now

Irresistible force meets immovable object.

Agreed on all but the 2030 timeline. Clear evidence for all to see, on every pitch, is unsustainable at this rate. With improvements in the tech, a solution must come sooner.

And so, some good looking outings along with equal ugly outings. Sort of like most of our relievers (though for most, maybe more of a 2:1 ratio of good to bad).

Maybe the umps are trying to get back at Adley for his convincing framing.

Yep, for me that impression hasn't changed since draft day. (The "fooled" part remains to be seen.)

LOL, absorbed in his phone so he missed seeing the pitch until the crack of the bat woke him out of phone-trance.

Steve Pearce comes to mind, and a glance at his career chart bears it out.

Now overall I notice 29 K's in 17 innings. That ratio of 1.7 is top of the line for a starter!

Um, not to pick on something to troll about, but this trend from 2023 second half was worrisome, and plain to see: Mullins: .209 .249 .386 Hays: .228 .289 .378

Agreed--longer, as in, it sounds an awful lot like what Ted Williams preached and practiced.

Then again, a game with all three of them homering would be sweet! (Bonus question: which outcome is more likely?)

So true about the inches. Also with the drama and tension of momentum, and its reversal. As the yogi says, life (and baseball) is like dreams: it can change in an instant. This one, a cliffhanger all the way, the momentum and every break going Toronto's way, the O's with nightmare inning after inning of frustration. Then suddenly, a lucky throw of the dice and they walk off a winner!

IIRC, didn't McKenna admit he wasn't "focused" out there with one of those (previous) gaffes?

I hear you... in terms of past eras. But I believe some recent posts here have shown our rotation is going as deep as most staffs, in the era we're in. The nature of the beast. Solution: a better bullpen.

Except Cowser, who's also doing his best to earn a demotion. But hey, Stowers can play center, right?

Not much to choose from there: Cowser since 19 April: 9 for 63, .143 BA Mullins since 22 April: 5 for 57, .088 BA --getting into Jackson Holliday territory... 2 for 34, .059 BA Cowser vying for the 2023 Jorge Mateo award.

"an earnest look at the big league level" - LOL age 27, four years in MLB, 455 AB, .224/.302/.332, 79 OPS+, 8 HR, 8 SB.

The only nit I would pick with this summary is the "solid veteran cast," just in terms of production (lack thereof) so far this season by Mullins, Hays, Urias, and McCann. Shockingly, Mateo's .250/.300/.438 is good for a 114 OPS+, and similarly, Santander at .218/.300/.451 weighs in at 118 OPS+. Which just goes to show how far offense must be down league-wide.

The resemblance to Hardy is also just a matter of face, maybe hair, and demeanor.

LOL. The one I'd like to see is, "She gone!"

I doubt the great vibes hold up with games like that from McKenna. Just looking at Mountcastle's face after the last out kind of said it all, like: "Dude in the outfield, it's a good thing you caught those last two." Which is no doubt projection on my part, but still. I can't imagine Elias being happy seeing that clown show.

Preferred answer: none of the above forced to choose, I go with Hays (and send McK back to pony league)

Yep, to me it's not about (in)competence but sheerly a voice issue: "nails on chalkboard" nails it for me. Have to switch it off as soon as I hear it. And BTW this is not about "being mean." It's just fan feedback, in case anyone at MASN is listening.

While all of this sounds true, I wonder what the other side of the equation is. The majors also has all the world's best hitters, with their analytics teams breaking down the opposition pitching. So couldn't you argue that AAA pitchers will have an equally steep adjustment to the majors when they first arrive? It doesn't negate the argument made here, but seems it would duplicate when it comes to young pitchers getting called to the Show. Yet what we hear is only, "The jump from AAA to MLB pitching is the biggest jump in sports."

TJ caught my eye in the game summary of the comeback win on 7 May, when he singled in the tying run and then stole second and third: his 17th steal of the season. That's 17 steals and 17 hits (and 17 runs!) in 79 AB. Only 2 caught stealing. BTW that steal rate translates as 106 SB with 500 AB.