World Series Rosters 2017

It's finally time... Time for me to come out of my nearly three-month exile from the blogosphere to bring you some roster analysis for the teams in the 2017 World Series!  The Los Angeles Dodgers and the Houston Astros are the first 100-win teams to face each other in the Fall Classic since 1970 (when the Orioles defeated the Reds), and both of these rosters are absolutely stacked. Here's how they measure up against each other, starting with the home team:

First, a few words about the columns and color-coding, since there have been some subtle changes since the time I posted an excerpt from one of my patented Baseball Databases.  The "Pos 1" (or Primary Position) column is shaded green for rookies, as it has been in the past, but now players making their major league debuts have their positions in italics. For the Dodgers, this includes Rookie of the Year frontrunner (and #12 overall prospect heading into 2017) Cody Bellinger and technically-a-catcher Kyle Farmer, although he's been limited to five pinch-hit appearances so far in the playoffs.  For player names, a Yellow highlight denotes a player acquired during the preceding offseason -- just second platoon baseman Logan Forsythe (via a trade with Tampa Bay) and setup man extraordinaire Brandon Morrow (on a minor league deal). Players with Blue (technically Cyan) highlights were acquired during the season... which was actually the subject of my most recent post on this blog.  Neither outfielder Curtis Granderson nor situational lefty Tony Cingrani show up in that post, because the former was acquired after the non-waiver trade deadline, and the latter hadn't racked up enough points to merit inclusion.

Speaking of points, I use fantasy points to measure player value because it's a nice, easy, one-number system that everyone can understand (the more the better).  If you're thinking that the same can be used to describe WAR, you're right... but EVERYONE talks about WAR and I've always had that urge to stand out from the crowd and be unique, you know?  Speaking of standing out from the crowd and being unique, the next column after PPG (Points Per Game) shows what Astrological sign each player belongs to, with the bold-italic cells representing players on their sign's active Fantasy-Astrology roster.  The concept behind Dev (Developed) Team is not quite as unique, but it's definitely more grounded in reality, as it tracks which organizations shepherded each player through their minor league development phases.  But more on that later, when we look at the Astros.

Speaking of the Astros, the only member of their roster to make their debut in 2017 is technically-an-outfielder Derek Fisher, who clocked in at #83 on MLB.com's preseason prospect list, but has only appeared as a pinch hitter/runner so far in the playoffs.  He joins Yuli(eski) Gurriel as the only rookies on the team, although the 33-year-old infielder is a rookie in name only, as he has 15 years of experience in his native Cuban Serie Nacional.  Veterans of foreign leagues like Gurriel (and Kenta Maeda on the opposing side) present a problem for not only the rookie eligibility system, but also for the developed player system, since they weren't technically "developed" by any team, but rather "imported," so to speak.   But since it wouldn't be right to exclude them from the developed teams project, they get awarded to their first major league organizations.

As far as acquired players, Houston had more than twice as much offseason turnover as Los Angeles.  They traded for catcher Brian McCann from the Yankees, then signed right fielder Josh Reddick, DH Carlos Beltran, and starting pitcher Charlie Morton to free agent deals, plus added backup catcher Juan Centeno (who has one playoff appearance so far) on a minor league pact.  As far as their midseason acquisitions, two out of three of them were brought on board after July 31st: outfielder Cameron Maybin was claimed off waivers from the division rival Angels, and longtime Tigers ace Justin Verlander was acquired with mere seconds left before Trade Deadline 2.0, as it were, and might go down in history as one of the most monumental August acquisitions of all time.

Now for the Developed Teams column.  You may notice that some players have more than one team in this column.  These players spent time with multiple organizations before making their major league debuts, with the team in CAPS representing their true developed team (i.e. the one they spent the most time with), regardless of the team with which they saw their first major league action (the team listed without an asterisk).  In previous versions of this database, I listed each player's developed teams chronologically, with a forward slash (/) between any multiple teams.  This time, I put each player's true developed team in front, just to make the database easier to sort, and differentiated the timeline with a backward slash (\).  So for example, utility man Marwin Gonzalez was originally signed by the Cubs, where he spent his entire minor league career, before being acquired by the Astros as part of some Rule 5 Draft maneuvering and sent straight to the majors (CHC*/hou).  Conversely, relief ace Chris Devenski was drafted by the White Sox, but was traded to the Astros early enough in his career that he spent the majority of his development in Houston's system (HOU\chw*).

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So there you have both World Series contending rosters.  Now, how do they compare side by side?  When you add up the aggregate fantasy points of each 25-Man Roster (including players who spent time with multiple teams in 2017), the Astros have a rather slim 789 point advantage over the Dodgers (31,947 to 31,158).  Houston also has the top scoring player (AL MVP candidate Jose Altuve), but the Dodgers follow with numbers two and three (All-World ace Clayton Kershaw and All-World closer Kenley Jansen).  As far as homegrown players (developed players still with their original organizations) the Astros have the edge 11 to 9, although only Houston has players who were acquired before they completed their development (swingman Joe Musgrove joins Devenski in that category).  Looking to the stars, the best-represented Astrological sign combined among both teams is Pisces with 7 players, followed by Virgo and Leo each with 6.  No individual team has more than 4 players of any given sign on the roster -- LAD has 4 each of Leo and Sagittarius, while HOU has 4 of Pisces, Virgo, and Scorpio.  For what it's worth, Aries defeated Libra in this year's Fantasy Astrology championship match, making it just the second time in six years that the "Scales" have failed to walk away with the crown -- and each team has two "Rams": Kenta Maeda and Andre Ethier for the Dodgers, Alex Bregman and Cameron Maybin for the Astros.

Who knows if any of these trivialities have any bearings on who has a better chance of taking the series, but if you do manage to find any correlations, remember that you heard it here first!

The World Series will be broadcast on your local Fox station, starting tonight at 8:00pm ET from Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles.

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UPDATE: I've just learned that the Dodgers have made two changes to their World Series roster from the NLCS, which are outlined below:

First the technicalities: infielder Charlie Culberson was actually already on the NLCS roster, taking the spot of the injured Corey Seager, so technically the NEW additions are Seager and Brandon McCarthy.  But since the 2016 Rookie of the Year shortstop was already slated to return, I went ahead and made that assumption.  In adding McCarthy, who pitched mainly as a starter in 2017, to the bullpen, Los Angeles is taking a page out of Houston's book, as the Astros have four pitchers who made at least 10 starts who have been used mostly in relief during the playoffs (the lone exception being Brad Peacock's Game 3 start in the ALDS, where he actually pitched fewer innings than long reliever Lance McCullers Jr.).

Now for who's out: Kyle Farmer was an obvious choice, as Culberson could fill the role of right handed pinch hitter while also providing some depth around the infield.  Curtis Granderson, on the other hand, is a curious choice, since he's LA's third highest-scoring outfielder, and thus seemingly in line for a starting spot.  However, the decision makes more sense when you look at his postseason performance so far (1-for-15 with 8 K's in 6 games), combined with the presence of two other lefty hitting outfielders on the roster: Joc Pederson and Andre Ethier, who haven't hit much better (a combined 3-for-13, but with 2 extra base hits), but who come with the morale bonus of both being homegrown players.  Plus it's not as though Enrique "Kíke" Hernandez is going to ride the bench too much after slugging not one but three (3!) home runs in the NLCS-clenching Game 5 at Chicago...

MLB All-Acquired 2017 Trade Deadline Edition

UPDATE: It's been a week since the trade deadline, and in my typically late-to-the-party fashion, I'm just now ready to update my All-Acquired list. Since this is technically the Trade Deadline Edition, I'm ignoring the August revocable waiver trades that have already altered the 2017 All-Acquired landscape and sticking with the players who were moved on or before the 7/31 non-waiver deadline. Updated names are highlighted in yellow, older parts of the post are underneath a === break, and fantasy points are as of the All-Star Break.

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With less than a week to go before MLB's always exciting trade deadline, it's time to start constructing a roster out of the players who have changed teams during the season. Obviously, this list will look a little threadbare until next Monday, but starting this process now will give some insight into which teams had the foresight to get their midseason shopping done early. So here's a position-by-position look at all the players who were either traded, claimed off waivers, or released/signed by new teams as of the start of the 2017 season, with fantasy point totals listed as of the All-Star Break.

STARTING PITCHER
Yu Darvish - 1,085 (57.1) TEX --> LAD
Jose Quintana - 682 (37.9) CHW --> CHC
Sonny Gray - 637 (49.0) OAK --> NYY
Trevor Cahill - 494 (54.9) SDP --> KCR
Jeremy Hellickson - 624 (34.7) PHI --> BAL


Jaime Garcia - 492 (30.8) ATL --> MIN --> NYY
Erasmo Ramirez - 448 (19.5) TBR --> SEA
Francisco Liriano - 326 (23.3) TOR --> HOU
Parker Bridwell - 277 (46.2) bal --> LAA
Mike Pelfrey - 283 (17.7) DET // CHW


UPDATE: While I stand by my earlier evaluation of Jose Quintana as the most valuable pitcher to change teams during the deadline season (due to his future team control), Yu Darvish takes the cake when you consider pure stuff and talent in the present. Traded at the 11th hour by a Texas team that hadn't committed to selling until moments before the deadline, Darvish didn't even cost the Dodgers one of their "untouchable" top two prospects (Alex Verdugo and Walker Buehler) although a package of three prospects headlined by near-MLB ready infielder Willie Calhoun is a steep price to pay for a pure rental. But regardless of the cost, he gives Los Angeles a bona fide second ace to slot in behind Clayton Kershaw, and in front of arguably their THIRD ace Alex Wood. I don't like to use terms like "World Series Favorites" in August, because the playoffs are such a crapshoot, but the boys in blue look pretty stacked this year.

Quintana wasn't the only upper echelon controllable starter traded at the deadline, as the long-speculated Sonny Gray-to-the-Yankees deal finally came to fruition. While Athletics GM Billy Beane wasn't able to pry loose any of New York's top prospects (Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, or even Estevan Florial), he still ended up with some tremendous upside in the tremendously injured James Kaprielian and Dustin Fowler, plus a speed-first up the middle guy in Jorge Mateo. But I guess when everybody knows that you're addicted to making trades for the sake of making trades, sometimes you have to be content with your second or third tier asks. The Jeremy Hellickson trade was a bit of a head-scratcher, given that the Orioles are not really sniffing contention at this point in the season, but sometimes you just need dependable innings in your rotation. Francisco Liriano will likely be used as a reliever by his new team, the Astros, whereas the opposite is true for former swingman Erasmo Ramirez.


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Regardless of what happens with Yu Darvish and Sonny Gray, Jose Quintana could very well end up being the most valuable pitcher moved before this year's deadline. While his numbers haven't been overpowering this year, he not only has a long track record of excellence, but he also comes with affordable club options through 2020. With the Cubs stumbling out of the gates following their dramatic World Series win, a move of this caliber could have been the boost they needed to make up ground against the first place Brewers in a very unsettled NL Central race. Kansas City made a move for a resurgent Trevor Cahill for much the same reasons - they are within spitting distance of first place in the AL Central and are hoping to make one last playoff push before their core hitters all become free agents after the season. I will always root for Jaime Garcia, as he's the only major leaguer who shares my birth day and date, and while he's been more solid than great lately, he should provide the Twins with some rotation stability as they try to catch both the Royals and the Indians in the their division.

Now for the players who will undoubtedly fall off this list in a week's time, if not sooner. Mike Pelfrey signed an ill-fated two-year deal with Detroit prior to last season, was released earlier this year, and was given a chance to eat some innings for the out-of-contention White Sox by way of a minor league deal. While underperforming veterans like Bartolo Colon (-119 fantasy points on the year) and Doug Fister (7 total points) have more name recognition, if I were filling out an all-acquired rotation at this time, the fifth spot would have to go to rookie Parker Bridwell. The Orioles traded the unheralded 25-year-old to the Angels out of DFA limbo, after which he has turned in 7 starts (and a relief appearance) while maintaining an ERA just above 3.

CLOSER --> CLOSER
AJ Ramos - 811 (23.9) MIA --> NYM

UPDATE: I've expanded the categories for relief pitchers based on the roles they occupied with their former teams compared to the roles they are slated to play with their new teams. The distinction is important because most contending teams already have established closers, and any relievers acquired by those teams, even if they finished games for their previous teams, are more likely than not to slide into setup roles. In fact, the only traded closer who should remain in that role is new Mets reliever AJ Ramos (if the Mets are ever on the right end of a save situation again), and that's only the case because New York sent its old closer to Boston to set up Craig Kimbrel.

SETUP --> CLOSER
Sean Doolittle - 362 (16.5) OAK --> WAS

UPDATE: The Washington Nationals are the exception to the above mentioned rule, as their bullpen troubles have been a major focus leading up to the trade deadline season, prompting them to make not one, but three significant additions to their pen. While former Twins groundball machine Brandon Kintzler was putting up the best fantasy numbers of any traded reliever, it's been former A's closer-turned-setup-man Sean Doolittle who has been getting the bulk of the save opportunities since his acquisition, even after Kintzler's arrival. I'm hoping Doolittle's arm holds up for a deep playoff run with Washington, since he has a reputation as a class act and deserves some time in the spotlight.

CLOSER --> SETUP
Brandon Kintzler - 1,117 (28.6) MIN --> WAS
David Robertson - 828 (28.6) CHW --> NYY
Addison Reed - 839 (20.5) NYM --> BOS

Justin Wilson - 757 (21.0) DET --> CHC

Brandon Maurer - 720 (18.9) SDP --> KCR

UPDATE: I had David Robertson as the closer in my earlier version of this post, but not only has he dropped down a layer thanks to my new category system, but he's now not even the top dog in his category. I actually left Brandon Maurer off my list of relievers in the old version of this post, because despite his inflated fantasy points due to his 20 saves with the Padres, I didn't think he would play a big role on this All-Acquired bullpen. But now that I'm dividing the list by role, this is a perfect place to stash him.

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It seems to be a trend that impact relievers are usually the most well represented class of player moved during the trade deadline, possibly because a good one can easily fit on any roster. David Robertson may not continue to rack up the saves in his new (and also former) home, setting up for last year's all-acquired closer Aroldis Chapman in New York, the same role he had when he used to set up for the great Mariano Rivera. But the Team USA Veteran is the only one on this list so far who has "qualified" as a closer with the White Sox, so he gets the nod in the prestige position.

RELIEF PITCHER
Tony Watson - 597 (14.9) PIT --> LAD
Anthony Swarzak - 519 (14.8) CHW --> MIL
Pat Neshek - 488 (12.8) PHI --> COL

Ryan Madson - 425 (11.2) OAK --> WAS
Joe Smith - 406 (11.9) TOR --> CLE
Tommy Kahnle - 401 (11.5) CHW --> NYY
Ryan Buchter - 386 (10.4) SDP --> KCR
Kirby Yates - 369 (11.9) LAA --> SDP
+David Phelps - 344 (8.4) MIA --> SEA

UPDATE: Speaking of inflated stats due to saves, Tony Watson has that in spades, as he was the Pirates' closer before losing his job to the younger and harder-throwing Felipe Rivero. Considering that, it's all the more impressive that Anthony Swarzak could put up a nearly identical points-per-game total, even without pitching in a ninth-inning role, but I already have the Watson screenshot, so there you go.

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Speaking of White Sox relievers, they've been on the bargain bin lately, with a duo of well-performing, low profile setup men also leaving with their team's former closer (Tommy Kahnle literally went to the Yankees in the same deal his team's former closer, while Swarzak is still technically en route to the Brewers, as of this writing). But the more dynamic of the two relief pitcher duos to get traded could be the duo of former closers who have been traded by the Athletics. Both are controllable - Ryan Madson via a free agent deal, Sean Doolittle from a contract extension - and they went to fulfill the most satisfying need of any club in the majors so far: strengthening Washington's relief corps. Pat Neshek's name was so hot off the presses that it just showed up on MLB.com's transaction page. David Phelps was well-discussed, and went for a big prospect package, but in terms of fantasy points, he hasn't been dominant at all.

CATCHER
Alex Avila - 694 (10.8) DET --> CHC
Jonathan Lucroy - 520 (8.0) TEX --> COL
+Stephen Vogt - 468 (7.4) OAK --> MIL
Miguel Montero - 260 (5.5) CHC // TOR

Raise your hand if at the beginning of this season you thought that Alex Avila, signed to a one-year deal to be a backup catcher, would have statistically outperformed Jonathan Lucroy, two-time member of Team USA in the WBC. Anyone with their hand up should immediately buy a ticket to Vegas and make some bets, all while keeping your hand in the air. Avila's history of making hard contact earned him a one way ticket to play for the defending world champions, where he'll back up hot hitting Willson Contreras. But for platoon purposes on this All-Acquired team, Avila makes for an ideal starter, while Lucroy would fill in against lefties.

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I... I believe... I believe that Stephen Vogt... Is the Best Acquired Catcher... Of the current baseball season... Picked up by Milwaukee via a waiver claim, the longtime clubhouse favorite of the A's won't be able to suit up behind the plate for the foreseeable future, due to a basepath collision with a pitcher. Now the sad part about this injury is that it likely could have been avoided if there were a trained runner (i.e., a non-pitcher) trying to abide by the new-ish slide rule. #DesignatedHitter #UniversalDH #FreeTheDH

FIRST BASE
Matt Adams - 823 (11.0) STL --> ATL
Lucas Duda - 693 (11.2) NYM --> TBR

UPDATE: I can see a world where Lucas Duda would supplant Matt Adams as the starter here, especially given their respective performances over the last month or so. But since it's likely that whoever lost out on the first base job would slot in as the DH, it's really a moo point.

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When you're hitting so well for your new team that you've got one of the league's top hitters considering a position change to accommodate you, you know you're doing something right. Of course a lot of the reasoning behind that move is that Freddie Freeman could conceivably handle third base, whereas Matt Adams is exclusively a first baseman, and a platoon first baseman at that. But lefty power is always a fun part of the game, so it's nice that the Braves can conceivably get a double dose.

SECOND BASE
Howie Kendrick - 433 (13.1) PHI --> WAS
Danny Espinosa - 375 (4.9) LAA --> SEA

UPDATE: Howie Kendrick has spent the majority of his career playing second base for the Angels, before he took on more of a utility role with the REAL Los Angeles team in 2016. While he has mostly manned left field since then, and while the presence of Daniel Murphy on his new team will likely keep him from playing the keystone much in the foreseeable future, he still definitely has the capability, if not the eligibility, to contribute in the infield.

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(formerly Eduardo Nunez) This pick is a stretch: it's a huge lean on a player's Capability to play a position as opposed to his Qualifications at that position. In terms of fantasy eligibility, Eduardo Nunez is on his way to an impressive three positions - SS, 3B, and OF. And while he's almost certain to spend most of his time in his new home at the hot corner, given Boston's well documented third base woes, if Nunez can handle the keystone (where he has just 29 career games), this current hypothetical team goes from discouraging to passable.

THIRD BASE
Todd Frazier - 908 (11.6) CHW --> NYY
Trevor Plouffe - 402 (5.7) OAK --> TBR

Need a right handed power hitter to complement Adams (and, Gods willing, Vogt) from the left side? Look no further than Todd Frazier, who has the added benefit that he can be a solution to both the third base AND first base woes for HIS new team, the Yankees. Maybe this trade will be the domino that makes a Yonder Alonso trade less likely, which will in turn push the A's towards an extension, which are is a good way of KEEPING THE GOOD PLAYERS YOU HAVE, BILLY! Wasn't that exactly a part of your missive to yourself last week? Speaking of Billy Beane, Trevor Plouffe was lost for nothing via waivers to the Rays, and isn't hitting great, but at this point he's probably on course to be this team's DH in a slow market for position players.


SHORTSTOP
Eduardo Nunez - 799 (12.5) SFG --> BOS
Tim Beckham - 709 (9.5) TBR --> BAL
Adam Rosales - 361 (5.5) OAK --> ARI
Adeiny Hechavarria - 180 (5.8) MIA --> TBR

UPDATE: I assumed that Eduardo Nunez would move to the All-Acquired shortstop when the A's shipped Jed Lowrie to a playoff contender. But even though that deal never materialized, circumstances still allowed Nunez to move back to where he's spent the plurality of his career (although it's close: 2,067 innings at short vs. 1,809 at third). In fact, shortstop is now a fairly deep All-Acquired position, thanks to another head-scratching move of Tim Beckham to the Orioles and the eminently sensible acquisition of Adam Rosales by the Diamondbacks.

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Say what you like about his lack of offensive production, he's got a pretty mean glove, and there's a lot of different ways you can contribute to a team. Just not in terms of fantasy... Eduardo Nunez moves here in the event of a Jed Lowrie trade. We need to get Tom Sawyer played as a walk up song in more stadiums.

OUTFIELD
J.D. Martinez - 818 (15.4) DET --> ARI
Melky Cabrera - 983 (11.7) CHW --> KCR
Nori Aoki - 386 (6.2) HOU --> TOR
Hyun Soo Kim - 179 (3.5) BAL --> PHI

UPDATE: The presence of Melky Cabrera in the All-Acquired corner outfield mix is what allowed Kendrick to move to his former position of second base. We'll see if his presence on the Royals' corner outfield mix improves their odds of making the 2017 playoffs for the last time before the core of their lineup is scheduled to hit free agency. If there's one glaring weakness on this team, it has to be outfield depth, as the two prospective backups, Aoki and Kim, were included in their trades mostly as ways to offset salary rather than as trade targets themselves.

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If I were to name a player who is most likely to be the crown jewel of this year's entire all-acquired class, it would be J.D. Martinez. He's bounced back nicely from a preseason injury, so he has the added bonus of essentially just hitting midseason form down the stretch. He complements what is already a good offensive lineup, which is what is SUPPOSED to happen to a good offensive lineup; it's not supposed to be GUTTED like when Yoenis Cespedes was shipped out of Oakland for a slight pitching upgrade to a staff that had already been upgraded. But no... you just CAN'T RESIST THE DEAL, can you, Billy? Just like you CAN'T STOP WATERING YOUR LAWN!


CENTER FIELD
Danny Santana - 335 (6.1) MIN --> ATL
Matt Sczcur - 211 (3.5) CHC --> SDP

UPDATE: In another case of capability vs. eligibility (see Howie Kendrick above), Danny Santana hasn't played much center in 2017, but that's where he's spent the plurality of his career (905 innings there vs. 864 at shortstop). While he hasn't turned in a very memorable 2017 season so far, he's perfectly capable of playing up the middle and batting ninth for this... mostly impressive team.

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I don't know how this post turned into a hatefest against the A's president of baseball operations, but I'd just like to take this opportunity to say that I can't abide fantasy leagues that don't distinguish between CF and OF (i.e. corner outfield) eligibility. HOWEVER, I would also be extremely annoyed if a league distinguished between LF and RF. It's a fine line, one that my fantasy astrology league walks quite nicely. But that's a story for a different feature.

Tape Delay Blogging Thursday - COL vs ARI

In a bit of a throwback to one of my previous features on this blog, if the season ended today, the 2017 NL Wild Card game would be between the teams that are facing off today on MLB.tv's free game, the Rockies and Diamondbacks. Of course Colorado is just a half a game behind Los Angeles for the NL West lead, so these rankings could be very fluid over the more than half a season left in 2017, but given that it's the rubber match between these two today, let's take a little measurement of how these teams are doing. And the fact that it's just about a week before All-Star voting concludes should allow us to take stock of what this year's midsummer classic might look like:


Top 1st
Charlie Blackmon hits a leadoff homer (1 RBI)

Speaking of All-Stars, I would vote for Charlie Blackmon as the top National League outfielder. This is not just because he and I share an astrological sign (Cancer), but because he's objectively outscored his nearest competition of Bryce Harper and Marcell Ozuna. I would also put Blackmon on my shortlist of Best Facial Hair in Baseball '17, no matter how much my mother in law would disapprove of his personal stylings.

Top 2nd
Jeff Mathis grounds out to short, Rey Fuentes scores (1 RBI)

The game then gets tied by two players who are not technically starters for Arizona, but keep in mind that the notion of "starting catcher" has been somewhat foreign to the Diamondbacks this year.


Top 3rd
Paul Goldschmidt singles, scoring Jeremy Hazelbaker
Chris Owings homers to left field, Jake Lamb scores (2 RBI)

Back to the All-Star voting, I've voted for both Diamondbacks corner infielders, although since I did a statistical sounding, Nolan Arenado has overtaken Jake Lamb at third base in terms of fantasy points. Meanwhile, Paul Goldschmidt has hit like he has a chip on his shoulder ever since he sat on the bench for Team USA through most of the WBC in favor of Eric Hosmer.

Top 4th
Nick Ahmed singles to drive in Jeff Mathis (1 RBI)
Paul Goldschmidt homers to right, scoring Nick Ahmed and Jeremy Hazelbaker (3 RBI)

Seriously, Eric Hosmer? He of the 841 points and 11.8 points per game fantasy line on the season? And what's more, he just pulled ahead of A's first bagger Yonder Alonso (903 / 14.3) in All-Star voting? (Let's not talk about how Justin Smoak (1,019 / 14.6) and Logan Morrison (1,012 / 14.3) might technically be more deserving candidates, but you have to follow the ballots.) Whatever happens, it's too bad that home field advantage in this year's World Series will be so influenced by ballot-stuffing.


Top 8th
Zack Godley singles, scoring Chris Herrmann (1 RBI)

If this really were the NL Wild Card game, you can believe Zack Greinke would get the ball. He and lefty Robbie Ray have performed pretty similarly, but barring a huge change of fortunes, money usually does the talking in these situations. However, given how he's pitched AND hit tonight, the DBacks might want to consider giving Zack Godley the ball. If the mostly unheralded pitcher can  live up to his lofty name, he will surely be a boon to the Developed Chicago Cubs roster... but that's an entirely different feature.

#VoteAlonso

Liveblogging Thursday - NYM vs WAS

The last time I watched one of MLB.tv's free games, I liveblogged about some of the Astrological implications of the scoring plays in that game. While I likely won't be able to tune into the entire game today, I thought I'd continue the tradition, at least for the first few innings or so.

Top 1st
Bryce Harper homers to right (1 RBI)

In my last entry, I talked at length about the Libra lineup of which Bryce Harper is arguably the offensive anchor, and he just added to his very impressive 2017 stat sheet with a laser beam shot into the right field bleachers to open the scoring. I haven't submitted anything near my maximum 35 All-Star ballots (per email address), but every time I have voted, I made sure to check the box for Harper.


Top 2nd
Gio Gonzalez comes up lame while running to first base

I'm not sticking to scoring plays in this game because Gio Gonzalez's last at bat gives me the opportunity to say a few more words about my favorite baseball hot button issue, pitchers hitting vs. the designated hitter. Gio Gonzalez is currently the No. 2 starter on a Virgo pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries in the early going - they've lost Noah Syndergaard and Alex Reyes for most of the year, and just recently welcomed back David Price from the DL - and if the Nats' resurgent lefty goes down due to running hard out of the box after a groundout, it will be just another chapter in the fans missing out on the chance to watch a highly talented player for an extended period of time due to an archaic rule and a few stubbornly nostalgic decision makers.

Anyway, speaking of players missing time due to running hard after a groundout, second baseman for both the New York Mets and the Virgo Maidens, Neil Walker, will likely miss a number of weeks after partially tearing his hamstring trying to beat out a bunt single. Fortunately, Jose Ramirez's new eligibility at 2B should allow VIR to not miss a step, but since I only change the lineups once per month, they're going to have to play shorthanded for the next two weeks or so. That's also the reason why the stats I'm presenting below are from closer to 6/1 than 6/15.

Top 3rd
Daniel Murphy ALMOST drives in Bryce Harper on a single,
except for he's thrown out at the plate by Juan Lagares

If the Nationals didn't have a left hander on the mound today, it's very likely Bryce Harper scores on that single up the middle from Daniel Murphy. Let me explain: the Mets' leader in appearances in center field (by just one game, but still) is Curtis Granderson, who hits left handed, and thus is obligated to sit against lefty starting pitchers. Granderson's arm pales in comparison to defensive wizard Juan Lagares, who made another brilliant play to save a run. But mostly I just wanted to talk about Aries, which is once again shaping up to be a very strong contender this year. The most interesting thing about the Rams is not the expected performers such as Nolan Arenado and Chris Sale, but the surprise stars like Yonder Alonso and Travis Shaw whose hot starts have eclipsed long-time contributors like Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Santana. Also worth mentioning: Mets right fielder Jay Bruce is inexplicably in the lineup, even though he does not have the platoon advantage against tonight's opposing starter.

Top 4th
Gio Gonzalez redeems himself by driving in a run with a single (1 RBI)

I guess I could have saved the Virgo entry for when a Virgo player actually did something to contribute to the game's score, but I couldn't resist a chance to speak out in favor of the universal implementation of the DH. Kudos to Gio for staying in the game and not only pitching well enough to keep his team in it, but also for helping his own cause!


Bottom 4th
Jay Bruce drives in Yoenis Cespedes with a double to right (1 RBI)

Maybe I spoke too soon about Gio pitching well enough, as Jay Bruce has just done the unthinkable and gotten an extra base hit off a same-handed pitcher to bring the Mets within one run. But since I've already talked about Aries (the batter) and Virgo (the pitcher) and even Libra (the runner who scored), I have nothing more to say about this play.

Tape Delay Blogging Wednesday - OAK vs TOR

Sometimes my schedule gets complicated and I don't get to sit down and watch a baseball game in real time. Which means I'm not technically liveblogging if I start writing about it, but I noticed some interesting Astrology parallels regarding the scoring plays. These are worth bringing up now because we're close to my monthly lineup rebalancing, so the numbers and changes are more relevant.

TOP 2nd
Kevin Pillar homers to left center (3 RBI)

The stars haven't seen fit to punish Pillar's offensive performance for a homophobic gaffe earlier in the season, as the play of Toronto's leadoff hitter has surpassed that of incumbent Capricorn center fielder Odubel Herrera. Pillar would hit also bat leadoff for a hypothetical CAP batting order that would also include his real life opponent's first baseman Ryon Healy. As an interesting hot stove related wrinkle, Healy was also a mid-season addition to the starting lineup, and the incumbent 1B he replaced? Former Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion. However, these lineup tinkering machinations will likely mean very little by the end of the season, as the Capricorn Goats rank 11th in the 12 team league, as of June 1.

ALSO TOP 2nd
Justin Smoak homers to left center (1 RBI)

The guy whose incredible production has made Encarnacion's departure more palatable plays for the only astrology team currently worse than Capricorn, the Sagittarius Archers. Maybe one of the reasons for SAG's struggles could be the lengthy absence of their top ranked player and Smoak's real life teammate Josh Donaldson. Also outfielders Adam Eaton and A.J. Pollock are currently out to injury, as is Athletics right hander Kendall Graveman. However, to make this even more relevant to today's game, Graveman's real life teammate Khris Davis is currently plugging away quite nicely in the middle of the Sagittarius lineup.

BOTTOM 3rd
Rajai Davis singles and scores on a groundout (1 R)

Oakland's elder Davis is a Libra, but he's far down on the depth chart of the most successful Astrology sign on record, so let's skip over him for now.


BOTTOM 4th
Trevor Plouffe homers to left (1 RBI)

Oakland's stopgap third baseman is a Gemini, but Plouffe is stuck firmly behind not just Anthony Rendon, but also Yuli Gurriel (thanks to his eligibility from last year) and Eduardo Nunez.


BOTTOM 5th
Rajai Davis triples and scores on a sacrifice fly (1 R)

Well, since Rajai Davis just scored his second run and helped tie the game, let's look deeper into his standing in the Libra hierarchy. Although he's not counted among 2017's elite fantasy base stealing assets, even though he led the AL in thefts as recently as last year. Instead, he's relegated to a Libra second tier of center fielders, placing behind not just breakout star Aaron Hicks, but also pressed-back-into-service Andrew McCutchen (and that's even when Yoenis Cespedes and Starling Marte return to the field). The still-very-talented group of Libra Scales backups also includes a couple of players on the opposing side of Rajai's real life A's. An injury-shortened first third for Troy Tulowitzki kept him from catching up to Netherlands star Xander Bogaerts at shortstop. And not even Jose Bautista's recent hot streak pushes him past Matt Kemp for the DH spot (not even to mention LIB's top two corner outfielders Bryce Harper and Mookie Betts).

BOTTOM 8th

Well now I'm back up to live, and the game's still tied, so if I post it now, it's technically liveblogging, so here we go!


TOP 10th
Josh Donaldson homers to left (2 RBI)
Justin Smoak homers to right (1 RBI)

We've already covered Sagittarius, which is good, because I need a moment to cry and fume to myself about how evil genius mastermind Billy Beane supposedly hamstrung his own team by trading away his best player due to a personal vendetta, and how Josh Donaldson always seems to remind his former boss of that fact by hitting like gangbusters every time he returns to the Oakland Colisseum. The only consolation is that the better he does, the better the hypothetical fortunes of a developed A's team, which is also helped by the possibility of adding Chad Pinder to the outfield...


BOTTOM 10th
Roberto Osuna strikes out Jed Lowrie to end the game and earn the save

I was hoping to be able to use this chart in the bottom of the 9th with the context, "A's walk it off without having to face Blue Jays closer, and Aquarius ace reliever, Roberto Osuna." Unfortunately, the standout Mexican pitcher came in with a save opportunity against the boys in green and gold, and succeeded, despite giving up another run to, who else, Rajai Davis. Not that he pitched in this game, but Oakland lefty Sean Manaea is one of two astrology-relevant A's starters (the other being Andrew Triggs for Pisces). The Blue Jays also currently have just two starting pitchers on fantasy astrology staffs (Marco Estrada for Cancer and Marcus Stroman for Taurus), but injuries to Aaron Sanchez (CAN) and J.A. Happ (LIB) could see that number rise in a hurry. Other notes from the Water Carriers roster: if you checked back in April or May, you would have seen Toronto catcher Russell Martin behind the plate instead of the red hot Alex Avila. And while you wouldn't find him starting in any month, Blue Jays middle infielder Ryan Goins is also on the Aquarius depth chart.

Preliminary All-Star Ballot 2017

While watching MLB.tv's free game yesterday - a Florida Fight between the Marlins and the Rays - I saw Miami's closer AJ Ramos do several promos reminding fans to fill out their 2017 All-Star Ballots. If you're like me and think that one month into a six-month season is a bit too soon to determine who should represent their leagues in the midsummer display of baseball excellence, then you'll refrain from casting too many votes at this juncture (each individual is allowed 35 total votes, but the new rules state that you can vote no more than five times in a 24-hour period). However, I had just taken a statistical snapshot of the most fantasy relevant players for the monthly lineup rebalancing of my Fantasy Astrology project, so I thought I'd fill out a preliminary ballot with the top performers thru the month of April. Here's the NL team first:

Going in order of fantasy points scored, we find three members of the red-hot Washington Nationals, led by MLB's overall offensive point leader Bryce Harper, who should have no problem reprising his role from last year as the NL's starting right fielder. (The only higher scoring player in 2017 so far is Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, who has put up 688 points with a whopping 114.7 points per game, but we all know that fans have no say in All-Star pitchers.) To see Ryan Zimmerman as the next name on this list is a complete surprise, given how his struggles last year (a career-low .642 OPS) prompted the Nats to bring in a potential left-handed-hitting platoon partner for him this offseason in Adam Lind. Zimm's 1.345 OPS in 2017 is bound to fall back to earth, but his 11 home runs, 29 RBI, and .420 average (all four of which are league-leading figures) put him on top of a very talented crop of NL first basemen. I would argue that two 2016 All-Star reserves deserve to start this time around: Daniel Murphy, who continues the hot-hitting ways that saw him fall one percentage point shy of a batting title last year, despite spending most of Spring Training on Team USA's bench in the WBC, and Matt Wieters, the only player on either of my ballots who changed teams during the last offseason.

Another National who arguably deserves a starting spot is shortstop Trea Turner (306 points / 20.4 PPG), who very well might have eclipsed 2016 Rookie of the Year Corey Seager's point total had he not missed some time already this year with a hamstring strain. But interestingly enough, it's multi-positional threat Chris Owings (391 / 15.6) who is right on Seager's heels in terms of fantasy points, although the humidor they recently installed in Phoenix's Chase Field shows that we may have to apply the same offensive caveat to Diamondbacks as we do to those who play their home games at Coors Field in Denver. Speaking of which, Rockies Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado have earned spots on my ballot, but while Blackmon looks fully deserving, the difference between 2017 Team USA member Arenado and 2016 NL MVP / All-Star starter Kris Bryant (399 / 16.6) looks fairly negligible when we account for the Coors effect. Ryan Braun rounds out my outfield picks, with his (extremely) closest competition being Diamondbacks center fielder A.J. Pollock (413 / 16.5), who hasn't lost a step after his mostly-lost 2016 season.

It's no surprise to see Mike Trout leading all AL batters in fantasy points, as it was no surprise to see him start in center field for the AL in last year's All-Star Game. The only other repeat starter I have on my AL ballot is catcher Salvador Perez, which is ironic because there's probably no player in the majors who would better deserve a prolonged rest in the middle of the season, due to his high volume of games caught and the injury he sustained while playing for his native Venezuela in the WBC. Sticking with WBC participants, Puerto Rican shortstop Francisco Lindor has been on fire for the Indians, outpacing his nearest competition (Elvis Andrus, 283 / 11.8) by more than 150 points already this year. The Dominican Republic's Nelson Cruz is far and away the top DH candidate, as he's seemingly ready to take up the mantle of his retired countryman David Ortiz. And Cruz's WBC teammate Carlos Santana has distinguished himself as the top first baseman in the AL so far, despite spending most of his 2016 as Cleveland's DH.

I'd like to take this opportunity to say a little bit about the discrepancy in first base talent across the two leagues. Santana's 306 points are tops among AL first basemen, with Mitch Moreland and Logan Morrison coming in second, both with 271 points (with 11.3 and 10.8 points per game, respectively). Meanwhile, over in the NL, you have to go nine (9!) deep before you get to someone with the same point total as the AL leader: after the aforementioned Ryan Zimmerman, we have Korean re-import Eric Thames (546 / 22.8), Canadian-American Freddie Freeman (525 / 22.8), Team USA benchwarmer Paul Goldschmidt (494 / 18.3), last year's NL All-Star DH Wil Myers (429 / 15.9), write-in candidate Mark Reynolds (411 / 15.8), Canadian-Canadian Joey Votto (398 / 16.6), Italian-American Anthony Rizzo (394 / 16.4), and burgeoning left fielder Brandon Belt (306 / 12.2). I can't account for this talent gap, especially since the NL is supposed to be a pitcher's league, what with the absence of the DH and all, but it's something to look into as the season progresses. Now back to my AL ballot.

The only rookie on either of my ballots, towering Yankees right fielder Aaron Judge, is coincidentally the AL's #2 point scorer behind Trout. After him is long-vaunted third base prospect Miguel Sano (he topped out at #4 overall prior to the 2014 season, according to MLB.com), who finally looks to be breaking out now that the Twins have abandoned the experiment of using him in the outfield. If I were voting today, I would check the box for Yankees second baseman Starlin Castro, because he's the top performer among the available choices (although I could see last year's starter Jose Altuve (330 /13.8) eclipsing him statistically by the time most of the votes come in). However, if we were going by actual 2017 playing time, rather than where players appear on the ballot, I would definitely vote for Jose Ramirez (404 / 16.8), who has spent the majority of this season so far at the keystone filling in for the injured Jason Kipnis. And even though I'm normally totally biased towards the Oakland Athletics, my decision to round out my AL outfield with A's left fielder Khris Davis is completely justified by the numbers, as he currently leads the AL with 10 homers. Although if breakout Seattle outfielder Mitch Haniger (402 / 19.1) hadn't recently gone down with an oblique strain, I would have had to deal with a big-time crisis of conscience...


So while I'm not casting any of my 35 All-Star votes this early in the season, the above players are who I would have voted for if I wanted to be hasty. Nevertheless, I think it's a worthwhile exercise to note the top performers at the start of the voting season in order to keep track of whether the same players can maintain the same level of excellence as we approach a more reasonable All-Star voting time. Until then, I'll continue to watch as many of MLB's free games as I can, where I will hopefully see All-Star voting promos from more teams.

Astrology Camp Battles: Leo

Leo is best known for boasting the number one overall ranked player in baseball this year in Mike Trout. But when you look at their top-three starting pitchers, you'll see the aggregate ranks of Max Scherzer (11), Madison Bumgarner (14), and Yu Darvish (41) are better than all teams save Pisces (followed closely by yesterday's profiled team Aries. Of course LEO will always be darkened by the tragic loss of Jose Fernandez from their ranks, but I say the best way to honor his memory is to focus on the game he enjoyed so much!

C
Evan Gattis (164) will likely spend the bulk of his 2017 season as the DH, which will not only allow him to focus on his offense more than the usual backstop, but also keep him healthier than if he had to squat in a crouch for nine innings every night. Speaking of staying healthy, Wilson Ramos (413) could replace Gattis if/when he returns from his torn ACL last year. But even before that happens, Austin Hedges (361) could make a serious impact in San Diego.

RP1 and RP2
The closing situation for Leo is completely up in the air and dependent on many factors other than the talents of those involved. The top ranked reliever on this roster, Carter Capps (326) didn't pitch at all in 2016, and the legality of his pitching motion has recently been called into question, leaving both Padres brass and MLB The Show 2017 programmers scrambling. The most effective closer in 2016 (Santiago Casilla, 462) will likely be setting up in Oakland next year. Brandon Kintzler (386) emerged as the Twins closer last year, but his opportunity to reprise that role will depend on the health of Glen Perkins (PIC, 449). Huston Street (438) could potentially reclaim his spot at the back of the Angels bullpen, even though Cam Bedrosian (LIB, 232) has the inside track. And Drew Storen (448) or Jake McGee (578) could pick up some saves in uncertain bullpen pictures in Cincinnati and Colorado, respectively. Pick any two of those and you should be good.

Astrology Camp Battles: Aries

I always thought there would be a certain poetic justice for baseball players born under the sign which includes the birth dates that usually encompass Opening Day to be especially talented. That has mostly been the case with the Aries fantasy astrology team, which boasts four players in the top 20, and 12 of the top 100, including the top ranked catcher in the MLB, Buster Posey (34), two-time MVP Miguel Cabrera (18), recent Cy Young recipient Corey Kluber (20), and the member of the offseason's most high profile trade Chris Sale (16). Let's see how the middle-back of the Rams roster shapes up this year.

DH (2B or 3B)
This is a straight toss up between Jason Kipnis (68, and 37 spots behind Daniel Murphy on the 2B depth chart) and Adrian Beltre (whose 75 ranking can't compete with Nolan Arenado's 5). Positional scarcity might come into play here: 3B is extremely strong this year, with four of the top ten ranked players at the hot corner. But these two were extremely close in stats last year, with Beltre having the edge by less than 140 total points. Another name to look out for is Carlos Santana, whose 138 ranking can't compete with the above mentioned players, but he could be a factor considering all the skill positions are already filled.

OF2
On paper, two center fielders - Lorenzo Cain (105) and Jackie Bradley Jr. (133) - and Rockies 2016 rookie sensation David Dahl (113) would make up a solid starting outfield for ARE (notice I changed the abbreviation to avoid confusion with ARI, which stands for the Diamondbacks in the real world). But with the latter of those three suffering through some injury troubles, the last corner outfield spot could be a toss-up (or platoon situation?) between lefty Jay Bruce (166) and righty Hunter Pence (176). Also, don't count out Dexter Fowler (192) if you'd rather have an all-CF alignment.

SS
There's not much of a competition here, but it is a good opportunity to discuss fantasy vs. real life. Adeiny Hechavarria is the lowest ranked starting shortstop in the league at 491. Alex Bregman (92) is more than capable of playing shortstop, with 128 minor league games there, against 53 at his 2017 projected position of 3B. But he likely won't gain fantasy eligibility at the position any time soon, due to the presence of Carlos Correa (VIR, 23) also on the Astros roster. I'm just saying, this team would surely benefit if this experiment were a video game simulation, rather than a traditional fantasy league.

SP4 and SP5
On paper, this rotation looks set, with five starting pitchers ranked within the top 130, including the #3 ranked top-three starter combination in the league, with Carlos Carrasco (67) joining Sale and Kluber. But the bottom 40% has some question marks. Kenta Maeda and Matt Harvey are within two ranking spots of each other (125 and 127, respectively), and while each has a tremendous amount of talent and competitiveness, 2017 will be just Maeda's second full season in the majors since coming over from Japan, and of course Harvey just had his second major surgery in the span of three years. If either of them falters, waiting in the wings are formerly elite Felix Hernandez (203 and a Cy Young of his own), potential ace of the Reds Anthony DeSclafani (199), and the solid but unspectacular pair of Jake Odorizzi (154) and Jeremy Hellickson (216).

RP2
This battle isn't even close if you go by the rankings: presumptive Mariners closer Edwin Diaz's rank is more than twice as good as White Sox trade bait David Robertson (72 to 147). But when you consider that Robertson more than doubled Diaz's career saves total in 2016 alone, you have to give the veteran some consideration in a format where traditional roles are concerned. Speaking of traditional roles, Dellin Betances (161), the poster boy for how said roles create a regrettable financial loophole for the establishment, is also in this bullpen, but will likely be sitting on the bench for the majority of the fantasy season.

Astrology Camp Battles: Pisces

An old baseball adage states that pitching wins championships, so it makes sense that Pisces is the only team other than Libra to come away with a fantasy astrology title, given that their top three starters are Clayton Kershaw (7), Justin Verlander (22), and Jake Arrieta (36), making them the only team to have three starters ranked within the top 40 players. However, it's also difficult to win a championship without any offense to speak of (and no, Chris Davis (59) and Jean Segura (58) alone aren't enough to carry a team), which is why the Fish have only won once in the last five years. Let's check out how they shape up for 2017.

DH (C or OF)
It's unusual to see a catcher competing for the DH spot, because a) backstops are usually more prized for their gloves than their bats, and b) the defensive necessities of the position make it rare for even a fantasy team to have two playable ones on the roster. J.T. Realmuto (151) has cemented himself as the starter in Miami, which leaves Brian McCann (218) as the highest ranked player to place second on a positional depth chart, and thus best suited for DH duties on paper. However, given how much positional scarcity might contribute to McCann's relatively high ranking, the Fish might be better off with power threat Jorge Soler (277), former speedster Denard Span (274), or even potential platooner Josh Reddick (311) in this slot.

2B or SS
The above-mentioned Jean Segura's positional versatility basically ensures him one of the middle infield spots, but which one and who takes the other are still somewhat up for debate. The rankings dictate that Segura should man short (where he will line up with the Mariners next year) with Devon Travis (231) at the keystone. But given the young Blue Jays second baseman's propensity for injuries, it could end up being just as effective to put Segura back where he spent most of 2016 with the Diamondbacks and have Didi Gregorius (289) serve as his double play partner. Only time will tell which alignment will prove the most effective.

RP_
RP2

The only relief pitcher who can compete with Aroldis Chapman (51) leaguewide is Kenley Jansen (38), and since he's a Libra, the Cuban Missile has a lock on the top spot here. But since the RP slot in fantasy baseball mirrors the arbitration process in that it's all about saves, for the next spot, we have we have to look at projected role rather than ranking or even talent level. Andrew Triggs (263) is the next highest ranked qualifying "reliever," but since he's ticketed for the A's starting rotation next year, I'm leaving him out of the running here. As far as actual relievers go, Hector Rondon outranks Fernando Rodney by 66 spots (332 to 398), but Rodney is almost assured the D-Backs' closer's role, albeit on a worse team than Rondon's Cubs, but at least he's not stuck behind newly acquired Wade Davis (89, VIR) in the saves pecking order.

Astrology Camp Battles: Virgo

When I first looked at these rankings in the beginning of February, I thought this might be the year that the Virgo Maidens could put it all together and make a run at the title. Circumstances have conspired to make this journey more difficult, so the players who emerge victorious from these camp battles could have a serious impact on the astrology playoff picture in 2017.

SP4 and SP5
I'm starting with pitchers because this rotation looked like a powerhouse around the time of the Super Bowl. Noah Syndergaard (21) is establishing himself firmly atop the pitching pantheon (as well as the Norse pantheon). David Price (44) will be pitching with a chip on his shoulder after a disappointing 2016. Carlos Martinez (82) was deemed valuable enough to recently get an extension from the Cardinals. Gerrit Cole (115) is an ace in the making who hasn't yet lived up to his full potential. And Alex Reyes (226) was just ranked as the number three prospect in all of baseball.

Flash forward one month later and Reyes is on the shelf due to Tommy John surgery and Price had an elbow scare of his own. While the Red Sox's second lefty ace looks to have avoided any major problems, his uncertain status could create an opportunity for some other pitchers lower down on the VIR depth chart. One of Gio Gonzalez (215) or Adam Wainwright (229) is assured Reyes's old spot in the rotation, with the other one able to step in if Price has to miss any time. Price's real life teammate Steven Wright (259) and 2016 postseason non-contributor Jason Hammel (260) are also waiting in the wings as depth options. It's still an impressive group, but the questionable status of some top flight talent could really hurt this team going forward.

1B
I mentioned how a hypothetical two-DH lineup would benefit the Capricorn team in my write up from last week, but Virgo would even more poised to take advantage of this particular fantasy format. Paul Goldschmidt (6) has a stranglehold on the starting 1B gig, but Joey Votto (26) and Freddie Freeman (27) are LITERALLY neck and neck to see who will back him up / play DH. Unless someone really steps up or gets injured in Spring Training, this veritable offensive love triangle will likely continue all season long.

OF2
Ian Desmond is slated as this team's opening day center fielder and George Springer (25) will likely gain CF eligibility pretty soon into the season. Gregory Polanco (61) is the best bet to occupy the third slot, but he was only two ranking spots away from Virgo having three center fielders patrol the outfield grass (Billy Hamilton, 63). If you're more into power hitters than speedy slap hitting types, there's also Justin Upton (79) and Adam Duvall (174) waiting in the wings.

C
One position where Virgo lacks a clear starter is behind the plate, where Nick Hundley (559) lost out on the potential for regular at bats when the Giants signed him to back up Buster Posey (34, ARE), and Christian Bethancourt (496) is firmly behind Austin Hedges (361, LEO) on the San Diego depth chart as he tries to make it as a two-way player. Catcher isn't typically that important in fantasy, so I don't see this as a major drawback for this team's chances.

Astrology Camp Battles: Cancer

I'm always optimistic about my "home sign" team the Cancer Crabs - which shares its names with two human afflictions that range from downright undesirable to potentially fatal. Maybe it would be more positive to call them the Cancer Decapods - look it up! Either way, I think this year CAN might just have the firepower to pull off a deep playoff run. See for yourself:

SS_
SS
Cancer has one of the most interesting shortstop situations in the league, given that top 10 talent Manny Machado qualifies for both SS and 3B. Right now I have Machado at the hot corner so that White Sox prospect Tim Anderson (242) can head up the middle infield, but if we put Machado up the middle, either Yangervis Solarte (248) and Eugenio Suarez (249) are ready to take over at third. However, throwing Trea Turner (12) into that mix, who played CF and 2B last year, but should take over at short for the Nationals in 2017, will quickly put this debate to rest, while also opening up a corner outfield spot for superprospect Andrew Benintendi (116).

2B

This is a pretty cut and dry case as whoever loses the battle between fiery Tigers keystone Ian Kinsler (71) and NL Batting Champ DJ LeMahieu (78) will unquestionably serve as the DH. But I'm mentioning it here because it's rare to see two such talented players at skill positions, which highlights the versatility and flexibility that gives this team the edge. And also it's just fun that these two are so close in rank, 

SP_

SP5
Wei-Yin Chen (249) currently leads the battle for the fifth starter spot between three lefties by 15 and 17 spots in the MLB.com rankings, respectively, and he will be pitching with a chip on his shoulder, following some harsh self-criticism of his 2016 performance. Speaking not of shoulders, but of elbows, Tyler Skaggs (266) will be back for his first full year since a Tommy John surgery, and could make an impact on the Angels. But Jaime Garcia (264) and I share the same birth day and date, so I will always be biased towards including him in my lineups. Add to this group Robert Gsellman (315), a potential SP6 for the expanded Mets rotation, and Michael Wacha (325), who is almost assured a spot in the Cardinals starting five after the unfortunate injury to prospect Alex Reyes (822, VIR), and you have some decent depth indeed.

RP2

As of last month, Jim Johnson (269) and Brandon Maurer (337) would have been locked in a battle to see who would join Seung Hwan Oh (62) in the Decapods bullpen this year. However, since then, the erstwhile Padres closer has dropped nearly 50 spots in the rankings from 291 due to the excitement surrounding the new and even more unorthodox delivery of Carter Capps (326, LEO). His rank hasn't yet been affected by the fact that his "double drag-hop" strategy has just been ruled illegal by MLB, in an effort to prevent people from pitching like Smee from the movie Hook (shout out to FanGraphs commenter whiptydojoe in the above-linked article for the comparison). Who knows whether this rule change will also cause the talented reliever's  effectiveness to drop as well, but if it does, Maurer (no relation to the twins of the same estate) will be there to pick up the pieces.