Confirmed that ESPN hates us now. Worse than the Brave New World redundancy.
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- Thread starter NinersSBChamps
- Start date
I saw that and laughed this morning. Braves have the longest winning streak in like 10 years and the best record in baseball but not much love. Oh well. The team is now 2nd in runs scored and 2nd fewest runs allowed. Very real chance of catching both the Cards and Pirates in those as well, especially in runs allowed. This team is good. Really good.
I would take on the Reds easily. Cards I think have peaked this year and aren't going to be nearly as good the rest of the way. I think the Braves will take homefield in the NL and play the winner of the wild card game which I think will be between the Reds/Cards.
Votto/Bruce along with their high end potential starting pitching worries me.
I still don't beleive the Pirates are anything special. You can shut that offense down. The Reds are a very talented team.
Other than Choo, Bruce, and Votto their offense isn't good at all. Their like a worse version of the Braves in that the K a lot but aren't hitting as many homers. They may have some high end potential starting pitching but their still very inconsistent and the Braves pitching is easily better. The Braves are a better team and it's not really that close.
I'm not saying that I believe teh Reds are better. I just would rather play the Pirates. I still don't believe in that team. I'd be surprised if they took more than 1 game against us in a series.
Overall I don't see much difference between the teams except the Pirates play better defense. Offensively they don't have someone like Votto although Cutch is close. But they have a lot of average or better hitters. Not many black holes.
Reds have a lot of players you can go to that you can get an out or strikeout pretty easily. That isn't the case with the Pirates.
yeezus
It's OVER 5,000!
I'm with you, not a Pirates believer. Would rather see them than the Reds.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
That's why you're not a GM. There are some good pieces in there but put him on the market and you'll see much better players and prospects involved. Stanton on the block would be like Heyward on the block, no offer is out of the question.
zitothebrave
Connoisseur of Minors
The Reds have 3 guys who're hitting right now, Votto, Choo, and Bruce. Everyone else is below average. The Pirates only have one Megastar (cutch) but the rest of their lineup is filled with tough outs. The Pirates offense is built a lot like the Braves, no real weakness to it top to bottom.
wRC+
Cutch 150
Marte 120
Martin 115
Alvarez 115
Walker 118
Then they've had above average production from their guys with less PA like Mercer, Sanchez Tabata and Jones
Again not a stellar impossible to beat team, but they don't really have a weakness aside from SS.
Pitching wise they have 2 guys pitching amazing so far this year in Burnett and Liriano, and 2 young arms who've done really well in Locke and Cole (Lock is over-performing his peripherals but still has been great) The most dangerous thing about the Pirates though is Melacon and Grilli right now are the best 1/2 bullpen punch in baseball. Of course Kimbrel is still the most dominating when on, and Walden has been great. But those 2 have been sick.
Overall Pirates have better position players than the Reds (they have the same team wRC+ but the Pirates are way better defensively) and better pitchign (though probably also about equal when you adjust for park) They're well balanced teams.
No matter who we play in the playoffs it will be tough. This isn't the NFL where there's usually a team who sneaks in because of a cake schedule or dumb luck.
Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
Uhh, Brandon Phillips is reallllly good.
That's like saying if you pitch around Heyward, JUp, FF and Mac, our offense isn't very good. Not to mention they'll get Ludwick back sometime in the next month or so. LF has been such a weakness since he's out.
And their rotation of Cueto, Latos, Bailey, and Leake/Arroyo is pretty solid.
I'd take their rotation over ours, bullpen not so much though they will have Cingrani in the bullpen.
AUTiger7222
Called Up to the Major Leagues
I went to bed last night thinking the Rays beat the Dodgers. WTF happened to the Rays bullpen?
Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
Rodney happened.
He had a ball hit to him, would of been a DP if he threw it to second, goes into the outfield. Would of gone to extras.
Looking at rbi again? Phillips has a 94 wrc+ which is obviously below average. He is not a good hitter. Overall he's a good player becuase he doesn't suck as a hitter and he's a good fielder and usually a good base runner. But his offensive numbers are a product of that park.
Uggla would be the Reds 4th best hitter. That's all that really needs to be said about that. Yes those 4 our the teams best hitters imo. But Johnson is hitting extremely well this year and doesn't seem to be slowing down. But the rest of our lineup is a ton better then the Reds. Uggla is a league average hitter. BJ can obviously go on a tear at any given time and seems to have corrected himself. Simmons is hitting a lot better since the break and has had quite a bit of bad babip luck the first half.
Our lineup is not easy to go through. We have guys up and down the team that can carry the team. The Reds have 3 guys and they strikeout a ton. Easy to pick your spots there. We have some strikeout guys too. But if you make mistakes with them they will hurt you. The only strikeout guy like that on the Reds is Bruce.
AUTiger7222
Called Up to the Major Leagues
I don't know why Maddon keeps running him out there in the closer's roll. The Rays would have 10 more wins this season if it weren't for Fernando ****ing Rodney! Jake McGee should be the damn closer! But Maddon is being so stubborn on this and I just don't understand it.
Heyward
<B>Voted Worst Poster <br>'13, '14, '15 (Co-Winner
Mesaraco
Votto
BP
Cozart
Frazier
Ludwick
Choo
Bruce
Is a pretty good lineup
Acting like they only have 3 good hitters is foolish talk and ignorant.