April Game Thread

[lou]

Well .222 winning %, looks like I might have been a year off on my prediction. Another shutout last night, as the Marlins lead MLB in that category, also have the lowest attendance, 2nd lowest RBI total, 4th lowest in BB's, 5th highest K's, 21st in SB, 26th in OBS, 27th in slugging %.

I know we have to be bad, but THIS bad ? And not really much help in the minors, as none of them look like there is much hitting help down there.

Baby Cakes in last place, 5-6 record
Jumbo Shrimp in 4th place, 5-7 record
Jupiter Hammerheads in 5th place, 6-6 record
Clinton in 5th place, 5-6 record

Not one single minor league team with a winning record....no players truly dominating.

7 minor league affiliates including the 2 rookie league teams, meanwhile most MLB teams have at least 9 if not 10. Being CHEAP again ? So giving yourself less people to work with, and less chances to develop. Isn't this when you would want THE MOST ?????

Sustainability guys listen to Jeter's words, not winning but sustainability.....looking for the national contracts to keep on delivering and I am guessing a HUGE luxury tax check every year.

Until I looked I purchased the MiLB.TV package and looked at the sparcity of the affiliates compared to other franchises I didn't realize it was this bad.....

Oh and this.......Yelich chasing Gehrig record......

https://www.mlb.com/news/yelich-chas...hr-vs-opponent

The Yelich trade was awful from day 1, but the main on the field decisions besides that haven't been incorrect. It's unfair to criticize them basically 1 year into a rebuild. The minor league records (ignoring sample size) are also irrelevant. The Astros won 56-55-51 games a season 2011-2013. The Pirates highest win total between 1993-2012 was 79. This was always going to take 3 years (2021) in a best case scenario, and more reasonably at least four. They just need to keep acquiring talent and show real investment into the team and community. I understand the later of that is debatable, but there is no sense to spend money to increase your wins from 64 to 68.

I don't know what you were expecting, but they don't have fairy dust to fix years of talent acquisition problems with Loria, trading guys like Paddack for Rodney, and getting Jose to go home. Yelich was a mistake and they should be criticized heavily for that, but it's just a bit much besides that right now.

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Blake Swihart is garbage. Isn’t even good defensively.

They need to take swings at former top prospects and hope to eventually land a Muncy. No stone unturned. He costs nothing.

[emkayseven]

Not when he plays the same position as our other best offensive prospect. The thing is that Swihart has never been good, not even in the minors. In 2017 he hit .190/.246/.292 in AAA. In 2016 he hit .243/.344/.311 there. He hit well at AA in 2014 and he hasn't hit anywhere since. And this isn't youth we're talking about, it's a guy who's already 27. He had those AAA lines at ages 24 and 25.

[Maddawg]

The Yelich trade was awful from day 1, but the main on the field decisions besides that haven't been incorrect. It's unfair to criticize them basically 1 year into a rebuild. The minor league records (ignoring sample size) are also irrelevant. The Astros won 56-55-51 games a season 2011-2013. The Pirates highest win total between 1993-2012 was 79. This was always going to take 3 years (2021) in a best case scenario, and more reasonably at least four. They just need to keep acquiring talent and show real investment into the team and community. I understand the later of that is debatable, but there is no sense to spend money to increase your wins from 64 to 68.

I don't know what you were expecting, but they don't have fairy dust to fix years of talent acquisition problems with Loria, trading guys like Paddack for Rodney, and getting Jose to go home. Yelich was a mistake and they should be criticized heavily for that, but it's just a bit much besides that right now.

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They need to take swings at former top prospects and hope to eventually land a Muncy. No stone unturned. He costs nothing.

I think you're mis-inerpretting me, I'm not expecting a winning team this year at the major league level.....we all understand that is at least 2 years away....but I didn't expect it to regress from last year this much. I mean I was sorta joking that they would win 35 last year......but this years team really looks like 50 wins could be a really hard task for them.

I'll havr to give it to you guys if you think they farm is doing ok, as I don't have time to analize the minor leagues like you guys do....but on the surface it just looks "meh" with those records.

Why would you load up on pitching & then not have hitters ? As the pitchers move on then you get hitting ? Don't you want to build them all at the same time so you have them all ready to go on the big team at the same time....just sounds ass-backwards

[tjfla]

I think you're mis-inerpretting me, I'm not expecting a winning team this year at the major league level.....we all understand that is at least 2 years away....but I didn't expect it to regress from last year this much. I mean I was sorta joking that they would win 35 last year......but this years team really looks like 50 wins could be a really hard task for them.

I'll havr to give it to you guys if you think they farm is doing ok, as I don't have time to analize the minor leagues like you guys do....but on the surface it just looks "meh" with those records.

Why would you load up on pitching & then not have hitters ? As the pitchers move on then you get hitting ? Don't you want to build them all at the same time so you have them all ready to go on the big team at the same time....just sounds ass-backwards

Bats move faster-u can get 3/4 college bats early in the 2019 draft and Yolbert in IFA. All 5 could start 2020 in AA/Hi A very easily this is 1 reason u see alot of experts talking about Andrew Vaughn or Bryson Stott for us

Totally agree with what u said but fact is arms(unless RP) usually move very slowly and FA bats are ALOT cheaper than arms

[Maddawg]

Bats move faster-u can get 3/4 college bats early in the 2019 draft and Yolbert in IFA. All 5 could start 2020 in AA/Hi A very easily this is 1 reason u see alot of experts talking about Andrew Vaughn or Bryson Stott for us

Totally agree with what u said but fact is arms(unless RP) usually move very slowly and FA bats are ALOT cheaper than arms

You guys are more expert than I am so I'll just trust what you say. Thank you for treating me respectfully instead of insulting and belittling me.

[emkayseven]

I think you're mis-inerpretting me, I'm not expecting a winning team this year at the major league level.....we all understand that is at least 2 years away....but I didn't expect it to regress from last year this much. I mean I was sorta joking that they would win 35 last year......but this years team really looks like 50 wins could be a really hard task for them.

I'll havr to give it to you guys if you think they farm is doing ok, as I don't have time to analize the minor leagues like you guys do....but on the surface it just looks "meh" with those records.

Why would you load up on pitching & then not have hitters ? As the pitchers move on then you get hitting ? Don't you want to build them all at the same time so you have them all ready to go on the big team at the same time....just sounds ass-backwards

In addition to what TJ said, hitting is just easier to find on a whole. Easier to worry about that later

[Maddawg]

In addition to what TJ said, hitting is just easier to find on a whole. Easier to worry about that later

I guess, just seems like they would have picked up better bats than just Walker

[Namaste]

-43 Run Differential through 18 games.

[lou]

Not when he plays the same position as our other best offensive prospect. The thing is that Swihart has never been good, not even in the minors. In 2017 he hit .190/.246/.292 in AAA. In 2016 he hit .243/.344/.311 there. He hit well at AA in 2014 and he hasn't hit anywhere since. And this isn't youth we're talking about, it's a guy who's already 27. He had those AAA lines at ages 24 and 25.

I mean sure, but Max Muncy hit .186/.308/.257 for the A's in 2016, and then has been hitting the cover off the ball 2017-today.

He's probably going to still suck, but the Marlins need everything and they just need to acquire assets. I'm just saying if it's free or costs a whatever RP that doesn't change anything. One launch angle change turns some of these guys into real players. Muncy may be the best case scenario, but you know what I mean.

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-43 Run Differential through 18 games.

To be fair, the WYCARD* is a less awful -29.

*Wei-Yin Chen Adjusted Run Differential

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Guerrero, Kinley, and Anderson have thrown 26.2 IP, given up 2 ER, and whiffed 36.

Just saying. I find stuff like that really more interesting. Richards and Smith look great, Pablo, Urena, and Sandy all have had their moments and their FIPs are trending where we want them to be.

As soon as Steckenrider, Conley, and Romo stop pitching like complete assholes, the pitching looks really solid.

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SP WAR last year was what 5.5 TOTAL right?

So far this year, the 5 of them have 2.2. Not a typo, 2.2. Seriously. SSS yes and that won't scale up that fast, but this is a potential meteoric improvement even if the W/L is atrocious because they can't hit for shit.

[fish16]

I mean sure, but Max Muncy hit .186/.308/.257 for the A's in 2016, and then has been hitting the cover off the ball 2017-today.

He's probably going to still suck, but the Marlins need everything and they just need to acquire assets. I'm just saying if it's free or costs a whatever RP that doesn't change anything. One launch angle change turns some of these guys into real players. Muncy may be the best case scenario, but you know what I mean.

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To be fair, the WYCARD* is a less awful -29.

*Wei-Yin Chen Adjusted Run Differential

- - - - - - - - - -

Guerrero, Kinley, and Anderson have thrown 26.2 IP, given up 2 ER, and whiffed 36.

Just saying. I find stuff like that really more interesting. Richards and Smith look great, Pablo, Urena, and Sandy all have had their moments and their FIPs are trending where we want them to be.

As soon as Steckenrider, Conley, and Romo stop pitching like complete assholes, the pitching looks really solid.

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SP WAR last year was what 5.5 TOTAL right?

So far this year, the 5 of them have 2.2. Not a typo, 2.2. Seriously. SSS yes and that won't scale up that fast, but this is a potential meteoric improvement even if the W/L is atrocious because they can't hit for shit.

The SP is just so encourging. I just wish we could have either not dealt yelich or taken a different package like a Tucker + from houston or other deals. I just wish it was possible to foresee just how positive the SP situation would be after just a year. Id love to see their thinking or what they would have done had that been the case.

In the next 2-3 years we have all of the following debuting for us and under team control for like 6 years: Alcantara, Smith, Richards, Lopez, Gallen, Neidert, Rogers, Cabrera, Yamamoto, Garrett, Halloway, Stewart, Guzman, and then 2 more years of Urena. Thats without any pitching signings. If they really attack the hitting free agent, IFA, and draft market for the next few years like they have with pitching the last 2 years they really could have a winner. They really have a ton of speed/limited power type guys so id really love to see us attack and go after some power bats. A fast moving guy in the draft like Vaughn would be a phenomenal addition at a position of extreme need.

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In addition to what TJ said, hitting is just easier to find on a whole. Easier to worry about that later

I do think building through solid position players is a more risk averse method but i dont mind the way they've done it given what they started with in the system as a whole if they really start emphasizing hitting the next 2 years.

[Nick]

Alcantara has been very bad since that first great outing. The SP is so encouraging!

This season cannot get any worse.

[Maddawg]

-43 Run Differential through 18 games.

up to -49 if this score holds

[Maddawg]

23 innings since the Marlins scored.....

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How long does Jeter hide without saying something ?

[Namaste]

Alcantara has been very bad since that first great outing. The SP is so encouraging!

Sandy has a 2.96 FIP but I’m not certain that includes the Cubs outing.

I feel like we’ll know a lot more about Sandy by July.

[Ralph]

Sandy has a 2.96 FIP but I’m not certain that includes the Cubs outing.

I feel like we’ll know a lot more about Sandy by July.

It wasn’t included. His FIP for the cubs start was 1.31 and overall dropped to 2.53.

Didn’t watch the game tonight but it seems he has some horrid luck.