Results tagged ‘ Aroldis Chapman ’
Fastest & Slowest Starts to the 2013 MLB Season
We’re just over a week into the 2013 MLB regular season, and I wanted to post a blog, just like last year, on the fastest and slowest starts to the season for both entire teams and individual players. While it’s a small sample size, the list gives you an idea of what’s been taking place so far this season. Some of the players and teams are performing nearly as well as expected, but others are putting on performances that I never would’ve predicted them to begin the season with.
FASTEST STARTS TO THE SEASON
Teams:
1) Braves (6-1)
2) Diamondbacks (5-2)
3) Rockies (5-2)
4) Red Sox (5-2)
5) Athletics (5-2)
6) Rangers (5-2)
7) Reds (5-2)
8) Mets (5-2)
The Braves currently lead all of baseball with a win percentage of .857. Justin Upton has been making a major impact, hitting six home runs in the first seven games, and I fully expected the Braves to have a season long performance like the one they’re currently starting out with. The Diamondbacks, Rockies, Red Sox and Mets are all surprising me, so far, as I expected them to all have poor seasons, and while it’s still very early, at the moment, they’re making things interesting. As far as the Athletics, Rangers and Reds go, it’s not a shock that they’re doing so well. Though I thought the Rangers would have a bit of a struggle this season, without Josh Hamilton, they seem to be doing just fine. It should be interesting to see if they can keep it up.
Players:
1) Adam Jones (.500)
2) Jed Lowrie (.500)
3) Carlos Santana (.500)
4) Michael Cuddyer (.478)
5) Carl Crawford (.450)
6) Jean Segura (.450)
*Minimum of 20 AB’s
Adam Jones is the only player on the list of fastest start players that I’m not surprised with. Having recorded a 32 homer, 82 RBI season, in 2012, Jones is in the prime of his career, and is set to have another fantastic season. For Jed Lowrie, Carlos Santana, Michael Cuddyer, Carl Crawford and Jean Segura, they better enjoy the hot start while it lasts, because I don’t see any of them having an all that spectacular year. But as with anything in baseball, there’s always the chance for me to be proven wrong.
SLOWEST STARTS TO THE SEASON
Teams:
1) Astros (1-6)
2) Marlins (1-6)
3) Padres (1-5)
4) Pirates (2-5)
5) Brewers (2-5)
6) Phillies (2-5)
7) Cubs (2-5)
After beating the Rangers, 8-2, on Opening Night, the Astros have done nothing but go down hill, ever since. With 155 games left to play, and just 94 losses away from 100, it’s likely the Astros’ season will end with yet another year of 100+ losses. The Marlins, Padres and Pirates are all teams that have the potential to win now, but it’s likely to be a year or two before they start to become big time contenders in their divisions. The Brewers and Phillies are the only teams that surprise me, somewhat, on this list, but they just haven’t performed well so far this year. And as for the Cubs, they’re just being themselves; destined to make it 105 seasons without a World Series title.
Players:
1) Jeff Keppinger (.048)
2) Ryan Hanigan (.050)
3) Aaron Hicks (.067)
4) Pedro Alvarez (.080)
5) Neil Walker (.083)
*Minimum of 20 AB’s
No one on this list surprises me, other than Neil Walker. Walker is arguably the best player on the list, but he hasn’t been able to find his groove so far this season. I look for him to get things going, however, and record another season like he has the past few years–10-15 homers and 65-80 RBI’s, with a high 200′s batting average. For Jeff Keppinger, Ryan Hanigan, Aaron Hicks and Pedro Alvarez, it will be interesting to see if they get their acts together, or if this is a sign of things to come for them this season, as things can certainly only go up.
Keep in mind, while those are the players and teams with the fastest and slowest starts to the season, there’s still a lot of baseball left to be played, and anything can happen. Only time will tell if the current trends will last; that’s why they play 162 games.
Chapman Prefers Closing; Myers To Begin 2013 In AAA
When it was first reported that the Cincinnati Reds had plans to convert Aroldis Chapman–known for his overpowering fastball, that’s been clocked up to 106 MPH–from closer to a starter, to begin the 2013 season, I couldn’t help but question the decision.
Chapman struggled a bit last year after pitching in multiple outings in a row, so I don’t understand what good would it really do to make him a starter. And now, with the recent comments from Chapman himself that he would prefer closing out games over starting, I question the change even more.
“In the beginning when I started closing, it was something I didn’t know,” Chapman stated in an interview. “But as I started throwing and getting into the late part of the game when the game is more exciting and has more meaning, I kind of liked it. Yeah, the adrenaline goes up and I like to be in that situation. I would like to be a closer, yeah, but there are some things that I can’t control.”
I understand that the Reds would like for Chapman to have a greater impact on the entire game, rather than just the ninth inning, but I feel they should just leave things the way everyone’s used to: With Chapman as their closer. That’s where Chapman feels the most comfortable, and where he has proven to be the most dominant–recording 38 saves off a 1.51 ERA, with 122 strikeouts in 71.2 inning pitched, last season.
To me, there’s too much uncertainty to have the move work out in the long run, especially with Chapman not fully on board.
In other news, Wil Myers was reassigned to minor league camp on Saturday, ensuring that he will begin the 2013 season with Triple-A Durham. Thus finally answering the question everyone had on their minds throughout the entire offseason, of whether or not Myers would break camp with the big league club.
Myers seems to be taking the news well, stating, “It was something I knew was going to come eventually. It wasn’t a surprise at all…I’m really looking forward to getting down there [to minor league camp] and getting some at-bats….I really enjoyed my time here, it was a blast. But now I’m ready to get down to business.”
While I somewhat disagree with the Rays’ decision, Myers beginning the year with Durham guarantees the opportunity for fans, like myself, to see the number four prospect in all of baseball in action. So I can’t really complain all that much.
UPDATE: 3/21/13
The Reds have made the decision to leave Aroldis Chapman as their closer.
Top 5 Entrances From The Bullpen
As you may have already noticed, I LOVE organization. And thus, I LOVE lists. So I thought it would be fun to write a blog entry about my five favorite current bullpen entrances in baseball. Like all of my other lists, these are in NO particular order:
MARIANO RIVERA(“Enter Sandman”)
Mariano Rivera has an entrance that classifies under the category of just a “normal” entrance. But it makes my top 5, even though there’s nothing unusual about it, because of the man’s legacy. Although it’s not shown in the save stats, Mariano Rivera IS the best closer of all time. Sure, Trevor Hoffman has more saves than Mo, but that will change this season. As Mariano Rivera currently has 567 career saves. (See my milestone tab on the right.) He needs just 35 more to have the career saves stat to back up the statement of best closer ever. Even though his pitching already shows it.
HEATH BELL
Heath’s entrance from the bullpen is the complete opposite of Mo’s. Mariano Rivera’s entrance is a normal jog in from the bullpen to the mound. But not Heath Bell. Oh no. Heath comes into the game by way of a full out SPRINT. A sprint in which he always slows to a walk by second base. It’s the top speed run in from the bullpen that enables Heath to make my top 5.
AROLDIS CHAPMAN
Aroldis, just like Mo, has a normal entrance from the bullpen. Just a steady jog from the towards the mound. And as far as a legacy, Chapman hasn’t been around long enough to have established a great one like Mo’s. The one thing that Aroldis Chapman does have that no one else in my top 5 has is a ROCKET arm. A rocket isn’t even fast enough to be used in the same sentence with his arm. It’s more like a rocket on steroids. The top speed ever recorded by a Major League pitcher is 106. A record that Aroldis Chapman holds. And it is that unhuman arm that EVERYONE wants to see in action, that enables Aroldis to make it into my top 5.
BRIAN WILSON
I’m not going to beat around the bush for this one. It’s obvious why Brian makes it into my top five. His beard. “Fear The Beard.” His beard has helped to earn Wilson a lot of fans. (As well as money.) I mean, who doesn’t like to see a guy with a “magical” beard enter in from the bullpen to close out a ballgame? I know I do. And it’s that intriguing beard that convinced me to add him to my top five list.
JONATHAN BROXTON
Jonathan made it into my top five entrances because of the inevitability he brings to the mound with him. I mean, when any of my other four picks enter into the ballgame, they only need a one run lead to secure a win. But not Broxton. Noooo……not Broxton. He needs at least a ten run lead to get the win for the Dodgers. And even then they might only win by one. He’s really struggling right now. He NEEDS to go to the minors to work things out. Don’t believe that he needs to be sent down? Then watch Dodgerfilms video on the subject. Go ahead……..watch it. Click anywhere in this sentence…….and BOOM…..you’re off. Just like that.
I’m am 100% positive that I’m going to post a top five players update this Saturday. I couldn’t do one last weekend because I had…….NO TIME. But I’ll definitely do one this time. I’m going to name it # 5, even though update # 4 wasn’t a real update. This Saturday’s update is going to be two weeks worth. So be sure to come back on Saturday to read it……….
Matt Huddleston
