Tag: 2014 MLB Spring Training

St. Louis Cardinals Prospects Creating the Most Buzz so Far in Spring Training

Spring training is in full swing and the St. Louis Cardinals are creating plenty of buzz. The reigning National League champions have a stacked roster at the major league level. It is the continued improvement of the players in the farm system that keeps the fans coming back for more early in spring.

The roster offers very few surprises for 2014. This is a great time of year to get a glimpse of a team’s future, however. The future stars around the diamond for the Cardinals are keeping fans chattering about the possibilities.

Buzz is not always a positive thing. While the Cardinals have plenty of positive things happening around the youth in the organization, one of the team’s top prospects, Oscar Taveras, has yet to take the field. There is also no timetable for when he will. Kolten Wong, another prospect that is slated to have a spot in the starting lineup this season, is turning heads with his continued lack of production. The work ethic is there but the results will need to come around eventually.

Meanwhile, Randal Grichuk, the newest prospects in camp, is doing all the right things to prove that he is ready to realize his potential in a new uniform. Sometimes, it is the work going on before and after the games that lay the ground work for future opportunities.

Of course, it is the surplus of young pitching that always draws attention and the Cardinals have young pitching in a seemingly endless stockpile. That stockpile showed up in a big way over the weekend and had fans chattering almost immediately.

The following prospects are causing plenty of buzz with fans and pundits alike this spring.

 

Statistics in the following article are sourced from MLB.com unless otherwise noted.

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Updates, Takeaways from Masahiro Tanaka’s Yankees Spring Training Debut

In March, it’s common to introduce an opinion of a player or performance by reminding readers that it’s very early, spring training statistics don’t count and the real games are about a month away from reality.

With New York Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka, that edict isn’t just necessary—it’s vital.

In Tampa, Fla., Tanaka’s debut was a big deal. In his home country of Japan, a scheduled two-inning outing was a reason to celebrate and watch Grapefruit League baseball in the middle of the night. Clearly, Tanaka’s spring training debut didn’t profile as your ordinary build-up to the regular season.

After spending $175 million—including a $20 million posting fee—to procure the services of Japan’s top pitcher, the Yankees are banking on big things from the 25-year-old righty.

Yet as Ken Davidoff explains in the New York Post, the transformation from Japan to Major League Baseball won’t be easy, even for a pitcher that posted a 24-0 record last season. For his part, Tanaka seems to understand the feeling-out process that spring training will be for him this year.

“I understand that there’s going to be a lot of attention on the results, the numbers, on how I do out there,” Tanaka said through an interpreter. “For me, now looking at it, I just want to go out there and pitch my style out there and see how it is on the mound.”

In order to make the leap from the 85-win, third-place finish of 2013, the Yankees will need a productive year from Tanaka in the starting rotation.

While a mediocre offense was to blame for what ailed New York last summer, Yankees starters pitched to a 4.08 ERA, per ESPN. That mark placed them in the bottom half of the American League ranks.

How did Tanaka fare during his first game in a Yankees uniform? Here are updates and takeaways from the debut of New York’s newest star.

 

Anticipation

Unlike most Grapefruit League appearances by expensive, well-known starting pitchers, Tanaka wasn’t the first Yankees starter to take the mound against the Philadelphia Phillies.

In fact, he was the third member of New York’s rotation to toe the rubber, following CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda. When the 2014 season begins, he’ll likely be placed after those two starters in Yankees manager Joe Girardi’s rotation.

During the first four innings of Tanaka’s debut game, fans and media members became restless as baseball awaited his first pitch with increased anticipation. MLB Network’s broadcast—a simulcast of the YES Network broadcast—focused on Tanaka’s eventual appearance throughout the early innings.

When the Japanese star began tossing a baseball in the bullpen in the third inning, a soft roar took over the crowd, and several media members made their way to watch the main attraction stretch his arm out.

If the excitement of Tanaka’s first appearance rivals anything to come in his first season, Major League Baseball and the Yankees are poised to roll out a must-see event every fifth day.

 

Style, Not Results 

When the fifth inning arrived, Tanaka toed the rubber in America for the first time in an organized baseball game. Although this was technically a relief outing, allowing Tanaka to start a clean inning—without anyone on base or outs already recorded—afforded him the chance to treat the outing as if it was the first inning of a game.

Following Tanaka’s cue, based on the thoughts he shared with Davidoff, let’s focus on how he looked before dissecting the actual results against Philadelphia’s Grapefruit League lineup.

From a delivery perspective, Tanaka looked the part. Sporting the trademark stutter step featured by so many Japanese pitchers—including teammate Hiroki Kuroda—a fluid, compact delivery accompanied his pitches.

In his first inning, fastballs were up in the zone, including a fastball on the outside part of the place that resulted in an inning-ending strikeout. In Japan, it’s likely that fastballs in the mid-90s could generate empty swings, even if above the knees.

As the spring moves along, keep an eye on Tanaka’s location. In his first start, he lived higher in the zone than what’s needed to succeed in the AL East.

From the moment Tanaka surfaced on baseball’s radar, people have raved about his splitter. During the broadcast, YES Network’s Michael Kay and Ken Singleton opined about how effective it could be in the majors. Despite the accolades, though, it wasn’t on display during the fifth inning.

In the sixth, the splitter clearly emerged. With two strikes on Phillies outfielder Ben Revere, Tanaka launched a nasty, biting and diving splitter low and away. Predictably, Revere swung and missed at the excellent offering.

 

Performance

For many fans, this is all that matters.

After allowing a single to center field to Philles first baseman Darin Ruf, Tanaka settled down during his first inning of work. While the box score may show a fly ball caught to left field, the contact made against him wasn’t particularly hard or dangerous.

He recorded a strikeout to end the fifth inning with a fastball up in the zone, touching the outside corner.

In the sixth, Tanaka was even more impressive, generating strikeouts in two distinct ways: a devastating splitter and a chest-high fastball.

The splitter, used to fool Revere, was as good as advertised by the Yankees and scouts.

The fastball, although only hitting 89 mph on the radar gun, was high enough to prey on Domonic Brown’s weakness and located well enough to get under his hands. Unlike many high fastballs that are deposited into the seats, this was high enough to either classify as a waste pitch, induce a swing and miss or generate weak contact.

MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch got Tanaka’s personal take on his Yankees debut and what he experienced and felt out there on the mound:

Tanaka’s final stat line against Philadelphia: 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 3 SO, 0 BB

 

Takeaways

Aesthetically, Tanaka looks and pitches like Hiroki Kuroda. While that comparison may not place him in a stratosphere of baseball’s top pitchers, it’s a good place to start a career.

Although his velocity wasn’t overpowering, watching Tanaka spot his fastball around the plate was impressive. Clearly, this is a pitcher with an idea of how to move the ball around, work the corners and confuse hitters by using all quadrants of the strike zone.

It’s early to jump to conclusions, especially for a pitcher who has now thrown just two innings in America, but it’s clear that this outing was a success for Tanaka in both style and substance.

Over the next few starts, keep an eye on Tanaka’s location and adjustments made against him. For now, the $155 million arm looks to be as advertised: potentially excellent.

 

What were your impressions of Tanaka’s first game in a Yankees uniform?

Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts.

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MLB Prospect Spring Training Stock Watch, Week 1

Spring training statistics can be horribly misleading. With so many young, inexperienced prospects in big league camp, it’s imperative that all numbers be analyzed within context. At the same time, it’s hard not to get excited when a prospect makes an immediate impact.

Even though Cactus and Grapefruit League games began only a few days ago, numerous top-ranked prospects have already opened eyes with their performances against big league competition this spring in spite of limited opportunities. On the flip side, a small contingent of prospects got off to a rough start this past week and will look to right the ship as the spring unfolds.

Here’s a look at some of the best and worst performances after the first week of spring training.    

 

Stock Up

Gregory Polanco, OF, Pittsburgh Pirates

Spring Training Stats: 1-for-5, HR

The Pirates will continue to give Polanco extended playing time this spring in order to determine his timetable for the upcoming season. While the 22-year-old is expected to take over as the team’s right fielder at some point during the summer, he’s likely headed back to Triple-A until the organization deems him ready for a promotion.

Polanco has collected only one hit through his first two games this spring, but it was a big one: a solo home run off David Phelps in the first inning of Thursday’s game.

 

Nick Castellanos, 3B, Detroit Tigers 

Spring Training Stats: 3-for-6, 2 2B, 4 RBI

The Tigers aren’t holding anything back this year with top prospect Castellanos, who is tabbed to open the season as the team’s starting third baseman; basically, the position is his to lose. Therefore, the organization has to be pleased with the soon-to-be 22-year-old’s red-hot start this spring.

Castellanos turned in his signature performance Friday against the Philadelphia Phillies, going 2-for-3 with a pair of doubles and four RBI. His two-out, bases-clearing double off the right-centerfield wall in the first inning gave the Tigers an early 3-0 lead.

 

Joc Pederson, OF, Los Angeles Dodgers

Spring Training Stats: 1-for-6, HR, 2 RBI

Joc Pederson is a baller. Yet I can’t help but feel as though he’s still very underrated.

The 21-year-old is an impressive athlete with sneaky strength, showcasing five potentially average or better tools and mature secondary skills. Pederson projects to be a slightly above-average hitter at the highest level, with an advanced approach and line-drive-oriented swing, and he already demonstrates a feel for working counts and getting on base. Oh yeah, he legitimately can play all three outfield positions.

Pederson has already appeared in three games this spring, and the left-handed batter made a strong impression Friday with a two-run, opposite-field home run down the left field line. Expect him to receive consistent playing time this spring so long as Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford are on the shelf.

 

Kris Bryant, 3B, Chicago Cubs

Spring Training Stats: 1-for-1, HR, 2 RBI

Bryant hasn’t stopped hitting since signing with the Cubs last summer; he posted a 1.078 OPS with nine home runs in 36 games across three minor league levels before heading to the prestigious Arizona Fall League, where the 6’5” slugger produced a 1.184 OPS with eight doubles and six home runs in only 20 games.

The 22-year-old was arguably the lone bright spot Friday in the Cubs’ 15-3 loss to the Angels, launching a two-run home run to straightaway center field in his only at-bat.

 

Rafael Montero/Jacob deGrom, RHP, New York Mets

2013 Spring Stats: Montero: 2 IP, 2 K; deGrom: 2 IP, 4 K

Two of the Mets’ top pitching prospects made their respective spring debuts Friday against the Washington Nationals, as Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom combined to throw four perfect frames to open the game.

Montero received the starting nod and struck out two batters in two innings, and deGrom followed by one-upping the right-hander with four strikeouts in his two innings of work. Though neither prospect is expected to compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster, both Montero and deGrom should spend a portion of the upcoming season in the major leagues.

 

Stock Down

Trevor Bauer, RHP, Cleveland Indians

Spring Training Stats: IP, 2 BB, K

It was obvious that something needed to change for Trevor Bauer following his disappointing 2013 campaign with the Indians—or should I say the Indians’ Triple-A affiliate. So the right-hander finally decided to alter his mechanics this offseason with the hope that it would improve his control.

Bauer showed off his new mechanics Wednesday in his spring debut, though it seemed to have a minimal impact on the 23-year-old right-hander’s approach and overall control. In his only inning of work against the Cincinnati Reds, Bauer recorded one strikeout against two walks while throwing a strike in four of 12 pitches.

Unless Bauer demonstrates a drastic improvement this spring, it’s difficult to envision the once-promising prospect breaking camp in the Tribe’s Opening Day rotation.

 

Marco Gonzales, LHP, St. Louis Cardinals

Spring Training Stats: 1.2 IP, 2 ER, 2 H, 3 BB, K

Gonzales, the Cardinals’ first pick in the 2013 draft, had a shaky spring debut Friday against the Miami Marlins, though I’m sure the left-hander’s nerves played a role in his struggles. The 22-year-old was unable to complete his scheduled two-inning outing, as his fringy control and tentative approach resulted in two earned runs on two hits and three walks.

 

J.R. Graham, RHP, Atlanta Braves 

Spring Training Stats: 0.2 IP, 2 ER, 3 H, K

Graham was expected to make an impact in the major leagues last season, but a shoulder injury in mid-May prevented the 24-year-old from taking the mound for the rest of the year. A clean bill of health has the right-hander back on the mound this spring, which is really all that matters. As expected, Graham was rusty Friday in his spring debut following the extended layoff, allowing two earned runs on three hits in 0.2 innings.

But don’t read too far into his line; right now, he just needs to build arm strength in preparation for the upcoming season.

 

Daniel Corcino, RHP, Cincinnati Reds

Spring Training Stats: 0.2 IP, 4 ER, H, 3 BB, 2 K

The Reds rushed Corcino to Triple-A last season based on the merits of his successful 2012 campaign at Double-A. As a result, the 23-year-old regressed considerably in the International League, registering an ugly 5.86 ERA and 90-73 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 129 innings. Specifically, the right-hander struggled to pound the strike zone with his fastball, which in turn made his secondary offerings less effective.

Unfortunately, Corcino’s spring debut Thursday against the Indians indicated that nothing has changed for the right-hander, as he allowed four earned runs on one hit and three walks and failed to complete his outing. However, for what it’s worth, the two outs Corcino recorded in the frame were both strikeouts.

 

*All stats courtesy of MLB.com and reflect games through Feb. 28, 2014

*All videos courtesy of MLB Advanced Media, MLB.com

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New York Mets vs. Miami Marlins: Play-by-Play Spring Training Analysis

The New York Mets will host the split-squad Miami Marlins at Tradition Field Saturday at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Mets starter John Lannan faces Kevin Slowey of the Marlins. Lannan is one of several candidates for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation.

The Mets lost to the Washington Nationals 5-4 Friday, but starting infield and outfield candidates rose to the occasion. Pitching prospects Rafael Montero and Jacob deGrom dazzled.

Ike Davis ended the day on a high note with a two-run blast in the fifth inning. Lucas Duda, who hit as the designated hitter, also impressed with a broken-bat ground-rule double. The battle for first base is heating up with extra-base hits.

Juan Lagares impressed with a single and a double. He needs to keep hitting if he wants to start in the outfield with Chris Young, who hit a single, and Curtis Granderson.

Last season, the Mets lost 11 of their 19 games against the Marlins, who finished in last place in the National League East. The Fish swept the Mets in 2013 after sweeping the New York Yankees. Mets relievers gave up four runs after the sixth inning Friday. The bullpen needs to keep the game competitive.

Here is the Mets starting lineup:

Chris Young, CF, Kirk Nieuwenhuis, RF, Andrew Brown, DH, Lucas Duda, 1B, Zach Lutz, 3B, Taylor Teagarden, C, Matt den Dekker, LF, Anthony Setatelli, 2B, Omar Quintanilla, SS

 

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Twitter Reacts to the Start of New York Yankees’ Spring Training

Entering the official start of spring training 2014, one thing is clear: the New York Yankees are Major League Baseball’s most talked about team.

The newest edition of spring training in Tampa Bay for the Yankees took on an entirely different feel when Derek Jeter announced his upcoming retirement back on February 12th. The face of the sport (no offense, Eric Sogard) will arguably be the story of the season as the most recent era in team history comes to a close. Let’s just hope the Jeter Farewell Tour comes with better gifts than the Mariano Rivera one did (really, Texas Rangers? Cowboy boots for a guy from Panama?)

However, the truly most important story lines for the Bombers in spring training are to see what they can expect to yield from their off-season spending spree and how a roster with a surprisingly high number of question marks despite the payroll comes together.  

Can the trio of Jeter/Mark Teixeira/CC Sabathia bounce back from rough 2013? Can Jacoby Ellsbury stay healthy? What exactly can we expect from Masahiro Tanaka? Does David Robertson really have what it takes to replace Mariano Rivera? There’s only one place that has all these answers: Twitter. 

To make the playoffs this year, the Yankees will most likely need to build on last year’s 85-win campaign. That total might sound easy to build off considering the winter’s price tag, but as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post tweets, maybe the Yankees weren’t actually that good. 

A 79-win caliber team minus that team’s best player, one Robinson Cano? Sounds like a tough task to overcome for Joe Girardi. That’s why the quartet of Carlos Beltran, Ellsbury, Brian McCann and Tanaka could make or break the year for New York.

However, all four of those signees come with question marks (at this point, the question mark might as well be the team’s logo this year). We don’t know how Tanaka‘s stuff will translate. Ellsbury‘s games played per year have as been inconsistent as anyone in the league over the course of his career. Beltran is not exactly a spring chicken. McCann is probably the surest bet of the bunch, but even he is beginning 2014 on the wrong side of 30.

One of Ellsbury‘s former managers thinks that success will follow, as long as he stays on the field.

McCann is expected to be a staple in a Yankee lineup that could very well be formidable. Even if McCann has a “down year,” it would be almost impossible for his season to qualify as a positional downgrade from 2013, as MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch points out.

When Tanaka signed, there were two numbers that stood out: a 24-0 record last year in Japan, and a $155 million contract. Critics of the deal have theorized that Tanaka‘s performance won’t match the payday, but Sports on Earth’s Jonathan Bernhardt says even if he’s not great, it’ll be okay for New York.

“If it turns out that New York paid superstar money for a pitcher who is merely very good, fine; the Yankees are a license to print money, and young pitchers who are “merely very good” don’t grow on trees.”

One player who is no lock to make the Opening Day roster, but could make a difference is the enigma known as Michael Pineda. It’s been two full years since we last saw the right-hander in a Major League game, but ESPN’s Buster Olney says there is reason to be optimistic. 

There’s been much talk about Jeter’s last year and what it means for the franchise in the long-term, but in the short-run, no one really knows what to expect from the captain. 

Before his spring training debut on February 27th, Brian Cashman made it clear that on his list of concerns, Jeter is no where near the top, according to Newsday’s David Lennon.

 

In case you hadn’t heard, Rivera is no longer active. In his place is Robertson, a very good reliever in his own right, but someone who has little experience ending games in big spots. That won’t stop Robertson from thinking he can pitch at an elite level, according to ESPN’s Ian O’Connor.

There’s no doubt the Yankees have upgraded since the end of last season. However, they have some ground to make up in the division. The Red Sox are the reigning World Champions, the Rays have one of the best rotations in all of the league, and the Orioles made some moves late in the off-season to bolster their roster.

The most important Yankee might very well be Teixeira. The Yankees’ infield could potentially be a trainwreck, but if Teixeira can somehow re-create his first three years in the Bronx this year, that could theoretically change the entire lineup. 

Jeter’s last year will be a season-long parade of honors and accolades, but a 39-year-old who might as well not have played in 2013 with a severe ankle injury is as big of a question mark as it comes. It would be very Jeter of Jeter to hit .320 this year, but somewhere in the .280 range is more realistic, if not maybe a best-case scenario for New York. 

Sabathia made news in the off-season for his weight loss, but his season will ultimately come down to another type of loss: velocity. 2013 was arguably the worst season of Sabathia’s career, but he’ll still take the mound April 1st when the Yankees open their season in Houston. His development in spring training could be the most important thing for Girardi & Co. as the team tries to avoid a second straight postseason-less year. 

 

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Los Angeles Dodgers: Early Reports from Spring Training

The Los Angeles Dodgers entered spring training on the short list of World Series favorites following a 92-win campaign and a trip to the National League Championship Series in 2013. Last year’s success has led to heightened expectations for the 2014 MLB season. However, there’s already cause for concern coming out of the Dodgers camp in Glendale, Ariz.

Here are five storylines from the first two weeks of spring training that Dodgers fans should pay close attention to.

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Updates, Takeaways from Curtis Granderson’s New York Mets Spring Training Debut

For the first time in years, the New York Mets spent significant money on free-agent talent during the offseason. Among the expenditures: Curtis Granderson‘s four-year, $60 million deal.

Although Mets fans will have to wait a month for Granderson’s debut at Citi Field, the former Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees star can begin to help transform a poor Mets lineup during the Grapefruit League slate. That schedule began Friday with an exhibition game against the Washington Nationals.

Last year, despite featuring third baseman David Wright’s .390 on-base percentage, the Mets scored only 619 runs and hit just 130 home runs.

Those figures, per ESPN, ranked 23rd and 25th, respectively, in Major League Baseball.

If the Mets are going to morph from a 74-win outfit to a 90-win powerhouse—an attainable goal according to their front office, per John Harper of the New York Daily News—Granderson’s powerful bat and run-scoring ability will be a major part of the turnaround.

Due to long-term injury issues, Granderson’s 2013 was limited to 245 forgettable plate appearances. In 2014, the Mets need their impact addition to profile as the type of performer he was from 2011 to 2012 for the Yankees. 

During those two seasons, Granderson posted averages of 42 home runs, 119 runs scored and 4.2 bWAR.

How did Granderson fare during his first game in a Mets uniform? Here are updates and takeaways from the debut of New York’s newest star.

 

New Team, New Role

The Grapefruit League is just underway for the Mets, but if the first game is any indication of how manager Terry Collins plans to use his new, expensive outfielder, an adjustment will be necessary for Granderson.

During Granderson’s 10-year career, he’s made just nine starts as a right fielder. Offensively, his name has been penciled into the No. 3 hole in the lineup just 25 times. 

Despite his track record as a center fielder and top-of-the-order hitter, Granderson started the exhibition season as New York’s right fielder and No. 3 hitter.

Defensively, Granderson should be able to adjust without a problem. In reality, as he enters his age-33 season, moving away from the demanding defensive position of center field is a good move for Granderson’s defensive value.

Over the last three years, Granderson was worth a total dWAR (defensive WAR) of minus-0.8 for the Yankees outfield. In other words, he cost the Yankees due to diminishing defense in center field.

Offensively, Granderson can excel by hitting ahead of David Wright in the order. With one of baseball’s best all-around players behind him, pitchers won’t want to pitch around Granderson and put him on base ahead of the dangerous Wright.

If it comes to patience at the plate, Granderson shouldn’t have trouble taking a walk ahead of a talented hitter. During his time with the Yankees, Granderson often hit in the No. 2 hole in the lineup, ahead of impact bats like Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez

Over the last three years, Granderson’s walk rate hasn’t dipped below 11 percent.

 

Focus on Timing, Not Health

When considering Granderson’s ability to stay on the field this summer, don’t let his freak injuries—stemming from two separate hit-by-pitch sequences—cloud what he’s been during a long career: one of baseball’s most durable players.

From 2006 to 2012, Granderson played in 1,070 games, averaging 153 per season. Only eight players—Prince Fielder, Adrian Gonzalez, Ichiro Suzuki, Miguel Cabrera, Dan Uggla, Robinson Cano, Michael Young and Jeff Francoeur—topped him in that category, per Baseball-Reference (subscription required).

Among that list of iron men, only Ichiro Suzuki and Jeff Francoeur did it as outfielders. 

Yet, strictly going by games played in 2013, Granderson could be labeled as damaged goods or a question mark heading into this season.

Instead of fretting about his health, pay attention to timing and comfort in the box. Injuries happen, but Granderson lost a major chunk of his free-agent season due to errant pitches. If he’s jumpy in the box or looks uncomfortable early in spring training, it’s something he has to work through. 

Unlike players with hamstring or ankle concerns, Granderson should be a lock for 150 games in 2014.

 

Performance

When a team shells out $15 million per season for a player, performance isn’t just vital; it supersedes everything.

Granderson’s arrival gave the Mets legitimacy on the free-agent market, but he’ll need to live up to the contract in 2014 and beyond by playing a solid outfield and hitting the cover off the baseball in Queens.

During his first exhibition game, Granderson looked comfortable in right field, easily gliding to a fly ball for an inning-ending out in the top of the third. 

Offensively, Granderson flied to left field in the bottom of the first inning, grounded out to second in the fourth and was removed from the game before a third plate appearance.

Granderson finished the day 0-for-2.

 

Takeaways

Granderson will be a vital performer for the Mets in 2014. If he hits close to the level of 2011-2012, David Wright will have another middle-of-the-order bat to take the pressure off him and help New York’s offense rise out of the bottom third of league ranks.

Furthermore, the veteran will be looked upon as a leader and one of the faces of the franchise.

During SNY’s broadcast, the Mets broadcast team raved about the type of person that Granderson is around the facility and clubhouse. For a franchise looking to win games and sell tickets, the affable star can be a marketing dream.

 

What were your impressions of Granderson’s first game in a Mets uniform? Comment, follow me on Twitter or “like” my Facebook page to talk about all things baseball.

Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference and FanGraphs unless otherwise noted. All contract figures courtesy of Cot’s Baseball Contracts

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Detroit Tigers Spring Training 2014: Day by Day Updates, Scores and News

The Detroit Tigers have won three straight American League Central titles, as they have sandwiched ALCS eliminations around an AL pennant in 2012 that saw them swept by the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.

Despite that recent run of success, they parted ways with a pair of key contributors this offseason, trading Prince Fielder and Doug Fister with an eye on saving money for future extensions for Max Scherzer and Miguel Cabrera.

Ian Kinsler was acquired from the Texas Rangers in the Fielder trade, and he gives the lineup a completely different outlook out of the top spot. The team also signed All-Star closer Joe Nathan and appears ready to turn an everyday job over the Nick Castellanos.

Drew Smyly will move from the bullpen to the rotation to replace Fister, with Ian Krol and Joba Chamberlain joining Nathan as newcomers in the bullpen.

Through all of that shuffling, they still look like the team to beat in the AL Central and one of the best all-around teams in the American League. Time will tell if they can get over the hump and win it all this season.

For now, the team is in Lakeland, Fla. preparing for the upcoming season. We’ll use the following space to track the latest game results and other key news on a daily basis, so be sure to check back here for all the latest Tigers news leading up to Opening Day.

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MLB Spring Training 2014 Schedule: Most Intriguing Matchups to Watch

With the Detroit Tigers’ romp over Florida Southern, 12-0, on Tuesday, MLB spring training is officially under way.

Over the next month, MLB’s 30 teams will be split into either the Cactus League or Grapefruit League. Each team will battle it out, attempting to get its players into shape for the beginning of the season.

Although the talent during spring training generally isn’t on par with the talent on display during the regular season, that doesn’t mean that there won’t be some exciting matchups to keep an eye on.

Here are three of the more intriguing meetings during MLB’s spring training schedule (Feb. 25-March 30). 

 

Boston Red Sox vs. St. Louis Cardinals

It was only four months ago that these two clubs duked it out for the 2013 World Series.

In recent years, it’s become commonplace to see one or both of these teams battling it out for all the marbles.

In fact, since 2004, the Red Sox and Cardinals have combined for seven World Series appearances, winning five of them. Unfortunately for St. Louis, two of Boston’s three championships came at its expense.

Still, that didn’t stop Grantland’s Jonah Keri from putting the Cardinals on top in his preseason power rankings:

With no love lost between these clubs, they will meet twice during spring training—once on March 6 and again on March 17.

The stakes may not be as high, but you can bet both sides will be striving to earn bragging rights.

 

New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

In what is arguably one of the most heated rivalries in all of sports, the Yankees just added more fuel to the fire. 

That came when New York signed center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153-million deal back in December.

The issue? Ellsbury spent the last seven seasons with the Red Sox.

You can add the 30-year-old’s name to the likes of Babe Ruth, Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Johnny Damon and other former Boston stars to swap in their red socks for pinstripes.

But that’s not the only new signing the Yankees will be showing off:

It’s obvious that New York isn’t too pleased with its 85-77 record and third-place finish in the AL East last year. Furthermore, it marked the first time the club had missed the postseason since 2008.

The two rivals will face off twice in the matter of three days on March 18 and 20.

 

Arizona Diamondbacks vs. Los Angeles Dodgers

Although the Diamondbacks held the head-to-head advantage in 2013—10-9—the Dodgers had the last laugh, winning the NL West by a whopping 11 games.

Whether they like it or not, these two clubs won’t waste time getting reacquainted with one another over the next month.

Arizona and Los Angeles are set to play one another in back-to-back days from Feb. 26-27. The two are then scheduled to meet again on March 12.

But if that wasn’t enough familiarity, the Diamondbacks and Dodgers will open the MLB regular season with a two-game set from March 22-23 in Sydney, Australia, at the historic Sydney Cricket Ground. 

While teams usually treat their spring training schedule as nothing more than warm ups, for both Arizona and Los Angeles, the three spring meetings will serve as an opportunity to steal momentum heading into their 2014 opening series clash in Sydney.

 

Unless otherwise noted, all stats are courtesy of ESPN.

For complete coverage and everything college football, you can reach Sebastian on FacebookTwitter and via email at Sebastian.LenaBR@gmail.com.

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What the San Francisco Giants Can Expect from Michael Morse in 2014

When the San Francisco Giants signed free agent outfielder Michael Morse on Dec. 17, the move signified Brian Sabean’s desire to fix something that wasn’t entirely broken. Yes, the addition of Morse to the lineup will surely bring power that would-be starter Gregor Blanco could never provide. The Giants have also struggled in the power-hitting department as of late.

But is an influx of home runs really what the team needs? Before we get ahead of ourselves in answering that question, it should be noted that Morse isn’t even guaranteed to bring power to the Giants lineup in the first place.

While he is just two years removed from a 31-homer season, it has taken Morse each of the last two seasons combined to match that total. That’s not to mention that the ex-Nationals slugger will be moving to the pitcher’s heaven that is AT&T Park, which featured the third-lowest home run rate in the majors in 2013 (per ESPN).

However, assuming Morse overcomes his lackluster performance from last season and becomes one of the Giants’ premier power sources, will he prove to be worth his $5 million price tag even then?

Part of the reason I’m hesitant to answer “yes” is that Morse won’t prove to be a significant upgrade over Blanco. That’s primarily because of the defensive liability that Morse has proven to be throughout his career. In fact, Morse has eclipsed Blanco’s WAR of 2.5 last season just once in his career, according to baseball-reference.com, and the former’s combined WAR over the last three seasons is still less than Blanco’s 2013 WAR, per baseball-reference.com.

Of course, WAR is not the all-encompassing statistic that it’s often made out to be. There’s quite a bit of value to be found in the late-inning home run that Morse will be able to provide far more often than Blanco. But with so much ground to cover in the AT&T Park outfield and the Giants’ heavy reliance on pitching, defense should often take precedence over offense in the outfield.

Despite all the potential pitfalls that the addition of Morse brings, the outlook isn’t all bad for the upcoming season. According to ZiPS, Morse is projected to compile a .719 OPS with a WAR of 1.2.

For $5 million, that’s pretty solid value, and it will almost certainly be an offensive upgrade over the alternative. Additionally, Bruce Bochy can insert Blanco into the lineup in the later innings for some defensive relief.

But perhaps the best part of the signing is the potential. Don’t forget, Morse did bat .294 with an .857 OPS in his four seasons in Washington. A return to that level of play isn’t entirely likely, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility either.

In my estimation, Morse will finish somewhere in between the aforementioned projected numbers and his pre-2013 numbers. A .265/.310/.450 slash line isn’t out of the question, and if all goes well, Morse could even approach 20 home runs.

Why those numbers? Most importantly, Morse has said he’s 100 percent healthy, according to Alex Pavlovic of the San Jose Mercury News. According to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle, Morse has also looked fantastic this spring, and he’s happy to be playing for the Giants.

That points toward a nice rebound for Morse, albeit at the price of poor defense in left field. Even so, for $5 million, that’s a bargain.

 

All statistics courtesy of baseball-reference.com.

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