The MLB season is still in it’s infancy , but several teams are playing with a grea deal of zeal , while also seeking to prove they’re among the best of the best.
With both leagues , now seeking their inertia , it will be interesting to see how the teams perform in the lead-up to the All Star Game , which is baseball’s mid-season showcase event.
Dave Roberts and the Los Angeles Dodgers are off to a flying start , but they’re far from the best team in the NL West at present. They’ve a half game lead over the San Francisco Giants. The seasonal match-up between these two NL rivals should prove to be very interesting.
Los Angeles for it’s part didn’t begin the season as the team with the highest payroll in baseball. Instead , that mantel belongs to the New York Mets under new ownership and coaching staff. There are but a few teams with a payroll exceeding $190 million for this season. .
Tophatal ….
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Dave Roberts current skipper of the LA Dodgers suffers from Napoleon Complex. Numerous times he’s yanked pitchers with live no-hitters or even perfect games(Kershaw) in progress. His way of showing authority and dismissing player ability to fatten their resumes and pocketbook. Many of the games were during healthy Dodger leads. As a former journeyman mlb player, he now guides the most talented team on cruise control.
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Ronbets
That’s always been the inherent problem with regard to Dave Roberts , but simply look at his coaching staff and a real lack of managerial acumen. Personally, I believe they still remain the best team in the NL . The Dodgers’ roster is Star Laden , but at the end of the day it’s all about the level of play on the field concerning their players in spite of their salaries which are among the highest in the game.
The month of May should tell us a great deal about the Dodgers and the teams in general .
Next up for the Los Angeles Dodgers will be a game against the Washington Nationals .
On a side note, check out my previous about billionaire Elon Musk.
Tophatal
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I’m not inclined to believe that the New York Mets under new management and ownership will be justified as favorites to win the World Series . Even with the ball club having the highest payroll in baseball for this season. I’m finding it difficult to see how the team can fulfill be seen as favorites .
The New York Mets are off to a flying start and they’re leading the NL East , where divisional rivals , the Atlanta Braves as reigning World Series champions will be part of a great divisional rivalry .
Next up for the Mets will be a game against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park in San Francisco on Monday , 23rd May , 2022
MLB standings division , league and overall
Tophat …..
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The New York Yankees as always , baseball’s most successful and valuable franchise will be looking to add to their record breaking haul of World Series titles. Their last title came over tweny years ago (1999) , while still under the ownership of the Steinbrenner family.
Yankees’ manager Aaron Boon heads a coaching staff which is well experienced and with a team of All Stars , many of whom are highly paid , one of which is Giancarlo Stanton .
New York will head into this week , with several games, while seeking to increase their lead over the Tampa Bay Rays within the AL East . A division which the Yankees have dominated over the past twenty years.
Starting this week the New York Yankees will begin their week with a game against the Baltimore Orioles . Yankees’ pitcher Gerritt Cole will be on the mound against Jordan Lyles . This should prove to be a great pitching match-up between two very good starting pitchers.
New York Yankees news
Tophatal ….
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As the reigning World Series champions , the Atlanta Braves were simply spectacular throughout the 2021 MLB Postseason with
their offense and pitching being exceptional. Atlanta’s triumph was a testament to manager Brian Snitker , his managerial staff and a team last season which truly played as a team. The off season saw a loss of several players who were vital to the Braves’ triumph over the Houston Astros .
The NL East will prove to be a very competitive division, with their being three standout teams , the Braves ,
Miami Marlins and the newly rejuvenated New York Mets . If Atlanta is to fare well within the division and NL overall , then their play against their opponents will have to be exemplary.
As the month of May winds down the Atlanta Braves still have a number of games to be played over the remainder of the month. Tonight’s game will pit the Atlanta Braves against the Philadelphia Phillies . At this point last season the Braves had begun to play with a sense of purpose.
The fact that several players from last season have departed elsewhere, may well have left the front office of the Atlanta Braves pondering real changes concerning their lineup for this season. Atlanta’s payroll in comparison to their rivals is understated . The league average for team payroll is roughly $145 million for 2022 , whereas in 2020 , it was $60 million. Revenues are on the increase due to the television contracts , leading to the union and league hierarchy profiting all-round.
A hard salary cap is something which both the union and Rob Manfred seems disinterested in. Small market teams are still not able to compete with the big market teams , in spite of the insistence of several general managers , team owners and Commissioner Manfred. For the Braves , though they’re domiciled in Atlanta , they’re unable to compete for the marquee free agents.
Tophatal ….
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Mike Trout remains a generational player whose accomplishmentsfor the Los Angeles Angels have been well chronicled. This season has . started off rather simply for the team and managerial staff . Yet I can’t help but feel that Arte Moreno as team owner longs for his ball club to win a World Series . Bear in mind, it has been more than twenty years since the Angels last won a World Series. with the World Series’ MVP being Troy Glaus .
In the two decades since the Los Angeles Angels triumphed in their sole win of the World Series. The ball club’s appearances in the postseason have been sporadic. If the Angels are to be successful , then their offense as well as their pitching will have to be above par .
Mike Trout remains the face of the Angels’ franchise , but their best all round player , might well be the versatile Shohei Ohtani . He’s a triple threat , powerful with his offense , a pitcher who’s able to get into the minds of hitters and when asked to play defense , Ohtani is just as capable.
As we enter the last week of May , it will be interesting see how the team has fared , while looking ahead to what the schedule might bring in the lead up to baseball’s mid-season showcase, the All Star Game .
On the mound for the Angels’ next game will be their starting pitcher , Reid Detmers , as he faces the Texas Rangers’ starting ace , Glen Otto . Matchups between these two AL rivals over the last five years have proven to be very eventful. The AL West could prove to be very interesting this season , with the recent dominance of the Houston Astros and their most recent triumph in the World Series .
The trade deadline could be very interesting for the Houston Astros and the likelihood of the front office seeking to bolster the roster.
Houston Astros news
NL West standings ..
Tophatal ..
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I’ll say this for the New York Mets , as bold they’ve been , with a new owner , managerial staff and a revamped roster . This team will be looking to be resurgent , competitive enoughcompetitive enough to be seen as a possible contender for the World Series . As the crosstown rivals of the New York Yankees , this season could be formidablefor both teams.
Over the past six months the Mets have been very thorough in the rebuilding of their roster. They’ve also drafted very thoroughly with regard to their future .
Having increased their payroll considerably over the past three years. It’s easy to understand why the Mets’ billionaire owner , Stephen A Cohen wanted to make a really big splash in New York City. He’s certainly done so and by making Max Scherzer among the highest paid players , notably the highest paid pitcher in baseball. It seems that the baseball world has stood up and taken notice. Like the Los Angeles Dodhers , the Mets’ organization now see themselves as major players within MLB (Major League Baseball) .
Over the coming months it will be interesting to see how the New York Mets will fare against their upcoming opponents. Scherzer and fellow ace Jacob deGrom will certainly have to justify Steve Cohen’s faith by being exemplary over the course of this season . Combined the two starting pitchers account for more than 35% of the team’s payroll in 2022 . The two are now on the Mets’ DL , accounting for more than $70 million worth of payroll ,sitting on the sidelines, as games proceed without them.
With both Max Scherzer and Jacob DeGrom likely to be out for several more weeks , Mets’ manager Buck Showalter will have o dig deep into his lineup of pitchers and possibly use one or two of his relief pitchers in a starting role .
Next up for Showalter and his players will be a game against the San Francisco Giants on the road. The opposing pitchers will be Jackob Kunis of the Giants against Thomas Szapucki of the Mets. This game should be a really interesting matchup between those two NL rivals . Beyond being a league rivalry contest the NL could very well end up being a two-horse race between the Giants and Mets. Quite possibly the most interesting of the league contests throughout this season.
New York Mets news …..
Mets’ stats , pitching and offense
Tophatal ….
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Jim Crane , owner of the Houston Astros must have known that something was awry , concerning the cheating scandal which beset the ballclub.
The fact that the MLB hierarchy was initially lenient, before punishing the franchise with impunity, tells us all what we needed to know. My own personal perspective, Houston should have been penalized financially , along with the loss of draft picks for a minimum of five years , which covers the time frame during this scandal took place.
During that timespan (2014-19) the Astros won a World Series , which purists feel their postseason, was tainted by way of their overall play. Since then , Houston seen the departure of Gerrit Cole who joined the New York Yankees , signing a multi-year , multi-million dollar deal . Cole’s subsequent success with the Yankees hasn’t yet born fruit for the Yankees.
The Astros managed by Dusty Baker saw his biggest success while managing the San Francisco Giants , where during his tenure, Barry Bonds achieved a great deal of success.
Jim Crane has seen what Baker has been able to achieve by way of the nurturing of young players as well as seasoned veterans . Dusty Baker has also taken a keen interest in the Astros’ young prospects within their farm system . With that being said , his continued interest will be the ongoing improvement of the current roster.
Over the Houston Astros’ next ten games should prove to be very interesting . The Astros were in play , today , 25th May , when they face the Cleveland Indians at home as part of their regular season home schedule . Next up will be a.matchup against the Seattle Mariners as part of a three game road stint . Justin Verlander will be on the mound for the Astros in the first game of this trio of contests against the Mariners .
If the Houston Astros aren’t in the hunt for the postseason by the trade deadline (28th July to 3rd August) , then I expect that Astros’ GM James Click to make some major moves , with his assessing his free agents on the roster.
I firmly believe that the Houston Astros are among the presumptive favorites for the AL Pennant and World Series. They’re among the best teams within the American League (AL) . I expect the Astros to win a minimum of 89 games at a minimum , likely guaranteeing them nothing less than a wildcard berth , but definitely winning their division (AL West) by a large margin.
Houston Astros news …
AL West standings
MLB schedule three days at a glance
Tophatal ….
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So much for the success of Arizona Diamondbacks and their not having had any recent appearances in the MLB Postseason . The ball club under their current ownership group will be seeking to grow their fan base, and be competitive within baseball in general .
Now playing within the NL West , where the most dominant team in recent .years has been the Los Angeles Dodgers . The rivalry between the two teams inrecent years has favored the Dodgers.
As May comes to and with the Dbacks now entering the final week of the month , the ensuing months , June through August , should prove to eventful. Based on their current play the most productive players on the Arizona Diamonbacks’ roster has been Daulton Varsho and.Mark Melancon . Payroll on the roster of roster for Diamondbacks is slightly above the league average of $147 million . Currently the highest paid player on the roster is starting pitcher Madison Bumgarner .
In their next game the D’backs will be facing the Los Angeles Dodgers at home , Chase Field in Phoenix , Arizona on Thursday , 26th May , 2022 . Mitch White of the Dodgers will be on the mound for this contest when he faces Humberto Castellanos of the D’backs . Over their last ten games , Arizona has posted a record of 5-5, while being on a two-game win streak .
Arizona’s 23-22 record at this point of the season puts them adrift within the NL.West and already out of contention for an NL wildcard berth were the season to end today. Granted, with the teams having only played a quarter of their imposing schedule , it’s still very much early days yet .
Tophatal ….
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Tophat,
Josh Donaldson is a bully and closet racist. Joking with T.Anderson? Who TF is he kidding. AJudge stood up and called the “Jackie” reference BS. Considering the Donaldson upbringing and lack of tenure with numerous teams, he’s not a good guy. Maybe his dad can give him some guidance when he’s released from a FL prison for a serious narco conviction.
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Ronbets
Rob Manfred and the rest of the Major League Baseball hierarchy needs to get their act together and do something about stamping out racism within baseball, punishing fans with impunity and if they are players actually using derogatory racist terms , then they should be fined for life or given the minimum of an 18-month suspension . The . baseball players’ union should also have a vested interest in this matter .
Tophatal …
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Ronbets
Major League Baseball has been very retro active on a number of social issues . I blame much of that on Allan ‘ Bud’ Selig , whose tenure as MLB Commissioner was shrouded in the steroid scandal and his dubious actions , while being an lowner of the Milwaukee Brewers and a senior executive within the MLB hierarchy . Bud Selig, essentially hand picked Rob Manfred to be his successor as MLB Commissioner.
Tophatal ..
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Some great results within baseball over the last few days .
The NL East should be an interesting to look at over the course of this season, where the reigning World Series champions , the Altanta Braves will be looking to repeat as champions . There’s not been a repeat winner of the World Series in over two decades.
The Braves will be in action over the next few days as enter the month of June . Atlanta has a game today , when they face the Miami Marlins . Opposing pitchers in this contest will be Trevor Rogers of the Marlins and Ian Anderson of the Braves .
MLB schedule three days at a glance (27th May)
Atlanta Braves news
Tophatal ..
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Well with the Chicago White Sox havijg made the decision moving to have Dallas Keuchel assigned him , meaning that he’s likely to released along with his $18 million remaining ,. It will be interesting to see which teams might vie for his services .
Clearly the intent of the White Sox front office is to
pare down payroll., possibly seek something in return for Dallas Keuchel . Over their next three games the White Sox will meet a variety off opponents. They’ll be meeting their crosstown rivals the Chicago Cubs on Sunday 29th May . Opposing pitchers will be Marcus Stroman of the Cubs against Dylan Ceasse of the White Sox.
The AL Central where the Chicago White Sox currently resides should prove to be an interesting division over the course of this season.
Tophatal ….
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The New York Yankees sit atop of the AL East , a position they’re accustomed to . What their fans are wondering , is team is capable of winning another World Series title. Clearly Aaron Boone has the confidence of his players. This week should be very interesting for the Yankees .
The franchise still ,remains under the tight control of the Steinbrenner family What we do know from a financial standpoint , they remain valuable and profitable .
The New York Yankees will be in action when they face the Los Angeles Angels . The game will be played at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. This season to date the Yankees have been impressive against both AL and NL teams .
New York Yankees news
Tophatal …
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Some great games were played this past weekend in baseball
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Joe Girardi’s dismissal by the Philadelphia Phillies seems to have been predestined . The team’s start to the season has been abysmal and their season has been inconsistent. It certainly hasn’t helped their farm system seems bereft of real in depth talent , never mind the fact there’s been no breakout player from any of their draft classes covering the last 7 seasons.
Girardi as a former Yankees player and coach was clearly living on borrowed time and his presumed legacy as former manager of the New York Yankees . The Philly players were not buying into what he was selling , no matter how many times he may well have provided them with his demonstrations .
This weekend the Phillies will be in action against the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of a
three game home series , which makes up also part of their regular season series against an NL rival .
.Tophatal ….
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