2024 mlb season

Mariners.

Not deeply thought out, so don't flame me.

The yankees are looking

The Royals starting pitching looks amazing.  The Bullpen....not so much.

I’m holding back on an opinion until fifty games. I’ve seen teams start poorly and turn it on. I’ve seen team start well and flame out. Think Pirates.

Some Boston media clown declared the Sox World Series contenders yesterday. They just swept the Triple A’s. Big deal. I’ll believe a pitching staff known for arm injuries and not making it five innings is ok when they’ve gone ten times through the rotation without problems. Shutting down teams that don’t hit and strikeout a lot (Mariners and A’s) isn’t a measuring stick.

@Master P posted:

The Royals starting pitching looks amazing.  The Bullpen....not so much.

There is no way they can keep this up, can they?

@Master P posted:

There is no way they can keep this up, can they?

so far, so good...Maybe it's the reverse of the Royals from the mid 2010's when they had the tremendous bullpen. I'm not a full believer yet though.

@RJM posted:

I’m holding back on an opinion until fifty games. I’ve seen teams start poorly and turn it on. I’ve seen team start well and flame out. Think Pirates.

Some Boston media clown declared the Sox World Series contenders yesterday. They just swept the Triple A’s. Big deal. I’ll believe a pitching staff known for arm injuries and not making it five innings is ok when they’ve gone ten times through the rotation without problems. Shutting down teams that don’t hit and strikeout a lot (Mariners and A’s) isn’t a measuring stick.

I don't think that kind of pitching is not sustainable but I wonder if we start to see some effects of kyle boddy there already. Sox for example threw way more breaking balls so far.

I think some regression will come but there might he some effect already.

@RJM posted:

I’m holding back on an opinion until fifty games. I’ve seen teams start poorly and turn it on. I’ve seen team start well and flame out. Think Pirates.

Well, I don't need to see 50 games to know if they are a good team or bad team.   Nobody is expecting them to make the postseason.   Several players have an opportunity to win a position for multiple years and get paid for it.   

The Story injury is going to cost them a handful of games.  Their roster is young, and I like what the GM is trying to do.  My beer mug is more half full than half empty on the Red Sox.  At least they are making moves and taking advantage of a deep farm system they've built.   They reached bottom last year.  They need some help in the bullpen in 2024, and they'll be over .500.

Look what occurred the last three games when a good team put pressure on them. Since my last post Pivetta has gone down.

Devers is a player. Can Casas repeat last year? Probably. But, does anyone remember 1980 Rookie of the Year Joe Charboneau? Wong and McGuire will likely regress to who they really are. Duran is looking like he’s a player. Can McNeill continue to hit well? Can he stay healthy? I have serious questions on Rafaela’s ability to hit. But his new contract is a good utility player contract for a guy who can fill in at at least five positions. Story’s injury was predictable. The severity wasn’t. Put Rafaela at short and don’t worry about his hitting.

McNeill is on a one year contract. Jansen and Martin are old and on the last year of their contract. Let’s see how the starters other than Bello hold up.

The Sox are headed in the right direction. There’s only one way to go after you hit bottom. But I don’t see a .500 team. I’m sticking with 70-74 wins. They lack starting pitching depth with Pivetta already down.

One good point. From one of my homes I can bike to watch the most exciting Sox team, the Sea Dogs.