NL Central Thread 2016

[JohnU]

I'm just say'in, how long will it be before @scoutyjones2 hides back in his basement and realizes his cardinals are not not the team to beat in the national league central anymore? CUBS are on the rise bitches!

I am reminded that they haven't won anything yet...

 

[HammerDown]

 

[navamind]

The Reds pitching is really, really bad.

 

[JohnU]

The Reds pitching is really, really bad.

I don't think they ever expected it to be very very good, but it's been much worse than they expected. I suppose the reasons are obvious, maybe not. The two problems initially were a terrible bullpen that was in fact made worse by the fact that all 5 starters left spring training on the DL. That of course creates its own domino effect but the worst part of that was they spent the first 2 months rehabbing instead of improving their skills.

The other part is that Finnegan isn't ready to be a rotation guy, and neither is Lamb.

The back end of the bullpen was a sad joke the way these scrap-heap guys pitched.

Consider that Dan Straily was signed off waivers on April 1 and is basically the ace of the staff.

Bullpen has been much better lately with the removal of some really bad pitchers.

No need for a closer, obviously.

 

[JohnU]

My gawd, just ran through some of this ... the 1962 Mets are a winning team compared to the current Reds pitching. The only one with a -minus WAR.

 

[navamind]

Good to see Matt Garza still looks like a total douche

 

[scoutyjones2]

Cubs fans getting a little nervous yet? Cards only 6.5 out of division lead

 

[navamind]

Joey Votto is still awesome.

 

[Beaker]

Cubs fans getting a little nervous yet? Cards only 6.5 out of division lead

Hell dude. As a Cubs fan, you are ALWAYS nervous when things are going well.

 

[calsnowskier]

Hell dude. As a Cubs fan, you are ALWAYS nervous when things are going well.

Than I guess Cubs fans are pretty solid, emotionally. No reason to be very nervous in the last 100 years or so...

 

[Mitziman]

Cubs fans getting a little nervous yet? Cards only 6.5 out of division lead

You are standing behind a beautiful, we'll put together woman in an elavator. You can see her. You can smell her. You can even fantasize about her, but in the end...she's out of your league.

 

[Beaker]

Than I guess Cubs fans are pretty solid, emotionally. No reason to be very nervous in the last 100 years or so...

 

[Mitziman]

You are standing behind a beautiful, we'll put together woman in an elevator. You can see her. You can smell her. You can even fantasize about her, but in the end...she's out of your league.

That "woman" in the elevator just upgraded her shoes to Louis Vuitton...she's soooo hot!

 

[HammerDown]

 

[bksballer89]

The struggling Cubs.

 

[bksballer89]

He always overrated to me. Never been a fan

 

[navamind]

he's basically been Nick Markakis (OPS+ wise) prior to 2016, only he's a billion times better defensively. WAR probably overrates him a little, but he's still very good IMO.

the power just hasn't really translated in the majors. He put up decent power numbers in 2010 and 2012, but that's it.

Fangraphs had a good piece on him:

The Hole In Jason Heyward’s Swing Is Glaring | FanGraphs Baseball

 

[bksballer89]

he's basically been Nick Markakis (OPS+ wise) prior to 2016, only he's a billion times better defensively. WAR probably overrates him a little, but he's still very good IMO.

the power just hasn't really translated in the majors. He put up decent power numbers in 2010 and 2012, but that's it.

Fangraphs had a good piece on him:

The Hole In Jason Heyward’s Swing Is Glaring | FanGraphs Baseball

I don't even care about the power numbers but .228 is pretty shitty. If he can put up numbers he did in 2014 and 2015 with his defense then I'm fine with him but man he's been bad this year

According to ESPN his WAR this year is 1.4 which would be lowest of his career. Previous low was 2.4 in 2011. He was at 6.4 and 6.5 the previous two seasons

 

[Clayton]

Fangraphs had a good piece on him:

The Hole In Jason Heyward’s Swing Is Glaring | FanGraphs Baseball

That is interesting. I wonder if he is getting bad coaching.

Heyward sucked in STL for his first month. Maybe he is just the type of player that overthinks things. Not the kind of player worth a megacontract but I still think he might string together a couple of all star games after this season.

Although Ill be rooting against that happening for sure.

edit - Heyward is hitting .212 in Chicago and .242 away. Last year he hit .307 in STL and .279 away.

It might be the ballpark and how he sees the ball.

 

[Clayton]

Familia is human after all