Every Team’s 2017 Regular Season MVP… Because Why Not?

Boston Red Sox: Chris Sale

New York Yankees: Aaron Judge

Baltimore Orioles: Jonathan Schoop

Tampa Bay Rays: Steven Souza Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays: Justin Smoak

Cleveland Indians: Corey Kluber (could have been one of many players though)

Minnesota Twins: Brian Dozier

Detroit Tigers: Michael Fulmer, because Justin Upton was traded

Kansas City Royals: Eric Hosmer

Chicago White Sox: Jose Abreu

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Mike Trout

Texas Rangers: Elvis Andrus

Houston Astros: Jose Altuve

Seattle Mariners: Nelson Cruz

Oakland Athletics: Khris Davis

New York Mets: Jacob deGrom

Washington Nationals: Anthony Rendon

Atlanta Braves: Freddie Freeman, as a first baseman or a third baseman.

Miami Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton

Philadelphia Phillies: Aaron Nola

Chicago Cubs: Kris Bryant

Milwaukee Brewers: Eric Thames because I feel bad giving it to Travis Shaw for half a season

Pittsburgh Pirates: Andrew McCutchen

St. Louis Cardinals: Tommy Pham, potential Rookie of the Year if it weren’t for Cody Bellinger

Cincinnati Reds: Joey Votto

Los Angeles Dodgers: Cody Bellinger

San Francisco Giants: Buster Posey

Arizona Diamondbacks: Paul Goldschmidt

San Diego Padres: Brad Hand, because who else would it be?

Colorado Rockies: Charlie Blackmon

Leave your thoughts, gripes and disagreements below in the comments section. This was all for fun though, treat is as such. Thank you in advance!

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.

Fantasy Baseball: The Outfield

You know the hardest thing about fantasy baseball, well besides the daily grind of changing lineups and scouring the waiver wire at any second of any day to get that one guy that may or may not put you over the hump, is draft day. Draft day can make or break you if you draft too early or don’t do your research. I’ve seen people draft guys who got injured a day later or the day before and had to miss the entire season and I’ve seen guys just simply pass on great talents, not even sleeper picks, because they didn’t know or see. This can especially be tough in the outfield because you need three starting outfielders and at least one guy on the bench, usually two or more, but have no fear for I am here to help. I hope to anyway.

If you don’t get one of Mike Trout or Mookie Betts then you may be in a predicament this season and chances are that you will get neither. Following those two, in no real particular order because each player brings something different to the table so it depends on your needs, are Bryce Harper of the Nationals, Charlie Blackmon of the Rockies, Trea Turner of the Nationals (who is also eligible in the infield), Starling Marte of the Pirates, A.J. Pollock of the Diamondbacks, George Springer of the Astros, Giancarlo Stanton of the Marlins, Nelson Cruz of the Rangers, J.D. Martinez of the Tigers, Gregory Polanco of the Pirates, Yoenis Cespedes of the Mets, Billy Hamilton of the Reds and Carlos Gonzalez of the Rockies.

It is also worth keeping in mind that Ian Desmond is eligible at multiple positions including the outfield but will miss the beginning of the season with a broken hand. If your team is pretty well stacked and you feel you can wait a month or so on him and Desmond is there towards the end of the draft I don’t see why you shouldn’t pick him. You can always place him on the waiver wire later if a better fit arose. Take a chance. Chances can win you a league but it can also lose you a league but the eternal optimist in me always leans towards my genius plan unfolding where I win the league… so let’s go with that.

My sleeper pick is going to be David Peralta of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Peralta missed much of the 2016 season after a wrist injury limited him to just 48 games but his 2015 season was strong, especially against a right-handed pitcher. If you can afford a platoon and can afford to take a chance on a player coming back from an injury then Peralta will likely be a strong candidate for your team. Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo seems against the idea of platooning Peralta so he should get the at-bats to put up decent numbers, especially for a guy who can be taken anywhere from the 15^th round or later. 

So there you have it, a few suggestions for your fantasy baseball draft when it comes to outfielders. I hope this information helps in some way. Enjoy, bookmark and tell your friends. 

Fantasy Baseball: Who are the Colorado Rockies?

We’re about 30 days or so away from pitchers and catchers reporting to their various teams spring training camps which means we are about 30 days away from Fantasy Baseball season and your Fantasy Baseball draft. I personally like to do the draft a little closer to April so you know when you’re drafting who is injured, who looks like they are going to make the team and who is going to find themselves without a club to start the season but that’s just me and to each their own. With this in mind this is why I find myself starting earlier and earlier on my draft preparations and Fantasy Baseball advice blog posts, a blog post like the one below covering the Colorado Rockies.

In this post we won’t cover Nolan Arenado, Charlie Blackmon, D.J. LeMahieu or Carlos Gonzalez as they are primetime Fantasy Baseball players but we will cover a few sleepers and a few players that can bring you home a league championship. Players like the recently acquired Gerardo Parra, the multiple position eligible power hitting Mark Reynolds and Jose Reyes.

Parra landed a nice deal with Colorado after having a career season with the Milwaukee Brewers and Baltimore Orioles in 2015. Parra posted career highs in batting average, .291, home runs, 14, and runs scored with 83 and those numbers should improve in the thin air inside Coors Field. Another hitter who should see vast improvements in his power numbers is Reynolds who is your stereotypical home run or nothing type hitter. Reynolds, who is eligible at first base and third base, is going to strike out 200 times a season and is going is hit about .230 with marginal defense at both positions but he has true 20-30 home run power, especially in Coors Field, over the course of a season.

Reyes did not seem very comfortable nor very happy in Colorado last season after his trade from the Toronto Blue Jays. Now he’s facing a potential suspension from his arrest on domestic violence charges and could be one of the first to be suspended under MLB’s domestic violence policy. What does this mean for you? Reyes may go down to the final round or two in your draft, especially if you draft before the suspensions are announced. Even in a down year he could provide true value for a shortstop or second baseman, especially with your last pick or two. If his suspension is lengthy you can always place him on the waiver wire without losing much from your core squad but if the suspension is, say, 25 games you could get the steal of your 2016 Draft.

That’s all I’ve got for now, I hope this helps you dominate the later rounds of your draft. Enjoy and good luck. 

ICYMI: Will the Yankees Ever Allow Facial Hair?

Will the New York Yankees ever end their policy that keeps players from having anything more than a neatly kept mustache? I sure hope not. Looking through the Yankees Photo Day pictures I kind of enjoy not seeing the Jayson Werth’s, the Danny Espinosa’s and the Charlie Blackmon’s of the league. Straight off the top of my head I can only remember Jared Burton, the reliever from the Twins that is over on a minor league deal, having any facial hair on the team this season other than maybe a five o’clock shadow. This is one of those trends that started in the 1970’s and has made a comeback with the “idiots” from the Boston Red Sox in the mid- 2000’s.

Little known fact that facial hair was considered to be “ungentlemanly” in Major League Baseball up until the 1973 season when Reggie Jackson came to the Oakland Athletics spring training camp with a mustache. The A’s owner Charlie Finley did not want Jackson to stand out so he paid each of his players $300 for growing a mustache that season and the 70’s exploded with facial hair in the game. That explosion is back and it’s as disgusting as ever. I’m not a facial hair hater, I tend to only shave once or twice a week and I have at least a five o’clock shadow every single day, but I think some of these beards have gotten out of hand and they are generally unattractive.

This is not Duck Dynasty, this is Major League Baseball, start acting like it. 

Will the Yankees Ever Allow Facial Hair?

Will the New York Yankees ever end their policy that keeps players from having anything more than a neatly kept mustache? I sure hope not. Looking through the Yankees Photo Day pictures I kind of enjoy not seeing the Jayson Werth’s, the Danny Espinosa’s and the Charlie Blackmon’s of the league. Straight off the top of my head I can only remember Jared Burton, the reliever from the Twins that is over on a minor league deal, having any facial hair on the team this season other than maybe a five o’clock shadow. This is one of those trends that started in the 1970’s and has made a comeback with the “idiots” from the Boston Red Sox in the mid- 2000’s.

Little known fact that facial hair was considered to be “ungentlemanly” in Major League Baseball up until the 1973 season when Reggie Jackson came to the Oakland Athletics spring training camp with a mustache. The A’s owner Charlie Finley did not want Jackson to stand out so he paid each of his players $300 for growing a mustache that season and the 70’s exploded with facial hair in the game. That explosion is back and it’s as disgusting as ever. I’m not a facial hair hater, I tend to only shave once or twice a week and I have at least a five o’clock shadow every single day, but I think some of these beards have gotten out of hand and they are generally unattractive.

This is not Duck Dynasty, this is Major League Baseball, start acting like it.