MLB '24 Regular Season Thread

Angel on Shoulder: The Guardians have this wrapped up! What a story!

Demon on Shoulder: They’re still gonna blow it! Remember Joe Table! Remember 3-1! Remember Ozzie Guillen making a choking motion to your fans and then winning the World Series?

Angel on Shoulder: They’ll wait until the playoffs to choke!

Demon on Shoulder: On second consideration, you’re right! They’ll go up 2-0 in the ALDS and then the Astros will miraculously somehow know every pitch coming their way like in 2018!

Angel in Shoulder: See?

 

Lake Erie baseball teams last night:

 

It's because they brought back the ballglove MB logo.

 

No doubt, but if it's ever going to happen again, it's this year.

If Skubal wins, I wouldn't argue, he's having a very good year, but Clase has been the best pitcher in the American League this year and I don't think it's close. A case can be made that he's having the best season ever by a relief pitcher. He has three blown saves but one was in the 10th inning and Cleveland won all three games. He's stepped things up this year quite a bit and it's to the point now that almost nobody ever even gets a good swing against him (which means I've just put some kind of whammy on him and he'll get shelled today). A case can also be made that without him Cleveland would be in fourth place. Without Skubal? Still fourth place for the Tigers. He's essentially had no impact on their season, as good as he's been (a lot of that is owed to the White Sox, of course).

If Clase doesn't win it, it proves that closer is the most over-rated position in sports and everybody knows it (that's just for BYH; don't come at me).

Interesting note, Mike Marshall, the first reliever of the eight to win the Cy, pitched 208 innings out of the pen that year. That's possibly more than any starter in all of MLB will throw this year. Others include Sparky Lyle, who threw 137 and Willie Hernandez, who threw 140 in their Cy years. Hard to imagine any of that now.

 

Clase has pitched two fewer innings than last year with the same amount of Ks, eight fewer walks — and nearly 40 fewer hits allowed.

 

The position isn't meaningless, if that is what you are suggesting, but starting pitchers are more important. They affect outcomes more simply due to volume of innings.

The Tigers may currently be in fourth place, but they are a half game out of a wild card spot and just two games behind second-place Kansas City. They just finished sweeping a series from the Royals. They are legitimate contenders for a playoff berth. Without Skubal, that wouldn't be the case.

 

Seattle broadcaster Dave Sims reportedly a finalist for the Yankees' opening.

I used to not like him, but he has grown on me. He is 71 years old. It seems as if nobody ever retires once they get an MLB PxP position, so there is hardly any turnover and no fresh voices.

Mariners broadcaster Dave Sims a candidate for Yankees radio job | The Seattle Times

 

I'm not suggesting it's meaningless, though it's maybe not as meaningful as others make it out to be. Teams save their best reliever for the 9th inning while their lesser pitchers consistently blow leads in innings 6-8. But Clase's numbers, regardless of his role, are sublime. He's been nearly unhittable.

 

No doubt. I knew he had been dominant this season, but I hadn't realized his numbers were that good. A 0.64 ERA for almost an entire season is just ridiculous.

 

From yesterday's 13-inning Angels victory over the White Sox. I was watching and just started laughing, then forgot about it until reading today in The Athletic:

There was one classic 2024 White Sox moment, however, don’t you worry. Angels outfielder Mickey Moniak cannot swing the bat due to injury. But because of the roster machinations in an elongated game, he was forced to take an at-bat. Enyel De Los Santos walked him on four pitches.

 

Zach Britton 2016 -- 0.51 ERA, 47 saves, fourth in Cy voting.