No. 14, Encarnacion/Sojo - The Baseball Thread continues

Manny would fit right in. The rest of that team seems to be as disinterested in fielding as he is.

The Marlins have a lot of power, but the Phillies (538) and Mets (532) have both scored more runs than the Marlins (518)

 

Did those teams have their cleanup hitter out for 60 games?

 

Who, Willingham? You're saying that as if he's going to stay healthy from here on out?

I think it is a hell of a lot more likely that the Mets continue to get a boost from Delgado's resurgence than the Marlins do from Willingham somehow staying in the lineup with his back problems.

 

You can project and play doctor all you want (Delgado will go ice-fucking cold in the next month or so), but the fact is the Marlins are virtually equal with the two you were crowing about.... with their cleanup hitter out for more than half the season so far.

 

I wasn't crowing. I took Casty's post to suggest that the Marlins were better offensively than the Phillies and Mets. They aren't.

It is ridiculous to suggest Willingham is going to stay healthy, but Delgado is suddenly just going to lose it again.

I'm not dismissing the Marlins. If the pitching holds up, they could win the thing even without Ramirez. But their offense is at best, the equal of the Mets and Phillies. I put it slightly behind. And their defense is still brutal.

 

And the rotation is the best in the division.

 

Possibly, but not by much unless you are willing to count Johnson and Volstad. Johnson is four starts in after being on the DL for over a year and Volstad has three major-league starts. It is a bit early to trust those two.

They also have to deal with that lousy defense. The Mets and Phillies are both better defensively than the Marlins.

 

Rickie Weeks is good at baserunning.

 

Whose a better No. 4/5 starter in the division than Volstad?

Josh Johnson looks every bit the stud he was before the surgery.

 

He's a real three-tool threat. Bad hitter, bad fielder, bad baserunner.

 

That play in the first was absolutely pathetic. What a terrible read on the ball

 

If Maine is healthy, Pedro is the Mets 5th starter.
Even in his diminished state, I'll take a future Hall of Famer at No 5 anytime.