MLB 2018 regular season thread

The fact they’re 6-5 is a minor miracle. But having Corey Kluber and Andrew Miller helps.

 

The AL Central has 3 really awful teams, so Cleveland should skate to the division title. But yeah, they might have the worst hitting outfield in baseball not counting the Marlins.

 

Gotcha, I misunderstood your question.

 

That’s it, yes.

That too, I think.

Mostly I just wonder if it varies, if guys have good weeks and bad weeks in terms of exit velocity.

 

Six-Inning Jake now a workhorse:

 

Who is this Six-Inning Jake whom you speak of?

 

He's buds with Twice-a-Week Shohei

 

Does this have more to do with the fact that it is the first 10 days of the season? Gotta baby those arms to start the season. (they say)

 

No, I think it's that analytics have determined that you should get your starter out after two trips through the order, then bring in a series of guys who throw 95 mph for 15 pitches each to finish up the game.

This genie is not going back in the bottle unless they pass a rule limiting the number of active pitchers on a roster. If they went to an NFL-style "game day" roster (where you could rest your inactive starting pitchers and still have 25 guys available), teams would just use all the extra spots on relievers.

 

The other day someone on Facebook asked whether there would ever be another 300-game winner. My brother replied, "Of course there will be. What a silly question. This is the same thing you sports writer types were telling me in 1992."

But I really don't think there will be.

 

Kershaw (144 wins, 30 years old) is about the only active pitcher who has even an outside shot. And Bartolo Colon, of course, because he's going to pitch into his 70s.

 

I used to think CC Sabathia had a good shot. He was at 176 wins through age 30 and 206 through age 32, but he's had 31 wins in the four years since.