Post by Commissioner Erick on Aug 9, 2018 7:41:47 GMT -5
Seattle Mariners (46-72) @ Texas Rangers (62-54)
SEA: Eddie Gamboa (3-8, 6.12)
TEX: Sonny Gray (10-6, 5.18)
The Seattle Mariners got off to a sluggish start and it's bound them to last place in the American League West. The Texas Rangers got off to a sluggish start, but after a June 11 loss in Oakland, have gone 37-21 to surge into the Wild Card lead in the AL.
Texas' hot stretch coincided with Rougned Odor returning from a groin injury, which is unfortunate as he'll miss about a month with a broken pinky.
Clayton Piper will hope his team doesn't fall apart like they did earlier in the season without Odor when the Texas Rangers battle the Seattle Mariners.
Rougned Odor has been one of the PBA's special players. He hit 36 home runs two years ago and 39 last year, while leading the league in doubles with 43. He was first in total bases, and fourth in hits, home runs, and RBIs, while finishing as the runner up in runs scored. He's second all time in career home runs as a second baseman, and is an offensive superstar. It's not a surprise that Texas was 25-33 on June 11th with Odor missing all but three games of that stretch. Texas was a mere half game ahead of Seattle at that point, and the Rangers resurgence was strongly boosted by Odor's presence.
Texas will also hope to get more out of a staff that has struggled this year. Filled with glitz and glamour, the Rangers starters are only in the middle of the pack in ERA with no standouts. Sonny Gray is working to a 5.18 ERA that might be even higher if not for a .267 BABIP. Although he pitched well at home against Seattle early in the season, he gave up six runs on 10 hits in 6 innings in a start against them August 9th.
Texas filled out the bottom of its lineup with youth. Kyle Lewis will face his old team after being traded in the Wil Myers deal. Lewis has two home runs and two steals in 42 plate appearances, and with a .300 average, has flashed the tools that made him a tantalizing prospect. Arriving ahead of schedule, he's shoring up a revolving door of left fielders the past season in a half and should be the starter for a long time.
Yairo Munoz was a Rule V pick from Arizona who was expected to be infield depth. However, he's been asked to play more with the Odor injury and general team malaise. He's shown very little power, with an ISO under .100, but has three steals and a .270 average for what it's worth.
Seattle is playing out the string, with a lot of future finances tied up in players that won't be playing for them. As was the case last year, the pitching staff has gotten banged up. It's led to a lot of youth being thrown against the wall to see what sticks, at least at the positions where the Mariners don't have a lot invested.
While a fun story when he first arrived, Greg Diechmann hasn't hit over .200 in a month since a May that may be his best ever month. Dustin Pederson hasn't shown the magic he did as a part timer last year, and put a negative -1.0 WAR in Triple A. C.J. Hinojosa has hit reasonably well for a middle infielder, right around league average with the bat among all players, but he's badly stretched at shortstop. Scouts like Jacob Scavuzzo, but he hasn't shown anything in the big leagues yet in roughly 100 career plate appearances.
The Mariners would love to have Kyle Lewis on their team as a young beacon pointing towards the future, but they have Wil Myers making a lot of money instead. Myers is not the problem. His average is low, but he'll end up with 30 home runs and has improved most of his metrics every single season. If not for a bizarre dip in his defensive metrics that may be a fluke, he'd be having a strong season with WAR as well. However, there's been talk from Aaron Dunham and from the fans in Amazon Prime Park that there's no real pizzazz on the team when Marcus Stroman isn't pitching. Lewis, with all his upside and potential one can dream on, represents the pizzazz the team needs.
Questions for the GMs:
For Aaron Dunham, you've mentioned that your team needs a spark, something to get the fans excited for the future. Is that player on your roster or organization or do you have to find one?
You gave up real assets to get power hitting Ryan Schimpf. Why did you make the move, and with a .211 average and just 14 home runs, why hasn't it worked out?
You and Texas have a lot of players that have been on each other's rosters, something that will be more pronounced tonight with Eddie Gamboa working to Kyle Seager and Kyle Lewis. Wil Myers will man first for you with Tony Barnett out of their pen. What is it about their GM or their system that has you picking up so many of their players?
For Clayton Piper, your team has gone in a tailspin without Rougned Odor this year. How do you make sure your team performs without him this time?
Let's talk about Kyle Lewis. You've had a lot of decent left field options revolve through the past few years. Why call him up now?
For the second year in a row you signed Carlos Santana to a contract relatively late in free agency, and for the second straight year he's been excellent for you. Any thoughts on signing him to a long term deal?
SEA: Eddie Gamboa (3-8, 6.12)
TEX: Sonny Gray (10-6, 5.18)
The Seattle Mariners got off to a sluggish start and it's bound them to last place in the American League West. The Texas Rangers got off to a sluggish start, but after a June 11 loss in Oakland, have gone 37-21 to surge into the Wild Card lead in the AL.
Texas' hot stretch coincided with Rougned Odor returning from a groin injury, which is unfortunate as he'll miss about a month with a broken pinky.
Clayton Piper will hope his team doesn't fall apart like they did earlier in the season without Odor when the Texas Rangers battle the Seattle Mariners.
Rougned Odor has been one of the PBA's special players. He hit 36 home runs two years ago and 39 last year, while leading the league in doubles with 43. He was first in total bases, and fourth in hits, home runs, and RBIs, while finishing as the runner up in runs scored. He's second all time in career home runs as a second baseman, and is an offensive superstar. It's not a surprise that Texas was 25-33 on June 11th with Odor missing all but three games of that stretch. Texas was a mere half game ahead of Seattle at that point, and the Rangers resurgence was strongly boosted by Odor's presence.
Texas will also hope to get more out of a staff that has struggled this year. Filled with glitz and glamour, the Rangers starters are only in the middle of the pack in ERA with no standouts. Sonny Gray is working to a 5.18 ERA that might be even higher if not for a .267 BABIP. Although he pitched well at home against Seattle early in the season, he gave up six runs on 10 hits in 6 innings in a start against them August 9th.
Texas filled out the bottom of its lineup with youth. Kyle Lewis will face his old team after being traded in the Wil Myers deal. Lewis has two home runs and two steals in 42 plate appearances, and with a .300 average, has flashed the tools that made him a tantalizing prospect. Arriving ahead of schedule, he's shoring up a revolving door of left fielders the past season in a half and should be the starter for a long time.
Yairo Munoz was a Rule V pick from Arizona who was expected to be infield depth. However, he's been asked to play more with the Odor injury and general team malaise. He's shown very little power, with an ISO under .100, but has three steals and a .270 average for what it's worth.
Seattle is playing out the string, with a lot of future finances tied up in players that won't be playing for them. As was the case last year, the pitching staff has gotten banged up. It's led to a lot of youth being thrown against the wall to see what sticks, at least at the positions where the Mariners don't have a lot invested.
While a fun story when he first arrived, Greg Diechmann hasn't hit over .200 in a month since a May that may be his best ever month. Dustin Pederson hasn't shown the magic he did as a part timer last year, and put a negative -1.0 WAR in Triple A. C.J. Hinojosa has hit reasonably well for a middle infielder, right around league average with the bat among all players, but he's badly stretched at shortstop. Scouts like Jacob Scavuzzo, but he hasn't shown anything in the big leagues yet in roughly 100 career plate appearances.
The Mariners would love to have Kyle Lewis on their team as a young beacon pointing towards the future, but they have Wil Myers making a lot of money instead. Myers is not the problem. His average is low, but he'll end up with 30 home runs and has improved most of his metrics every single season. If not for a bizarre dip in his defensive metrics that may be a fluke, he'd be having a strong season with WAR as well. However, there's been talk from Aaron Dunham and from the fans in Amazon Prime Park that there's no real pizzazz on the team when Marcus Stroman isn't pitching. Lewis, with all his upside and potential one can dream on, represents the pizzazz the team needs.
Questions for the GMs:
For Aaron Dunham, you've mentioned that your team needs a spark, something to get the fans excited for the future. Is that player on your roster or organization or do you have to find one?
You gave up real assets to get power hitting Ryan Schimpf. Why did you make the move, and with a .211 average and just 14 home runs, why hasn't it worked out?
You and Texas have a lot of players that have been on each other's rosters, something that will be more pronounced tonight with Eddie Gamboa working to Kyle Seager and Kyle Lewis. Wil Myers will man first for you with Tony Barnett out of their pen. What is it about their GM or their system that has you picking up so many of their players?
For Clayton Piper, your team has gone in a tailspin without Rougned Odor this year. How do you make sure your team performs without him this time?
Let's talk about Kyle Lewis. You've had a lot of decent left field options revolve through the past few years. Why call him up now?
For the second year in a row you signed Carlos Santana to a contract relatively late in free agency, and for the second straight year he's been excellent for you. Any thoughts on signing him to a long term deal?
