Latest news with #N.L.West
San Francisco Chronicle
07-07-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Sense of budding optimism envelops Giants as they head home for a tough week
WEST SACRAMENTO — Optimism — and toasty Sacramento Valley heat — was radiating off the San Francisco Giants on Sunday. The happy vibe was perhaps surprising for a team that had been scuffling badly, going 4-8 since winning two of three against Boston in the wake of the blockbuster Rafael Devers trade heading into Sunday's game. But baseball is a sport of the moment and on Sunday, the team was buoyed by the news that a quarter of the Giants' pitching staff had made the All-Star team: starters Logan Webb and Robbie Ray and super setup man Randy Rodriguez. There were also good feelings carrying over from local boy Webb's successful outing on Saturday night. There was the confidence in knowing that, despite the rough stretch, the Giants are still in a tie for second in the N.L. West and very much in the wild-card picture. And, just maybe, the positive feelings also had something to do with the odd innocence of the detour into a minor league ballpark, a place that took a lot of Giants players back to the days when their major league dreams weren't quite real. Sutter Health Park is a nice little ballpark by the Sacramento River with a serious identity crisis. The A's call it their major league temporary home while they wait for the mythical Las Vegas ballpark to be built. Yet the organization refuses to have the name Sacramento anywhere on their uniforms and also gets very angry if any player disparages the rinky-dink experience — as pitcher Luis Severino has. So much so that the team anonymously expresses its burning desire to get rid of him to national baseball writers. And whether they're in Sacramento or Oakland or anywhere else, the A's remain consistent in one thing: they are last in MLB in attendance. John Fisher has effectively killed off the once-vibrant fan base. The Giants also call the ballpark home, but in a more appropriate fashion: it is the full-time residence of their Triple-A affiliate, the Sacramento (no shame in the name) River Cats. The ballpark certainly felt like home to the Giants. The sellout crowds all weekend were overwhelmingly pro-Giants, to the surprise of no one, least of all Webb, who grew up an A's fan in Rocklin. 'Not at all,' Webb said. 'I was one of the lonely A's fans. I'm not surprised at all by the Giants' crowds. Sacramento is a pretty heavy Giants town.' It was a pretty sweet weekend for Webb, whose young A's-loving self probably wouldn't have dared even daydream about such a 24-hour stretch. On Saturday night he took the field at the same ballpark where he made starts on his way up through the Giants' system. Now, as the Giants' ace, he was feted by an adoring crowd, who shouted 'Go Thunder' and 'Rocklin!' as he took the field. He received a standing ovation when he left the game and said he felt like the whole crowd was cheering for him. His excellent weekend didn't end there. On Sunday morning, he went golfing with his father and brother at Granite Bay, his first time playing there. While he was on the course, he got a phone call from manager Bob Melvin, who congratulated him. Webb had just made the NL All-Star team for the second straight year. This time, he was voted in by his peers. 'Baseball is a game of respect,' Webb said. 'And when you gain the respect of your peers, the guys you're playing against, it's pretty cool.' Ray, too, is familiar with Sutter Health Park, having made rehab starts there last year as the former Cy Young award winner worked his way back from Tommy John surgery. The setting where he celebrated his second All-Star selection was a reminder of the hard work it took to get back. West Sacramento is also a known entity to Rodriguez. He made many appearances there in 2022 and '23. Last year, when he reported to the River Cats, he looked like a different pitcher, making a leap in command and maturity: he recorded a 1.69 ERA with 10 strikeouts before earning his first call-up to the big league team last May. This season, the right-hander has been the most valuable member of the Giants very valuable bullpen, rescuing them time and again in high-leverage situations. On Sunday, team members seemed particularly thrilled for the 25-year-old. 'Randy was my first call,' Melvin said. 'When I saw that, I got a huge smile on my face. I've been doing this a long time, but for someone like him to make the All-Star team. The job that he does is typically not rewarded with an All-Star berth. Where he's come from last year to where he is right now, to be one of the elite pitchers in the game and in the role that he has, it's very rewarding.' Before the Giants trio heads off to the All-Star Game in Atlanta, they face a tough homestand against the NL East-leading Phillies and the mighty Dodgers. But they're heading into the week, and the break beyond it, full of optimism. 'The stretch that we're going through, we haven't played the best baseball, we haven't scored a ton of runs, and we've been a little banged up,' Melvin said. 'You want to persevere through these times. ... I think we're on the verge of getting a little bit healthier. 'And I think we have all the makings of a really good second-half team.' A convincing 6-2 win over Sacramento, in front of a home crowd on the road, in a tiny ballpark that evokes — at least for the Giants — lots of good memories, provided reason for optimism.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Calls Mount for Dodgers to Make Bold $17 Million Lineup Change
The defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers are off to another hot start, boasting the National League's best record after nearly six weeks of MLB action. Naturally, the baseball standards are demanding in Hollywood, and the Dodgers are always seeking ways to improve. With that, a recent outfield acquisition is not going so swimmingly for LA. Los Angeles Dodgers outfielders Michael Conforto (23), Tommy Edman (25) and Teoscar Hernandez (37) at Globe Life Miron-Imagn Images Coming over from the San Francisco Giants this past offseason, 10-year veteran Michael Conforto has yet to impress in Los Angeles after signing a $17-million deal. Throughout 111 at bats in 2025, he is burdened with a career-low .503 OPS. In his past seven games, he's logged just one hit. Advertisement As noted, Southern California is a region that comes with lofty baseball expectations. Not only has LA earned two World Series titles this decade (2020, 2024), but their expansive fan base is amongst the most vocal in the majors, and they are beginning to single out Conforto. On the heels of bringing the Commissioner's Trophy back to Chavez Ravine, the "Boys in Blue" had priorities of addressing their pitching staff and outfield depth. Meanwhile, Los Angeles' pitchers have been ravaged with injuries and left fielder Conforto has lived on on the struggle bus. The N.L. West is especially competitive in 2025, and the Dodgers are in Phoenix this weekend for a four-game divisional set versus the Arizona Diamondbacks. In Thursday's series opening, Conforto took an 0-3 with a walk in the loss, bringing his batting average down to .135 (-0.7 WAR). Los Angeles is currently operating with four full-time outfielders on the roster: Conforto, James Outman, Andy Pages and Chris Taylor. From there, ultra-utilityman Kiké Hernández is also respectable in the outfield, but he is used mostly around the infield these days. Advertisement The advanced metrics are not any more beneficial for Conforto. According to FanGraphs, the 32-year old is presently tagged with a .090 ISO, which is worst on the team amongst qualified hitters. A former first-round draft pick by the New York Mets in 2014, Conforto has struck out in 30.1% of his plate appearances this season. Related: Dodgers' Ace Surrenders First Grand Slam of Major League Career Conversely, the Dodgers always maintain a strong farm system. Perhaps it is time to call up top-prospect C/OF Dalton Rushing, who's slashing .323/.442/.521 with Triple-A Oklahoma City this year. Los Angeles is scheduled Friday for game two against the D-backs at 9:40 p.m. ET. Probable pitchers are Roki Sasaki and lefty Eduardo Rodriguez, which likely gives Conforto the night off. No lineup from manager Dave Roberts has been given for Friday night's bid at time of publication.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
MLB players, teams and themes that will tell the story of the 2025 fantasy baseball season
Opening Day is finally here. Let's examine some players, themes and teams that will define the fantasy baseball season. How seriously will the Dodgers take the regular season? The Dodgers are the most automatic playoff team there is. They've won 11 N.L. West titles in 12 years, and haven't missed the playoffs since 2012. Last year they only allowed two pitchers to get past 90 innings, with an eye towards a healthy October. How much will Shohei Ohtani pitch? Will he even pitch at all? Is this the year Dave Roberts pulls back on heavy workloads for his daily lineup guys? How soon will Mookie Betts be feeling right again? Advertisement [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2025 MLB season] Los Angeles is the most fun and watchable team in baseball. It's a traveling circus. But it's also going to be a source of constant fantasy worry. Can Paul Skenes handle a heavy six-month workload? Skenes was a video game for his 2024 debut — 1.96 ERA, 0.947 WHIP, 170 strikeouts in 133 innings. Those are backyard Wiffle Ball stats. Will the Pirates let Skenes cut loose for six months if the team is not in the playoff hunt? Another Pittsburgh player I'm curious about is Oneil Cruz. His batted-ball page is a delight. He was 15-for-15 on steals in the second half. He steps into his age-26 season when career years often pop. He's worth the daily price of admission. Can the reinvented Jacob deGrom stay on the mound? How I weep for the memory of deGrom on the Mets, the most dominant pitcher we've seen in at least 20 years. Black ink all over his baseball reference page. How can we ever unsee what he did in 15 starts back in 2021 — 1.08 ERA, 0.554 WHIP. All those stats read like misprints. Advertisement Of course, he's also had two Tommy John surgeries. He's entering an age-37 season. DeGrom hopes he can dial back his velocity a bit and still be effective — while taking fewer chances with his health. I throw my coin in the fountain and make a wish. I want to believe. Do the Yankees have enough around Aaron Judge? I'm a believer in Austin Wells, but even I can admit he's an unorthodox leadoff man. Cody Bellinger is another player I want to draft, though his recent career form jumps around like some crazy stock chart. Anthony Volpe is an angelic fielder, but he's yet to provide offense metrics over the league average. If the Yankees are going to return to the playoffs, Judge needs a few running mates. Can Clay Holmes reinvent himself as a starter? We've seen this shift click in recent years — look at what Michael King has become in San Diego. Holmes has multiple plus pitches and landed in the Opening Day slot for the Mets. I always love an RP-eligible pitcher to make the rotation, especially in head-to-head leagues where they add extra value. Advertisement If Holmes stays in the rotation for a full year, the wins could flow easily. New York's lineup looks like a blast, 1 through 9. Will a new park make the Athletics a true fantasy party? Brent Rooker is coming off a monster year and Lawrence Butler was the OF5 in the second half of 2024. Those boons came despite the horrible batting backdrop in Oakland. It's not easy to project how the Sacramento park will play, but it can't be any worse than the previous home stadium. I could see the plucky Athletics being this year's version of the Tigers. Can Kyle Tucker beat Wrigley Field? Houston's park was a dream for left-handed power. Wrigley Field is a horrible place for a lefty slugger to hit. Tucker is a true five-category player so maybe he can overcome any environment, but this wasn't my favorite landing spot for him. He's also a year removed from free agency, adding more intrigue to his age-28 season. Is Rafael Devers mentally and physically ready for the season? I think the Red Sox are the plausible A.L. East favorite as the season opens. The Garrett Crochet trade looks like a steal and they smartly added Alex Bregman to a creative contract. But Boston needs Devers to be healthy and happy — his shoulders are an issue, and he's been shifted to DH, a move he passionately opposed. A healthy and engaged Devers has MVP upside. But this could also be an emotional drag on the season. How healthy is the Atlanta roster? Back in 2023, the Braves were almost too good to be true. Perfect lineup. Cy Young Award winner. But it quickly fell apart in 2024, when injuries ravaged the lineup and Spencer Strider didn't make it out of April. Ronald Acuña Jr. says he wants to run less this year, and I've faded him at the draft table. But most of the lineup felt reasonably priced to me this spring. Spencer Schwellenbach looks ready to take off. Some other players and themes I can't wait to track this year: Hunter Brown, all the Seattle starters, Corbin Carroll, Jackson Merrill, Bryce Harper, Wyatt Langford, Byron Buxton (could we please get 130 games?), Hunter Greene, George Kirby, the defense of Pete Crow-Armstrong, the running of Xavier Edwards, the comeback of Robbie Ray, Terry Francona helming the Reds, the top three prospects in the Boston organization.
