JUSTgottaBELIEVE

And Colome. It’s a stars and scrubs roster ala the Sale/Q/Eaton days. If the starting pitching was even close to average, this team would be a playoff contender. That’s why the Kopech injury was so devastating. He had legitimate ace potential as early as this season.

Why? Because one cost $300M, the other cost $2.5M. That’s why it would be ironic/hilarious...

It would hilarious if McCann made the all star team and Machado didn’t.

Even if he’s maintaining an OPS of 825ish at the end of next month, he has a legitimate shot at the all star team. Pretty amazing for a guy they found at the junk yard.

Perhaps but did you predict he’d be the WAR leader of all AL catchers on May 7th? Pretty shocking actually. A cheap $2.5M pickup thy was cast away by a rebuilding Tigers team, whose catchers have combined for 0.2 WAR so far this season.

And to think that just one month ago we would have laughed at McCann’s inclusion in this list. “McCann, lol, good one that’s funny...” 20% of the way into the season and he’s the current fWAR leader of all American League catchers.

24.7 K%, 134 wRC+. Season now 20% complete. Slumping a bit of late but if he did this across a full season he’s a 4 WAR player.

So can we all agree that the Twins are the new division favorite this season?

WTP (warning track power)

Meanwhile, Red Sox down 4-1 in the 5th to the Orioles.

Catchers matter. And the Sox haven’t had a decent defensive catcher in a long time it seems. For this reason alone, I was thankful they dumped Narvaez and signed McCann even if McCann only puts up a .650 OPS at the plate.

James McCann is working with Ivan Nova for the first time this season. The change behind the plate is working. And Nova’s got his sinker back. Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

Sox 10-7 in games started by McCann at catcher this year. About to be 11-7... Coincidence? Maybe. Maybe not.

And Madrigal is the type of guy that could be very valuable at the big league level 2.5/3.0 WAR type) if he can simply maintain a wRC+ in the 90-100 range (Ref: 2017/2018 Ian Kinsler). With his hit tool, I think that is a very realistic expectation.

Agree. I said it weeks ago, they are the biggest divisional threat to the Sox during the Sox’ anticipated contention window.

Perhaps if he stays in AA until then, which I suppose is likely. But if he gets promoted to AAA, bombs away...

If he keeps it up thru July, how is Robert not the #1 prospect in MLB at mid-season? Who deserves to be ranked ahead of him?

This is a lazy post. read up: https://www.mlb.com/redsox/news/prospect-michael-chavis-suspended-for-peds-c271104866 https://www.bluebirdbanter.com/2016/4/24/11497244/dehydrochlormethyltestosterone-what-is-this-crap “Dehydrochlormethyltestosterone" is also known as "Oral Turinabol". As the name implies, it's taken as a pill. It was developed and patented in 1961 by an East German Pharmaceutical company and used as a performance enhancing anabolic steroid for decades (known as "State Plan 14.25", the extent and success of EG doping wasn't fully understood until the 1990's). Its one of those PEDs that's mainly responsible for all those Communist gold medals handed out from then until tests were developed to detect it.

Once a juicer, always a juicer ?

I mean, he was already busted for PEDs last year so...

Maybe Eloy needs to start juicing? PEDs seem to be working well for Chavis ?

Nah. 4 years, $85-90M

JDM shouldn’t cost $100M

White Sox are now 10-6 in games started by James McCann ?

Despite the low 5s ERA, Gio looks like a different pitcher this year. What a pleasant surprise that would be if he turned into a solid #3 moving forward.