3 replies to this topic

[mweb08]

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[SportsGuy]

I would be very surprised if we end up ranked this high by the time the season ends.

[Mackus]

I would be very surprised if we end up ranked this high by the time the season ends.

If we get decent starting pitching, I think we should continue to be ranked pretty high.

If we've gotta pitch near to the most innings in the league like the bullpen did last year then I think they'll be run dry a bit, but I think the bullpen has a lot of talented pitchers if they don't have to overextend too much.

Johnson, Strop, O'Day, Matusz, Hunter, Ayala, and Patton is a pretty effective and deep bullpen. Plus you've got guys like Arrieta, Britton, and others to throw in the mix. Obviously relief pitchers are the most volatile of commodities, but I do like the guys we've got out there. I'm optimistic that our failed starters will end up turning into 2-4 pretty damn good relievers.

[SportsGuy]

If we get decent starting pitching, I think we should continue to be ranked pretty high.

If we've gotta pitch near to the most innings in the league like the bullpen did last year then I think they'll be run dry a bit, but I think the bullpen has a lot of talented pitchers if they don't have to overextend too much.

Johnson, Strop, O'Day, Matusz, Hunter, Ayala, and Patton is a pretty effective and deep bullpen. Plus you've got guys like Arrieta, Britton, and others to throw in the mix. Obviously relief pitchers are the most volatile of commodities, but I do like the guys we've got out there. I'm optimistic that our failed starters will end up turning into 2-4 pretty damn good relievers.

As I showed earlier in the offseason, since 2001, only 42% of the teams that were ranked in the top 5 in one year, were able to do it the next year and most of those teams were the same teams repeating...and they were in pitchers parks.

I think we will be in the 10-17 range...right in that average to above average area.

The difference between average and where we were last year was around 25-30 runs IIRC...That's not a big difference over the course of the season.

So, we could be average or slightly better and still have a very good pen....i just don't expect elite and I especially don't expect the WPA to be nearly as high.