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MLB 2022: Playing Ball, But Is Anyone Still Watching?

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Twins won't, but they really need to clean house with their roster.

I don't like any of the regulars in the outfield. Taylor was passable, but he only exists because Buxton is made of paper.

Need a real 1st baseman. Not named Gallo.

Bullpen has a few guys i'd dump, starting with Pagan.
 
state of hockey said:
The Twins had seemingly turned around their offensive woes of the first two thirds of the season, only to have them come back once playoffs started. Fitting that it ends with calmly watching strike three float past and end your season.
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He just stood there and watched it go by. They went from a team that can't pitch when it counts to a team that can't hit. Gotta have all 3. Defense, pitching, and hitting.
 
Kepler said:
Baltimore out, LA out, Atlanta teetering on the ledge.

16 team-leagues, one pennant winner, no playoffs. Fight me.
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At the very least I think they need to expand so there are no byes (since they aren’t contracting the playoffs). Still a small sample size since it’s only been two years but besides the Astros giving these guys an extra All Star break length time off isn’t good when they’re facing teams still on a regular season timeline.
 
JF_Gophers said:
Twins won't, but they really need to clean house with their roster.

I don't like any of the regulars in the outfield. Taylor was passable, but he only exists because Buxton is made of paper.

Need a real 1st baseman. Not named Gallo.

Bullpen has a few guys i'd dump, starting with Pagan.
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The biggest issue with this team going into next year is the bullpen. It's the most blaring weakness of the 2024 roster. But, did you watch Pagan this year, especially in the 2nd half of the season? He's not the player we saw blowing everything the season before. 2.99 ERA and .95 WHIP in 69 innings. I'll take that any day of the week.

The 2nd half roster is significantly different than opening day. Kirilloff, Wallner, Julien, and Lewis were all in St. Paul. Expect Martin and Lee to join the Twins at some point next season. Make Julien spend all off-season working on defense.

Gallo, Taylor, and Donnie Barrels are all FAs and I'd hope they bring back Solano although he may have earned himself a big pay raise. If you let Taylor go, then you have to decide if you trust Wallner, Larnach, Buxton, and Martin to hold down the outfield all season. I personally would prefer a former gold-glove CF in Taylor, who can also move to other spots. Do you pick up the 10m option on Kepler? After his 2nd half, I'd say it's not a horrible decision. Find a way to get rid of Vasquez and his 10m.

Your ideal lineup for opening day has to be:
OF: Wallner, Buxton and Martin
IF: Lewis, Correa, Polanco, Kirilloff
C: Jeffers and a new backup
Backups consist of Farmer, Solano, Julien, MAT and/or Kepler, Luplow, Lee.

Super Bowl, homeboy
 
I'm not high on Polanco, even at 2B. He can go too. This core group had its chances. Time to reset with the kids and a few free agents.

Kepler can go too.
 
For '24 let's go with:

C: Jeffers, FA backup
1B: FA, 2B: Julien, SS: Correa, 3B: Lewis
LF: FA, CF: Taylor (or FA), RF: Wallner
DH: Buxton
Bench: Farmer, Solano, Gordon

Fill in bench with either FA or call-ups. Gordon can play too may positions to let go. Larnach and Kirilloff will have to fight for opening day spot in spring.

SP: Lopez, Ryan, Ober
RP: Duran, Jax, Stewart, Thielbar, Varland

Fill in the rest of the SP/RP with FA or call-ups. Gray might retire so can't count on him. Maeda may not want a bullpen spot, but that's his value now as long reliever.
 
JF_Gophers said:
For '24 let's go with:

C: Jeffers, FA backup
1B: FA, 2B: Julien, SS: Correa, 3B: Lewis
LF: FA, CF: Taylor (or FA), RF: Wallner
DH: Buxton
Bench: Farmer, Solano, Gordon

Fill in bench with either FA or call-ups. Gordon can play too may positions to let go. Larnach and Kirilloff will have to fight for opening day spot in spring.

SP: Lopez, Ryan, Ober
RP: Duran, Jax, Stewart, Thielbar, Varland

Fill in the rest of the SP/RP with FA or call-ups. Gray might retire so can't count on him. Maeda may not want a bullpen spot, but that's his value now as long reliever.
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Paddack? Dude looked lights out last night.
 
SonofSouthie said:
The asterisk is getting bigger next to the 2020 dodgers WS *
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Pile on a little bit,

The Dodgers became only the second team in baseball history to win 100 games during the regular season and never have so much as a lead during an ensuing postseason series, joining the 1963 Yankees, who were swept in the World Series by the Dodgers of another time.
It marked the third straight year the Dodgers were eliminated in the postseason by a team they finished more than 15 games better than during the regular season. In each of the past two years, they were defeated in the NLDS by a division rival they previously dominated -- first by the Padres then by Arizona, both in the wake of relatively long layoffs.
 
Spartanforlife4 said:
At the very least I think they need to expand so there are no byes (since they aren’t contracting the playoffs). Still a small sample size since it’s only been two years but besides the Astros giving these guys an extra All Star break length time off isn’t good when they’re facing teams still on a regular season timeline.
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No, no, no, don't expand; go back to 2 WC and the one-game playoff. Make being division winner mean something due to WC teams having the extra game.
 
French Rage said:
No, no, no, don't expand; go back to 2 WC and the one-game playoff. Make being division winner mean something due to WC teams having the extra game.
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I prefer the old system as well. Same with College Football. Everyone loves this expanded BS. Regular seasons are now pretty meaningless in all sports.
 
French Rage said:
No, no, no, don't expand; go back to 2 WC and the one-game playoff. Make being division winner mean something due to WC teams having the extra game.
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That would be my preference as well but that’s definitely not happening.

While I’ve been against shortening the regular season, if you’re going to start expanding the playoffs and turning 162 games into a 3 and 5 game sprint, might as well shorten it. What’s the point of grinding for 100 wins if the reward is a bye in a sport where that appears to be a detriment.

It made sense back in the day with even schedules and first place went to the World Series, and still made some sense when they went to divisions and first place faced off for the pennant. But now with interleague and going less division-heavy on scheduling it makes less sense to keep having autobids for divisions and all the wild cards. And now that I’m saying that, if anything we’re trending towards the point where the schedule should be expanded to 174, everyone plays eachother six times, and the top two face off in the World Series. Everyone would have more games and the schedule would end at the same time.
 
I've long thought since the WS started expanding well into late October that the regular season could be shortened to 150 games, which with 1 day off a week would lessen the season by 2 weeks. It will never happen becasue of $$
 
Top 5 teams in wins (ATL - 104, BAL - 101, LAD - 100, TAM - 99, MIL - 92), 4 were swept and 1 (ATL) is a game away from losing 3-1.

Meanwhile the 3 CS teams have 90, 90, and 84 wins, with another 90 win team likely to join them.
 
The number of playoff teams is fine, it’s just the way it’s organized is the problem. Move to two divisions, give the division winners a bye, have the 2 and 3 teams play a best of 3, then do what NPB does in Japan and have the winner play the division winner but the division starts the series with a win (so they only need to win 3 games instead of 4).
 
Braves are eliminated.

I like Jim’s suggestion of following the NPB model giving the higher seed a 1-0 lead to start the series. At least for the DS round since you have a team coming off a bye.
 
I'm really loathe to expand the playoffs. On the other hand, we're already at 6 for each league, and I know there is literally no chance of contracting the field. With that, I'd prefer that they go to 8 in each league, avoid the byes, with the first two rounds a best of 3 in the higher seeds ballpark, followed by a best of 5 championship series and seven game WS.
 
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