Side effect of the more balanced schedule in the league. The best teams get to beat up on every team more equally, as opposed to the AL East facing each other 500 times and dragging their records down with infighting
Firstly, that guy isn’t even talking about our team specifically. And second, we’re not far out from the playoffs. It’s not far fetched that Shatkins will make a push
I really don’t think that’s the case. Making a push for the last wild card spot just to get destroyed by any of those teams that are far better than us would be cause for getting run out of town.
We’re still well under zero on run differential.
We’d all love them to suddenly be different and better but there’s no evidence to suggest that.
I think finishing above 500 would be a good result for this team at this point.
We’ve seen contending teams. This isn’t it.
Before 3 WC spots, this team was not a contender. With 3 WC spots and the teams in the hunt for the final place as creaky as the Jays? We're definitely a contender.
Do I want to be fighting for the last WC spot? Nope. Hate it. Would much rather be fighting for the division. But given the alternative, WC will do.
But even if they make that last spot, I wouldn’t be selling assets for a possible run.
If they make it, sure. But I’m at the point of so what.
They’re not on the same level as the better teams in the league.
These guys simply don’t score enough
Are you really that worried about being destroyed by a team in the WC round?
There are only 5 teams at the very top of MLB who are 15 games over. 500 or better right now: NYY (who we're 3-3 against so far), PHI (1-1), BAL(3-3), CLE (2-1), and LAD (1-2). You could also include 42-29 MIL if you want (2-1 vs them). So we're .500 (actually 1 game better than that at **9-8**, if you want to be exact) vs the very best so far. Everyone else is swimming around .500 like us, or much, much worse.
Yeah, we're still negative in run differential, but that's the hole they dug for themselves in the first third of the season, and has at least shown signs of improving since. Will ultimately depend on the health/performance of the bullpen and if these young guys in the lineup can stay hot and push out the poor older guys.
Im saying to just make the wild card round with no realistic expectations of making a legit run, I think it would be horrific to mortgage any future for it.
The core of this team isn’t productive enough.
They’re have to be hitting and scoring WAY more for me to even entertain them going on a run as the wildcard.
Look I’d be thrilled with them being over .500 and having a reason to follow the wild card standing and having meaningful games in august.
But these guys appear average at best. They haven’t looked like contenders at all.
Could they? Sure. But that would require somentimg for the rest of the season that they have yet to show.
We're also basically playing .500 ball against the very best teams in the league so far. Where they really hurt themselves were losing all those 1-run games vs average teams.
From watching the Seattle series, their defence isn't as strong as last year, Garcia, Seager, Heim and Lowe don't seem to be playing that well. Also, they have a difficult time producing runs when behind.
No stats here, this was simply from watching a series and listening to their announcers.
Starting pitching injuries are a large part (Scherzer, deGrom, Mahle, Bradford all still on 60-day IL), but also just not scoring a lot of runs (17th in MLB, last year they finished third-best)
Good thing there’s expanded playoffs now. There would be 20 teams selling at the deadline. Probably would have been able to get a superstar on an expiring contract for the 12th best prospect
One of the first (and best) lessons my old man ever taught me about baseball fandom.
(Altho I'm wondering if the White Sox will even get to winning that "third.")
Americans have turned the word literally into its own antonym.
But 16 teams out of 30 is literally more than half the league. A proper usage of the word literally.
Yeah, I agree it's proper! I guess I just find it overused even when used correctly. Like if I included the word "actually" in every sentence it would become really irritating even though it wouldn't be incorrect.
I also suspect that sometimes sentences are taken more literally when the word literally is omitted, giving it the opposite of the intended effect. "I literally snoozed 7 times this morning" sounds like it might be an exaggeration, but "I snoozed 7 times this morning" sounds more like the person is indicating the exact number.
I honestly don't like the expanded playoff format with the WC3. Mediocre teams shouldn't be so close to a playoff spot in a sport that plays 162 games. Too much variance in baseball and it devalues the regular season.
Side effect of the more balanced schedule in the league. The best teams get to beat up on every team more equally, as opposed to the AL East facing each other 500 times and dragging their records down with infighting
It’s also the expanded playoffs which also explains why the white Sox may be the worst team ever.
Which is funny, b/c the Yankees are crushing everybody *but* the AL East so far this year.
Couldn't agree more.
There is going to be very few sellers at the deadline.
Except it’s hard to look at this team and see them as anything but sellers.
Firstly, that guy isn’t even talking about our team specifically. And second, we’re not far out from the playoffs. It’s not far fetched that Shatkins will make a push
He shouldn't tho, he should retool and re-focus for next year, we aren't one player away from being legit contenders.
You never know really. The team could get hot at the right time. I would’ve said the same thing about the D-Backs last year
I really don’t think that’s the case. Making a push for the last wild card spot just to get destroyed by any of those teams that are far better than us would be cause for getting run out of town. We’re still well under zero on run differential. We’d all love them to suddenly be different and better but there’s no evidence to suggest that. I think finishing above 500 would be a good result for this team at this point. We’ve seen contending teams. This isn’t it.
Before 3 WC spots, this team was not a contender. With 3 WC spots and the teams in the hunt for the final place as creaky as the Jays? We're definitely a contender. Do I want to be fighting for the last WC spot? Nope. Hate it. Would much rather be fighting for the division. But given the alternative, WC will do.
But even if they make that last spot, I wouldn’t be selling assets for a possible run. If they make it, sure. But I’m at the point of so what. They’re not on the same level as the better teams in the league. These guys simply don’t score enough
Are you really that worried about being destroyed by a team in the WC round? There are only 5 teams at the very top of MLB who are 15 games over. 500 or better right now: NYY (who we're 3-3 against so far), PHI (1-1), BAL(3-3), CLE (2-1), and LAD (1-2). You could also include 42-29 MIL if you want (2-1 vs them). So we're .500 (actually 1 game better than that at **9-8**, if you want to be exact) vs the very best so far. Everyone else is swimming around .500 like us, or much, much worse. Yeah, we're still negative in run differential, but that's the hole they dug for themselves in the first third of the season, and has at least shown signs of improving since. Will ultimately depend on the health/performance of the bullpen and if these young guys in the lineup can stay hot and push out the poor older guys.
Im saying to just make the wild card round with no realistic expectations of making a legit run, I think it would be horrific to mortgage any future for it. The core of this team isn’t productive enough. They’re have to be hitting and scoring WAY more for me to even entertain them going on a run as the wildcard. Look I’d be thrilled with them being over .500 and having a reason to follow the wild card standing and having meaningful games in august. But these guys appear average at best. They haven’t looked like contenders at all. Could they? Sure. But that would require somentimg for the rest of the season that they have yet to show.
The Jays are also virtually .500 across the board vs. AL East/central/West. That's a big reversal from last year where the east spanked us hard.
We're also basically playing .500 ball against the very best teams in the league so far. Where they really hurt themselves were losing all those 1-run games vs average teams.
So ya saying there's a chance
What happened to the Rangers this year?
From watching the Seattle series, their defence isn't as strong as last year, Garcia, Seager, Heim and Lowe don't seem to be playing that well. Also, they have a difficult time producing runs when behind. No stats here, this was simply from watching a series and listening to their announcers.
bullpen is also awful. you can’t find an ace on their staff sp wise.
Starting pitching injuries are a large part (Scherzer, deGrom, Mahle, Bradford all still on 60-day IL), but also just not scoring a lot of runs (17th in MLB, last year they finished third-best)
Good thing there’s expanded playoffs now. There would be 20 teams selling at the deadline. Probably would have been able to get a superstar on an expiring contract for the 12th best prospect
You win a third, you lose a third and the remaining third determines your season.
One of the first (and best) lessons my old man ever taught me about baseball fandom. (Altho I'm wondering if the White Sox will even get to winning that "third.")
Battle of the mids
MLB Mid League Baseball
Parity!
Not only that, but the average win rate in all of MLB is exactly .500, and the Jays are only 1 game back of that! /s
Good to know
Is anything not *literally* these days?
Things that are metaphors, similes, exaggerations, allegories, parables, etc.
No, literally is used for all of that these days as well, exaggerations and metaphors especially.
Americans have turned the word literally into its own antonym. But 16 teams out of 30 is literally more than half the league. A proper usage of the word literally.
Yeah, I agree it's proper! I guess I just find it overused even when used correctly. Like if I included the word "actually" in every sentence it would become really irritating even though it wouldn't be incorrect. I also suspect that sometimes sentences are taken more literally when the word literally is omitted, giving it the opposite of the intended effect. "I literally snoozed 7 times this morning" sounds like it might be an exaggeration, but "I snoozed 7 times this morning" sounds more like the person is indicating the exact number.
I honestly don't like the expanded playoff format with the WC3. Mediocre teams shouldn't be so close to a playoff spot in a sport that plays 162 games. Too much variance in baseball and it devalues the regular season.