MACK - MORE THURSDAY OBSERVATIONS

 

Isaac              @isaacgroffman

This is how our relievers project according to analytics

 

 

Thomas Nestico                 @TJStats

My 2025 MLB Bold Predictions –

 

My 2025 MLB Standings Prediction –

 

 Daniel Wexler                    @WexlerRules

Source: @BKCyclones rotation appears to be Wenninger, Troesser, Santucci, Gordon, Thornton. 6’9” RHP Jace Beck coming off TJ expected to be part of the roster as well. Beck last pitched in 2023. Career 13.3 k/9 

 

Top 10 MLB Players of the Last Decade

https://www.justbaseball.com/mlb/top-10-mlb-players-last-decade/?s=03

#4 – Francisco Lindor

Ramírez and Francisco Lindor played next to each other for six seasons. Now, they find themselves next to each other on this list. The Platinum Glove-winning shortstop has arguably been the face of the position in an era filled with a litany of excellent players.

Since his rookie year in 2015, Lindor has posted eight seasons with 2.5+ oWAR and 1.0+ dWAR. He is one of just eight players throughout baseball history to post at least eight such seasons through their age-30 season.

Lindor brings an offensive and defensive combination to the shortstop position that stands out. Since he began his career 10 years ago, he’s tallied five seasons with at least 30 home runs. He joins Alex Rodriguez as the only shortstops to do so in at least five of their first 10 career seasons.

He is also one of just four shortstops in baseball history to post an OPS+ at or above 100 in each of his first 10 career seasons.

But where Lindor has always shined is in the field. Since 2015, his 162.7 Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF, per FanGraphs) leads all players. He also ranks tied for 11th in Defensive Runs Saved (48), first in Outs Above Average (137) and first in Fielding Run Value (102).

According to Statcast, Lindor has prevented 102 runs with his defensive play since that stat began tracking in 2016. Over that same span, no other infielder has prevented more than 89 runs.

 

Although Lindor makes the shortstop position look easy, it has actually been harder for him than most others. According to Statcast, Lindor has an estimated success rate of 73% on all fielding opportunities, tied for the sixth lowest among all qualifying shortstops since 2016. Despite this, he has converted 76% of his plays, tied for the ninth highest rate on the same list.

This offense/defense combo from Lindor helped him compile his 54.2 fWAR dating back to 2015, the third highest over the last decade. In that same span, Lindor has also tallied four All-Star appearances, six top-10 finishes in MVP voting, four Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves and a Platinum Glove.

 

Britt Ghiroli             @Britt_Ghiroli

Forbes 2025 valuations:

8.2 billion | NY Yankees

6.8 billion | LA Dodgers

4.8 billion | Boston Red Sox

4.6 billion | Chicago Cubs

4 billion | San Francisco Giants

3.2 billion | NY Mets

3.1 billion | Philadelphia Phillies

3 billion | Atlanta Braves

 

Thomas Nestico                 TJStats

10 Bold Predictions for the 2025 MLB Season

7) The New York Mets have a Top 5 Team ERA in MLB

The New York Mets finished the 2024 season with a decidedly average pitching staff. They registered a 100 ERA+ with a 3.96 ERA on the season with both their rotation and bullpen returning very similar results. Over the winter, they made a handful of moves to deepen their pitching staff, with the most notable additions being Clay Holmes, Frankie Montas, Griffin Canning, and AJ Minter. While neither of those arms is elite, they provide the Mets with the depth required to navigate their upcoming 162-game slate.

The Mets are a savvy team with a smart pitching development team that tends to get the best out of their arms. We saw the resurgence of Sean Manaea and Luis Severino last season, and I am confident that they can help their medley of pitchers return strong seasons.

NL East could be MLB’s most interesting division.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6228606/2025/03/25/nl-east-division-preview-the-windup/

Last year’s champs, the Phillies (95-67 last season), went out and got Jesús Luzardo. Taijuan Walker’s velo is back, which is nice, especially with Ranger Suárez dealing with a stiff back. The offense is more or less intact, with a nice little addition of Max Kepler thrown in. There’s no real reason to think they’ll be worse this year. But the next two teams have almost certainly gotten better …

The Braves (89-73) have the reigning Cy Young winner in Chris Sale, and Spencer Strider will be back soon. So will Ronald Acuña Jr. Those two additions would be enough to turn an 89-win team into a division favorite. But they also added Jurickson Profar after a career year in San Diego, then brought in Alex Verdugo for added outfield depth. With Craig Kimbrel, Héctor Neris and James McCann in the minors getting loosened up after late signings, Atlanta’s out for blood this year.

Likewise, the Mets (89-73) technically finished in third place last year, but — you probably heard about this — they went out and signed Juan Soto. They also brought in former Yankees reliever Clay Holmes to start, and brought back Pete Alonso, which wasn’t a given. Gone are Harrison Bader, Jose Iglesias, J.D. Martinez, Jose Quintana and Luis Severino, so the roster churn is worth keeping an eye on. But it’s possible they could win 90-plus games and end up in third place again.

 

TJStats

Ranking The Best Rotations in MLB

 

Daniel Wexler                    @WexlerRules

Sounds like Carson Benge is dealing with a lower body injury. Unclear how much time (if any) he will miss

            Mack – of course, he is…

Source: Matt Allan expected to begin his “comeback tour” with St. Lucie

Mack – I expect this to be a short stay here, then either Brooklyn or back to the doctors

How each MLB team can make the 2025 playoffs

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6227698/2025/03/25/mlb-preview-2025-each-team-make-playoffs/

New York Mets (projected: 92-70)

I don’t claim to be the most creative person in the world. So when a team in New York acquires Juan Soto and opens a season full of supercharged expectations in Houston, it reminds me of a recent team in New York that acquired Juan Soto and opened a season full of supercharged expectations in Houston — en route to the pennant.

Merely matching expectations last season was good enough for the Yankees to win their division and claim home-field advantage throughout the AL playoffs. Methinks 92 or even 94 wins won’t be good enough to do either for the Mets this season. But incorporating Soto into a lineup that improved significantly during last season and welcoming back Kodai Senga into a rotation that outperformed anyone’s expectations leaves this New York squad with room for growth.