Just saw the MLB movie so here are some of my first thoughts!!!
Warning for spoilers ⚠️
So first things first, it was beautiful. The style and animation looked gorgeous and I'm so happy for this upgrade. It was a joy to look at. The new models and sceneries are amazing and it really felt more like Paris. I so wish we could've had the series like this but I understand how expensive this would get so I don't blame them.
Secondly this is clearly an alternate version. It doesn't follow the canon from the series and has a whole different plot. Personally I loved this. The issues that the series has story wise got kinda fixed. Mostly the pacing and the relationship square. I also love how they handled Gabriel/Hawkmoth here. He felt like a decent villain but also a hurt and lost man. And yes he was very hot.
My main complaint with he movie would be it being a musical. The musical parts were very hit or miss. Some parts were beautifully done and really added to see the characters emotions. I saw the movie in my native tongue (Dutch) which made the music songs kind of cringe but I imagine that in English and French it definitely sounds better. Some songs felt too filler like and didn't seem to move the story along. Or were at moments that just didn't fit.
Idk how they'll handle the sequel now that Marinette and Adrien know they are ladybug and chat noir plus they ended up together at the end. We do seem to get a possible sequel based on the ending scene with Nathalie in which I assume she will be the next villain using the peacock miraculous.
To talk more about the characters. I very much lived for Alya. Her screentime was limited but she still managed to steal the show in every shot she got. I even felt like they did Chloe's character much better here. She is still a meangirl for sure, but with Marinette standing up to her much earlier it felt much more balanced. I hope in the next movie we'll get to see the others more cus now it was very limited. The focus really was on ladybug and chat noir. Barely even Adrien tbf.
Lastly I have to say that the score of the movie was very good. It takes a lot for me to notice a score without having to pay attention but they made it really fit in and still let it shine without seeming too bombastic or over the top.
All in all I think the movie was a good move from Zag and I hope they continue this. It seems they are heavily planning to go the superhero franchise route with having different universes based on our heroes. This movie was a solid 8 for me but ofc I've been a fan of the show since the first trailer ever released. So take it with a grain of salt.
Really hoping to see more like this from Zag in the future. Thomas really redeemed himself in this movie.
So I just saw the trailer for “Glaciator 2” and heheheh all I can say is this is getting really annoying at this point.
Ok, lets start from the beginning! So first of all I don’t know if I should be happy that Alya was being a “good” friend to Marinette by deleting those pictures of Ladybug and Chat Noir (Not to mention, the amount of pictures she has of them I mean those alone can fill a whole gallery :0) or if she just did it reluctantly and didn’t see the problem of having them in the first place, I think in the end it’s probably going to be the lateral with the addition of everyone seeing Marinette as a hypocrite because that’s how the show usually sadly goes.
AND OF COURSE we get a “sad boi Adrien” moment in an episode where the WHOLE EPISODE is supposed to put the reverse LS into the picture heheheh we all love that don't we :,) ( I just realized that Adrien is in the middle of the park, sitting on a bench, looking at a billboard of Ladybug and Chat Noir kissing, while crying... Now THAT'S a new level of sad boi dramatics.)
AnYWaY! Why was Chat Noir on the bus when he could literally, like, travel on foot with his superhero abilities, unless there's an actual reason other than it being for the convenience of the LS than I don't see why this scene is even necessary.
Now we all knew that Master Fu was watching Marinette and Adrien in the background in most of seasons 1-3, Andre the ice cream man is now doing it. And judging by his facial expression when he sees both Chat Noir and Marinette laughing together on the bus (which I still don't get.) that he probably believes that Chat Noir is cheating on Ladybug with Chat Noir (I lowkey thought he already knows there secret identities because of that one scene in "Miracle Queen" but I digress.)
Not to mention, the amount of MariChat scenes there are in this episode. Now to be honest MariChat is the one ship in the LS that I don't really care baout because it isn't shoved into our faces constantly, but don't get me wrong I still think that the LS is toxic as fuck (and if you think I should go deeper into my thoughts of why I think that the LS is toxic just comment on the post or reblog or whatever and I'll consider it.) I can also already tell that this episode is only going to thrive on the idea of Marinette and Chat Noir building "chemistry" and maybe Chat Noir having more "character development" (if that is even possible.) And with the addition of the time Marinette and Chat Noir spent together I know that this is probably going to make Ladybug's sympathy for Chat Noir grow which will cause the ripple that we call the LS to start once again.
Moving on! Ladybug literally just went ZOOOOOOOOMMMMM. You know all these Lucky Charm's are starting to get really ridiculous I mean first it was the vespa and now it's a literal race car. Not to mention, the giant ass cookie that Tikki conjures up in "Dearest Family". Man, I miss the old days when the Lucky Charm's were just house hold items like forks, spoons, and vacuums, now there just things that can murder you if they fall on top of you.
And with that it's the end of the trailer. Now, I will stand by my word---aka what I said in my post that I ranted about the synopsis of this episode in --- I am still dreading the release of this episode because not only will this probably serve as evidence that the reverse LS starting to come into view, and the inner conflict of Ladybug and Marinette with AdriChat (not to mention, the amount of repetition this episode probably will have.), but it's also just going to be a huge disappointment in the end.
Anyway! that is the end of this rant, I hope everyone has a great rest of their day or morning(?) (Because I'm doing this at like 3:00 in the morning :0((again))) and as always remember...
Miraculous Ladybug Oblivion Review/Analysis: Is it more than just a tease?
***Spoiler Warning for episode season 3 episode 7 and past episodes of Miraculous Ladybug.***
Most of the MLB fans thought Oblivion was great. I was pissed. Initially. I felt played. I thought, what was the point of the episode if the reveal didn’t actually happen? How did this episode add anything valuable to the plot or at least provide a positive message to the little kiddies. Oblivion played with my emotions all for nothing. I couldn’t help but think, this episode is nothing but a giant tease! This was as my initial thought. But, certain moments in the episode didn’t make sense. For example, why was Marinette less clumsy? And did anyone else notice that Adrian seemed less punny? These questions made me think that Oblivion has more to offer than being just a tease.
Before going more into the analysis, I wanted to touch on the obvious points that made this episode great – Adrian and Marinette’s chemistry. O my god! Adrian and Marinette were so cute! It’s so refreshing seeing Adrian taking a more active role in the fights. Prior episodes made him look more like a sidekick, but this episode made him look just as important as Ladybug. Ladybug can no longer say, “I’m better than both of you!” like she did in Copycat. Even after losing their memories, they knew that they still loved each other?! That’s super cute! And it’s refreshing not hearing Adrian call Marinette “just a friend.” Too bad that will probably come back in later episodes. *sigh*
If I critiqued the episode only on those moments, it’d easily get a 5/5; however, I am the type of viewer that if the episode doesn’t add something to the story (ie: plot, character development, world building, etc.) then why have the episode at all? So, I need to analyze this further. Does Oblivion actually add anything to the MLB?
At first glance, it doesn’t, but, as I mentioned earlier, there were moments in the episode that didn’t add up. With their memories erased, the characters should revert to their true behavior. If Marinette’s true identity was when she’s Marinette and not Ladybug, then the Marinette with her memory erased should be equally as clumsy than the Marinette without her memory erased. Similarly, if Adrian the civilian is a mask and Chat Noir is his true self freed from his father’s overbearing yet distant personality, then the Adrian with his memory erased should crack an equal amount of jokes as the Chat Noir without his memories erased. In previous episodes, Chat Noir tries to throw as many puns as possible even under pressure of super villains. That didn’t happen in this episode.
Not only was Marinette less clumsy, but Ladybug, her supposedly perfect superhero alter ego, became clumsier. Ladybug’s trip was heavily emphasized from the change in art style to Oblivion commenting “you’ve forgotten your reflexes.” This meant that Ladybug’s superpowers did not overcome her clumsiness and suggested that Marinette’s clumsiness was all in her mind.
From prior episodes, Marinette was not the only superhero who showed stark differences from her superhero alter ego. Both Marinette and Adrian had such different personalities from their superhero personas, that I think their voice actors incorporated it into their acting. People can easily tell when Marinette was Marinette or Ladybug and when Adrian was Adrian or Chat Noir. Marinette as Marinette had a slighter higher pitch and sounds more timid, while Ladybug had a deeper voice and sounded more confident. Similarly, Adrian as Adrian had a softer and caring tone, but Chat Noir sounded cockier and more expressive. However, in this episode there’s barely a difference either’s civilian and super hero voice. The vocal change was only noticeable after Chat Noir and Ladybug got their memories back.
Contrast these two with the two characters whose personalities doesn’t change that much from memory wipe – the kwamis! Even with their memories gone, Tikki’s still cute and caring, and Plagg still tried to act selfish when deep down he cares just as much as Tikki. There were some people who were shocked by Plagg’s selfishness, but to me, he acted the same as he did in the Sandman where Plagg tried to act all that and a bag of camembert for sneaking out without telling Adrian. If the kwamis not getting a personality change showed that the memory wipe does bring out an individual’s true personality, then why did Marinette and Adrian’s personalities change? The answer: Marinette’s civilian identity was not her true persona, and Chat Noir was not Adrian’s opportunity to be his true self.
In every episode before Oblivion, Marinette and Adrian’s civilian identities underplay their true nature, while their super hero identities over compensate. Oblivion is the first episode that we see Marinette and Adrian’s true identity. It’s a combination of their superhero and civilian personas. Not one identity is better than the other. Marinette’s clumsiness is probably a hyper-awareness of someone pointing it out in childhood (I bet it was Chloe.), while Adrian is probably overcompensating for the lack of freedom around his father. Regardless of the reason, neither their civilian identities nor their superhero identities are Adrian’s nor Marinette’s true selves, and it took three freak’n seasons to see their real selves! (Very well played on the MLB production team.)
This actually made me more interested in the episode because it suggested what can happen after the reveal. If this episode confirmed anything, it’s that Adrian and Marinette work well together, or as Tikki puts it, “make a very effective couple.” They bring out the best in each other, which was only possible when they know everything about each other. Including their identities.
If this episode adds anything to the MLB story, it’s a foreshadow of what Marinette and Adrian’s relationship will become once their identities are revealed. So, basically, the episode is one big tease. A teaser for what can happen after the reveal.
I have never been so curious about an MLB episode, hence the review/analysis. Oblivion’s not my favorite episode (that title goes to Gorizilla), but the fact that it made me so curious that I wrote this puts it very high on my list of favorite episodes. I had a lot of fun writing this, so I’ll probably write more in the future and out early enough where the episode is still relevant. Oblivion definitely gets a 5/5.
So, the "Gabriel Agreste" trailer AND synopsis of the episode just came out recently and as alway we're here to talk about my inner opinions (and maybe some theories along the way) of the episode.
If you've haven't seen/read the synopsis here it is:
"Nathaniel and Marc have a plan for Marinette to declare her feelings to Adrien. They sat it up at school, where Adrien is free of his father's control. But Chloe films their meeting and threatens to reveal everything to Gabriel, who would forbid Adrien to go back to school. Chloe will spend the evening at Gabriel's, where Marinette cannot enter. But Nath and Marc's imagination is limitless, and Marinette, disguised as a waitress, sneaks into the Agreste home... where a supervillian is also crashing the party. Will Ladybug save the soiree?"
So as you can see, this episode is just going to be another episode where I'm going to be so pissed. Not to mention that the trailer, is already giving me dramatic vibes (with chloe kicking a whole ass door down). Let's just dive into it, I guess!
First of all, let's talk about the one main upside of the episode, the Marcthaniel moment! They look so cute, and the fact that they did something together for Marinette is so cute! (even if the thing they came up with is to push Marinette to Adrien even more heheheehe... :,)). The first scene in the trailer shows a table with many masks on top of it, I wonder what the significance of the masks are to the episode because no one at the party is wearing them so I wonder...
AnYwAy! The fact that Thomas Astruc is making Chloe do stuff that would deem her nonredeemable is just sad in my opinion. Because in the first few seasons it seemed she could be redeemed (she even avoided being akumatized again) but now, with everything that happened in season 4, it does not seem possible anymore. It just so sad because she could've had so much potential. Now, don't get me wrong I still don't like how Chloe acts and how she treats other characters in the show, but all I'm saying is that her character could've had a better role in season 4 other that stereo typical bully *(plus the chaos that is happening in this trailer ALONE.)
Okay, now let's dive into the family drama between Felix and Gabriel! As we all know Gabriel's and Felix's relationship isn't a friendly one and it's definitely more prominent in the episode with the stink eye they give each other (probably because Felix stole the ring from Gabriel)((wait I just realized that if Felix didn't steal the ring from Gabriel we wouldn't have found out that Adrien is a sentimonster because the ring that Emilie had was obviously the object to control the sentimonster/Adrien. So, if Felix didn't steal that ring Adrien would've been able to have more freedom of choice :0) Also, I believe that this is the episode that Felix finds out that Gabriel is Shadowmoth and whether he plans on using that information against Gabriel or just keep it to himself is up to him ( but I believe that Felix is just going to keep it to himself.)
Wait a second did Gabriel make a sentimonster version of himself or at least his akumatized self (I forgot the akuma's name :p). Also not the fact that even after all the things that boi has done he still being saved T3T. Wait, of Marinette is supposed to be "disgused as a waitress" why the heck is she wearing a mustache. Well, I guess no one would recognize her with that disguise (maybe Kagami would find out?). Also, I bet that Marinette will not be able to confess to Adrien I mean, if this show has taught me anything is that anything that has to do with the LS now is probably end in one in two ways. One being that it just doesn't work out and Marinette fails to confess properly to Adrien (aka the way she wants to) or Adrien just misunderstands the whole thing and thinks that Marinette is being "good friend". Two being that they pull an "Oblivio" and forget the whole thing even happened.
Not to mention, we love Kagami trying to fight on her own! Yess, Queen! (btw I am starting to love Kagami even more because of her ability to be independent :)). Even if punching the book straight ahead was kinda stupid T3T. Still, you go girl!
I know the only reason that Felix smiles at the painting is because it looks like his mother, but like it be kinda suspicious though. Not that Gabriel arriving at the exact moment Felix was to press the buttons to open the "gateway" to the butterfly basement is not suspicious. (Also, I just realized that maybe Emilie when she created Adrien ((if the theory that Adrien is a sentimoneter is correct.)) she probably based it off of Felix, which is why they look so similar :0)
I just realized that we don't know why their's a party at the Agreste household. Eh, it's probably for Gabriel Agreste's 100th collection.
And with that, the trailer is done!
All in all, just with the trailer and the synopsis of the episode I can already tell that I will be very annoyed and intrigued by the episode. The one half being that there is going to be a part of the episode that will be cliche as heck, which is code for Marinette and her friends making a plan for her to confess her "undying love" for AdRieN and fail miserably in the end, which is no doubt going to annoy the heck out of me. And the other half being the drama in the Agreste household and the theory that Felix may find out that Gabriel is Shadowmoth, which will no doubt intrigue the heck out of me. But, in the end I can't wait for my questions and theories to be answered.
Anyway! That has been my whole rant about the new released synopsis and I still stand with my opinion. I hope everyone has a great rest of their day or morning(?) (Because I'm doing this at like 3:00 in the morning :0) and as always remember...
But that's just my opinion (・ε・)
(I swear if this episode gets released this weekend I will be so freaking pissed, mainly because this show just doesn't give us a minute to recover from an episode, especially with the fact that the last episode had so many things to unpack :p)
MLB season 6 thoughts so far. Breaking it up per episode.
Some episodes I've only seen subbed so far and I'll def rewatch them all once it's all out. So these are just my initial thoughts on the new season.
Before getting into the episodes themselves, I want to talk about the new animation and redesigns. Personally I am a fan of them. While as stills the designs looked a bit meh on some characters, in the show themselves they actually look pretty good. And I'm definitely a big fan of the animation upgrade. The movements still make it clear that the team is inspired by anime, which makes it look a lil silly in 3d still but it's def better with the new models and upgraded lighting.
The illustrhater
It sure is a start. I guess. The episode didn't stand out to me but it did give us a good look at how the new villain works. Idk if we aren't supposed to know it's Lila or if they plan to make us think it's her and then dump something new on us. But the way they work is certainly interesting. More manipulative. I do enjoy seeing how everyone has their own respective miraculous with them now. I hope we can see them bond with their kwamis too.
Sublimation
This episode was rough... Marinette acting jealous over a new girl was a choice... But I suppose it is good to make her have flaws still? It just felt really cringe. I was a bit iffy on Sublime at first, as she was shown as this perfect girl, but showing that it's because of the pressure her mom has been putting on her def made her better. Also love getting some Belgian rep 🇧🇪💕 (I hate my country).
Daddycop
Probably my fav so far? Finally we get to see Chloe! Sadly she's in London and the writers clearly don't intend to ever give her the redemption arc she deserves. But she really slayed her new design. Seeing an actual pride pin on Millène was also a cute touch. And idk if they intended the words "but I loved her" to be sounding so gay, but it did. It did feel a bit weird how the other girls were so against Sabrina? Especially Alya. We all know Sabrina did things wrong, but even in previous seasons, she has been showing growth. Also Marinette was a tad bit too creepy with her 100th kiss. She's lucky Adrien matches her freak.
Werepapas
Finally seeing more of Adrien's past and meeting his grandparents on both sides???? Amazing! Marinette was also a great gf in this episode. I hope she gets to act more like she did here. Nathalie's new design is also so cute ngl. Best part was Johnny mentioning Bicky sauce and making me crave a bicky burger. At first I thought they might be Belgian too, but they are from Lille. Which is very close to the border of Belgium, which makes sense as to why he would give me that idea.
Final thoughts
So far I'm excited for this season. The writing is still much to be desired, but it's getting a bit better. Can't say I care much about the new hawkmoth atm as it just feels like a bit of a side plot so far. Just something going on in the background while other things are happening. Which idm.
MLB watch: Another game Friday which hit hard Sports Bettors - Who thought that after sweeping the Yankees in four, the Mets will fall to the lowly Marlins?
Credits: STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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Marlins beat Mets to snap 9-game losing streak
MIAMI -- Jacob Turner's season debut was a rousing success.
After pitcher Alex Sanabia was placed on the disabled list earlier in the week, Turner was called up from Triple-A New Orleans to take his spot in the rotation. The 22-year-old right-hander responded by tossing seven scoreless innings in his season debut and Marcell Ozuna had three hits to help the Miami Marlins halt a nine-game losing streak with a 5-1 win over the New York Mets on Friday night.
"I feel I've been throwing the ball like this in Triple-A," said Turner, who was drafted ninth overall by Detroit in 2009 and traded to the Marlins last season. "To be honest with you, it was a matter of time of making the adjustments I needed to make and get everything right."
Recalled before the game, Turner (1-0) allowed five hits and walked one while striking out three.
"Turner did a tremendous job coming up," Marlins manager Mike Redmond said. "I know he was excited to get the opportunity to go out there and start."
Turner was 3-4 with a 4.47 ERA in 10 starts with New Orleans before the promotion.
"The last five or six starts, everything's coming together," Turner said. "Obviously, it took a little bit longer than I would have liked but I'm happy that it is here now."
Pinch hitter Jordan Brown hit a two-run double, and Ed Lucas and Jeff Mathis each drove home a run in the pivotal seventh as the Marlins won for the third time in 19 games.
"A lot of good things out there tonight," Redmond said.
After sweeping four Subway Series games from the New York Yankees, the Mets had their longest winning streak of the season snapped at five.
Shaun Marcum (0-6) allowed four runs and seven hits in 6 2/3 innings, becoming the first Mets pitcher to open a season with six consecutive losses since Mike Pelfrey went 0-7 in 2007. The right-hander struck out a career-high 12 over seven strong innings in a no-decision Sunday night against Atlanta.
"It's just one of those nights where he kept us in the game, gave us a chance, we didn't mount much offense -- but I certainly wasn't disappointed with the way Shaun pitches, that's for sure," Mets manager Terry Collins said.
Ozuna led off the fifth with a single to extend his hitting streak to 16 games, the longest current run in the majors. He is batting .356 (21 for 59) during the streak.
"I feel good because I'm enjoying my game," Ozuna said. "The manager and coaches give me confidence and always stress that I remain calm and also have fun."
Marcum got out of a bases-loaded jam when Jeff Mathis bounced into a double play, keeping the game scoreless.
Derek Dietrich doubled to start the seventh for the Marlins and Ozuna followed with a bloop single. Two batters later, Lucas, making his first major league start, blooped a single of his own for his first career hit after 10 years in the minors. That scored Dietrich for a 1-0 lead.
"It's been 10 years. I never stopped hoping," Lucas said. "I finally got an opportunity. Hopefully there will be more to come."
Mathis came up with the bases loaded again and this time delivered a sacrifice fly. Brown batted for Turner and hit a two-run double to left-center, making it 4-0 and ending Marcum's night.
"It's frustrating," Marcum said. "I think every pitcher will tell you it's more frustrating making quality pitches and having bloopers fall in."
Daniel Murphy hit an RBI double in the eighth for the Mets. Ozuna had an RBI double in the bottom half.
Game notes
Ozuna's hitting streak is the second-longest by a Marlins rookie behind Edgar Renteria's 22-game run in 1996. ... Murphy is hitting .382 (29 for 76) in his last 19 games. ... Marlins prospect Jake Marisnick hit two grand slams and had nine RBIs on Thursday with Double-A Jacksonville. ... Miami rookie RHP Jose Fernandez (2-3, 3.78 ERA) will face the Mets for the third time this season Saturday when he pitches against RHP Collin McHugh, a replacement for ailing LHP Jonathon Niese. Fernandez has not received a decision in his first two starts against New York and has a 3.00 ERA. "He's got one of the better arms in the entire league," Collins said.
Turns out when I wrote the two-thirds review for the NL, it was actually closer to three-fourths of the season being done - man the Olympics really threw me off timing wise. Just like the NL, the AL has tight standings everywhere and is setting up for another epic last week of the season. The next few weeks will mostly focus on getting ready for football on the site, but keep these playoff races in the back of your mind, and we'll check in again in September to dissect the different scenarios for each contending team. If you don't want to read any more of this article, just know that this year in the AL has been the year of Mike Trout.
(Standings and stats through August 19, 2012)
AL East:
1. New York Yankees (72-49) - I really do not like the Yankees. I would not enjoy writing about how good they are, and hopefully none of our readers would enjoy reading it. I would love to write a piece about how the injuries are starting to pile up (A-Rod, CC, Teixeira) and how most of their remaining games are against division foes, so the competition has a chance to catch up. The problem is, I need to have some credibility and I just don't believe that. Plus, I just saw that CC will be back on Friday and Teixeira probably won't go on the DL, so they'll be at almost full strength down the stretch.
Verdict: I hope I'm wrong about this. Projected Finish: 1st
2. Tampa Rays (67-54, 4.5 GB) - What a crazy week for the Rays. First, they're on the wrong side of a perfect game by Felix Hernandez (the third time they have had a perfect game thrown against them in the past four years -ouch). Then they finish off the week with a four-game sweep of the Angels, which is huge for the wild card standings. David Price has been a rock all season and is a bonafide Cy Young candidate with an AL-leading 16 wins. James Shields has turned it on since the beginning of August and the rest of the rotation has been solid as well. As you might imagine with a team that was just perfect gamed, batting is the issue. Evan Longoria recently returned from the DL and the season hinges on whether his bat gets going. They have other players that can get hot, but Longoria is the only one who I think has the ability to carry them the last 41 games.
Verdict: The Rays sometime remind me of the Twins from the early to mid 2000's. You look at the lineup and can easily find it uninspiring, but they get the job done more often than not. Projected Finish: 2nd...wild card picks below
3. Baltimore Orioles (66-55, 5.5 GB) - I keep getting ready to count this team out and they just keep winning, and I don't know if I can pinpoint why. A new starter seems to get hot every time one cools down. First it was Jason Hammel, then Wei-Yin Chen then Chris Tillman. Winning two of three against Detroit this weekend was clutch as they could easily be competition in the wild card race. Speaking of which, they basically control their own fate as they play the Whites Sox, Yankees, Rays, A's and Red Sox a lot to end the season. If they make it they will have earned it.
Verdict: I would be shocked to see them win the division, but have to admit they are now legit playoff contenders. Projected Finish: 3rd...wild card picks below
4. Boston Red Sox (59-63, 13.5GB) - They have struggling to beat anyone this year, but their lack of success against the Yankees has been particularly painful. As Sunday Night Baseball taught me, they are 17-29 in games started by Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. That is terrible. These guys are supposed to be the aces, the losing streak stoppers, the innings eaters. Well they have started or perpetuated losing streaks more than winning streaks. Obviously there could be other contributing factors in those games, such as poor defense, lack of run support and the bullpen blowing it, but in general, you would hope to win more than you lose when your top two starters are out there. Another stat from SNB: they have had 0 HR from the DH spot since Big Papi went down with an Achilles injury in mid-July. The designated hitter, has not hit - perfect. Adrian Gonzalez has been mashing it in the second half, so that somewhat makes up for it, but in general, if you don't pitch well and you don't hit well, you don't win.
Verdict: I hate Booby V. Can't blame the season on him, but this roster is loaded with talent and for the most part has underachieved. Firing Bobby V may feel like a scapegoat move, but this season has sucked and I would not like to see another one like it next year. Now you may say, hey man, they're only 7.5 games out of the wild card, it hasn't been that bad of a season and they still have a chance! To that I say, the Mariners are 8.5 games out of the wild card. Do you think they have had a good season and/or still have a chance? Projected Finish: 4th
5. Toronto Blue Jays (56-65, 15.5GB) - They have really fallen off in the second half. Unfortunate that Brandon Morrow has missed so much time with injury and no one else in the rotation has really stepped up - Ricky Romero being the biggest disappointment. They'll need a lot more out of Brett Lawrie to have a chance in this division. Kudos to Edwin Encarnacion for putting together a career year and doing his best to carry the offense. Verdict: They're touted to have a great farm system. They'll need more of that to show in order to stay in the wild card hunt next year Projected Finish: 5th
AL Central:
1. Chicago White Sox (65-55) - The Sox seem to be having a sneaky good season. Alex Rios is producing across the board (.301-70R-19HR-70RBI-17SB). Paul Konerko and AJ Pierzynski have been solid in the heart of the lineup, and despite his .207 average, you still have to respect that Adam Dunn can go yard at any point, as he has done 35 times already this season. The emergence of Chris Sale and the fact that Jake Peavy has stayed healthy have carried the rotation. It's crazy to think that they temporarily moved Sale to the bullpen in the first half and he now leads the staff with 14 wins and a 2.72 ERA. It's not as talked about as with Strasburg, but there have been talks about limiting his innings, which would be equally devastating for this rotation.
Verdict: I expect a tight race all the way to October between them, the Tigers and the other teams in the wild card. Projected Finish: 2nd...see wild card picks below
2. Detroit Tigers (64-57, 1.5 GB) - They went on a run before and after the All-star game to put them right next to the White Sox for the AL Central crown. Miguel Cabrera seems to be enjoying having Prince Fielder behind in the lineup, and Prince is having a great season for himself. Having Austin Jackson back in the lineup has been key to their resurgence and it also helps to have one of the best pitchers in the game in Justin Verlander.
Verdict: Anibal Sanchez has been terrible since they acquired him from the Marlins and Doug Fister got rocked today, but I'll still put my money on a rotation led by Verlander over most. I wouldn't be surprised if they had to play a 163rd game to decide this division, but either way I like the Tigers. Projected Finish: 1st
3. Kansas City Royals (54-66, 11 GB) - They appear to have stolen Jeremy Guthrie from the Rockies as he has been great in his last four starts, but considering Luiz Mendoza's 4.26 ERA is the next best amongst starters, I'd say it is pretty easy to see why they are not competing for the division once again.
Verdict: I'm starting to come around on Alcides Escobar. It seems like his .308 average is for real and he shows up in web gems quite a bit, so the Royals appear to have a good young shortstop on their hands. I like Sal Perez at catcher, still like Hosmer at first and Moustakas at 3rd, as well as Wil Myers anywhere in their outfield, so maybe once they all start hitting together they won't need good pitching. Not in 2012 though. Projected Finish: 4th
4. Cleveland Indians (54-67, 11.5 GB) - It has gotten ugly for the Indians the past month or so. I saw them play in Cleveland on July 5th and they were within 3 games of first. In fact they were only 6 games out of first at the trade deadline. The pitching has been terrible and the offense has not been much better. The biggest disappointment has been young catcher Carlos Santana. Granted he only hit .239 last year (.237 this year), but he had 27 homers last year compared to only 13 so far in 2012.
Verdict: I still like they're core players (Kipnis, Santana, Cabrera), but this was just not their year. Projected Finish: 4th
5. Minnesota Twins (50-70, 15 GB) - I haven't really paid attention to the Twins this season. I know Ben Revere is having a nice under the radar year, as is Ryan Doumit. I think Scott Diamond is their best pitcher, which leads me to believe their rotation is not that good.
Verdict: I really want to visit Target Field, but it definitely isn't because I consider the Twins to be a must-see team. Projected Finish: 5th
AL West:
1. Texas Rangers (70-50) - Even with Josh Hamilton slumping for much of the second half, they have a lineup that must make opposing pitchers cringe when they realize their start lands in Texas. My main concern is the lack of an ace. They passed on Zack Greinke at the deadline (which seems to be a genius move given how crappy he has been for the Angels), but there still seems to be a void at the top of the rotation.
Verdict: It won't matter for the regular season as I think the lineup can carry them to October, but it should be cause for concern in the playoffs. Projected Finish: 1st
2. Oakland A's (65-55, 5 GB) - Wow. I just did not see this coming from the A's. Given their pedigree of second half success, I guess it shouldn't be so surprising, but I am still somewhat shocked. If you saw Moneyball, and especially if you read it, you know that the idea is predicated around having a good on-base percentage. Well guess what, the A's have a terrible OBP. It's .305 - 27th out of 30 teams. If the A's make the playoffs this year, it will be for the same reason they were good in the Moneyball era: good pitching. People don't given Hudson, Zito and Mulder enough credit for those great A's teams. Sure they all choked in the playoffs, but they carried those teams in the regular season. Back to 2012. Bartolo Colon and Jarrod Parker has led the staff, but seemingly everyone they throw out there has done well. The worst starter ERA is Tommy Milone at 4.03 - take that Royals.
Verdict: Hard to count this team out after the second half they have had so far. Projected Finish: 2nd...see wild card picks below
3. Los Angeles Angels (62-60, 9 GB) - Are the Angels really going to ruin the year of Mike Trout?! He has 96 runs scored. To put that in perspective, Andrew McCuthcen is second in all of baseball with 85 runs scored. Cutch has played 18 more games than Trout! That is ridiculous. Trout's other numbers: .343 average (best in AL and second to Cutch at .354 - not counting the Melk Man after he got busted for PED's at .346), 24 HR (remember he's about 20 games behind everyone else and still in top 20 of MLB), 70 RBI and 39 SB (best in MLB). He is so good. So good. The AL Rookie of the Year competition was over two months ago. The MVP race will probably come down to whether he can help the Angels out of this slump and into the playoffs. If they make the playoffs, Trout is the MVP guaranteed. In case you haven't heard, Albert Pujols is back too.
Verdict: So why are the Angels slumping? Because the pitching has sucked, which is strange because they should have the best pitching in the league. They have four aces, but only Jered Weaver is pitching like one. A week ago, I might have picked them to come back and take the division. Now, I don't know that they make the playoffs. Projected Finish: 3rd...see wild card picks below
4. Seattle Mariners (58-64, 9 GB) - Congratulations Felix Hernandez, your perfect game (the 23rd in MLB history) at least gave M's fans one good memory from the 2012 season.
Verdict: The other good news for the M's? The Astros join the AL West in 2013, so they definitely won't finish last next year. Projected Finish: 4th
Wild Card Picks:
1. Tampa Bay Rays - The pitching is too good to be denied. Longoria is one of my favorite players, so maybe I am letting that cloud my judgement, but I think he gets hot enough for the lineup to keep up with the pitching. (Playoffs)
2. LA Angels - I just can't believe that they ruin the year of Mike Trout. (Playoffs)
3. Oakland A's - In it right up until game 162.
4. Chicago White Sox - They need to win the division - too many good teams in the wild card.
5. Baltimore O's - Call me a hater if you must, but I just don't see it.
If they handed out hardware on August 19th...
AL MVP: Mike Trout - Need I say more?
Runner Up: Miguel Cabrera - In the off chance that Trout cools off, Cabrera wins it and could even win the triple crown
Others Receiving Votes: Josh Hamilton, Derek Jeter and Prince Fielder
AL Cy Young: David Price - Has been on cruise control in the second half
Runner Up: Jered Weaver - Great numbers across the board
Others Receiving Votes: Chris Sale, Felix Hernandez and Justin Verlander
