The Baseball Haven

The Home of Baseball Fanaticism: News, Rants, Opinions, and Articles by Evan Vogel

[thebaseballhaven]

2020 MLB Useless Guesses and Predictions

2020 MLB Useless Guesses and Predictions

I’m a little late to the prediction party. Forgive me…between a new baby in the house, a terrible two-year-old, and trying to figure out how I may or may not die from COVID, it’s been a little difficult lately to write. The other months in between have been lost due to parenting. Being an involved husband, father, educator, and lawn care specialist is very time-consuming.

Regardless, with just…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2019 MLB Midseason Top 75 Prospects

2019 MLB Midseason Top 75 Prospects

As the second half of the MLB season began in Texas on Thursday night, I felt like it was time to update my blog again. As a teacher and father, this site isn’t what it used to be, but I still love to look out for the next big thing as a long-time baseball nerd and fantasy baseball geek. Enjoy and comment away!!!

Wander Franco, SS, TB

Incredibly talented, Franco was elite well before the…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2019 MLB Top 100 Prospects

2019 MLB Top 100 Prospects

Below is my annual prospect list. Take what you want from this list. I am not paid by a team, nor do I have the opportunity to view many of these players in person. It’s just one of the hundreds of lists that you can compare it to each year. I am a husband, father, and teacher, so I can’t devote as much time as I used to towards writing, but I thoroughly enjoy compiling this list before each…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Cleveland Indians Stuff

Cleveland Indians Stuff #Indians #RallyTogether #MLB @AlwaystheJake

As a fan of the Cleveland Indians, I’ve been fortunate to share in my enjoyment with some awesome people and fellow writers, first at Bleacher Report, then Wahoos on First, and now at Always the Jake. The site has all kinds of great stuff, including a Twitter feature that has all of the Indians news that you need from various sites, all in one stop! Check it out and follow the site on Twitterand…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2018 Prospects: MLB Midseason Top 50

2018 Prospects: MLB Midseason Top 50 #MLB #Prospects

As the All-Star Game begins tonight, MLB is on its way into the second half. As usual, a lot of talented young players have made their presence felt, as players like Juan Soto, Gleyber Torres, and Ronald Acuna have positively impacted their clubs, giving new life and new blood to their clubs. This new list of prospects is an update to the top 100 from the preseason!

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 3B, TOR

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Fantasy: 2nd Half Sleepers to Buy Low

Fantasy: 2nd Half Sleepers to Buy Low #MLB #Indians #Rockies #Marlins #Twins #Phillies #Fantasy

The first half of the season is officially over as we head into the All-Star break. Tonight’s Homerun Derby will be exciting for fans of the National League, as only one of the eight competitors, Astros 3B Alex Bregman, comes from the American League, but, for those who aren’t interested in this event, you may be seeking help in the second half of your fantasy baseball season.

Here are five…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

MLB's Newest, Greatest Rivalry

MLB's Newest, Greatest Rivalry #MLB #FuturesGame reading

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred discussing how he’d like to change the wheel. Courtesy: MLB.com

While you may have been force-fed for the last twenty years that the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees or even the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs are the greatest rivalries in baseball, we are well on our way to witnessing the greatest rivalry in baseball – MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred versus the…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Washington Nationals: Soto is a Star

Washington Nationals: Soto is a Star #ChildishBambino #MLB #Nats

The Pending Free Agency Doom of Bryce Harper is Healed and…Forgotten??? Robles will return this season. He was ranked higher than Soto, but will he produce in the same way?

At the end of the 2017 season, Nationals all-world super-prospect Victor Robles made his arrival to Washington and showed some of the power and speed (two triples) that made him the No.4 prospect (MLB.com, I, personally, had…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Acuna's Arrival in Atlanta

Happy Acuna Day!!! #Braves #MLB #Reds

Acuna has arrived and Atlanta’s future is as loaded as Acuna’s toolbox. Courtesy: West Coast MLB

When Ronald Acuna Jr.takes the field on Wednesday night in Cincinnati, the Atlanta Braves will see their 20-year-old star-in-the-making make his Major League debut, which seems long-awaited due to Acuna’s time in the minors that was to avoid service time issues in later seasons, having apparently…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Billy Hamilton: Time for a Change

Billy Hamilton: Time for a Change #MLB #Reds

Billy Hamilton is an albatross.

I don’t mean that he’s a giant bird, but he has caused Reds fans significant psychological grief for quite some time. It is hard to grasp what he is doing with his skill-set, as he can’t seem to figure out how to utilize his only tool worthy or ranking – speed.

Hamilton’s speed is what makes him a viable option in centerfield for the Reds. Ok…his speed and the fact…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2018 Useless Guesses and Predictions

2018 Useless Guesses and Predictions #MLB

With the season starting tomorrow, it’s time to embarrass myself by attempting to predict various records and awards for the 2018 season. It tends to go miserably each season, and I don’t expect anything different this year. Still, it is fun to look back on each season, so here goes nothing!

American League

AL East

New York Yankees

Boston Red Sox

Tampa Bay Rays

Toronto Blue Jays

Baltimore Orioles

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2018 MLB Top 100 Prospects

#MLB Top 100 Prospects for 2018 #Prospects

Below is a list of the top 100 prospects in MLB, as compiled by a non-scout, Language Arts teacher and father. With it being the holiday season, what better gift than to begin prospecting for your fantasy teams right now? Brief write-ups for top 25 only. Enjoy, comment, and share…share a lot!

The top prospect in all of baseball. Courtesty: Atlanta Journal Constitution

1. Ronald Acuna, ATL, OF Acun…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2017 Midseason Top 75 Prospects

2017 Midseason Top 75 Prospects #MLB #Prospects #Late

I’m a little beyond the midpoint in preparing this, but…life. Find an updated list of my original 2017 prospect list below:

Yoan Moncada, 2B/3B, Chicago White Sox

One of several pieces from the Sale trade, Moncada is a freak Courtesy: Zimbio

Gleyber Torres, SS, New York Yankees

Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., 3B, Toronto Blue Jays

Eloy Jimenez, OF, Chicago White Sox

Amed Rosario, SS, New York Mets

Rafael…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Atlanta Should Brave Another Trade

Atlanta Should Brave Another Trade #MLB #Braves #BigCity

Atlanta is so hot this time of year, and nothing is much hotter than “The Freeze”, a man in an uncomfortably tight leotard who uses his blazing speed to embarrass challengers in between innings. However, “The Freeze” isn’t the hottest thing within the Braves’ new SunTrust Park. That label belongs to its short-term first baseman, Matt Adams.

Ada…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

Statistically Scouting the Minors: 6/11

For mid-game reading: Statistically Scouting the Minors #MLB #Prospects

There are a lot of things that make prospects special – their incredibly smooth deliveries, their sweet swings, and their game-changing gloves; however, I don’t have time to travel around the country. Therefore, scouting becomes what baseball is all about – the numbers. Based on the numbers, here are some prospects to watch in the coming months:

(NOTE: CLICK ON THE BLUE HYPERLINK TO VIEW PLAYER…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

How the Dickey Deal is Killing Toronto

How the Dickey Deal is Killing the #BlueJays Today #MLB

Courtesy: Blue Jays Buzz

When the Toronto Blue Jays acquired RHP R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets following his 2012 Cy YoungAward, they took a huge gamble. After all, this was a man who had just completed his age-37 season,  but Dickey was very good over his three full seasons with the Mets and knuckleballers are able to pitch “forever”, right? Well, after investing $41 million into the…

View On WordPress

[thebaseballhaven]

2017 Predictions and Useless Guesses

2017 Predictions and Useless Guesses #MLB #Indians #Cubs

Last season was no different than seasons past. I, once again, wrote a prediction pieceand I, once again, was wrong across the board. There’s nothing wrong with that, as someone has to be wrong – why not me? I’ll look at this again prior to Opening Day of 2018, realizing how silly I was, likely predicting another Manager of the Year who will be the first to lose his job, just like last year.…

View On WordPress