BLB at the Break - 2017

[BDub]

-Who is your MVP?
-Ethan Neal. The kid got to his first All Star game.

-Who/what is your biggest surprise?
-Offense. From last season to this season, its been two different seasons.

-Who/what is your biggest disappointment?
-Offense. I thought Perkins and Del Rio would give this team a lift. Instead, we are getting down years from some other guys.

-What are your 2nd half expectations?
-Get back to .500. Lofty expectations.

-Biggest surprise in BLB?
- New York and Philly.

-Best team in each league?
-Ill go Philly and Pawtucket.

[umd]

Team:
-Who is your MVP?
Probably the whole pitching staff. If I had to pick one pitcher it's Martin. He's been terrific.

-Who/what is your biggest surprise?
Jamie August. I thought he'd be good eventually, but he's been terrific this season and taking more of the load off Willie Rosales.

-Who/what is your biggest disappointment?
Honea going down sucked and injuries have really hurt us. No one has stepped up to power the lineup consistently. We've haven't hit well at all.

-What are your 2nd half expectations?
Just make the playoffs. I appreciate everyone thinking we will just run away here soon, but I'm having a hard time seeing it. I'm trying to hit a homerun at the deadline... but I could see us just sitting tight and going with what we have. The market for positions I need backups for is just too inflated as well.

League:
-Biggest surprise in BLB?
New York and Seattle. I thought both would come down a level. NYK pitching has held up and SEA keeps hitting homer after homer.

-Best team in each league?
PAW and PHI

-Award leaders?
Willie Fajardo should probably win his 1st Pale Ale after consecutive 2nd place finishes.

-What are your 2nd half predictions?
I put them in the other thread.

[liquidcrash]

Team:

-Who is your MVP?

Ron Robertson. Lippert may have recently passed him in WAR, but Robertson has been steady (and very good) all season long. He's been everything I hoped he would be when I traded for him in the offseason. Given how inconsistent my hitters have been, his ability to shut the other team down every 5th game has been huge.

-Who/what is your biggest surprise?

Tom Abrams. I thought I was getting a defensive upgrade at 3B. He's only been ok in the field, but so far he's been a big surprise at the plate. .312/.368/.493 from a guy I was just hoping would be league average.

-Who/what is your biggest disappointment?

Hidetoshi Haraguchi. Another offseason acquisition. Hasn't hit at the level I need him to hit at. He gets the nod over Israel Morales, who's been slightly better all around. I have gotten some signs of life, so I'm still hoping these two will hit like they have in the previous years.


-What are your 2nd half expectations?

I still expect to contend for the Stout. We're only 3 games back, and I think our talent level is high enough to expect to compete, barring injury. I'm playing with the idea of some significant changes, but I think even as we are now, we should be in it until the end.

League:

-Biggest surprise in BLB?

I'll go with New York as well. I thought they were still a year or two away, especially in the lineup. I see Fernando Ortiz has done very well for them, I wanted him pretty badly in the offseason but got outbid (instead I traded for Abrams, so it all works out I guess).

-Best team in each league?

Pawtucket for sure in the DL. Defending champs, best record in the league, top payroll if you're into that.

In the IL, I'll go with Philadelphia, though they've surprised me. I knew they'd pitch pretty well, and have an excellent defense. But, as long as the lineup keeps hitting, they look like they team to beat.

-Award leaders?

I'd have to look at this, I haven't thought about it. On my team, I know Dave Lippert and Ron Robertson are 1-2 in WAR in the IL, so maybe they'll be in the running.

-What are your 2nd half predictions?

Division Winners - Pawtucket, Dallas, Philly, Seattle
Wild Cards - Pittsburgh, Morgantown, Los Angeles, Maine in the DL. Washington, Batavia, Baltimore, Death Valley in the IL.

Pawtucket wins again.
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->