CheezWizHed

MLB system rating had us as the #3 system right now (#2 based on top 100 prospects alone). That is with Wiemer and Mitchell removed. I also find it hilarious that the last time we had so many top 100 ranked MiLB players (headlined by Lewis Brinson)... a bunch were traded for Yelich and almost none of them turned out at the MLB level. This certainly feels different. https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-2023-midseason-system-rankings I did note however... that 4 of our top 5 (and all position players) are under 6'0"...interesting. Have we found a market inefficiency as other teams focus on taller players?

Sure, there is a clear gap between the Dodgers/Braves and the rest of the league. But all it takes is a hot streak (or cold streak on the Dodger's behalf) to have surprise endings. I mean how often does the most likely team win the WS anyway?

I mean it was clearly what CC should've done...

I'd almost be tempted to walk Hernandez....

Make him look foolish one pitch... groove the next one for a double. That is Houser...

When Houser is on, it is a thing of beauty, but he always seems like he is right on the edge of disaster (or sometimes over the line).

Maybe you are in the wrong cults? 😂

Oh, it is interesting stuff... sometimes comical... I've seen a couple times where the old "I was hanging out with my buddy <insert name> and they told me all these private plans and things that I will now share on the internet" and I have to wonder... if what were actually true, how long with that person be friends with that person? If I suddenly shared all my company's plans and secrets on the internet, I'd be quickly fired.

Both Black and Chourio have far too great a chance of starting next year at AAA for them to be added to the 40-man roster now. When they force the club's hand at playing they will be added, but not before. Less of a problem for people that probably aren't longer term prospects - Huira or Dorrian

Superficially, Contreras has still been very good since the start of July--better than earlier in the season, in fact. He's hitting .324/.389/.500 over that span. Some of that production has merely been a matter of picking on bad pitchers in blowouts, though. In reality, he's making less frequent high-quality contact, and in addition to his expected statistics being much less pretty than his actual ones, he's running a negative Win Probability Added during this month and a half. A functional playoff-caliber offense can't get so little meaningful production from a vital player. The Crew's young slugger has to lock in on something that will allow him to actually slug. Feels like this paragraph needs more explanation. You state he is making less frequent quality contact while slugging 500 with an ISO if .176 ( a tick below his career average (.193), but still raising his season ISO (.169)). Would be nice to see the details on the advance stats you are mentioning to back up your hypothesis.

A little bit older of a movie (2010), but my wife and I watched "Knight and Day". A pretty smart RomCom that is pretty fast moving. With Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, it feels like Mission Impossible crossed with the better parts of Charlie's Angels (the movie). Going further back to 2003... "The Rundown" with The Rock, Seann William Scott, Christopher Walken and Rosario Dawson. Felt a lot like Rock's version of Jumanji, but less smolder. Almost Paradise put out another season on Amazon Prime. If you are a Christian Kane fan (The Librarian series or Leverage), it is a light hearted, feel good cop series set in the Philippians. Nothing earth shattering or new... just a feel-good, easy to watch and unwind type show.

Looked like the throw was behind Kraft and as he tried to go back (or slow/stop), the DB came in with all the momentum. Kraft really didn't have much chance there. Purely a QB error, IMO.

Doh! Good call. Not sure what I was thinking on his contract. But yeah, the cap hit makes him a lock for the roster. Just because the Bears signed him doesn't mean he stays on the team. But I'm guessing there will be several block-first TEs available when cuts are made. Some other notable good games: Clifford - Two INTs, but confident, moved well, decent arm. The game is certainly not too big for him. Valentine - Lots of tight coverages. Opportunistic INT, but still has to catch it. Wicks -Some good moves and speed. Reed - Very calm receiving kicks. Getting behind the defense. Musgrave - I saw him driving a block up through the OL. One time, but nice to see. Heath - doesn't move like a "big WR" He has some wiggle. Carlson - Had a nice start before missing two Xtra-Pts. One snap was shaky. I'm also curious about who was holding on his misses... Jean-Charles - Lot of good coverages out there. Sticky in coverage. E Wilson - Surprise best RB of the day. Good size/speed combo. Nice cuts and burst. Could be a darkhorse candidate for 3rd RB.

Well that aged badly... Sorry to jinx you Davis. It wouldn't surprise me to see a blocking-focused TE picked up on waivers rather than another position. That increases the chances of other other ST only type players (Leavitt, Wilson), but this puts them really short on TE blocking. Speaking of Wilson... well, not the LB, but the RB. 31 was impressive out there last night. Nice vision, cuts, and speed. And not a small back either. Taylor outplayed Goodson also.

Energy storage is the key to what we are talking about. Gas is a natural "storage" device. Electric takes batteries; Hydrogen takes fuel cells. The main EV problem is the scalability of electric (on the grid) and battery manufacturing. Oil drilling isn't great for the environment, but it has less impact being underground. Digging out ore tends to be more strip mining. I've long been a hydrogen supporter as the cycle is theoretically cleaner (production of hydrogen being the only issue - clean supply + clean "exhaust"). There is no reason why you can't produce hydrogen at your house either. But even if people don't want that, fueling it at a service station is still a legit possibility. I can't see charging a vehicle in minutes... that is a LOT of current you are talking about. As was said above, it seems fairly easy to turn public transportation - planes, trains, and busses into hydrogen driven opportunities.

Newman looked good (for a rookie) the first year, but he certainly couldn't pick up a stunt to save his life... I had hopes that was a rookie thing and he'd get stronger and smarter, but it certainly seemed like he is stuck in neutral. Only highlights I've seen of him so far is of someone running him over.

I wanted to get this out prior to the preseason games just to get the discussion going. Obviously, players splashing or flopping on the field will effect the fringe players, but that is the fun in discussing them. 🙂 QB (2) - Love and Clifford (McGough/or waiver pickup on PS) - Easy prediction after the Packers cut Etling. I still think a vet QB would help Love more than Clifford, but it is pretty clear what is happening here. None. Curveball option: I wonder if Carson Wentz or Matt Ryan might consider signing to the PS to act as a player/coach for Love? If either is considering coaching at the next level, but want to stay in shape for a potential QB injury opening this year, it might not be a bad option. RB (3) - Jones and Dillon are locks. Bubble: Goodson, Taylor, Nichols ( and others). What I want is Goodson. I think he has a lot of upside and could be a starter. Publicly, the Packers are leaning towards Taylor due to ST. Still Taylor to the PS makes more sense since no one is going to claim him (and we can still promote him to the gameday roster). Goodson might get nabbed on waivers. WR (5) - Watson, Doubs, Reed, Wicks, Toure are locks Bubble: Melton, Heath and Dubose (some others more remotely). Seems like they have a bunch of WRs with similar upside on the bubble (though dissimilar skillsets). With the expected higher usage of TEs and RBs, I tend to think we keep 5 and work with whomever isn't claimed of the three on the PS. TE (4) - Musgrave, Kraft, Davis, Deguara - Another spot that is pretty clear. Davis sticks around because he knows how to block and for ST. Thus no one is really on the bubble, so I think this only changes via injury or a waiver claim opportunity. Bubble: None. OL (10) - Bahk, Jenkins, Myers, Runyan, Tom, Nijman, Newman - First 6 are easy. I begrudgingly add Newman as a lock due to lack of competition at G, but he still doesn't look like he improved since his rookie year. Hansen, Rhyan, Jones, Walker, Tenuta (and others) - I tend to think Ryan, Jones and Walker win out the last three spots. I'm personally hoping Tom takes the starting C spot. But even if he doesn't, I'm guessing he is the top backup. Hansen has not improved the last couple years. I'm hoping there is a UDFA C/G that shows some upside to stow on the PS. DL (6): Clark, Wyatt, Slaton, Brooks, and Wooden are locks Bubble: Ford and Slayton (and misc others). Ford is the most likely, but Slayton splashed in pre-season last year. Ford is probably competing against other positions (i.e. OLB or S) for his spot. Time to show if he can hold the middle as his best trait is being a large person and they don't make many of them that big. I predict Ford makes it due to lack of experience on the line. OLB (5): Gary, Van Ness, Enagbare are the locks here. I know, I know... I didn't list Preston Smith. I'm going to be controversial here. Bubble: P-Smith, Cox, Hollins - Hollins most likely makes it for intangibles (i.e. leadership), but low upside as a player. Cox has the upside of a starter. Smith: strike one = Gary returning; strike two = age and contract status of a FA next year. If LVN, Cox, and Hollins all look good in preseason, I think it will be strike 3 and I'd explore what we could get for him in a trade. I predict Cox and Hollins make it. ILB (5): Campbell, Walker, McDuffie are the locks. Pretty easy. Bubble: Carpenter and Wilson are on the bubble. Both TC and Wilson are special teams guys. Carpenter has more upside and raw potential. ILB is a good spot for ST experts so might as well keep both. CB (5): Alexander, Douglas, Stokes, Nixon - Again, pretty easy. Only question is if Stokes is healthy. Bubble: Valentine, Ballentine, Gaines - Gaines seems to have some play as a slot CB, but otherwise a S. If Stokes is healthy, I see Valentine making it alone. If not, V and B (alentine) both make it. Several others will be on the PS no doubt. S (5): Savage - I'll explain why I have so few locks, but Savage is the only one not really questioned as a starter (sadly). Ford, Moore, Owens, Johnson, Leavitt - The easy button is to simply take all three of Ford, Moore, and Owens at safety plus Leavitt for ST. But I'm guessing that whomever ends up at the #4 safety (of Ford, Moore, and Owens) would prefer to play elsewhere. And personally, I wasn't impressed by Leavitt at all... But since the Packers seem to like him, Savage, two of Ford/Moore/Owens, Johnson and Leavitt is how I see it. ST (3): Orzech, Carlson - Despite all the print on his TC stats, Carlson has really only had one bad day and has been good otherwise; including a nice job at Family night with a large crowd and bright lights. They paid for Orzech... it is his to lose. O'Donnell vs Whelan - Interesting and unexpected development. Seems like the rookie has a leg, so the question is if he can hold for kicks. If someone's punter goes down in TC, don't be surprised to see O'Donnell traded (or perhaps even cut) to save the $1.5M cap hit. The rookie's leg might be worth developing regardless. Prediction: 24 offensive players, 26 defensive players and 3 ST. Especially this year, I have a tendency to prioritize upside and starters over ST. The team obviously likes their ST players, but if we think this is a reboot year, it might be work developing talent instead. Though I was able to keep Wilson and Leavitt and justify losing Taylor (to the PS again) while keeping some upside guys in Johnson, Jonathan Ford, Cox, and Carpenter. What happens as WR might impact what we can keep at DL, OLB, ILB, and S however. If someone on the bubble really starts to stand out, that might challenge the offensive/defensive numbers.

Neither did the game... 😟

Why on earth shouldn't she be?

I just find all this confusing on where it is headed. Kind of seems like the BIG10 has lost its identity... Yes, all driven by money, but what are we now? Is the BIGX (Let's face it... we need to drop the "10") and SEC just going to become the AFC/NFC of college football?

Mitchell worries me because his whole career has been injury prone.

Sorry, I misunderstood your Q; thinking you were referring to someone posting that here.

Not unless he is here with a new user name. High Heat was banned for breaking forum rules at least a year before the migration to brewerfanatic.com.

My thoughts exactly. No one to challenge the connections or show errors when his random predictions don't come true.

Oh, he could be... but of course, those people tend to be in the HOF too. 😉 I do wonder what might happen this offseason with Adames given his poor offensive year...