2019 Pre-Season Profile: Boston Red Sox

#5

The Boston Red Sox went all the way in 2018, winning the World Series.  No one has repeated as champions in almost 20 years.  Will the Red Sox end that streak?

2018 Predictions

2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lose in ALDS

J.D. Martinez will be the only Red Sox hitter over 20 home runs.

2018 Results

108-54, 1st in AL East, won World Series

The Red Sox ended up having a historic season, winning more games than any Red Sox team ever on their way to a World Series title.  Mookie Betts won the MVP, with J.D. Martinez being a top candidate as well.  I took a stab that the Red Sox would continue to struggle getting the ball out of the park, but Betts, Xander Bogaerts, and Rafael Devers all topped 20 home runs as well.  Everything went right for the Sox in 2018.

Additions / Subtractions

The Red Sox are bringing back almost the exact same roster as last season with one glaring subtraction.  They made sure to bring back World Series hero Nathan Eovaldi and signed Chris Sale to a big extension to keep their roster in tact.  The big subtraction is closer Craig Kimbrel, who may have struggled some in the postseason but is still one of the most dominant closers in all of baseball.  He will be replaced internally.

Most Important Hitter

Andrew Benintendi

The Red Sox do not really have a hole in their lineup.  With that said, if there is one weakness it is the they are somewhat lacking on the left side.  Andrew Benintendi can fix that.  After a huge debut in 34 games in 2016, he shot up to one of the top prospects in baseball.  2017 was not as impressive as 2016, but 2018 was definitely a step in the right direction.  He is only entering his age 24 season, and a breakout season into the superstar he can be can really balance out the Red Sox lineup and make them even more dangerous.

Most Important Pitcher

Matt Barnes & Ryan Brasier

I am going with two pitchers in this spot because these two former setup men are being tasked with the extremely difficult job of replacing Craig Kimbrel's production in the 9th inning.  The Red Sox have a super deep bullpen, but for them to absorb Kimbrel's absence, either Barnes or Brasier (or both) have to step up big and be an All Star caliber closer.

Prospect to Watch

Michael Chavis

Michael Chavis is the best prospect in Boston's farm system.  This 23 year old third baseman might have some trouble breaking into the big club with the amount of talent in Boston's infield.  There are two ways he can affect the Red Sox this season.  Either he comes up and mans second base with Dustin Pedroia continuing to struggle to get healthy or they trade him for a top end closer.

2019 Prediction

2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lose in ALDS

The Red Sox are the second best team in the American League.  The problem is the best team in the league might be in their own division.  This leaves them in the Wild Card Game.  If they win this, they will get the best record in the divisional round (which will be from their division).  It is extremely hard to repeat a championship in baseball.  They will come up short this season, even though they might win 100 games again.

Fearless Prediction

This will be Dustin Pedroia's last season.

Dustin Pedroia is a Red Sox legend, but he has been plagued by injuries throughout his career.  The last two seasons have been shortened for him, including only a 3 game season in 2018.  He says to be healthy for 2019, but he is entering his age 35 season.  I don't know if he has anything left in the tank.  I don't think Pedroia will hold on very long if he can't produce anymore.  If he can't be healthy again, it could be a career for the former MVP.

2019 Pre-Season Profile: Milwaukee Brewers

#9

The Milwaukee Brewers came one game short of the World Series in 2018.  Will 2019 bring about an NL pennant for the Brew Crew?

2018 Predictions

2nd in NL Central, WILD CARD, lose Wild Card Game

The Brewers will trade for an ace by the All Star Game.

2018 Results

96-67, 1st in NL Central, lost in NLCS

The Brewers exceeded most people's expectations in 2018 by making their way all the way to Game 7 of the NLCS before coming up just short.  They took a very unconventional approach to winning, leaning on a stellar bullpen in a way no one has before, especially in the playoffs.  They did trade for Gio Gonzalez at some point, but they viewed it more as depth than an ace.  Their ace was reliever Josh Hader.  Another surprise from 2018 was the MVP season from newly acquired Christian Yelich.  They knew he was good, but I don't know if anyone knew he would be that good.  I claimed their most important hitter was going to be Eric Thames, who found himself out of a job after the emergence of All Star Jesus Aguilar.  Few things went the way they were expected for the Brewers in 2018, but they all worked to their benefit.

Additions / Subtractions

The Brewers are entering 2019 with a very similar roster to what they ended 2018 with.  The biggest acquisition over the offseason was catcher Yasmani Grandal.  They re-signed Mike Moustakas, which was curious considering it kept them with the dilemma of having two third baseman.  The Brewers never seemed to mind overloading one position though.  With that in mind, another move they made was trading away Domingo Santana, an outfielder that hit 30 home runs in 2017 but was out of a job in 2018 after they acquired Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich.  He was sent to the Mariners for versitile speedster Ben Gamel.  They brought in lefty specialist Alex Claudio to help round out their bullpen, but that was about it.

Most Important Hitter

Christian Yelich

Especially in September, the Brewers rode the bat of Christian Yelich all the way to the division title and Yelich's MVP.  With the division actually getting more competitive in 2019, they will rely on Yelich to continue to emerge as one of the elite hitters in the entire league.  Looking at Yelich's career trajectory, and the fact that he is only entering his age 27 season, there is every indication that his success should continue.

Most Important Pitcher

Josh Hader

This is an easy one.  Josh Hader was by far their most important pitcher in 2018 as he was a freak on the mound all season.  His performance in the playoffs was out of this world as he seemed to pitch 2 or 3 innings every game.  It was a huge workload for the 24 year old, putting in 81 innings last season before the playoffs.  Hader seems to have everything aligned for a letdown season.  The Brewers cannot afford that, considering the injuries to closers Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel they are starting the season with.  They need Hader to be as good, if not better, than last season with everything considered.  Looking at all the indicators, that is going to be hard to do.

Prospect to Watch

Keston Hiura

Many were surprised the Brewers brought back Mike Moustakas because it meant that either Moustakas or Shaw would have to play second base.  This move would block their top prospect, Keston Hiura, from having a spot in the majors.  Huira, a 22 year old second baseman picked in the first round of the 2017 draft, probably won't be ready to start the season in the big leagues but will be ready to some point this season.  His debut might need to wait until 2020 with the current roster, but if someone gets injured or if someone struggles, look for Hiura to come up and provide a spark in Milwaukee.

2019 Prediction

2nd in NL Central, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

Duplicating the success of 2018 is hard for any team to do, especially a team like the Brewers that leans so heavily on the bullpen, the most volatile part of a roster.  They have neglected to upgrade their rotation again.  I think they are good enough to compete all season and even make the playoffs, but they are not going to be able to do what they did last year.

Fearless Prediction

Craig Kimbrel will be a Brewer in 2019.

One of the craziest storylines entering the 2019 season is the fact that we have two All Stars still unsigned and without a team.  Starter Dallas Keuchel and closer Craig Kimbrel are still without a job.  Both of these players would be huge helps for the Brewers.  Knowing how the Brewers operate, and especially how they may be seriously lacking in the bullpen if their injuries are long term, Kimbrel to the Brewers just makes too much sense to not happen.

2016 Pre-Season Profile: San Diego Padres

The San Diego Padres had a very disappointing 2015 season after stocking up on huge names heading into the season.  Now that expectations have fallen back down to earth, will the Padres have a more successful 2016?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 2nd in NL West, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

2015 Result: 74-88, 4th in NL West

I'll admit, I was one of the people sold on the Padres last season.  With all the moves they made, they looked destined for a big year in 2015.  However, all those expectations came crashing down as the season could only be viewed as a colossal failure.  They fired their long-time manager and decided they needed to reset again after the one year experiment.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

Like I said, after the poor 2015 season, the Padres had to reshuffle the deck again.  They let Justin Upton and Ian Kennedy walk, and traded Craig Kimbrel and Jedd Gyorko.  Two of those names are ones that made the 2015 offseason such a success.  Coming onto the roster this year are Fernando Rodney, John Jay, and Alexei Ramirez.  They are good players, but definitely not the caliber of what they lost.

Most Important Hitter

Wil Myers

After winning Rookie of the Year in 2013 for the Rays, Wil Myers has been plagued by injuries.  His trade to the Padres last season was supposed to be the cornerstone of their resurgence, but he only played 60 games.  He is projected to the their starting first baseman this season, which might save some wear and tear on his body, but as one of the few young pieces brought in from the 2015 offseason, he needs to show a return to his rookie form for this front office to not be considered a complete failure.

Most Important Pitcher

Andrew Cashner

Andrew Cashner has shown flashes of brilliance over the last few seasons.  Last season was not one of those times.  He was once considered one of the emerging young arms in the game.  Now, he has a huge question mark about how good he could potentially be.  The starting rotation for the Padres has been a strength the last few seasons, and 2016 shouldn't be any different.  However, Cashner needs to finally show he can be a potential All Star starter for this staff to be as deep as it has been the last few years.

Player to Watch

Colin Rea

Like I said, the starting rotation for the Padres has been their strength the last few seasons.  The next big arm they have coming into that rotation is Colin Rea.  Rea made his big league debut last season with marginal success, but now he is projected to start the season in the rotation.  He is just one of a young wave of players that will have a potential impact for the 2016 Padres.

2016 Prediction

5th in NL West

Last season, the Padres were a popular pick to do great things.  With many of those moves not working, it has left the Padres in chaos.  They sold the farm last year to bring in players that didn't work.  Now they are stuck with guys like Melvin Upton, Jr., Matt Kemp, and James Shields and not a very rich farm system to add depth.  They are stuck.  Add to that a rookie manager with no experience, and this season has the potential of being a major disaster for San Diego.

Fearless Prediction

The Padres will trade over half of their starting rotation by the end of the season.

If this season becomes the dumpster fire I think it could be, the Padres will be heavy sellers at the Trade Deadline, and they have three guys in their starting rotation that could be key pieces for any contender.  "Big Game" James Shields would be a welcome addition to any playoff staff with his durability and experience.  Andrew Cashner, if he plays well this year, could be a wild card for a team looking for some rotation depth.  Their ace this season, Tyson Ross, would be the key piece.  He is young and talented.  If they want to really bolster their farm system and future, he would need to go.  The Padres' current front office seems to have a "go big or go home" mentality, so watch for all three of them to be traded, which would leave a guy like Colin Rea as their ace.

2016 Pre-Season Profile: Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox won the 2015 offseason last year, but it did not lead to success in the 2015 season.  A lot of people are saying the Red Sox won the 2016 offseason.  Will it lead to more success than it did in 2015?

Last Season

My 2015 Prediction: 2nd in AL East, WILD CARD, lose in Wild Card Game

2015 Result: 78-84, 5th in AL East

The Red Sox really struggled their way through the 2015 season, mainly due to disappointing seasons from their two big money acquisitions over the offseason.  Pablo Sandoval was average at best, and the Hanley Ramirez outfield experiment was a colossal failure.  Add to that a medical leave for their manager for cancer treatment, and 2015 was a year the Red Sox were happy to get past them and forget.

2016 Additions / Subtractions

The 2015 offseason for the Red Sox was a home run.  Is there something better than a home run?  If so, that's what the 2016 offseason has been.  Ramirez and Sandoval had question marks coming in with their big deals.  The guys they brought in this year do not.  David Price has been one of the most consistently dominant aces of this decade, and Craig Kimbrel has been the best closer of the decade.  Price solidifies the ace-less rotation, and Kimbrel moves the aging Koji Uehara to the 8th inning and, along with the underrated acquisition of Carson Smith, adds some quality depth to the bullpen.

Most Important Hitter

Jackie Bradley, Jr.

This could also be last year's two busts (including Hanley, who will be learning how to play 1st base this year), however Boston started to make a shift to a new young core last season, and Jackie Bradley, Jr. is one of the cornerstones of that new group.  They have been waiting for Bradley to be ready for several seasons now, and 2015 finally saw him produce in a way that lived up to some of the hype.  Now they are counting on him to be their everyday centerfielder with youngsters Mookie Betts and Rusney Castillo flanking him.  Jackie Bradley, Jr. needs to have a productive 2016 if the Red Sox are going to have a productive offense this season.

Most Important Pitcher

Rick Porcello

At the top of the rotation, you know what David Price will bring, and Clay Buchholz is a solid number two.  However, added to the lists of 2015 disappointments was Rick Porcello, who was acquired from the Tigers for Yoenis Cespedes before the 2015 season.  Porcello has all the skills to be an All Star pitcher, but he struggled to stay in the rotation for a cellar-dweller last season.  He needs to show the skill that made a Cespedes-for-Porcello trade a smart move for the Red Sox.

Player to Watch

Brian Johnson

One of the Red Sox top prospects is this lefty.  He was able to get his big league debut in 2015 before a freak injury prevented him from getting more experience.  The Red Sox seem set in their rotation, but injuries always happen.  Even without injuries, the Red Sox will want to get this 25 year-old in the big league mix sooner rather than later.  An honorable mention for this spot is Deven Marrero, a middle infielder bound to see some time when the inevitable injuries to either Dustin Pedroia or Pablo Sandoval come.

2016 Prediction

2nd in AL East

The Red Sox look much better off this year than they did last year.  Thanks to guys like Price and Kimbrel, they have a chance to compete for the division.  I have them finishing second and coming up short on a Wild Card spot, but that could very well end up getting one of those spots.  Either way, it shouldn't be another cellar finish for the Sox.

Fearless Prediction

David Price will spend time on the DL in 2016.

David Price has thrown over 200 innings every season since 2010 with one exception.  That is a huge workload for one of the most durable pitchers of this generation.  That much wear and tear on a pitcher is bound to lead to an injury somewhere along the way.  It might not be a major injury, but it will be enough to see him miss some time.  He will be 100% for the stretch run though.

2015 Pre-Season Profile: Atlanta Braves

The Atlanta Braves are coming off a rare down year, which was followed by an even rarer selling spree this offseason.  What will the team look like when the dust settles?

Last Season

79-83, 2nd in NL East

For only the third time since Bobby Cox took over as manager in 1991, the Atlanta Braves finished with a record below .500.  However, their division was so weak last year it was still good for second place.  There were some good things that happened, but it was also clear by the end of the season that some changes were needed for the team to get back to its expected success.

2015 Additions / Subtractions

Like I said, changes were needed.  Like I said, they were not the changes Atlanta was used to seeing.  The revamped front office saw a roster that was good, but not great.  They also saw a depleted farm system that would be bringing no help in the future.  So the Braves sacrificed some marginal success in the short-term to improve their chances to be great in the long term.  With this mindset, Atlanta dealt Evan Gattis, Tommy La Stella, Justin Upton, and Jason Heyward.  The nucleus that was supposed to bring back the glory days of Braves baseball was gone.  However, the farm system was replenished with top end talent as they began to build towards the future.  The only major additions that will affect the squad this season were Shelby Miller coming over in the Heyward trade and Nick Markakis signing in free agency.  However, the farm system was flooded with new talent, with five of the top 10 and 11 of the top 20 prospects in their system being added in offseason trades this year.  So depending on your definition, this offseason was a success for the Braves.

Most Important Hitter

Chris Johnson

Two years ago, Chris Johnson was winning a batting title while replacing Braves legend Chipper Jones.  Last year, his batting average dropped 60 points.  For the Braves to show any signs of success in the big club this year, Johnson needs to return, maybe not all the way to his 2013 form, but at least start to look like the formidable hitter he did that year.

Most Important Pitcher

Shelby Miller

The Braves have been defined by their pitching ever since the days of Glavine, Smotlz, and Maddux.  Shelby Miller came over from the pitching-rich St. Louis Cardinals in the Jason Heyward deal as a guy who needed a fresh start.  If he is at his best, he could challenge Julio Teheran for the ace of the staff.  However, that potential has not been yet in the big leagues.  With the amount of talent now flowing through the farm system, Miller better figure it out soon or else he may be changing addresses again.  Maybe Atlanta is just what he needed.

Player to Watch

Christian Bethancourt

Why did the Braves let Brian McCann walk in free agency two years ago?  Why did the Braves trade lumberjack Evan Gattis away this year?  Christian Bethancourt is why.  He has been their catcher of the future for years, and after getting a taste of the majors last season, the future is now for this 23 year old backstop.  The Braves were smart bringing in a professional veteran like AJ Pierzynski to mentor Bethancourt throughout the season.  Watch for him to be a standout for the Braves this year.

Prediction

3rd in NL East

Many predictions show the Braves falling further this year, but there are too many proven pieces left on the club in Julio Teheran, Freddie Freeman, and Craig Kimbrel to see them drop much further than this.  They definitely took a step back this year from where they were a year ago, but it will pay off in the future.  In the meantime, we may need to put up with some Braves baseball that is below the caliber we have become accustomed to.

MLB Year in Review: ASG-to-ASG 2014

Growing up, I watched a lot of ESPN and SportsCenter.  It was one of the primary viewing choices of my childhood.  This made this mid-July week somewhat of a downer growing up since nothing happens in the sports world outside the MLB All Star Game.  SportsCenter is always looking for interesting topics for this lackluster sports week.  Nowadays, this doesn't change the SportsCenter programming at all since all they talk about now is the NFL and LeBron James all year anyways.  When I was a kid, believe it or not, SportsCenter still considered baseball as a relevant sport worth covering.  So while baseball was taking a break, they still worked to find baseball stories to talk about.  One of my favorite baseball pieces they did every year during the All Star Break was determine who had the best last 162 games.  They would calculate stats from the last All Star Break to the current All Star Break and compare them as full season stats.  Unfortunately, SportsCenter is too busy debating the first pick in next year's NFL draft to waste time on this fascinating premise.  So I have decided to compile all these stats on my own and determine who would has had the best last full season.

Here is the process I went through.  I went through the league leaders from Post All Star 2013 stats and the 2014 first half stats.  For the hitters, I compiled the top 50 leaders in both time frames in hits, doubles, home runs, RBI's, and runs.  This gave me 160 hitters I compiled stats for from the last year.  For the pitchers, I went through the same process with wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, and saves (only calculated the top 30 in saves).  I realize this left out the always-overlooked middle reliever, but oh well.  They are always overlooked anyways so one more time won't be too tragic.  This resulted in 151 pitchers to compare.  Let's look at some top lists.

AL Batting Average

Victor Martinez – DET	.343
Robinson Cano – NYY / SEA	.333
Adrian Beltre – TEX	.327
Mike Trout – LAA	.316
Jose Altuve – HOU	.315
JD Martinez – HOU / DET	.322

not enough AB's

It turns out the amazingly hot starts this year from Victor Martinez and Jose Altuve actually started last season.  This is also not the last time you will see Mike Trout's name.

NL Batting Average

Andrew McCutchen – PIT	.330
Scooter Gennett – MIL	.325
Troy Tulowitzki – COL	.323
Freddie Freeman – ATL	.311
Charlie Blackmon – COL	.310
Michael Cuddyer – COL	.327
Casey McGehee – MIA	.319

not enough AB's

Much like Martinez and Altuve, Charlie Blackmon's hot start this year was foreshadowed by a strong finish last year.  Freddie Freeman is turning into one of the best all-around hitters in the league.  Also, Scooter Gennett has to be the best player nobody has heard of.

AL Home Runs

Edwin Encarnacion – TOR	37
Brandon Moss – OAK	35
Mike Trout – LAA	34
Nelson Cruz – TEX / BAL	33
Chris Davis – BAL	31
David Ortiz – BOS	31

What I noticed from this list is most of these players have been quite inconsistent.  Either they ended last year strong or started this year strong, with the exception of Trout.  By the way, Jose Abreu almost made this list without playing at all last season.

NL Home Runs

Giancarlo Stanton – MIA	35
Paul Goldschmidt – ARZ	31
Troy Tulowitzki – COL	30
Anthony Rizzo – CHC	30
Andrew McCutchen – PIT	28
Justin Upton – ATL	28
Todd Frazier – CIN	28

There are a few players on this list that just don't get the credit they deserve.  Anthony Rizzo will be a centerpiece of the Cubs latest attempt to rebuild (which might actually work with his bat leading the way).  Also, Paul Goldschmidt is a beast.  I give him 2 more seasons before he gets traded out of Arizona so people actually recognize how good he is.

AL RBI

Miguel Cabrera – DET	117
Mike Trout – LAA	111
Brandon Moss – OAK	109
David Ortiz – BOS	102
Edwin Encarnacion – TOR	102

Here is the first appearance by Miguel Cabrera, which shows that he hasn't been at his Triple Crown level since pre-All Star 2013.  Also, looking at his numbers, how wasn't David Ortiz an All Star?  Also, as a Mariners fan I refuse to give Brandon Moss any credit.

NL RBI

Paul Goldschmidt – ARZ	109
Jayson Werth – WAS	103
Adrian Gonzalez – LAD	101
Freddie Freeman – ATL	100
Giancarlo Stanton – MIA	98

There's Goldschmidt's name again.  I was surprised to see someone like Jayson Werth putting up these kind of numbers.  No one talks about him, but he has been one of the best run producers of the last year.

AL OPS (On-Base + Slugging)

Mike Trout – LAA	1.014
Victor Martinez – DET	.956
Edwin Encarnacion – TOR	.952
Miguel Cabrera – DET	.929
Brandon Moss – OAK	.911
Jose Abreu – CWS	.968
JD Martinez – HOU / DET	.942

not enough AB's

OPS has become one of the top stats for a hitter's overall production so this is a great one to look at.  No one quite appreciates just how good Jose Abreu has been this first half.  He is already one of the greatest hitters in the league after just half a season.  Here you can also see just how ridiculous Mike Trout is.  Once again, he is from another AL West rival so I hate giving credit, but Trout is impossible to ignore.  Also, over the last year Miguel Cabrera hasn't even been the best hitter on his team.

NL OPS

Andrew McCutchen – PIT	.995
Troy Tulowitzki – COL	.966
Paul Goldschmidt – ARZ	.950
Freddie Freeman – ATL	.904
Giancarlo Stanton – MIA	.904

This top five shouldn't be surprising.  If you ask anyone for the best top five hitters in the National League, these five names should be the first ones said ... unless you run into some of those ignorant idiots that try to say Yasiel Puig or Bryce Harper.

AL Wins

Max Scherzer – DET	19
Rick Porcello – DET	19
James Shields – KC	18
Jared Weaver – LAA	18
Mark Buehrle – TOR	17

How is Detroit not the best team in the AL?  They have two of the best hitters in the league and the only two 19-win pitchers in the league.  And neither of them are named Verlander.  James Shields doesn't get the respect he deserves either.

NL Wins

Clayton Kershaw – LAD	19
Adam Wainwright – STL	19
Zack Greinke – LAD	18
Jorge De La Rosa – COL	17
Hyun-Jin Ryu – LAD	17

After looking at these stats, it is hard to argue against the Dodgers having the best pitching staff in the league.  They have three of the top five in wins.  You expect Wainwright to be on this list, but De La Rosa?!?  Since when does a pitcher for the Rockies have quality stats?

AL ERA (150 IP Min.)

Hisashi Iwakuma – SEA	2.58
Jon Lester – BOS	2.62
Anibal Sanchez – DET	2.63
Chris Sale – CWS	2.71
Felix Hernandez – SEA	2.74

Even with his injury and recent struggles, Hisashi Iwakuma has the best ERA over the last year.  It's easy for him to not get the credit he deserves when King Felix had the best first half in the league this year.

AL ERA Overall

Koji Uehara – BOS	1.07
Greg Holland – KC	1.22
Casey Janssen – TOR	1.79
Zach Britton – BAL	1.82
Joe Smith – LAA	2.07

The numbers and names at the top are to be expected.  The last two names on the list might be surprising though.

NL ERA (150IP Min.)

Clayton Kershaw – LAD	1.68
Johnny Cueto – CIN	2.02
Andrew Cashner – SD	2.25
Zack Greinke – LAD	2.34
Tanner Roark – WAS	2.53

Kershaw, are you kidding me?!?  If he goes on a couple more scoreless runs, he might challenge that Bob Gibson record of a 1.12 ERA this year.  Also, stop talking about Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Gio Gonzalez, and Doug Fister.  Tanner Roark is the Nat's fifth starter and the best one they have had over the last year.

NL ERA Overall

Huston Street – SD	1.06
Craig Kimbrel – ATL	1.43
Clayton Kershaw – LAD	1.68
Jose Fernandez – MIA	1.81
Johnny Cueto – CIN	2.02

The most underrated player in the league is by far Huston Street.  He is the best closer in the league, and he doesn't even make the All Star Team.  His ERA is even lower than Koji's.  I find this whole list interesting as only two closers made the list.  The rest are the top starters including Jose Fernandez who would be challenging Kershaw in every stat category if he hadn't gotten hurt.

AL K's

Yu Darvish – TEX	262
David Price – TB	248
Max Scherzer – DET	234
Felix Hernandez – SEA	230
Jon Lester – BOS	208

This is another top five that is exactly who you would expect it to be.  No surprises here.

NL K's

Stephen Strasburg – WAS	231
Clayton Kershaw – LAD	219
Tyson Ross – SD	211
Zack Greinke – LAD	207
AJ Burnett – PIT / PHI	207

You might be surprised to see the old man, AJ Burnett, on here, of whom I heard recently from an analyst is the most overpaid player in baseball history.  At least he strikes guys out.  The other noteworthy thing here is Tyson Ross.  This is the second Padres starter to appear on one of these lists which shows that they are working their way in the right direction.  They just need some hitting.  Some familiar, Seattle?

AL Innings Pitched

David Price – TB	254 1/3
James Shields – KC	224 2/3
Justin Verlander – DET	221 1/3
RA Dickey – TOR	221
Jon Lester – BOS	216 2/3

I find this an interesting list because it shows who might be due for a disappointing second half simply for being overworked.  David Price has thrown 30 more innings than everyone else in the league over the last year.  Buyer beware for those looking to trade for him.

NL Innings Pitched

Adam Wainwright – STL	233
AJ Burnett – PIT / PHI	222 2/3
Wade Miley – ARZ	213
Zack Greinke – LAD	211 1/3
Kyle Lohse – MIL	210 1/3

Here are some great innings eaters in Wainwright, Greinke, and Lohse.  Again, I don't see how people hate on AJ Burnett.  I'm also impressed with Wade Miley as he has needed to step up and the ace after Corbin went down in Spring Training.

AL Saves

Greg Holland – KC	50
Fernando Rodney – TB / SEA	42
Glen Perkins – MIN	37
Joe Nathan – TEX / DET	32
Koji Uehara – BOS	31

Few would argue that Holland has the most dominant stuff in the AL at closer.  Looking at these numbers, it was totally justified that Glen Perkins closed out the All Star Game.  Also, for all his struggles, Joe Nathan has still racked up a respectable amount of saves.  (Honorable Mention - Addison Reed has 37 saves over this time, but has played for both leagues.)

NL Saves

Craig Kimbrel – ATL	53
Kenley Jansen – LAD	46
Huston Street – SD	42
Rafael Soriano – WAS	40
Sergio Romo – SF	39

Craig Kimbrel might be the most automatic three outs in league history.  Once again, look at the number of saves for Huston Street for a team that never reaches the .500 mark.

Looking at these stats, here are the top 5 hitters, starters, and closers ASG-to-ASG.

Hitters

		Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	1B	RBI	BB	SO	SB	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS
Mike	Trout	LAA	155	564	109	178	36	6	34	102	111	116	161	22	.316	.432	.582	1.014
Andrew	McCutchen	PIT	160	594	98	196	40	9	28	119	96	99	120	22	.330	.426	.569	.995
Troy	Tulowitzki	COL	151	524	102	169	29	1	30	109	82	80	99	2	.323	.412	.553	.966
Victor	Martinez	DET	146	554	74	190	36	0	27	127	88	55	41	2	.343	.402	.554	.956
Paul	Goldschmidt	ARZ	161	607	109	182	49	4	31	98	109	105	157	14	.300	.403	.547	.950

Starters

		Team	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	SVO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	AVG	WHIP	K/BB	K/9
Clayton	Kershaw	LAD	19	5	1.68	27	27	0	0	187	134	38	35	9	30	219	.193	0.88	7.3	10.5
Adam	Wainwright	STL	19	8	2.59	33	33	0	0	233	189	68	67	13	47	204	.213	1.01	4.3	7.9
Max	Scherzer	DET	19	5	2.99	32	32	0	0	211	169	73	70	18	60	234	.211	1.09	3.9	10.0
Jon	Lester	BOS	16	9	2.62	32	32	0	0	216 2/3	200	78	63	12	51	208	.235	1.16	4.1	8.6
Felix	Hernandez	SEA	13	8	2.74	31	31	0	0	210	164	72	64	9	45	230	.207	1.00	5.1	9.9

Closers

		Team	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	SVO	IP	H	R	ER	HR	BB	K	AVG	WHIP	K/BB	K/9
Craig	Kimbrel	ATL	2	2	1.43	71	0	53	58	69 1/3	34	14	11	2	23	106	.140	0.82	4.6	13.8
Greg	Holland	KC	1	2	1.22	68	0	50	52	66 2/3	43	9	9	4	17	96	.177	0.90	5.6	13.0
Huston	Street	SD	3	1	1.06	60	0	42	44	59 1/3	32	7	7	5	13	62	.152	0.76	4.8	9.4
Koji	Uehara	BOS	7	3	1.07	71	0	31	33	75 2/3	36	9	9	6	7	98	.137	0.57	14.0	11.7
Kenley	Jansen	LAD	2	3	2.48	72	0	46	50	69	48	19	19	4	22	108	.188	1.01	4.9	14.1

To check out all the stats I compiled, click the link below.

2013-2014 ASG-TO-ASG STATS