Category MLB

Red Sox Offensive Struggles

Danny Vinik 1 Comment

The Boston Red Sox may be tied for first in the American League East (for now. In ten minutes, they won’t be). They may have scored the fifth most runs in baseball. They may have the best bullpen in baseball. But the Boston Red Sox have a lot of problems.

Actually, let me correct that. They have one BIG problem:

Offense

The team cannot score. It’s the worst offense under GM Theo Epstein’s tenure with Boston and it just keeps getting worse. So far in July, the team is batting .226. Only San Diego and Pittsburgh have been worse in that month. In June, the team batted .260. For a team consistently around the .280 mark around the last few season, .260 is not very good. Let’s dig deeper into individual stats:

 Dustin Pedroia is hitting .367 in July. He’s the only one

Youkilis is at .254. Ellsbury .234. Papi .218. Varitek .216. Jason Bay is hitting .184. Nick Green is at .150. J.D. Drew is at .137. That’s 8 of the 9 offensive players with the other position being platooned between Rocco Baldelli and Mark Kotsay, who are hitting .214 and .211 respectively. Without Pedroia, the team is hitting .207 in July. Continue reading “Red Sox Offensive Struggles” →

Why The Rangers Will Win The AL West

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The Texas Rangers are currently 48-39 and just a game and a half behind the Angels in the AL West. Not just are the Rangers firmly in contention to win the division, but I contend that they are in fact the favorite.  Here’s why:

  1. Texas is 7-2 versus the Angels this year and have outscored them 58-43 in those games. The key is the 58 runs which is an average of over eight runs a game. The Rangers have destroyed the Angels’ pitching and have proven themselves as the better team
  2. Texas is 6-3 versus the Mariners. Third in the division at 46-42, the Mariners are in contention as well, but the Rangers have handled Seattle well this year. Overall, the Rangers are 18-8 against teams from the AL West. Half way through the season, the Rangers have proven themselves as the best team in the AL West based on games between the teams. The Angels are 11-16 and the Mariners are 16-15 against teams in their own division. Continue reading “Why The Rangers Will Win The AL West” →

2009 MLB Mid-Season Awards

Danny Vinik 1 Comment

With the 2009 MLB All Star Game tomorrow and the Home Run Derby tonight, it’s time to look at the first half of the season and hand out some hardware. Beginning in the American League:

MVP: Justin Morneau

He is tied for 4th in home runs, 2nd in RBI, tied for 7th in batting average, 10th in OBP, 4th in OPS, and 3rd in Slugging. Morneau’s stats don’t sound like those of an MVP, but the AL is so even this year that no candidate stands out. His biggest competition may be teammate Joe Mauer, but I’m giving the Morneau the edge due to HRs and RBI.

Cy Young: Zach Greinke

He has by far the best ERA in the AL, is tied for 2ndin wins, is 3rd in strikeouts with 129 in 127 1/3 innings, has just 21 walks, is tied for 1st in Quality Starts, and is 2nd in WHIP. Greinke has had a phenomenal year in every facet of his game and is the clear Cy Young award winner for the first half of the year.

Rookie of the Year: Ricky Romero

He is 7-3 with a 3.00 ERA and has 69 strikeout in 87 innings. He has a 1.26 WHIP and has been solid for Toronto all year. The AL doesn’t have any stand out rookies so Romero’s solid stats give him the award for the first half of the year. Continue reading “2009 MLB Mid-Season Awards” →