2021 MLB Season / 21-22 Offseason Thread

[The Buscher]

Last night was the first Mets game this season I didn’t watch a single second of.  Tough to believe it’s already gotten to this point a month into the season but the lineup has looked so helpless it’s just a chore to watch at all.  If the pitchers give up more than 1 run a game they lose.

They were the worst team in the league with RISP last year and this year they’re hitting .176 with RISP with 76 strikeouts.

[Maxx]

On 28/04/2021 at 16:01, DYSI said:

🤨

What is the ump even trying to call here? 

 

 

I shall raise you

Apparently the MLB needs to invest in a robust refresher course for umpires so they can learn how to tell the difference between dirt and grass.

[Your Mom]

I've been treated to a real pitchers duel today. It's 12-12 and looks like it's going to extras

[The Buscher]

Well games like today are why I will never, ever trust Edwin Diaz.

[The Buscher]

My conditioning as a Mets fan made me raise an eyebrow as Cardinals fans gave Adam Wainwright a standing ovation with rousing applause as he left the mound having given up 5 runs in 5.2 innings.

[The Buscher]

The Mets have fired hitting coach Chili Davis and assistant hitting coach Tom Slater.

There's very little evidence to support that in-season hitting coach changes make much of a difference, but both were holdovers from the previous regime and Chili is known to be averse to analytics so this feels like something that was always going to have to be done eventually.

Toss in that Lindor just signed a gigantic contract only to become the worst qualified hitter in baseball (.163 with just two extra base hits all season, currently on an 0-21 skid) with no signs at all that he's coming out of his slump...and yeah, someone's head was going to roll.

[Maxx]

Linder probably stood next to deGroom for too long.  His aura will ruin a hitter.

[Lowerdeck]

The Blue Jays are going to Buffalo again, starting June 1st.

 

Meanwhile the Buffalo AAA team is playing home games in Trenton, NJ as long as the Jays are in Buffalo.

[gunnar hendershow]

The Blue Jays playing in Trenton would cut down on a ton of travel for them and other teams in their division. Hourish from NY, 2 hours from Baltimore, 5-6 hours from Boston. 

Guess it makes too much sense.

[GhostMachine]

Angel Hernandez once again proved why he's the worst umpire of all-time.

And I love the reaction that the Astros received in New York.

[Lowerdeck]

2 hours ago, damshow said:

The Blue Jays playing in Trenton would cut down on a ton of travel for them and other teams in their division. Hourish from NY, 2 hours from Baltimore, 5-6 hours from Boston. 

Guess it makes too much sense.

 

I would assume Trenton's stadium is nowhere near MLB regulations, where Buffalo is a lot more so.  Also, Buffalo being closer to Toronto probably helps.

 

Interestingly, the Buffalo Bisons will be called that on the road - but called the Trenton Thunder (name of a former AA team) for home games.

[gunnar hendershow]

Yeah weren't the Thunder the Yankees affiliate until this past year?

[The Buscher]

John Means got a no-hitter and missed out a perfect game only due to a dropped third strike in the third inning.

[Lowerdeck]

3 hours ago, damshow said:

Yeah weren't the Thunder the Yankees affiliate until this past year?

 

Yes

And good for Means.  The O's need to build around someone, and he's become an ace for them.

[gunnar hendershow]

2 minutes ago, Buschie Kay said:

John Means got a no-hitter and missed out a perfect game only due to a dropped third strike in the third inning.

JOHN MEANS BUSINESS!

BS it's not a perfect game.

Either way first O's no-hitter I've had the chance to see as I was 3 years old the last time they did it. Funny enough I almost missed it since it was an afternoon game and the O's were well ahead for the whole thing. Never occurred to me to check the amount of hits the other team had. I'm not used to this as an Orioles fan!

[Lowerdeck]

That's the third no-hitter already this year.

 

Four if you count MadBum's seven inning one.

[The Buscher]

The uptick of no-hitters feels inevitable with strikeouts through the roof.  Still very hard to accomplish over 27 outs of course.  But everyone is actively trying to hit the ball in the air both to avoid the shift and because the not at all juiced up baseball in recent years got everybody thinking they're a power hitter.

[gunnar hendershow]

6 hours ago, Buschie Kay said:

The uptick of no-hitters feels inevitable with strikeouts through the roof.  Still very hard to accomplish over 27 outs of course.  But everyone is actively trying to hit the ball in the air both to avoid the shift and because the not at all juiced up baseball in recent years got everybody thinking they're a power hitter.

Didn't they unjuice the ball this season? That might be playing in to why we already have 3 no-hitters.

[The Buscher]

59 minutes ago, damshow said:

Didn't they unjuice the ball this season? That might be playing in to why we already have 3 no-hitters.

It was supposedly unjuiced this year but yeah it’s gonna take some time for people to adjust and stop trying to go yard.  Not everyone needs to hit 20 home runs, there are other ways to get paid.

[gunnar hendershow]

18 minutes ago, Buschie Kay said:

It was supposedly unjuiced this year but yeah it’s gonna take some time for people to adjust and stop trying to go yard.  Not everyone needs to hit 20 home runs, there are other ways to get paid.

Yeah it seems every hitter adjusted their approach to just swing for the fences, and had the juiced ball to help them do it. It'll take a while for players to adjust to a world where that's a lot harder.

I still think they need to more effectively regulate the shift, when pitchers are constantly throwing heat laying down a hit to the opposite field becomes exceptionally difficult. So you wind up with the self-defeating cycle of pitchers throwing out their arms and hitters only having one skill at the plate.