The April Roller Coaster Ride...

Photo Credit: Anthony J Causi/NY Post

Up and Down Start Continues…

It was an uneven week to say the least. Sure, it was great to sweep the two-game series in the Bronx against the dreaded Boston Red Sox but to follow up with lackluster play in the first game of the Kansas City Royals series was disappointing. It’s easy to blame the high number of injuries for the slow start but there’s no excuse for not playing hard every game. Fortunately, the Yankees rebounded last night to beat the Royals, 6-2, behind CC Sabathia (1-0), the bullpen and a couple of dingers.

Photo Credit: Mike Stobe/Getty Images

I’ll admit it. I was one who didn’t feel the Yankees should have re-signed Sabathia this past off-season. For as much as Sabathia has meant to the Yankees over the years and his invaluable role as team leader/mentor, I thought his spot in the rotation could be improved upon. I was wrong and that’s perfectly okay. Sabathia has continued to surprise me with his late career renaissance. When he encountered the knee problems a few years ago, I didn’t think he would be able to reinvent himself as a pitcher, yet he did. I am enjoying Sabathia’s final ride and pleased he’ll do it in Pinstripes. I don’t know his post-career plans but I am hopeful the Yankees find a role for him. I am not sure he can continue to pitch like he has in his first couple of starts but there’s no doubt he’ll give his team a chance to win every time he takes the hill.  

We came into the season with such high hopes. For a few years now, we’ve looked at 2019 as the year the Yankees would arrive to capture their 28th World Series Championship. Then, player after player found his way to the now-massive Injured List and the team has struggled out of the gate. Someone asked Mike Axisa on his River Ave Blues chat yesterday how many wins this Yankees team (as currently constructed without the return of any of the men on the Injured List) could achieve and he responded with 84. He’s not wrong. You can’t lose so many superstars without an adverse impact. The big question is who would step up to take advantage of opportunity due to the missing stars.  

So far, the award for best replacement player has to be Clint Frazier. There are many who still feel that Frazier’s future lies outside of Pinstripes but I am glad to see him potentially have his breakout year. I’ve been a critic and not exactly an admirer of his social media skills. But we’re starting to see the player GM Brian Cashman saw a few years ago when he sent reliever Andrew Miller to the Cleveland Indians. In fifteen games covering 57 plate appearances, he has 4 homers, 12 RBIs, and is hitting .327/.351/.577 with a great 145 wRC+. His arm was on display last night in right field when he fired a 95 mph throw to catcher Kyle Higashioka on the third base line to nail Martin Maldonado who had tried to score after tagging up at third in the third inning. For as much as Brett Gardner has done to help the Yankees win this week, there’s no question the future of left field should reside with Frazier. When Giancarlo Stanton returns to take DH and Aaron Hicks is back in center field, it should be time for Gardy to move to the bench. Maybe Frazier is just rebuilding his stock for an inevitable trade for starting pitching but I honestly I hope not. I’d like to see him thrive in the Bronx. His time is now.  

Photo Credit: Kathy Willens/AP

While there won’t be room for him on the big league roster when Stanton and Hicks return, it’s nice to see left fielder Mike Tauchman hit a couple of home runs this week. It’s amazing that he was never able to launch one at Coors Field in his young career. I know, he was only given limited opportunities with the Rox but there’s no question his swing would have played well at 5,280 feet if he had been given more chances. With the Rockies running into their own string of injuries, I can’t help but wonder if they wished they had held onto Tauchman.  

I fully expect the Yankees to let pitcher Gio Gonzalez walk when he formally opts out of his minor league contract this weekend. While I’d prefer the experienced Gonzalez over Domingo German for the long haul, German has certainly pitched well enough to retain his spot in the rotation despite his rocky start last Thursday. I think my biggest concern in the rotation right now (aside of Luis Severino’s absence) is the performance of J.A. Happ. It’s unfortunate the Yankees do not have more time with Gonzalez to keep him available if Happ continues to struggle. I don’t see Gonzalez extending his minor league contract with the Yankees and I do not see the Yankees bringing him up only to serve as a long man out of the pen.  I think there are starting opportunities for him with other teams (like the New York Mets who just placed the great Jacob deGrom on the Injured List). He’ll get a starting gig somewhere.  So, Gio, thanks for the memories. Sorry you didn’t the chance to wear Pinstripes in Yankee Stadium but it’s probably best the Yankees didn’t need you during your short stay.

Speaking of minor league contracts, I am not sure what I think about the Yankees signing first baseman Logan Morrison to a minors deal yesterday. It’s hard to let go of his comments from the past. I know Gary Sanchez has moved on with his comments yesterday that the Home Run Derby (when LoMo questioned the choice of Sanchez over him) was two years ago. But LoMo attacked Yankee fans with his infamous “you can’t fix stupid” remark. I don’t think I am as forgiving as El Gary. I am not sure LoMo will ever get a chance to wear the Pinstripes (he has a July 1st opt-out) but if he does, he owes an apology to the Yankees fan base and to the team for his ill-advised prior comments. It’s hard to criticize LoMo for his poor 2018 with the Minnesota Twins which ended with hip surgery but he is only a season removed from 38 jacks. If he could be that guy, he would certainly be an improvement over Mike Ford as backup first baseman.  

With the impending return of Gary Sanchez in the next few days and hopefully Giancarlo Stanton by the end of the month, I am hopeful the Yankees can get on a roll. Today, the Yankees will send Masahiro Tanaka (1-1, 3.22 ERA) to the mound.  He’ll be opposed by RHP Heath Fillmyer (0-0, 9.00 ERA). Tanaka will look to erase memories of that grand slam that did him in last Sunday in the 5-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox. We keep saying it but so far the Yankees have failed to capitalize, they need to beat teams like the Royals. Handed a soft schedule to start the year, I never dreamed that we’d still be chasing a .500 mark nearly a month into the season. But all things considered, it’s nothing that a nice 10-game winning streak can’t cure.

I just saw the news that the Miami Marlins fired their hitting coach, former Yankees third baseman Mike Pagliarulo, after their game last night. I hate to say it, but I think the days are numbered for Marlins manager Don Mattingly. Despite his Yankee connections, I think Marlins CEO Derek Jeter will move to get his own guy in the dugout at some point. In my humble opinion, odds are greater Jorge Posada will be Marlins manager next year over Mattingly. It’s unfortunate because Mattingly was my favorite Yankee during his playing career, and I’ve been a fan since those days ended. To replace Pags as hitting coach, the Marlins appointed Jeff Livesey as his replacement. Livesey is son of former Yankees executive Bill Livesey. Livesey will be assisted by one-time Yankees top prospect Eric Duncan.  

Okay Yankees, we need a win today. Please bring home the “W” to even your record at 10-10. We want this, you want this. Make it happen.

As always, Go Yankees!

Sonny Gray Sucks...

Photo Credit: New York Post (Charles Wenzelberg)

Despite team win, another dismal performance by Gray…

The Yankees are winning and I am mad. 

Deeply disappointed might be a better description. Sonny Gray was supposed to be an upper rotation arm capable of delivering ace-like starts. To borrow an overused line from Brendan Kuty of NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, “Sonny was not Gray-t”. Sadly, we’re saying that after every not-so-Sonny start. 

Based on five starts this season, he averages barely more than four innings per start, and has given up 18 runs in 21 innings. Sure, he lowered his ERA with yesterday’s start if you want to call 8.27 to 7.71 an improvement. He has walked 16 batters including five more last night. 

I know that TGP’s Daniel Burch is a huge Sonny Gray fan but I can say…right now…I am not.  He has yet to deliver a start that has made me say “Wow!”. Yet, every other member in the starting rotation has. Even the Yankees’ nearly 38 year old over-weight veteran with bad knees who has already lost time on the 10-day DL has delivered impressively. 

Gray should have gotten the win in last night’s 7-4 victory over the Minnesota Twins after the Yankees had staked him to a 5-3 lead but he couldn’t get out of the fifth inning so the victory went to his replacement (Chad Green). For 14 outs, Gray threw 104 pitches with only 60 for strikes. You can’t blame this one on Gary Sanchez since it was Austin Romine behind the plate. 

For his Yankees career, Gray is 5-8 with 4.69 ERA. He has given up 84 hits and 49 runs in 86 1/3 innings. His WHIP is an unsightly 1.471. He has been nowhere near the pitcher for the Yankees that he was with the Oakland Athletics. He is starting to feel a little too Javier Vazquez-ish for my comfort. A guy who pitches great in a low pressurized environment but has the ‘deer in the headlights’ look with the bright lights of the big city. Gray would probably be an ace for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Until he can prove otherwise, he is “Sonny Gray Sucks” to me. 

Meanwhile, the two pitchers connected to the Yankees in rumors during the off-season have gotten off to tremendous starts. Patrick Corbin, a lifetime Yankees fan, is currently 4-0 with a 1.89 ERA and a miniscule 0.66 WHIP (6 walks to 48 strikeouts in 33 1/3 innings). Daniel Burch did a great piece on Corbin yesterday and the Arizona Diamondbacks lefty should be on the Yankees radar when he becomes a free agent after the season. He’s a terrific potential replacement for CC Sabathia in the rotation. Gerrit Cole, whom I would have loved to have seen as a Yankee while many scoffed, is 2-1 with 1.29 ERA. His WHIP is slightly higher than Corbin’s at 0.771 but it is still very good. Cole has only walked 8 batters while striking out 49 in 35 innings. 

Photo Credit: Associated Press (Mike Stone)

I want Gray to succeed as a Yankee. I really do. But I am getting tired of these pedestrian starts and his inability to throw strikes. His next start will be in Houston against the World Series Champions. He really needs to “man-up” and deliver like we know he can. 

Okay, I’ll let it go for now.

As for the Yankees, I am very pleased with the overall performance of the team in recent days. With Didi Gregorius playing at All-World level, the Yankees have won five consecutive games to improve their season mark to 14-9. The Boston Red Sox won yesterday to stop their three-game losing skid, but the win dropped the Toronto Blue Jays into a second place tie with the Yankees in the AL East. Both are teams trail the Red Sox by four games. The standings certainly look much better today than they did a week ago.

I hate to see the current series with the Minnesota Twins end later today. Even if the Yankees lose, they will have won three of four before jumping a plane bound for Orange County, California. I’d prefer to keep the winning streak alive as the Yankees invade So-Cal. My love for ten-game winning streaks is only five games from fruition. Of course, if the Yankees win the next four games, it will pit Sonny Gray against Charlie Morton for the tenth win. Dammit. 

Before I go, I do have to say that I think Logan Morrison really, really sucks. For him, I’ll borrow Derek Jeter’s words from his recent interview with Bryant Gumbel on HBO’s Real Sports. But unlike DJ, my use of the words is not light-hearted. Morrison is “mentally weak”. I know that the off-season was tough for all free agents, but there’s a reason it was hard for Morrison to find a job. The Tampa Bay Rays made no attempt to bring back a bat that slugged 38 home runs last year. Sure, money played into it but if Morrison was ‘all that and a bag of chips’, the Rays would have found a way to bring him back like the Kansas City Royals did in re-signing their 38 home run slugger, Mike Moustakas. Morrison’s comment about Yankees fans that “you can’t fix stupid” was actually a self-analysis on his own part. The guy’s a jerk. The Minnesota Twins are a classy organization and having such a degenerate on their roster is out of character for them. 

I have no desire to see Morrison walk off the Yankee Stadium field a winner today. So, hopefully, Jordan Montgomery and company keep the winning streak alive. As long as Didi Gregorius is in the lineup, life is good.

Go Yankees!

Looking Ahead to 2018: Potential Free Agent Offensive Additions

So we saw who the Yankees could be potentially losing via free agency this coming offseason so let’s once again look ahead to 2018 and see who the team could potentially fill those holes with. Let us first take a look at the potential offensive upgrades that the Yankees could add this coming offseason and at a later time we will look at the pitching. Keep in mind that this is all hypothetical and as it stands today, everything is subject to change in a moment’s notice.

Remember when I, and many Yankees fans, clamored so hard for Justin Upton in Yankees pinstripes? Well that didn’t happen but the beating of the drum could happen again in 2018 if the Tigers outfielder opts out of his six-year deal with Detroit with four-years and $88.5 million remaining. The Tigers are looking to rebuild and Upton has continued to produce which means even if he doesn’t get a pay raise the right-hander would get on a better team and that alone is worth its weight in gold. I don’t think the Yankees need an outfielder though so cross Upton off the list for New York.

Greg Bird is the first baseman of the future but let’s just assume that Bird isn’t healthy heading into the offseason and let’s assume the Yankees want a bit of insurance at the position for the 2018 season. It isn’t really all that far-fetched since the team signed Chris Carter this past offseason to platoon with Bird so who is to say the team won’t again in 2018? There’s many free agent first baseman expected to be available including Yonder Alonso, Lucas Duda, Logan Morrison, Mitch Moreland, Mike Napoli and Mark Reynolds to name a few. Presumably the Yankees would prefer a right-handed option to compliment Bird meaning that Reynolds, a former Yankee, and Napoli move to the front of the line. Neither are ideal, Reynolds strikes out a lot and his defense is mediocre while Napoli is aging and is more of a DH-or-bust at this point in his career, but the Yankees have been dealing with a less than ideal situation at the position all season long anyway. Could it get much worse? You could also throw Todd Frazier into the mix here although I believe the third baseman will prefer to stay on the other side of the diamond as he hits free agency this offseason.

Sticking with the first base position but looking in areas that will likely exceed what the Yankees are willing to pay you find the bats of Carlos Santana of the Cleveland Indians and Eric Hosmer of the Kansas City Royals. Santana has taken a step back in 2017 after posting 34 home runs and a 3.7 WAR in 2016 but his walk rate has been steady and his stats this season have been in line with his career norms. The problem is Santana is going to want to cash in after that strong 2016 season, even if 2017 hasn’t gone exactly according to plan, and even in a stacked free agent pool there should be plenty of money to go around for Santana. Meanwhile Hosmer is not someone who has ever really impressed me much. Sure his bat is nice and he is just 28-years old but advanced metrics show Hosmer as a very limited fielder and his -0.2 WAR in 2016, a season in which he made the All-Star team for the first time in his career, doesn’t exactly make me want to run home screaming to mom about him. Hosmer is durable and Hosmer can hit but his career wRC+ (109) is lower than Lucas Duda’s (124) who can also be had on the free agent market and if I were a betting man I’d say Duda gets significantly less than Hosmer in 2018 in terms of both years and dollars respectively.

The final player I want to showcase here is a bit of a “Get Greedy” kind of player. This player isn’t a player that the New York Yankees necessarily need but is a player that could rotate in and out of the outfield as well as the soon-to-be vacant DH position. J.D. Martinez has somehow flown under the radar for years now and that was never more evident than when the Arizona Diamondbacks acquired the outfielder from the Detroit Tigers without giving up a single blue-chip prospect. Since the start of the 2014 season only Mike Trout, Nolan Arenado and Giancarlo Stanton have put up higher slugging percentage numbers than Martinez, and keep in mind that Martinez was doing this inside Comerica Park in Detroit which is historically a pitcher’s park, yet somehow still Martinez is not what I would consider a household name. Now the teammate of another player, Paul Goldschmidt, who isn’t really a household name but should be, Martinez is gearing up to cash in on the free agent market in 2018. If anyone notices that is. If no one does notice it would behoove the Yankees to not make a run at him on a shorter term deal in my opinion to see if they could snag a great free agent option for less. Dare I say, Ninja Cashman. Martinez is not going to win you a Gold Glove out there in the outfield, hence why I said he could split time as the DH as well, and has been a bit injury prone throughout his career but he is just 30-years old and would likely only command a three-or-four year deal while having the same wRC+ (145) as Miguel Cabrera has had over the past three seasons.

Get Greedy and get Martinez if you can. If not and if the team wants a platoon and an insurance option at first base then sign a Mike Napoli and call it a day. Either way it looks like there won’t be much offensive help coming or much heavy lifting to be found in the Bronx before the 2018 season on the free agent market. Or I could be completely wrong, that’s happened more than once. 

So it Seems the Brightest Stars Flame Out First…. Or Do They?

You know what they say, the brightest starts seem to always be the ones that flame out first. Do they have to though? I bring this up because I read an article that basically asked the question of whether Major League Baseball jumped on the Yankees bandwagon a little too early and a little too fast. With the Yankees in a bit of a funk right now and with the team  falling further and further from first place I know that many are wondering if this star is about to flame out. It’s not, and it doesn’t have to.

What keeps a flame alive? Constant attention, constant hard word, constant reassurance and constant vows to keep the flame alive. Intentions are great but actions are better. This team is not about to flame out. This team will face defeat many times but it will not be defeated.

So this is a rally call. This star will never flame out. This star will continue to get better and better every day when no one thinks that it can. This star is going all the way and mornings like this morning and days like today will all be worth it in the end. We will all look back and smile as we reminisce and think that Daniel Burch kid knew what he was talking about after all.

Have a great Friday everyone and an even better weekend. Especially you, my star. Hey you. I love you. 

My Thoughts on Judge & Sanchez in the Home Run Derby

The 2017 All-Star Game Home Run Derby field is set and despite some objections from Logan Morrison there are two members of the New York Yankees that will be participating in the event, Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez. Here are my thoughts on the inclusion of both Judge and Sanchez in the event and I may even rant a little bit on Morrison too, you never know. Keep reading to find out.

Aaron Judge is leading the world right now in home runs and has each of the top four hardest hit home runs in 2017 so it makes sense why the Yankees right fielder would be invited but many, including Morrison, are wondering why Sanchez, the Yankees catcher, was chosen. My thought process is this, why not? The game is going through a youth infusion and these are the two biggest names on arguably the biggest and most recognizable franchise in Major League Baseball. You want to grow not only new fans but young fans? Showcase players like Cody Bellinger, Sanchez and Judge in the Home Run Derby. Period.

Now many worry about how the derby has seemingly messed with players swings and screwed up their routines in the second half but I am truly not worried about that happening to either of these players. Judge and Sanchez have both asked their batting practice pitcher Danilo Valiente to throw to them at the derby and both players are treating this as a glorified round of batting practice. If you’ve ever been to the stadium early enough to watch either Judge or Sanchez take batting practice you know that both put on an absolute show in the Bronx so this should be light work for the duo.

In years past I have worried about Yankees participating in the Home Run Derby, most notably Robinson Cano, but this year for whatever reason I’m not. Call it a gut feeling, call it youth winning over aggression for once or just call it a total shot in the dark but that’s my opinion and I am sticking to it.

The Home Run Derby will go down on July 10 inside Marlins Park down in Miami as a part of the All-Star Game festivities. The entire lineup includes Aaron Judge (NYY), Gary Sanchez (NYY), Miguel Sano (MIN) and Mike Moustakas (KC) for the American League while Giancarlo Stanton (MIA) looks to defend his title alongside Justin Bour (MIA), Cody Bellinger (LAD) and Charlie Blackmon (COL) for the National League.

Yankee Doodle Bland-y....

Credit:  Rich Schultz-Getty Images

Blue Jays 4, Yankees 1…

The 4th of July is a great time for America as it celebrates the birth of our country.  Sadly, the Yankees were unable to provide any fireworks as they fell quietly to the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday.  

The game marked the return of CC Sabathia. Before the game, Manager Joe Girardi was hoping for 5 or 6 innings from Sabathia.  Unfortunately, it would prove to be something comparable to me hoping for winning PowerBall numbers. In retrospect, maybe CC should have taken a rehab assignment.  

The first inning went well enough as Sabathia retired the first three batters on fly outs to center, although he had Jacoby Ellsbury running hard for several of them.  The 2nd inning saw another three up, three down pass through the Jays lineup.  So far, so good.

Then, the 3rd inning happened.  The first two batters…no problem.  Steve Pearce flied out to left and Kevin Pillar struck out swinging.  Then, with two outs, Darwin Barney walked.  A wild pitch by Sabathia moved Barney to second.  Joey Bats followed with a single to right, scoring Barney.  Russell Martin singled and Josh Donaldson walked to load the bases.  Adam Warren got up in the bullpen to begin warming up.  On a 3-2 count, Sabathia threw Ball 4, high and outside, to Justin Smoak, which scored Bautista.  Kendrys Morales stepped up and lined a single to left through the hole, which scored Martin and Donaldson.  4-0 Blue Jays and it was shower time for Sabathia.  Warren came in to record the final out but the damage was done.  63 pitches by Sabathia (39 in the 3rd inning alone) and he was clearly laboring at the end.  He finished with 3 hits and 4 runs in 2 2/3 innings, walking 3 and striking out just 1.  Sabathia (7-3) saw his season ERA inflate to 3.81.  

Credit:  Kathy Willens-AP

The Yankees’ lone highlight came in the bottom of the 4th when All-Star Aaron Judge crushed a J.A. Happ pitch 456 feet to center, a line drive, for his 28th home run of the year.  The Statcast exit velocity of the ball was measured at 118.4 mph.  One more home run and Judge will match the Yankees rookie season HR record held by Joe DiMaggio. 

Credit:  Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

From there, the Yankees could not muster any further offense against Happ or the Jays bullpen.  Happ, a 20-game winner in 2016, picked up only his 3rd win of the year with six strong innings, holding the Yankees to four hits and the lone run.  The Jays pen held the Yankees hitless for the duration of the game.  It was a nice job by the Yankees bullpen too, most notably the 4 2/3 innings of scoreless relief provided by Luis Cessa.  

The Yankees will attempt to take the series today with a win before the Jays leave town.  Tomorrow represents an off day (finally).  In their final series before the All-Star Break, the Yankees will host the Milwaukee Brewers for three games beginning Friday.  

The Yankees (44-38) slid four games behind Boston as the Red Sox beat the Texas Rangers, 11-4.  Boston's on a roll now with their sixth consecutive victory.   The Tampa Bay Rays are quietly sneaking up on the Yankees for second place as they are now just 1 1/2 games in back of the Pinstripers.  The Rays beat their former manager Joe Maddon and the Chicago Cubs yesterday, 6-5.  

It would have been great if the Yankees could have won on the birthdays of the United States and late owner George Steinbrenner but it was not meant to be.  We can only hope that the winning magic will return today.  Michael Pineda can make it happen.  

Odds & Ends…

After yesterday’s game, the Yankees dumped Chris Carter again.  It’s time for Carter to seek employment elsewhere.  In his final game for the Yankees, Carter was 0-for-2 and dropped a ball from Didi Gregorius in the 7th that was scored a hit for Joey Bats.  Fortunately for us, the Yankees decided it was time to pull the plug on Chris Carter Experiment II and have promoted first baseman Ji-Man Choi from Triple A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take his place.  In 55 games for the RailRiders, Choi, formerly of the Los Angeles Angels, hit 8 HR's and 41 RBI’s while batting .286.  Choi is not the answer but at this point, he’s better than the man he replaced.  Choi will be available for today’s game.  

Credit:  J Conrad Williams Jr-Newsday

The Yankees' decision to send Bryan Mitchell to Triple A on Tuesday rather than Luis Cessa was based on the desire for Mitchell to continue working as a starter for potential help in the rotation later in the season if necessary.  

Credit:  J Conrad Williams Jr-Newsday

Logan Morrison, shut up.  The Rays first baseman called out Gary Sanchez on Tuesday when he said the Yankees catcher did not deserve to participate in next week's Home Run Derby.  In the midst of a career season, Morrison said "I remember when I had 14 home runs (Sanchez currently has 13).  That was a month and a half ago."  Morrison was not selected for the All-Star Game and is currently one of five listed on the AL Final Vote ballot, along with Didi Gregorius and Mike Moustakas.  Even if Morrison somehow won the Final Vote, I seriously doubt that baseball fans would want to see him over Sanchez in the Home Run Derby.  Morrison can go spend next week in Tampa or Kansas City or wherever he's from while Sanchez heads for Miami.  

Have a great Wednesday!  I prefer to see this as Winnin’ Wednesday.  Let’s Go Yankees!

All-Star Game Snubs: The Offense Edition

Widespread change has come to Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game in 2017 including a reduction of roster size from 34 players to 32 players and the elimination of the game determining home-field advantage in the 2017 World Series. With the changes and the reduced number of players attending the game and representing their team and their league the amount of snubs that undoubtedly happen every season are up. Here are a few of the snubs I feel should have made the game, if I missed any or if you disagree please leave them below in the comments section. Thank you.

Kris Bryant was thought to be a shoe-in at the beginning of the season for an All-Star selection one would think, even if he was deserving it or not. The Chicago Cubs fans came out in droves last season electing seven of their own including the entire infield at the 2016 All-Star Game but this season despite strong numbers Bryant was not voted or selected to the All-Star Game. At the time the vote was announced Bryant had an OPS of .901 with 16 home runs and 53 walks. Third base is a stacked position for the NL right now but wow, leaving Kris Bryant off is a tough pill to swallow for me.

Another National League third baseman that, as of the time of the roster announcements anyway, won’t be making the trip to Miami for the 2017 All-Star Game is the Washington Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon. Rendon has a higher OPS than Bryant at .951 and has posted a 3.7 WAR already this season which leads qualified third baseman in the National League. Rendon is also Top 5 in major statistics like RBI, home runs, hits and runs.

A final National League third baseman that won’t be making the trip to Miami as of the time of the roster announcements over the weekend is the Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner. Turner’s biggest issue this season is the fact that at the time of the roster announcements the right-hander was not qualified for the National League batting title after having just 212 at-bats. If Turner were to qualify for the batting title, and assuming health he easily should, Turner would lead all NL third baseman with a 1.029 OPS and a .381 batting average.

*All three of Rendon, Bryant and Turner are on the final vote ballot just as an FYI so conceivably one, or all three, can still make the game.

One final third baseman, I promise, that I believe got snubbed comes from the American League this time and the Kansas City Royals, Mike Moustakas. Moustakas led all AL third baseman at the time of the roster announcement with 22 home runs which puts the right-hander on pace to hit more home runs in a single season than any player in Kansas City Royals history. More than George Brett, too much pine tar and all. More than anyone. Moustakas also had 78 hits and a .853 OPS at the time of the announcement which were both third best among AL third baseman this season.

Robinson Cano was leading all American League second baseman with 60 RBI and 17 home runs at the time of the roster announcement but that was not good enough to be named to the American League’s roster, not even as a reserve. Cano is having a Cano-esque season as he hasn’t been striking out, has been taking his walks, has hit for power and extra-base hits and has played a smooth second base defensively all season long. I’m not quite sure I get this one, but okay.

What if I told you that Andrelton Simmons had the second highest WAR among all American League shortstops at the time the 2017 All-Star Game rosters were announced behind only the starter for the Houston Astros, Carlos Correa. Would you believe that? Well believe it because his 3.5 WAR thus far this season makes it true. Simmons is a defensive wizard and has been an on-base machine this season but the big names of Correa, Francisco Lindor and AL Final Vote candidate Didi Gregorius will continue to outshine Simmons at least for now.

The final offensive snub of the 2017 may be Logan Morrison of the Tampa Bay Rays. Morrison is currently leading all of the American League first baseman in WAR with a 2.7 WAR. Morrison is also leading all AL first baseman in walks (47), home runs (24) and RBI (57) leading many to wonder why he wasn’t added to the roster. This one was a real head scratcher in my opinion and possibly the biggest of all the snubs.

Recap: Yankees 3, Mariners 1

Masahiro Tanaka returned to the rotation in style, holding the Mariners to just one earned over seven solid innings as the Yankees completed a sweep of their AL West rival, 3-1, today at Safeco Field.

All That Talk for Nothing: After months of facing questions about his health and effectiveness, Tanaka threw a straight-up gem in this one -- yielding just three measly hits while walking none and striking out nine. He retired the Mariners 1-2-3 in every frame but the third, more than compensating for the offense's slow afternoon.

Garrett the Great: Yesterday's eleventh-inning three-run bomb appears to have sparked something in Garrett Jones, who hit yet another go-ahead home run with the game tied in the fourth. Batting with a man on against Seattle's Taijuan Walker, Jones smoked a 2-1 fastball high into the right-field stands -- giving the Yankees the 3-1 advantage with which they would ultimately win.

Your Daily Tex Message: Mark Teixeira continued his productive series with a solo shot in the second, lifting a fly ball just past a leaping Seth Smith in right for his 16th four-bagger of the year. Teixeira now leads all major-league first basemen in that category, trailing only Nelson Cruz overall.

A Lot of Nerves: One-sided as this contest was during Tanaka's time on the mound, the Mariners did load the bases with one out in the eighth -- putting two on versus Andrew Miller when Mike Zunino walked and Rickie Weeks got hit by a pitch. Fortunetaly for the Yankees, though, Miller was able to escape the jam with a strikeout of Logan Morrison and a force-out from Austin Jackson -- keeping New York on top despite a poor performance in the inning.

Damn Injuries: The injury bug has already affected Yankees such as Tanaka, Jacoby Ellsbury and Chris Martin this season -- and it may have just claimed its next victim. Catcher Brian McCann will undergo an MRI tomorrow after exiting today's victory with soreness in his right foot, the same foot which cramped in last week's loss to the Rangers.

Next Up: The Yankees will take a much-needed off-day tomorrow, but begin a weekend set with the Angels Friday night in the Bronx. First pitch for the opener is currently scheduled for 7:05 p.m. ET, with Nathan Eovaldi (4-1, 4.40 ERA) opposing LA's Jered Weaver (4-4, 4.08 ERA).

So You Need Power on Your Fantasy Team?

The biggest thing to have and the hardest thing to find recently in fantasy baseball is power and if you struck out with it in your draft have no fear because I think I have a few players that could put some pop into your lineup and save or pad your team this season. Some may be obvious and some may be a bit of a stretch but if you’re still reading this after reading just the headline it’s obvious you need some sort of advice and help and are likely to try anything if it works. With that said let’s take a look at a few players that could add some home runs to your totals and are likely on your waiver wire or the free agent market in your league.

Kyle Blanks of the Texas Rangers is a player I wanted the Yankees to pick up a couple seasons ago when they went from #TooManyDamnHRs to #CanWeScoreOneRun in a matter of months. Blanks is up with the Rangers right now while Mitch Moreland is injured and has shown tremendous power in his limited sample size. Blanks already has three home runs and a .719 slugging percentage in 32 at bats.

Logan Morrison of the Seattle Mariners is finally healthy and has hit .360 with three home runs, two doubles and a triple this week. Buy the hot start and sell high in June or July. Same can be said for the new Braves third baseman Kelly Johnson. Johnson has six home runs and 17 RBI this season in only 68 at bats replacing the injured Chris Johnson in Atlanta. Buy now, milk his production and sell him later as he can play three positions in fantasy baseball, third base, first base and now left field. One last hot hand right now is the Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner who hit three home runs in the span of four games. While Turner is only eligible at third base as far as fantasy goes he plays all over the diamond in Los Angeles giving Don Mattingly plenty of opportunities to give him at bats.

Carlos Perez is the new catcher in Los Angeles with the Angels right now and while it’s hard to project his MLB numbers his .361/.418/.714 in Triple-A is encouraging. Speaking of catchers hard to project Jarrod Saltalamacchia was recently picked up by the Arizona Diamondbacks and seems destined to get called up to the major leagues relatively soon looking to go from a pitching friendly Marlins Park to a more hitter friendly park in Arizona. The final player on the list is Astros outfielder Preston Tucker who is filling in for George Springer. Tucker hit 10 home runs with 32 RBI in 21 games in Triple-A and looks primed to hit more than a few out of Minute Maid Park this season.

Tanaka's Complete Game Leads Yankees to Second Straight Win Over Mariners

Going into tonight's middle game in Seattle, it was already known that Masahiro Tanaka is the Yankees ace.

The Japanese rookie, 9-1 with a 2.02 ERA in his first 12 major league starts, had already won three outings in a row, never giving up more than one earned run.

Tonight, that hot streak almost continued, with Tanaka surrendering just two earned trips around the bases over a full 9 innings as the Yanks beat the Mariners 4-2. 

Over the contest's first three frames, Tanaka didn't strike anyone out, although he was perfect, not giving up a base runner/hit until one out in the bottom of the fourth. 

In that AB, #19 did allow a pair of singles, something that didn't end up effecting his final line, as the 25-year-old got Logan Morrison swinging to end the threat.

From then until the bottom of the eighth, Tanaka became unhittable, retiring 8 hitters in a row while recording 6 of his 11 strikeouts.

In the ninth, the youngster did run into a little bit of trouble (surrendering a two-run home run to Robinson Cano), but overall, he was still pretty dominant, winning his 10th game of the year while also keeping his league-best ERA at a nice, 2.02.

Backing up the $155 million man on offense was the always solid Jacoby Ellsbury and Mark Teixeira, who collected the team's only big hits off Chris Young (5 IP, 4 ER) in the third and fifth.

To start off the night of scoring, Ellsbury singled in Brian Roberts (extending his current hitting streak to 15 games), followed later by a wall-scraping, three-run home run from Teixeira, making the contest somewhat of a runaway. 

Those two knocks were the Pinstripes' only with RISP in eight chances, although that probably shouldn't matter, as the team did still score 4 times in the series-clinching W.

Marlins Still Selling

The Marlins fire sale may not be over, as Joe Capozzi tweeted that the Marlins are expected to trade Ricky Nolasco and are shopping Logan Morrison.

The rumor is that the Yankees are interested in Nolasco, which sounds good when you consider that he only has 1 year remaining on his contract, however the numbers don't excite me. Ricky had an ERA of 4.48 last season, which was his best single season ERA since 2008. And his strikeout rate has dropped in each of the last 3 years from a career best 9.5 K/9 down to 5.9 K/9 in 2012. 

If there's anything to like about Ricky Nolasco it's his durability. He's missed four starts in 2010 due to needing knee surgery at the end of the season, but has thrown 185+ innings in four of the last five years. So while the Yanks could lean on him to eat innings, that's the only thing he seems to be good for. And at $11.5 million, plus the cost to trade for him, I don't think he's worth it.

The guy Capozzi tweeted about that piques my interest is Logan Morrison. Logan hasn't wowed anybody the past couple of seasons posting lines of .247/.330/.468 in 2011 and .230/.308/.399 in 2010, including missing the last 62 games of the past season due to needing knee surgery. However, Morrison did show some power hitting 23 home runs in 2011, and is only 25 years old. Having BABIPs of .265 and .248 in 2011 and 2012 tell me that he may have been unlucky too.

Logan Morrison isn't eligible for free agency until 2017, so that could keep the price for him up a bit, but thanks to the injury and sub-par seasons he may be a good trade target for New York.