MLB 2024

Ugh… the Giants.
I'm a Dodger fan so you choose to believe what I believe about your club's situation.

Here are the things I think are right with the Giants, and what is negative things about the Giants

1. Farhan hasn't signed guaranteed studs, but at the same time, he kept the prices down and only for like 1-3 year contracts. So there is a good amount of flexibility. Worst case scenario is that the players suck, but are gone after 1-3 seasons. Very different from what AJ Preller has done for the Padres (ouch). That was smart of Farhan.
2. Farhan has only started since the 2019 draft, therefore only in charge of 5 drafts. People that have criticized Farhan are being somewhat irrational. He's picked 10, 13, 14, 30, and16 slots in the first rounds of those drafts. He has had 2 busts thus far in Bishop and Bednar. Bailey looks like a good pick, and it's wayy too early to judge his last 2 players in Crawford and Eldridge. Crawford is doing well as a major league reliever at worst, and Eldridge has looked to have monster hitting potential. So it's not enough data to say he hasn't drafted well with his first round picks. He also picked up Kyle Harrison in 2020, who is a good prospect with middle of the rotation potential.

The reason why I bring this up is because almost every team that drafts take 3-4 years for their players to become major leaguers. I say almost, because the Angels and Padres are organizations that are super aggressive. Dodgers drafted Bobby Miller out of college in 2020, and he made the Major Leagues out of desperation after 3 years. Seager likewise in 2012, debuting in late 2015, and Bellinger in 2013, where he debuted in 2017. And Seager and Belli flew by the minor leagues succeeding practically the entire time. Therefore you can only really conclude which drafts were bad from his 2019-2020 drafts. That's not enough evidence to decide whether he was good or not.

3. Part of the reason why the Giants are not doing what the Orioles are doing is not due to Farhan himself. I recall fans in 2018 and ownership did not want to tank. This is the fastest and easiest way to get your farm system loaded with talent and being one of the top 5 farm systems in the league. So not only was he hamstrung with older legends on crap contracts, but you guys were still trying to compete. You didn't want to commit to full rebuilds by trading most of everything because some of the seasons at all star break were still giving you guys hope to compete for the Wild Card. This has also led you guys to not picking in the top 5 of the draft so it's much harder to find value in the draft.

4. Juan Soto is still up for grabs next year. You guys tried for Judge, and Ohtani. Juan Soto is surely a person you guys can still go after. This is a Friedman type move. Friedman is notorious for not going all out for top end talent, unless they are really the right player like Mookie, Ohtani, and Freeman. Juan Soto is a 5-6 WAR player just off his bat, who doesn't need to hit homers to be productive. He's only 25 years old. It is absolutely a type of player that Farhan will go gungho on.

You guys still have money left to spend especially because your payroll is lower than the Mets and Yankees, with very few long term contracts as I explained in point 1.

5. The improvement to your farm system has to come from a much needed international market. Dodgers haven't been good at this either, albeit were able to turn a few into top prospects. However, Mariners, Braves, Brewers, Nationals, Padres, etc... all got their franchise players from there. It's a needed supplement to your drafting. You guys are not ignoring this market like the Orioles used to, but hitting on one via skill or luck through attrition can be a huge boost.

6. There is also a couple of players coming from Japan in the coming years, that are at least on Seiya Suzuki level, Lee Jung Hoo level. Munetaka Murakami is the most complete hitter since Seiya Suzuki, and will be young so still has room to improve after adjusting at first to Major League velocity. Very different profiles to like Yoshi Tsutsugo (signed at age 28) , Nori Aoki (29), Shogo Akiyama (32), Mastaka Yoshida (29).

All in all, Farhan hasn't been a homerun executive thus far, but he has kept flexibility and had a lot of success in what I like to say Friedman does, "dumpster diving." Jordan Hicks looks to be a steal right now as a starter. The main improvement to make you legit competitors with the Dodgers is a continuation of talent from your farm system ala Bailey, and Harrison. This why he will succeed or get fired for.
 
Last edited:
Well that's 2 fairly comfortable wins for the Red Sox against the Giants now :drool:
 
@In Rainbows , that was a great post and I really want to respond with the response it is due, but the Giants are making me big sad.

Also, I am traveling for work and relegated to posting via phone. Just writing this makes me want to cut my fingers off. :(
 
I believe in those instances the bat is probably cracked/fractured from prior use and doesn't take much force to fully break to the point of literally breaking apart.
 
@calodo2003 95.3 Tampa sports guys were cracking up over the Rays lineup tonight with five guys batting under .200. The main radio guy said they'll get 6+ runs tonight, says this weird stuff happens in baseball.

That's surely gotta be some record on most sub .200 hitters in a starting lineup at this point in the season.
 
@calodo2003 95.3 Tampa sports guys were cracking up over the Rays lineup tonight with five guys batting under .200. The main radio guy said they'll get 6+ runs tonight, says this weird stuff happens in baseball.

That's surely gotta be some record on most sub .200 hitters in a starting lineup at this point in the season.
Yep, suboptimal.
 
Marcano is a fool but this whole thing comes a little too quickly after the Ohtani debacle for my liking. I imagine MLB were very quick to look for ways to show they're willing to take a hard line w/r/t gambling after all that.
 
So just how special is it what Skenes is doing right now? Seen a lot of buzz about him on social media recently, he struck out Ohtani with three 100mph+ balls this week, but I don’t know enough about baseball to even know whether that’s just good or reaaally impressive stuff…

Only know his girlfriend, dude is definitely winning at life.
 
So just how special is it what Skenes is doing right now? Seen a lot of buzz about him on social media recently, he struck out Ohtani with three 100mph+ balls this week, but I don’t know enough about baseball to even know whether that’s just good or reaaally impressive stuff…

Only know his girlfriend, dude is definitely winning at life.

Ycizw.gif


edit: Isn't his GF more popular/well known than him?
 
So just how special is it what Skenes is doing right now? Seen a lot of buzz about him on social media recently, he struck out Ohtani with three 100mph+ balls this week, but I don’t know enough about baseball to even know whether that’s just good or reaaally impressive stuff…

Only know his girlfriend, dude is definitely winning at life.
Don't throw shade on Ohtani, he took one of the 101 mph fast balls dead to center. Think that was the third time through the lineup he faced Skenes, maybe the second.
 
Ycizw.gif


edit: Isn't his GF more popular/well known than him?
Don't throw shade on Ohtani, he took one of the 101 mph fast balls dead to center. Think that was the third time through the lineup he faced Skenes, maybe the second.
Wasn’t meant against Ohtani, just curious to know whether the Skenes guy is generationally good like LeBron or rather just a regular star in the making like Judge, Trout, Harper, …

He only throws, right? I know next to nothing about the MLB but was just interested as I’ve seen articles about him a few times in 2 weeks or so.
 
Wasn’t meant against Ohtani, just curious to know whether the Skenes guy is generationally good like LeBron or rather just a regular star in the making like Judge, Trout, Harper, …

He only throws, right? I know next to nothing about the MLB but was just interested as I’ve seen articles about him a few times in 2 weeks or so.
Well, Judge, Trout, & Harper are generational talents, Ohtani also. Skenes has elite level mph on his fast ball & it showed during the game v. Ohtani; however his secondary, etc. pitch is somewhat hit or miss these days.

Any major league player can get a bat through a fast ball (even at the level Skenes is throwing). Skenes wasn't feeling his secondary pitches were good enough going into that game. This becomes a problem the second or third time through the order. Ohtani had the timing down & probably started fouling some balls straight back until he took Skenes yard. Not sure if that was an anomaly, Skenes heading into the game with only his fast ball working, that's a dangerous way to pitch.

That said, hope against hope that he doesn't get TJ & is out for the next 1.5 years, he is a fun pitcher to watch.
 
Wasn’t meant against Ohtani, just curious to know whether the Skenes guy is generationally good like LeBron or rather just a regular star in the making like Judge, Trout, Harper, …

He only throws, right? I know next to nothing about the MLB but was just interested as I’ve seen articles about him a few times in 2 weeks or so.

So the GIF I posted was Kerry Wood, who is a great example of the insanity of skill and also how fleeting it can be for baseball pitchers.

In his 5th ever start, as a 20 or 21 year old (I can't remember) he struck out 20 of 29 batters he faced (and gave up one hit). He did not pitch the following year due to injury and after a few good years after that he was essentially done as a pro by like 26 or 27. Skenes is certainly off to a ridiculous start, but it is no different than a multitude of others (Prior, Lincecum, etc.).
 
I saw the catch live and was bewildered. He also looks like a little kid out there.

Willie Mays is the catch always brought up in these situations and it was an amazing catch especially the stakes. Jim Edmonds diving catch was better for me.
 
Been at the London series Phillies vs Metz this weekend on both days. Yesterday’s game was brilliant! Had a great time.
 
One of our group was wearing an Athletic’s shirt with a Expo’s cap… he’s now famous on social media :lol:
 
Been at the London series Phillies vs Metz this weekend on both days. Yesterday’s game was brilliant! Had a great time.

I regret not going to at least one, but London is a bit of a trek for me.

They seemed to have a lot more stuff going on than the NFL games I've been to, with that fan zone at Trafalgar Square and the street food market in Waterloo.

Someone I know said it was a two hour queue to get into the merch store though. Yikes.