(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images). The former first round pick (firstoverall selection) in the 2007 MLB Draft, Priceabsolutely burst outon to the scene in 2010. However, with the Rays in need of a lefty, it cannot hurt to inquire about his availability. Lester's most notablepitching performancecame on May 19, 2008 against the KansasCity Royals,where the southpaw threw a remarkable no-hitter. Theyre looking at Minnesota and Cleveland teams that jettisoned talent this year and the Kansas City front office knows that an opening to the division crown will be coming soon. The Mets couldn't have nabbed a better southpaw when they traded for him in 2008, as Santana has averaged 13+ wins and a 2.88 ERA in three seasons in New York. The 25 year old leftyalso started the 2010 All-Star Game, where he pitched two innings of shutout ball. The first name on the list, and one that will probably be thrown into many trade rumors until the trade deadline passes, is Washington Nationals first baseman Josh Bell. The veteran southpaw didn't miss a beat in 2010, even after being acquired by the Dodgersbefore the July trade deadline. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Who would have ever thought C.J. Additions:Adam Eaton, Jonathan Lucroy, Liam Hendriks, Lance Lynn, Subtractions: James McCann, Alex Colome, Nomar Mazara, Gio Gonzalez, Edwin Encarnacion (free agent as of writing). There is no doubt that Lester has future Cy Young Award winner written all over him, as he is the best left-handed starter in the game today. RosterResource has some veterans slotted into the 3-5 spots in the rotation, but I would bet that A.J. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Hell be 29 by the end of the year, and Cleveland retains team options at $12 million and $14 million for the next two years. Impact Prospects:Bobby Witt Jr. is one of the top prospects in MLB, but he probably wont see more than a cup of coffee this year. Wilson would be a successful starter in the Major Leagues, or let alone start a World Series game? Hamels is a career 6-4 with a 3.33 ERA in 12 playoff starts that spans over 75 innings pitched. The top of the order will likely be a revolving door based on matchups.
So, he could maybe find a new home in the offseason if he decides to opt out of his contract after this year as he has an opt-out clause after 2022, per Spotrac. Kershaw has also recorded two straight seasons below a 3.00 ERA, turning into real L.A. star. With Simmons at shortstop, Jorge Polanco moves to second base. Expect to see the same success from two-time Cy Young Award winner in 2011. Right-handed pitchers faced lefty batters less than 44 percent of the time, the lowest percentage since the aforementioned 1974 season. For his accomplishments that year, Justin was named the 2006 American League MVP. At the moment, the Nationals are last in the NL East and still have to contend with the Braves, Mets, Marlins, and Phillies. Point is, they could be really good.Sale and Price feast on left-handed hitters. What is even more amazing is not only did Bumgarner start Game 4 of the World Series, but he became the fourth youngest pitcher to ever win a World Series game. From August 1through the end of the season though, the Rockies left-hander went a respectable 5-4 with a 3.69 ERA, striking out 65 in 78 innings. Enjoy. It's something worth watching in 2018. On the field, new faces Eddie Rosario brings a big bat to the lineup, while potential starting shortstop Andrs Gimenez brings the speed. The Kansas City front office knows that 2021 isnt their window of competition. Even at age 33,Morneau went on to win the National League Batting title for the Colorado Rockies. Concussions and other injuries took a toll on Justin, and the what could have been for Morneau is obvious. All right, lets pause there. It seems that a lot of these players are on board to help restart the franchise and restart their careers. Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee for the Phillies in 2011? He is definitely one of the best young starters in the game today, as he could easily become Oakland's future ace in the next few years. Ahh, theres always a bright side. The National League has all of the top left-handed hitters in the game right now -- Bryce Harper, Joey Votto, Freddie Freeman, Anthony Rizzo, Daniel Murphy, Corey Seager, etc.
At the top, the controlling ownership under the Dolan family received criticism for penny-pinching, when they jettisoned home-grown stars Francisco Lindor and Carlos Carrasco to the New York Mets for four unproven players, two of which Andres Gimenez and Amed Rosario will compete for playing time in Cleveland. The AL Central features the Bomba Squad and a slew of 2020 award winners: AL Cy Young Shane Bieber, the AL MVP in Jose Abreu, 2/3 of the Silver Slugger winners, 4/9 of the Gold Glove winners, the AL Comeback Player of the Year in Salvador Perez and the Players Choice Award winner in Nelson Cruz. But if theyre just trying to keep control of high-performing players for under-market money (Ramirez currently makes slightly more per year than Kevin Kiermaier, and is slated to make nearly as much as Brandon Crawford), then the Cleveland front office undoubtedly keeps Ramirez until 2023. After over coming cancer back in 2007, he has been virtually unstoppable in just about every pitching aspect of the game.
The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. It should be interesting to see Sanchezif he can put his previous four years behind him and pitch like 2010next season.Many fans certainly hope so.. In five September starts, Bumgarner went 2-2 witha ridiculous1.13 ERA in 32 innings, striking out 32 while walking just four. The White Sox have one of the stronger rotations and bullpens in Major League Baseball. Ranked by Baseball America in 2010as the 14th best prospect in the entire Minor Leagues, Madison Bumgarner quietly made a name for himself throughout the Giants postseason run. 2022 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. With longtime Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay in Philly, Romero will now anchor Toronto's young pitching staff as the the new go-to starter heading into the 2011 season. The bullpen is the bigger question, with former closer Brad Hand going to the Washington Nationals in the off-season. But the shine from the past wins has dulled over the past year, as the club faces challenges both on its roster and in its management. The storyline in Minnesota is whether the new-look Bomba Squad can finally get over that historically bad slump. Apr 12, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi (26) runs the bases after hitting a three run home run against the Oakland Athletics in the second inning at Tropicana Field. And! When it comes to left-handed starters, I honestly cannot think of a better all around pitcher than Jon Lester. Sabathia has yet to finish a season without reaching double-digit wins, a personal record that has been going on since 2001. Once hes back in the majors, Kirilloff will look to claim his starting spot from fellow rookie Brent Rooker, who has a bigger bop in his bat but less shine to his prospect profile. This was exactly the case in 2010, as Wilson started 33 games for the AL West Champion Rangers during the regular season,provingto be a key assetdown the stretch. Didi Gregorius. Michael Kopech looks to maintain a spot on the roster after mental health issues in 2020, and he could slot into a 5th starter role by the end of the year. The last lefty to win an AL MVP Award was Josh Hamilton in 2010. "Matchups are everything in baseball," Royals general manager Dayton Moore said. Minnesota's Mauer, Cleveland's Yonder Alonso, Kansas City's Alex Gordon "We have always had the philosophy of having left-handed pitchers who get right-handed hitters out," Moore said. Three of the best pitching prospects in MLB, all on the Tigers. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. When he came back though, the Texas native pitched outstanding.
Woof.
We construct our rosters, our bullpens, our lineups to try to match up with the teams in our division and the teams in our league. Its really a self-inflicted wound on their part. The former centerpiece of the trade that sent Jake Peavy to the South Sideof Chicago, Clayton Richard was virtually outstanding in first full season both in the Majors and the National League in 2010. He's a fan of sci-fi, prog metal, and sipping rums. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onMinnesota Twins and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Arguably the best left-handed starter in recent history, Santana was once again a strong force for the Mets in 2010. But you get the point -- there are not many league lefties who scare you enough to drive roster choices. With many elite pitchers hitting free agency in 2022 Zack Greinke, Max Scherzer, Clayton Kershaw, and so on theres not going to be a strong market for sub-par pitchers. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Probably the most underrated starting pitcher in the game today, Gio Gonzalez is yet another outstanding left-handed starter on Oakland. Because that playoff drought can be found under humiliating in the Baseball Encyclopedia, every storyline in Minnesota takes a back burner to the Twins finally notching a post-season W. Impact Prospects:Alex Kirilloff is the star of the Twins farm system and it looks like hes got seasoning (cough manipulation cough) to do until May. Cutesy is what I aim for! New horizons/new beginnings and whatnot, hopefully sooner than later.
The 21 year old went eight strong innings, giving up just three hits, walking two and striking out six against the AL Champion Rangers. Cesar Hernandez lines up at second again, and although hes been capable with the bat for years, the Gimenez/Rosario combo could be coming for his job in the near future. Detroit isnt looking to compete this year and well likely see a lot of roster turnover as they prepare for 2022 and 2023, when their stash of prospects are MLB ready. Brantley is probably the best lefty hitter, but he has not been healthy in two years. Storylines to Watch:Scandals, racist mascots, talent drainwe could devote an entire series to Cleveland in 2021. According to Spotrac, Benintendi is in the final year of his contract with the Royals, just like Josh Bell. That said, Clevelands got one of the stronger rotations in the league. Theres very little to get excited about from a Tigers fandom standpoint, unless your idea of a #2 hitter is a guy with a career .326 on-base percentage and a .395 slugging percentage (thats Jeimer Candelario). Mark Mulder and Barry Zito for the '03 A's? Althoughhe missed all of May and June during the 2010 regular season due to injury, De La Rosa still managed to put up decent numbers returning right beforethe All-Star break. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. A native of Mexico, Garcia finished with the National League'sfourth best ERA as a rookie in 2010. With Josh Donaldson looking to rebound after an injury-filled 2020, the new-look Bomba Squad seeks to claim another division crown, albeit without some of the key players from 2019 and 2020 that helped them. So would they rather cash in on him now, or take the chances that he will resign with them in the offseason? After former manager Ron Gardenhire had to step down from his position due to health concerns last year, the Tigers hired former Astros can-man A.J. With Greg Holland, Wade Davis, and Brad Brach all coming in with closer potential, it seems the Royals are hoping one of them steps forward to rebuild their career before the club trades them mid-season for more building blocks. Emmanuel Clase is a closer option if James Karinchak also just past his rookie eligibility reverts to his 5 BB/9 ways of yore. Keeping in line with our affordable stars trope introduced above, reigning AL Cy Young winner Shane Bieber hasnt even reached arbitration yet. Next up on the list is Kansas City Royals left fielder Andrew Benintendi. The big left-hander also finished sixth in the AL in ERA with a 3.18 ERA. Hansel Robles the one-time closer for the Angels is also on the roster, leading to a 1A/1B/2 closer situation that could be messy for people desiring a clear-cut closer hierarchy. The peak of his career was during the 2009 season where he drove in 100 runs and added 30 home runs. So, here are three options for the Tampa Bay Rays to solve this problem by the trade deadline. Hes been hitting like mad in spring training, but the former Twins prospect has never played in the advanced minors and may prove to be more a burden than a boon once the games start to count. It seemed management sensed that 2021 wouldnt be all that much different, and they let a number of players walk while adding bit pieces that probably wont add up to a championship, let alone that elusive playoff win. The Padres left-hander threw over 200 innings, and was tied with teammates Mat Latos and Jon Garland for the most wins on the team with 14. Coach Tony LaRussa already mentioned that he wants to use Adam Eaton frequently in the second spot, but Eatons skill set doesnt make sense there. Minnesota and Cleveland will likely have some periods where they swap in the standings, but the Twins superior lineup will power them to a second-place finish and Wild Card contention. Where they might not have been guaranteed playing time elsewhere, they can come to one of the worst teams in the majors and get a starting gig to hopefully get some helium for one more contract. Was surrounded by Eloy Jimenez. I dont want to use the word ace or first starter, but incumbent rotation leader Danny Duffy will lead the Royals into 2021 ahead of Brad Keller. Clayton Kershaw is everything you would want from a 23 year old left-handed starter in the Major Leagues. Hinch to restart the franchise that had fallen into historical-levels of poor performance. His 2.72 ERA was third best in the AL and his 19 wins was second best in the American League as well. So, yes, obviously we keep up with all these trends. Incumbent closer Taylor Rogers now has competition from Alex Colome, who previously worked with the White Sox. While he might be more of a long shot given thatthe San Diego Padres are trying to make it to the World Series and he has been with them since 2018, it does not hurt to try. No closers or relieversin this list though. Right before this article went to the editors, Jimenez unwisely decided to Superman (which is a verb) his way to an uncatchable home run ball, getting his shoulder caught on the outfield fence in the process. In an organization that drafted and trained Shane Bieber, McKenzies trajectory as a starter is exciting. Texas' Joey Gallo is a fascinating player because of his immense power, but he strikes out so much that you don't know just how his season will turn out. The Royals darlings of the AL Central in the first part of the 2010s fell on hard times recently. He was most notably a part of the trade that sent outfielder Nick Swisher to the ChiSox back in 2008. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images). And who can forget Buehrle'smost notable performance: Throwing a Perfect Game against the Tampa Bay Rays on July 23, 2009. Despite currently being in second place in the AL East,the Tampa Bay Rays lineup is still in need of another quality left-handed batter other than Ji-Man Choi. Rodon has had a brilliant spring, but he has several years of sub-par MLB experience to drive popular sentiment that spring is more of a small sample size than a reinvention of his skill set. Jose Berrios has grown into the number one starter that Twins fans have been waiting for, but given the dominance of other starters throughout Major League Baseball, he still trails nearly 20 other pitchers in achieving ace status. The Royals could be explosive and overtake Cleveland for third place, but its unlikely given their weak pitching staff. One baseball executive did wonder if maybe because some of the greatest players in recent years have hit right-handed -- Michael Trout, Jose Pujols, Jose Cabrera, Jose Altuve -- that kids are hitting more from that side of the plate. Photos by IconSportswire | Adapted by Justin Redler (@reldernitsuj on Twitter). Even if the White Sox offense struggles, the pitching rotation is likely strong enough to hold the team together through cold streaks. Wow Blair, this writeup is littered with cutesy digs. Not a good way to win over the hearts and minds of the fans in the flyover states.. Problem is, from a player standpoint, he wont get paid, as the parlance goes, until 2025. Gonzalez finally broke out in a big way in 2010, leading the A's with 171 strikeouts in just his third season in the Majors and holding opposing batters to a .229 batting average. Yes, even at 35 years old, Ted Lilly has been pitching as good as eversincecoming over to the National League.
Sigh. All that combines to help the lefty with one of the sweetest swings ever land at four on this list.
Spencer Turnbull has a rotation spot and he looked good last year, keeping his ERA and FIP below 4.00 in 53 IP in 2020 with an 8 K/9. But the talent on the team is enough that the players could just auto-pilot themselves to a division crown. With Garland moving up the coast to L.A., Richard now has the opportunity to make ahousehold name for himselfin San Diego in 2011. Thanks for checking in Baseball Man! It is hard to say. With a rotation lead by 2010 NL Cy Young Award winner Roy Halladay and recently signed Cliff Lee, Hamels could very well be a powerful dark-horsein the Philly rotation in 2011. With so many playersthat have left Tampa Bay this off-season, Pricewill need to pitch just asgood for the Rays in 2011 in order for them to be successful. The bullpen improved in the off-season, although it became more cluttered in the hierarchy of saves. His most notable game in 2010 came on May 15, where the southpawstruck out 12Ranger hitters and eventually throwing a shutout against the would be AL Champs.. Storylines to Watch:New White Sox manager Tony LaRussa doesnt have an exceptional reputation among the modern stat-based fans and analysts. With the Sox bolstering their pitching staff and bringing back all their star hitters, theyre the favorite to take the AL Central in 2021. Some ofbaseball'smost notable pitchers over the last century have been left-handed. Besides his prestigious hitting and remarkable fielding, Kent was known as a wonderful clubhouse prankster and affable team player. I dont want to get excited about the Royals, but theyre a balanced deep in a weakened division and could play well in 2021. Aaron Civale and Triston McKenzie quietly filled out the 2020 rotation, putting up elite command numbers while each finishing with a FIP near 4.00. Maybe you think it's future Hall of Famer Robinson Cano, but we must concede he's 35 now and took a fairly big step back last year.Is it Gregorius? He is slashing .350, third in MLB among lefties, and has an on-base percentage of .425, which both of these stats would immediately help the Rays. After logging in you can close it and return to this page. With most of Detroits prospects in the pitching stable, the hitters are almost without challenge and will be given a reasonably long leash. Despite Berrios being the leading pitcher for the Twins over the past several years, relative newcomer Kenta Maeda will take the opening day nod for the Twins in 2021. Hanser Alberto was a starter for the Orioles before coming to be the utility man on the Royals. The oldest of the three Oakland left-handers, Dallas Braden pitched very well for the Athletics in 2010.Who could forget his magical Perfect Game against the Rays on Mother's Day? Ugh. In his last 12 starts, which spanned from August 4 through the end of the season, Anderson went 5-4 with a 2.60 ERA in 76.1 innings, walking 18 and striking out 52. In his last 11 starts in 2010, (from August 4 through the end of the regular season) Matusz went 7-1 with a 2.18 ERA in62 innings pitched,walking 16 and striking out 52. Additionally, Cleveland struggles with its identity, promising to remove its racist mascot and change the team name. Happ, Matt Shoemaker, Alex Colome, Hansel Robles, Subtractions:Eddie Rosario, Tyler Clippard, Rich Hill, Matt Wisler, Trevor May, Alex Avila, Marwin Gonzalez, Sergio Romo, Jake Odorizzi, Ehire Adrianza. 
