Ball Boy Blog

AL Central Update: KC Royals Shoutout: If you need to make some extra cash during Covid-19 try Stash-It The business is like AirBnB but for the self-storage industry. So people can rent out their garage or storage shed, and even their driveway for others to use. If you have space, list it on their website. It’s completely free and they only make money if you do. You set the price! You set the terms! Use the promo code "YOUNG" and use your storage space to make some easy money! Stashitselfstorage.c om Pitching Former 5th overall pick in 2012 Kyle Zimmer was given another minor-league option by the league which is really uncommon, but common in a case like Zimmer, He has had so many injuries that it's really limited him in-game action.  But he was healthy last year made 15 relief appearances and... had a 10.8 ERA over 18 1/3IP. Now since he got optioned to AAA its worked out well for both sides and hopefully, his long journey can have a happy ending. Mike Mongomery h...

AL Central Team: Kansas City Royals Shoutout: If you need to make some extra cash during Covid-19 try Stash-It The business is like AirBnB but for the self-storage industry. So people can rent out their garage or storage shed, and even their driveway for others to use. If you have space, list it on their website. It’s completely free and they only make money if you do. You set the price! You set the terms! Use the promo code "YOUNG" and use your storage space to make some easy money! Stashitselfstorage.c om Key Arrivals Alex Gordon-Resigned-1.35WAR Maikel Franco(3B)- -0.79WAR Jesse Hahn(RP)- -0.36WAR Chance Adams(P) Key Departures Jorge Bonifacio(OF) Key NRI to watch Trevor Rosenthal(P) Matt Reynolds(IF) Braeden Shipley(RP) Key Up and coming talent to watch-all in camp: Brady Singer(P) Top Pitching Prospect Khalil Lee(OF) top 10 prospect Daniel Lynch(P) #3 prospect Kris Bubic(P), Jackson Kowar(P), Kyle Isbel(OF).MJ Melendez(C) Returning from IL Salvador P...

NL Central Update: Milwaukee Brewers Pitching The Brewers signed RP Freddy Peralta to a 5yr extension this spring which gives them good leverage in the rotation and is able to get the prime years out of him for cheap. Eric Lauer was expected to miss time and be put on IL to start the new season, we may not have to miss him much of the new campaign. But if he does miss time expect to see possibly Freddy Perala, Corbin Burnes and Trey Supak who are all on the 40man to take a rotation spot. Jake Faria and Shelby Miller could also be in line for the spot. Corbin Burns after he was solid in 2018 when he came on as a solid pen arm. He had an awful followup performance of 8.82ERA over 49IP regardless of a 12.86k/9. This guy can miss bats at a ridiculous swinging strike percentage of 17.2 and his K/9 is impressive. So if he can get the rest of his game together. He could become a household name for RP and the 25 could be getting the bag if he can prove it. Corey Knebel, the only real rea...

AL Central Update: Cleveland Indians Hitting: The Indians and Lindor have paused all extension talks as of March 9th. But they could pick up well since they don't have anything better to do and they can figure all this out. Jose Ramirez is coming off a down year after 17/18 being MVP kind of years. With the kind of year, he had to end the season. I don't see any reason we won't see MVP version of him return for the 2020 season we do get. Franmil Reyes is another guy the Indians want to see a bounce-back for them.  The young slugger and when I say young he is 24. He swatted 37HR but he dropped in OBP and his overall line wasn't one to love. Overall, if he can get his avg up from 249 and maybe into the 280 and not have his OBP drop again. We should get another good productive year from the slugger. Oscar Mercade did supper a sprained wrist in ST before it came to an abrupt end. We should see him come out fine from all this. Pitching:  When the Indians got Emmanue...

 AL Central Team: Cleveland Indians Key Arrivals Cesar Hernandez(2B) 1.36WAR Sandy Leon(C)- -.05WAR only over 172PA Career 2.4WAR Delino DeShields(OF)-1.3WAR Domingo Santana(OF)- Key Departures Tyler Clippard(RP)-1.36WAR Yasiel Puig(OF)-0.85 Jason Kipnis(2B)-0.46WAR Danny Salazar(SP)0.08WAR Key NRI to watch Dominic Leone(RP) Beau Taylor(C)-0.04WAR Argenis Angulo(P) Cameron Rupp(C) Key Up and coming talent to watch Tristian McKenzie(5th starter)Beau Taylor(C) Aaron Civale/Zach Plesac(P)-I am putting these players together because they both contributed last season in the rotation and were very impressive in their MLB debuts However, Adam Plutko is out of options and could be given a long relief role or a SP role. Thus would put these two into a stiff competition for the rotation spots Daniel Johnson(OF) Emmanuel Clase(RP)Has a 100+MPH cutter and will get an extended look and see if he is ready for MLB action. Returning from IL Christian Arroyo(3B)-0.2WAR over 50PA...

UPDATE 3/27 In the last couple of days, the MLB and the MLBPA have come to some agreements on such things as roster freezing, the 2020 MLB draft, service time, salaries. I want to touch on each of those and give my take on them. We could see a season that starts in June goes through October and has more doubleheaders. a larger roster and playoffs that could bleed into November. Those games could be played a neutral site(probably in dome stadiums or warm-weather cities. Right now nothing is off the table as far as ideas and changes to the game. Roster Freezin/ Resumption of Play- Basically what this means for teams and that no roster movement can be made until a new Opening day can be set. Both the league and the union do not want to play without fans. So a lift on the ban of large gatherings is needed to set an official date. It could happen to where we see stadiums pushing the limits of the size of crowds they can have. Next, we would need to see how the MLB proceeds with playe...

NL Central Update: ST Louis Cardinals Pitching: Brett Cecil did suffer a fairly significant hammy injury in the last game before the spring shutdown. He didn't pitch in 2019 after wrist surgery, in 2018 he missed 6 weeks to shoulder troubles. He obviously hasn't been able to stay healthy enough to prove worth his contract. But now we wait and see how serious the injury is and if he needs surgery. One guy the Red Birds need to show up in a big way at the back end of the pen is Andrew Miller who pitched well below expectations in 2019, to say the least. He was dealing with injuries this spring, but the 34yo should be fine for the 2020 season we do get. The Cards need him to at least be the career player he has been. On this side of the ball, the Cards have a few options for early extension- Jake Flattery obviously but unlikely because they just renewed his contract. Dakota Hudson, RP- Giovanny Gallegos and John Brebbia are two other guys. I think it's smart to lock down ...

AL Central Update: Minnesota Twins Hitting: Cruz is in the last year of his deal, I love Cruz as a player and again another guy I wish Seattle wouldn't have let go. BUT I am happy to see him in the postseason. He is in his age 39 season and still hitting dingers like crazy. barring any injuries, he should play beyond this year when he turns 40 he will continue to rake either with the Twins or elsewhere.  After last year's ankle injury which he probably never fully recovered from Eddie Rosario is in line for a rebound campaign. After posting below-average production at the plate. Expect a fully healthy Rosario help the twins just dominate. The Twins did also extend Miguel Sano which is great for them. Byron Buxton is still working back from shoulder surgery last September, but with the extra rest, he is getting now expect him healthy for the season. But if not Kepler should slide over to CF to cover again and the club has LaMonte Wade Jr, Jake Cave to fill in there as well...

AL Central Team: Minnesota Twins Key Arrivals Josh Donaldson(3B)-6.07WAR Michael Pineda(P)-2.49WAR Homer Bailey(SP)- 1WAR Sergio Romo(P)- 0.26WAR Alex Avila(C)-1.35WAR Kenta Maeda(P)- 1.8WAR Tyler Clippard- 1.36WAR Traded for: Hunter McMahon(RP) 0.71ERA, 12.2IP,2/4SaOp 18SO Key Departures Kyle Gibson(P)- 0.29WAR Jason Castro(C) 0.67WAR Johnathon Schoop(2B)-1.63WAR CJ Cron(1B)-1.41WAR Martin Perez(P)-0.23WAR Sam Dyson(P) Key NRI to watch Jhoulys Chacin(P) Ryan Garton(P) Royce Lewis(SS)#1 Prospect Brent Rooker(OF) #8 prospect Ryan Jeffers(C) #10 Prospect Returning from IL Byron Buxton(CF) 2021 Free agents/ Trade chips Jake Ordorizzi, Nelson Cruz, Marwin Gonzalez, Homer Bailey, Sergi Romo, Alex Avila, Tyler Clippard, Trevor May, - I really don't see the twins moving any of these players as they will all play a key role in the Twins moving forward towards a deep playoff run Fantasy Relevant Players Max Kepler(OF),Jorge Polanco(SS), Josh Donaldson(3B),Nelson Cruz(DH), Eddie Rosario(OF)...

NL East Update- New York Mets BREAKING NEWS: When I originally wrote this on 3/21, news broke 3/24 that Mets ace Noah Syndaagard- Will MISS all of 2020 due to TOMMY JOHN surgery. This will keep him out until at least APRIL 2021!! This is some huge news as now we look at this rotation of deGrom, Stroman, Matz, Rick Porcello, and Michael Wacha. This is still a good rotation if all pieces stay healthy for the season. This team has postseason aspirations and its really going to come down to these guys in the rotation to step up and fill the void that Syndaagard leaves. Pitching: The pitching has a trio of pitchers who could be the most dominant trio in the NL in late innings of Edwin Diaz who as a Mariners fan I miss greatly, Jeurys Familia, Dellin Betances who are all great out of the bullpen late in games. All have great stuff and look to rebound for getting roughed up by hitters or injuries from their 2019 season. This should give them a top-end pen to follow up on their great rota...

Smuggling Snacks I swear if ballparks ever went to a clear bag policy I would be so sad. I love and when I say love, the one thing I look forward to more than anything is bringing in illegal snacks to the park. I mean even when I was a kid it was the coolest little feeling was smuggling snacks past security. Now as an adult I know they don't care at all at the gate, but I still have some nerves about it. But whatever we all do it or have done it and if you're reading this and say I have never done that maybe as an adult but ask your parents about when you were a kid. Okay, I wanted to talk about some of my favorite snacks to smuggle in. The first and foremost is all individually wrapped candy. This can be starburst, jolly ranchers, chocolate-which I don't recommend midseason. But wrapped candy is such a delicacy because you can bring in so much and it's so cheap and it can last you the whole game. It's great for sharing with those you go with, cause if you go to ...

NL East Update: Washington Nationals Pitching: The 5th starter battle is real for a lot of teams. For that Nationals it's one as well. They have one of the best rotations in baseball and probably tied for best in the division with the Mets, they have Scherzer, Strasburg-who just got big money, Patrick Corbin, Anibal Sanchez. These guys gave the team 123 starts for the team and gave high-end production. Which led them to a World Series Title. Right now Joe Ross is the leader for the 5th spot in the rotation, he has been injured the last few seasons and not able to how back up since the 15/16 season. He is only 26 and looks to be getting back to form and showing out this spring. The other guys are Erick Fedde- he did not pitch well in his 12 opportunities with the team. Austin Voth- did fair well in his time with the club last season where he had a 3.30ERA and has been awesome this spring just allowing 1 run over 7IP. I really think it will be Ross since the other two have options...

NL East Update- Philadelphia Phillies Pitching: The guy who I need to see something from if I was a Phillies fan is Jake Arrieta, He has not shown that he should have gotten the massive deal he got back in 2018. last year he did have serious injuries so with the extra rest, we should see a good return to form for the Arrieta. Who has the best beard in MLB. Seranthony Domingues/Victor Arano both had solid years in 2018 and then the injury bug bit them in 2019 and slowed them done. Hopefully, we can see some good rebounds and healthy seasons. Speaking of Dominguez, he was slated to get an MRI after a setback and the discomfort he felt. Hitting: One of the newest members of the team is Didi Gregorius who has a 1 year deal with the team. He did have TJ surgery and is coming off a below-average season last year. So taking all these factors into account we have seen great things from Didi and I expect him this season to produce and be a solid piece for the Phillies. The JT Realmuto e...

NL East Update: Miami Marlins Pitching: Of course, the Marlins also have some guys who on the bump they hope can turn it around. Adam Conley, he pitched to just a below 7ERA last season and hopefully, he can return to the form he had in 2018 and then be dealt to a contender because pen help is always in high demand. Drew Steckenrider is the other guy I wanna talk about. in 2018 he and Conly were coming up as really solid late-inning guys out of the pen and then 2019 happened and for Steckenrider he had elbow problems and only pitched 14 1/3 innings and he had 10ER and 6HR in that limited action. Heres to both of them regaining form and moving to a contending team where their talents will be valued and needed to win. It seems like everyone I write out for Miami is a trade piece. Which is accurate because of how bad they are going to be and what stage they are in the rebuild. Jose Urena is looking to rebound to a strong season hopefully he builds off his strong spring and can be move...

NL East Update- Atlanta Braves Pitchers: The Braves did option both A.J Minter and Chad Sobotka who were working on earning a spot on the roster and rebounding candidates, both were coming off of rough seasons and even worse spring training. Both are going to start in AAA, hoping they show well enough they can get some MLB time. I really like Minter, he has a solid arm and is a good pen piece. The Braves also has a tough decision to make with Felix Hernandez, who is one of my favorite players ever. He has shown to be taking the fresh start and the opportunity to its fullest where he looks to possible crack Atalanta roster as the 5th starter. Hopefully, and I fully expect we see Mike Foltynewica from 2018, not last season where we saw him spend some time in AAA, his awesome stretch up to him falling apart in the playoffs from Aug/Sep of last season. If he can show up, then the uncertainty of Cole Hamels and his shoulder health Hitters: The 3B situation for the Braves got bad aft...

The pitch clock was first introduced in the AFL in 2014 then followed in the coming years in the AA and AAA levels. Recently as 2019, the pitch clock was involved in spring training but has yet to be introduced due to the MLBPA voting strongly against it. As of 2019, the MLB and MLBPA have agreed to postpone talks on the pitch clock until 2022. The pace of play for the game, which is the biggest problem for the MLB, a pitch clock would help the game move quicker and be a little more exciting. If more pitches are thrown, give us more film and more spin rate data. I genuinely believe there will be more pitches thrown and more data to analyze by the team to help shift and how to play defense, which will give the teams more to watch. The pitching we will see will continue to get better. Increased fatigue, the 26 man roster is set up for the pitch clock as teams will need pitchers with more stamina. Those that can work faster can adjust to this. I think that pitchers will soon become like...

AL East Update- Baltimore Orioles Pitching: Alex Cobb showed up to start the season by giving up 9HR in 12 1/3 IP and then missed the rest of the year. Now the presumed ace needs to step up and show he is still worthy of the deal he got. This team is in rebuild mode, so if he can show well expect him to be traded. Mychal Givens really needs to show he can avoid the HR ball and blowing saves so that he can show that he can help a team win and not be a liability- expect him to be moved as well. Richard Bleier this one is interesting he is a Lefty specialist and those are basically going to be dead this year. So expect another disappointing and rough year from him out of the pen. The did send back both Rule 5 picks- Brandon Bailey back tot he Astros and Michael Rucker back tot he Cubs. Both could have been solid in pen roles Hitting: Renato Nunez has been working out at 3B this season so far and has shown that he can handle the hot corner and swing a good bat. The O's are hop...

AL East Update- Boston Redsox Pitching: Bounce back needed for the flamethrowing Nathan Eovaldi he is 30 and coming off elbow problems so maybe moving him to hard-throwing this year is realistic. They need him to stabilize the rotation with Chris Sale dealing with his own injuries and David Price gone as well. This rotation also seems to be a blur at this point but with plenty of time for things to come into focus- Darwinzon Hernandez could become a full-time starter again, he's been in kind of a mixed role of starting and bullpen. They are also taking a close look at Ryan Weber a 5 pitch guy with a good cutter. Collin McHugh was signed to MLB deal but is coming off a nonsurgical procedure this winter- he is also kind of one of those guys that is a great reliever but can do some starts here and there. So we will see how his recovery goes and the role he plays. Chris Sale- ICYMI Sale has a flexor strain but does not expect to need Tj surgery so that's great. But it's st...

Al  East Update- New York Yankees Pitching: With Paxton going down, Severino still now being ready. The Rotation for sure has new arrival Gerrit Cole who looked great in spring training, Tanaka who also had a solid year and should be solid again, JA Happ and Jordon Montgomery should be the 4th starter, but coming off a Tommy John surgery. That's not a lock. So who should we see compete: Jonathan Loaisiga- he has electric stuff, control issues and maybe even stamina issues. I would rather see him come out of the pen and be a spot starter for Yankees. Clarke Schmidy- hasn't pitched above AA but we see a lot of good players at the AA level. He has the talent to be a mid-rotation kind of guy, which is what the Yankees need out of the 2017 first-round pick. Delvi Garcia- struggled in AAA last year but is also a high-end prospect for the Yankees. He is only 20 and has a lot of room for growth. Mike King- had a September stint last season, he was injured in 2019 but has shown well ...

AL East Update: Tampa Bay Rays Pitching The Rays are looking for a strong bounce-back from Jose Alvarado and Blake Snell- yes Snell the former Cy from 2018 didn't look it last season. I know this cause I had him in Fantasy and was pumped, then I was sad when he had surgery and missed the season. Then he had another cortisone shot in his elbow and was looking to miss the start of the season. But should be fine now- thanks to the suspension. Rays and Tyler Glasnow are also talking extension- when healthy Glasnow is great on the bump and can dominate. The injuries do make the extension a little tricky. Ryan Yarbrough has is a contract renewed for 2020 as well. We have seen him be an effective piece in the pen for the Rays Hitters The Rays are looking for a strong bounce back at the plate from Mike Zunino(C) let's just say his offense was awful and you can look up those stats, but I rather not put them in. As a Mariners fan, losing Mike Z was awful. I literally saw this g...

AL East Toronto Blue Jays  5th Starter Mix/ Pitching Update So the Blue Jays a few weeks ago shut down Ryan Borucki, who you have probably never heard of. He is a valued piece in Toronto's long term plans, he had to MLB appearances last year due to elbow troubles and was expected to be the 5th starter. But at 25 and having had a stellar 2018 campaign which saw him make 17 starts to a 3.87ERA. BUT the Blue Jays have a TON of money invested in Pitching because the game values that position so heavily- they signed Ryu, Roark, Traded for Chase Anderson, Matt Shoemaker is coming back, they signed Yamaguchi out of Japan who is both an SP/RP, and Trent Thorton. What all this means to me, is that yes they have depth and they Need the 5th Starter here are some of the candidates for the rotation: Trent Thornton- who is the most likely in my opinion, Shun Yamaguchi- Who should be an RP and will be a long reliever and spot starter. Anthony Ray- in AA/AAA ball last season pitched to sub ...

2019 Rule Change Review Inning Breaks This rule changes how much time is in between innings. The change for 2019 was 2:05 down to 2:00 in local games and 2:25 down to 2:00 national competitions. However, in 2020 the commissioner's office retains the right to reduce further. What this means, the time that pitchers and players have to transition from the offensive side is much less. I see it isn't huge for fielders but more so for pitchers and catchers. For pitchers, especially if it's a long inning are sitting in the dugout longer and that 5 seconds is a new pitch or two. Which I would imagine leads to increased fatigue and possibly fewer innings for the guys throughout a total season Trade Deadline: All that happened was the waiver deadline is gone. So there is just one deadline of July 31st. Of course, teams can still claim players off of Outright Waivers, but not trades are permitted. I love this rule change because it was always so confusing as a fan to understand the w...

AL East Team: New York Yankees NL East Team: New York Mets AL East Team: New York Yankees Key Arrivals Gerrit Cole(SP)-6.91WAR Brett Gardner(LF)-4.03WAR Key Departures Didi Gregorius(SS)-0.64WAR Edwin Encarnacion(DH)- 2.08WAR Dellin Betances(RP)- 0.04WAR Austin Romine(C)- 0.89WAR Cameron Maybin(OF)- 1.46WAR 2021 Free Agents/Trade Chips Giancarlo Stanton(DH)- 29MIL Player option Masahiro Tanaka(SP) Zach Britton(RP)-13MIL Player option Brett Gardner(OF)10MIL club option James Paxton(SP)- Current injured and out at least 3month after back surgery DJ LeMahieu(2B) Key NRI to watch Adam Warren(RP)- -0.24WAR Dan Otero(RP)- 0.02WAR David Hale(RP)= 0.08WAR Incoming/Upcoming Talent Mike Ford(1B)- expect him to really compete for reps at 1B with Voit Clarke Schmidt(P) top 10 prospect- NRI Contracts Selected Miguel Yajure(P) Estevan Florial(OF) Brooks Kriske(P) Nick Nelson(P) Luis Gil(P) Luis Medina(P) Deivi Garcia(P) All of whom should be in camp and get at least a small look from the coaches Ret...

AL East Team: Tampa Bay Rays NL East Team: Washington Nationals AL East Team: Tampa Bay Rays Key Arrivals Hunter Renfroe(OF)- 2.6WAR 33HR only a 216BA  Manuel Margo(OF)-1.8WAR, 234BA, 20SB 992FLD% Yoshitomo Tsutsugo(OF/3B/1B)- 29HR, 79RBI 272BA Key Departures Avisaill Garcia(OF)-2.04WAR- 20HR 282BA Travis d’Arnaud(C)- -0.31WAR Eric Sogard(3B)- 1.9WAR Guillermo Heredia(OF)-0.31WAR Emilio Pagan(P)-2.4WAR, 2.31ERA Tommy Pham(OF)-3.7WAR 21HR 273BA Matt Duffy(3B)- 0.1WAR Jesus Aguilar(1B)- 0.1WAR 12HR 236BA 2021 Free Agents/Trade Chips Mike Zunino(C) 4.5MIl club option Key NRI to watch Kevan Smith(C)-0.56WAR Aaron Loup(RP)-0.17WAR Chris Herrmann(C)s Incoming/Upcoming Talent Shane McClanahan(P) Invited to camp Contracts Selected Ronaldo Hernandez(C) Jake Cronenworth(SS) Lucius Fox(SS) Kevin Padlo(3B) Vidal Brujan(2B) All of whom should be in camp this season. Returning from IL Jose Alvarado(P) Fantasy Impact Players Brandon Lowe(2B), Austin Meadows(OF), Hunter Renfroe(OF), Charlie M...

AL East Team: Boston Red Sox NL East Team: Philadelphia Phillies AL East Team: Boston Redsox Key Arrivals Martin Perez(SP)=0.23WAR Resigned: Mitch Moreland(1B)-1.25WAR Jose Peraza(SS)- -0.91WAR Kevin Plawecki(C)- -0.91WAR Resigned: Josh Osich(RP)- 0.45WAR Resigned: Marco Hernandez(3B)- -0.18WAR Alex Verdugo(OF)-3.1WAR 12HR 294BA Claimed: Josh Osich(P), Jonathan Araus(SS), Chris Mazza(P) Matt Hall(P)-0.4WAR, 7.71ERA, 16App, 23.1IP, 27SO Kevin Pillar(OF) Key Departures Mookie Betts(OF)-6.8WAR, 29HR, 294BA 176H Rick Porcello(SP)- 1.22WAR David Price(SP)-1.9WAR, 4.28ERA 107IP Brock Hold(IF)-1.0WAR, 297BA Jhoulys Chacin(RP)- -0.8WAR Andrew Cashner(SP)=2.5WAR Sandy Leon(C)- -0.5WAR 2021 Free Agents/Trade Chips JD Martinez(DH) Carries a Player option 19.35Mil Jackie Bradley Jr(OF) Martin Perez Carries a 6.25Mil club option Brandon Workman(CL) Mitch Moreland 3Mil Club option Key NRI to watch John Andreoli(OF) Rusney Castillo(OF)-Career 1.6WAR Trevor Hildenberger(RP)--1.3WAR Prospects in camp...