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Royals are first place in the AL Central standings

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Halu Sination:
As we are approaching the half-way point, the Royals have crept up to just half a game behind the Tigers. Alex Gordon has the third highest WAR in the MLB among all players, only below Tulo and Trout, and Salvador Perez is third among catchers. Their starting pitching doesn't look all that amazing but reliever Wade Davis has a 1.34 FIP (1.19 ERA) and on a little more predictable note, Greg Holland is second in the league in saves.

What the fuck. I'm actually cool with Royals knocking Tigers out of the play-offs race though. I like the Tigers for the most part but they always eliminate the teams that I'd like to see do well and then they get eliminated by the teams that everybody hates. They don't deserve to be in the play-offs anymore.

EDIT: Fixed the topic title with an updated one. I fully expect to see pigs fly.

TraceOneInfinite:
Thanks for the thread, but you said the Royals starting pitching doesn't look all that amazing?  Statistically they have to be one of the top starting rotations in the league.  Vargas is having a career year, and Duffy and Ventura were high prospects who are reaching their potential, and Shields is Shields.

Tigers are really falling apart.  Verlander isn't Verlander anymore.  Their GM doesn't know how to put together a bullpen and tries to make up for it by overpaying closers which is never a good idea.   

Halu Sination:

--- Quote from: ابرهم عبدالصمد on June 17, 2014, 03:37:04 AM ---Thanks for the thread, but you said the Royals starting pitching doesn't look all that amazing?  Statistically they have to be one of the top starting rotations in the league.  Vargas is having a career year, and Duffy and Ventura were high prospects who are reaching their potential, and Shields is Shields.

Tigers are really falling apart.  Verlander isn't Verlander anymore.  Their GM doesn't know how to put together a bullpen and tries to make up for it by overpaying closers which is never a good idea.  


--- End quote ---

I suppose I should clarify. Their starting rotation doesn't look all that amazing for title contenders (assuming they knock Tigers out of the AL Central lead). They have a very solid 1-2-3 punch with Shields, Vargas, and Yordano, but I gotta give the nod to Scherzer, Anibal Sanchez, and Rick Porcello. Verlander might suck dick right now but that is still a ridiculous rotation. And besides, Verlander was inconsistent as hell last season too and he still ended up wreaking havoc in the play-offs.

Like I said though, I'm rooting for you guys. I did NOT think Royals would be as good as they look right now and I'm hoping it ain't a fluke, I hope this lasts all season and you eventually whoop Detroit's asses out of play-off contention. Royals have one of the best defensive outfields, and it's always a feel good story when teams excel without any real power hitters too.

Remedy360:

--- Quote from: ابرهم عبدالصمد on June 17, 2014, 03:37:04 AM ---Vargas is having a career year,




--- End quote ---

One thing about Vargas is that he always seems to put great first halfs together then isn't the same guy in the second half, leading to the increased ERA you see in his previous seasons compared to what he's done so far. I saw that for years here and I feel like that's what happened in LA last year too. Don't get me wrong, I always liked the guy but watch him in the second half before you declare he's having a career year.

TraceOneInfinite:

--- Quote from: Remedy360 on June 17, 2014, 12:46:36 PM ---
One thing about Vargas is that he always seems to put great first halfs together then isn't the same guy in the second half, leading to the increased ERA you see in his previous seasons compared to what he's done so far. I saw that for years here and I feel like that's what happened in LA last year too. Don't get me wrong, I always liked the guy but watch him in the second half before you declare he's having a career year.

--- End quote ---

That's a good point.. and it's likely there will be some regression in the second half.  The thing I think he has going for him though is that he is a crafty lefty.  And they say that those kind of lefty's usually age much better than fastball pitchers like Verlander.  The problem with Verlander is that he used to be able to rely on his fastball to get out of jams.  Butler said after the game he was just sitting on Verlander's fastball when the bases were loaded and now his fastball is only coming in at 91-92 miles an hour and it was in the location Butler was looking for and he knocked a 3-run double.

Even better news is the future for the Royals is paying Vargas 5 million the next several years while the Tigers are tied into 100 million plus with Verlander during that time.  I would rather have Vargas, a crafty lefty in his 30's than an aging Verlander.

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