It’s the MLB Game Day Recap Day 21, that means it’s time to talk about shoes. Specifically blue shoes, it’s gotta be the blue shoes. Pete Alonso replicated one of my favorite home runs and home run calls of all time during the Mets slugfest with the Cubs today. The Mets ended on the wrong side of this one, but this moon shot made it fun, right? Miguel Rojas has top notch shoes too. So do nearly every player on players weekend, when it’s the only time during the season the players are allowed to break brand protocol. The players can show personality, but it must be league approved for money making purposes. Why can’t they just wear blue shoes every game? Right, because of the green.
Climbing Up
Yimi Garcia continues his dominant run to start the season. A certain fantasy analyst strongly suggested fantasy managers roster Garcia after the first Anthony Bass meltdown of the season, and those who listened are seeing the benefits. Outside of a solo dinger by Austin Meadows in his first game of the season, Garcia has yet to allow an earned run. Furthermore, he’s only allowed one more extra base hit across 10 outings while striking out at least one hitter in all but one appearance this season. Yimi is a top 15, or day I say a top 10 reliever the rest of the way. He’s an elite reliever who was hidden on an excellent Dodgers staff. Now he’s on the Marlins and their best reliever and saving games. This hot streak should continue all season. If you missed buying early, go try and buy him today as he’s still underpriced.
Letdown
Kenta Maeda struggled mightily against the Athletics today. When your counterpart Frankie Montas allows 6 runs over 4.0 innings but your ERA is 7.50 runs higher, you know it was a rough start. 7 earned over 3.0 innings will do that, and the Athletics continue to blow up whatever pitchers are being presented. The expectation for Maeda to repeat his 2020 was never there, and he’s been every bit the pitcher we knew from 2016-2020. He is very good, but not elite. If you overpaid for him on draft day, it’s okay, just know that these type of outings are going to happen. Maeda is still a quality starter, just not an upper tier one.
Who’s Hot
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. just cannot stop hitting. He went 2 for 2 today, somehow raising his .432 average over the past 2 weeks yet again. The past two seasons have seen Guerrero fail to meet lofty expectations, as he didn’t take the world by storm as a 20 year old like Mike Trout. Now, somehow in the first post-hype season of his career as a 22 year old, Guerrero Jr. has ascended to the top of the throne at 1B. First base is not nearly as deep as fantasy players want to believe, so flipping a top outfielder like Yelich for Guerrero Jr. is far smarter than it might look on the surface. Vlady Jr. will likely stay hot the rest of the season, so the buy window is closing.
Who’s Not
Michael Conforto cannot hit. He’s 4 for his past 33 over the last two weeks with 2 runs scored and a lone RBI. Yes, it’s early and this could be just a standard Brian Dozier style slump, but it also might just be Michael Conforto. Conforto’s resume has full seasons where his ability to make contact with the ball has struggled [2016 he was a .220 hitter and 2018 was .243]. Sometimes players just have an off year, and while it’s entirely too early to speculate that is Conforto is having, it’s also what I think he is having. It’s not time to cut him, but it’s time to think about cutting him if things continue this way.
The Emilio Bonifacio Award
Jorge Polanco had himself a ballgame going 4 for 6 with 2 runs scored, an RBI and a stolen base in a 12 to 13 loss in Oakland. Jorge was an average leader in 2019 but struggled in 2020 and has been largely forgotten in fantasy circles. Tonight’s matchup might remind managers of his name. Andrelton Simmons is out and the Twins offense is a sleeping giant. Just like annual Bonifacio winner Luis Arraez, if Polanco can find a way to get on base, he will be a fantasy asset. I’m beating a dead horse at this point, but 2B is a barren wasteland. Polanco is a must watch for anyone needed a second baseman, which should be at least one manager per league.
The James Shields Award
Ian Anderson, Tyler Mahle, and Trevor Rogers all combined to pick up a Shields tonight. They combined for 0 runs over 20.1 innings with 21 strikeouts. These guys are all young, strikeout center hurlers who had a max value start tonight. While I’m an advocate for all three of these guys, it tough seeing these as our only depth starters tonight. None of these guys will go 6+ in their next outing as all three teams will them back from having back to back long outings. It’s odd. I want to hype up these starts, they were all excellent, but instead I’m sad for the future starts. I guess this is a microcosm for baseball. Even if the current is good, we’re only worried about the future bad.
The Brad Lidge Award
Alex Colome is junk. Prior to tonight he was junk. If he was in your lineup tonight, you didn’t get obliterated. Since the game went to extras, only 1 of the 4 runs he allowed was earned, but by god he has been junk. There are plenty of strong arms in Minnesota’s pen and Colome will not be the closer for long. Tyler Rogers was the closer last year and the arm you should have been invested in this entire time. If you can’t add Rogers, go add Hansel Robles. but really, get Alex Colome off your roster. He”s hit the wall and if he makes it to the other side this year, it won’t be as closer. Move on, it’s time.
Conclusion
The MLB Game Day Recap is all about baseball. That means it’s time to talk about blue shoes. Or teal shoes. Or pink shoes. Whatever type of shoes, we should talk about shoes. I don’t even like shoes, but plenty of people do. Kids like shoes. They’re colorful and shiny. They’re fun and distinctive. Shoes are everything the MLB says it wants in the game, and they’re insanely inexpensive to make fun. The only issues is the MLB can’t monetize them, so we don’t get them. They have an official contract to use the official clears of Major League Baseball. Those must be worn, as that contract is very, very important. It brings in money you see, and that’s the most important thing. Not baseball, money. Just let them wear the blue shoes. Owners already rich, you don’t need to be richer. Well, I know that, but they don’t.
Goodnight.
