Around the Majors - 2022 Version

Michael Harris II has been worth 0.4 fWAR and Spencer Strider has been worth 0.8 fWAR. So that statement is objectively false, at least as of today.

I agree there's plenty to critique with the Anthopoulos Team draft strategy thus far; but I also think saying it's "so bad it's almost like they actively tried to draft poorly" is a massive overstatement. Some picks have already added value to the major-league team—not just the aforementioned Harris and Strider, but the trio of Langaliers/Estes/Cusick in the Olson trade—and the full jury is still out on pretty much all of these drafts. Nevertheless, the upside they're looking for in the early rounds heretofore has left something to be desired.

Ok ok, I stand corrected on my hyperbole.
 
Ok ok, I stand corrected on my hyperbole.

Beau Phillip has been pretty brutally unusable, even in the low minors, given his draft position. Estes looked good enough last year to be the third piece in the Olson deal, but someone else from the late-round prep group needs to hit to justify wasting the Phillip pick to save money for those later rounds. However, the Braves nabbed Langaliers and Harris II in that draft, plus Grissom.

Meanwhile, the 2020 draft looks to be the best, thus far, given all the constraints. Elder is probably fifth start / AAAA depth, but Strider looks very useful in some role, Shuster’s been encouraging, and Franklin may yet provide value, given his power—but we won’t know more until he returns TJS next year. All this surprises me, because I thought the 2020 draft was extraordinarily mediocre at the time.

The real head-scratching draft is last year’s. Seems like it’ll all come down to the convalescing Schwellenbach, the rising Smith-Shawver, and the still-at-complex Collins. Some of the other guys, like Waddell and Henry-Malloy, are performing well enough, but don’t seem to have much upside. At least Cusick provided value as the fourth prospect for Olson.

I wouldn't be surprised to see guys like Elder, Waddell, Henry-Malloy consolidated at the deadline for marginal upgrades to the MLB roster.
 
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It was all his players effectively.

Swanson, Fried, and Riley? Everyone else that was important was either AA or Wren.

Edit: forgot about Anderson. Still, that's only 4 players, with 2 of them as pitchers. Freeman, Acuna, Albies, TDA, Morton, Soler, Rosario, Matzek, and Will Smith is a more impressive group.
 
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Swanson, Fried, and Riley? Everyone else that was important was either AA or Wren.

Edit: forgot about Anderson. Still, that's only 4 players, with 2 of them as pitchers. Freeman, Acuna, Albies, TDA, Morton, Soler, Rosario, Matzek, and Will Smith is a more impressive group.

It was the old guard that built the team. Every player of consequence was gotten through their system of franchise building. I mean even Morton was drafted by them.
 
https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds?date=2021-06-06&dateDelta=

Braves were 28-29 on June 6th last year. Mets were 30-23.

Win Division:
Mets 76.3%
Braves 14.4%

Make Playoffs
Mets 82.2%
Braves 24.9%

The extra wild card really increases the chances of getting to the playoffs. If there was still only 2 WC teams then the Braves odds at the playoffs are likely similar to last season at this point.

Also the Braves are currently projected to have a higher WP than the Mets for the rest of the season. But with a 1/3rd of the season already gone the Mets have banked a really good lead. I can easily see a situation where their offensive luck turns and they struggle at different points the rest of the way. But in the end, making the playoffs is the ultimate goal.

There is nothing dumber than playoff odds.
 
Ender was awesome (one of the early statcast OOA darlings) and I thought the extension was reasonable at the time.

I thought the extension was not wise at the time. Why extend an average at his very best hitter whose strength was defense well past his prime? Never made a lick of sense to me.

Extensions are often foolish. Use and discard.
 
Just to be fair, the Teheran/Dickey/Colon/Olivera/Kemp crowd were signed to provide a better on-field product than what Orioles, Marlins, and Pirates fans have gotten during their never-ending rebuilds so there was at least SOME reason for fans to come to the park - even if only once in awhile.

I certainly have no interest in defending Coppy, but the higher-ups did provide him money to sign a few "interesting" players to appease the fans during that period while ownership at those other places continually keep their GMs from spending money whatsoever. That changed a little in Miami this past winter, but the money that was finally spent was on terrible investments - even if it wasn't "big" money.

Yes, the intent was to try and find value imo. I wouldn't call many of those moves win now at all. If they'd hit on some flyers all the better.
 
Anyone else see that Royce Lewis has a torn ACL again. He tore it in the same knee last year as well

Add another team in the SS market to compete with.
I believe they fully expected Lewis to take over for CC after this year.
Now have another year plus gap to fill.
 
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