MLB 2023: how ya like it now?

[ghost of miles]

Realized recently that we never started a 2023 baseball season thread. So, fellow fans, how are you liking (or not liking) the faster-paced games and rules changes? I gotta say I'm really enjoying it so far... the games seem more dynamic, with the pitch clock keeping the pace fairly brisk, base-stealing back in vogue and batting averages up with the ban of the shift. Plus there are some exciting rookies to watch--Jordan Walker with the Cardinals, Masataka Yoshida with the Red Sox, Anthony Volpe with the Yankees, Gunnar Henderson with the Orioles, Corbin Carroll with the Diamondbacks and others. And what's the outlook for your favorite team(s)?

[HutchFan]

I'm with you, Ghost. I think both the pitch clock and shift rule are working very well. 👍

I follow the Braves, so I'm very pleased with what I've seen so far. Of course, baseball season is a marathon, and anything can happen -- but the Braves are loaded with talent.  I think they'll be in the mix come September.

[jlhoots]

I like the Brewers so far.

[Dan Gould]

I am more interested in the Cubs than the Red Sox because the latter once again has a poorly conceived roster ill-equipped to compete with anyone.

[GA Russell]

Arizona's Nick Ahmed hits a double on a pitch that bounced in front of the plate.

Hitter stuns MLB world by hitting insanely bad pitch (msn.com)

[ghost of miles]

Jomboy on Max Scherzer ejection

[JSngry]

My son has advised me that there might be big league caliber baseball in Arlington again.

When did this happen, assuming that it in fact has? 

[Ken Dryden]

The Braves need to bite the bullet and release Ozuna. The guy can’t hit anymore and his weak arm makes him a liability in the outfield. If he remains under the Mendoza line, that could happen.

[Big Al]

On 4/23/2023 at 5:43 PM, JSngry said:

My son has advised me that there might be big league caliber baseball in Arlington again.

When did this happen, assuming that it in fact has? 

Early reports might've been true, but after giving up three straight walk-off losses to the lowly Reds this week, I'm starting to worry those reports may have been premature. Then again, they aren't any worse than the Yankees right now. Then again again, they aren't really any better either.

[Ken Dryden]

When D’Arnaud is activated by the Braves, Ozuna needs to be given his walking papers. He is as about as useful as Pablo Sandoval was at the end of his career with the Braves.

[Patrick]

Haven't been paying much attention to the season yet. Went to the Cubs/Nationals game this afternoon with work colleagues. I like the increased pace, at least in this instance. Not too herky/jerky, and it didn't look like pitchers were gaming the clock/rules. Only name I recognized was Patrick Corbin who had an excellent outing. Nats win 4-3 on a walk-off homer in the ninth. Took only 1:55 to play, so we had to move to a venue outside the park to continue our business-person's lunch.

 

[ghost of miles]

Gotta hand it to Tampa Bay:

The Rays are better than everyone. At everything.

… and all on a $73 million payroll, too. Whatever their organizational secret sauce is, it’s potent.

[Dan Gould]

6 minutes ago, ghost of miles said:

Gotta hand it to Tampa Bay:

The Rays are better than everyone. At everything.

… and all on a $73 million payroll, too. Whatever their organizational secret sauce is, it’s potent.

I am most mindful of this:

Their opponents in March and April had a combined .427 winning percentage through Wednesday, but none of their May opponents had a losing record entering the month. 

 

The Red Sox have barely climbed above .500 but they have also played more than twice as many games against teams with .500 or better records than the Rays (27 vs 13). They don't have the pitching to keep  up, barring a miracle among the starters, but I have to admit they have some younger/new players that I find fun and exciting to watch, starting with their Japanese import Mr. Yoshida, continuing with the seeming blossoming of Alex Verdugo into a very dangerous hitter and a catching tandem (one of whom was a throw-in to the Mookie Betts trade that brought Verdugo to the roster) that leads the league in hits by catchers.

[JSngry]

RIP Vida Blue. 

[ghost of miles]

Congrats to the fielder, well wishes to the runner:

Ouch

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, ghost of miles said:

Congrats to the fielder, well wishes to the runner:

Ouch

And some glasses for the announcers! 

[ghost of miles]

Heading over to Cincinnati for Reds-Yankees this afternoon at Great American Ballpark. Forecast for game time is sunny and 70 degrees. 

Edited May 20, 2023 by ghost of miles

[JSngry]

 

 

Three batters into the game, in the top of the 1st, the Rockies had the bases loaded with Jon Gray scuffling with 15 pitches on his ledger without an out to his name. At that point, you start to hope that Gray could get out of the inning in under 30 pitches with no more than a run or two on the board to allow the offense a shot at Kyle Freeland without too much of a deficit.

Instead, a shallow pop fly out to right field, a strikeout, and a lineout to center field later and Gray had wiggled out of the jam unscathed on just 29 pitches. More amazing, the final out of the inning came after starting the at-bat with a 3-0 count.

 

Ok, how much longer is this type of foolishness going to go on?!?!?!? 

[Matthew]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

 

 

Three batters into the game, in the top of the 1st, the Rockies had the bases loaded with Jon Gray scuffling with 15 pitches on his ledger without an out to his name. At that point, you start to hope that Gray could get out of the inning in under 30 pitches with no more than a run or two on the board to allow the offense a shot at Kyle Freeland without too much of a deficit.

Instead, a shallow pop fly out to right field, a strikeout, and a lineout to center field later and Gray had wiggled out of the jam unscathed on just 29 pitches. More amazing, the final out of the inning came after starting the at-bat with a 3-0 count.

 

Ok, how much longer is this type of foolishness going to go on?!?!?!? 

I bet the fourth batter swung at the first pitch also! 

[Matthew]

10 hours ago, ghost of miles said:

Heading over to Cincinnati for Reds-Yankees this afternoon at Great American Ballpark. Forecast for game time is sunny and 70 degrees. 

Lucky you, got to see a Judge homer. I that ball park as small as I hear?

[Dan Gould]

This Red Sox fan has been sick to death of watching Nick Pivetta labor on the mound but the fact is that the rotting corpse of Cory Kluber has no business being in a major league uniform whatsoever.

I hope to GOD they wise up and he is off the roster before the end of June.

[ghost of miles]

21 hours ago, Matthew said:

Lucky you, got to see a Judge homer. I that ball park as small as I hear?

Seemed medium-sized, maybe a bit on the small-ish side, but a great park overall.  No HRs from Judge, but he did go 4-4 including the go-ahead RBI single in the 10th, followed by a Rizzo HR. Fantastic game experience all around, and afterwards my girlfriend and I took a long walk along the riverfront across the street from the stadium.

[Ken Dryden]

One of the things about collecting baseball cards when all seven series were individually published and issued during the season was noting how well Topps predicted the final roster for each team. Inevitably they would guess wrong on a few, especially for catchers, requiring them to add a note about the transaction on the back of the card. Poor old Merritt Ranew always seemed to be optioned to triple A in May, while other third string players would be released unconditionally and never spend another day on the field unless they entered coaching.

[JSngry]

Rookie Rangers reliever Grant Anderson strikes out 7 of 9 in his MLB debut tonight, including the first four he faced.

Nice! 

[ghost of miles]

12 hours ago, JSngry said:

Rookie Rangers reliever Grant Anderson strikes out 7 of 9 in his MLB debut tonight, including the first four he faced.

Nice! 

A striking start!

Speaking of striking starts, the Rangers are now exactly 1/3 of the way through the season and currently sit atop the AL West, three games in front of the Astros. What’s the outlook from Plano for the rest of 2023?