Official MLB Discussion Thread

[MikeRaw]

Alright folks, I'm going out on a limb here, but I'm gonna declare that the Toronto Blue Jays will pull a Tampa this year, and be this year's Rays. I have statistical evidence to back it up, as well... :shifty:

As far as pitching goes, the Jays are about the same as last year's Rays... Our pitchign isn't quite as good as last year, but it's still pretty damn good...
Roy Halladay > Scott Kazmir/ James Shields
This one is easy. Halladay is a top pitcher, top 3 at least (I know this, and so do the players... Just read an article in the NY times about players leaving the AL just so they don't have to face him)
Jesse Litsch > Edwin Jackson...
Litsch is only 24, but has more expierience that Jackson, and has great stuff. Could be a number 1 guy in a rotation in a few years
Purcey < Garza
Tampa wins this one. Purcey is good, but unproven, and a bit shakier than Tampa's Garza
Romero = the bottom of the Jays rotation

And the Jays Bullpen is unstopable. They were the best bullpen in the league statisically last year, and so far this year, seem to be doing it again. Tampa's is decent, but the Jays have about 3 guys who could all be dominant closers, and a slew of great relievers. The Jays win this one by a landslide.

So, as far as pitching, the Rays rotation is SLIGHTLY better, but the Jays bullpen makes up for it, and the pitching as a whole is even...

Defensively, the Jays were the best team in the AL East last year, and the past several years. With guys like Rolen, Overbay, and Rios, and Hill, that'll continue this year.

Offensively, the Jays are healthy this year, and I think we have about the same as Tampa did last year.

The catchers for both teams are about even in terms of offense. Navarro (Tampa) and Barajas (Toronto) are pretty equal at the plate.
At 3rd base, Rolen is slightly better than Aybar.
At SS, Sutaro and Bartlett are tied. Neither is really offensively gifted.
Hill is better than Iwamura by far
The one that the Rays have better though, is Carlos Pena. He is better offensively than Lyle Overbay...

In the outfield, Rios is better than Carl Crawford.
Vernon Wells is alot better than BJ Upton
And Travis Snider is ths year's Evan Longoria. Already a ton of RBI's this year, and a great average, and only 21. He'll easily hit 20-25 Homers
Don't forget Adam Lind DHing for the Jays either. 9 homers last year at 24, and already 2 this year, with 8 RBI's.


There you have it folks, love it or hate it, only time will tell, but based on superior defense the Jays have over the Rays, and equal pitching, and equal offense, I'm calling it... This year's Jays are the equivilent of last years Tampa Rays.

 

[therazar]

Wow I can't believe Atlanta choked to the Phillies.
They were up 9-3 in the 4th inning and they blew it.

Oh well, at least my Rays won 7-2.
FEEL THE HEAT, BOSTON!

Yeah I was on the Braves site watching the stats and stuff and Philly kept getting runs I was confused because they had a seven run lead. But they're 2-1 so its not that bad.

 

[Enigma22]

@mikeraw

the jays are not as good as new york or boston. they gotta play each team 18 times and they gotta play the rays 18 times too. they might be as good as the rays but i doubt they will get past boston and NY.

 

[MikeRaw]

I agree. I don't think they'll make the playoffs either. You never know, they have a chance, but I doubt it. I said that too. I do think they'll be similar to the Rays of last year, and put together a better than expected year, and if they were in any other division, make the playoffs, but I doubt they will this year. Last year, Tampa made it because NY was shit, with no pitching, and an underachieing offense. NY and Boston are strong this year, so I doubt we'll make the playoffs, but I still think we'll surprise people by putting together a solid year.

 

[MJ807]

How about the Floirda Marlins 3-0 and in the lead in the National Leauge East and tied with the Texas Rangers for the best record in the league. On the otherhand the Yankees were finally able to pick up their first win behind their real ace AJ Burnett. Forget Sabathia it's all about Burnett.

 

[MikeRaw]

Lol, Burnett will suck again soon. He crumbled under the pressure in Toronto with his big money, now imagien what he'll do in New York.

 

[MJ807]

I have a soft spot for Burnett since I watched the start of his career here with the Marlins.

 

[gamebreaker]

The Blue Jays are ok but they need a better bullpen.
I can't see them at the top of the AL East but I do see them in 3rd place or worse.

I have a soft spot for Burnett since I watched the start of his career here with the Marlins.

Same here.
I loved watching Burnett, Penny, and Josh Beckett dominating the bullpen back in the day...
That Florida Marlins team was really good.
They just lost all the players like Juan Pierre, Luis Castillo, Mike Lowell, Jeff Conine, Miguel Cabrera, and I think their catcher was Pudge Rodriguez...

 

[PeepShow]

Rangers sweep the series with the Indians, and puts them up by 1 game in the AL West, and makes them the only undefeated team in the American League. They look like they have two out of three solid starters (Padilla and Millwood), and their hitting is unbelieveable from the rookies (Cruz and Andrus). This Rangers team looks much better than they did last year. It's wayyyy to early, but this could be their year with the Angels sidelined with injuries, and the A's not really hitting anything.

Nice game for them today.

 

[MJ807]

WOO The Marlins beat the Mets with a walk off hits the Marlins are 4-0 and have the best record in the leauge.

 

[MikeRaw]

Jays are now 4-1.
Man, what a game. Just ended, it was 13-7. Offense is lookin great.

 

[Travis40]

Nice game for them today.

They're still 3-1, and a half game up on Seattle.

 

[gamebreaker]

Dammit!
Rays lost to Baltimore but Longoria knocked 2 homers out of the park last night.

 

[MikeRaw]

Lol, Jays are 5-1. They didn't make it easy today, BJ Ryan blew another save, but they pulled off the win. This offense is clicking, and scoring huge, and they're doing it with Wells and Rios struggling at that!

 

[Travis40]

I'm starting to thinks 2 of the 5 pitchers that Texas has in their rotation aren't ready to be in the Majors yet, and they've had that problem in the past (Matt Harrison, Tommy Hunter, Warner Madrigal)