Good post. Lots of interesting fallout potential.

1) I'm glad MLB waited until after our 17-19 super team stretch to do this. Not to say that we won't have more chances to win the World Series, but not sure we'll ever have super teams like those again.

2) Agree with the points about new premiums being placed on pitching depth. How would you like to be the Yankees and you just spent $326 million on a guy to plow you through a playoff series. Now he only gets to pitch once in the first round and once in the second round (unless he goes on short rest in game 5).

EDIT: I guess part 2 of that might only apply if they continue the "no off day" approach. Mixing in some off days would mean that aces could go twice on full rest, at least in the second round.

Updated young pitcher rankings!! (previous ranking in parenthesis)

1. Jose Urquidy (3) - picking up where he left off last year (very good)
2. Framber Valdez (1) - has come back to earth a little bit after incredible start but still eating innings consistently
3. Christian Javier (2) - not sure how but he's tied w Greinke for team lead in bWAR
4. Enoli Paredes (4)
5. Blake Taylor (5) - been huge for us this year, hope he comes back strong
6. Luis Garcia (NR)
7. Cionel Perez (6)
8. Andre Scrubb (7) - been a little sloppy recently but still sports 1.47 era
9. Brandon Bielak (8)
10. Cy Sneed (9) - just when it looks like he's starting to turn the corner, he regresses
11. Josh James (10) - picking up right where he left off before injury (bad)
12. Humberto Castallanos (12)
13. Brandon Bailey (11)
14. Bryan Abreu (13)
15. Nivaldo Rodriguez (14)
16. Carlos Sanabria (15)

I've been very impressed with Perez since he came back. Looks like a different pitcher out there than he did in previous stints. He needs more high leverage situations down this stretch to see what he can do going into the post season.

Your Opinion: Who has been the biggest loss this year for the Astros?

1: Justin Verlander
2: Yordan Alvarez
3: Roberto Osuna
4: Not resigning Harris

Who has been the biggest surprise and biggest bonus this year?

cpsencik04 said:

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Your Opinion: Who has been the biggest loss this year for the Astros?

1: Justin Verlander
2: Yordan Alvarez
3: Roberto Osuna
4: Not resigning Harris

Who has been the biggest surprise and biggest bonus this year?

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This is a tough question, bc on one hand Yordan probably produces more runs for the offense, leading to some wins...but on the other hand Osuna probably saves most of the blown leads.

I don't know...JV only throws every 5th game and doesn't change the fact that few runs were scored and the BP coming in behind him doesn't suck.

And a lot of the blown leads by the BP happened before or after (for the extra innings loses) Osuna would've been in. Closer doesn't matter when the guys in front of him suck.

I'd say the biggest loss is Yordan or Harris. Yordan just lengthens the lineup so much and provides power which seems like this lineup severely lacks this year.

Biggest disappointment is easily LMJ between the blow ups and injury stint he's been passed up by Framber and Urquidy (who was decimated by COVID yet is pitching really well).

Biggest surprise is easily Framber but the young starters in general. I was really worried about the pitching depot of the system prior to this year but it's looking really good right now.

1, 2 are tied







3 and 4 are tied. But if 3 didnt happen, you get away with 4.

I agree on Lance.

he's saved the Astros some money this year (re: his future free agency after 2021)

Insert: "Thats not how any of this works gif"

JV gets my vote. He's a leader, gives us a great shot to win every 5 games, and helps the bullpen by eating up innings and pushing our #5 to the bullpen (Javier could have been an ideal long reliever for most of the season).

Here is a nice visual to capture just how injured we've been.

I would be totally fine with baseball extending the playoffs to six teams similar to what the NFL has always had.... 8 is too much though.

1st 2 seeds get a bye, Wildcard round best of three series hosted by better seed

I'm not a fan of the one game wildcard, and I would love to see more baseball in the postseason. So I think six teams would be a good compromise

Ah the good old days. I can remember 6 team divisions and you had to win it to get in. That made the regular season have meaning. Of course go back farther and only the league winners made it.

If baseball is dead set on 8 teams making the playoffs then you should expand the league to 32.

Break the NL and AL up into 2 divisions of 16.

The division winners get double byes.
The 2nd place gets single byes.
Then take the 4 best records remaining as wild cards.

The wild cards play a 1 game series to decide who plays the second-place finishers. The WC winners and 2nd place finishers play a 5 game series.

The winners then play the division winners in a full 7 game series.

This makes the regular season matter greatly, yet still lets the cinderellas in the dance.

And you expand your footprint to say Vegas, Nashville, or maybe a Mexican or another Candian team.

cpsencik04 said:

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Your Opinion: Who has been the biggest loss this year for the Astros?

1: Justin Verlander
2: Yordan Alvarez
3: Roberto Osuna
4: Not resigning Harris

Who has been the biggest surprise and biggest bonus this year?

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Initial reactions was Verlander. Seems like the obvious choice. But after thinking a bit more about the results that the Astros have had, I might have to go with Osuna.

It seems like the Astros have had an unusually high number of 1 run losses/walkoffs, etc. Not saying Osuna is directly the difference maker on those, but he pushes Pressley back to the "8th inning shutdown" guy, and maybe takes a Sneed/James out of the game.

Harris has been injured, and not putting up great numbers when he's not, so he'd fit right in the with current bullpen......

Alvarez and Verlander are huge losses of course. Some the numbers, but just as much the emotional/team aspect. Seemed the like team lost some mojo when the Verlander news broke. They seemed to get a bump when Alvarez came back, and then lost it just as quick when he went back on the IL.

I'd go 3, 1, 2, 4.

Or 8 divisions of 4 and only the winners make it. And you play each of the other 3 teams 24 times, 12 H and A and each is a 4 game set so you see the majority of a team's pitching depth.

ETA thats 72 games. Then play the other 12 teams in your conference 8 times each. Again 4 game sets H and A. That's 96 games. Now you have a 168 game season so more games but less travel with fewer series overall. And kill this inter league crap.

games played leaders after 48 games:

47 - Correa
46 - Yuli, Tucker
45 - Reddick
41 - Springer

The math checks out.

Damn he's close

Mathguy64 said:

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Ah the good old days. I can remember 6 team divisions and you had to win it to get in. That made the regular season have meaning. Of course go back farther and only the league winners made it.

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When there were only 4 divisions it was great. Those NL West championships meant something more for Houston in '80 and '86. More than those central division championships in the late 90's when we couldn't get past the Padres.

Big Al 1992 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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Ah the good old days. I can remember 6 team divisions and you had to win it to get in. That made the regular season have meaning. Of course go back farther and only the league winners made it.

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When there were only 4 divisions it was great. Those NL West championships meant something more for Houston in '80 and '86. More than those central division championships in the late 90's when we couldn't get past the Padres.

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It also meant you could win 90+ games and sit at home in October... I like that even less. Guess I'm in the minority on here, but I'm ok with more playoff teams.

Marvin said:

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Big Al 1992 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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Ah the good old days. I can remember 6 team divisions and you had to win it to get in. That made the regular season have meaning. Of course go back farther and only the league winners made it.

---

When there were only 4 divisions it was great. Those NL West championships meant something more for Houston in '80 and '86. More than those central division championships in the late 90's when we couldn't get past the Padres.

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It also meant you could win 90+ games and sit at home in October... I like that even less. Guess I'm in the minority on here, but I'm ok with more playoff teams.

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It's so much about where you draw the line. Pretty much any team that wins 90+ is good in my book, but if you select the 8th best team most years they're going to be around .500.

2019: 78-84 Rangers
2018: 80-82 Angels (if you select 2nd place teams then 78-84 Twins)
2017: 80-82 Rays, Royals, & Angels
2016: 84-78 Astros, Yankees (not too bad here)
2015: 81-81 Os
2014: 84-78 Yankees
2013: 85-77 Os, Yankees

In the last couple of years, it looks worse with the super teams winning 100+ yearly.

Then you factor in a shorter first round where anything can happen. It disincentivizes the owners from spending money and building better teams.

Why shoot for 107 wins when 85 is fine and the odds don't change all that much in a 3 game series?

Marvin said:

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Big Al 1992 said:

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Mathguy64 said:

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Ah the good old days. I can remember 6 team divisions and you had to win it to get in. That made the regular season have meaning. Of course go back farther and only the league winners made it.

---

When there were only 4 divisions it was great. Those NL West championships meant something more for Houston in '80 and '86. More than those central division championships in the late 90's when we couldn't get past the Padres.

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It also meant you could win 90+ games and sit at home in October... I like that even less. Guess I'm in the minority on here, but I'm ok with more playoff teams.

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same here. example: dusty baker's 1993 giants won 103 games and didn't make the playoffs

also, if fewer teams make the playoffs i think there would be even more of a tendency/incentive to tank til you could build a 'superteam'. every division would be 1-2 teams competing the rest trying to get the best draft picks. those playoff bound teams would be fun to watch, but a worse overall product on the field around the league.

it's the new Correa!

he wants that extension

So international players can be signed now?

What is the scale for those ratings? 60 out of what?

redline248 said:

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What is the scale for those ratings? 60 out of what?

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20-80 scale.
Here is Pedro Leon for comparison