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Boston Red Sox pitcher Brian Johnson, who made his Major League Baseball debut in July, was the victim of a carjacking in Florida on Friday. 

According to a report from Florida Today, the Cocoa Beach Police Department said Johnson was not hurt in the incident, which took place around 2 a.m. at a convenience store where he was with friends. Per the report, “Johnson was approached by the carjacker, who then fired a round at the ground while Johnson was still in the car.”

Members of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office then found and arrested Johnathan Oshaun Gould, 31, “after a short foot pursuit,” per the report. Gould has been charged with “carjacking, aggravated assault, persons engaged in a criminal offense having weapons, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and violation of felony probation.” 

After spending two full seasons in the minors, Johnson made his first MLB start with the Red Sox on July 21 against the Houston Astros. He was sent down to Triple-A after the game, ending the season on the minor league disabled list with elbow tightness. 

Johnson played college baseball at the University of Florida from 2010-12, reaching the College World Series championship series in 2011. The Red Sox drafted the left-hander with the 31st pick in 2012. 

The good news is Johnson came out of the incident unharmed. He should enter spring training in the mix for a spot in Boston’s starting rotation, assuming his elbow problems subside in the offseason. 

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After holding serve on their home field, the Kansas City Royals will have a chance to win their first World Series in 30 years by winning two of the three games against the New York Mets at Citi Field starting on Friday. 

Things could not have worked out better for the Royals thus far. After the bullpen fired eight innings of one-run ball in Game 1 with 12 strikeouts, Johnny Cueto gave them a rest with a complete game two-hitter in Game 2. 

Everything that could have gone wrong for the Mets did. Jeurys Familia, who hadn’t given up a run since Sept. 23, allowed a game-tying home run to Alex Gordon in the ninth inning of Game 1. Matt Harvey and Jacob deGrom combined to have more walks (five) than strikeouts (four), and the offense has scored just one run in the last 15 innings. 

World Series Tickets: ScoreBig.com

Series Prediction

At this point, there’s no reason to think Kansas City won’t win the World Series. The Royals will be able to return home at worst trailing 3-2 for a potential Game 6, and they haven’t lost at home since Game 1 of the American League Division Series. 

Trying to find reasons for optimism in New York really doesn’t require much work. The Mets’ only loss at Citi Field this postseason was in a game started by Clayton Kershaw, and the Royals don’t have any starting pitcher of his caliber. (For the record, no one in MLB does.)

However, there seems to be a bigger problem for the Mets that’s not generating a lot of discussion: Yoenis Cespedes.

The slugger who was credited with turning the team’s season around after being acquired from the Detroit Tigers is dealing with a shoulder injury suffered in Game 4 of the NLCS against the Chicago Cubs. 

Speaking to ESPN’s Marly Rivera (via ESPN.com’s Adam Rubin), Cespedes said his shoulder wasn’t going to be 100 percent before Game 1 of the World Series. 

“The cortisone shot relieved the pain and inflammation,” Cespedes said. “But even if I’m not 100 percent, I am certain I will play on Tuesday. The doctor told me my AC joint is a bit swollen, and that’s why it hurt. It happens to many athletes, but it is not a serious injury, and will heal quickly.”

Cespedes can say what he wants, but his postseason OPS of .631 is just 27 points better than his .604 slugging percentage in 57 regular-season games with the Mets. His injury is limiting what he can do offensively. 

Making matters worse are David Wright and Daniel Murphy, the two hitters ahead of Cespedes in the lineup, who are a combined 4-for-20 with six strikeouts, two walks and no extra-base hits. 

With the Mets’ offense struggling, their pitching staff has had to pick up a lot of slack. Normally that would be a good problem to have, but Kansas City’s ability to make contact has finally gotten the recognition it deserves. 

In fact, per Alec Dopp of GammonsDaily.com, the heat that Harvey and deGrom are bringing wasn’t fooling anyone in the Royals lineup:

Facing Kansas City’s lineup doesn’t sound as intimidating as a Cubs lineup that features sluggers like Kris Bryant, Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber, but the Royals are more frustrating because no matter what, they always put the ball in play. 

This is an era of baseball in which strikeout rates for pitching staffs have increased every year since 2005, yet Kansas City’s lineup has decreased its strikeout total from 1,048 in 2013 to 973 in 2015. 

The lost art of making contact is going to help Kansas City win a championship. The Mets will not go quietly because they are a really good team and earned their spot in the World Series, but the Royals are operating on a different level than anyone else right now. 

Prediction: Royals win series in five games

Stats via Baseball-Reference.com and ESPN.com

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After seven seasons with the Texas Rangers, Mike Maddux will not return as the team’s pitching coach in 2016.   

Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram first reported Maddux would not be back Thursday, later adding it was the Rangers’ decision:

The team announced the move later in the day, and general manager Jon Daniels said the team had decided to “go in a different direction,” per Jon Morosi of Fox Sports. 

This does represent a change of heart for the franchise, as Wilson wrote on Oct. 20 the Rangers did make Maddux a contract offer for next season:

The Texas Rangers have extended a contract offer to pitching coach Mike Maddux, who is considering potential opportunities with other clubs before deciding if he will stay with the Rangers.

Maddux has expressed a desire to stay in Arlington, where he has presided over the pitching staff since Nolan Ryan wooed him from Milwaukee after the 2008 season, and would likely have to be overwhelmed to leave.

Texas’ pitching staff didn’t have a dominant year overall in 2015, finishing 23rd with a 4.24 team ERA, but it was also without Yu Darvish all season due to Tommy John surgery, Derek Holland and Martin Perez combined to make 24 starts, and Cole Hamels wasn’t acquired until July 31. 

Despite all of those injury problems, the Rangers still won the American League West and took the Toronto Blue Jays to five games in the American League Division Series. 

Maddux has been a managerial candidate in the past, interviewing for the Chicago Cubs job in 2011, but all of the vacancies this year are filling up. 

Given Maddux’s reputation and work with a depleted pitching staff in 2015, it shouldn’t take long for him to find another job if he wants it. 

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The San Diego Padres announced have found their next manager, as the team hired Arizona Diamondbacks third base coach Andy Green. 

B/R’s Scott Miller initially reported Green’s hiring, and the team confirmed on Twitter the new manager will be introduced at a press conference Thursday. 

Miller added that former Minnesota Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and current Pittsburgh Pirates third base coach Rick Sofield both had two interviews with the Padres before they decided to go with Green. 

“I am thrilled to be sitting here and couldn’t be more proud to be in a city like San Diego,” Green said, per the Padres.

General Manager A.J. Preller spoke about the hiring in the team’s announcement:

“Andy has the combination of intelligence and feel for the game that we are looking for to lead this team. As a player, he displayed a strong work ethic and even stronger passion, earning everything he achieved. That passion has carried over into his managerial and Major League coaching career. We are excited to welcome him to the Padres family and look forward to the success he will help bring to San Diego.”

Even though Green doesn’t have Major League Baseball managerial experience, Miller did note he’s had recent success as a skipper in the minors:

The Padres were one of the biggest disappointments in baseball last season, finishing 74-88 despite having a banner offseason in which they acquired Justin Upton, Matt Kemp, James Shields, Craig Kimbrel and Wil Myers. 

The offensive firepower did, for the most part, payoff. San Diego finished eighth in MLB with 650 runs scored, the first time it has finished in the top 20 since 2007.

However, one problem moving forward for Green is that Preller has built a roster with Kemp being paid $21.75 million for each of the next four seasons, Melvin Upton owed $33.1 million for the next two seasons, Shields signed a backloaded contract that pays him $21 million per season through 2018.

Preller seemed to be primed for a lot of moves at the trade deadline in July, but opted to stay put with the roster he built. This isn’t a big market franchise, yet they have six players under contract for 2016, not including players with options or eligible for arbitration making $71.9 million. 

Assuming all seven of the arbitration-eligible players return, that leaves 12 roster spots open for a franchise that had never spent more than $100 million in total payroll since last season. 

If ownership is confident in Preller’s plan, the Padres could go well into nine figures next season hoping that it works in ways that it didn’t this season. Green’s relationship with Preller and what the two of them decide is best for the franchise will be critical for the immediate and long-term direction. 

Bud Black, who had been San Diego’s manager since 2007, was fired in June and replaced by interim Pat Murphy. 

Speaking after the season, when it was announced Murphy wouldn’t get the full-time job, Padres general manager Preller described the qualities he was looking for in his next manager, per the Associated Press (via ESPN.com).

“The biggest thing we’re looking for is somebody that has presence, somebody that has energy, somebody to get our players to play at high level, somebody the players are going to respect and want to play for, somebody the organization can rally around and can establish a culture,” he said. 

Preller, who took over as Padres GM in August 2014, now has the manager he hired in place, and the focus can shift to the offseason. 

The team’s experiment to add marquee, expensive players to compete for a playoff spot didn’t work last year. Green will have a lot of those players back, with Upton the biggest-name free agent, but Preller will have to do more roster tinkering this winter if he wants to help his manager be a success. 

Salary and contract info via Cot’s Baseball Contracts

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Don Mattingly wasted no time finding a new gig after his five-year stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers came to an end, reportedly agreeing to terms with the Miami Marlins on Thursday.  

According to Molly Knight of Vice Sports, the former New York Yankees first baseman inked a four-year deal with Miami, but financial terms have not yet been disclosed.

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com later confirmed the hiring.

The Marlins are hopeful they have finally found the right man for the job as Mattingly will become their eighth manager since 2010, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

Following a second consecutive loss in the National League Division Series this season, Mattingly and the Dodgers mutually agreed to part ways. Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said the move came about through many conversations, per Dylan Hernandez and Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.

“As our end of season process began, we discussed the past year, our future goals, necessary changes, roster needs and other matters relating to next year’s campaign,” Friedman said. “As the dialogue progressed daily, it evolved to a point where we all agreed that it might be best for both sides to start fresh.”

Despite the untimely ending for Mattingly, he did say at his press conference after leaving the Dodgers that he “definitely” wanted to manage, per Shaikin.

Even though the Dodgers never made it to a World Series under Mattingly, his tenure was successful. His teams finished over .500 in all five seasons as manager, making the playoffs every year from 2013-15, and reaching the NLCS in 2013. 

The problem with managing the Dodgers is expectations will always be off the charts because they are spending nearly $100 million more than any other team in baseball. 

Per Hernandez, Mattingly did emphasize the decision to part ways with the Dodgers wasn’t expectation-driven:

While every manager wants to have goals, being able to get out of a spotlight as bright as Los Angeles’ does afford Mattingly the chance to get a fresh start and work with a roster that isn’t as riddled with expensive contracts for aging players in decline. 

The Marlins have no shortage of young talent with outfielder Giancarlo Stanton and starting pitcher Jose Fernandez leading the way, but Mattingly still has an uphill climb ahead of him as Miami finished 71-91 this season and hasn’t made the playoffs since winning the World Series in 2003.

Mattingly has a chance to reinvent himself with a new franchise. It’s rare that a manager coming off of a successful stint with a premier franchise becomes available, so the Marlins have every reason to be thrilled with the hiring as they look to return to contention in the NL.

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Even though the New York Yankees and Pittsburgh Pirates are not playing in the World Series, their respective closers, Andrew Miller and Mark Melancon, were rewarded with the Reliever of the Year Awards for their efforts in 2015. 

According to MLB‘s PR on Twitter, Miller was named Mariano Rivera American League Reliever of the Year, and Melancon captured the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year award. 

Even though the award is not specifically designed for closers, this marks the second consecutive season in which ninth-inning hurlers have captured the honor after Greg Holland (Kansas City Royals) and Craig Kimbrel (Atlanta Braves) in 2014.     

Melancon’s 51 saves were the most in Major League Baseball, and his 76.2 innings pitched were the third most in the National League. Miller’s 14.59 strikeouts per nine innings pitched were second in MLB, trailing only the Cincinnati Reds’ Aroldis Chapman. 

Part of Pittsburgh’s slow start this season was the result of Melancon posting a 5.23 ERA in 11 April appearances, but he quickly turned things around, allowing just one earned run from May through July. The Pirates took off after that, making the playoffs for the third consecutive season and winning 98 games for the first time since 1991. 

Speaking to Mark Newman of MLB.com, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle talked about the evolution of Melancon in his three seasons with the team:

He’s a guy who has worked hard to continue to evolve every year he’s been involved in our bullpen. Whether it be different zones to attack, different pitch sequences, adding or subtracting pitches, working on his fielding — one of his goals was to win a Gold Glove [Award] — or his ability to control the running game. He continues to evolve and grow. … He is as intense a competitor on the mound as I’ve had.

Bryan Hoch of MLB.com provided an Instagram picture of the current and former Yankees closers after Miller won the trophy:

Speaking about capturing the honor, per Newman, Miller said his role as a relief-only pitcher starting in 2012 wasn’t something he initially planned on. 

“It wasn’t exactly where I wanted to go or how I wanted to end up here,” Miller said, “but it’s really been a lot of fun and I think I’ve thrived in it.”

Even though Rivera was retired for a season before Miller took over the ninth inning for New York, the southpaw was walking into a pressure-packed situation because every Yankee reliever will forever be compared to Rivera. 

Miller, despite missing one month of the season with forearm problems, put together a fantastic season for his debut in New York. 

Melancon and Miller may not have ended the season when they were hoping, but their teams can rest assured knowing the ninth inning is secure heading into 2016. 

Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.com.

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The new Los Angeles Angels front office is working with a former adversary, as the American League West team has hired Eric Chavez. 

According to Joe Stiglich of CSN Bay Area, Chavez will work as a special assistant to new Angels general manager Billy Eppler. 

Stiglich noted there is a built-in connection between Eppler and Chavez. The pair were together with the New York Yankees in 2011-12 when Chavez was still playing and Eppler was the team’s scouting director in 2011 before being promoted to assistant general manager under Brian Cashman in 2012. 

Chavez also worked as a special assistant for the Yankees last season. At the time, according to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, he was a special assignment scout, and “some teams viewed him as a potential hitting coach” if he wants to do that. 

Per Stiglich, Chavez was also able to do commentary on 20 games for the Oakland Athletics last year, even though he worked for the Yankees, but “it’s unknown if his new role would still allow him to continue any broadcasting.”

He knows the American League West as well as anyone, having played 13 years in Oakland from 1998-2010. He was one of the best third basemen in baseball at his peak, winning six consecutive Gold Glove awards from 2001-06 and hitting at least 25 homers in six straight seasons from 2000-05. 

The Angels fell short of expectations in 2015, missing the playoffs by one game, and need to take bold chances if they hope to compete for a championship.

Chavez may not have a significant role under Eppler, but his voice clearly means something to the new general manager, and that is valuable in a pressure-filled job. 

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As a long offseason begins for the Toronto Blue Jays, star slugger Edwin Encarnacion will be on the shelf for a period of time due to a sports hernia.   

Continue for updates. 

Encarnacion Undergoes Surgery

Tuesday, Oct. 27

According to Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca, Encarnacion had surgery to fix the sports hernia Tuesday and “will be fine” when the Blue Jays open spring training in February. 

Encarnacion also offered an Instagram update on the procedure:

Encarnacion has a $10 million team option for 2016 that is almost certain to be picked up. There’s no logical reason it wouldn’t be, as the 32-year-old is a bargain at that price after posting an OPS over .900 each of the last four seasons. 

The postseason was a struggle for Encarnacion, which may be explained in part by the sports hernia. He had just three extra-base hits in 11 games, including none in the first five games of the American League Championship Series against the Kansas City Royals.

Despite losing in the ALCS, the Blue Jays are set up to be playoff contenders again in 2016 with a potent lineup that features Encarnacion, Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki.

Encarnacion has more than three months to recover from his sports hernia surgery before spring training starts, so there’s no reason to think he won’t return next season ready to post another 30-homer, 100-RBI campaign. 

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The Philadelphia Phillies‘ search for a new general manager is reportedly over, as the team is expected to hire Matt Klentak. 

Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reported Klentak’s hiring. ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick confirmed the move. 

The Phillies were in the market for a general manager after announcing Sept. 10 they would not be renewing the contract of Ruben Amaro Jr., who had been in charge since November 2008.

Andy MacPhail, who is entering his first offseason with the Phillies as president of baseball operations, said when the search for a new general manager started the organization wanted to cast a big net to ensure it brought in the best person for the job, per Jack McCaffery of the Delaware County Daily Times:

I would think it would be a mistake if we pigeon-hole ourselves into saying, “We’re going to go for young analytics,” or “We’re going to go for an experienced baseball guy.” I see that out there with other clubs. Why would you restrict your ability to talk to whoever you want? I think you have a responsibility, like I said two months ago, to look at everything.

Klentak previously worked with MacPhail in Baltimore. He spent the past four seasons as assistant general manager with the Los Angeles Angels under Jerry Dipoto, even interviewing for their GM vacancy after Dipoto resigned in July. 

A new era of Phillies baseball has arrived, with many reasons to be optimistic despite a 63-99 record in 2015. They were able to integrate young, promising talent like Aaron Nola and Maikel Franco into the big leagues this season. 

There should be more high-upside talent on the way, led by shortstop J.P. Crawford, and a front office led by MacPhail and Klentak that can shape the roster in its image with the winter meetings approaching in December. 

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The New York Mets and Kansas City Royals took very different paths this season, but both franchises have reached the pinnacle of baseball with an opportunity to win the 2015 World Series starting on Tuesday from Kauffman Stadium. 

New York’s run through the National League didn’t really start until the midseason acquisition of Yoenis Cespedes and promotion of outfielder Michael Conforto to bolster the lineup. Daniel Murphy’s off-the-charts October has also been a key component—as has dominant pitching by three of the four starters. 

Kansas City followed its run to the World Series last year by virtually having the American League’s best record from the first day of the season. The Royals’ combination of speed, contact and dominance in the bullpen is a formula no other team has been able to replicate. 

World Series Schedule

What They Are Saying

Even though pitching matchups have yet to be officially announced, the Mets rotation should be set up as it was during the division series against Los Angeles by virtue of having five days off after sweeping Chicago out of the postseason. 

ESPN’s Buster Olney tweeted out the rotation Mets manager Terry Collins is expected to use:

This is a World Series of strength against strength, as the Mets rotation features arguably the best collection of power arms, per Daren Willman of MLBFarm.com:

That trio has started eight games this postseason, covering 45.2 innings, and have allowed 34 hits, three home runs and 12 earned runs with 63 strikeouts and 15 walks. 

Mets pitching coach Dan Warthen told Jennifer Langosch of MLB.com that the dominance of his rotation is not a surprise after seeing these young players groomed for the big stage. 

“For the last two or three years, watching these guys, knowing what was going to happen, there has really been a lot of enjoyment,” Warthen said. “The incredible part of this is that we have grown together.”

Experience is one thing that gets talked about a lot in October, with no real basis in fact. The Mets’ quartet of starting pitchers are all aged 27 or younger and had never been to the postseason. 

Last year, the Royals weren’t loaded with playoff-tested veterans who knew what the October stage was all about. Both teams have just been playing great baseball at the right time. 

Countering the Mets’ velocity-rich pitching staff is Kansas City’s lineup, which is a nightmare to strike out. The Royals have been the only team to be punched out less than 1,000 times each of the past two seasons.

The most underrated element of Kansas City’s offense is speed, which was on display in its Game 6 win over Toronto to seal the American League pennant, via MLB.com:

The Royals are so difficult to put away, as Houston and Toronto already found out this postseason, because they have perfected the art of stringing together hits, which manager Ned Yost touched on after the ALCS, per Gregor Chisholm and Jeffrey Flanagan of MLB.com. 

“Our players, they had such a great season, they would never quit, they continued to battle, even when the chips were down a little bit,” Yost said. “And it enabled me to put on this new hat here today that has World Series on it, and I’ll see you guys on Tuesday.”

Kansas City was six outs away from being eliminated by Houston in Game 4 of the division series before six consecutive batters reached base in a five-run eighth inning to keep hope alive. 

One reason the Royals are able to fight back is Kelvin Herrera and Wade Davis are money in the late innings. 

Yost knows he can depend on that duo, as well as Luke Hochevar, that he doesn’t need his starting pitchers to go deep into games. Edinson Volquez was the only starter in the ALCS who pitched at least six innings, for example. 

There are times when Yost‘s insistence on sticking to set roles with his relievers, with Herrera only in the seventh and Davis only in the ninth, hurts the Royals.

There was no reason to take Herrera out after the seventh for Ryan Madson in the eighth, but Yost made the decision, and Jose Bautista tied the game with a two-run homer. Davis should have come in to face Bautista, if not Josh Donaldson before him, especially since the right-hander hadn’t pitched since Game 2.

Lorenzo Cain’s dash from first to home bailed Yost out, but his bullpen management in the World Series will have to be better if the Royals want to win a championship. 

Normal baseball logic says that a deeper starting rotation will lead to success, but the Royals have defied the odds all year with a starting rotation that got a combined 75 starts from Volquez, Jeremy Guthrie and Chris Young during the regular season. 

Yet Kansas City has proved it is anything but a normal team, capable of winning games with speed or defense or dominant relief pitching, that the starters don’t have to be very good.

The Royals have avoided long slumps virtually all year and are going to finish what they started last season with the franchise’s first championship since 1985. 

Stats via Baseball-Reference.com.

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