OK I know its only 20 games but so far Braves/A's

[Mistaken4193]

I still think Nats win the East, and i'm as pessimistic of a DC sports fan as they come. Barves and Nats will both get back a great starting pitcher soon (Minor, Fister) but the Nats will get two enormous additions to the lineup in Zimmerman and Ramos in about a month. Nats just need Tyler fucking Clippard to go down with an "injury", that fucker has single-handily cost the Nats 4-5 wins already. Desmond will also not continue to commit errors at a record setting pace

Yeah but you forget the Nats have a mental block when it comes to playing the Braves. We have mentally raped yall.

 

[navamind]

Oakland, there is something about this team!!! look at there team since 2012, on paper they are at best a 500 team... But then you get players to come out of nowhere like Reddick and moss in 2012, Donaldson last year. And get great years from some hasbeens like coco crisp and bartolo colon, and then you just get 3 years of success... Throw in some nice young pitching into the equation... But if you just took them from there talent and expectation from players only, they are not that good...

Huh? They were 94-68 in 2012 and outscored their opponents by 99 runs (pythag W-L of 92-70). In 2013, they went 96-66 and outscored their opponents by 142 runs (pythag W-L of 96-66). I don't see how they're a ".500 at best" team. I thought Donaldson was going to break out last year (was always high on his bat and he showed serious improvement in the 2nd half of 2012), though I wasn't expecting him to be one of the best players in the league. I think he'll regress somewhat (maybe around .275/.380/.495), but he'd still be one of the best 3B in the league. He's adjusted to 3B very well.

They might not have a lot of starpower (I guess I get what you mean by the "they look like a .500 team at best on paper" if you're going by that), but there's a lot of solid players on their team. They play their matchups very well too.

 

[navamind]

I'm reserving judgement on the A'sholes for at least two more days.

how about you reserve it for a few months? a 3-game series in April means very little (if anything).

I'd be shocked if the A's and/or Rangers missed the playoffs this year though, barring a plethora of injuries.

 

[fordman84]

I'm reserving judgement on the A'sholes for at least two more days.

how about you reserve it for a few months? a 3-game series in April means very little (if anything).

I'd be shocked if the A's and/or Rangers missed the playoffs this year though, barring a plethora of injuries.

well, he did say "at least"

 

[fordman84]

how about you reserve it for a few months? a 3-game series in April means very little (if anything).

I'd be shocked if the A's and/or Rangers missed the playoffs this year though, barring a plethora of injuries.

we missed em last year, and our big addition is hitting right at .200

I'm TIRED of the WC, but would take it just for the chance to play in the playoffs again.

 

[navamind]

well, he did say "at least"

Touche. Lol

 

[navamind]

Yea and even with injuries our starters have the lowest ERA in the MLB and we haven't even got our best pitcher from last year Mike Minor back yet.

Hale and Harang are pitching way over their heads. A rotation of Teheran/Minor/Wood/Santana/Harang (or Hale) is still good though.

 

[depraved]

I'll admit the Choackland Pathetics are the best team in baseball. How? I have no idea but they are playing great ball and have been since 2011. I think they are for real. They are a pesky team built to hit home runs, manufacture runs, and protect the leads with their bullpen outside of Johnson. I'll be cheering for them out west, when you consider they are in the same division where every team is spending a ton it's awesome to see the "underdog" beating them out. I'll be rooting for them to make the playoffs over the Rangers, Mariners and Angels.