AL East heat check: Which teams are rising and falling?
December 21, 2023
AL East heat check: Which teams are rising and falling?
7 comments
Nothing that interesting in the article but did think it was worth noting the turnover they pointed out for the Yankees. Like 11 guys who ended the year on the 26 man are no longer in the team including:
Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Greg Weissert, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Luis Severino, Wandy Peralta, Frankie Montas (will probably be back), Keynan Middleton, Lou Trivino, and Jake Bauers.
On my knees praying for Orioles regression
Lukewarm take: divison races have never been less significant then they are right now. You play less games against division rivals with the new schedule and the playoff format allows more teams than ever to get in. It’s also been proven that division winning teams don’t have a significant advantage in the playoffs. All that being said I’m not too concerned about the division right now, the biggest priority is just getting to the playoffs.
Eventually at some point the Rays’ constant wheeling and dealing of players is going to turn on its head and cause them to regress, right? They can’t just keep winning these trades. I’m so sick of them.
I think we have definitely gained WAR, but I’m not sure we’re competitive against the division yet. We need Moto and probably more pitching, and a much better/deeper/more versatile bench (although Trent helps, there, assuming he’s not the everyday CF).
The part of the equation that’s uncertain, and I realize we’ve been saying this every year for like 4 years now, is whether or not we can gamble on the upside of our many injured or regressed ‘23 players in ‘24. Much will depend on DJ, Rizzo, Dongcarlo, Nestor, and Rodon, and probably others I’m forgetting. If all of them have lost seasons we’re dead ducks.
It’s certain that the Yankees *have to* do better than last year. Otherwise, the players are going to find themselves with a new manager than Aaron Boone, whom they love so much.
But I doubt that even Billy Martin, if you could bring him back from the dead, could fix what’s wrong with this team. They can’t play “small ball” and give up an out to force in a run when they need to. It’s not in their genes.
If the Sox do somehow pull off Yamamoto I can see scenarios where any east team could finish first or last
7 comments
Nothing that interesting in the article but did think it was worth noting the turnover they pointed out for the Yankees. Like 11 guys who ended the year on the 26 man are no longer in the team including:
Jhony Brito, Kyle Higashioka, Michael King, Greg Weissert, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Luis Severino, Wandy Peralta, Frankie Montas (will probably be back), Keynan Middleton, Lou Trivino, and Jake Bauers.
On my knees praying for Orioles regression
Lukewarm take: divison races have never been less significant then they are right now. You play less games against division rivals with the new schedule and the playoff format allows more teams than ever to get in. It’s also been proven that division winning teams don’t have a significant advantage in the playoffs. All that being said I’m not too concerned about the division right now, the biggest priority is just getting to the playoffs.
Eventually at some point the Rays’ constant wheeling and dealing of players is going to turn on its head and cause them to regress, right? They can’t just keep winning these trades. I’m so sick of them.
I think we have definitely gained WAR, but I’m not sure we’re competitive against the division yet. We need Moto and probably more pitching, and a much better/deeper/more versatile bench (although Trent helps, there, assuming he’s not the everyday CF).
The part of the equation that’s uncertain, and I realize we’ve been saying this every year for like 4 years now, is whether or not we can gamble on the upside of our many injured or regressed ‘23 players in ‘24. Much will depend on DJ, Rizzo, Dongcarlo, Nestor, and Rodon, and probably others I’m forgetting. If all of them have lost seasons we’re dead ducks.
It’s certain that the Yankees *have to* do better than last year. Otherwise, the players are going to find themselves with a new manager than Aaron Boone, whom they love so much.
But I doubt that even Billy Martin, if you could bring him back from the dead, could fix what’s wrong with this team. They can’t play “small ball” and give up an out to force in a run when they need to. It’s not in their genes.
If the Sox do somehow pull off Yamamoto I can see scenarios where any east team could finish first or last