The Moonshot: Playoff disappointments, injured stars and new homes for the Rays
Well, we believe in exit velocity, bat flips, launch angles, stealing home, the hanging curveball, Big League Chew, sausage races, and that unwritten rules of any kind are self-indulgent, overrated crap. We believe Greg Maddux was an actual wizard. We believe there ought to be a constitutional amendment protecting minor league baseball and that pitch framing is both an art and a science. We believe in the sweet spot, making WARP not war, letting your closer chase a two-inning save, and we believe love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too.
Whose postseason struggles are more concerning — Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani?
Chris Landers: Maybe it’s just my own Yankees fandom poking through here, or maybe it’s because he has a longer track record of postseason struggles, but I’m going with Judge here. He just looks like a totally different hitter with a totally different approach, much more willing to expand the zone as he looks to deliver the big hit that will turn around the narrative about him in October. Ohtani has only played six playoff games in his career to date, so I’m far less willing to call it a trend.
Terrence Jordan: Ohtani is getting it done when it counts, as he’s 17 for his last 22 with men on base after hitting one about 20 rows up in the upper deck on Wednesday night. That’s just absurd, so for as much as you’d like to see him producing with the bases empty (though he finally did by leading off Game 4 with a homer), he’s still contributing to this Dodgers run in a big way. Judge didn’t look like the same hitter that cranked 58 homers and finished third in the AL with a .322 average through the first few games of the postseason, but he appears to be back to his old self after his two-run blast on Tuesday and his game-tying oppo frozen rope off Emmanuel Clase on Thursday. Both of these guys are going to be fine.
Mark Powell: If I were a Yankees fan, I'd be concerned about Aaron Judge. While both of these players broke out of their proverbial slumps earlier this week, Judge hasn't looked himself all postseason. Perhaps most importantly, the Yankees don't have the lineup depth that the Dodgers regularly feature. For better or worse, New York is more reliant on the likes of Judge and Juan Soto than the Dodgers are Ohtani, who was a luxury they could afford this past winter.
As Mookie Betts said on Wednesday night, “Oh, he hasn’t got a hit with nobody on. Who cares? It’s Shohei Ohtani." Agreed.
Robert Murray: Aaron Judge. And honestly, I’m not even that concerned about Judge at all. He’s a star player. He’s the American League’s best. Yes, he has looked like a totally different player this postseason. But I think his seventh inning home run in Game 2, giving the Yankees a 6-2 lead, will be what gets him back on track.
One thing that Christian Yelich and countless players have told me over the years: Baseball is a game of failure. Judge is struggling. Let’s not make too much of a player struggling when he’s proven to be a generational talent over his nine-year career in the Bronx.
Zach Pressnell: It’s Aaron Judge for me. The guy has terrorized major league pitching as much as anybody since Barry Bonds, yet when the lights shine the brightest, he’s been outperformed by Stanton and Torres. Now, I’m not at all saying that Judge can’t turn this play around. Like Robert said, I believe that seventh inning home run off Hunter Gaddis, one of the top relievers in the AL, will be what gets him on track this postseason.
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How are we feeling about hobbled players like Brandon Nimmo and Freddie Freeman playing through pain to help their teams — Inspiring or worrying?
Chris Landers: Is there a way to choose both? It’s impossible to listen to Freddie Freeman’s teammates talk about his battle to be in the lineup every day and not feel at least a little inspired. But it’s also true that Freeman isn’t anywhere near his normal self right now, and that L.A. might be better served with a player who isn’t at risk of getting thrown out at first on a single to right field. It’s impossible to quantify the morale boost of having a player like Nimmo or Freeman in the lineup, but they should be far more willing to pull a Willis Reed and take a seat after providing an initial jolt.
Terrence Jordan: If this was the regular season, I’d let these guys heal up on the bench in a heartbeat. It’s do or die time, though, and if Nimmo and Freeman are willing to put their bodies on the line to win a championship, they’ve earned the right to make that call. Freeman has four hits in his last four games, so even though he’s clearly not 100%, it’s not like he’s an automatic out. Nimmo is clearly struggling with his plantar fasciitis, as he broke a four-game hitless streak last night after beginning the postseason by hitting in five straight. The problem for the Mets is that there are other bats in the lineup (JD Martinez and Francisco Alvarez, I’m staring at you with the fire of a thousand burning suns) that should be sidelined before Nimmo’s.
Mark Powell: I struggle here for multiple reasons. Warrior mentality is a thing in professional sports, and both of these players have it. Nimmo looks to be in worse shape than Freeman, who can at the very least contribute at the plate. Freeman's baserunning leaves a lot to be desired, though, and the Dodgers arguably have the depth to replace him for a few games. New York doesn't have that option for Nimmo, which puts them in a predicament.
Robert Murray: I’m convinced that we don’t know the full extent of Freeman’s injuries. Listening to his teammates talk, and just seeing Freeman walk on the field, it has to be more serious than any of us know. He’s going in early and staying late for treatment. He walks with a significant limp on the field. He’s had to miss some games because of this ankle injury. Whatever the true diagnosis is, it’s bad. And it seems like it’s a miracle that he’s on the field in the first place.
Zach Pressnell: It’s absolutely inspiring. As a college athlete, I played through injuries and I watched close friends do the same thing and it was always absolutely inspiring to see something like that. It’s the epitome of selflessness, as the athlete is risking both his health and his future in the game to win right now. Watching a player limp out onto the field, only to smash a double into the gap and limp their way to second base has to be one of the most awe-inspiring things in sports. Athletes push the limit of physical capabilities each year and the injured athletes push far beyond the limits that we once thought possible.
Assuming the Rays aren’t going to pay to fix the roof on Tropicana stadium — where should they play their home games next season?
Chris Landers: Go full early 20th century and barnstorm the whole season, baby. It’s clear that Tampa/St. Pete isn’t a hot bed for baseball fandom, so let’s take the Rays on the road, giving cities without teams of their own the chance to watch big-league baseball in their own backyard. Nashville? Sure. Charlotte? Why not. Rickwood Field? Absolutely. This would probably be a scheduling nightmare, but where there’s a will (and an open Minor League stadium – thanks to the artist formerly known as the Oakland A’s for breaking the seal on this one) there’s a way.
Terrence Jordan: I love Chris’ answer so much that trying to top it is about as hopeless as pitching to Max Muncy right now. Can we give the Rays a little Savannah Bananas flair to spice their games up as they tour the country? I want to see Yandy Diaz try to hit the ball while atop a pair of stilts or Brandon Lowe breakdance after crushing a homer. Tampa has a thriving retirement community, so it should be no problem finding the equivalent of the Banana Nanas to dance between innings. Sign me up!
Mark Powell: The funniest possible outcome for all parties involved here is moving the Rays to Oakland. Trolling John Fisher is on my sports bucket list (as it should be on yours), and a competitive Rays team playing in front of sellout crowds at the Coliseum while the A's flounder in a minor-league stadium for several years prior to their *potential move to Las Vegas would be hilarious, and exactly what Fisher deserves.
Robert Murray: I’m going to say Nashville. I think it’s only a matter of time before Nashville gets its own MLB team. What better way for them to get a trial run than to host the Rays in 2024?
Zach Pressnell: I don’t know if there’s anyway to top the answers above. I think watching the Rays play in Oakland would be one of the funnier possible outcomes, especially when they host the Athletics in early July. Could you imagine the A’s traveling back to Oakland to play in the Coliseum, this time as visitors? But, realistically, I’ll agree with Robert here, that they end up playing in Nashville for the season, though a Savannah Bananas-esque tour would be one of the more interesting ideas that they could come up with.
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