Bubble Buddy

I enjoy player development, i.e. checking prospect box scores and profiles, farm system rankings, and then watching guys grow in MLB. But right now, we don't even necessarily have a lot of top prospects from our system on the MLB team. The possibility of having games that matter 3 years before I was expecting, plus before we've really graduated a lot of players from our system? Sign me up. The last time we had meaningful games was September 2017. It may not last much longer, but I'll certainly be rooting for it to continue, even if it ends up being smoke and mirrors.

It does show it, I just don't think it's correct. Shows the Jays and Houston currently out and only shows 3 spots when they're should be 5 wild cards technically (if they're calling all non division winners wild card).

Can anyone find somewhere with the wildcard standings? ESPN's doesn't seem right to me as it shows TB and HOU in the wild card list, even though they are both solidly second in their divisions. Edit: Baseball reference has a useful "most likely playoff scenario" chart along with their playoff odds: https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/2020-playoff-odds.shtml

I agree with this. Have no interest in taking the focus off the future. And yet I’ve only been alive for a couple playoff seasons that I really remember (2012, 2014, 2016) and they were all fun as hell. Even that we’re in this position has me watching more games than I normally would during a rebuild season. So I want it to keep rolling, because it may not be real playoff baseball in the end, but I think my mind, body, soul won’t know the difference. And if we were able to somehow make it in, that would likely mean we kept the Jays out, which would be satisfying in a season I thought we’d finish 30th.

Fair enough. I like to set my expectations low with a team like this.. lol. Go O's.

Well, this is pretty grim, http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/rpi/_/sort/sos: Our SOS thus far has been.466, 3rd worst in MLB. And then our projected SOS is gonna be the toughest in the AL to finish out the season as it stands right now. I'll still root like hell in the Toronto season if we can avoid a sweep against Tampa, but those are some rough numbers that contribute to our our more conservative playoff projections by Fangraphs.

Favorite & enemy are kind of an interesting mix. It used to be Bautista for sure on the Blue Jays. And accordingly I think I probably dislike the Jays the most of any division rivals. Also, Mookie Betts when he smashed us that one year. Both are now gone, so currently I perhaps have a hole there. Aaron Judge is a complete menace at the plate, so I guess I'd have to go with him for now.

What is ROS W %? And then is SOS foward looking or what we've already played? We've either been through the toughest in the American League or have the toughest remaining.

Whoops, thanks. I think I didn't add it up correctly the first time. Was a 13 game stretch. 5-4 would leave us 1 game over .500 headed into harder part of schedule.

After salvaging a split with the Red Sox, I'm hoping to grab at least one game from Tampa. And with the surge that the White Sox have made, it would set up a really interesting 4 game set against the Blue Jays. In such a short season, it does look like it will be the two division rivals battling for that last wild card spot, although much can still change as we've seen losing streaks and winning streaks across MLB from contenders and pretenders. I was hoping for 7-5 in the next 12. We are 2-2. Would love to find a way to go 5-3 in the next 8. Could be tough. I think the most likely path would be 1-2 against TB, 3-1 against TOR, and 1-1 against NYM. Hopefully the boys get some good rest today.

I would love to somehow beat Toronto out for that spot. They’re more talented than us, but youthful as well. We gotta punch back at them next round.

DH Nunez: will be interesting to see what his 60 game totals will be. 1B Sisco: if the bat and the patience keeps up, I'd be curious to see how he could be at 1B. LF Mountcastle: Hoping he can be average out in left so the bat will play CF Hayes: Looks good defensively. Excited to see if he can regain some of last year's momentum. RF: Santander: Keep it up big guy I still am intrigued by Diaz and Mancini. And am curious if Kjerstad will be able to break in by then.

I think the next 12 games that precede a 4 game set against NYY are pretty favorable. Normally I'd be content with going 6-6 to get to 18-18 (and depending on how far we slide here, I may be), but I'm concerned that 8 games against the Yankees paired with 3 against ATL and then 4 against TB could be a killer stretch. I think we need to go at least 7-5 over the next 12. That would give us a chance to go 6-9 against NYY, TB, ATL and head into the final 6 games against BOS and TOR right around .500 with a chance at one of those wild cards.

My comment was in reference to your statement that you quickly moving in the direction that they will keep him down all season. That's improbable. More improbable that they are keeping him down for development's sake.

You don't get how people buy into the development story the organization is offering, yet the one you are leaning toward is more improbable. I'll be just as frustrated if they hold him out until next year.