Hall of Fame Tracker – Catchers

In this investigation, we will rank Hall of Famers, future eligible Hall of Famers, and active players at each respective position through generating a formula that captures how talented a particular player is relative to the other best players in that specific era. 

Numerous conditions will be in effect:

• HOF members who played solely in the NL (Negro Leagues) will be excluded from the comprehensive rankings because it would be illogical/imprecise to compare numbers from one league (NL) to another (MLB)

• PED/Steroid users Javy Lopez, Jim Leyritz, and Benito Santiago will be excluded from the 5 year interval averages (which will be explained below)

• Player must have played at least 5000 innings at primary position in order to be eligible for the list
• Player must have amassed at least 4000 career PA in order to be eligible for the list
• If a player is no longer eligible for the list (was not voted into the HOF), he will be excluded

• When a player accumulates less than 150 PA in a season, stats from that year will be excluded.
• If a player registers less than 250 PA in his penultimate season, offensive stats from that year will be factored out so long as he accrues less than 250 PA in his final season (in which case stats from that year would also be ruled out)

• When a player plays less than 300 innings at his primary position, stats from that year will be excluded.
• If a player plays less than 500 innings at his primary position in his 5th to last season (of playing his primary position – in this case catcher), defensive stats from that year will be factored out so long as he accrues less than 500 innings in each of his final 4 seasons (in which case stats from those years would also be ruled out)

• If a player plays less than 10% of their games at a secondary position, the defensive stats he accumulated at that position will be unaccounted for
• If a player qualifies for a secondary position, their stats (during a particular season) at that position will never be excluded (even if they play less than 300 innings at that secondary position)
• Under the circumstances that a player’s secondary position is the OF — and the OF position he played is not listed — the positional adjustments (see below) for the 3 OF spots will be averaged

• If a player plays his last year before 2002, TZ will be used as the fielding metric
• If a player plays his first year after 2001, Fielding Value (which is based on UZR and can be found on FanGraphs) will be used (a player’s UZR at secondary positions will be subtracted from his overall Fielding Value)
• If a player plays his first year before 2002 and his last year after 2001, Fielding Value (based on TZ before 2002) will be used (once again, a player’s TZ and/or UZR at secondary positions will be subtracted from his all-encompassing Fielding Value)

The following positional adjustments will be instituted (using FanGraphs’ Positional Adjustment tool as a basis tool) in regards to secondary positions:

• DH: -2.5 (per 162 games)
• 1B: +1 
• LF and RF: +2.5
• CF, 2B, and 3B: +5
• SS: +7.5
• C: +10

To view the “Hall of Fame Tracker – Catcher” spreadsheet (which I highly recommended viewing), click here

The equation used to calculate a player’s FINAL HOF SCORE (blue cells in spreadsheet) incorporates the following:

• OFF-DEF Score – compares Player A’s AVG, OBP, HR, RBI, SB, and TZ/UZR/FIELDING VALUE to the ^average of a top 10 player in each category (in 5 year intervals) for the duration in which Player A played, plus any regular season MVPs, World Series MVPs, and/or AL/NLCS MVPs Player A won

^ = the averages (which are outlined in the left side of the spreadsheet) are calculated within 5 year intervals (the first one being 1880 – 1884 and the most recent one being 2015 – Present — 2019 will be the 5th year of the latter interval) 

• Preliminary HOF Score – Player A’s OFF-DEF Score * (0.01 * PA)

• Adjusted HOF Score – Player A’s Preliminary HOF Score / (&Average Preliminary HOF Score / &Average fWAR)

& = the average of all the catchers that are in the HOF (who played in the MLB)

• Final HOF Score – (Player A’s Adjusted HOF Score + Player A’s fWAR) / 2

Here are the Final HOF Score rankings (KEY: Italicic = in the HOF; Bold = active player; Italic and Bold = retired player who is HOF eligible)

No.	Player Name	Primary/Current Team	Final HOF Score
1	Johnny Bench	Cincinnati Reds	81.5
2	Ivan Rodriguez	Texas Rangers	76.1
3	Yogi Berra	New York Yankees	75.5
4	Gary Carter	Montreal Expos	60.4
5	Carlton Fisk	Chicago White Sox	59.6
6	Gabby Hartnett	Chicago Cubs	56.3
7	Bill Dickey	New York Yankees	55.6
8	Mike Piazza	New York Mets	52.9
9	Mickey Cochrane	Philadelphia Athletics	48.3
10	Joe Mauer	Minnesota Twins	46.6
11	Roy Campanella	Brooklyn Dodgers	45.9
12	Buck Ewing	New York Giants	42.5
13	Yadier Molina	St. Louis Cardinals	37.7
14	Ernie Lombardi	Cincinatti Reds	35.4
15	Buster Posey	San Francisco Giants	34.6
16	Russell Martin	Los Angeles Dodgers	34.2
17	Brian McCann	Atlanta Braves	34.1
18	Roger Bresnahan	New York Giants	32.9
19	Ray Schalk	Chicago White Sox	31.7
20	Victor Martinez	Cleveland Indians	30.6
21	Rick Ferrell	Boston Red Sox	23.6
22	A.J. Pierzynski	Chicago White Sox	22.9
23	Jonathan Lucroy	Los Angeles Angels	20.3
24	Matt Wieters	St. Louis Cardinals	18.4
25	Kurt Suzuki	Washington Nationals	18.2
26	Chris Iannetta	Colorado Rockies	14.8

1. Johnny Bench, Cincinnati Reds 

Photo: Baseball Hall of Fame

• Career Duration: 1967 – 1983
• Induction Year: 1989
• Stats (factoring out excluded offensive and/or defensive seasons (except for TZ/UZR/FIELDING VALUE at secondary position[s] for all players when pertinent)
  • PA: 8576
  • AVG: .268
  • OBP: .343
  • HR: 388
  • RBI: 1370
  • SB: 68
  • TZ at primary position: 97
  • MVPs: 2
  • WS MVPs: 1
  • Final HOF Score: 81.5
    • fWAR: 75.2
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 87.9

2. Ivan Rodriguez, Texas Rangers

• Career Duration: 1991 – 2011
• Induction Year: 2017
• Stats 
  • PA: 10133
  • AVG: .297
  • OBP: .335
  • HR: 308
  • RBI: 1313
  • SB: 127
  • TZ at primary position: 161.3
  • MVPs: 1
  • AL/NLCS MVPs: 1
  • Final HOF Score: 76.1
    • fWAR: 68.7
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 83.5

3. Yogi Berra, New York Yankees 

• Career Duration: 1946 – 1965
• Induction Year: 1972
• Stats
  
  • PA: 8168
  • AVG: .285
  • OBP: .348
  • HR: 348
  • RBI: 1398
  • SB: 29
  • TZ at primary position: 29
  • TZ at secondary position (LF) + positional adjustment (per 162 games): 1.1
  • MVPs: 3
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 75.5
    • fWAR: 61.8
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 89.2

4. Gary Carter, Montreal Expos

• Career Duration: 1974 – 1992
• Induction Year: 2003
• Stats
  
  • PA: 8990
  • AVG: .262
  • OBP: .335
  • HR: 323
  • RBI: 1219
  • SB: 37
  • TZ at primary position: 106
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 60.4
    • fWAR: 68.9
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 52.0

5. Carlton Fisk, Chicago White Sox

• Career Duration: 1969 – 1993
• Induction Year: 2000
• Stats
  
  • PA: 9617
  • AVG: .271
  • OBP: .343
  • HR: 370
  • RBI: 1299
  • SB: 125
  • TZ at primary position: 34
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 59.6
    • fWAR: 67.9
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 51.3

6. Gabby Hartnett, Chicago Cubs

Photo: wgntv.com

• Career Duration: 1922 – 1941
• Induction Year: 1955
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6949
  • AVG: .299
  • OBP: .373
  • HR: 229
  • RBI: 1138
  • SB: 26
  • TZ: 12
  • MVPs: 1
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 56.3
    • fWAR: 53.5
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 59.2

7. Bill Dickey, New York Yankees

• Career Duration: 1928 – 1946
• Induction Year: 1954
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6889
  • AVG: .314
  • OBP: .383
  • HR: 200
  • RBI: 1197
  • SB: 37
  • TZ: 19
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 55.6
    • fWAR: 55.3
    • Adjusted HOF: 56.0

8. Mike Piazza, New York Mets

• Career Duration: 1992 – 2007
• Induction Year: 2016
• Stats
  
  • PA: 7745
  • AVG: .309
  • OBP: .378
  • HR: 426
  • RBI: 1328
  • SB: 17
  • TZ at primary position: -36.4
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 52.9
    • fWAR: 63.7
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 42.1

9. Mickey Cochrane, Philadelphia Athletics

• Career Duration: 1925 – 1937
• Induction Year: 1947
• Stats
  
  • PA: 5902
  • AVG: .322
  • OBP: .417
  • HR: 115
  • RBI: 803
  • SB: 63
  • TZ at primary position: -2
  • MVPs: 2
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 48.3
    • fWAR: 48.2
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 48.4

10. Joe Mauer, Minnesota Twins

• Career Duration: 2004 – 2018
• Eligibility Year: 2024
• Stats
  
  • PA: 7838
  • AVG: .306
  • OBP: .388
  • HR: 137
  • RBI: 906
  • SB: 52
  • TZ at primary position: -3.6
  • TZ at secondary position (1B) + positional adjustment: 21.8
  • MVPs: 1
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 46.6
    • fWAR: 48.0
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 45.2

11. Roy Campanella, Brooklyn Dodgers

Photo: roycampanella.com

• Career Duration: 1948 – 1957
• Induction Year: 1969
• Stats
  
  • PA: 4816
  • AVG: .276
  • OBP: .360
  • HR: 242
  • RBI: 856
  • SB: 25
  • TZ at primary position: 17
  • MVPs: 3
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 45.9
    • fWAR: 38.2
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 53.6

12. Buck Ewing, New York Giants

• Career Duration: 1880 – 1897
• Induction Year: 1939
• Stats
  
  • PA: 5668
  • AVG: .304
  • OBP: .352
  • HR: 71
  • RBI: 860
  • SB: 349
  • TZ at primary position: 51
  • TZ at secondary positions (1B and OF) + positional adjustments: 18.4
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 42.5
    • fWAR: 47.7
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 37.4

13. Yadier Molina, St. Louis Cardinals

• Career Duration: 2004 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 0.282
  • AVG: .282
  • OBP: .334
  • HR: 146
  • RBI: 859
  • SB: 60
  • TZ at primary position: 82.0
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 37.7
    • fWAR: 37.9
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 37.6

14. Ernie Lombardi, Cincinnati Reds

• Career Duration: 1931 – 1947
• Induction Year: 1986
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6231
  • AVG: .306
  • OBP: .359
  • HR: 186
  • RBI: 969
  • SB: 8
  • TZ at primary position: -21
  • MVPs: 1
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 35.4
    • fWAR: 41.5
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 29.2

15. Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants

• Career Duration: 2009 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 4691
  • AVG: .306
  • OBP: .375
  • HR: 133
  • RBI: 635
  • SB: 23
  • TZ at primary position: 18.4
  • TZ at secondary position (1B) + positional adjustment: 7.1
  • MVPs: 1
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 34.6
    • fWAR: 39.1
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 30.1

16. Russell Martin, Los Angeles Dodgers

Photo: Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images

• Career Duration: 2006 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6399
  • AVG: .249
  • OBP: .349
  • HR: 185
  • RBI: 751
  • SB: 100
  • TZ at primary position: 27.4
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 34.2
    • fWAR: 37.9
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 30.6

17. Brian McCann, Atlanta Braves

• Career Duration: 2005 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6534
  • AVG: .263
  • OBP: .338
  • HR: 270
  • RBI: 714
  • SB: 25
  • TZ at primary position: 15.8
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 34.1
    • fWAR: 36.9
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 31.3

18. Roger Bresnahan, New York Giants

• Career Duration: 1897 – 1915
• Induction Year: 1945
• Stats
  
  • PA: 5231
  • AVG: .278
  • OBP: .385
  • HR: 25
  • RBI: 512
  • SB: 208
  • TZ at primary position: -1
  • TZ at secondary position (OF) + positional adjustment: 2.8
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 32.9
    • fWAR: 38.5
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 27.2

19. Ray Schalk, Chicago White Sox

• Career Duration: 1912 – 1929
• Induction Year: 1955
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6112
  • AVG: .253
  • OBP: .340
  • HR: 11
  • RBI: 583
  • SB: 174
  • TZ at primary position: 47
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 31.7
    • fWAR: 22.0
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 41.4

20. Victor Martinez, Cleveland Indians

• Career Duration: 2002 – 2018
• Eligibility Year: 2024
• Stats
  
  • PA: 8130
  • AVG: .295
  • OBP: .360
  • HR: 245
  • RBI: 1173
  • SB: 7
  • TZ at primary position: -13.7
  • TZ at secondary positions (1B and DH) + positional adjustment: -6.6
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 30.6
    • fWAR: 28.3
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 33.0

21. Rick Ferrell, Boston Red Sox

Photo: Baseball Hall of Fame

• Career Duration: 1929 – 1947
• Induction Year: 1984
• Stats
  
  • PA: 6957
  • AVG: .281
  • OBP: .378
  • HR: 28
  • RBI: 722
  • SB: 29
  • TZ: -4
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 23.6
    • fWAR: 27.2
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 20.0

22. A.J. Pierzynski, Chicago White Sox

• Career Duration: 1998 – 2016
• Eligibility Year: 2022
• Stats
  
  • PA: 7680
  • AVG: .280
  • OBP: .318
  • HR: 186
  • RBI: 894
  • SB: 14
  • TZ at primary position: -27.4
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 22.9
    • fWAR: 22.2
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 23.6

23. Jonathan Lucroy, Los Angeles Angels

• Career Duration: 2010 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 4240
  • AVG: .277
  • OBP: .337
  • HR: 100
  • RBI: 509
  • SB: 30
  • TZ at primary position: 17.8
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 20.3
    • fWAR: 22.7
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 17.9

24. Matt Wieters, St. Louis Cardinals

• Career Duration: 2009 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 4092
  • AVG: .249
  • OBP: .314
  • HR: 130
  • RBI: 501
  • SB: 8
  • TZ at primary position: 34.9
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 18.4
    • fWAR: 16.6
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 20.1

25. Kurt Suzuki, Washington Nationals

• Career Duration: 2007 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 5319
  • AVG: .258
  • OBP: .315
  • HR: 114
  • RBI: 619
  • SB: 19
  • TZ at primary position: -1.1
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 18.2
    • fWAR: 18.9
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 17.4

26. Chris Iannetta, Colorado Rockies

• Career Duration: 2006 – Present
• Stats
  
  • PA: 3996
  • AVG: .229
  • OBP: .346
  • HR: 133
  • RBI: 471
  • SB: 11
  • TZ at primary position: -16.4
  • MVPs: 0
  • WS MVPs: 0
  • Final HOF Score: 14.8
    • fWAR: 18.0
    • Adjusted HOF Score: 11.7

1. Josh Gibson, Homestead Grays

Photo: Baseball Hall of Fame

• Career Duration: 1930 – 1946
• Induction Year: 1972
• Stats
  • PA: 2119
  • HR: 113
  • RBI: 361
  • SB: 26

2. Biz Mackey, Hilldale Giants

• Career Duration: 1920 – 1947
• Induction Year: 2006
• Stats
  • PA: 3969
  • HR: 57
  • RBI: 403
  • SB: 72

3. Louis Santop, Hilldale Daisies

• Career Duration: 1911 – 1926
• Induction Year: 2006
• Stats
  • PA: 1312
  • HR: 16
  • RBI: 208
  • SB: 33

TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for March 7th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!

The Yankees pitchers threw 24 total shutouts in 1951, a club record. Allie Reynolds threw seven complete-game shutouts himself to lead the team.

And a special good morning to my beautiful, amazing wife. I love you so very much, more than I could ever put into words.

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Postseason

162 games are in the books, the field is set, and the new season is upon us. Welcome to October, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the postseason. If you tuned into the blog yesterday you saw the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians and Oakland Athletics win their respective divisions in the American League while the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros clawed their way to the Wild Card Round of the playoffs. In the National League the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers captured their respective divisions while the Washington Nationals and the Colorado Rockies will battle it out in the one-game Wild Card playoff game in the National League. Who will win the pennant? Keep reading to find out!

American League Wild Card Game

Boston Red Sox vs. Houston Astros

Anything can happen in a one-game playoff, which is why the Houston Astros, despite how much pitching they lost during this offseason, at least have a chance in this game against the Boston Red Sox. Undoubtedly the Red Sox will have Chris Sale on the mound against Justin Verlander, so I expect a low-scoring affair for much of the night. The Astros are a scrappy team, and the Red Sox have a great offense, but the battle of the bullpens may decide it. If this were a seven-game series, or even a five-game series, I’d be inclined to pick the Astros because of the state of the Red Sox bullpen, but it’s not and I think Boston will be fine. Alex Cora will do whatever it takes to win, whether that is pitching David Price or Rick Porcello in relief, or simply running Sale out there until his arm falls off. Cora will do whatever he has to in order to win, and I think at the end of the day he will.

Winner: Boston Red Sox

National League Wild Card Game

Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies

You have to wonder who the Nationals will pick to start this game. Will it be Max Scherzer or will it be Patrick Corbin? If it’s Scherzer you have to give the clear advantage, in my opinion, to the Nationals, but if the team uses Scherzer down the stretch to clinch this game at home the Rockies have a lot more of a fighting chance. At the end of the day I think the Nationals will win the game regardless, but only because I feel like they are a more complete team than the Rockies this season.

Winner: Washington Nationals

American League Division Series

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The rematch of the century, but this time the Yankees have the home field advantage. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention what I mentioned just a few paragraphs above in the AL Wild Card Game prediction. The Red Sox and their bullpen can, and in my opinion will, be exposed in a five-or-seven-game series. The Red Sox will likely have to use a starter in the AL Wild Card Game that they would prefer to start twice against the Yankees, but you can’t really plan for that and look past a team like the Astros. This will all work in the Yankees favor, but I still don’t see how this goes at least four or five games before we crown the New York Yankees the victor.

Winner: New York Yankees in five games

American League Division Series

Oakland Athletics vs. Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians have great pitching, but their bullpen is suspect, and their offense is not as high-powered as you would like. The Indians have really benefited from a weak division in the AL Central and that will never be more obvious than it will be in the ALDS against the Oakland Athletics. The Athletics have a great, young team that is only getting better, and I think the team will make easy work of the Indians in four games… and Billy Beane won’t see a single inning of it.

Winner: Oakland Athletics in four games

National League Division Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Washington Nationals

The Los Angeles Dodgers won the most games of any team in the league in 2019 and that will continue heading into the postseason. The Washington Nationals will give the Dodger their money’s worth in my opinion, pushing the series to five-games, but if Clayton Kershaw is healthy, I cannot see a way the Dodgers go out this early in the postseason. They are too talented and far too good to lose in an extended series.

Winner: Los Angeles Dodgers in five games

 National League Division Series

Atlanta Braves vs. Milwaukee Brewers

The Atlanta Braves are the new kids, literally and figuratively, on the block while the Milwaukee Brewers just grind out victories and find ways to win. If I were a betting man, I’d guess that we would see more Atlanta Braves highlights on Top Plays on Sportscenter and such than we will see the Milwaukee Brewers, yet I think it will be the Brewers that edge the Braves in four games in this series. Playing in the Midwest means a lot of casual fans don’t get to watch your games or pay attention to your team much, but the Brewers have a pretty damn good team that is stacked with talent. I can see first baseman Eric Thames having a huge 2019 season and an even bigger postseason, leading Milwaukee at least to the National League Championship Series.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers in four games

American League Championship Series

New York Yankees vs. Oakland Athletics

In a rematch of the 2018 American League Wild Card Game the New York Yankees will play host to the Oakland Athletics in the 2019 ALCS. I think these two teams are more evenly matched than most people would admit or give Oakland credit for, but I think the Yankees are a much deeper and complete team. The Athletics may push the Yankees to six games, but I can see New York clinching their first American League pennant in front of the Bronx faithful since the 2009 season.

Call me a homer if you want to, but I truly believe in this team and I TRULY believe this team can be special.

Winner: New York Yankees in six games

National League Championship Series

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Milwaukee Brewers

Classic David vs. Goliath. The Los Angeles Dodgers and their roughly $209 million payroll vs. the Milwaukee Brewers and their roughly $121 million payroll. The names on the Brewers roster will only pale in comparison to names like Clayton Kershaw, Kenley Jansen, Corey Seager, and others, but where the Brewers lack in “names” they more than make up for it in the talent department. Christian Yelich is the reigning NL MVP, Eric Thames is one or two injuries away from having a huge breakout season in 2018, guys like Jimmy Nelson, Corey Knebel, Chase Anderson and others now have Yasmani Grandal to pitch to, and guys like Ben Gamel, Josh Hader, and others can only get better in 2019 in my opinion. The Dodgers will presumably want a fight, and a fight they will get from Milwaukee. Just remember though, LA, sometimes even the most dominant fighter gets caught leaning, ask Anderson Silva, and I can totally see that happening again this year.

Winner: Milwaukee Brewers in six games

Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 World Series will include the New York Yankees and the Milwaukee Brewers. May the best team win, and good luck to both teams. Tune in tomorrow to find out the winner.

Shouldering the Arm of Discontent...

Credit: Charles Wenzelberg - The New York Post

Rotator Cuff Inflammation Derails Luis Severino for 2 Weeks…

Spring Training threw us its first curve ball yesterday with the news that ace Luis Severino was pulled from his scheduled start against the Atlanta Braves due to pain in his right shoulder. With the words made famous by former professional boxer Roberto Duran in his 1980 bout with Sugar Ray Leonard, “No Mas!”, Severino let pitching coach Larry Rothschild know that something was wrong during his pre-game bullpen session. A subsequent trip to the hospital for an MRI revealed inflammation in the rotator cuff but thankfully, knock on wood, no indications of a possible tear.  You certainly worry about high velocity guys like Sevy and concerns that ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’. Hopefully this proves to be nothing that a little rest cannot cure. 

The Yankees will shut down Sevy for two weeks. Assuming there are no further setbacks or recurrence of pain, he’ll resume throwing again around the first day of Spring (March 20th). Unfortunately, due to the injury, Severino has been scratched as the Opening Day starter. While Masahiro Tanaka is probably the sentimental favorite to start Opening Day, his history to open the regular season has not been great. In his last Opening Day start, Tanaka was dreadful. On April 2, 2017, for Manager Joe Girardi, Tanaka gave up seven runs on eight hits over 2 2/3 innings against the Tampa Bay Rays. He walked two and gave up home runs to Logan Morrison and Evan Longoria in the 7-3 loss. As Girardi probably said that day, it’s not what you want. Tanaka’s start was the shortest on Opening Day since Ron Guidry was pulled after 2 2/3 innings against the Seattle Mariners in 1983. Severino started Opening Day last year, a 6-1 victory over current teammate J.A. Happ and the Toronto Blue Jays. Personally, I’d probably roll with the new guy, James Paxton, but it would be hard to argue with Tanaka despite the lack of success the last time around for no other reason than his tenure as a Yankee.

Credit: Lynne Sladky - AP

When the news broke about Severino, many Yankee fans were immediately clamoring for the Front Office to sign free agent starter Dallas Keuchel. As much as I’d like to see Keuchel as part of the starting rotation, the truth is it will never happen. Keuchel, despite being unsigned this late in March, will still command a multi-year deal for as much as $20 million annually. He also carries draft pick compensation for the Houston Astros since he received and rejected a qualifying offer. I just don’t see the Yankees making that type of financial commitment for rotation insurance. Gio Gonzalez, as many have said, represents the most logical choice on the free agent market. After that, we’re talking about guys like “Big Game” James Shields who hasn’t seen a big game in years and has pitched like it. The Yankees could stay in-house and simply use guys like Jonathan Loaisiga, Domingo German, and, ugh, Luis Cessa. I guess I am in favor of bringing in an experienced arm so I’d take Gonzalez. The Yankees head into the season with only three of five starters healthy and ready to go. CC Sabathia is behind the other starters after his angioplasty in December and resulting late start to Camp so he’ll begin the season on the Injured List. He also has to serve the five-game suspension from last season once he’s activated. In all likelihood, the Yankees will not see either Severino or Sabathia until the latter part of April (after series against the two of the best teams in the American League, Houston and Boston). I’d rather have a proven, dependable starter that can keep the team in games to help bridge the gap to full health. Keep Loaisiga and German in limited spot starts until they prove they are ready for more. The ship with Cessa as a starter has sailed for me. I’d rather keep him in a relief role so that he is not overexposed. He becomes more hittable the second and third time through lineups as the hitters gain familiarity. I’d rather keep him as a mystery in the pen facing a minimal number of batters. 

TGP’s Daniel Burch made a very compelling argument this morning for why the Yankees should avoid Gonzalez based on his stats in American League parks. I do not dispute Daniel’s opinion even if I may not agree. For a team with aspirations to win the World Series, a little experience goes a long way. I know that Gonzalez is not going to pitch like the second coming of Max Scherzer but, conversely, he is much better than his other former Washington Nationals teammate, A.J. Cole, whom we got to know too well last season.  Inevitably, the Yankees need to prepare for the worst-case scenario. What if Sevy’s shoulder becomes more problematic than something two weeks of rest can cure? I guess with the other questions in the starting rotation, I am not ready to pin our hopes heavily upon Loaisiga and German.  Ease them in, yes. Throw them into the fire, no way. So, while I respect Daniel’s opinion, I’d rather go with the strong arm of experience. 

Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Hopefully the Yankees can avoid any further injuries in the remaining three weeks of Spring Training.  Center fielder Aaron Hicks has missed a few games with back stiffness but it does not seem too severe.  In their first nine games of the regular season, the Yankees play the Baltimore Orioles and Detroit Tigers, two teams that collectively only won eleven more games than the Yankees did last year. The Yankees need to take advantage of those teams to get off to a good start this year which means we need everyone healthy. A season is not lost in April, but as the Boston Red Sox showed last year, a great start can help propel a team to tremendous accomplishments. 

I am not sure why Aaron Judge was issued a warning by MLB for telling Manny Machado last year that he’d look good in pinstripes, but Bryce Harper can go on the radio saying, “But if you don’t think I’m not gonna call Mike Trout in 2020 to have him come to Philly, you’re crazy” without retribution. Harper’s words carry much stronger implications of tampering than Judge’s innocent words did. Hopefully, MLB, at the very least, issues the same type of warning to Harper as they did Judge.  In my mind, Harper’s words are premeditated as he has been saying for days that he intends to recruit players to come to Philadelphia to play. Judge’s comments seemed to be a random, spur of the moment thing.

Not sure what I think about Sonny Gray’s comments yesterday. In large part, I think his interview with Eno Sarris of The Athletic was taken out of context. Still, Gray was a little harsh in his words when he said the Yankees “love sliders” and added “Sliders are a great pitch. The numbers say slider is a good pitch, but you might not realize how many shitty counts you’re getting in while throwing all those sliders. They wanted me to be (Masahiro) Tanaka and I’m way different from him.” In describing his lack of command with his slider, Gray said, “When I try to throw sliders for a strike, I get around it and it’s just a shitty spinning pitch. I don’t know how people throw sliders for strikes that are still tight, good pitches. I’m at 2-0 and I’m throwing a slider, and either I’m throwing a shitty slider in the zone, or I’m yanking it into the direct and it’s 3-0 and I’m screwed either way.” Frankly, these words make me question Gray’s decisions on the mound.  He is in control of the pitches he throws.

I thought Manager Aaron Boone responded well when asked about Gray’s “shitty” comments. “We tried as best we could to try to get him to be successful,” Boone conveyed.  “I think we all kind of shared in the frustration at times. I know he was frustrated. We were. But we just tried to get him to be the best he could be and as successful as he could be.” Regarding the slider, Boone added “I don’t know if I’d characterize it as we pushed him to throw sliders. He throws a slider.”

I am glad that Sonny is a Cincinnati Red and not a New York Yankee. Some guys just aren’t made for the Pinstripes and Gray was not. I wish him the best in Cincinnati but I hope he takes the high road moving forward. It didn’t work out for him in New York. It happens. New York is not Oakland nor is it Cincinnati. The Big Apple is not for everyone. He has a clean slate in his new city to rewrite his accomplishments. Have at it. As for the past, it’s just water under the bridge.

Gray’s comments also brought around a new round of hate directed at Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild. While I may not be a big fan of Rothschild, I recognize the Yankees have great faith and trust in the man and he is recognized, right or wrong, as one of the best pitching coaches in the business.  I also know the Yankees know more about Yankee players and coaches than I do. As long as they believe in Rothschild, I will too.  As for Aaron Boone, I really believe we’ll see an improved version in 2019 now that he has a season under his belt. There is an inevitable learning curve for any first-time manager. The Yankees knew it when they made the decision to go with Boone prior to last season. To expect him to manage a game, at the beginning of his managerial career, as well as Terry Francona or even Alex Cora, who had a year as a bench coach on a World Series championship team, is foolish and set false expectations. I think Boone will be better this year as I expect he’ll be even better in 2020. Contrary to what some may believe, the Yankees can win a World Series with Aaron Boone as the manager. He is universally liked by the players, the Front Office and the Steinbrenner Family. I am probably less concerned about the last two but as long as Boone has control of the clubhouse, all is good. As they say, analytics drive decisions these days anyway. I do not feel that either Boone or Rothschild will hold this team back from achieving its destiny if the team believes it can.    

As always, Go Yankees!

Should the Yankees Sign Gio Gonzalez?

The New York Yankees lost Luis Severino for at least a few weeks to open the season after the right-hander was scratched from his spring debut with shoulder discomfort. The diagnosis was inflammation in his right rotator cuff and the cure, the Yankees hope anyway, is two weeks of rest and some anti-inflammatories. Immediately following the news, the focus shifted to whether or not the Yankees should add another pitcher, namely either Dallas Keuchel or Gio Gonzalez. While I think many are well-versed in what Keuchel brings to the table already, I think most don’t truly know what the team would be acquiring if they were to go out and sign Gonzalez on a one-year (presumably) deal. How would Gio pitch in the American League after splitting time with Washington and Milwaukee in 2018? The stats suggest that he may not fare so well for the Bronx Bombers…

First, let’s look at Gio’s career stats inside of Yankee Stadium. Gio has pitched three games inside Yankee Stadium III, all three of them starts spanning 17.2 innings pitched. Combined, Gio has allowed 13 hits and nine runs to the Yankees, all of them earned, on one home run with nine walks. Gio did strike out 16 batters for almost a batter struck out per innings pitched, but a WHIP of 1.245 and a 4.58 ERA leaves much to be desires. Sure, the sample size is small, but the sample size expands a bit when you look at what he has done in other key American League ballparks.

I	Split	W	L	ERA	G	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	SO	WHIP	SO9
	LAA-Angel Stad	3	2	4.05	6	33.1	29	16	15	3	13	30	1.260	8.1
	DET-Comerica Pk	0	2	32.40	2	5.0	16	19	18	5	3	4	3.800	7.2
	CHW-US Cellular	0	3	3.98	3	20.1	16	10	9	1	9	23	1.230	10.2
	HOU-MinuteMaidPk	1	0	3.60	2	15.0	14	6	6	0	4	16	1.200	9.6
	BOS-Fenway Pk	3	0	5.08	5	28.1	28	17	16	4	15	29	1.518	9.2
	MIN-Metrodome	0	1	21.00	1	3.0	8	7	7	1	3	5	3.667	15.0
	CLE-Progressive	4	0	1.13	6	40.0	28	6	5	2	16	39	1.100	8.8
	OAK-O.co Colis	21	15	3.73	47	277.1	244	125	115	31	138	256	1.377	8.3
	BAL-Camden Yards	2	3	3.15	7	45.2	47	18	16	5	17	31	1.401	6.1
	KCR-KauffmanStad	3	2	6.14	6	29.1	34	21	20	6	16	17	1.705	5.2
	SEA-Safeco Fld	2	2	3.48	8	44.0	41	19	17	1	27	52	1.545	10.6
	TOR-Rogers Ctr	1	3	5.70	4	23.2	20	15	15	3	11	19	1.310	7.2
	MIN-Target Field	1	1	1.50	2	12.0	7	4	2	0	6	11	1.083	8.3
	TEX-Rangers Bpk	1	2	4.29	5	21.0	26	14	10	5	7	18	1.571	7.7
	TBR-TropicanaFld	0	2	16.00	4	9.0	18	16	16	1	13	11	3.444	11.0
	NYY-Yankee Stad3	1	1	4.58	3	17.2	13	9	9	1	9	16	1.245	8.2

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Original Table

Now, you must remember that Gio did much of his damage in the American League as a much younger pitcher with the Oakland Athletics. Whether that works for him or against him at this point in his career remains to be seen, but it is worth mentioning that Gio’s first four seasons in Oakland resulted in a 38-32 record with a 3.93 ERA, 4.06 FIP, and a 1.410 WHIP. Meanwhile, in the National League, Gio posted a total of 89 wins and 65 losses with a 3.59 ERA, 3.45 FIP and 1.276 WHIP with the Nationals and Brewers. Gio was a much better pitcher in the National League and that should scare you if you are a fan of the New York Yankees signing him.

I’m not saying that Gio would get lit up in the Bronx, although he may, but I am not saying that he would be that big of an upgrade either. Remember, Gio has missed all of spring training up to date and that’s not nothing. At this point would Gio, at least until Severino returns anyway, be that much better than what the Yankees have in Jonathan Loaisiga and Domingo German? Honestly, I think not. If Severino were having a much more serious injury that we could pinpoint RIGHT NOW, like a Tommy John surgery for instance, then the argument could be made that Gio would be better over the course of a season than what the Yankees already have, but right now we just can’t do that. I wouldn’t feel comfortable even suggesting that.

In closing, stick with what we have and ride the wave. If the Severino shoulder injury becomes more serious, then you react, but right now I feel like it would be foolish to go out and get a guy like Gio, Keuchel, or anyone outside of the organization for what could amount to just a couple missed starts. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think that I am.

What say you?

All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference

Predicting the 2019 Season: The Standings

The 2018 saw three teams in the American League win at least 100 games, but on the flip side of that coin we also watched as teams like the Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and others struggled mightily to win games all season long. To have just one team win 100 games is not the most common thing in the league in recent memory, so to have three is downright special. Will we see a repeat of that here in 2019? Only time will tell, but I will do my best to predict whether they will, or they won’t, as well as what teams will make the postseason and win their respective divisions as well. Bookmark this. I have a feeling by the end of the season I will be eating a whole lot of crow with these predictions, as usual.

American League East

New York Yankees: 96-66

Boston Red Sox: 92-70

Tampa Bay Rays: 87-75

Toronto Blue Jays: 66-96

Baltimore Orioles: 59-103

I know, most will call me a homer for picking the New York Yankees to win the division. Guess what? I don’t care. Maybe I am a homer, or maybe I can just see better than most that the team has done a lot to improve themselves here in 2019, especially on the pitching side of things. Boston will undoubtedly take a step back with that bullpen and the loss of Craig Kimbrel while you cannot expect Ian Snell to repeat what he did in 2018. Not to say that the Red Sox or Rays are necessarily worse teams in 2019, but an awful lot has to go right for a team to win 90 games, 100 games, or even 108 games. There’s a certain luck factor there and that historically just doesn’t translate from year-to-year.

American League Central

Cleveland Indians: 88-76

Minnesota Twins: 82-80

Chicago White Sox: 74-88

Detroit Tigers: 72-90

Kansas City Royals: 70-92

I don’t think there are any real surprises here other than maybe the win total of the Minnesota Twins. I know the Twins lost one of their better and more consistent starters, when healthy, in Ervin Santana, but I really like the young core of guys that the Twins have. Extending a couple of their guys allows them to focus solely on the game, and that generally translates into production on the field. I think they will at least be in the conversation for the second Wild Card this season, assuming the health of their key contributors.

American League West

Oakland Athletics: 91-71

Houston Astros: 90-72

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: 81-81

Texas Rangers: 73-89

Seattle Mariners: 70-92

Kill me if you want to, but the Houston Astros lost a whole lot of pitching this offseason, Justin Verlander has to age eventually, and the Oakland Athletics are just a damn good team. I could end up with egg on my face by the end of the season, but these are my predictions regardless. Also, I love how Seattle “reinvented their roster” rather than rebuild the team. Same difference, at least according to the above.

Wild Card #1 – Boston Red Sox

Wild Card #2 – Houston Astros

National League East

Atlanta Braves: 93-69

Washington Nationals: 91-71

Philadelphia Phillies: 88-74

New York Mets: 80-82

Miami Marlins: 60-102

I truly believe that the Atlanta Braves are a much better team than they were in 2018, and here’s why. Josh Donaldson, if healthy and we all presume he will be, is a monster on a one-year deal and will provide a legitimate bat in the middle of that lineup. I also think that Brian McCann, even a shell of his former self, will help more than can be expressed or quantified with the Braves pitching staff. I expect Washington to be in the thick of things again and better than they were last year, maybe even in spite of Bryce Harper, while the Phillies “stupid money” offseason plan will fall just short.

National League Central

Milwaukee Brewers: 91-71

St. Louis Cardinals: 87-75

Chicago Cubs: 85-77

Cincinnati Reds: 81-81

Pittsburgh Pirates: 80-82

I think the NL Central will be the most competitive division in all of Major League Baseball in 2019. The Brewers should be the cream of the crop, but the Cardinals and Cubs should be right on their tails for much of the season. The Reds added a ton of pitching to go with their young group of players while the Pirates, while still rebuilding, still have great pitching with Chris Archer and others.

National League West

Los Angeles Dodgers: 97-65

Colorado Rockies: 89-73

San Diego Padres: 80-82

San Francisco Giants: 75-87

Arizona Diamondbacks: 73-89

No, I am not jumping on the Manny Machado bandwagon and donning him the reason the Padres improve by 16 games in 2019. He will help, sure, but the Padres have a great young team that is absolutely stacked with talent. That, alongside Machado, will be the reason the Padres make a real stride this season. I expect Eric Hosmer to be better as well, compared to what he produced in Kansas City to what he did in San Diego he almost has to improve you would think, which should help the Padres win more games in what should be a weaker division overall in 2019.

Wild Card #1 - Washington Nationals

Wild Card #2 - Colorado Rockies

What will happen in the postseason? You have to tune in tomorrow to find out!

TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for March 6th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!!

What manager of the New York Yankees was the first in baseball history to win World Series titles in each of his first two seasons as a manager?

Highlight below to get your answer, but leave your guesses in the comments section below before you reveal the answer.



Ralph Houk, who won the World Series in 1961 and 1962



And a special good morning to my amazing wife, Kari. I love you more than I could ever put into words.

Predicting the Yankees 2019 Season

The New York Yankees enter the 2019 season with expectations higher than the 2018 season, and maybe expectations that cannot simply be put into words. This is the season for the Bronx Bombers to win the World Series and make a deep run into the postseason. We have been told that the team was going to get under the luxury tax threshold, and we all watched as a fan base as the team passed on marque free agents like Max Scherzer, Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and others. We watched as the Boston Red Sox won World Series championships and we watched as the game as we once knew it passed us by. Well, the time for excuses is over in my opinion. The Yankees are no longer “re-tooling” or rebuilding, no, they are in win-now mode. Will that translate onto the field here in 2019? That we will have to stay tuned for, but this is what I see happening this year for the Yankees.

I think the Yankees will surprise a lot of people this season, even though they shouldn’t. I think the first base situation will be much improved over the 2018 version, whether that be with Luke Voit as the incumbent or with Greg Bird finally putting it all together for a full season, and I think the catching situation will be much better as well. I don’t want to speculate on the health of Gary’s shoulder last season and guess at how it affected his ability to hit, nor do I want to speculate on the health of his groin/hamstring muscles and how they affected his ability to run down the line and block pitches behind the plate. Instead, I’ll just focus on the fact that throughout his professional career he has shown an ability to defend much better, hit much better, and just overall be a much better overall player. I don’t think the league figured him out and I don’t think he is just lazy, those are just lazy excuses to make for a young player that struggles for the first time. Gary will be better, and the fans need to be too.

The Yankees pitching should be much better in 2019. Severino is changing things up to battle him tipping pitches and he is also working on not tiring out in the second half of the season. It happens with young pitchers, especially after throwing 200 innings for the first time in their careers. They tire out. Severino will be fine and should be much better in the second half of 2019. James Paxton is essentially replacing Sonny Gray and as long as Paxton can pitch inside Yankee Stadium, where Gray could not, he should do just fine. Lefties just pitch better inside Yankee Stadium because of the narrative that they can neutralize left-handed hitting and eliminate the short porch in right field. A full season of Happ, even if he doesn’t pitch like the 7-0 madman that he was with the Yankees in the second half last season, will only benefit the Yankees while many forget that we should also see the return of Jordan Montgomery at some point as well. Tanaka will be Tanaka and CC will be CC but look out for Jonathan Loaisiga. If this kid can stay healthy, he could be a rotation mainstay as soon as the 2019 season, barring an injury to one of the Yankees current starters.

The bullpen will be the bullpen. There’s nothing I can say that hasn’t already been said a million times. On paper it should be amazing and a force to be reckoned with. The bench will likely be Tyler Wade, who can play everywhere, Austin Romine as the backup catcher, and maybe Clint Frazier? I know the team has all but said that he would start the season in Triple-A, but until that happens, I am in the camp that just doesn’t buy it. Who is the fourth outfielder? Stanton? Something isn’t adding up.

Right around the time of the year where every team is looking to add an impact bat or arm the Yankees will do both with the presumed returns of both Didi Gregorius and Jordan Montgomery from Tommy John surgery. That's nothing to shake a stick at, and it doesn't cost the Yankees a thing. 

In closing, the Yankees will be a much-improved team in 2019. I truly believe they will win the division, and not just because I am a Yankees fan. Check my previous posts. I have picked the Yankees to place second, win the first Wild Card, win the second Wild Card, and even miss the playoffs completely in my time with the blog. I truly believe in this team, now they just have to go out there and make me look like a genius and win a World Series championship.

Tune in tomorrow for my predictions for the rest of the league and their standings for the 2019 season!

TGP Trivia and Fact of the Day for March 5th, 2019

Good morning Yankees family!

The Yankees made one of their finest trades in the franchise's history on March 22, 1972, sending Danny Cater and a player to be named later (Mario Guerrero in June) to the Boston Red Sox for Sparkly Lyle. Lyle starred in the Yankees bullpen and won the 1977 American League Cy Young Award while, and not to be disrespectful by any means, I've never even heard of Danny Cater or Mario Guerrero.

The best trade that I ever made in my personal life was when I traded anger, depression, and unhappiness for the one thing in the world that has made me happier than I could have ever dreamed... my wife, Kari. I love you and I am forever grateful for you as well!