BOB’S FIVE-BEST BASEBALL PLAYERS TODAY
In celebration of the mid-point for this 2017 Major League Baseball season, here is my list of the Five Very Best Baseball Players today. Not last year. Not next year. Right now.
In alphabetical order:
Carlos Correa (Houston Astros SS) – If I had to pick one player to build a franchise around, he’s my man...He’s sure-handed, has a cannon arm and is extremely nimble defensively...He bats cleanup for baseball’s best team...He’s batting .320 and ranks third in the American League in on-base percentage (.397), ninth in slugging percentage (.553) and fifth in OPS (.950; on-base percentage + slugging percentage)...He plays with savvy and has leaderships skills beyond his years...He’s only 22 and will get nothing but better...The Astros picked him No. 1 overall in the 2012 June entry draft and knew what they were doing.
Aaron Judge (New York Yankees RF) – I’ve never seen a young player struggle so much in a September look-see (.179 batting average with 4 HRs and 42 strikeouts in 84 official at-bats in 2016) and blossom so impressively the first half of the next season...He’s batting .331 and leads the American League in home runs (29), RBI (65), total bases (202), walks (59), on-base percentage (.449), slugging percentage (697) and OPS (1.145)...He still strikes out a lot but has still managed to post a high batting average because he hits the ball so hard, including ground balls through the infield...He is a solid right fielder with a plus arm but if the current Yankees ever get completely healthy, I could see him playing first base for a long time.
Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher) – He’s been baseball’s best pitcher for a long time. His 2017 numbers: 13-2 record; 2.19 earned-run average); 123 1/3 innings pitched; 88 hits allowed; 22 walks; 146 strikeouts; 0.802 WHIP (walks + hits per inning)...Critics who scoff at any comparison of Kershaw to Dodgers Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax should study the numbers...He is a very good fielder and can run and even hit well for a pitcher. He doesn’t beat himself...The only knock has been his post-season record (4-7, 4.55 ERA in 18 games). He figures to get a chance to improve those numbers this season.
Craig Kimbrel (Boston relief pitcher) – Has there ever been a more awesome pitcher?...If every pitcher were at tough to hit as this guy, baseball would be even tougher to watch...He usually makes the very best hitters appear overmatched...If he were pitching back in 1893, the mound would’ve been moved back beyond 60 feet, 6 inches...His 2017 performance line: 35 games; 2-0 record; 1.23 ERA; .133 opposing batting average; 23 saves; 1 hold; 36 2/3 innings pitched; 14 hits allowed; 5 walks; 65 strikeouts; 12.38 K/9 IP; 0.90 WHIP.
Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels) – The only reason he trails Judge in batting average, on-base percentage, slugging p0ercentage and OPS is the fact that he doesn’t qualify because of the thumb injury that has limited him to 47 games this season...But he’s on the verge of returning...In five full seasons in the majors, he has been AL Rookie of the Year, AL MVP twice and MVP runner-up three times...Even the oldtimers rave about his all-around talent. There is nothing on a baseball field he can’t do better than just about anybody else...He’ll turn 26 in August and could get even better.
Highest honorable mention; the Next Top Five – Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona 1B)...Bryce Harper (Washington RF)...Jose Altuve (Houston 2B)...Max Scherzer (Washington)...Nolan Arenado (Colorado 3B).
BILLS SOLID THIRD PLACE IN AFC EAST IN THIS SURVEY
The 2017 Buffalo Bills won’t be terrible but aren’t likely to make the playoffs.
Those are some of the forecasts in a survey of four NFL Preview publications: Pro Football Preview 2017...Street & Smith’s 2017 Pro Football...Athlon Sports 2017 NFL Preview...Kindy’s Sports Pro Football 2017 Preview.
Here are the predicted finishes for the eight divisions. The points in the totals column are 4 points for a 1st-place finish down to 1 point for a 4th-place finish. The higher the total the better:
AFC
East
New England 1-1-1-1 = 16 points
Miami 2-2-2-2 = 12 points
Buffalo – 3-3-3-3 = 8 points
New York Jets 4-4-4-4 = 4 points.
North
Pittsburgh – 1-1-1-1 = 16 points
Baltimore – 2-3-2-2 = 11 points
Cincinnati – 3-2-3-3 = 9 points
Cleveland – 4-4-4-4 – 4 points.
South
Tennessee – 1-1-1-2 = 15 points
Houston – 3-2-2-1 = 12 points
Indianapolis – 2-3-3-3 = 9 points
Jacksonville – 4-4-4-4 = 4 points.
West
Oakland – 1-1-1-1 = 16 points
Kansas City – 2-2-2-t2 = 11 ½ points
Denver – 3-3-3-4 – 7 points
Los Angeles Chargers – 4-4-4-t2 = 5 ½ points.
NFC
East
Dallas – 1-1-1-1 = 16 points
New York Giants -- 2-2-2-2 = 12 points
Philadelphia – 3-4-4-3 = 6 points
Washington – 4-3-3-4 = 6 points.
North
Green Bay – 1-1-1-1 = 16 points
Minnesota – 2-2-3--t2 =10½ points
Detroit – 3-3-2-t2 = 9 ½ points
Chicago – 4-4-4-4 – 4 points.
South
Atlanta – 1-1-1-1 = 16 points
Tampa Bay – 2-2-3-2 = 11 points
Carolina – 3-3-2-4 = 8 points
New Orleans – 4-4-4-3 = 5 points.
West
Seattle – 1-1-1-2 = 15 points
Arizona – 2-2-2-1 = 13 points
Los Angeles Rams – 3-3-3-3 = 8 points
San Francisco – 4-4-4-4 = 4 points.
Super Bowl 52 Predictions
Pro Football Preview 2017 and Lindy’s – New England over Dallas
Street & Smith’s and Athlon– New England over Green Bay.
Assorted comments on the Bills:
Pro Football Preview – “Starting over again on offense, now with a fourth coordinator in four years...Running back is the strength of the team. As long as LeSean McCoy takes care of his body, there is no reason to believe he should be less than one of the best at his position again. Patrick DiMarco is one of the top fullbacks in the league...The extremely talented Sammy Watkins will hope to follow the same track as both Dez Bryant and Julio Jones, who came back from second foot surgeries...The Bills will be a mostly zone coverage team that requires athletic linebackers and a four-man front that can put pressure on the quarterback mostly by themselves...The strength of the defense is defensive tackles Kyle Williams and Marcell Dareus. This duo has worked incredibly well together...Best-case scenario: A mostly healthy season. LeSean McCoy leads the offense to another wildly productive year on the ground. Tyrod Taylor limits his turnovers and shows a little more in the passing game. The defense comes together and improves slightly from the year before...Worst-case scenario: Low on depth all over the roster, injuries plague the Bills and they can’t escape the quicksand.”
Street & Smith’s – “The Buffalo Bills believe – even if nobody else does...The big question that looms over Tyrod Taylor is whether he’ll succeed in pulling out more close games. His record in two years with the Bills is abysmal in that regard...It has become the annual question in Buffalo: Will Sammy Watkins be healthy?...There’s a lot to like on the offensive line...Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier will be returning the Bills to a base 4-4 scheme instead of the 3-4 system Rex and Rob Ryan tried to run last year. Expect Frazier to make better use of the talent on the roster.... The defensive linemen are made for a 4-3 up front, so naturally the big guys are excited about returning to that scheme...This (linebackers) might not be pretty...Former coach Rex Ryan was a disaster. Expect gthe Bills to communicate better on defense and play more disciplined. Finishing in the top half of the league would be a success.”
Athlon Sports – “The Bills haven’t been to the NFL playoffs for 17 consecutive seasons, the longest active postseason drought in North American professional sports, the longest active postseason drought in North American professional sports. So why should 2017 be the season this dubious streak is snapped? Because the odds are in the Bills’ favor...Tyrod Taylor is good enough to play but not good enough to win....The expectation is that with a little more discipline, accountability and structure, the Bills can get over the hump. Under the fun-loving Rex Ryan, the Bills dropped nine games by seven points or less and went 80-8 and 7-9...Worst-case scenario for new coach Sean McDermott: Buffalo grabs another top-10 draft pick and, coupled with Kansas City’s No. 1 obtained in a trade, he finds his franchise quarterback in a deep 2018 class. Just don’t utter the word “tank.”...McDermott’s methodical, disciplined approach isn’t a magic wand. But if he produces the two to three wins the Bills have consistently needed to make the playoffs, he’ll be given a bust outside New Era Field.”
Lindy’s Sports – “Out with brash and flash, in with modesty and staying way under the radar. Out with players pretty much saying and doing what they please; in with discipline and accountability...Rex Ryan flamed out after 8-8 and 7-9 seasons. Judging by the roster Sean McDermott inherited, he may need two years just to catch up with those records”
HOME RUN DERBY BRACKETS, ODDS AND MY PICK
Here are the brackets and odds (courtesy of Paddy Power) for Monday night’s Home Run Derby at Marlins Park in Miami:
No. 1 seed and defending champion Giancarlo Stanton (6-to-5 favorite) vs. No. 8 seed Gary Sanchez (20-to-1)... Stanton hit 61 “HRs” to win last year’s HR Derby and he’s the hometown hero. But Sanchez is a live longshot. He has only 13 HRs this year but missed one-third of the season due to injury.
No. 2 seed Aaron Judge (13-to-8) vs. No. 7 seed Justin Bour (16-to-1).
No. 3 seed Cody Bellinger (9-to-1) vs. No. 6 seed Charlie Blackmon (12-to-1)
No. 4 seed Mike Moustakas (14-to-1) vs. No. 5 seed Miguel Sano (14-to-1).
I’m tempted by the overly generous odds for Sano who has power to all fields, but I see him losing to the more experienced Stanton in the Finals.
SHORT SHOTS
The North Carolina Courage are proving that last season’s surprising championship in the National Women’s Soccer League as the Western New York Flash was no fluke. The Courage have an 8-4-0 record, best in the 10-team league, and have outscored opponents 18-12. In seven home games, they’re 5-2-0 with an average crowd of 4,087 (not great but significantly better than last season in Rochester).
The Rochester Red Wings drew a crowd of 13,167 to Frontier Field on the Fourth of July. A total of 1,059,975 fans attended the 159 minor-league baseball games played July 3-4. The average crowd was 6,667.
Tim Tebow update with the St. Lucie Mets (Advanced A-Florida State League) – In 10 games, .345 batting average (10-for-29), 2 doubles, 2 HRs, 8 RBI, 6 walks, 5 strikeouts, 1.093 OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage).
‘2016 Red Wings MVP Adam Brett Walker has gone stone cold with the Norfolk Tides. After a hot stint with the Bowie Baysox in the Double-A Eastern League (.426 batting average; 20-for-47 ; 6 HRs; 12 RBI in 12 games), he was promoted to Norfolk June 26. In his last five gamers, he is 0-for-18, with 12 strikeouts. In games with Gwinnett and Norfolk this International League season, he is 7-for-76 (.092 batting average), with 2 HRs, 7 RBI, 4 walks and 34 strikeouts.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO...
Friday, July 7 – Yargervis Solarte (30)...Brandon McCarthy (34)...Michelle Kwan (37)...Chris Andersen (39)...Rumun Ndur (42)...Patrick Lalime (43)...Lisa Leslie (45)...Joe Sakic (48)...Chuck Knoblauch (49)...Ralph Sampson (59)...Tim Nordbrook (68)...Fred Drown (69). Ringo Starr (77) can bang on the drums at the birthday party.
Saturday, July 8 – Vic Beasley (25)...Josh Harrison (30),,,Jaime Garcia (31)...Hakim Warrick (35). T oby Keith (56), Kevin Bacon (59), Anjelica Huston (66) and Wolfgang Puck (68) are invited to the birthday party.
Sunday, July 9 – Miguel Montero (34)...Kelly Holcomb (44)...Trent Green (47)...Kevin Nash (58)...Willie Wilson (62)...Steve Luebber (68)...O.J. Simpson (70). Courtney Love (53) and Tom Hanks (61) are invited to the birthday party.