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We're all so schmart, we all saw these things coming for the conclusion of the first month of the season....

John Axford leads the American League in Saves (8)....

Of all Starting pitchers, Jason Hammel has the best WHIP (0.690)...

Only topped by Ubaldo Jimenez (1.830) and Ricky Nolasco (1.750),
Madison Bumgarner (1.720) has the third WORST WHIP of all Starters....

Johnny Cueto is giving up four hits per nine innings...that's right, hits....

Tim Hudson has allowed just two walks in 46 innings...

Sexy draft pick, Danny Salazar is averaging five innings a start and has no Wins....

In 14 innings, Kenley Jansen has as many strike outs (26) as Shelby Miller in 34 innings....

Shelby Miller leads baseball in bases on balls.....Miller has walked 21.
Still, Miller maintains a 3.15 ERA and has three Wins....

Kevin Correia has the highest ERA and lowest strike out total (12) of any Starters in baseball....
OK, WE PROBABLY SAW THAT COMING.....

Jose Abreu has 32 rbi....more than Miguel Cabrera (15)...and Hunter Pence (9)....and Brandon Phillips(6) ....combined...

Madison Bumgarner has as many rbi (5) as Xander Bogaerts....

Jose Abreu has 10 homers. And has only walked nine times.....

Brian Dozier leads all 2b with seven homers...

Mike Trout has struck out (34) times, more than Adam Dunn (28)

Qualifying players, the worst batting averages by position...

C- Carlos Santana (.151)
1B- Chris Carter (.153)
2B- Jedd Gyorko (.151)
3B- Mike Moustakas (.149)
SS- Brad Miller (.174)
OF- Curtis Granderson (.136)
OF- Raul Ibanez (.157)
OF- Alejandro DeAza (.185)
Condolensces to those that have at least three of those players on their fantasy team...

Charlie Blackmon has as many stolen bases (7) as Brett Gardner...

Jay Bruce has more stolen bases (5) than Carlos Gomez (4)...

Jose Abreu has one less homer than the Kansas City Royals....

The San Diego Padres have more homers (15) than the Texas Rangers (14)...really, they do...

Other teams still treat the Rangers like sluggers and the Padres like slugs though....
The Rangers lead baseball in intentional walks (12), the Padres, have the least (1)....

Oakland's offense leads baseball in bases on balls (130)...
And, they don't waste them. They lead all of baseball in stolen base pctg as well, (19 sb, 2 cs)

Combined, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox have 5 Saves....15 individual pitchers have more....

10 Closers have seven Saves or more...only two (Axford, Holland) are American Leaguers.
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And here are some questions we would have never pondered before the year started...

Is Joe Smith this year's Edward Mujica?

Is Jose Abreu this year's Chris Davis?

And just your opinion....
Who is a better young pitcher, Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey?

April 2013:


Guys in Top 10 in HR

1. Justin Upton
2. Bryce Harper
4. John Buck
6. Dexter Fowler
8. JP Arencibia
9. Anthony Rizzo
10. Michael Morse

Guys in Top 10 in AVE

1. Carlos Santana
2. Torii Hunter
4. Jean Segura
8. Nate McLouth
10. Michael Young

Jake Westbrook led the league in ERA.

Miguel Cabrera had 4 HR.
Andrew McCutcheon hit .247 with 3 HR
Mike Trout hit .261 with 2 HR and 4. Ron Shandler wrote an article.
Jason Kipnis hit .200 .269 .286 with 1 HR

David Price had a 5.21 ERA
Julio Teheran had a 5.08 ERA
Max Scherzer had a 4.02 ERA...and won the CY Young

DOUGHBOYS wrote:Jay Bruce has more stolen bases (5) than Carlos Gomez (4)...

It is ok. Gomez has more HR (7) than Bruce (3)...so it evens out...

DOUGHBOYS wrote: And just your opinion....
Who is a better young pitcher, Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey?

That is a tough call. I think Harvey may be a better pitcher, but I really love the stuff of Fernandez and I really enjoy watching him play.

Fernandez doesn't have the exact same stuff as Dwight Gooden (Doc had that devastating over-hand curve while Jose has more of a slurve), but each time I see him pitch it flashes me back to 1984-5 when Gooden was just pure dominance and I see that in Fernandez. He is not afraid to challenge, nor should he be, hitters with his fastball, but he can just clear wipe them out with that slurve of his.

And as I said, I really like watching him play. The kid really seems to be enjoying the game and his teammates.

And one last thing, my comparison of Fernandez to Gooden is not done lightly from me. I saw Gooden pitch several times in person and many more on tv against the Cubs. To me, at the time, Gooden was by far the best pitcher in baseball.
Of course the fact that Gooden was 28-4 in 39 starts against the Cubs could have something to do with it

actually- isn't 28-4 kinda underachieving against the cubs?

headhunters wrote:actually- isn't 28-4 kinda underachieving against the cubs?

Who is a better young pitcher, Jose Fernandez or Matt Harvey?

We'll see whose arm holds up the best long-term, but pure stuff is about equal. Right now, have to go with the healthy guy. BTW, Harvey's not that young. He'll be 26 the next time he throws a major league pitch. Fernandez' best comp is probably King Felix, if he holds up as well, and right now he is doing things that even Felix couldn't do at the same age.

Hells Satans wrote:April 2013:


Guys in Top 10 in HR

1. Justin Upton -
2. Bryce Harper
4. John Buck
6. Dexter Fowler
8. JP Arencibia
9. Anthony Rizzo
10. Michael Morse

Guys in Top 10 in AVE

1. Carlos Santana
2. Torii Hunter
4. Jean Segura
8. Nate McLouth
10. Michael Young

Jake Westbrook led the league in ERA.

Miguel Cabrera had 4 HR.
Andrew McCutcheon hit .247 with 3 HR
Mike Trout hit .261 with 2 HR and 4. Ron Shandler wrote an article.
Jason Kipnis hit .200 .269 .286 with 1 HR

David Price had a 5.21 ERA
Julio Teheran had a 5.08 ERA
Max Scherzer had a 4.02 ERA...and won the CY Young

How many of thee above that were "leading" the league in those categories finished in the top? This proves April is April. It's one month in out of six. Very long ways to go! And oh goodness, imagine how many more injuries are coming.

I'll play...

Jose Fernandez - it's not even close.

Harvey is sort of an interesting case. Even though he was a top prospect, that devastating slider didn't develop until Mets' pitching coach Dan Warthen worked with him. He didn't throw it much in the minors and hardly at all in college.

sounds like the mets should fire the pitching coach because now harvey isn't a pitcher. nice job.

The slider is a deal with the devil. This is known. For all the talk about how much stress it puts on developing arms, here's a guy who didn't really take up the pitch until he was physically mature and he still had issues.