We're over halfway, what do you really think about your team?

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

 

[steelparrot]

Rolling with a .500 roster for the foreseeable future, hoping our young players take a step forward.

 

[rtfgbfan]

Hoping to get 1 decent young SP (AA) prospect for Scooter.

Iglesias I hate to see go, but he's sort of in that no man's land of young but too old for a rebuilding franchise. Reds owe him $5.7 million/season the next 2 years. That's fine if they continue the upward trend they've shown the last month.

Blah blah blah. Same bullshit from Cincy. Keep us just interested enough to keep going to GABP.

 

[Markwassillylaugher]

our young arms have not pitched well during the 1st half. The Pirates need to reevaluate their pitching ideas.

 

[megalodon30]

Hopeful, but won't be happy until we're actually in the postseason.

Go Mariners!

 

[Markwassillylaugher]

another easy win today at Cincy. glad that we got a little breathing room from the bottom.

 

[Chewbaccer]

another easy win today at Cincy. glad that we got a little breathing room from the bottom.

Hard to tell you're a Pirates fan with that gay ass Yankees logo listed on your favorite teams.

 

[jwolt92]

Just kill me. That's how I feel

 

[Markwassillylaugher]

Hard to tell you're a Pirates fan with that gay ass Yankees logo listed on your favorite teams.

I am a Yankee fan because they actually care about winning. The owner of the Pirates only cares about making money so stick a dildo where the sun don't shine.

 

[Chewbaccer]

I am a Yankee fan because they actually care about winning. The owner of the Pirates only cares about making money so stick a dildo where the sun don't shine.

"I hate the local team, so I'll pull for the winningest team of all time."

Lazy and gay.

LOL @ bandwagon boy

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

It's hard not to be impressed by the record, but OTOH is there anyone on this pitching staff besides Sale or Kimbrel you'd feel good handing the ball to in October? And the lineup reminds me a lot of the 2002 team...a bunch of mediocre to not very good guys riding the coattails of two elite hitters, fattening up on a lot of bad teams.

 

[navamind]

It's hard not to be impressed by the record, but OTOH is there anyone on this pitching staff besides Sale or Kimbrel you'd feel good handing the ball to in October? And the lineup reminds me a lot of the 2002 team...a bunch of mediocre to not very good guys riding the coattails of two elite hitters, fattening up on a lot of bad teams.

I disagree with this even though the Sox have gotten some atricious production at C/2B/3B/CF (though Bradley's been hitting very well over the last month). Bogaerts is having his best season yet and Benintendi has been one of the best hitters in the AL this year. Moreland's hitting a lot better than expected and has been one of the best offensive 1B in the AL this year, though that says more about the state of the position. If the Sox had a healthy Pedroia or even average production at some of those positions, they could have easily scored 900 runs this year. They're on pace for 867 runs though there's some regression projected (they still project to score the 2nd most runs per game per Fangraphs).

 

[Cyder]

Solid first half but too many rain outs to make up and not enough starting pitching. If they can't get a top line pitcher they'll need an innings eater just to save the bullpen. CC has been solid but can't go more than 5 innings without getting shelled. I'd like to see Justice Sheffield get a shot but from what I'm hearing he has control issues.

 

[Shoeshine Boy]

I disagree with this even though the Sox have gotten some atricious production at C/2B/3B/CF (though Bradley's been hitting very well over the last month). Bogaerts is having his best season yet and Benintendi has been one of the best hitters in the AL this year. Moreland's hitting a lot better than expected and has been one of the best offensive 1B in the AL this year, though that says more about the state of the position. If the Sox had a healthy Pedroia or even average production at some of those positions, they could have easily scored 900 runs this year. They're on pace for 867 runs though there's some regression projected (they still project to score the 2nd most runs per game per Fangraphs).

I'll give you Benny, but a guy like Moreland is exactly what I'm talking about...I like the player, but he's been the epitome of an average hitter for his entire career. Bogaerts is pretty streaky (not JBJ level streaky AF, but still)...he had a good 1st half last year and then was absolutely atrocious in the second (and yes I know he wasn't healthy, but I'm not ready to feel totally confident he can carry this level of production through an entire season because he hasn't done it before). It's better than the '02 team, I'll grant you that, but I'm not 100% sold yet. Look at the output when Betts was out of the lineup for a couple weeks. Their numbers against the Astros and Yanks don't inspire confidence for October, either. I'll be happy to be proven wrong...like I said they just give me that 2002 sort of vibe is all.

 

[navamind]

I'll give you Benny, but a guy like Moreland is exactly what I'm talking about...I like the player, but he's been the epitome of an average hitter for his entire career. Bogaerts is pretty streaky (not JBJ level streaky AF, but still)...he had a good 1st half last year and then was absolutely atrocious in the second (and yes I know he wasn't healthy, but I'm not ready to feel totally confident he can carry this level of production through an entire season because he hasn't done it before). It's better than the '02 team, I'll grant you that, but I'm not 100% sold yet. Look at the output when Betts was out of the lineup for a couple weeks. Their numbers against the Astros and Yanks don't inspire confidence for October, either. I'll be happy to be proven wrong...like I said they just give me that 2002 sort of vibe is all.

I'd be more wary of the power spike if he had hit for little power in the minors... he slugged .493 in the minors despite the fact that he was way younger than the majority of pitchers he was facing (he was 19 in A+ and 20 in AA and AAA). That's not to say that there isn't room for regression (his HR/FB rate is well above his career norm), but I don't think he's going to fall off nearly as much as he did last year. He's making a lot more hard contact (39.6%) than he has in the majors (31.9% career). His BABIP is also considerably lower than his career average, so there could be room for improvement for his batting average.

My point is that it's kind of absurd to say it's 2 elite hitters and a bunch of scrubs... because that hasn't been true. The Sox have 3 players in the top 10 in the AL in OPS with Bogaerts just barely outside it (he's 8th in slugging).

 

[steelerssb]

I have completely given up trying to figure the Pirates out.

But I am enjoying the winning

 

[podsox]

The white sox are literally the biggest pile of shit I’ve ever watched. There is nothing remotely positive coming out of the season. I don’t know how people watch. I love baseball but this team has made me hate it this year

 

[Chewbaccer]

Braves are still incredibly mediocre. They played way over their heads for a month and a half to make things interesting. I still care about results in late July, so that's a nice change, but this team isn't a playoff team, and I'd be surprised if they finished with a winning record.

Not that there were ever real World Series aspirations for this season, I got my hopes up for watching the Braves play baseball in October, but it looks like I'll have to wait at least another year.

 

[THUNDER]

No heart. No pitching. Manager can't manage the bullpen....what else.....

 

[THUNDER]

Braves are still incredibly mediocre. They played way over their heads for a month and a half to make things interesting. I still care about results in late July, so that's a nice change, but this team isn't a playoff team, and I'd be surprised if they finished with a winning record.

Not that there were ever real World Series aspirations for this season, I got my hopes up for watching the Braves play baseball in October, but it looks like I'll have to wait at least another year.

I think you're being a little hard on 'em. They have some young talent and don't quit.Prety good pitching staff.
They've got a shot.
Hang in there.