RAB Thoughts

November 15th, 2024: Soto, Giants, Hill, Hernández, Rays, Mailbag

Offseason Plan update: I had a good few days and got a lot done this week. Much more than I anticipated. I’d say I’m about 70% of the way through, with most of the hard work already done. It’s looking good for a launch next week. This is the tentative plan:

• Tuesday, Nov. 19th: Regularly scheduled post

• Thursday, Nov. 21st: Friday’s post a day early

• Friday, Nov. 22nd: Offseason ...

  2024-11-15 11:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post

November 12th, 2024: Boone, Soto, Sasaki, Sugano, Estevéz, Walker

I forgot to mention this last week, but the two Dominican Winter League games at Yankee Stadium were canceled. Apparently it had something to do with the Yankees not being able to guarantee the ballpark’s readiness after the World Series. The games were supposed to be played this past Friday and Saturday. The game at Citi Field was played as scheduled Sunday and I watched an inning, and when I saw a five-pitch at-bat take four minutes, it reaffirmed my love of the pitch clock. It is the bes...

November 8th, 2024: Soto, Offseason, Arbitration Projections, Mailbag

Two pieces of business. First, I’m planning to skip the regularly scheduled post on Friday, Nov. 29th. That is three weeks from today and it is the Friday after Thanksgiving. I will happily cover any breaking news that comes down (Juan Soto re-signing? pretty please?), otherwise I’m going to take it easy during the holiday weekend. And second, I was told Thursday that I’ve been approved as a Hall of Fame voter. Not gonna lie, I got a little emotional when I found out. I started a blog w...

November 5th, 2024: Cole, Weaver, Rizzo, Trammell, Trivino

Thanks in part to old pals Tyler Austin and Mike Ford, the 71-69-3 Yokohama DeNA BayStars defeated the heavily favored 91-49-3 Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in the Japan Series this past weekend. The BayStars won four straight to overcome a 2-0 series deficit, and they had a 29-inning shutout streak at one point during the series. Austin has been very productive during his five seasons with Yokohama, including hitting .316/.382/.601 with 25 homers in 2024. Ford joined the team in July after the Reds...

November 1st, 2024: World Series, Soto, Rizzo, 2025 Draft, Mailbag

Going to use the intro as a state of RAB update. The Patreon isn’t going anywhere or anything like that. It’ll be business as usual moving forward. I’m shifting back to the Tuesday/Friday schedule with extra posts as necessary, though I need a break, so there may not be much meat on the bone Tuesday. I’ll sit down Monday and get the ball rolling on the Offseason Plan. I can’t give you an ETA right now. It’ll be weeks, not days. I know that much. I’ll keep you all updated as I go...

The Yankees and the 2024-25 Offseason Calendar

The Dodgers are the 2024 World Series champions, the Yankees are the 2024 World Series losers, and the 2024-25 offseason is here. It’s an important offseason for the Yankees. I say that every offseason, but it’s true, and this offseason is more important than most given who’s becoming a free agent. The Yankees have no time to sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Important dates are right around the corner. Here is the 2024-25 MLB offseason calendar and what each date means for the ...

The Yankees have lost the 2024 World Series

You gotta hand it to them. The 2024 Yankees stayed true to themselves to the very end. They made every defensive mistake in the book – dropped fly ball, bad throw, didn't cover first base, catcher interference, balk – and blew a 5-0 lead courtesy of five unearned runs with their season on the line in Game 5 of the World Series. First time all year they blew a five-run lead too, so good timing on ...

Thoughts before Game 5 of the World Series

The Yankees will try to make history Wednesday night. Never before has a team that fell behind 3-0 in the World Series forced a Game 6. Prior to this year, there were 24 3-0 leads in the World Series and 21 sweeps. Only three teams forced a Game 5: 1910 Cubs, 1937 Giants, and 1970 Reds. None forced a Game 6. Tonight seems like a good night to make some history.

“I've had that sense all day wi...

Thoughts after Game 4 of the World Series

It’s funny, once the Yankees fell behind 3-0 in the World Series, I became much more zen. I mean, down 3-0, either things are going to end the way you expect, or you’re going to watch the greatest comeback in sports history. Down 3-0, I'm content to sit back and enjoy the ride, and the last bit of baseball until late February. This sport drives me nuts sometimes, but I love it.

"Kind of fel...

Thoughts before Game 4 of the World Series

The Yankees have 1-4 games remaining in their season and they almost certainly will not win the World Series, but they won four straight games and the Dodgers lost four straight games plenty of times this year. Stranger things have happened (have they though?). The path to a comeback is obvious:

• Aaron Judge must make an impact. I don’t just mean poke a single or take a walk. He has to move the needle in a big way. A homer, multiple hits with men on base, etc.

• Ev...

  2024-10-29 14:40:27 +0000 UTC View Post

Thoughts after Game 3 of the World Series

Do you think Aaron Boone will show the Yankees the 2004 Red Sox video again? Maybe he can have Dave Roberts come over and give them a motivational speech. Monday night’s 4-2 loss was the first two-run blowout in baseball history, and the Yankees are down 3-0 in the World Series. It’s too bad they can’t play an AL Central team in the World Series, isn’t it? Those are the only teams they can be...

Thoughts before Game 3 of the 2024 World Series

It is not a literal must-win, but Game 3 Monday night is a must-win. It will be hard enough to beat the Dodgers four times in five games. Four times in four games will be impossible. Games 1 and 2 of the World Series were close games that were one swing away from being advantage Yankees, but there are so silver linings this time of year. Results are the only thing that matters and the Yankees are down 2-0. 2024-10-28 10:00:10 +0000 UTC View Post

Thoughts after Game 2 of the 2024 World Series

These two games have been closer than the 2-0 series deficit may lead you to believe, but it is indeed a 2-0 series deficit. The Yankees lost Game 2 by the score of 4-2 on Saturday night and now must beat the best team in baseball four times in the next five games to win the World Series. If it makes you feel better, the last two times the Yankees and Dodgers met in the World Series (1978 and 1981), ...

Thoughts after Game 1 of the 2024 World Series

Losing a Gerrit Cole start – an effective Gerrit Cole start – is a rough way to begin the World Series. The Yankees must now beat the best team in baseball four times in six games, and Cole will only start one of the six. Friday’s 6-3 walk-off loss puts the Yankees in a 1-0 series hole. Historically, teams that win Game 1 in a best-of-seven have gone on to win the series 64% of the time. Winnin...

Thoughts before Game 1 of the 2024 World Series

UPDATE: Turns out Jon Berti is not on the roster because of an injury. He has a right hip flexor strain, Aaron Boone announced. Berti suffered it running the bases in ALCS Game 4. Looks to me like he came up limping a bit after scoring on Alex Verdugo's infield single (vide...

October 24th, 2024: World Series X-Factors, Mailbag

The World Series will begin Friday on a somber note: Dodgers legend Fernando Valenzuela died Tuesday. He was 63. Fernandomania was before my time but is one of those extraordinary baseball things I wish I could have experienced. He supercharged the sport, particularly in Southern California. Valenzuela won Rookie of...

October 22nd, 2024: World Series, Mailbag

Welcome to the calm before the storm. The Yankees are in the World Series and so too are the Dodgers. They sent the Mets home in NLCS Game 6 Sunday night. So close to a Subway World Series! That would have been so fun. We’ll have to settle for the sport’s two marquee franchises instead. We’ve earned it. After sitting through Diamondbacks vs. Rangers, the lockout, a Rays pennant, and the pandemic shutdown the last few years, we’ve earned this. Yankees or no Yankees, I wanted a big tick...

Thoughts after Game 5 of the 2024 ALCS

The New York Yankees are World Series bound. Saturday night October G and the generational Juan Soto led the Yankees to a 5-2 win over the Guardians in Game 5 of the ALCS. It took 10 innings. Also, the bullpen. All those dudes are on fumes and they were great in Game 5. We don’t know who the Yankees will play yet – the Dodgers have a 3-2 lead over the Mets and Game 6 is Sunday night – but we do...

The Yankees are going to the 2024 World Series

This is why you trade for Juan Soto. You trade for him so he can go win you a damn pennant. The New York Yankees are going to the World Series because Giancarlo Stanton again – again! – hit a clutch home run to tie Game 5 against the Guardians, and then the generational Soto clubbed the pennant-winning three-run homer in the top of the tenth. What a talent. What an at-bat.

“I was all over...

Thoughts after Game 4 of the 2024 ALCS

When Jon Berti bobbled that ground ball in the ninth inning, I half-expected him to fire it into the stands. That he didn’t means the Yankees are a Team of Destiny, right? I hope so. The Yankees have a 3-1 lead in the ALCS following that nice, normal, definitely didn’t take years off my life 8-6 win in Game 4. They have three chances to win one game to get to the World Series for the first time s...

Thoughts after Game 3 of the 2024 ALCS

Well that was about the worst possible way to lose Game 3. Couldn’t lose 3-1 like a normal team, huh? Eh, well, I didn’t expect the Yankees to sweep anyway. The Guardians had walk-off wins in the 2017 ALDS and the 2022 ALDS, and we know how those series turned out. Thursday’s loss sucked, but the Yankees still have a 2-1 lead in the ALCS, and they'll get back on the horse for Game 4 on Friday.<...

Thoughts before Game 3 of the 2024 ALCS

The ALCS shifts to Progressive Field for Games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, 5. The Guardians went 50-30 at home during the regular season. The Yankees went 50-31 on the road. That’s the third best home record against the best road record. Three games in three days (potentially) will change the way the Yankees and Guardians use their bullpens, at least in theory. We’ll see how it actually plays out.

Historically, teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven have gone on to win the series 8...

Thoughts after Game 2 of the 2024 ALCS

The Guardians out-sloppied the Yankees in Game 2 and the good guys will take a 2-0 series lead to Cleveland when the ALCS resumes Thursday. The Yankees are two wins away from their first pennant since 2009, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Cleveland is a very good team despite what we watched the last two nights, and every win is harder than the last. Six games into the postseason, the Yankees...

Thoughts after Game 1 of the 2024 ALCS

Four wins down, seven to go. The Yankees rode Carlos Rodón’s left arm and timely wild pitches to a 5-2 win over the Guardians in ALCS Game 1 on Monday. They’ll send their ace to the mound with a chance to take a 2-0 series lead Tuesday night. Long way to go and I wouldn't say the Yankees are firing on all cylinders, but things, they are going well. 

Game 2 on Tuesday:...

Thoughts before Game 1 of the 2024 ALCS

It is once again Yankees vs. Guardians. Josh Naylor rocking the baby, annoying bloop hits to shallow left field, pitching changes galore, midges, all that stuff. The ALCS will be the fourth Yankees vs. Guardians postseason series in the last eight years (also 2017 ALDS, 2020 Wild Card Series, 2022 ALDS). It’s also the seventh Yankees vs. Guardians postseason series all-time. Only the Yankees and Dodgers (11 times) have met more frequently in October, and that's among all postseason matchups...

October 12th, 2024: Guardians vs. Tigers, ALCS, Mailbag

The Yankees partied Thursday night in Kansas City, flew back to New York on Friday, and will hold a few workouts this weekend while awaiting their ALCS opponent. As much as I would enjoy beating the Astros in a revenge ALCS, I’m glad we don’t have to see their stupid faces this postseason. Let’s get to some miscellaneous stuff before we fully enter ALCS mode, shall we?

1. Early ALCS thoughts. We still don’t know who the Yankees will play in the ALCS, only t...

Thoughts after Game 4 of the 2024 ALDS

The Yankees are going to the ALCS and, for the first time since 2012, they don’t have to go through the Astros. They closed out the ALDS with a 3-1 win over the Royals in Game 4 on Thursday night. Four close games, three close wins. The Yankees await the winner of Game 5 between the Guardians and Tigers. That game is Saturday night. The ALCS will begin Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Here are a few...