POLL What Place By All-Star Game Time

[NWinAZ]

Here comes the Stros

 

[MarinersBestFan]

I voted third place

 

[seahawksfan234]

Here comes the Stros

Sadly I haven't been able to watch the games thanks to Xfinity, but based off of statistics and box score checking I think it's actually a miracle this team is somehow even above .500.

We are 27th in batting average, and 28th in runs scored.

I can't fathom why it seems that when hitters come here, their bats disappear. Jorge Polanco & Mitch Garver have significantly regressed relative to their career norms. I've reached the point where I almost don't blame the Mariners for signing an impact bat via free agency given how it seems that any halfway decent hitter absolutely craters when they come to this organization.

 

[NWinAZ]

I almost don't blame the Mariners for signing an impact bat via free agency given how it seems that any halfway decent hitter absolutely craters when they come to this organization.

I agree with everything you said except this part. I used to say the exact same thing until I realized we don't sign impact bats. We sign down on their luck, past their prime bats. The last two impact bats we signed were Cano and Cruz and both did extremely well for us.

But again, I agree with everything else. I also agree with what you say about why even bother with trades at this point. We need too much to even bother at this point unless we can pull off some miracle deal like Vlad and Bichette.

 

[PolarVortex]

AL West standings for the month of May:
Houston 14-10 ---
Seattle 11-13 3.0 back
LAA 9-14 4.5 back
Texas 9-15 5.0 back
Oakland 8-16 6.0 back

I still think the top three spots in the AL West are up for grabs. Anyone of the Mariners, Rangers, or Astros could be in first by All Star break with a little luck and a couple waking bats.

The Astros are rolling but their rotation has turned in a middling performance after Blanco, who may not be as effective when he returns from his cheating punishment.

The Rangers are sucking right now but Scherzer comes back in a couple weeks. He could give them a boost if he stays healthy and age hasn't finally caught up with him. They are also missing Jung at third base and Seager has only recently woken up after looking like Polanco the first six weeks of the season. But he's currently riding a 10-game hitting streak that has featured 7 homeruns.

The Mariners have the best home winning percentage in the ALW (60.0%) and a run differential basically equal to Texas and Houston. If they can maintain those two stats, they can stay in the hunt for first place. But Dipoto has to find some reliable 7th and 8th inning relief pitching.

 

[wazzu31]

I voted 1st just based off of the weather is going to heat up and the schedule is going to get a little lighter. But IMO the floor is number 2. But as it stands now, unless they upgrade the bullpen or offense significantly (don’t think they can do both) they have no shot at winning the division. This bullpen is already middle tier so when they do their annual getting gassed by September it could get rough. But they are also 2 impact bats short of being Baltimore or Yankee caliber.

 

[PolarVortex]

I voted 1st just based off of the weather is going to heat up and the schedule is going to get a little lighter. But IMO the floor is number 2. But as it stands now, unless they upgrade the bullpen or offense significantly (don’t think they can do both) they have no shot at winning the division. This bullpen is already middle tier so when they do their annual getting gassed by September it could get rough. But they are also 2 impact bats short of being Baltimore or Yankee caliber.

We can always use glass-half-full optimism in here. God knows I don't bring it. I want to but I've been worn down.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

3rd by the break. Stros hitting has woken up a bit plus good rotation and Texas can hit. Our rotation will keep them hovering around 1st but again it won't be enough with our lack of hitting.

 

[NWinAZ]

3rd by the break. Stros hitting has woken up a bit plus good rotation and Texas can hit. Our rotation will keep them hovering around 1st but again it won't be enough with our lack of hitting.

I felt guilty to pick third sp I took 2nd. My heart says 3rd, but then again Rangers are back to being the Rangers.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

I felt guilty to pick third sp I took 2nd. My heart says 3rd, but then again Rangers are back to being the Rangers.

I hear ya. I would have gone 2nd if they took 2 out of 3 in DC. I would have felt better going into this 4 game series.

 

[seattlefan75]

Me being Mr. Optimistic we will be in 1st place.

 

[seattlefan75]

For all the people laughing I wonder if they were the same ones that said we were going to be terrible before the season started, we would be in last place by April or May and here we are still in 1st place. I will continue to be optimistic and keep charging forward.

 

[WizardHawk]

For all the people laughing I wonder if they were the same ones that said we were going to be terrible before the season started, we would be in last place by April or May and here we are still in 1st place. I will continue to be optimistic and keep charging forward.

Who said that?

I don't recall anyone not thinking they would be over 81 wins this year. Pretty sure most think they have 90 in them. We just don't think 90 gets you in the playoffs.

They are currently on pace to win 87. So tell me where they are overachieving compared to early season predictions. They are more or less exactly where I thought they'd be. They are a team expected to come yup just short of a playoff spot.

 

[MarinersBestFan]

I was curious to see if the change vote feature would actually work… and it did.

So I have bumped them up a notch to second place

 

[NWinAZ]

For all the people laughing I wonder if they were the same ones that said we were going to be terrible before the season started, we would be in last place by April or May and here we are still in 1st place. I will continue to be optimistic and keep charging forward.

We have A's and Angels in our division so nobody thought we would be in last place at any point in the season. Hyperbole much?

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Who said that?

I don't recall anyone not thinking they would be over 81 wins this year. Pretty sure most think they have 90 in them. We just don't think 90 gets you in the playoffs.

They are currently on pace to win 87. So tell me where they are overachieving compared to early season predictions. They are more or less exactly where I thought they'd be. They are a team expected to come yup just short of a playoff spot.

I'll admit I didn't think 90 with how the off-season went. Not one move was earth shattering but right now they're having some timely hits and winning ugly.

 

[WizardHawk]

I'll admit I didn't think 90 with how the off-season went. Not one move was earth shattering but right now they're having some timely hits and winning ugly.

Sure, but did you think they would finish with less than 80 wins with that rotation? Because they'd have to fall far short of 80 to finish in last place as we were accused of saying preseason.

As I said, most were somewhere between 81 and 90 wins. That's still a bad season by any measure of shooting for a deep playoff run.

They are in first place, but are 6th best in the AL and 10th overall in the league. When either (or both) of Texas or Houston speed past us they are well out of a wildcard slot.

The AL west is this years AL central: whatever team makes it will be a speed bump for the other teams in the playoffs.

 

[jerseyhawksfan79]

Sure, but did you think they would finish with less than 80 wins with that rotation? Because they'd have to fall far short of 80 to finish in last place as we were accused of saying preseason.

As I said, most were somewhere between 81 and 90 wins. That's still a bad season by any measure of shooting for a deep playoff run.

They are in first place, but are 6th best in the AL and 10th overall in the league. When either (or both) of Texas or Houston speed past us they are well out of a wildcard slot.

The AL west is this years AL central: whatever team makes it will be a speed bump for the other teams in the playoffs.

My thought of anything under 80 wins would mean a rash of injuries to our starting pitching.

 

[seattlefan75]

Who said that?

I don't recall anyone not thinking they would be over 81 wins this year. Pretty sure most think they have 90 in them. We just don't think 90 gets you in the playoffs.

They are currently on pace to win 87. So tell me where they are overachieving compared to early season predictions. They are more or less exactly where I thought they'd be. They are a team expected to come yup just short of a playoff spot.

Well whatever pace you want to set the fact is they are on pace to make the playoffs by winning the division. However you want to chop it up and articulate, calculate, or theorize. If we are standing on top of the AL West we will be the division champions on our way to playing some home playoff games.

 

[WizardHawk]

Well whatever pace you want to set the fact is they are on pace to make the playoffs by winning the division. However you want to chop it up and articulate, calculate, or theorize. If we are standing on top of the AL West we will be the division champions on our way to playing some home playoff games.

Sure? You claimed some were saying they would be in last place. I asked who said that.

This division is a 3 team race for one spot. Doesn't matter at all that they are in first place now before June has even started. M's were in first place late last year and missed the playoffs.

This team is really bad at hitting, makes routine base running blunders, and is manged by a moron.

The stellar pitching isn't going to be enough IMO and of course I hope I'm wrong.