game requirement - Great! Now I can move Derrek Lee to UT!
  • Felipe Lopez is now OF eligible in leagues with 1 game requirement - More importantly, he was in the starting lineup!
  • Jeff Keppinger staking claim to full-time SS gig in Cincy going 2-for-3 with a double and home run
  • Brad Thompson throws 6.2 shutout innings with six Ks allowing six hits and two walks
  • Ryan Dempster allows two runs (one earned) over six innings with five Ks, three hits and two walks
  • Kerry Wood earns his first save in one inning of work, striking out two and allowing one hit
  • Scott Hairston goes 3-for-3 with two runs a double and a triple
  • Randy Wolf allows one earned run over six innings with five Ks, four hits and two walks

THE BAD

  • Jason Kendall bats ninth behind David Bush
  • Carlos Marmol enters the game in the 7th inning - he pitched well, but entering the game in the 7th inning isn't a good way to earn saves
  • David Bush walks five over 5.1 innings. He never walked more than three batters in a start in all of 2007. At least he got to bat eighth!

THE UGLY

  • Chris B. Young must own Johnny Cueto in the DBacks roto league, he wore the golden sombrero with four Ks in four ABs
  • Mike Hampton is Mr. Glass from the movie Unbreakable

Apr 3, 2008

2008 AL ROY Predictions

Lock: Jacoby Ellsbury

Runner-up: Carlos Gomez

Darkhorse: Carlos Gonzalez

"Wouldn't it be cool if" pick: Nick Adenhart

"Cats and dogs living together" pick: Brandon Wood


RECENT POPULAR POSTS:

Top 25 AL Prospects for 2008 and 2009

Here's the Top 25 list of AL prospects in terms of potential impact in 2008 and 2009 - which includes major weighting on opportunity for meaningful playing time.

Any prospects not likely to be ready for a major role by the 2nd Half of 2009 are excluded - some of the top prospects that fall into this 'excluded' list are Elvis Andrus-SS-TEX, Mike Moustakas-SS-KC, and Rico Porcello-RHP-DET.

  1. Evan Longoria, 3B, TB
  2. Carlos Gomez, OF, MIN
  3. Jacoby Ellsbury, OF, BOS
  4. Daric Barton, 1B, OAK
  5. Clay Buchholz, RHP, BOS
  6. Joba Chamberlain, RHP, NYY
  7. Jeff Clement, C, SEA
  8. Carlos Gonzalez, OF, OAK
  9. Ian Kennedy, RHP, NYY
  10. Brandon Wood, 3B, LAA
  11. David Price, LHP, TB
  12. Gio Gonzalez, LHP, OAK
  13. Adam Miller, RHP, CLE
  14. Nick Blackburn, RHP, MIN
  15. Luke Hochevar, RHP, KC
  16. Wladimir Balentein, OF, SEA
  17. Radhames Liz, RHP, BAL
  18. Reid Brignac, SS, TB
  19. Matt Wieters, C, BAL
  20. Travis Snider, OF, TOR
  21. Nick Adenhart, RHP, LAA
  22. Jake McGee, LHP, TB
  23. Jed Lowrie, SS, BOS
  24. Aaron Laffey, LHP, CLE
  25. Brett Gardner, OF, NYY

PREVIOUS PROSPECT POST:
Top 25 NL Prospects for 2008 and 2009

Apr 2, 2008

2008 NL Cy Young Award Predictions


Lock: Johan Santana

Runner-up: Jake Peavy

Darkhorse: John Maine

"Wouldn't it be cool if" pick: Roy Oswalt

"Cats and dogs living together" pick: Barry Zito


2008 AL Cy Young Award Predictions


Lock: C.C. Sabathia

Runner-up: Erik Bedard

Darkhorse: Jered Weaver / Daisuke Matsuzaka

"Wouldn't it be cool if" pick: Francisco Liriano

"Cats and dogs living together" pick: Clay Buchholz

Apr 1, 2008

2008 NL MVP Predictions


Lock: David Wright

Runner-up: Ryan Braun

Darkhorse: Mark Teixeira

"Wouldn't it be cool if" pick: Albert Pujols

"Cats and dogs living together" pick: J.J. Hardy

2008 AL MVP Predictions

Lock: Alex Rodriguez

Runner-up: Miguel Cabrera

Darkhorse: Carlos Guillen

"Wouldn't it be cool if" pick: Vladimir Guerrero

"Cats and dogs living together" pick: Melky Cabrera