The 2023 Running Baseball Thread

Twins have fucked around far too long. Time for them to find out.

 

What's Cleveland's motivation with Giolito and Moore, both of whom are free agents-to-be? The hope of player loyalty in the negotiation process?

 

They want fans to show up next month. Pretend they are in it another week.

 

Attendance has been shockingly good, so I get wanting to close strong in that regard.

And maybe catch lightning in a bottle. The Twins aren’t good enough to just give up completely.

I think there’s a real identity crisis going on in that front office. They thought they had a core and a bunch of reinforcements coming to make a run for five years here and it’s all in flux now, even beyond Tito’s future. They always were the quiet confidence guys and now look flustered in public appearances.

They just don’t develop hitters beyond the ones they trade for.

 

If the Guardians win that division, finishing third in the AL West will be the most coveted distinction in baseball.

 

Any time you can do something no one else has ever done in baseball history, that's pretty freakin' cool.

 

Amazing. In a normal year, Freddie Freeman or Mookie Betts would be viable MVP candidates. But this ain't that year.
Freeman is on pace to become the first player to hit ≥ 60 doubles since 1936. Betts is leading the NL in slugging at .611. Only one player 5-foot-9 or shorter has had a slugging % of ≥ .611 since 1936: Mookie Betts in 2018 (.640).

 

Betts is absolutely a viable MVP candidate. Sure, the steals matter. So does the fact that Betts has put up his monster numbers while bouncing between the outfield, second base, and shortstop.

 

I never understood why the gave up on Nolan Jones so quickly. Sure, Coors Field is helping him this year, but the exit velocities are impressive and he has always been a patient hitter. Maybe Rocchio and Delauter can be something, speaking of prospects they are developing rather than ones they traded for.

 

Ohtani cannot re-sign there. Just an awful organization.

https://x.com/travis_sawchik/status/1697328638276833422?s=46&t=L4EPA_yaT-JOIW0PJLAOaA

 

The guy they traded Jones for is doing pretty well in the minors this year. He'll probably wind up better than Jones.

 

Obviously one game doesn’t make a difference, but Acuna and Betts each showing their MVP chops. Acuna with a slam and Mookie with a three-run blast and a solo shot.