End of the season awards are always the toughest to predict. Individual performance varies from year to year, and there's often a correlation between the awards and the success of the team. So most of these will be shots in the dark.
AL Cy Young - Felix Hernandez - this guy is ridiculous, his performance last year would win a Cy Young nearly any other year this decade. But Zack Greinke went all late 90's Pedro Martinez on the AL. And Felix still almost won it anyhow. Chances on repeating 2009's success? I personally like Felix's better.
AL MVP - Evan Longoria - This is usually the toughest to predict. Hell, Pedroia won one when the BoSox won the division. I want to go with a player from the team with best record, which I think will be the Red Sox, but the candidate for that team with a legitimate shot I think is Kevin Youkilis, and my gut feels that isn't right. I don't see a candidate on the other two division winners, but my projected wildcard winner has Evan Longoria, who's a true superstar who shouldn't have trouble gathering votes.
NL Cy Young - Johan Santana - The Mets are going to be a media hit for their comeback this year, and Johan Santana is going to put up a Cy Young season and he's going to win the award he should have won two years ago.
NL MVP - David Wright - The same line of thinking. Wright's going to have a comeback year and also win an award he should have won a few years back. If the Mets or Wright falter, look for Pujols to win again.
AL Rookie of the Year - Brett Wallace - I don't like doubting Billy Beane when he clearly likes a player.
NL Rookie of the Year - Stephen Strasburg - He'll be up by June 1st and he's going to show everyone what the hype is all about.
Showing posts with label Santana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Santana. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Thoughts on the Mets Hospital Bill
Ok, I've been caught as a lazy blogger once again. Time to write one.
I normally try and avoid talking about the Mets, to avoid bias, but when Johan AND Oliver Perez hit the DL, it's time to address the issues.
First, the Mets have around $105 million on the DL right now. If you want to count up how much payroll has been on the DL all season, that's around $120-$125 million.
I can't imagine in the history of the MLB has a team had 8 of the 9 members of the opening day lineup spend time on the DL for a significant length of time. A lot of analysts have cited the Mets struggles as not having the organizational depth to survive these injuries. But a realist would argue that only a select few organizations have the depth to field a competitive team, let alone a good one, if they sustained these types of injuries.
Second, beyond the catastrophe, is the consideration of how much this is a fluke, and if anything's wrong with the Met's training/medical staff, as Ken Rosenthal has recently suggested. The Mets need to address that situation immediately, to see if it's a problem, or not anything.
Thirdly, if I were the Mets I'd be working harder at developing and drafting high end talent, that's major league ready, or close to it so they can fill in if needed. They have developed some depth in the lower ranks, but it's all far from major league ready. When the Mets reached down for help this season, all they had that wasn't aging veterans were Niese (who got hurt) and Fernando Martinez (also hurt!)
I normally try and avoid talking about the Mets, to avoid bias, but when Johan AND Oliver Perez hit the DL, it's time to address the issues.
First, the Mets have around $105 million on the DL right now. If you want to count up how much payroll has been on the DL all season, that's around $120-$125 million.
I can't imagine in the history of the MLB has a team had 8 of the 9 members of the opening day lineup spend time on the DL for a significant length of time. A lot of analysts have cited the Mets struggles as not having the organizational depth to survive these injuries. But a realist would argue that only a select few organizations have the depth to field a competitive team, let alone a good one, if they sustained these types of injuries.
Second, beyond the catastrophe, is the consideration of how much this is a fluke, and if anything's wrong with the Met's training/medical staff, as Ken Rosenthal has recently suggested. The Mets need to address that situation immediately, to see if it's a problem, or not anything.
Thirdly, if I were the Mets I'd be working harder at developing and drafting high end talent, that's major league ready, or close to it so they can fill in if needed. They have developed some depth in the lower ranks, but it's all far from major league ready. When the Mets reached down for help this season, all they had that wasn't aging veterans were Niese (who got hurt) and Fernando Martinez (also hurt!)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
