Post by Commissioner Erick on Apr 7, 2020 22:35:14 GMT -5
Baltimore Orioles (46-52) @ Toronto Blue Jays (55-40)
BAL: Nick Vespi (7-7, 3.79)
TOR: Clarke Schmidt (2-2, 4.91)
The Toronto Blue Jays are in a tight race with the New York Yankees for AL East supremacy. With how good the league is in general, whoever wins the East will need to earn it. The Toronto Blue Jays will begin their quest to do just that when they face the best Baltimore Orioles team in years during the Game of the Week.
The Blue Jays had four players named to the All-Star team this year, the most in their history. Thomas Szapucki has continued to launch on the same trajectory he displayed last postseason, and has a 12-2 record with a 1.98 ERA. After two years in the wilderness, Jake Burger has rediscovered the power that made him a tantalizing young star in 2020, and has 27 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero has only started 59 games due to a desire to platoon him in Toronto's deep outfield. He's changed those plans by launching 21 home runs and hitting 59 RBIs. A full season from him would have been monstrous. Finally, Jahmai Jones was named an All-Star thanks to his balance. He leads the AL in Zone Rating, leads the league with eight triples, has 10 steals in 12 attempts, has 22 doubles and 12 home runs, and is hitting .272. It's a special group of a players, and a group with postseason experience with last year's American League Championship.
They'll take on an Orioles team that nobody saw coming. Terrible luck in one-run games will likely have Baltimore finishing below .500, but until recently, they had the best run-differential in the AL East. With Buster Posey traded away, only Christian Yelich and Nathan Eovaldi are over 28-years-old, and neither is expected to return to the rebuilding club next year. The team is incredibly young, with a constant churn of their 40-man roster resulting in 67 different players collecting a pay check this year. Nonetheless, the team has had results on the field.
The Orioles are third in the AL in batting average, led by top prospects like former first overall pick Madman Mike Floyd, and former Rule V pickups like Nick Dunn, Nate McMillan and Jacob Allred. Their main power hitter, Jomar Reyes, is a minor league grinder who played 332 games in Triple-A. They lead the league in steals with Mike Siani pacing the club with 18, and 11 other players chipping in with multiple thefts.
The pitching for the team has been strong, as Baltimore leads the league in strikeouts. They may even welcome back a key bullpen fixture. Tyler Johnson has missed a couple of months with a hamstring issue after rocking to a 1.46 ERA. Johnson had never had a successful season before this, but if he continues to build on his early season success, he'll be a team controlled fixture in the pen for a few more years.
Questions for the GMs:
For Vic Black, the Buster Posey trade means Sam McMillan will be your catcher going forward. What are your thoughts on him going forward?
Your club has struck out the fewest times in the American League. Did you build your team around contact?
You signed off on a deal for J.P. Crawford, who is in the prime of his career. Why did you go ahead and make that move?
For Brian Violette, you lost Yusniel Diaz for the season. How do you plan on making up for the loss of his production?
How has Eric Drouet looked to you this year?
What key player on Baltimore do you feel you have to contain to make sure you pick up a win today?
TRIVIA: Who is the only player in the PBA to hit for the Cycle more than once?
BAL: Nick Vespi (7-7, 3.79)
TOR: Clarke Schmidt (2-2, 4.91)
The Toronto Blue Jays are in a tight race with the New York Yankees for AL East supremacy. With how good the league is in general, whoever wins the East will need to earn it. The Toronto Blue Jays will begin their quest to do just that when they face the best Baltimore Orioles team in years during the Game of the Week.
The Blue Jays had four players named to the All-Star team this year, the most in their history. Thomas Szapucki has continued to launch on the same trajectory he displayed last postseason, and has a 12-2 record with a 1.98 ERA. After two years in the wilderness, Jake Burger has rediscovered the power that made him a tantalizing young star in 2020, and has 27 home runs. Vladimir Guerrero has only started 59 games due to a desire to platoon him in Toronto's deep outfield. He's changed those plans by launching 21 home runs and hitting 59 RBIs. A full season from him would have been monstrous. Finally, Jahmai Jones was named an All-Star thanks to his balance. He leads the AL in Zone Rating, leads the league with eight triples, has 10 steals in 12 attempts, has 22 doubles and 12 home runs, and is hitting .272. It's a special group of a players, and a group with postseason experience with last year's American League Championship.
They'll take on an Orioles team that nobody saw coming. Terrible luck in one-run games will likely have Baltimore finishing below .500, but until recently, they had the best run-differential in the AL East. With Buster Posey traded away, only Christian Yelich and Nathan Eovaldi are over 28-years-old, and neither is expected to return to the rebuilding club next year. The team is incredibly young, with a constant churn of their 40-man roster resulting in 67 different players collecting a pay check this year. Nonetheless, the team has had results on the field.
The Orioles are third in the AL in batting average, led by top prospects like former first overall pick Madman Mike Floyd, and former Rule V pickups like Nick Dunn, Nate McMillan and Jacob Allred. Their main power hitter, Jomar Reyes, is a minor league grinder who played 332 games in Triple-A. They lead the league in steals with Mike Siani pacing the club with 18, and 11 other players chipping in with multiple thefts.
The pitching for the team has been strong, as Baltimore leads the league in strikeouts. They may even welcome back a key bullpen fixture. Tyler Johnson has missed a couple of months with a hamstring issue after rocking to a 1.46 ERA. Johnson had never had a successful season before this, but if he continues to build on his early season success, he'll be a team controlled fixture in the pen for a few more years.
Questions for the GMs:
For Vic Black, the Buster Posey trade means Sam McMillan will be your catcher going forward. What are your thoughts on him going forward?
Your club has struck out the fewest times in the American League. Did you build your team around contact?
You signed off on a deal for J.P. Crawford, who is in the prime of his career. Why did you go ahead and make that move?
For Brian Violette, you lost Yusniel Diaz for the season. How do you plan on making up for the loss of his production?
How has Eric Drouet looked to you this year?
What key player on Baltimore do you feel you have to contain to make sure you pick up a win today?
TRIVIA: Who is the only player in the PBA to hit for the Cycle more than once?