Another Monday means another slate of OFFICIAL POWER RANKINGS from the panel at Barstool.
Observations:
- Klemmer enjoyed hisvictory lapon the Reds going 0-3 against the Brewers.
It was a hard fought series and there’s a lot to take away from it.
Another takeaway is Graham Ashcraft looks fucking great.
- Klemmer knows a shit load about baseball and I very much enjoy listening to his takes.
If you’re not paying attention to his angles and approach then you’re missing out.
Oddly insensitive and diametrically opposed to owners' collectively self-interest.
I still think he’s wrong about the Reds, but I respect the process.
- The Giants are the best team that nobody really cares/talks about.
Most casual fans would be stunned to know that 12/13 regular position players carry an OPS+ north of 100.
The one outcast is 36 year-old Brandon Crawford, just two seasons removed from a torrid top-5 MVP finish.
He’s awful now and getting worse.
BUT - when that’s your lone weakness, you’re doing just fine.
The lineup isn’t just good.
It’s not even great, or outstanding.
It’s textually Historic.
This Braves team is poised to be #1 all time, and that’s just one statistic.
They dominate nearly all of them even with a marginally average Austin Riley.
Imagine the Golden State Warriors after trading for Durant but without Klay Thompson.
That’s my meatball analogy with the position players but missing some key starting pitching.
Even so, they’re so dominant and the standard is so high.
Orioles: we’re not trying to be cute or funny.
This is dead serious.
You see Kyle Bradish on a similar trajectory since June 1st.
Maybe even enough to comfortably start them in a 5-game playoff series?
The only pitching question until then is Who Else starts?
The lineup is stacked.
They have elite young talent and depth and balance.
Brandon Hyde is probably the manager of the year.
Bullpen is fuckin nails.
Simple enough, right?
Over my actual dead body.
Let’s not get crazy here.
The Rays have a better record right now.
We’re gonna find out.
Interesting enough - the most compelling thing about the Rays to chew on is a trade for Shohei Ohtani.
They’re my dark horse candidate because they have the ammunition.
The Team That Will Sign Shohei - Dodgers: Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts are top-15 players in baseball.
Will Smith isn’t far behind and that’s the most important thing when we talk about the Dodgers.
The pitching staff has been shuffling chairs all seasons.
The bullpen is a Who’s Who of Who The Fuck Is That Guy?
The lineup consistently features the ghost of Jason Heyward and a .284 slugging percentage from Miguel Rojas.
They’re moving Mookie around to accommodate mediocre platoon guys.
The underlying narratives are preposterously disgusting relative to the Dodgers' pedigree for good lineups.
JD Martinez also gets a beef.
I forgot to mention that.
He deserves so much more respect.
And while we’re here, Wyatt Langford could very much help this pitching staff.
That makes ZERO sense
Langford was the 4th overall pick this year.
A quick riser in the minors loaded with power.
The budget and opportunity to get weird just increased.
Texas should be encouraged with this development.
Blue Jays: have they arrived?
The top 5 teams here are a class above the next 4 teams.
The good news is that they’re much better than a few weeks back.
Signs are pointing up.
HUGE TAKEAWAY = when the Blue Jays pitch above average, they’re a phenomenal team.
I repeat PHENOMENAL TEAM.
We’re seeing that surge now, and that’s with a lineup down about 10%.
So imagine when these two things converge.
It could make for a remarkable 2nd half run.
Astros:they suck but they’re good.
Let that marinate because I’m going to need you to believe me here.
They are not the Astros you came to know and hate.
The lineup is overwhelmingly mediocre without Yordan Alvarez.
He’s been out a month and his rehab was delayed,vaguely,this past weekend.
Here’s the thing though: they’re only 3 games back in a loaded AL West.
Think of how good the Rangers have been.
Then consider:
Jose Abreu has a .352 slugging percentage.
Altuve isn’t playing and hasn’t played much.
Corey Julks is your every day LF.
(Above average but you didn’t even know that guy existed.)
- Urquidy and Garcia are toast
Some regression, generally across the board.
Others have been outstanding like McCormick and Kyle Tucker without protection.
I’m not saying they all suck.
While many organizations grasp at relevancy year-to-year, the Astros simply cling to it.
Until otherwise proven this October, they’re the American League gold standard.
Nearly the entire roster is playing for another contract.
You want to talk about motivating a professional athlete?
There’s some common-sense genius coming out of San Francisco if that’s their secret sauce 1-9.
Obviously they should make a move at the deadline for more.
But the bigger point right now is that they’re quite good and playing even better.
A team you could and should consider an NL pennant future at +1400.
Get it now before they do some crazy trade for Ohtani.
Phillies: red hot after 3-4 from the dead Padres in San Diego to kick off the 2nd half.
That includes a rare double-header sweep on the road and even better is they dropped Friday night’s game.
The Phillies are obviously a slugging lineup with some MAJOR questions about the esoteric.
Can they ever get some consistency?
Why are they almost dead last inAverage Runners Left On Base Per Game?
This is not what you expect from the NL pennant defenders that added Trea Turner.
Personally I think that’s a big ask but that’s why you play the games.
These are the 1-9.
Go listen to the show if you want to hear 4 guys argue about it.
