2026 MLB (Non-Tigers) Thread

[chasfh]

2 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

He just can't have a foot down in the stands before the catch - correct?

Right. Rule 5.09(a)(1):

“A fielder may reach into, but not step into, a dugout to make a catch, and if he holds the ball, the catch shall be allowed. A fielder, in order to make a catch on a foul ball nearing a dugout or other out-of-play area (such as the stands), must have one or both feet on or over the playing surface (including the lip of the dugout) and neither foot on the ground inside the dugout or in any other out-of-play area. Ball is in play, unless the fielder, after making a legal catch, steps or falls into a dugout or other out-of-play area, in which case the ball is dead.”

[IdahoBert]

BEGIN RANT- Red Sox fans are upset that the 2–7 start of the 2026 season is the worst start in Red Sox history for the first nine games.

I’m going to restrain myself from saying something profane like “Oh my heck, sit on a tack you silly persons!”

But if that’s the worst it’s been in the first nine games in 126 years I think they may want to reconsider this impertinent complaint. -END RANT

[Sports_Freak]

You go to a baseball game and a hockey game breaks out;

 

[Tigermojo]

Konnor Griffin gets 9 years $140+ million. There have been a few extensions this year. Maybe they will get something done for McGonigle and Clark.

[Tiger337]

46 minutes ago, Tigermojo said:

Konnor Griffin gets 9 years $140+ million. There have been a few extensions this year. Maybe they will get something done for McGonigle and Clark.

I get the sense that Clark is the type who won't sign an extension.  

[HeyAbbott]

20 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

I get the sense that Clark is the type who won't sign an extension.  

Clark wants the bright lights. He will bolt at his first chance.

[tiger2022]

Clark also strikes me as the kind of guy who will get scammed out of most of his money and be homeless by the time he is 40.

 

[TJ Rollercoaster]

This is minor-league news, but is non-Tigers related, so I didn't want to clutter that thread

https://www.tsn.ca/mlb/article/blue-jays-minor-league-affiliate-scores-eight-runs-without-a-hit-n1-48429302/

Trailing 2-0, New Hampshire scored its first eight runs of the second inning without giving up a hit in Tuesday's game in Portland, Maine.

How? Portland pitchers issued eight walks, hit two batters, threw four wild pitches and gave up a sacrifice fly.

 

[Tenacious D]

33 minutes ago, tiger2022 said:

Clark also strikes me as the kind of guy who will get scammed out of most of his money and be homeless by the time he is 40.

 

I think these takes of Clark being a bonehead are both lazy and false.  Every interview I’ve seen with, he is humble and grounded.  Ignore the chains and tattoos and whatever associations you might have with them.  He’s solid.

[NorthWoods]

48 minutes ago, tiger2022 said:

Clark also strikes me as the kind of guy who will get scammed out of most of his money and be homeless by the time he is 40.

 

Yeah he's such an untethered drifter.

Marrying his girlfriend since Freshman year in High School rather than chase all the hangers on is just a cover.

😉    I've said in here before and will stand by it.   I think people waaaaay over think the chain thing and attribute stuff to him over them that just aren't reality.    Time will tell.

 

[Tiger337]

Maybe Valdez can fire some balls at Greene.  That will shake things up.  

Edited 10 hours ago by Tiger337

[Tiger337]

Clark come across as OK to me.  He also comes across as someone who likes attention which is OK for an entertainer which is what he is. 

[tiger2022]

Sometimes WAR really doesn't seem like it makes sense.

Bobby Witt Jr, .250 BA, .250 SLg, .603 OPS, OPS+ 80, 0 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI.  After 11 games he is 0.5 WAR.  

That comes out to a 7.4 WAR for a season, which would have been the 5th best last season (and higher than his 7.1 from '25), tied with Cal Raleigh 

.250 average with no extra base hits all season with 14 runs scored are what his season totals would come out to be.  Is that really that amazing?

 

[tiger2022]

9 minutes ago, NorthWoods said:

Yeah he's such an untethered drifter.

Marrying his girlfriend since Freshman year in High School rather than chase all the hangers on is just a cover.

😉    I've said in here before and will stand by it.   I think people waaaaay over think the chain thing and attribute stuff to him over them that just aren't reality.    Time will tell.

 

I also honestly don't care what he does.  I just gave my perception of him from his social media presence and comments he has made.  He seems like he needs attention from everyone and anyone.  Perception is reality to people.

[Tiger337]

3 minutes ago, tiger2022 said:

Sometimes WAR really doesn't seem like it makes sense.

Bobby Witt Jr, .250 BA, .250 SLg, .603 OPS, OPS+ 80, 0 HR, 1 R, 3 RBI.  After 11 games he is 0.5 WAR.  

That comes out to a 7.4 WAR for a season, which would have been the 5th best last season (and higher than his 7.1 from '25), tied with Cal Raleigh 

.250 average with no extra base hits all season with 14 runs scored are what his season totals would come out to be.  Is that really that amazing?

 

WAR is not intended to be a 10 game stat.  Look at it again after the season.  Witt will be at 7 WAR and it should make more sense.  

[tiger2022]

21 minutes ago, Tiger337 said:

WAR is not intended to be a 10 game stat.  Look at it again after the season.  Witt will be at 7 WAR and it should make more sense.  

I understand that it is meant for a whole season but for him to have 0.5 WAR after his performance so far this season seems ridiculous.  How bad would a replacement player be?  Javy Baez is -0.2 so far.  There's really 0.7 difference between those guys based on what they have accomplished so far this season?

[chasfh]

9 hours ago, Sports_Freak said:

You go to a baseball game and a hockey game breaks out;

 

And now for a normal video of the fight instead of a phone-friendly vid in portrait mode: 

 

[Tiger337]

15 minutes ago, tiger2022 said:

I understand that it is meant for a whole season but for him to have 0.5 WAR after his performance so far this season seems ridiculous.  How bad would a replacement player be?  Javy Baez is -0.2 so far.  There's really 0.7 difference between those guys based on what they have accomplished so far this season?

The 0.7 difference is probably all fielding and fielding stats don't work in a small sample.  

[Sports_Freak]

Pretty funny clip. I'm not sure if Lasorda was just playing or if he was serious;

 

[tiger2022]

1 hour ago, Tiger337 said:

The 0.7 difference is probably all fielding and fielding stats don't work in a small sample.  

Gunnar Henderson is 0.4 WAR, 4 HR, a 158 OPS+ but Witt still has a higher WAR?  Seems deeply flawed almost like they just make stuff up depending on if they like the player or not.

[Sports_Freak]

1 hour ago, chasfh said:

And now for a normal video of the fight instead of a phone-friendly vid in portrait mode: 

 

There's also a closeup video of Lopez throwing a punch at Soler with a fist with a ball in his hand. And making contact to his head. I've never seen that...

[Tiger337]

12 minutes ago, tiger2022 said:

Gunnar Henderson is 0.4 WAR, 4 HR, a 158 OPS+ but Witt still has a higher WAR?  Seems deeply flawed almost like they just make stuff up depending on if they like the player or not.

According to FanGraphs, Witt has saved 3 runs defensively whereas Henderson has given up -1 run.  That's 0.4 WAR right there.  The offensive numbers are going to accumulate over the course of the season even someone is not a great hitter and WAR is also going accumulate over the season.  Fielding doesn't accumulate the same way.  Replacement level for defense is average, so an average shortstop will always add 0 WAR with his fielding whether he plays 1 game or 162 games.  The result is that a really good or bad fielder is going to have his WAR distorted in a really small sample size.