Best player on every MLB team
Los Angeles Angels - Mike Trout
What else can be said about Trout at this point? It is a moot point
to state that he’s the best player in the game, because it goes without
saying. At the age of 24, the conversation about how good he can be is
done, rather it is about just how legendary he can become. He continued
to push his own boundaries again last season, setting career highs in
home runs and OPS last season, while also remaining in the AL top 10 in
batting average, runs scored and leading the circuit in slugging
percentage as well.
While many make light of the fact that his stolen base total declined
down to 11 last year, it is far from a loss of a skill set. Rather, it
just shows the unavoidable evolution of his game from an ultra-catalyst
at the top of the order and into a multi-skilled middle of the lineup
bat. Because while his stolen base total dropped, so did his strikeout
rate, while his walk rate climbed. Simply put, he is getting better
overall because for as much raw talent as he possesses, he is gaining
maturity & discipline to go along with it, which is truly a
frightening thought. Thus far in his career, Trout is yet to finish any
lower than second in an MVP race and he has essentially become the
measuring mark for whether another player is worthy of the award instead
of him. Because that is what the best player in the game should do
annually, and he has yet to fail to live up to his role.
Los Angeles Dodgers—Clayton Kershaw
2015 was the worst season that Kershaw has produced in his past three.
And now that we have that out of the way, it was also a year where he
finished third in the NL Cy Young race (his lowest finish since 2010),
struck out 301 batters (the most in Majors since Randy Johnson in 2002)
and also finished in the top three in innings pitched, ERA, WHIP, win
percentage and complete games. However, by his otherworldly standards,
this was a downturn in his overall production.
Thus is the life when you are the best pitcher of your generation: a
season that would qualify as a career year for most looks like a slight
bump along your unflinchingly dominant way. Entering his age 28 season,
Kershaw carries three Cy Young Awards, the 2014 NL MVP, 114 wins, five
career All-Star selections, a no-hitter and an all-time MLB record for
most consecutive years leading the MLB in ERA, a four year streak broken
last year—when he finished third instead.
His sustained dominance has placed him far and away from the rest of
the pack atop the mound now. Kershaw cannot be fairly compared next to
his contemporaries; he’s simply better placed next to where those
already in Cooperstown stood at the same age.
Oakland A’s—Sonny Gray
It is not always easy to for a top flight young pitcher to develop
amid a team with questionable or always shifting surroundings, but Sonny
Gray has proven to oblivious to this issue throughout his young career
with oft-realigning Athletics. Because over his first three years in the
Majors, Gray has regularly been the reason why the A’s are able to take
some of the risks that they do in working their roster out: because
they know Sonny has their back.
The young Oakland ace continued his assent up the ranks of elite
pitchers in the game in his second full season on the pro bump. Gray
finished third in AL Cy Young voting in a year where he posted his
league’s third lowest ERA (2.73), topped 200 innings for the first time,
reached 14 wins for the second time in as many years and led the league
in shutouts.
And in the fact that he is a brilliant ground baller producer, as
well as fielder who is often able to create outs for himself via his own
glove, and Gray is one of the most self-sufficient pitchers in the
game. While no one’s long-term future is secure with in Billy Beane
land, Gray likely is the strongest foothold in the organization today.
San Diego Padres—Matt Kemp
Matt Kemp began 2015 as the dispatched former cornerstone of the Los
Angeles Dodgers, traded off within his same division as a part of half
salary dump/half creditability grab deal that satisfied both sender and
recipient.
However, Kemp continued to regain the stride he had begun to reclaim
in his final year in LA during his first season as a Padre. He put to
bed the concerns about his durability that had plagued him a few years
ago, playing in 150 games for the second time in as many years. And one
thing that is indisputable about Kemp: when he is healthy, he hits. And
now he is the best thing the Padres have to offer, as they begin a new
phase of a different type of rebuild this year.
Kemp met the 100 RBI mark for the first time since 2011, while
topping 20 home runs, 30 doubles and 150 hits for the second consecutive
year. He even had a slight re-emergence of speed on the base paths as
well, reaching double digits steals for the first time in 5 years as
well. Entering only his age-31 season, Kemp stands to continue on the
path of being a steady middle of the order bat that is short of being
the superstar he once was, but being more than just a role player as
well.
San Francisco Giants—Buster Posey
There is no player that has been involved in more peak parts of the
game over the past six years than Buster Posey. And with it being
another ‘Giant Year’ (also known as an even numbered season – in which
the Giants have won the past three World Series titles), Posey is likely
to once again be one of the most important players in baseball this
summer.
The class of the position by far, few players combine more raw talent
with inherent leadership and intangible presence than Gerald Posey
does. His perennial standard has reached such a clip that they are better compared to those already in Cooperstown than most of his peers,
and he still yet to reach his 30th birthday. Buster led all MLB
catchers in hits (177), batting average (.319, 4th in the National
League), RBI (95) and OPS (.849). All of this combined saw him produce
just over six Wins Above Replacement –three more than any other catcher.
Already the owner of three World Championships, an MVP, a batting
title, three All-Star appearances, three Silver Sluggers and a .310
career average (the 4th highest of all-time for a player that has been
primarily a catcher), it would seem that Posey has it all. And that’s
because he does, but he is only halfway through the race and is just now
approaching his prime.
Complete list (FanSided.com)
Friday, April 1, 2016
A Good Read With An Awesome Title
How the Warriors discovered the cheat code to basketball in the 2015 NBA Finals
THE DUBS STILL have some toxins to sweat out before they take the floor again. Inside the visitors' locker room before off-day practice, Green holds one of his emotional revivals as Kerr addresses the team after watching film.
"I interrupted [Kerr]," Green says. "I just said -- and if you recall I went to the media and said it -- 'We're being soft. We're not being who we are. Matthew Dellavedova is getting loose balls. Why is Matthew Dellavedova getting loose balls and we're not? Why is he the first to the floor? Why do they have three people on the floor and we have one? What that says is that they want it more. Do they really want it more?' I told the guys, 'We're playing soft. Right now, it's my fault. I'll get 10 [loose balls], but we're going to get every loose ball. And when we get every loose ball, they don't stand a chance.'"
At the shootaround the next morning, Kerr announces a decision the staff has been mulling for a while, first prompted by Nick U'Ren, special assistant to Kerr: a new starting lineup featuring Iguodala in place of center Bogut.
It will be months before anyone will refer to this as the Lineup of Death or declare it the defining statement of who the Warriors are. The five-man unit of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Iguodala and Green has, to this point, played together a mere 102 minutes in the 2014-15 regular season and 62 minutes through the first 18 games of the playoff run before it takes the floor for the opening tip of Game 4 in Cleveland.
But from this moment forward, this particular lineup is neither just small-ball (though it is undeniably small for an NBA unit, with no player over 6-foot-8) nor a "shooter's lineup" (though it's unquestionably one of the most efficient shooting quintets in history, with a true shooting percentage this season of 76.9 percent, outscoring opponents by an absurd 47.1 points per 100 possessions). It's the Golden State Warriors at their most entertaining -- and lethal.
The Warriors don't regard themselves as revolutionaries -- a championship banner is sufficient affirmation, thank you. But a scheme regarded as gimmickry is now a blueprint, developed in Phoenix and San Antonio and Miami, perfected in Oakland. When the Warriors first toyed with the Lineup of Death, it was as a next gear, dictated by matchup or need. But over a six-day stretch last June, that novelty transformed into a new standard.
(ESPN.com)
THE DUBS STILL have some toxins to sweat out before they take the floor again. Inside the visitors' locker room before off-day practice, Green holds one of his emotional revivals as Kerr addresses the team after watching film.
"I interrupted [Kerr]," Green says. "I just said -- and if you recall I went to the media and said it -- 'We're being soft. We're not being who we are. Matthew Dellavedova is getting loose balls. Why is Matthew Dellavedova getting loose balls and we're not? Why is he the first to the floor? Why do they have three people on the floor and we have one? What that says is that they want it more. Do they really want it more?' I told the guys, 'We're playing soft. Right now, it's my fault. I'll get 10 [loose balls], but we're going to get every loose ball. And when we get every loose ball, they don't stand a chance.'"
At the shootaround the next morning, Kerr announces a decision the staff has been mulling for a while, first prompted by Nick U'Ren, special assistant to Kerr: a new starting lineup featuring Iguodala in place of center Bogut.
It will be months before anyone will refer to this as the Lineup of Death or declare it the defining statement of who the Warriors are. The five-man unit of Curry, Thompson, Barnes, Iguodala and Green has, to this point, played together a mere 102 minutes in the 2014-15 regular season and 62 minutes through the first 18 games of the playoff run before it takes the floor for the opening tip of Game 4 in Cleveland.
But from this moment forward, this particular lineup is neither just small-ball (though it is undeniably small for an NBA unit, with no player over 6-foot-8) nor a "shooter's lineup" (though it's unquestionably one of the most efficient shooting quintets in history, with a true shooting percentage this season of 76.9 percent, outscoring opponents by an absurd 47.1 points per 100 possessions). It's the Golden State Warriors at their most entertaining -- and lethal.
The Warriors don't regard themselves as revolutionaries -- a championship banner is sufficient affirmation, thank you. But a scheme regarded as gimmickry is now a blueprint, developed in Phoenix and San Antonio and Miami, perfected in Oakland. When the Warriors first toyed with the Lineup of Death, it was as a next gear, dictated by matchup or need. But over a six-day stretch last June, that novelty transformed into a new standard.
(ESPN.com)
How They Can Win: Each NL team's guide to a 2016 World Series title - SI.com
Los Angeles Dodgers: Get help for the starting rotation
It was never going to be easy for the Dodgers to fill the Zack Greinke-sized hole in their rotation. It got harder this spring, as Brett Anderson suffered a back injury that will sideline him for most of the first half and Scott Kazmir showed up missing 4 mph off his fastball. L.A. will start the year with a patchwork group behind Clayton Kershaw, but that's all right. To win, the team just needs to stabilize their rotation for the second half. Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy should all be healthy by then. Prospects Julio Urias and Jose De Leon will be pressing for rotation slots later in the season. This is the Dodgers, so you know they'll be in the market to make trades in July to bolster the staff—Tyson Ross, Julio Teheran and even pending free agent Stephen Strasburg could be available. L.A. can muddle through three months figuring out their pitching so long as they spend the final three months riding it.
San Diego Padres: Comebacks around the roster
After being the It Team of the 2014 off-season, the Padres crashed hard, going 74–88 and getting manager Bud Black fired. Perhaps chastened, GM A.J. Preller was relatively passive this winter, dealing closer Craig Kimbrel and staying away from the big-ticket acquisitions of Preller's first go-round. So for the Padres to win, they're going to have to lead the league in Comeback Player of the Year candidates. Wil Myers has to stay healthy, take to a new position (first base) and return to his '13 Rookie of the Year form. Jon Jay has to bounce back from a lost season—a .210 average in 79 games—to his usual .290 level. James Shields, Andrew Cashner and Fernando Rodney all have to pitch closer to their career norms than to last season's efforts. For a rebuilding team, the Padres have a lot of expensive veterans on the back end of their primes. Most of them will have to surprise for the Friars to move past their disappointing '15.
San Francisco Giants: Keep Denard Span on the field
The Giants' decision to sign centerfielder Denard Span to a three-year deal pulls together two interesting stats from 2015. The Nationals, Span's old team, were 36–25 when he started and 47–54 when he didn't. San Francisco, with its own injury issues in center, were 66–57 when Angel Pagan started, 18–21 when he didn't. For the Giants to end their long World Series drought, they'll have to keep Span on the field. He missed four months last year with back and hip problems, culminating in season-ending surgery in August. With a career .352 OBP and a 79% success rate stealing bases, he's one of the few true leadoff hitters in today's game. That makes him the missing piece in a San Francisco offense that was already as good as any NL team's from 2 through 8. When healthy, Span has been a good defensive player, and he's certainly an upgrade on the 34-year-old version of Pagan, who will switch to left in '16.
Complete list (SI.com)
It was never going to be easy for the Dodgers to fill the Zack Greinke-sized hole in their rotation. It got harder this spring, as Brett Anderson suffered a back injury that will sideline him for most of the first half and Scott Kazmir showed up missing 4 mph off his fastball. L.A. will start the year with a patchwork group behind Clayton Kershaw, but that's all right. To win, the team just needs to stabilize their rotation for the second half. Anderson, Hyun-Jin Ryu and Brandon McCarthy should all be healthy by then. Prospects Julio Urias and Jose De Leon will be pressing for rotation slots later in the season. This is the Dodgers, so you know they'll be in the market to make trades in July to bolster the staff—Tyson Ross, Julio Teheran and even pending free agent Stephen Strasburg could be available. L.A. can muddle through three months figuring out their pitching so long as they spend the final three months riding it.
San Diego Padres: Comebacks around the roster
After being the It Team of the 2014 off-season, the Padres crashed hard, going 74–88 and getting manager Bud Black fired. Perhaps chastened, GM A.J. Preller was relatively passive this winter, dealing closer Craig Kimbrel and staying away from the big-ticket acquisitions of Preller's first go-round. So for the Padres to win, they're going to have to lead the league in Comeback Player of the Year candidates. Wil Myers has to stay healthy, take to a new position (first base) and return to his '13 Rookie of the Year form. Jon Jay has to bounce back from a lost season—a .210 average in 79 games—to his usual .290 level. James Shields, Andrew Cashner and Fernando Rodney all have to pitch closer to their career norms than to last season's efforts. For a rebuilding team, the Padres have a lot of expensive veterans on the back end of their primes. Most of them will have to surprise for the Friars to move past their disappointing '15.
San Francisco Giants: Keep Denard Span on the field
The Giants' decision to sign centerfielder Denard Span to a three-year deal pulls together two interesting stats from 2015. The Nationals, Span's old team, were 36–25 when he started and 47–54 when he didn't. San Francisco, with its own injury issues in center, were 66–57 when Angel Pagan started, 18–21 when he didn't. For the Giants to end their long World Series drought, they'll have to keep Span on the field. He missed four months last year with back and hip problems, culminating in season-ending surgery in August. With a career .352 OBP and a 79% success rate stealing bases, he's one of the few true leadoff hitters in today's game. That makes him the missing piece in a San Francisco offense that was already as good as any NL team's from 2 through 8. When healthy, Span has been a good defensive player, and he's certainly an upgrade on the 34-year-old version of Pagan, who will switch to left in '16.
Complete list (SI.com)
Their 'Partnership' Is Just A Good Will Formality
LPGA Takeaway: Opportunities Abound, but Don't Read Too Much Into the PGA Alliance
"I wouldn’t read too much into ‘partnering’ with the PGA Tour," Whan says. "It’s not like we’re going to become one tour, we’re not going to become one organization, we’re not sharing board seats or ownership rights. Getting together is not going to change our personality or theirs, it’s not going to change how we treat the fans or theirs. We’re just going to get together and say, ‘Hey, is there an opportunity or two where we can play together and create something really special for the fans?'"
(Golf.com)
"I wouldn’t read too much into ‘partnering’ with the PGA Tour," Whan says. "It’s not like we’re going to become one tour, we’re not going to become one organization, we’re not sharing board seats or ownership rights. Getting together is not going to change our personality or theirs, it’s not going to change how we treat the fans or theirs. We’re just going to get together and say, ‘Hey, is there an opportunity or two where we can play together and create something really special for the fans?'"
(Golf.com)
No Surprise That A Wooden Coached Team Tops The List
Ranking every NCAA tournament championship team
1. UCLA Bruins, 1972 (30-0)
The average -- repeat, average -- final score of a UCLA game in 1971-72 was 95-64. The Bruins finished the season 30-0, having played only two games that were decided by single digits (one being UCLA's 81-76 victory over Florida State in the national championship game). Bill Walton made his collegiate debut and averaged a 21-point, 16-rebound double-double for the season, and Henry Bibby joined him on the consensus All-American first team. Curiously, in this pre-shot-clock era, only one opponent chose to take the air out of the ball. Notre Dame hosted the Bruins in January, and Digger Phelps' team attempted only one shot in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Irish lost, 57-32.
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