MLBits: HOU 4-OF Shift? Cubs Overrated? Whither Marlins Man? World Series Predictions? More?

Opening Day is just two days away, and I’ve gotta say … I kinda love that things are opening with a morning game on Thursday. That might seem like a luxury only “work-from-home” people can enjoy, but it just makes the wait that much shorter (nothing’s worse than waking up for Opening Day and then having to wait until 7:00 PM for things to start).

Better than that? There’s no off-day following the first game. In fact, the Cubs will play four in a row to kick off the season, so we’ll have no shortage of fun right out of the gate.

Are there 162 games in a season? Yeah, sure, but I can NEVER handle that second-day off-day. It’s the worst.

Here’s some news from around the league …

  • This offseason has had no shortage of unique and peculiar plans (four-man rotations, six-man rotations, Shohei Ohtani’s whole thing), but the latest from the Astros could be particularly interesting. According to The Athletic, the Astros are going to bust out the four-man outfield with a lot more regularity this season, after experimenting with it a fair amount this Spring (if you recall, the Cubs actually did this against Joey Votto last season … before he pulled a double down the right field line).
  • For the Astros, the plan (primarily against pull lefties on the road) would be to move third baseman Alex Bregman out to left and shift the rest of the outfield over, while moving the shortstop, Carlos Correa, to the right side of second, while the second baseman, Jose Altuve, plays in shallow right. We actually took a look at it at Baseball is Fun earlier this spring:
  • Depending on how deep Correa plays, this *extreme* shift basically leaves the Astros with just one infielder, besides the battery. And while the Astros manager acknowledges that this is primarily about coverage (guys hit where they hit), there’s at least a little more going on: “There’s a psychological part of this on the hitter that I’m looking at, too,” AJ Hinch said via MLB.com. “How much does it mess with the psyche of the hitter? And I’ve watched, this spring, guys try to change their swing and try to hit the ball the other way and hit the ball to a gap. That’s largely advantage to us when big hitters like that do that.” That can be a powerful strategy.
  • The Cardinals may go with a 102 mph youngster who hasn’t pitched above High-A as their new closer, given the injury to Luke Gregerson and the now promotion of Jordan Hicks:
  • At The Athletic, Ken Rosenthal writes about the MLB Players’ Union and the feeling that union head, Tony Clark, might be on his way out. With a big battle looming ahead, the union will want to act sooner than later if a change is to be made.
  • Do you know the Marlins Man? He’s the famous baseball fan who sits directly behind home plate at a number of big games, sporting that bright orange jersey (you might’ve even seen him at Wrigley Field a few times). Well he sent the Marlins a check for $200,000 for four season ticket seats over the next three seasons – Yeah, he was trying to ink a multi-year deal with the Marlins – but was denied by the team. Essentially, the multi-year pact was going to save him a bit of money in the long run ($205/seat/game vs. $250/seat/game), so the Marlins weren’t having it. The Marlins Man suggested that other teams have given him a discount with multi-year deals, including the Yankees, and now I’m just wondering how rich this dude has to be. “I almost sent them a check for $600,000 for a 10-year deal paid in advance,” Laurence Leavy (Marlins Man) said. “That’s what I was going to do initially. I’m disappointed they didn’t take almost a quarter-million dollars for empty seats.”
  • After releasing their initial projections, FanGraphs has taken the next step and asked their readership to rate each team projection as “very high, a little high, good, a little low, or very low” to get some subjectivity into the data. According to the results, the Brewers are the most underrated team in baseball this year (no surprise there, given the extremely low projections, and I tend to agree with the crowd), and they’re followed by the D-Backs, White Sox, Phillies, and Rockies. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Cubs are actually among the ten most overrated teams, but it’s worth pointing out that they were projected to win 96 games in this study, which is pretty high (best in the NL and behind only the Astros in all of MLB).
  • MLB.com has some World Series predictions for you, and that’s always a fun read just before the start of the season. As for the divisional winners, they pick the Yankees (AL East), Indians (AL Central), Astros (AL West), Nationals (AL East), Cubs (NL Central), and Dodgers (NL West) to win, in what figures to be pretty popular responses. The Cardinals and Mets are projected to win the NL Wild Cards, and they’d be joined by the Red Sox and Angels in the AL. All things considered, I think my only change would be the Rockies instead of the Mets for the NL Wild Card. Well, that and the fact that the Cubs are obviously going to the World Series this year, not the Dodgers.
  • While I think the excitement over Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge together on the Yankees is just a bit overdone [Brett: False], these infographics at Cut4 are downright unbelievable. Basically, one shows the number of homers those two have hit with an exit velocity over 115 MPH … compared to the rest of baseball, and let’s just say their slice of the pie is larger. The same process is repeated for other insane stats like that, and Stanton/Judge consistently lap the field.
  • Whenever you see a Cubs player swing at a terrible pitch, before you let yourself get riled up, just know that at least he’s probably not doing this:
  • And finally, if you haven’t watched this yet today, trust me, take a second and give it look. Back during the 1993 All-Star Game, Randy Johnson accidentally sailed a pitch over John Kruk’s head, and afterwords, he just takes the most scared swings as far away from the plate as I’ve ever seen from a Major Leaguer. Naturally, the benches, announcers, fans, and Kruk and Johnson, themselves, all have a good laugh:
  • written by

    Michael Cerami began covering the Chicago Cubs for Bleacher Nation as a part-time contributor in 2015. One year later, he joined Bleacher Nation full-time, covering the Chicago Cubs and Major League Baseball. Today, Michael runs Bleacher Nation, contributing as a writer (Cubs, MLB) and an editor for all sections of the site, including the Chicago Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks, as well as MLB, NBA, NHL, and NFL. In 2019, Michael was the co-host of NBC Sports Chicago's Cubs Post-Game Show Outside the Ivy. You can find him on Twitter/X @Michael_Cerami

    more cubs news

    The Cubs Are Among the Most Returning-y Teams

    I am still mostly incapacitated at the moment, so apologies for the short shrift on such an otherwise blessed day. In between pokes and prods, I wanted to share a chart I saw that was pretty interesting, even if unsurprising:...

    Maybe the Cubs Are the Favorites in the NL Central, After All?

    ESPN was the first to throw some love the Cubs way this week, with an overwhelming majority of their writers, analysts, and editors picking the Chicago Cubs to win the NL Central in 2024. But the love doesn't end there....

    The Season Begins, Love for Morel, Counsell’s Value, and Other Cubs Bullets

    You know where you want to spend your Opening Day morning? The hospital! Suffice to say, this is not how I imagined getting HYPED for the Cubs' opener. I guess I'll just have to think about all the possible lineup...

    Cubs vs Rangers: The First Series of the Year!

    Cubs vs Rangers — THE REGULAR SEASON IS HERE! Wake up and rejoice. Later tonight, the Cubs will begin their march toward October Baseball against the (reigning World Series champion) Texas Rangers in Arlington. Justin Steele is getting the nod...

    The 2024 Chicago Cubs for Dummies

    Boom. We made it. The offseason is over, and the Cubs regular season - and those elevated expectations - begins tomorrow. But in case you slept through the winter, I'm here to catch you up on everything you need to...

    I’m Expecting More This Year, Cubs — It’s Time to Start Winning

    There's no way around it: The Chicago Cubs did *not* have the offseason we hoped they might after making Craig Counsell the highest paid manager in MLB history. Not that they did poorly, mind you. Cody Bellinger, Shota Imanaga, and...

    I Dug Deep on the Cubs 2024 Schedule (And I Like What I See)

    Finally, with Cody Bellinger in the fold, we can start focusing more seriously on the season ahead. So today, I thought we'd take a look at the Cubs 2024 schedule. You can flip through the Cubs 2024 schedule right here...

    Here’s What I’m Betting on the Cubs for Opening Day

    I get it. Sports betting isn't for everyone — like, say, the interpreter for an international baseball superstar — but some of us quite enjoy it! If you are one of those people, this article is for you. Below, I'm...

    WAKE UP, BASEBALL IS BACK

    The day has arrived. Opening Day. The most glorious day on the baseball calendar, save for the day of each Chicago Cubs World Series win, of course. See, I get to say things like that on Opening Day. Maybe the...

    Wrigley Field is Gonna Be Lit This Year (As in New Colored Lights!)

    Last year, the Cubs started using their new LED outfield lights to do a little dancing display during 'Go Cubs Go,' lighting along with the song and throwing in a W. It was very fun and I liked it. This...

    Latest News

    Diamondbacks vs. Rockies Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Arizona Diamondbacks open their season as -231 favorites in a home matchup with the Colorado Rockies on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on ARID.Arizona's Zac Gallen and Colorado's Kyle Freeland have been named the starters for this contest.Diamondbacks...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Seattle Mariners begin their season as -162 favorites in a home tilt against the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at 10:10 PM ET, live on NESN.Luis Castillo starts for Seattle while Brayan Bello is Boston's starter for the contest.Mariners...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    The Cleveland Guardians start their season as road favorites (-156) in a matchup with the Oakland Athletics on Thursday at 10:07 PM ET, live on NBCS-CA from Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.Shane Bieber gets the starting nod for Cleveland while Alex Wood...

    Damian Lillard Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Damian Lillard must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks face the New Orleans Pelicans, tipping off at 8:00 PM ET.Damian Lillard's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansDamian Lillard's over/under for three-pointers...

    Brook Lopez Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point prop, Brook Lopez needs to make two from downtown on Thursday, when his Milwaukee Bucks meet the New Orleans Pelicans, starting at 8:00 PM ET.Brook Lopez's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansBrook Lopez's over/under for three-pointers...

    Giannis Antetokounmpo Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Pelicans – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    Will Giannis Antetokounmpo make just a single 3-pointer when the Milwaukee Bucks play the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday at 8:00 PM ET? If so, he'll beat his over/under for the game.Giannis Antetokounmpo's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the PelicansGiannis Antetokounmpo's...

    CJ McCollum Player Props: Three-Pointer Props and Odds vs. the Bucks – Thursday, March 28, 2024

    To beat his 3-point over/under, CJ McCollum must make four from downtown on Thursday, when his New Orleans Pelicans play the Milwaukee Bucks, beginning at 8:00 PM ET.CJ McCollum's Three-Pointer Prop Odds vs. the BucksCJ McCollum's over/under for three-pointers in...

    Devils vs. Sabres Prediction: Live Odds, Stats, History and Picks – Friday, March 29, 2024

    The bookmakers are expecting a close game between the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres when they clash on Friday at 7:00 PM ET, with the Devils at -115 on the moneyline, and the Sabres at -105.Devils vs. Sabres Favorite,...

    Guardians vs. Athletics Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Cleveland Guardians (0-0) and the Oakland Athletics (0-0) match up on Thursday at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum for Opening Day. First pitch is at 10:07 PM ET.The Guardians will give the nod to Shane Bieber versus the Athletics and Alex...

    Mariners vs. Red Sox Probable Starting Pitchers – March 28

    The Boston Red Sox (0-0) visit the Seattle Mariners (0-0) in an Opening Day game at 10:10 PM ET on Thursday.The Mariners will give the nod to Luis Castillo against the Red Sox and Brayan Bello.Mariners vs. Red Sox Pitcher...

    more cubs news