How bad MLB umpiring was in 2021, and why robo umps are closer than you may think

Kade Daniels Uncategorized October 21, 20212021, Bad Calls, Baseball, MLB, Referees, Robot Umpires, Robots, Sports, Umpires 0 Comment

The 2021 season has had it’s ups and downs, from crazy records being broken and insane comebacks in the 9th inning, to ejections and suspensions, as well as firings and trades, this season has been nothing short of crazy. One con most pointed to not just in pro baseball, but in baseball in general, is umpiring. Umpires tend to get a bad rap for being bad at their job, and from time to time every umpire will make a stupid mistake. It’s basically a stereotype for umpires, they are all blind and stupid. There are some umpires in pro ball that really emphasize this stereotype, and it seems almost every week they do something stupid. Many have argued the case for robot umpires, umpires who will never make mistakes and umpire the game perfectly. The strike zone will be 100% correct, outs on the basepaths will be 100% correct, and confusing situations will be nailed to a T. But we would never imagine robo umps if the normal umps were good. Let’s find out just how bad umpires were this year.

A twitter account named Umpire Scorecards came out in 2020 that showed umpire report cards every night. It shows the correct call ratio and percentage, the consistency of the calls, stuff like that. Take a look at an example of one here.

Laz Diaz for example had a really bad game in this Astros win in game 4 of the ALCS. He had only an 88% accuracy. Look at all of the red dots around the strike zone on the bottom left. Those are 14-15 pitches out of the zone by roughly 3 inches that got called. I understand that umpiring is a very tough job, but we can’t have this happen, especially in the playoffs.

Some umpires have a worse rap than others. Some notoriously bad umpires are Angel Hernandez, Joe West, Mike Estabrook and Tom Hallion. They are all experienced, old and bad umpires. They have really bad judgement and are made fun of for it. Now, I do have respect for umpires. They have a lot on their plate and have to make a lot of calls during the game. They have tough angles to look from and only seconds to make a call, and for the most part they do it well. However there are some times where it seems umpires go rogue and get one sided almost and start making really bad calls. For example, probably the most notorious call of the 2021 season was this one here . This was game 5 of the NLDS in the bottom of the 9th with the tying run on first base and Wilmer Flores down 0-2 trying to walk it off. This ended the Giants season and sent the Dodgers to the NLCS. The internet and all of the baseball community has gone wild over it. But this wasn’t the only controversial call that was made this year. There were MANY bad calls, and I won’t get into all of them because you would just stop reading this article because it would be too long.

One cause of these absolutely atrocious calls is the replay system. Look at the NBA for example, they have a good replay system. The referees head straight to a monitor and check it out for themselves. They have so many high quality cameras in so many spots to give the best possible angles to look at to make the right call for themselves. However the MLB is the opposite of this. Yes, they have many high quality cameras all in different spots, but the umpires aren’t actually the ones making the call. They put on headsets and call people in a different STATE to check and review it for them, as opposed to making the call for themselves. So the umpires have to go off of what they say. That’s why you see terribly missed calls like this one on Elvis Andrus. I mean it’s a bad call against the umpire, but this play can easily be corrected and fixed. But MLB relies upon people from New York to make the call for them. That way they don’t have close up in the moment view of the play. They need to change it so that the umpires make the call and not the replay officials somewhere else.

Now, there is kind of a downside to replacing umpires with robots. It will completely change the game and history of it. It ruins the old school tradition of people making decisions for the game as opposed to robots. But I do think that this change is for the better and will make the games shorter as well. People have talked about pace of play in baseball, and I think robo umps will help. No reviews of plays that take up 5 minutes, no bickering and arguing that results in ejections and suspensions. It will speed most games up by 10, maybe 20 minutes.

Umpires can suck sometimes, and with new technology arriving, umpires could be soon replaced with robots. They would never make a mistake, and the players and fans would be more engaged in the game. If someone is worried about what call the umps make, it can alter your mental plan and preformance. If you go up to the plate worried about something getting called a strike, you will take pitches that are strikes and get behind. Don’t let the umpires control the game, and switching to robo umps will relieve others of that stress.

Magic in the Bay area: How the Giants emerged into the best team in the MLB from out of nowhere.

Kade Daniels Uncategorized October 21, 2021Baseball, California, Giants, MLB, National League, National League West, San Francisco, Sports 0 Comment

The Giants are the 5th most valuable franchise in baseball, and they didn’t get there by chance. The loyal fans, the history of the franchise, the former hall of farmers, the magical postseason runs, the Giants have always been a big-name franchise. And this year was no exception. The Giants have earned themselves a spot in the postseason this year, and as of right now, are the best team in the National League, and possibly the entire MLB. How did they get there, what did they do to get there, and what are their goals come October time? Let’s dive in a little deeper.

The San Francisco Giants were born in 1883 and were known as the New York Giants. They would later become the San Francisco Giants on May 28, 1957. Through those 72 years, they had some success, winning 4 world series trophies, but they did become home for many Hall of Famers, such as Willie Mays, Christy Matthewson, and Mel Ott. The luck continued for the Giants with the move to San Francisco. They have since won 3 more world series trophies since moving to the Bay and maybe on the cusp of winning their 4th come this October. The San Francisco Giants have a lot of history, the forefront of it being the greatest hitter of all time, Barry Bonds. As you know, 756 career home runs, and a little bit of controversy on how he hit those home runs, but he, nonetheless, is the all-time leader in home runs for a career. Other notable halls of fame players include Willie Mays, Willie McCovey, Tim Lincecum, and now, Buster Posey, who has had a phenomenal career and 2021 season, his stat line this year being a .300 BA, a .391 OBP, a .503 SLG, a 141 OPS+, with 17 home runs and 45 RBI.

Now that you know the history of how the Giants came to be, let’s get deep into what they have accomplished this season. They have the best record of any team this year. At the time of writing this, they have earned a postseason spot and have a record of 97-53.

The Giants had 4 all-stars this year, including breakout seasons from veterans from the world series dynasty, those being Buster Posey and Brandon Crawford. It’s very shocking knowing how they were expected to perform before this season started. Everyone anticipated them to have another lousy season, finish under .500, and just play the same quality of baseball the Giants have played the last 3 seasons since the fall of their world series dynasty from the 2000s and 2010s. But they exceeded expectations this year, and are possibly the best team in the entire league

There are 3 reasons why the Giants have been successful this year. First, lots of unsuspecting young players stepped up this year. One of the biggest examples of this is LaMonte Wade Jr. Wade was a below-average bench guy for the Minnesota Twins for 2 years. The Giants traded for him in the 2021 offseason, and he has made a name for himself in the Bay Area. Giants fans love him, his teammates love him, everyone loves LaMonte Wade Jr. Off of that, looking at San Francisco’s lineup, it doesn’t shock you as an overpowering team like the Dodgers or White Sox. There aren’t too many huge names that stand out. It’s really all solid role players, such as Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano, Brandon Belt, Darin Ruf, and Evan Longoria, another all-star veteran who is having a breakout season. The addition of Kris Bryant before the trade deadline from the Cubs has also been very important. He has slid into this lineup extremely well and has continued to produce and be an all-star.

The Giant’s approach this year financially has been pretty solid. They collect decent pieces, train them up to a few good years, and then trade them all away and get 2 or 3 all-star caliber pitchers. Their ace this year, Kevin Gausman, is having a Cy Young season. Every team needs an ace, and the Giants got theirs last year. But the pieces they wanted to trade for value, have all stepped up and have formed an excellent rotation. Anthony DeSclafani, Johnny Cueto, Alex Wood, and a few fill-in players from AAA and some they acquired at the deadline, for example, Logan Webb. Webb has been bouncing around in the Giants minor league system for 6 years….and in the last 15 games has allowed 2 total runs. An absolute stud. In the bullpen, they have the breakout star Tyler Rogers, who has assumed the role of closer, and everyone else in the bullpen is good. Guys like Jake McGee, Jarlin Garcia, and Jose Alvarez have a combined ERA of 2.59 this season. f they can go all in this offseason and flip a few of those players for even better pitchers, the Giants are going to get even better.

The last reason I would say they are successful is culture. Every good team that really has ever won a lot, has had good culture and plays as a family. The 2020 Dodgers are a great example. That squad is so connected and bonded together, that they play together and play for each other which boosts their play. They’ll have a big fantasy football draft in the offseason, they all support each other, they go to events with each other. That squad was and still is bonded together, as are the Giants. They have a great clubhouse culture, they play for each other, and they all love each other. Especially with the history the Giants have for having notoriously toxic and rude players, they have formed a good group this year and are getting better

Now, it’s not just this year the Giants have been making moves. They have spent the last 4 seasons preparing for this. Ever since the most recent world series win in 2014, they recognized that the next 2 seasons would not be as successful. Every successful dynasty will eventually come to an end. If you’ve ever watched the last dance, that’s the point of the show. It’s a deep dive into the final season of the Michael Jordan Bulls, and how they fell apart the following seasons. The Giants decided that they needed to hit the reset button for the future, and build up more money and draft some prospects and young talent. They decided to part ways with a longtime member in the organization in Pablo Sandoval (he would return a few seasons later), and Mike Morse. Both players had been big in the postseason and regular season but were valuable and aging, so they needed to get rid of them. They signed Jeff Samardzija, who has been with them since. They traded to get draft picks, which ended up being some of the players they have on the current roster. And ever since then, it’s been claiming mediocre pitching pieces and freeing up cap space, and making money.

So there you have it, the underdogs of the 2021 season. From the veterans who have been there for almost 10 years, to the unsuspecting rookies who have popped off this year, to the mediocre pitching that accidentally became one of the best pitching staffs in all of baseball, the Giants are the #1 team in baseball as of now. Every season has that one team that comes out of nowhere and exceeds expectations. 2019 had the Washington Nationals, the 2006 St Louis Cardinals, now the San Francisco Giants. And maybe, just maybe, the Giants will too earn a ring come October time, just like those other two teams.

Top 9 Uniforms revealed in the last 2 years

Kade Daniels Uncategorized October 19, 2021October 21, 2021Baseball, Drip, Jerseys, MLB, Sports, Swag, Uniforms 0 Comment

Nowadays, the game of baseball is built around young stars. Fernando Tatis Jr, Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Wander Franco, the list goes on. People often give baseball a bad rap for being a “boring sport” to watch. The game is often played at a slow, chess-like pace. All these young superstars bring passion to the game and make it exciting to watch. Many players nowadays come from different countries around the world, bringing hype and excitement all over the earth. From the diving catches to the 40 homer seasons, and the crazy slides into bases when stealing, these young kids are making a name for themselves all over the US. A common theme with young stars is they are very flashy. Some new, young uniforms that were released this year embrace that idea better than almost anything. Some uniforms embrace the culture, some have new and bright colors, and some help connects better to their respected cities. And for the most part, they all look very clean and good. Let’s get into the top 9 best uniforms that were released in the 2020- 2021 season.

Disclaimer: One thing you will notice in this list is a lot of these uniforms have baby blue in them

9: Pittsburgh Pirates new Alternate and Away uniforms

Another very sneaky clean uniform was released in 2020. The Pittsburgh Pirates are known for having some ridiculously bad uniforms (ESPN). These new black and gray uniforms that were released last year are very clean. They might not stand out necessarily as a flashy and sexy pick, but they are very lowkey and clean. A very subtle uniform that is all around smooth. The obvious inspiration for these jerseys was the retro 70s uniforms the Pirates used to rock. They cleaned up and redid these new uniforms, but they came out looking very good and underrated If only the Pirates could play as good as their uniforms were.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10

8: Diamondbacks City Connect uniforms

A pretty sneaky pick here. One of the back half choices of the best city connect jerseys that came out during the 2021 season. I do like the cream-colored jersey fill, with the clean-cut black cursive text with the snake twist in there. My diamond dynasty jerseys look very similar to these, but with red pinstripes as well. The only reason I didn’t rank these higher, is that they wear white pants with them. If they were to wear them with matching cream pants, man oh man would these get more hype. These look exactly like my Diamond Dynasty jerseys, only mine has red pinstripes. Overall, these uniforms are very solid.

Overall Rating: 7/10

7: Chicago Cubs City Connect uniforms

Ah yes, the Wrigleyville City Connect uniforms. I do know that these uniforms have had a lot of mixed reviews since they came out, and I am leaning towards the side of positivity. I do like these uniforms. They are a really clean mix of two of my favorite colors, baby blue, and navy blue. Many people have criticized these uniforms and say the colors should be switched, and while I can see what they are talking about, I like these uniforms the way they are. The two colors are the same color but just different shades and tones which helps the two colors balance each other, but the main reason I like these uniforms is just how simple they made them. Lots of times new jerseys have too much on them; color, designs, logos, etc. All these uniforms are a navy blue base with a baby blue and white stripe above the elbow on the sleeve, and then the baby blue sleeves and socks. A very good job at balancing out the two colors evenly so that there isn’t too much of one color, but also not too much of it. Add the hats into the mix as well, and you have a very well-balanced uniform.

Overall Rating: 7/10

6: San Diego Padres 2020 brown uniforms

The San Diego Padres were the most exciting team to watch in 2021 in terms of young talent and superstars. They had it all, and when their season was cut short and didn’t make the playoffs, fans of this franchise were heartbroken, heck even I was heartbroken. Before the 2020 season, the Padres announced their new Home, Away, and Alternate uniforms for the 2020 season. And again, the Padres are a franchise that is notorious for wearing really ugly uniforms (Brew Crew Ball). The Padres decided now was the time to shuffle up the uniform game and change the jerseys completely. And maybe the jerseys were good luck because, for the first time in the history of the franchise, the Padres had a very good team that made the playoffs and went pretty deep until they were stopped by the Dodgers. Regardless, we’re here for the uniforms, let’s be honest, right? These new brown and white mixed uniforms are the real deal. Inspired by a monk’s color (that is why they are called the Padres after all), these uniforms are very clean and make all of their players look good. I love the mix of yellow in there as well, to make the jerseys pop and stand out a little. Every good uniform has at least a little bit of color to make it stand out and pop, and the Padres executed that well here when they made these uniforms. I do believe that these jerseys are somewhat inspired by the 70s Padres uniforms, but let’s be honest, these look way better.

Overall Rating: 8/10

5: Milwaukee Brewers Navy Blue 2020 uniforms

These uniforms are the real deal. All 4 of them in their respected right look so good in their way, they all combine to make a freaking good set of uniforms the Brew Crew launched back in 2020. All of the colors match together in perfect harmony almost. The white uniform has everything a basic white home uniform should have, a clean white jersey, a secondary color, that being navy blue, and that color that makes it pop, similar to the Padres that color is yellow. There is also the pinstripe, which is the same thing but more white and just pinstripes. And of course the gray, which are the white ones replaced by gray, and they look very good. The Brewers are another National League Central team that has been notorious for not having the best uniforms ever, but these navy blue uniforms completely flip the script on that narrative, just by themselves. My personal favorites are the navy blue ones, again much similar to the Padres, but I think these are a little better. The beautiful combo of yellow and navy blue with the fancy and unique text across the chest. I think if they wore them with white pants instead they would compliment each other a little better, but I understand that they were meant for on the road

Overall Rating: 8/10

4: Chicago White Sox City Connect uniforms

Now, I will admit, being a White Sox fan probably doesn’t help this at all, but hear me out, these uniforms are nice. The White Sox are a team whose main colors are black, white, and gray. It seems like there are limited options for jerseys with only black and white and a little silver, but the Southside proved that method wrong. These clean black with silver pinstripe uniforms look very good. The White Sox nailed it on the head with this one. The pinstripes aren’t obvious, but you can still see them which makes it very subtle and clean. If the pinstripes are too thick or noticeable it will make the uniform look bad, but these uniforms don’t have that. I also love the kind of street biker vibe the text across the text gives off. The White Sox have the reputation as being the dirty Southsiders that are nasty, Grimey, and mean, and that’s the feeling I get just reading the font, “Southside”. And that’s why these uniforms just scream Southsiders.

Overall Rating: 8/10

3: Toronto Blue Jays Baby Blue uniforms

Now, THIS is what I love to see. This is basically what I’m talking about when people wanted the Wrigleyville colors swapped, and I think it looks a little better. The baby blue is exactly what baby blue should look like, mixed with the navy blue to complement it, mix in a little white and you have a really clean uniform. These are a remake from the 70s Blue Jays uniforms, and man oh man did these not only get recreated, they got upgraded as well. This is such a nice uniform the Blue Jays have recreated, and with the young squad they have, these jerseys complement them well.

Overall Rating: 8/10

2: Texas Rangers baby blue uniforms

These uniforms are so sexy. The perfect shade of baby blue is complimented well by the Rangers royal blue, throw in a little bit of red, and you have a dang near perfect uniform. The Rangers are in the middle of a rebuild as of now. These are very similar to my Diamond Dynasty uniforms, which are the same shade of baby blue with red sleeves and an outline of white text across the text. Again, I do like how perfect this shade of baby blue is. This is exactly what baby blue should look like. I also love the text across the text. The classic and curvy Rangers across the text in white with the red drop shadow is spot on and compliments the baby blue on the uniform. I would have to see if the uniforms would look good with baby blue pants to match, but I like these uniforms with white pants. What a uniform though.

Overall Rating: 9/10

1: Miami Marlins City Connect Uniforms

Ladies and gentlemen, your winner of my top 9 best uniforms, the Miami Marlins City Connect jerseys. These jerseys are perfect in every way possible. The combination of red and baby blue is probably the best combination of colors you can get, and the Marlins nailed the perfect balance of scarlet red with their little twist of baby blue that looks very clean. The super nice text across the chest in white with the baby blue border is very good. I like the font they chose. The white subtle pinstripes that are spread apart make this uniform look even better. I think if they did too many pinstripes it wouldn’t look good, and it would look too much like a traditional pinstripe uniform. This isn’t the look Miami is going for. With their young talent and stars, they are looking to put a unique spin on things, make things their way. The white pants fit well, and the baby blue socks change the tempo up instead of red dominating here. Plus the super clean baby blue hat with the red brim, and this is your king ladies and gentlemen. Miami’s lineup is spread throughout with Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican players. Jazz Chisolm, Jesus Aguilar, Sandy Alcantara, Lewin Diaz, the list goes on. These uniforms were made to embrace the Spanish culture in the clubhouse, and they do just that. With the vibrant colors relating to the Cuban flag, this uniform is perfect.

Overall Rating: 10/10

There you have it, my top 9 favorite uniforms revealed within the last 2 years. These young kids are taking over the game, and they bring swag and passion. One way to express swag is through clean uniforms, and soon, the uniforms will take over the MLB and bring excitement back to the game we know and love.

Waaaaaaay too early 2021 MLB award predictions

Kade Daniels Uncategorized December 3, 20202021, Awards, Baseball, COVID-19, MLB, MVP, Sports 0 Comment

l know that we are a full year away, and it is way too early to be taking shots on who will be the 2021 MLB Cy Young Award winner or the MVP award. But yet, I´m going for it. These are my 2021 Award predictions.

2021 American League Rookie Of The Year

Wander Franco

This decision was a pretty easy one to make. Wander is the #1 Prospect in the MLB right now. He is a 5 tool player who hits for contact. Ultra talented, the Rays have been so excited to call him up when he is ready. And just by watching him play, you can tell he is a special talent

Honourable Mentions: Jasson Dominguez, Adley Rutschman

2021 National League Rookie of the Year

Mackenzie Gore

If you haven´t heard about this kid, you need to get to know him. Mackenzie is an ultra-talented pitching prospect in the Padres organization. He is ranked #3 in Baseball America’s Top 100 Prospects list. Yes, as if the Padres didn´t already have an ultra-talented lineup of young talent, they will add Mackenzie here next year most likely.

Gore throws a hard fastball, a 12-6 curveball, a wipeout slider, and an excellent changeup. A pretty typical repertoire, but the way he throws them makes those 4 nearly untouchable.

This kid has a very bright future ahead of him, and in an organization built like the Padres, who feast of young talent, he very well may live out a great MLB career.

Honourable Mentions: Joey Bart, Dylan Carlson

2021 American League Cy Young Award

Gerrit Cole

This one was tough. One of the big names in that discussion would be Justin Verlander, but he most likely will not pitch until 2022, if he doesn’t retire by then. Verlander underwent Tommy John surgery on October 1st, 2020. But that has a silver lining. His ex-teammate and the guy who finished 2nd in the 2019 Cy Young behind Justin, is Gerrit Cole. He is my pick to win the Cy Young next year.

“What are you thinking?! He has no chance to win it”, you might think. That’s where you are wrong. Over the past 3 seasons, he has dominated the league. In the past 3 seasons, he has an ERA of 2.74 and a WHIP of 0.962. That’s insanely good.

The man throws an average fastball velocity of 97.1 MPH. And trust me, he can throw even harder than that. Not to mention, have you seen this guy’s slider? It moves like a wiffle ball. It’s filthy. It starts on the outside corner and runs into your elbow. And he throws it so hard, it looks like a fastball, the runs and nearly hits you.

Also, Yankees park is sort of a factor. When MLB players make solid contact with Cole’s fastball, it usually goes into left center field. To left center in Yankees Stadium is 399 feet. That is a long way to travel to get out, and with a center fielder like Aaron Hicks or Aaron Judge, they can cover a lot of ground to get to deep fly balls, thus resulting in lest extra-base hits, which usually result in runs. I believe Cole will have an absolute monster season next year with the Yankees, that will make his last 3 seasons look average. Maybe the season will help them do excellent in the regular season and even the postseason. Usually, Cole hangs in Verlander’s shadow, but with Verlander injured this season, it is time to step out and win his first award.

Honourable Mentions: Shane Bieber, Hyun Jin-Ryu, Luis Severino, Blake Snell

2021 National League Cy Young Award

Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty is my pick to take the National League Cy Young Award. Although he didn’t have the best 2020 season, neither did a lot of superstars, such as Javier Baez, Kris Bryant, Yoan Moncada, Cody Bellinger, the list goes on forever. But we saw that he was the best pitcher in the 2nd half of the 2019 season. He can definitely do it, especially in 2021. He can definitely make the adjustment back to the 162 game season. He has so much potential and great stuff, that will make him a great ace for many pitching staffs. And he is my pick to win the 2021 NL Cy Young Award.

Honourable Mentions: Jacob Degrom, Walker Beuhler, Clayton Kershaw, Trevor Bauer

2021 National League MVP

Freddie Freeman

Freddie Freeman is so good. I love watching Freddie Freeman play. The way he can hit ine drives out of the stadium to left-center field, the picks and digs he makes at 1st base, makes him a legitimate threat.

I’m calling a reapeat, he won the 2020 MVP, and he’s going to win the 2021 MVP. He’s gonna be around for a little while, and I imagine he will be with the Braves his whole career. He loves the Braves, the Braves love him. He’s going to contribute very highly for a while, and when he gets old, maybe they will use him as a DH.

He is the next Albert Pujols, and if he keeps it up, there is a chance he ends up better than Albert Pujols, and the best 1st baseman of all time. Freddie Freeman has my pick.

Honourable Mentions: Ronald Acuna Jr, Mookie Betts, Fernando Tatis Jr, Juan Soto

2021 American League MVP

Mike Trout

Getting sick of this name? I sure am not. The Millville Meteor is seeking his 4th MVP, and I think he´s gonna get it.

Mike Trout is easily the greatest player of all time. Crazy power, amazing speed, incredible athleticism, and terrific defense. He is the closest thing to perfect we have ever seen.

Better than Barry Bonds, better than Babe Ruth, better than everyone. He has produced every year he has been in the league at an extremely high level, and he wil continue to produce for the rest of his career.

It is most likely that he stays in Los Angeles, as he signed an absolute monster deal, the biggest contract of all time, being 11 years for $426 million dollars. That is an absurd amount of money. But when you are Mike Trout, you can get that kind of money.

You also have to remember, he is only 29. Fun fact: do you know that me and Mike Trout actually share a birthday? August 7th. Anyways, Mike has a chance for 20 more years in the show, and he will produce for all 10 of those years, if not more. It is the same answer as always for AL MVP, and it continues in ´21. The answer is Mike Trout.

Honourable Mentions: Jose Abreu, George Springer, Randy Arozerena

There you have it, my 2021 award winners. I know that there is a chance that none of them win the award. There is also a chance that I look like a genius because all of them win an award. We will not know until next year.

Biggest dissapointments in the 2020 MLB season

Kade Daniels Uncategorized December 3, 2020Baseball, Cheaters, COVID-19, Dissapointing, Failures, MLB, Sports 0 Comment

2020 was one heck of a season. I don’t think this will be a season we will ever forget. It was..strange, unorthodox, unusual. COVID-19 changed the entire season and changed some player’s styles. There were a few surprises in the 2020 season, one of those being how some superstars had a bad year. Today, we will go over the top 5 players who had horrific seasons this year.

First, let’s name some honourable mentions

Cody Bellinger, Yoan Moncada, Nolan Arenado, Marcus Semien, Joc Pederson, Austin Meadows, Shohei Ohtani, Alex Bregman

All of those players were pretty disappointing in this weird 2020 season. But they weren’t the worst. Let’s dive into the top 5.

5: JD Martinez

You know a season was really weird when JD Martinez had a down year. For, his whole career, JD Martinez has been historically good. Even with the Astros, and even the Diamondbacks, when he wasn’t noticed, JD was very good. Before his career blossomed with the Red Sox, in between 2011-2017, JD hit 152 home runs, drove in 476 RBIs, and hit .285. That was before he got really good.

In 2018 and 2019, where he was arguably the best DH, JD hit 79 home runs, picked up 235 RBI’s, and hit .317. Think about it. He hit half as many home runs in 2 years then he did in 7 years, not on the Red Sox.

That’s why I was so disappointed to see JD Martinez 2020 stats. He just looked like he wasn’t in it this year, His discipline at the plate went waaaaaaay down. His strikeout numbers went waaaaaaay up. Honestly, the entire Red Sox team didn’t look like they wanted to win. It didn’t help that their manager got busted for cheating, and then got fired. Rick Roenicke wanted the Red Sox to tank this year. In 2021 Alex Cora will be making a return appearance. Maybe he will return to peak JD Martinez mode with Alex Cora at the helm. Who knows. The point is, JD Martinez, sucked this year. Bad. That’s why he is on this list.

4: Jose Altuve

Jose Altuve was an absolute monstrosity this year. He could not hit the ball to save his life, more specifically breaking balls. The swing and miss percentage on breaking pitches this year was sky-high. You can find a lot of evidence, whether it is stats, or just watching him play, to make the statement that he was arguably the most disappointing player of 2020. Watch this video (credit to Baseball Doesn’t Exist for the video) to see the lowlights of Jose Altuve’s disappointing 2020 season. You can learn the context of the past 3 seasons for Jose, and what makes him so hated and why he was horrendous this year.

On offense, this guy was hitting with a pool noodle up there. Every time he got thrown a curveball or slider, you could guarantee that he would strike out. He hit for almost now power, no consistency, on a team that relies on their biggest stars to hit extremely well. Alex Bregman, Michael Brantley, Carlos Correa, Yuli Gurriel, and the departing George Springer. All of them except for Brantley were not that good this year. Especially Jose Altuve. There is a chance that because of the struggles of Jose, it may influence where George Springer signs.

And on defense, he was the worst defensive 2nd baseman in all of baseball. His defensive stats are off the charts bad. As I was pulling up the defensive stats for Jose Altuve, the page malfunctioned and turned my computer off. I guess the stats were so bad that even the website didn’t want me to see them! Makes sense I guess. Not only was he bad in the regular season, but it also haunted him into the postseason vs the Rays, who would go on to the World Series, only to lose to the Dodgers. Remember in the ALCS, when he committed two throwing errors, one of which continued the inning, and the next batter hit a go-ahead home run. Check out the video Jomboy Media made about it.

It’s really hard for me to lean on the fact that he was so bad because he was never good in the first place. Of course, we all know Cody Bellinger on the Astros Cheating Scandal, he said that Altuve stole an MVP from Aaron Judge in 2017. Judge had a monster season, hitting 52 home runs as a rookie, which at the time was the record. But before the 3 years that the Astros cheated, which was 2011-2016, Jose was not all that hot. Then came the next 3 years the Astros cheated, and he was extremely good, and won the MVP in the process. Then they got busted and exposed. 2020 came, and without the trash can banging, Jose was brutal. I don’t want to believe that is why he is struggling, but let’s be honest, why else would he? It also was a really weird season, where a lot of superstars struggled, and maybe it was just a coincidence that it was after the season the Astros were exposed for cheating. Who knows? What we do know is that Jose Altuve was horrible this season.

3: Christian Yelich

The former MVP was atrocious this season. Following his 2019 season where he was an All-Star, winning a Silver Slugger award and finishing 2nd in the MVP race to Cody Bellinger, Yelich barely hit above .200 in 2020. He was horrendous. I was expecting him to have another spectacular season, hitting around .300, 20 home runs, and playing solid defense.

Yelich got some payroll this season, when he signed a $215 million extension with the Milwuakee Brewers. And he deserved it. After winning back to back Silver Slugger awards and winning an MVP in 2018 and almost another one in 2019, Yelich was on a path to possibly be one of the best outfielders of the generation. All of us were so let down by Yelich this year.

Some people went as far as calling him the Least Valuable Player. Popular social media influencer GiraffeNeckMarc made an entire video on how Yelich was the worst player of 2020. The irony is how he made a video in 2019 on how Yelich was the best player in the league. And here we are now. It is sad to see someone like Yelich struggle so much, someone who is such a good person, and such an incredibly talented player. All we can do now, is look to the next season.

2: Javier Baez

Man oh man, was El Mago a disaster this season. So dissapointng. From being an All Star in 2019, winning a Gold Glove a few years back, the 2020 MLB The Show cover athlete, Javier Baez has looked all but that. With the bat, he was useless, a dead spot in the lineup. He hit .208 with 8 home runs and drove in 24 home runs. The counting stats aren’t horrible, but .208? Really? For being the guy who is arguably the best shortstop in the National League, he plummeted down to maybe the worst shortstop in the league.

Don’t even get me started about defense. It seemed like every single Cubs game I watched this year, Javy made an error. He was brutal with the leather this year, so bad. He was super hesitant to make the throw, never got to the ball quick, and his throwing was HORIBBLE. Seemed like Rizzo at 1st base had to pick or stretch almost every throw he made. Even on the ones that weren’t errors thrown to the wall, if the Cubs didn’t have Anthony Rizzo at 1st base, I guaruntee you Javier would have had twice if not 3 times as many errors. I hope he regains himself in 2021, because he is so exciting and fun to watch when he is right. But man, was he a bummer this season.

1: Kris Bryant

Oh boy, Kris Bryant was a mess this year. He barely could hit anything. My 7 year old brother has hit more home runs in tee ball than Kris Bryant hit this year. We all know about Bryant’s history. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 2015, and then won the MVP in 2016, and he is a 3 time all star. But man, did he stink it up in 2020. Check out Kris Bryant’s stats here. He posted a 0.3 WAR. That means he was barely worth even putting in the lineup. Lots of players on the Cubs had down seasons this year, and Kris Bryant is near the top of that list. Yes, he hit a grand slam vs the White Sox. But in the end, it doesn’t matter. The Cubs lost that game, and that was only 1 of 4 home runs Kris hit this season, and only 4 of 11 RBI’s he drove in.

It has gotten so bad, that the Cubs are looking to potentially trade him. The biggest, most likeliest trade is between the Cubs and the Nationals, both teams have won World Series trophies in this decade. The deal may make you laugh, but the Nats are interested in trading Starlin Castro straight up for Kris Bryant. That’s it. The White Sox may also be interested in trading for him. “But why would they trade Kris Bryant, when they already have Yoan Moncada at 3rd base”, you may ask. Well, Kris Bryant can also play left and right field. And with the season Nomar Mazara had last year, and with the track record of Kris Bryant, it seems that if they landed him, Nomar would probably ride the bench most of the season. Even if the Cubs do not trade him, they may non-tender him, which means any team can pick him up in free agency. The chances of Kris leaving the Cubs, is fairly high, whether it is this season or next.

Anyways, Kris was horrendous this year, and has left the Cubs scratching their head at what to do with him.

There you have it, my list for the biggest disappointments of the 2020 MLB season. From being MVP’s to the bottom of the shelf, these players really demonstrated what it looks like to go from the cream of the crop, to the dog poop that gets stuck on your shoe when you walk outside. I do feel bad for them, and maybe they bounce back in 2021.

Top 5 Karen moments and freakouts

Kade Daniels Uncategorized November 17, 2020November 17, 2020Boomer, Comedy, Funny, Karen, Karens, Lifestyle, Rude, Society 0 Comment

The people we all love and hate… Karens. Karens are stupid. Karens are boomers. Karens ruin everything. And I mean everything. Karens also happen to be funny. Luckily for you, I scoured the internet far and wide to find the best, funniest, and most ridiculous Karen moments and freakouts. These videos demonstrate and show just exactly what a Karen is. What exactly is a Karen though? Let me explain.

The Origin Story

According to Wikipedia,

“a Karen is a pejorative term for someone perceived as entitled or demanding beyond the scope of what is appropriate or necessary. A common stereotype is that of a white woman who uses her privilege to demand her own way at the expense of others. Depictions also include demanding to “speak to the manager”, being racist, being anti-vaccination, or sporting a particular bob cut hairstyle. As of 2020, the term was increasingly being used as a general-purpose term of disapproval for middle-aged white women.”

Karens also have very distinct haircuts. The haircut is a source you can use to tell if it is just your average everyday boomer, or if it is a Karen. Just like when you can tell the difference between a whitetail deer or an elk.

Now that you know just what a Karen is, let’s take a dive into the top 5 Karen freakouts and moments.

#5: Park Ranger Karen

(Click on the link to see the video)

Karen Video #5

This video demonstrates just how rude and racist they can be. That poor Asian family can’t even go on vacation without spotting a wild Karen. Karen blocks the Asian families path like she’s Gandolf like, “You shall not pass”, but with more racism. She goes out of her way to prove the point that Asians don’t belong in America, which they do. America is a free country, but some people believe in, “If you’re not white and have my haircut, you are a less important person than me”. Overall, the video is actually pretty decent. Although whoever was recording looked like they recorded it on a Gameboy from the 90’s, the video in itself is funny and deserves some credit.

#4: Crazy Verizon customer Karen

(Click on the link to see the video)

Karen Video #4

This video is flat out crazy. For those who can not understand the context of this video, Karen’s phone plan is crappy and she wants to change it. The Verizon employee talks to her about different plans she can choose from. But because Karen is on a whole other level than you, she thinks she should get a brand new phone. The Verizon employee tells her that is not possible unless she pays for it. From then, the video downspirals in chaos. Karen basically turned into the Devil himself, and unleashed all her anger and hate on this poor employee. It was so bad, more employees came to help, and they still could not handle the power of the Karen. It’s like Naruto. He has the demon fox trapped inside of him, and when he gets backed into a corner, he can trigger this demon, and it gives him crazy powers. This video demonstrates how Karens think they are the head of society and they deserve more than the average person, when in reality, they don’t.

#3: Karen the Witch unleashes her powers on “trespasser”

(Click on the link to see the video)

Karen Video #3

This video lowkey creeps me out. Karen stands there in her long, black, straggly hair, just staring into your soul. She judges every part of you. If I were the poor, black man that was in that scenario, I’d try and throw boiling water at her to burn off her old, saggy witch skin. Not only is there witch Karen, there is her super compassionate partner, who I like to refer to as a Greg. Greg’s are basically the husband of a Karen, and demonstrate exactly what a Karen is, only in male form. Greg is not only asking the guy questions like a hardcore interrogation, he decides to roll his camera on his phone to probably show the police later. Typical Karen move. These beautifully racist couple probably have no clue that he is the owner of the property, but still go out of their way to question the black man if it’s his property, and then go on to call the cops, for standing on HIS OWN PROPERTY. Unbelievable. The delusion of the couple is out of this galaxy. Mind your own business, Karen.

#2: KidzBop Karen

(Click on the link to see the video)

Karen Video #2

This was very close to being #1 on this list, but compared to the next one is not as good. Anyways, this Karen goes WAY out of her way to tell the driver and the backseat passenger just how idiotic they are. Getting out of your car, in the middle of a street, just to yell at some people, really takes some nerve. But Karens have that nerve. She rants on the driver for a little while, then she REALLY let’s it out against the passenger. She even goes as far to start yelling cuss words at them, while her kids are in the car next to them. And then, makes the face. Game over. Good luck with that. If I were them, I would just walk out of the car and ask for a car to run me over. That face is basically the infinity gauntlet. “Now, reality can be whatever she wants”, with that face. The best part of the whole video, and the signature mark, is when she tells her kids are, “too busy watching KidzBop”, to listen to her cuss. Every second of this video I burst into laughter uncontrollably. Just a surreal video.

Now, the best video of all

#1: Karen saves the day by calling cops on a black family at the park having BBQ

(Click on the link to watch the video)

Karen Video #1

Words can’t even describe this video. Karen is so incredibly ridiculous in this video I can’t even think. 24 minutes of utter Karenism, if that is even a word. Racist Karen goes out of her way to make life tough for an innocent black family just having a BBQ in a PUBLIC PARK. She pulls all kinds of reasons out of her gray hair about how it is bad for society and her city. A nearby citizen questions her for a little while. The black family talks to her, and she STEALS the lady’s credit card! Then Karen acts all defensive like she is being threatened or hurt. Then she pulls a typical Karen move, which is calling the cops if things don’t go her way. Even the police think she is an idiot. They too don’t care because after all it is a PUBLIC PARK. This Karen is so freaking delusional, she has no idea what she is doing. She needs to mind her own business, and stop trying to take charge of everything.

Although the MLB season is over…you can still watch baseball in Korea

Kade Daniels Uncategorized November 9, 2020Baseball, International, Korea, Playoffs, Sports 0 Comment

With the 2020 season over, we now look to the future and the offseason and free agency. Some of you may not be as interested as others in offseason moves. It can get boring at times with no MLB on TV right now. The WBC is canceled this year. “What do I do now?” However, you can cure that boredom, at least for now. The KBO “Playoff” is in it’s biggest, most exciting phase. Let’s take a look at Korean Baseball.

Humble beginnings

The KBO stands for the Korean Baseball Organization. The league was founded in 1982 in Korea, starting with only 6 franchises, and now has 10 teams. Korea is home to many major leaguers, the best one being Hyun JIn-Ryu, who has finished in the Cy Young Award top 3 in back to back years. Compared to all of the other leagues, the KBO is one of the newer leagues throughout the globe. The CPBL, the Chinese Professional Baseball League, was founded in 1989, the newest league yet. The KBO is built out of Korean born players or local to the area, and former Major League players who’s careers didn’t quite pan out. They are given a brand new second opportunity overseas. Some of those players being Addison Russell. Yes, Addison Russell. Aaron Brooks, Casey Kelley, Aaron Altherr, the list goes on. There are 10 teams in the KBO, the Doosan Bears. LG Twins, Kiwoom Heroes, NC Dinos, KIA Tigers, Lotte Giants, Hanwha Eagles, Samsung Lions, KT Wiz, SK Wyverns, and Hyundai Unicorns. Each team plays 144 games a year.

Now that you know a little bit about the KBO, let’s look at their playoff bracket.

It’s tiiiiiiiiimmmme for Korean Baseball! -Vin Scully

To be honest, I am actually kind of jealous of this bracket. It is so simple yet so rewarding. It rewards the higher seeds by letting them have byes each round. Let me explain. It all starts in a best of 3 series between the 5 and 4 seed. Whoever wins that series, moves into the “wildcard series”. Whoever won the previous series plays the 3 seed. Whoever wins that moves into the “semi winner” series. The winner of the previous series plays the 2 seed in a best of 5. The winner will play the 1, who has had the past like 2 weeks off, in a 7 game set in the “Playoff Winner” series. The winner takes home the trophy, or as Robert Manfred puts it, “just a piece of metal”. If we were to reword the KBO bracket, the first series would be the Wildcard, then the Divisional Series, followed by the Conference Series, then the greatest stage of all, the World Series. The game schedule for the “Playoff Winner”, wil be linked right here. KBO Playoff Schedule

So there you have it. Although the MLB regular season is over, up until the 15th of November, you can watch Korean Baseball. Tune in to watch players all over the world, from America, Korea, Japan, and other countries, compete for The KBO trophy.

Biggest MLB free agents of 2020

Kade Daniels Uncategorized November 3, 2020Baseball, Free Agents, MLB, money, Sports 0 Comment

With our “Covid Cup” winners crowned, and the wacky 2020 MLB season over, it’s time to move on to the next phase of the season, and that is the offseason and free agency

Let’s take a look at the 3 biggest free agents from each of the conferences headed into the 2020 MLB offseason

JT Realmuto

JT Realmuto is probably the biggest name headed into free agency this year. We’ve all seen what this guy can do, starting back with the Marlins, and now becoming a top catcher in the game with the Phillies. Despite only playing in 47 of the 60 games this year, he had a little bit of a down year. The thing is, his down years look like a lot of players’ solid years. Realmuto hit .266 with 11 Home Runs, 32 RBI’s, and a .349 OBP. One reason he is such a big target this year is because of how good he was in 2019, by FAR his best season. With the catching shortage, there is in the game today, JT has stepped up and taken the competition by storm.

Will he stay?

As of right now, it looks up and down. Bryce Harper, who signed a massive deal with the Phillies in 2019, said, “J.T. Realmuto needs to be our catcher next year — plain and simple” The Mets are interested in signing JT. Although JT has not hinted or said much about who he is signing within 2020, I would personally think that JT would stay in Philly.

Trevor Bauer

Of course, we all know Trevor Bauer to be one of the most controversial players in the league, with some of the on and off the field decisions he makes, and things he says. But, I guess, he has that right, considering how he is dominating the league right now. Bauer probably is going to win the National League CY Young Award this year, and he is only going to post up more seasons like this from now on. With his fastball touching up at 96 mph, and one of the nastiest curveballs in the league, Bauer has put up some insanely good numbers 2020. From being the 3rd pick, in what we know now to be the best draft of all time, to be one of the best pitchers in the NL, Trevor Bauer has and will continue to dominate.

Will he stay?

Of course, we all know that the Reds are currently almost out of the rebuilding phase of the franchise. The Reds had somewhat of a disappointing season, although they made it into the wildcard spot in the National League. Ultimately, were swept by the Atlanta Braves. Based on Bauer’s history, there is a decent chance that he will move on from Cincinnati. Of course, Bauer posted up phenomenal numbers this year, is probably going to sign for a 6 digit contract in the 2020 offseason. There is also a chance that he stays in Cincinnati for a few more years. The Reds have made comments about how important resigning him will be for the success of the franchise moving forward, saying, “We will do everything we can to resign Trevor Bauer”. It’s up for grabs, and only time will tell what decision he makes.

Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna might be the biggest bat from the 2020 MLB season in free agency this year. Marcell nearly won a Triple Crown, in a season where everything is shorter and different. Ozuna put up phenomenal number Designated Hitting for the Atlanta Braves this year, in not only the regular season, but he absolutely raked in the postseason. Ozuna was easily a top 3 hitter in the National League, and lead the NL in home runs this year. Numbers like that will certainly make you a LOT of money in the near future.

Will he stay?

Me personally, I would like Marcell to stay in Atlanta. The Braves finished with a phenomenal record of 35-25, with the best game being when they scored 29 runs vs the Miami Marlins, where Ozuna picked up a hit and an RBI with it. His teammate, Adam Duvall made history by recording 2 3 home run games in the same season. Marcell will probably earn a lot of money, as the Braves have a lot of money in the bank they can spend. But, just like he did in St Louis, he may leave. There is a better chance he stays then leaves, but you never know.

Now that we have covered the National League, let’s move onto the American League

Nelson Cruz

Nelson Cruz should be a Hall of Famer. The numbers he has over his career and the consistency he has had is truly special. Fun fact: he is older than his manager, and still hit 40 home runs in a season. He has hit over 400 home runs in his career, and he is also 43 years of age. He continues to defy Father Time and just rake for power. Hall of Fame numbers deserve quite a bit of money, and so he is going to probably make a lot of money this year

Will he stay?

Cruz has been on the Twins for 2 years, and he fits PERFECTLY into the slugging Twins lineup. In 2019, the year Nelson hit 40 home runs, the Twins broke the MLB record for most home runs by a franchise in a single season. That team is built around power, and Cruz is at the forefront of it all. Me personally, I think Nelson will spend the rest of his career in Minnesota. The team is inches away from making a deep postseason run and possibly making it to the world series.

DJ Lemahieu

DJ Lemahieu is one of my favourite hitters in the league and is one of the best hitters in the league. He has fit in very well with the Yankees extreme lineup, hitting leadoff and 2-hole, and can play all over the infield. He picked up a batting title this year, after finishing second to Tim Anderson in 2019. Lemahieu has established himself as one of the premier hitters of even this decade. After being average with the Rockies in his earlier years, the Yankees picked him up on a 2 year $24 million dollar deal, he turned a corner with the Yankees and became arguably the best 2nd baseman in the league. Such a feat will earn himself some paper in the 2020 MLB offseason.

Will he stay?

Lemahieu is known for being a quiet guy. Doesn’t really have social media or say anything controversial, or even really give his opinion to the public. He is the quiet assassin, quietly killing the league. Lemahieu has not quite made a hint publicly about where or who he will sign with in 2020, but the odds are very high he will stay in the Bronx. The team is set up for greatness, after all, they are America’s team. “The Deathstar”. He is a big part of that roster, in driving in runs an making plays defensively. Me personally, the odds are most likely he stays in New York, by a heavy margin.

George Springer

George Springer plays center field for the Houston Astros. He is also a top 3 center fielder in the league. 2nd to the great Mike Trout, Springer has been extremely clutch. Although banging on trash cans may help him, nevertheless, Springer has been elite for the past 3 seasons or so not only in the regular season but in the postseason as well.

Will he stay?

I would think that he would stay in Houston. The bonds and relationships he has with his teammates are special and contribute to his chances of staying in Houston. Then again, the cheating scandal may drive him out of there. He may try and reset his career somewhere else and have a fresh start.

Everything you need to know about the 2020 MLB postseason

Kade Daniels Uncategorized October 29, 2020Baseball, COVID-19, MLB, October, Playoffs, Postseason, Sports 0 Comment

It’s finally happening! A day 5 months ago we thought would never happen! The 2020 postseason is right around the corner, and I am as excited as ever! Of course, with the shortened 60 game season, the postseason has changed this year quite a bit. Without further ado, let’s get right into it.

Grow the seeds

The 2020 playoff seedings are actually very unorthodox. They are more similar to basketball than baseball this year.

The Postseason starts September 29th at 12:08 PM Mountain Time. It’s the top 8 teams from the American League and the National League based on win percentage. The very strange part of it all is; there are a few teams right at .500 (have roughly the same amount of wins as losses) that are actually in the playoffs this year. The rankings go as follows in the AL 1-8 in this order; Rays come 1st, then the Athletics,Twins, Indians, Yankees, Astros, White Sox, and the Blue Jays. Then in the NL, the Dodgers of course take 1st place, then comes the Braves, Cubs, Padres, Cardinals, Marlins, Reds and Brewers. The 1 will take on the 8, the 2 plays the 7, the 3 plays the 6, and 3 and 4 face off. Usually, only the best teams that have roughly a 700%-600% win percentage make the playoffs. But this year, the seedings are more generous. Jimmy O’Brien used a great analogy to describe the National League “mess” Jimmy claims, “I feel like a mom, and the playroom is like, a mess, and she tells the kids to clean it up. And the kids keep calling her into the room and they’re like, “mom mom, do you want the books to go here? Do you want the toys to go here? Do you want me to roll up the carpet?” And the mom says, “I don’t care how it is, but the next time I come back, it better be clean. That’s where I am at with the National Legaue”.

The rankings go as follows in the AL 1-8 in this order; Rays come 1st, then the Athletics,Twins, Indians, Yankees, Astros, White Sox, and the Blue Jays. Then in the NL, the Dodgers of course take 1st place, then comes the Braves, Cubs, Padres, Cardinals, Marlins, Reds and Brewers. The 1 will take on the 8, the 2 plays the 7, the 3 plays the 6, and 3 and 4 face off.

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Don’t come near my bubble!

Much like the NBA and NHL, the MLB has decided to use playoff bubbles to ensure the players safety. In the National League the 1,8, 5, and 4 seed will play in Arlington. Down south, the 6, 3, 7, and 2 seed will face off in Houston. The first round will be broadcasted on Fox Sports 1 and MLB Network.

After the first and second rounds are done, then comes the NLCS, which will be played in Arlington, Texas

In the American league we head to California where the 1, 8, 5, and 4 seed will play in San Diego.

Meanwhile, the 6,3 7, and 2 will square up in Los Angeles.

The ALCS will be played in San Diego. Then comes the biggest stage of all, the World Series. It will be played in Arlington.

One thing I found interesting was commisioner Rob Manfred wants fans in the stands. Yes, some would argue that the point of the bubble is to not have any fans in the stadium. But I am sure that the MLB would have precautions to keep the players safe.

The number of fans would be somewhere in the 5,000 area. They would probably tape off the first 5 rows by the dugouts above it and to the sides of it. Every other seat would be marked off. Plexiglass on all of the concessions, masks are mandatory, stuff like that. I like the idea. Why? If you rewatch the 2018 World Series in Los Angeles, the crowd would go absolutely nuts over small things. Foul balls, big at bats, stuff like that. Why? It’s the World Series! You want to do everything you can to help your team win. With the 2020 World Series, it’s not the same. I think we should have fans in the stands. Now, I would also think that the stadiums would use the fake crowd noise to simulate real fans, because let’s be honest, 5,000 fans aren’t anywhere as loud as 55,000 screaming at the top of their lungs. So that covers playoff bubbles.

World Series predictions

Of course, everyone’s favorite world series prediction was going to be the Yankees vs Dodgers. But, as soon as half the Yankees squad got injured and went 5-18, the more likely team to win the AL, are the White Sox, the Rays, and the Athletics. In the NL, the most likely to win of course is the Dodgers. But the Braves, Padres, and Cubs are right on their trail. Former player Trevor Plouffe, at the beginning of the season said, “Honestly, there are really only 4 teams that genuinely want to win this year”. That number is roughly around 6, 3 from each conference. My personal pick for the world series is the Dodgers VS the White Sox.

Season Recap

A lot of weird stuff happened in this weird 2020 season. From fans sneaking onto the Green Monster in Fenway, to managers getting ejected from a private suite for no reason, here are the letdowns and the surprises from the 2020 MLB season

Letdowns: the teams we all thought would do better than they finished

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Astros: I’m pretty sure we all thought the Astros had a chance to go to their 3rd World Series in 4 years. Yes, they may have lost Gerrit Cole to the Yankees, but they still were going to be really good. They had their extremely good lineup, and a solid rotation. After the first couple of weeks, it all fell off.

Justin Verlander, their Hall of Fame ace, went down on injury. 2 months later he made the decision to undergo Tommy John surgery. The rest of the Astros lineup has kind of cycled through injury. Each of their best players have gotten injured at some point of this year. Yes, I know that they are in the postseason this year. But 6th? C’mon, ya cheaters.

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Yankees: Although the Yankees weren’t a total failure, they 100% should have finished higher than they did.

Of course, they had Luke Voit who as of now isleading the league in home runs. He has been an absolute monster for the Bronx Bombers. Aaron Judge made some noise at the beginning of the year by hitting 6 home runs in 5 games. Soon after he would be injured for a few games, but then come back. It happens every year witht the Yankees. They get these big outfielders that can hit balls 450 feet every other at bat. But their big bodies break down quickly. Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge, Aaron Hicks, Luke Voit, Gary Sanchez, etc. Speaking of Gary Sanchez, did you know that he is hitting.147 with a .608 OPS?? Yeah, he stinks this year.

Meanwhile, the Yankees rotation has had some big injuries as well. Luis Severino, presumably the 2nd pitcher went down with Tommy John surgery, as well as James Paxton, who was set to be the 4th or 5th also went down on TJ. Everybody’s getting Tommy John this year.

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Reds: The Reds have been TERRIBLE this year.

In the offseason, the Reds made some good moves. They brang Nicholas Castellanos in, who had been red hot with the Cubs in the 60 games he played with them. He’s been an… eh, piece for the Reds. They also brang in Mike Moustakas, the Moose, who was an All Star with the Brewers. Moose has not been getting it done for the Reds, hitting roughly .210 this year. They brang in Trevor Bauer, who right now is most likely going to win the NL Cy Young this year They brang in the veteran shortstop Jose Iglesias, who has been pretty good for them. Michael Lorenzen is doing better, but he has not been good this year.

Jimmy O Brien read a stat that said the Reds have only won like 4 series the whole year. With their complete lineup, plus the 3 headed monster in the rotation in Bauer, Sonny Gray, and Luis Castillo, they have been decent, with a combined ERA of 2.88. Yes, they are in the 5 spot this year, but they should be finishing at least top 4. Now I will say, the Reds have bounced back a little bit this year, they’ve won like 3 series in a row. But other than that, it’s been disappointing. The Reds have really let us down this year.

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Cardinals: The Cardinals were supposed to be the 2nd best team in the league going into 2020. That’s not the case this year. Yes, they made the playoffs, but they should be WAY higher up.

They had the phenom known as Jack Flaherty, who made history during the second half of 2019. He looked like the 2019 Shane Bieber. Flaherty has not been the best, rocking a 4.84 ERA. Last year’s second half was an ERA of…drumroll please…..0.84. That’s the closest any pitcher has been to untouchable. Then of course, there’s the defense, which has been SPECTACULAR this year.

The Cardinals are on top of literally every team defensive stat this year. Part of that comes from the brilliant managing and coaching, but that’s beside the point.

It’s the offense and pitching that has let them down this year. The Cardinals team hitting stats go as follows: .236 BA, .327 OBP, .347 SLG, and a .701 OPS. That is not good at all! Not to mention the Cardinals pitching has an ERA of 4.00l, which is roughly average. But playing against high offense teams in the playoffs, a 4.00 ERA isn’t going to cut it. Some teams can triple that ERA, like the Dodgers, White Sox, and Yankees. They can drop 12 runs in 4 innings if and when they want to. Anyways, the Cardinals aren’t worth the hype.

Surprises: the teams that surprised us this year

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Marlins: The Miami Marlins have actually been surprisingly good this year. They finished 5th in a stacked NL conference, and had a couple players that shine really bright.

Miguel Rojas made headlines the first couple weeks by hitting roughly .700 to start the year. Then the whole COVID-19 controversy happened. But after that, the Marlins bounced back well. They called up prized pitching prospect Sixto Sanchez, and he has been lights out. He has a nasty 2 seam fastball that can top out at 100mph, as well as a complimentary curveball and changeup. He kind of reminds me of a better version of Michael Pineda. Another pitcher that has stepped uo his game this year, is Pablo Lopez. You’ve pablobly…(get it)…never heard of this guy He has quietly dominated his position and deserves a lot more credit for what he does. This dude has a .361 ERA with a WHIP at just over 1.

A lot of these below average players really stepped up their game and became average. That has helped their team win a lot of games, even with the 6 game break due to the COVID-19 outbreak they had in that clubhouse. The Marlins might be a good team to watch in the playoffs.

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Padres: The Padres have been pumping out studs like it’s their jobs. Which, it essientally is, but. This team is giving the Dodgers a run for their money.

They have all kinds of young talent, starting with Fernando Tatis Jr, who is in the race to be the NL MVP this year. It continues on with Jake Cronenworth, Trent Grisham , Mike Clevinger, and others. They also have veterans on this team to help them through the postseason and such. A guy like Eric Hosmer, has two World Series experiences. Other guys include Manny Machado, Tommy Pham, Jurickson Profar, and Will Myers.

This team is not only an offensive force to be reckoned with, their defense is solid as well. And I can’t leave out that pitching. Dinelson Lamet, the rookie is the ace of this rotation. Followed by him is Mike Clevinger, who is one of the best pitchers we’ve seen in this 2010 decade. After him comes Chris Paddack, last year’s breakout star. Then comes a few other names. The Padres are good this year, and they’re only going to get better.

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Blue Jays: This team really came from absolutely nowhere, to being the wildcard team in the AL. The were the 25th worst team, to the top 16, over the course of one offseason.

Yes, during last season, they traded away their ace, Marcus Stroman, the Stro Show, for two pitching prospects, which stinks because Marcus was the heart of this team. He was bringing the hype of baseball to Canada. Who did they replace him with? They brang the runner up Cy Young award winner in Hyun Jin-Ryu on a 4 year $80 million dollar deal. And, maybe it played out well, as Stroman has decided to sit ou the 2020 season.. They called up big pitching prospect Nate Pearson, who was #19 on Baseball Prospectus’s 101 top prospect list. They also brang in a few inning eater starters that have been…eh.

But of course, the reason we all actually care about the Baby Jay’s existence is the young talent they have. Starting with Vladimir Guerrero Jr the son of hall of famer Vladimir Guerrero. Sons of former players also on this team include Cavan Biggio, and Bo Bichette. They also have a few solid everyday players, in, Randal Grichuk, Rowdy Tellez, Danny Jansen, and others. Most of these guys are young and have a lot of time to develop and grow, meanwhile some have been in the league for 5 years and have experience which can help the younger players. This team has a lot of upside, and I am so excited to see the pieces of the puzzle all come together.

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White Sox: The Chicago White Sox are arguably the best team in the American League right now. This is my personal favorite team. The White Sox are really good at really every aspect of the game right now.

They’re the most dangerous offense in the league. When you look at this lineup, there is no weak link. Tim Anderson leads off, who is looking to win back to back batting titles. Then there’s Yoan Moncada, who has the best swing in baseball history, and when he’s right, he’s an absolute cheat code. After him is Yasmani Grandall, a top 3 catcher in the game. Then comes Jose Abreu, who leads the league in RBI’s with 57 and is also looking to take home the AL MVP. He’s playing out of his mind. Following suit is the red hot rookie Luis Robert, who looks to be the AL Rookie of the Year. Then comes Eloy Jimenez, Edwin Encarnacion, Nomar Mazara, and rounding it off is Nick Madrigal. The Sox LOVE Nick. They think he has potential to hit .350 every year and just be an on base machine.
Next up is Sox Pitching. The White Sox have some very good stuff in their rotation. Lucas Giolito is the face of the rotation, who is having a great year, rocking a 3.48 ERA and a WHIP JUST above 1 and 1.037. Giolito also threw a no hitter this year against the Pirates. Next up is Dallas Keuchell, former Cy Young award winner. He has a lot of veteran exerience and has a very good ground ball rate, top 5 in the league. Keuchel has had one heck of a season, with a 1.99 ERA and a 52.8% GB rate. That means every other batter grounds out versus him. Then comes the young guns, Reynaldo Lopez, Dylan Cease, and Garret Crochett. All 3 of these guys have really good potential right now and iun 5 years they could be the Aces on a lot of teams. This White Sox team has a TON of potential, and we are only seeing a little bit of it.