MLB 2022 Regular Season Thread

[HarleyQuinn]

Kicking off the year tomorrow, except Minnesota/Seattle (which has been PPD), against The Masters but lots of excitement in the air.

So let's get the predictions out of the way.

AL MVP:
NL MVP:
AL Cy Young:
NL Cy Young:
AL ROY:
NL ROY:
World Series Winner:
Your Team MVP:

 

[HarleyQuinn]

Red Sox/Yankees also got PPD because of course it did. I don't know the incoming rookies this year well enough but Bobby Witt Jr and Spencer Torkelson are names to keep an eye on.

AL MVP: I'm gonna go with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Hit .311 last year but more importantly had 86 BB, which he can build off of.
NL MVP: Juan Soto. If he can get into that 35-40 HR range with 10+ SB, he should be a lock. Had 145 BB last year, which is bonkers.
AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole. Had a 2.92 FIP and the Yankees are more loaded this year. Has a legitimate shot at 20 Wins.
NL Cy Young: Max Scherzer. In a favorable stadium with the Mets and could have a deGrom type season with 12-14 Wins and a super low ERA.
World Series Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers. Loaded for bear throughout that lineup and they still have a pitching staff to match.
Your Team MVP: I'm going with Nathan Eovaldi to improve to around the 14-17 Win mark this year. Has quietly been the staff ace with Chris Sale missing so much time.

 

[strummer]

I think I mention this every year (maybe not the last 2) but I hate the way MLB schedules earlier in the season. All these days off.

 

[alkeiper]

MLB network has Brewers/Cubs (2pm ET) and Astros/Angels (9:30pm) tomorrow. Shohei Ohtani starts for the Angels. ESPN2 has the Reds/Braves at 8pm.

 

[alkeiper]

AL MVP: Carlos Correa, MIN. He's in the mix and if the Twins take a leap forward with him it's going to play in the narrative.
NL MVP: Juan Soto, WSN. No reason to get cute about it.
AL Cy Young: Gerrit Cole, NYY. See above.
NL Cy Young: Walker Buehler, LAD.
AL ROY: Spencer Torkelson, DET.
NL ROY: Bryson Stott, PHI.
World Series Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers
Your Team MVP: Bryce Harper

 

[alkeiper]

A couple weeks ago we noted that the Guardians largest ever contract was to Edwin Encarnacion. They shattered that with Jose Ramirez's contract extension. The Pirates just gave Ke'Bryan Hayes $70 million over eight years, their longest ever contract.

 

[alkeiper]

The D'backs/Padres game yesterday was interesting, with the Diamondbacks scoring four in the ninth to win 4-2. The Padres used Robert Suarez in the ninth in his MLB debut. Suarez walked two and hit a batter and the Padres collapsed. Suarez isn't a traditional rookie, he was the closer for Hanshin in Japan last season. And his lack of control was uncharacteristic. He only walked six unintentionally and hit no batters all season last year.

Why Suarez? The Padres traded for Taylor Rogers from the Twins, but he had thrown a bullpen on Wednesday (since the Twins were cancelled) and was unavailable.

 

[alkeiper]

Yankees have faced three four batters this season and they're down 2-0 3-0.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

Calling it now. Red Sox are going 182-0.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

I jinxed it. Sorry @HarleyQuinn

 

[alkeiper]

Red Sox season peaked early

 

[Smues]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1514077828374884352

 

[909]

Dave Roberts better not take Kershaw out. I don't want to say what Kershaw is doing other than he better not be taken out.

 

[alkeiper]

Dave Roberts better not take Kershaw out. I don't want to say what Kershaw is doing other than he better not be taken out.

Because of the perfect game?

 

[909]

Because of the perfect game?

Yea and they took him out. He only made 80 pitches.

 

[alkeiper]

I don't know what the correct decision is. It's the first start of the season and it was a shortened spring training. Pitchers are still getting hurt but I can't pretend I know better than managers and players in the thick of it. Thirteen strikeouts of 21 batters faced, an unbelievably dominant performance.

 

[Hawk 34]

I think with a vet like Kershaw you defer to them on how their body feels.

 

[Hawk 34]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1514328402924388360

I guess he’s consistent at least

 

[strummer]

Vlad Jr. with 3 homeruns v the Yankees tonight

 

[JHawk]

I'm of the opinion you keep the pitcher in as long as the no-no is in play but have the pen ready so you can pull him immediately in that scenario.

I understand why you pull Kershaw but extenuating circumstances and all

 

[Dandy]

Phill Castellini, son of #SellTheTeamBob Castellini, was insulting to the fan base of the Reds before the Reds’ “Opening Day” yesterday. He basically told fans that they shouldn’t complain, and be careful if they do because they could just move the team and become more profitable. “Well, where are you gonna go?” was one quote.

Today the Reds had an announced crowd of under 11K but photos show it looking like 7K at best. I guess you couldn’t see the people in the indoor suites and boxes, but still. One of the worst attended games of the past five years (not counting 2020 obv).

There have been fan-funded billboards telling the owner to sell; grass roots campaigns for fans to not go to the games to speak with their wallets; and many media members covering the team speaking up and out. Castellini was one of the owners against raising the team payroll limits. The Reds receive huge chunks of cash the size of their current payroll under the CBA. They franchise worth has grown nearly sixfold since Castellini and the rest of the ownership group purchased the team.

I’ve reached my breaking point dealing with them.

 

[Hawk 34]

To put that further into perspective, the team across the street, the franchise historically known as being the “cheapest” and most “out of touch with its fan base” is now a model franchise that has absolutely captured the entire city.

It was unfathomable the Reds would ever be this bad off the field as they have generally been on it during the Castellini regime, a regime that was emphatically promising championships and has yet to advance in the playoffs since that declaration.

“Where you gonna go?” is such a insane statement in and of itself but doubly so when you look around at all the other options in sports in that area having more success than we have seen the Reds manage lately.

I’ll be spending my money elsewhere this summer and not at GABP.

 

[Cackling Co Pilot Kamala]

"Where else are you gonna go?" might have worked forty years ago but it's never been easier to follow out of market teams than it is today and it'll probably only get easier. And like @Hawk 34 said, even if you don't want to betray your Southern Ohio Civic Pride, you can just follow Bengals offseason news since sports media never seems to get tired of talking about the friggin NFL regardless of the time of year.

 

[alkeiper]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1514658258132287494

 

[Dandy]

I’ll be spending my money elsewhere this summer and not at GABP.

I have made a vow to not spend a cent with the Reds no matter how much I cheer them on watching on television. Reds fan until I die, but the Castellinis will get none of my money. They won’t miss my four to seven games per year plus concessions and gift shop purchases, but if thousands of us do not spend money there, maybe it will hurt them. I also understand this will just make them not spend money next year while raking in a killing via revenue sharing. But I hope they start to panic and are somehow forced to sell. This is ridiculous.

 

[velly213]

Pulling Kershaw was fine. Play for the chip, not the career highlight. I'm fine with that. Big picture.

Aroldis Chapman is going to make me have a heart attack or a stroke.

The Yankees defense is much better than last year, so there's that. They still can't put the bat on the ball enough when it counts though.

 

[strummer]

Aaron Boone just got thrown out of a game that was already over

 

[velly213]

Yeah, an out too late and a dollar too short as usual. All you did was get a fine, bruh. Joke's on you.

 

[strummer]

Took the Yankees/Tigers nearly an hour and forty minutes to play the first two innings in Detroit tonight. Unless I missed a delay that's pretty damn insane.

 

[Hawk 34]

Update: since Phil Castellini asked “Where ya gonna go?”, the Reds haven’t won shit since and basically half the team had some sort of injury or just absolutely blow ass.