2022 Season | Series #10 | Guardians @ White Sox | May 9-11, 2022

[33Y0]

Next year the stakes of division games will be raised and you can category some as must win because there'll be 20 less games within the division. Even early May vs the CWS.

But you always play to win so why not have the mindset of must win?

Still not sure how I feel about the changing of schedules next season.. on one hand, as a fan who goes to games, I look forward to seeing players I wouldn't typically... and I guess everyone has a roughly even schedule. But on the flipside, I feel like going to this type of schedule almost in a sense takes away the importance of divisions....

 

[Real Deal]

Still not sure how I feel about the changing of schedules next season.. on one hand, as a fan who goes to games, I look forward to seeing players I wouldn't typically... and I guess everyone has a roughly even schedule. But on the flipside, I feel like going to this type of schedule almost in a sense takes away the importance of divisions....

It raises importance of division games most certainly. The margin of error is lessened.

I'm a fan of the change as of now, I love how the NBA allows us to see all 30 teams in action vs each other. I forget what half of the MLB ball parks look like on TV so as a fan, that's exciting.

But at the end some teams/fans might feel boned by the rule change.

 

[Gson]

Still not sure how I feel about the changing of schedules next season.. on one hand, as a fan who goes to games, I look forward to seeing players I wouldn't typically... and I guess everyone has a roughly even schedule. But on the flipside, I feel like going to this type of schedule almost in a sense takes away the importance of divisions....

Yeah.. it does diminish the intra-division game importance.. These games are played by guys who get to know each other as well as anyone not on their own team.. it makes for a much more competitive game, in many cases.. I guess there can be an argument both ways.. We'll see..

 

[CATS44]

For a team that is going to rely on good fundamentals, I do worry about those last three. They need walks and to steal bases. I don't expect straw to be as good as Rajai was as a basestealer but they need more guys who chip in there. Bo Naylor, come on downnnnnn....

Rajai was a good base stealer.

But Straw is better.

Straw has been successful about 85% of the time to Rajais 80%.

Rajai ran a lot more, but that was an era where SBs were more fashionable.

But Rajai didn't start to really run until he was 28. He twice had 29 SBs before that. Straw is 27 and already has two 30 SB seasons, and is on his way to 40 at his present pace.

 

[CATS44]

The new scheduling will hurt us next year.

Instead of a schedule made up of mostly small and mid market teams, we will have less games against our own size markets and more games vs the big market teams on the coasts.

The present divisional schedule acts in some ways as a leveling of the field, esp in WC races. It also puts a premium on divisional races.

 

[Mott the Hoople]

The new scheduling will hurt us next year.

Instead of a schedule made up of mostly small and mid market teams, we will have less games against our own size markets and more games vs the big market teams on the coasts.

The present divisional schedule acts in some ways as a leveling of the field, esp in WC races. It also puts a premium on divisional races.

It looks like the 22 season is being used to determine exactly who's a player and who's a pretender. Let's say Miller and Kwan are keepers. That's great. They will have another year of experience by 23. Then we can use our greatly enhanced payroll to add an OF with power and a C.
Then we should be able to compete with most teams.

 

[sportscoach]

But they're first in on-base percentage. They have more opportunities to steal bases than anybody.

What I worry about it that they won't be able to continue the clutch hitting. They're hitting .302 with RISP and an insane .322 with RISP and two out. That's unsustainable.

OTOH, Guardians' starters rank 25th of 30 in ERA. This was supposed to be the strength of the team, but it's been their biggest weakness. Civale has been a dumpster fire and Plesac and Bieber both have ERA's over 4.00.

The Guards will not end up leading the A.L. in runs scored and the starters won't end up 25th in ERA. Hopefully the starters will improve more than the scoring will decline.

Actually I was expecting the SPs to struggle some. Remember they weren't fully stretched out to start the season, nor did they actually face the normal dead arm period like they would in a spring training. Let's see where they are at when it comes to the all-star break. Wait until then to see their numbers....

When it comes to hitting, guys are buying into the philosophy and honestly I believe it's making them way better hitters. They aren't trying to play hero ball, they are just hitting the ball where it is pitched and/or more willing to take pitches that lead to deeper counts and more walks. No they cannot sustain the RISP numbers but at the same time, their current approach is telling me that it won't decrease as sharply as some believe. If they stay within themselves and use the whole field, they will produce like the good RBI/two strike guys do since its becoming the mentality for the whole team...

 

[sportscoach]

It looks like the 22 season is being used to determine exactly who's a player and who's a pretender. Let's say Miller and Kwan are keepers. That's great. They will have another year of experience by 23. Then we can use our greatly enhanced payroll to add an OF with power and a C.
Then we should be able to compete with most teams.

2022-23 MLB Free Agents

A constantly-updated list of MLB players who will be eligible for free agency after the 2022 season.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

There isn't much in free agency... We will have to make the moves you want via trade. Catcher backup could be had easily, but I don't see an upgrade via free agency to be sincere. RF doesn't have someone we want either within reason so its trade or internal for that option

 

[Gson]

2022-23 MLB Free Agents

A constantly-updated list of MLB players who will be eligible for free agency after the 2022 season.

www.mlbtraderumors.com

There isn't much in free agency... We will have to make the moves you want via trade. Catcher backup could be had easily, but I don't see an upgrade via free agency to be sincere. RF doesn't have someone we want either within reason so its trade or internal for that option

ML Free Agency = the land of 'expensive' diminishing returns....

 

[petes999]

Pilk down and DeSantos back up .... (Don't know how it worked as he was just down for 1 day and no injury ... maybe on 40 man officially and not just for COVID like before who knows anymore)

Rosario in LF (was wondering if it would happen with Palacios down)

Straw
Kwan
Ramirez
Miller
Naylor
Reyes
Gimenez SS
Rosario
Hedges

 

[sportscoach]

Pilk down and DeSantos back up .... (Don't know how it worked as he was just down for 1 day and no injury ... maybe on 40 man officially and not just for COVID like before who knows anymore)

Rosario in LF (was wondering if it would happen with Palacios down)

Straw
Kwan
Ramirez
Miller
Naylor
Reyes
Gimenez SS
Rosario
Hedges

Chang isn't officially back on the 40 man roster so they had an open spot, but now they will have to release someone once Chang is healthy since he was officially added to the 40 man roster not added via the Covid exception.

Also Rosario is out in LF... it's been a minute since he was out there

 

[Real Deal]

Moncada makes season debut tonight, Sox loses Lynn though

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Wonder why Rosario rather than Mercado in left? Maybe Tito feels Rosario needs to play to get his bat going.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

It's mid-May; the Sox are 14-13 and the Guards 14-14. They still have 16 games to play against each other. This is hardly a must win series. But it would be nice to get some wins against them while Lynn, Vaughn, and Eloy are out because I think they'll be better later in the season.

 

[CATS44]

We always complain in game threads when we have an at bat that doesn't runners.

Why can't we play smart situational baseball?

Well, this team does.

It is 1st in the league in inf hits.
1st in % of base runners that score per PA.
3rd in % of getting a runner home from third with less than two outs.
6th in % of advancing a runner at second with no outs. (Productive at bat)

We do all that with plus contact.