2024 MLB Season Thread
Nobody wants these games to start more than Mannfred.
Shohei just spoke to the media for the first time. In a prepared statement, he said:
-He never bet on baseball, or any other sport,
-He didn't know that Ippei lied to him, and that Ippei took the money from Shohei's account to pay his gambling debts
-He'll continue to cooperate with the investigation, and play as the investigation plays out.
If all that's true, then this is probably the best possible outcome for his reputation going forward. He's a naive star athlete who trusted the wrong person. It happens.
In any event, these games are about start! Last year, just like we all predicted, "Someone Else" came on strong in the playoffs, as the Texas Rangers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks for the World Series. Can that happen again?
T-Mobile is giving away a free MLB.tv subscription ($149 value) to T-Mobile subscribers starting TOMORROW (Tuesday 3/26 - April 1). Don't miss out.
So speaking of gambling, here are the current best odds for the World Series you can find, from Vegas insider!
It's like talking to a flat earther. You are going on ignore.
Aaron Judge has a 1.139 OPS right now. The only other player with an OPS above 1.000 is his teammate Soto.
Do you know how many players had an OPS of 1.000 back in 2000? NINETEEN.
Hitting is harder now, this isn't rocket science.
How many people really care about that? How many compared to if someone really hit .400?
Do you remember everyone in 1998 talking about if it was easier or more difficult to hit home runs than it was in 1961?
Everyone who cares about baseball should care about stuff like that.
5 hitters in the AL are hitting above .300 right now. Do you know how many hit .300 in 2000? I'm not even going to bother counting, but it's a ****ton.
Do good hitters simply not exist anymore, or do we recognize that the environment is a lot less hitter-friendly now, and adjust our expectations accordingly?
That's what my point was. I said 2024 Judge is doing some Bonds ****, and another poster said that he's not even close. That's why I had to WELL AKSHUALLY him, because league-wide offense is very depressed right now, so if you compare apples to apples Judge actually does get a lot closer to Bonds.
WAR doesn't lie, Judge is on pace for 11.8 fWAR this year, that is right in line with what Bonds was doing.
Soto will have a better career than Judge. You heard it here first
And I think judge is phenomenal
It wasn't that long ago when baseballs were juiced and getting knocked around like super bounce balls. Can the recent downturn in AVG be attributed to similar?
5 hitters in the AL are hitting above .300 right now. Do you know how many hit .300 in 2000? I'm not even going to bother counting, but it's a ****ton.
In 1920 Babe Ruth Hit 54 home runs, 2.84x the #2 player. Let's say the #2 player this season hits 50 HR. Does that mean the HR leader needs to hit 142 home runs for a performance comparable to Babe Ruth?
I'll just leave this link here so everyone can draw their own conclusions about batting nowadays vs. the old days (source: baseball reference.com)
https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagu...
unfortunately its format doesn't lend itself to copying or quoting. and I swear you won't get a virus if you click on the link.
Soto will have a better career than Judge. You heard it here first
And I think judge is phenomenal
You mean the guy who came into the league at 19 will have better numbers than the guy who did so at 25? I don't think anyone will argue against that...
On a per-game basis Judge is better though, and it's not really close.
In 1920 Babe Ruth Hit 54 home runs, 2.84x the #2 player. Let's say the #2 player this season hits 50 HR. Does that mean the HR leader needs to hit 142 home runs for a performance comparable to Babe Ruth?
In his case he kinda "invented" launch angle and trying to hit homeruns, so the comparison doesn't work as well.
But his 1920 season is considered an all-time season due to rate stats regardless. It was the highest SLG until 2001.
You mean the guy who came into the league at 19 will have better numbers than the guy who did so at 25? I don't think anyone will argue against that...
On a per-game basis Judge is better though, and it's not really close.
If we’re throwing the bonds comparison and you’re looking for a closer replication to his career arc you’ll find it in Soto, not Judge
If Soto can develop into a power hitter on even a relative scale to how bonds did entering his late 20s it’s definitely Soto and not close
If he doesn’t, well, at least he still walks more than he strikes out
If we’re throwing the bonds comparison and you’re looking for a closer replication to his career arc you’ll find it in Soto, not Judge
If Soto can develop into a power hitter on even a relative scale to how bonds did entering his late 20s it’s definitely Soto and not close
If he doesn’t, well, at least he still walks more than he strikes out
After his first 3 seaons, Soto's closest comp was Ted Williams, believe it or not.
Young Bonds had too much speed for Soto.
Yankees having the two best players in the majors isn't really fair.
Spoiler
FLEX !!!!!!
It's like talking to a flat earther. You are going on ignore.
Aaron Judge has a 1.139 OPS right now. The only other player with an OPS above 1.000 is his teammate Soto.
Do you know how many players had an OPS of 1.000 back in 2000? NINETEEN.
Hitting is harder now, this isn't rocket science.
I didn't realize how far offense had fallen off. I looked at the 2000 leaders and Johnny Damon's .327 BA is only 10th in the AL. Sluggers like Delgado, Ramirez, and Giambi all above him.
Still though, late peak Bonds had a 4 year stretch of 256 OPS+.
Judge is working on his second season over 200, which Bonds also cleared in 1992 and 1993. For reference peak Pujols best 2 years was 192 and 189.
Currently Judge (216) and Soto (217 in 2020 short season) have the best offensive seasons since the Bonds years.
2004 Barry Bonds had 120 IBB. There are 3 active players with more for their career, led by Joey Votto's 147.
Harper, yes. Freddie Freeman is the third one. Trout has exactly 120.
Me mum telling me she was at the Giants game. I told her she was allowed to move down. They may actually be decent seats though. Crazy how cali has 3 of the best ballpark aesthetics and 2 of the worst.
Forget baserunning and fielding. Can we name five better hitters at the plate since Bonds than Judge?
Rangers brought in a position player to pitch in the 7th inning against the Dodgers. :p
