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Respect Me! The Case For Anthony Rizzo To Be The 2018 NL MVP

By
Gus
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I wrote an article yesterday where I gave five bold predictions for the 2018 Chicago Cubs. One of those predictions was that Cubs catcher, Willson Contreras, would be the team’s MVP this season (Bleacher Report has Contreras winning the NL MVP…wow). On a team that is littered with All-Stars, many people would read that and probably laugh since Contreras is only entering his second FULL season as a Cub. As much as I think Contreras is going to have a breakout year, there is no doubt in my mind who the leader of the Chicago Cubs is.

Since joining the Cubs in 2012, Anthony Rizzo has taken on the leadership role from day one and has seen every peak and valley along the way. Of course everyone will remember Rizzo for catching the final out of the 2016 World Series which solidified his place in Cubs history forever. However, people forget that Rizzo was also part of a team in 2012 that finished with 61 wins, which was the lowest total in team history in a full season since 1966.

Reunited And It Feels So Good

Rizzo’s path to Chicago has been well documented. Then Red Sox GM Theo Epstein drafted Rizzo in 2007 but then traded him to San Diego in 2010, where Jed Hoyer just happened to be the GM of the Padres. Rizzo broke into the MLB in 2011 with San Diego and at that point in Rizzo’s career, he had only 153 plate appearances and was slashing .141/.282/.241 — not exactly eye-opening numbers.

It’s no secret that Theo loves his draft picks so as soon as he took the job with the Cubs in 2011, he worked quickly to get Anthony Rizzo back despite his poor performance on the field.

Once in Chicago, Rizzo was solid in his first two years with the Cubs but some fans were still upset the team traded their “ace” of the time, Andrew Cashner, to land Rizzo. The Cubs were in full rebuild mode and Epstein and Hoyer were selling any and everyone to obtain prospects to build up their farm system. Some fans thought that Rizzo would be included in that group of players to get traded since he was starting to come into his own as a first basemen.

Thank God Theo wasn’t an idiot.

The Arrival

Rizzo burst on the scene in 2014 and hasn’t looked back since. He was voted an All-Star from 2014-2016 and has finished in the top five for NL MVP in two of the past four seasons (2015-2016). In addition to that, he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, Platinum Glove, the Heart and Hustle Award, the Roberto Clemente Award, the Fielding Bible Award, and the Marvin Miller Man of the Year Award in 2017.

I think what’s even more impressive than the personal accolades that he’s earned with the Cubs is his ability to be the Cubs most consistent player for the past four years.

Check out these numbers.

Since 2014, I’ve always believed Rizzo has a realistic shot to be the NL MVP. He’s a left-handed power hitter who is protected on both sides in the Cubs lineup and has avoided the injury bug through most of his career missing only 14 games the past three seasons.

A model of consistency.

Is This The Year?

Recently, the odds for the 2018 NL MVP were released and surprisingly (or not), Rizzo came in with 18/1 odds to win the award.

I find it absolutely crazy that Rizzo is in some way overshadowed in his own lineup by fellow superstar, Kris Bryant. Don’t get me wrong, Bryant is an unbelievable talent and deserves every accolade thrown his way but Anthony Rizzo is no slouch either. If you compare numbers from Bryant’s 2016 MVP season, Rizzo’s numbers were right there with him (and he finished fourth place).

2016 Numbers

  • Kris Bryant – 121 runs, 176 hits, 39 home runs, 102 RBIs, .292/.385/.554
  • Anthony Rizzo – 94 runs, 170 hits, 32 home runs, 109 RBIs, .292/.385/.544

Rizzo’s old school approach to the game has become loved by Cubs fans who have consistently seen him choke up on the bat with two strikes or take a ball the opposite way to try and advance a runner. In a day and age where media outlets swoon all over Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton’s 800 foot home runs, Rizzo remains true to his game of just trying to make contact for the betterment of the team.

“You don’t get style points for how far it goes.”

I think 2018 may be the year that Rizzo breaks through and finally wins the NL MVP. Mr. Consistency will undoubtedly post solid offensive numbers again in 2018 but I believe he’s primed to take it to the next level and bring home his first MVP award. 

Funny thing about that is the media are the only people who care about Rizzo and his MVP quest. Jesse Rogers of ESPN Chicago asked Rizzo at the end of last year what his thoughts were on possibly winning the MVP award and Rizzo’s answer is exactly why the city of Chicago loves this guy.

“The way this game is some guys get more attention than others,” Rizzo said. “It doesn’t bother me. If I’m more known for the charity work, that’s what this is all about, right?”

Yes that’s absolutely right, Anthony. However, every single Cubs fan would love to see you bring home the MVP award this season and finally get the respect you deserve.

 

 

 

 

Kopech Expected To Pitch Most Of His 2018 Innings In Triple-A

By
Matt Enuco
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Let’s try not to get ahead of ourselves and stem the brimming anticipation on when Michael Kopech will reach The Show. Depending on who you ask and how hawkish (see what I did there?) they are on prospect development Kopech could be up with the White Sox in mid-May or the second week in July after the risk of super-two status is washed away. But this is a more delicate process than just launching Kopech into the rotation and watching his fastball burn through the competition.

I asked Getz over a conference on Tuesday whether or not Kopech was on an innings limit this season and whether it mattered where those innings were logged.

“The majority of [his] innings, I believe will be in Charlotte,” Getz answered. “If he proves that he’s ready to take a step forward we’ll certainly have those conversations. … He’s a guy that…[has] the big fastball, very good slider…command is something that we’re focusing on, but we [have to] remember the changeup as well,” explained Getz.

Getz added that perfecting the changeup will complement Kopech’s power-fastball and be a critical accoutrement to his menu of pitches while closing with this: “The focus is more on the changeup and refining those other skills than what level he’s pitching at…”

Besides the well-documented work on his changeup and command, there is an innings question that lurks beneath his meteoric rise. The 2017 season was Kopech’s first uninterrupted professional season. He threw 134 1/3 innings, up from 78 2/3 the year before between two A-affiliates for the Boston Red Sox. Before Kopech landed in the White Sox organization he suffered a few travails that limited his innings the first few seasons.

He was suspended 50 games in 2015 for testing positive for Oxilofrine, a stimulant banned under the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, and cropped his 2016 workload after breaking his hand in a locker room fracas with a teammate.

That’s all water under the bridge now and Kopech has stayed on the straight and narrow so far. But the question of innings load is something teams pay very close attention to. In a 2017 article for SI.com, Tom Verducci explains his theory on increasing innings too much too fast:

“The Year-After Effect is based on common-sense training methodology: Pitchers risk injury or regression if they increase their stress level or workload too much too fast. I began my study by identifying 25-and-under major league pitchers who packed on 30 or more additional innings from their previous high; I recently amended the warning threshold to be a 30% increase. Over the previous three years, of the 20 pitchers I identified as at risk, 15 were hurt and/or pitched fewer innings in their Year After, including such promising pitchers as Jesse Hahn, Lance McCullers, James Paxton and Michel Wacha.”

Verducci explains that bodies that can handle the stress of throwing gobs of innings at an elite intensity like Noah Syndergaard might be the exception to the rule…and then Syndergaard tore his lat in 2017. And if you read far enough down in the article Reynaldo Lopez appears at the top of the list for pitchers with high-percentage increases in innings pitched. Although the White Sox didn’t broadcast an innings cap on Lopez, he only threw 13 1/3 innings more than in 2016. 

Kopech is a strong analog to Syndergaard and the White Sox coveted pitching prospect raised his innings-total by 42 percent in 2017. If White Sox brass stick to Verducci’s 30-percent rule, Kopech could post an additional 39 innings. Yet, that seems awfully high, leapfrogging ahead of where Lopez was last season. Getz mentioned that Kopech hit the 130-innings target and it stands to reason that the White Sox would like to see him stay at or below 160 in 2018, safely under a strenuous increase in workload.

Getz stopped short of putting an innings limit on Kopech for 2018, but one could sense the caution in his voice when discussing his development this season. What is disappointing for Sox fans is that given Getz’ statement on where Kopech’s innings are best served and major-league service-time rules, it seems Kopech will be a late-season call-up on a very strict innings quota.

Packers GM Explains How He Tried To Screw Bears Out of Kyle Fuller

By
Erik Lambert
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kyle fuller

Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst is not Ted Thompson. He’s made that abundantly clear in his first off-season. One huge difference is his lack of subtlety when it comes to taking shots at certain players or coaches the Chicago Bears have their eye on. He tried to swipe defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for the Packers defensive coordinator position. He almost signed Allen Robinson away in free agency. Last but not least, he made an aggressive offer to cornerback Kyle Fuller.

That last one was by far the most obvious attempt by Green Bay to weaken Chicago. Fuller was one of their best defenders in 2017. He finished as one of their leading tacklers, intercepted two passes and defended 22 others. It was a breakout season for the former first round pick. This after missing all of 2016 with a knee injury.

GM Ryan Pace knew he couldn’t let a player of that caliber walk for nothing. At the same time, he didn’t want to complicate matters by using the franchise tag. So he took a calculated risk by placing the transition tag on Fuller instead. This opened the door for Gutekunst to make a move, and he did everything in his power to make it happen.

Packers GM admits they structured Fuller deal to stop Bears from matching

The key in this sort of situation depends both on the amount of money offered and the structure of the contract. Football business gurus might call such a deal a “poison pill.” In essence, they actively try to find a way to make the other team unwilling to match the offer. Gutekunst explained how the Packers went about doing that to the Bears.

It’s really not a surprise the Packers tried this. Their own cornerback situation has gotten worse over the past couple seasons. Green Bay ranked a distant 23rd against the pass in 2017. They just traded their best performer in Damarious Randall to Cleveland. He had four interceptions last season. It’s hard to figure out what this team is trying to accomplish at that position but then again they’ve mismanaged that defense for some time now.

Fuller would’ve instantly become the best cornerback on that roster by a comfortable margin. So one can’t blame Green Bay for making an effort to get him, but they should’ve tried harder than that. This means they likely have to take a corner high in the draft for the second-straight year. Not exactly ideal for a team that knows their Super Bowl window is closing.

Sneak Peak Of Guaranteed Rate Field Reveals New Grub, Booze & ‘Ring Of Honor’

By
Matt Eastman
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CHICAGO  —  With opening day a little over a weak away, Guaranteed Rate Field was buzzing with people today, as many of the new amenities the park plans to role out this season were receiving their finishing touches. Fellow media members received a sneak peak of the improvements headed your way in 2018 or as most call it, “Food Day“.

The tour began in the completely renovated visitor’s locker room. This is the first time since 1991 that there’s been a complete overhaul of the visitor’s digs. Individual lockers come equipt with charging stations, so every athlete can make sure their Twitter followers never go without a pre- or post-game tweet. Like most things inside this ballpark now, it was clean, stylish and tech-savvy.

The next stop, Guaranteed Rate Club, which has received some minor updates to the decor but let’s not kid ourselves and pretend I wasn’t there for the grub.  The brand new menu items were front and center as you entered the club and after hearing Chef Troy Tornabeni provide some background as to how these items came to life, it was time to stuff my face. The grub didn’t disappoint, so let’s go over what the new items are and where you will be able to find them in the park.

New To The Club Level

Buffalo Chicken Empanada – These are large and in charge, stuffed with pulled chicken and served with spicy Buffalo sauce, four-cheese mix, and queso for dipping purposes. Rock solid item.

Hot Chicken Sliders – Nashville Hot Chicken served a brioche with slaw and pickles.

Knuckle Balls – One of my favorite items today were these provolone-stuffed dough balls of heaven.  Served with parmesan, garlic butter, and house-made Pizzaiolo sauce, these things were on point. They will be served in batches of six or seven.

Meatball Sub – Housemade pork and beef meatballs served with marinara, sweet peppers, and provolone…pretty standard.

Pozole Salad Bowl – Yeah, so didn’t get around to trying the salad.

South Side Horseshoe – This was the dish of the day for me. A locally made Italian sausage patty served open faced on thick-cut garlic Texas toast with Giardiniera, hand-cut fries, and Modelo cheddar sauce — this was a home run. According to the chef, it’s a playful take on the unofficial dish of the state’s capital, Springfield.

New To The 100 & 500-Levels

Churro Ice Cream Sandwich (Section 157) – Exactly what it sounds like, your choice of ice cream on top of a warm churro bun.

Cuban Burger (Sections 113 & 528) – This was tasty and something I’ll more than likely purchase when I go to a game. A juicy all-beef burger topped with sliced ham, pork carnitas, sliced pickles, Swiss cheese, yellow mustard and mojo sauce.

Johnsonville Specialty Sausages (Sections 126 & 535):

-The Slurve – Cheddar beer brat with caramelized onions and spicy mustard.

-The Change Up – Chipotle Monterrey jack chicken sausage with zesty salsa fresca.

-The Cutter – Southwestern chorizo served with guac and cotija cheese.

Craft Kave Express

According to members of the staff, the overwhelming success of the Craft Kave in 2017 has led to an expansion of this idea, as fans will be able to browse nearly 50 different craft beer selections at this newly renovated location near Section 542.

The last stop of the tour was the Chicago Sports Depot, located near Gate 5, which was packed to the gills with sports gear for not only the hometown White Sox, but the Blackhawks, Bulls, and Bears as well. It featured some very cool artwork and the all-new virtual reality batting cage.

Developed by MLB and offered at only a handful of ballparks, the cage places the fan in a home run derby simulation like they’ve never seen before.  Fans who score the most points on select nights will receive prizes and will be made available to fans when the gates open during home games.

Didn’t Make The Cut

A breaded steak sandwich, called the “Sox-o-bene” in honor of the popular and messy Ricobene’s sandwich served near the ballpark, wasn’t on display.  Also, the Revolution Brewing-branded bar down the left field line (near Section 157) was off limits because it’s under construction, but will be ready for Opening Day.  Keep your eye out for it, it’s tabbed the Revolution Brewing #SoxSocial Tap Room and will feature #SoxSelfie spots, a kiosk for fans to redeem MLB Ballpark app check-in offers and various other social media-driven activities.

Changes To The Ballpark

One of the first things to catch your eye when locating your seats will be the new home for the retired numbers. The numbers have been removed from the outfield wall and have been placed in somewhat ring of honor type display just above the club level. It looks sexy if you’re asking me…

The safety of the fans wasn’t forgotten, as the protective netting has been extended from the backstop to the outfield end of both dugouts.  The state-of-the-art netting extends across 21 sections (Sections 122-142) and matches the existing backstop’s 30-foot height. No more 38-oz cedar sticks to the dome, hopefully.

All in all, whether you still it Comiskey Park, this ballpark is absolutely beautiful now. The changes over the years have made a drastic improvement and it’s always a fun time. Cheers.

Ryan Pace Loves Deception But He Always Drafts For Need Early

By
Erik Lambert
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chicago bears draft

Chicago Bears GM Ryan Pace is a master of football espionage. Nobody embraces the idea of fooling both his opponents and the media into what he might be doing, be it during free agency or the draft. He believes in the gamesmanship that his job entitles and that he must do everything in his power to find an edge within the bounds of the rules.

There’s nothing wrong with that. However, at the end of the day Pace is a human being driven by necessities. He can hide his intentions all he wants, but he can’t conceal his roster. Everybody knows its composition and where the strengths and weakness lay. It’s why for the past three years, had people bothered to use a sensible line of thinking, they wouldn’t have been surprised by a single one of the Bears’ first round picks.

That same process may also reveal the likely move they go with next month.

2015:  Kevin White

Pace basically telegraphed this move with one of his first big decisions as Bears GM. That came when he decided to trade veteran wide receiver Brandon Marshall to the New York Jets. People weren’t surprised per se about the move. Marshall had again found a way to be a distraction in another locker room. While removing him was good for the culture, it opened up a giant hole at receiver.

Unsurprisingly Pace went right after it in the draft, selecting Kevin White out of West Virginia #7 overall. It seemed like a great move at the time. White not only stood 6’3″ but ran a blistering 4.35 in the 40-yard dash. He looked like the total package. Injuries though derailed his career, forcing the Bears to look elsewhere for their solutions.

2016:  Leonard Floyd

The Bears had 35 sacks in 2015, ranking them 18th in the NFL. A lingering problem for their edge rush position was a lack of speed. Pernell McPhee, Lamarr Houston and Willie Young all boasted similar traits. Not only that but two of them were already reaching the 30-year old mark and McPhee began a long battle with injuries to his lower body.

It wasn’t hard to predict that they’d target a young pass rusher in the first round that year. Leonard Floyd represented everything they wanted. He was young, athletic and fast. The complete opposite of what those other three offered. People were already predicting he would be the target before the draft even began.

2017:  Mitch Trubisky

Experts convinced themselves that the Bears were actually telling the truth when they said Mike Glennon would be the guy in 2017. Had they looked seriously at his contract structure and the fact he’s MIKE GLENNON, they’d have known Pace was almost certain to go after a quarterback with his first pick. Sure the trade up was a surprise, but the position choice shouldn’t have been. Mitch Trubisky was always the target and had been for a long time.

So let’s think about this logically for a moment. Free agency removed any final idea that wide receiver might be in play at #8. The three positions that stand out most that went largely untouched were edge rusher, linebacker, and offensive line. Knowing Pace as most of us do by now, he tends to target players with significant athletic upside who performed well at the scouting combine. Putting all this data together, it’s fair to see these are the most realistic names to watch come April 26th.

  • Quenton Nelson
  • Roquan Smith
  • Harold Landry
  • Tremaine Edmunds
  • Leighton Vander Esch

All those names check both boxes. There is always a risk of a wild card situation but given what history has shown with this regime, it’s a safe bet one of those young men will be a Chicago Bear.

Season Hasn’t Even Started Yet And It Already “Sucks” For A Couple Of Brewers

By
Gus
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Injured Milwaukee Brewers Ryan Braun watches his team take on the St. Louis Cardinals from the bench at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on April 28, 2014. UPI/Bill Greenblatt

I think sometimes Cubs fans are a bit spoiled at the fact that Theo Epstein is in charge of the team’s front office. Since taking the reigns of the Cubs in 2011, fans have watched Theo work his magic to trade, sign, and steal away the best players in baseball to fit the Cubs system.

I’ll forever be appreciative to Theo for being a f*cking genius and my appreciation for him grows even more when I look at other team’s front offices and laugh at the shit that goes on.

Case in point — the Milwaukee Brewers.

I’ll give credit where credit is due with their offseason acquisitions of Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yellich. Those are two great pieces to add to a team who already has a very solid offensive lineup but the problem isn’t with their offense…it’s with their pitching.

With the season only a day away, it appears the team is content with their rotation of Chase Anderson, Zach Davies, Brent Suter, Jhoulys Chacin, and Jimmy Nelson. While this rotation wouldn’t scare a little league team, I find it most comical that the team is loaded with talent that the team tried to package in a trade for a front end starter and couldn’t find any takers.

A team having “too much talent” sounds like a good thing but what it really means is that big league players who should be playing will be either sent to AAA or riding some pine. A few Brewers players sounded off on their thoughts regarding the front office’s lack of getting the Brewers some goddamned pitching.

Top outfield prospect Brent Phillips, who would more than likely be part of a package for a front end starter, admitted they were waiting on the team to pull the trigger.

“Everybody kept saying we were going to get a starting pitcher for the last two months.’’

Third basemen Travis Shaw put it a little more bluntly when it came to the team having 159 position players and barely enough pitching.

“Depth is a nice problem to have, but I’m sure it sucks individually for a couple of guys.’’

It also has to suck playing everyday at Miller Park a.k.a. Wrigley North but I’ll leave that to argue another time. Look, Shaw is right: depth is a good problem to have. However, if the Brewers want to contend for the NL Central consistently, they’re going to have to package up some prospects to try to land a top-tier pitcher at some point this season.

I hate to use the Cubs as the standard but look at what they’ve traded away the past couple of years to get pitching (Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease, Gleyber Torres, Billy McKinney, Dan Vogelbach, Jeimer Candelario). I understand the importance of a great farm system but at some point, the talent down there has to be used to help the big league club compete immediately.

Now how do you convince a top-tier pitcher to move his family to Milwaukee is a different question that I unfortunately don’t have the answer to.

Maybe the ‘Crew should take a page out of Theo’s philosophy of minor league talent.

“I kind of laugh when people start to criticize the state of the farm system because the entire goal of a farm system is not to win Midwest League championships or Southern League championships or PCL championships. The goal of the farm system is to get your players to the big league level so that they can win a world championship and 1a) take some of your prospects and trade them for big league players so you can win championships. That’s exactly what’s happened in this organization.”

And that my friends, is the difference between a first-class organization and an organization who can’t lure any starting pitching to their city.

2018 American League Preview And Predictions

By
Emmet McClain
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On Opening Day Eve Eve, everyone is throwing out their predictions for World Series matchups, MVP’s, Cy Young’s, and so on. I figured I’d get in on the fun. Here is my in depth A.L. preview/predictions for 2018.

Division Winners

A.L. East- New York Yankees

A.L. Central- Cleveland Indians

A.L. West- Houston Astros

Wild Card 1- Boston Red Sox

Wild Card 2- Los Angeles Angels

The Yankees took one of, if not the most powerful lineups in the league and decided to go out and add the reigning N.L. MVP in Giancarlo Stanton. Luis Severino, Masahiro Tanaka, and Sonny Gray form a good if not great top 3, but the talk of this team will be all about the lineup. Expect them to easily lead the league in home runs and runs scored.

Cleveland got some scrutiny from fans and analysts for not really adding much this off-season. But it doesn’t matter. In an overall weak division, Cleveland should once again cruise to another division title lead by Cy Young winner Corey Kluber and one of the most exciting players in the game in Francisco Lindor. But with the White Sox and Twins on the rise and the Indians not getting and younger, their window for a World Series Championship is starting to shrink.

Not much to say about the Houston Astros here. The reigning World Series Champs return in 2018 with incredible odds to repeat in October. They have, in my opinion, the best rotation in baseball, and potentially the best lineup as well. If these guys stay healthy, they should cruise to another division crown.

The Boston Red Sox have an incredible baseball team. They could go out and win the East, but the Yankees just seem to have too much firepower to overcome over 162 games. Chris Sale will lead the rotation and if David Price can be the guy the Bo Sox envisioned him being, the rotation will boast a 1-2 punch better than the one in the Bronx. J.D Martinez will provide the power that was seriously lacking last year, and a full season of third baseman Rafael Devers should help the offense raise its numbers as well.

The Angels just barely missed the Wild Card last season, and that was with Mike Trout missing roughly half the year. If he can stay healthy, then the Angels should theoretically be a good bet to make the postseason in 2018. Then there’s Shohei Ohtani, the Japanese rookie sensation. If he can be as good as advertised, then both the Angels rotation and lineup will receive a massive boost.

Rookie Of The Year- Michael Kopech

I often get repetitive when talking about Michael Kopech so apologies in advance. I think Kopech is ready for the MLB right now. In fact, he is probably better than 4/5 of the current White Sox rotation at this very moment. So why keep him in the minors?

Control.

No not him controlling the strike zone, although he could fine tune that as well. No, I am talking about team control. Similar to what the Cubs did with Kris Bryant in 2015, the White Sox probably are keeping Kopech in Triple-A until they gain that extra year of team control. Now, he could and probably will use his time in the minors to work on his changeup, a plan he followed all of Spring Training. I expect him to come up no later than mid-June, especially if he dominates minor league batters like he did last season. If he comes up around that time, he should get enough starts to qualify for ROY honors. His stuff is good enough to where he could not only hold his own against MLB lineups, but shut them down completely, especially if he can throw his changeup more often and in fastball counts. Add in his makeup and literal obsession to be great, and the formula is there for him to bring home the award in 2018.

MVP- Mike Trout

Not a very bold prediction on my end here, but how can anyone bet against the MLB’s best player? If he stays healthy, he is always a threat to bat .330 with 30+ home runs, 30+ steals, and 30+ doubles. If he retired today I firmly believe he would be a first ballot Hall of Famer. He’s that good. Jose Altuve is incredible, and Giancarlo Stanton could go and hit 50 home runs. Hell, maybe even 60. But at the end of the day, I’m still rolling with the face of the league in Mike Trout.

Cy Young- Corey Kluber

Even as a White Sox fan, I have no shame in saying that Corey Kluber is incredible to watch. He already has 2 Cy Young awards to his name, and after a longer off-season he should be locked and loaded for 2018. Chris Sale actually has the best odds online, but he seems to fizz out towards the end of the year, which could hurt his chances. Kluber should get a ton of help from his lineup, making him a safe bet to win 20+ games. Until someone proves otherwise, Kluber is the best pitcher in the American League.

Playoff Matchups

Wild Card- Boston over Los Angeles

Division Series- Houston over Boston, New York over Cleveland

Championship Series- Houston over New York

A.L. Champion- Houston Astros

I said it in the beginning and I’ll say it again: Houston’s chances of repeating in 2018 are incredibly high. In the playoffs, you are only as good as your starting rotation. Justin Verlander, Dallas Keuchel, Gerrit Cole, Lance McCullers, and Charlie Morton form arguably the best rotation in baseball. Pair that with their explosive lineup, and it’s hard not to pick them to come out of the A.L. for the second straight year.

 

 

5 BOLD Predictions For The 2018 Chicago Cubs

By
Gus
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With the 2018 season only one day away, I thought it would be a good time to release my annual “predictions” article for the Chicago Cubs. This year will be the third installment of my prediction series and I feel like it’s an important year for me because I’m currently batting .500 with my predictions going into 2018.

I hit it on the head in 2016 (Called the World Series win, Lester leading the team in wins, Addison Russell All-Star bid) but completely swung and missed in 2017 (The Cubs definitely did NOT get eight players voted into the All-Star game, Ian Happ didn’t get traded, and the team did not repeat as World Series champions).

I’ll admit, winning the World Series led me to be a TAD bit overconfident in my predictions last season but now that the Cubs have been knocked back to reality, I feel like I have a better sense of clarity going into 2018.

As always, I have to put the disclaimer out that what you are about to read is simply my opinions. I don’t have the time (nor the desire) to wade through hours of statistics to back up every single one of the following predictions but what I do have, however, is pretty good intuition.

Without further ado, here are my five predictions for the 2018 Chicago Cubs.

________________________________________________________________________

5. Ian Happ Breaks Out

Baseball: MLB Season Preview: Portrait of Chicago Cubs Ian Happ (86) posing during spring training photo shoot at Sloan Park.
Mesa, AZ 3/10/2017
CREDIT: Robert Beck (Photo by Robert Beck /Sports Illustrated/Getty Images)
(Set Number: SI755 TK1 )

Happ has been the surprise story coming out of Spring Training in 2018. The second-year player has solidified himself as the team’s leadoff hitter this season and seemingly nobody saw it coming. Happ tore up Spring Training pitching and slashed .333/.418/.875 which forced Cubs manager Joe Maddon to give Happ his shot at leading off for what could be a very dangerous Cubs lineup.

Plugging Happ into the lead off spot has a very different feel than when the team thought it’d be a good idea to put Kyle Schwarber as their leadoff hitter in 2017. Happ has proven himself to be the best option at leadoff and has made it known that he wants a shot to be the everyday player he was drafted to be. He has a high OBP with some thunder in his bat but he also understands the importance of leading off.

They (Leadoff hitters) understand that if they’re going to have a good day and help the team, they’ve got to get on base twice

If Happ can get on base at that rate, expect the hitters behind him to have a field day with opposing pitchers. With more consistent playing time and more at-bats, I see Happ flourishing in the one-hole this season. He understands his role and knows what he has to do to set the table for the hitters behind him. On a team already loaded with stars, I believe we will see the emergence of the next big thing in the Cubs lineup.

4. Kyle Hendricks Will Throw His First No-Hitter

I predicted last year that Kyle Hendricks would win the NL Cy Young and although it didn’t happen, Hendricks still had a very productive year. He posted a 3.03 ERA and a 1.19 WHIP while battling through a hand injury during the first part of the season. He’s been damn near untouchable in Spring Training this season and I don’t see any reason why that dominance will not carry over in the regular season. Hendricks flirted a few times with a no-no in 2016 and had flashes of dominance last season which leads me to believe 2018 will be the year he will throw his first no-hitter.

Based off his splits, I’ll go a step further and say his first no-hitter will be thrown on the road during a night game.

3. Willson Contreras Will Be The Team’s MVP

PHOTO: BP WRIGLEYVILLE

In a lineup that boasts multiple players that can hit 20+ home runs (see below), I really believe this is the year Willson Contreras will post MVP-like numbers. Contreras has enjoyed hitting in the clean up spot behind Anthony Rizzo and Kris Bryant which has undoubtedly resulted in him seeing better pitches. In only his second full MLB season, he’s already arguably one of the most important players on the team due to his ability to tame the opposing team’s running game and his ability to handle a loaded pitching staff.

Contreras showed MVP type flashes last season before a hamstring injury sidelined him for a month last August. Tony Andracki of NBC Sports Chicago notes,

“Over the course of nearly two months, Contreras posted a .313/.381/.669 slash line (1.050 OPS) with 16 homers, 10 doubles, 45 RBI and 26 runs in a 45-game stretch from June 16 through Aug. 9. 

Per 162 games, those numbers would look like this: 58 HR, 36 2B, 162 RBI and 94 R.”

I’m definitely not saying Willy will post the numbers listed above but Andracki has an excellent point. Had he not gotten injured last season, it would have been interesting to see how different Contreras’ numbers would have been if he didn’t miss a month of action.

The young catcher already has the confidence to become to best catcher in the National League and this may be the year his numbers will back it up.

2. The Cubs Will Set The NL Record For Most Players With 20+ Home Runs

Last season, the Cubs tied the NL record for most players with at least 20 home runs (Bryant, Rizzo, Schwarber, Happ, Baez, and Contreras). The impressive thing about last season was the fact that three of the six weren’t even considered every day players (Happ, Baez, Schwarber). Those same three have been penciled into the 2018 lineup and have positions that are theirs to lose. Baez has become the full time second baseman, Happ has turned into the team’s lead off hitter and center fielder, and Kyle Schwarber appears the be the team’s left fielder. With these three getting more playing time and more at-bats, they should be able to hit the 20 home run mark with ease.

So who will be the seventh player to hit 20 in 2018? My guess is Addison Russell. Last year, Russell was dealing with personal issues that clearly impacted his play on the field. Now with those issues behind him, Russell should be poised to return to his 2016 form that saw him belt 21 home runs that season.

For what it’s worth, I also wouldn’t be surprised to see the Cubs tie the record for most players to hit at least 30 home runs (which is 4). Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber, and Happ would be my picks.

1. The Cubs Will Win The 2018 World Series

Call me a homer if you want to but I truly believe the Cubs will win their second World Series championship in a three-year window. Almost every player that spoke about last season referenced that the team was feeling worn down after winning it all in 2016 and it was tough to get up for games early in the season. Even after a “down year” of getting eliminated in the NLCS, the Cubs appear to be hungry again to get back to the World Series. Theo and company went out and landed Yu Darvish this off season as well as shoring up their bullpen to support one of the best offensive lineups in Cubs history.

Players have raved about the vibe and attitude in camp this season and the core group of players has pretty much stayed in tact. Health will always be a key for any team to have success so if the Cubs can stay relatively healthy this season, I have them beating the Yankees in the 2018 World Series.

Who knows, maybe the Cubs will turn into a different version of the San Francisco Giants and only win the World Series in even numbered years. That of course would set up a 2020 World Series showdown with the Chicago White Sox but I supposed we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

Matt Nagy Just Announced His Personal Side Quest For 2018

By
Erik Lambert
-
kevin white

Matt Nagy is no fool. When he was hired to become head coach of the Chicago Bears, his primary job was simple. That’s to turn quarterback Mitch Trubisky into the best player he can be. Nagy brings with him plenty of experience as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. He was mentored by Andy Reid, one of the best QB developers in the NFL. The Bears made their choice well.

That said, Nagy knows he’s not the head coach of Trubisky. He’s the head coach of the Bears. It’s his job to elevate the entire team to play better. This would include certain names on the roster who might’ve underachieved up to this point. There are a few names that come to mind, but none more so than the first draft pick GM Ryan Pace ever made.

The arrivals of Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel have made the presence of former first round pick Kevin White a complete afterthought to most Bears fans. They see him either getting cut or maybe even traded at some point soon. Nagy though doesn’t seem to buy that line of thinking at all.

Matt Nagy determined to help Kevin White regain his career

If anybody knows about the struggle of making it as a player, it’s Nagy. He had to fight for his football career after leaving college for years, grinding out a living in the Arena League. Then he had to climb the ladder slowly as an assistant coach, almost missing his NFL shot entirely. So he has at least some empathy for White and what he’s going through.

That might explain why he sounded so determined to help the young receiver rebound after three frustrating years of disappointment.

“I know that this is a kid, just from the outside, this is a kid that had a lot of expectations put on him by being a first-round draft pick,” Nagy said Tuesday morning at the owners meeting. “To anybody out there and to himself, has he lived up to what the first-round draft pick is supposed (to be)? No, he hasn’t. But that’s OK though. He’s young.

For me, I really, truly mean this when I say it: I am really excited to dig deep into him and put him in the best situation possible for Kevin White to succeed. Here is a guy we have on our roster that to a lot of people can get lost in the shuffle or just pushed to the side. That’s not going to happen. We’re going to give him every opportunity to succeed.”

White has been beset by constant injury problems. His rookie year never got started due to a fractured leg. His second season began well but he ended up fracturing the other leg after barely a month. This past year he made it to opening day only to have a hard hit lead to a broken scapula. The luck for him has been extraordinarily poor.

Then again he didn’t get much help from the coaching staff. White had two different offensive coordinators and three different wide receiver coaches during his first three years in the league. It’s hard to get going in the pros with that kind of turnover. Nagy is determined to see what he can do in a stable system where he no longer has to be “the guy.” It certainly would be a nice comeback story.

The Trade Price For Odell Beckham Jr. Has Been Revealed

By
Chris Burhans
-

ALERT: Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) is ‘unofficially’ on the trade block after Giants owner, John Mara, indicated that he’s “not untouchable” following their 3-13 season. ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently indicated that he “would not be surprised if we see an Odell Beckham trade on or before the draft.” Schefter revealed this on ESPN radio this morning, he also added his opinion on what the price would be.

“One GM told me he thinks the price will be close to a 2nd and a 4th, very similar to the Marcus Peters deal” Schefter said. He went on to say that he thinks Beckham will command at least a first, with a possible future third thrown in.

So, there it is Bears fans …. how good do you think OBJ is? More importantly, would you be willing to give up two draft picks to bring him to Chicago and pay him the ridiculous contract he has coming? Don’t answer just yet.

Huge Contract Coming

Owed roughly $8.5 million for 2018, Beckham Jr. has already said that he’s not stepping foot on the field until he has a new deal in place, with New York or whoever.

This adds a layer of complexity to the trade price. After sacrificing 2-3 high draft picks, the team trading for Beckham Jr. will also have to make him the highest paid non-QB in football. That’s something to stop and think about.

Currently, the highest paid non-QB in football is Von Miller at $19 million a year. This puts Beckham Jr. in the $20 million a year range. #Yikes

Headcase?

At this point, Beckham Jr. will command at least two high round draft picks and roughly a $19-$20 million per year contract…. and that’s not all. He will also require a decent amount of attention from any owner/GM that makes the decision to bring him on. In just the last few years Beckham Jr. has had his fair share of “incidents”:

Kicker’s Net

He smashed a kicker’s net with his helmet after dropping a few passes and then the net hit him back.

This sparked a series of memes, and gifs, that went viral on the Internet. It’s obvious he needs to learn to control his temper.

Rolling Blunts

A video recently surfaced that allegedly shows Beckham Jr. in a bed rolling a blunt with a woman doing cocaine and a pepperoni pizza. This came out shortly after Beckham Jr. ranted about becoming the highest paid player in football, not a good look.

Surrounding himself with drugs, in addition to an anger problem, is bad news.

The Beat of His Own Drum

The final thing teams will be getting if they trade for OBJ will be his child-like need for attention. His actions over the last few months have demonstrated that he will go after what he wants, and his team comes afterward. A clear example is threatening to hold out, or look for a trade, to simply become the highest paid non-QB.

To be clear, there’s nothing wrong with holding out to get your bread. However, when you are willing to instantly sacrifice your team and leave the city that made you, just for a paycheck, there’s a lot to be said.

Sure, he’s likely jealous because draft mates Sammy Watkins and Mike Evans are enjoying huge contracts, but his time will come. His public actions have simply displayed he’s not a team player and appears quite selfish… that will hurt his trade value.

Stats

  • 2017: 4 games, 25 receptions, 302 receiving yards, 3 TDs
  • 2016: 16 games, 101 receptions, 1,367 receiving yards, 10 TDs
  • 2015: 15 games, 96 receptions, 1,450 receiving yards, 13 TDs
  • 2014: 12 games, 91 receptions, 1,305 receiving yards, 12 TDs

and this…

Image result for odell beckham catch gif

Some call OBJ a “generational talent,” others are looking at his four year regression and wondering if we’ve already seen his peak. Likely similar questions NFL GMs are asking themselves right now.

UPDATE (3-28-18)

Circling Back

Now that you know the trade price, upcoming contract price and a few factors that elevate the risk with chasing OBJ – do you still think it’s worth it?

[poll id=”66″]

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