Talkin' Baseball: Astros, Mets, & AL Central

49er16: Okay we've got to talk about the surprisingly good teams so far this year. And of course we need to talk about the Astros. Their swing for the fences or strike out approach is actually working and has given them a lead in the AL West which admittedly, is very weak. Does this last though?

The Colonel: Talk about extremes. Check out their team BB% and then check out their team K%. They're basically the Orioles Southwest except they walk a little more. It's too early to tell if this sticks but I don't see why not because the AL West appears very mediocre.

49er16: I still don't believe in that pitching staff over the long run. They're pitching well right now but they still don't strike out enough batters (ditto for the Giants in this area as well). All this being said, it cannot be pointed out enough that the AL West is weak as hell. The A's are inconsistent. The Mariners don't have a bullpen. The Angels really don't have a lineup except for Trout. Texas is injured. Astros could almost win that division by default.


The Colonel: The Mariners need relievers badly. They cannot hold onto a lead in almost every game. They blew another game last night. I've counted that they have blown leads/games in at least 5 games that I've seen.

49er16: The Mariners bullpen has really made me appreciate the way the Giants have built and sustained a good working bullpen.

The Colonel: The team that I really don't believe in is the Mets. Yes their starting pitchers are really good. That lineup though leaves a lot to be desired. They don't homer or walk. Their wRC+ is below average. Plus that division looks to be much better than the AL West.

49er16: Nice to see that Mike Redmond will actually get to keep his job since the Marlins have been playing really well lately. The Braves will most likely fall off. The NL East might be the most interesting division in baseball.

The Colonel: The most interesting division to me is the AL Central. You have the good (Royals, Tigers), the intriguing (Twins), and the disappointing (White Sox & Indians).

49er16: The Twins fascinate me. That lineup is solid at hitting. Mauer is healthy and doing Mauer things again at the plate. That lineup though cannot field and that pitching staff is still very suspect.

The Colonel: The White Sox lineup is a flaming disaster. Shocker they signed another first baseman/DH at the end of his line and he ain't hitting and this time it's Adam LaRoche. Plus they should have traded Alexei Ramirez when he still had value because right now he's a disaster. They strike out too much and walk/homer too less.

49er16: What a waste of a great pitching staff.

The Colonel: The funniest subplot of the season to me so far this year is that the Tigers are one of the league leaders in stolen bases. The Tigers are going to literally steal the AL Central!

49er16: While right now we believe the Astros can sustain their success despite being a home run or bust team, can the Royals sustain their's by being a high batting average low walk team? I'm going to say no for right now.

The Colonel: Yeah I seriously doubt the Royals are going to have 8 players batting .300 the rest of the year. They are though creating runs at a high rate so they're not stranding that many players. Plus they pitch and play defense.

49er16: I'm sure Earl Weaver would be proud of the Royals. Home runs, defense, and pitching.

The Colonel: They're the complete opposite of the Indians right now.

49er16: Anything else we need to hit on this week?

The Colonel: Did you finally finish 'The Fall of the Ottomans" yet?

49er16: I did and recommend it. Also have a good week, folks.