r/baseball • u/BaseballBot Umpire • Apr 20 '23
Serious [Serious] Division Discussion Thread - The Easts
A reminder that these threads are for more serious discussions.
How this works: each Thursday we will discuss a different pair of divisions, rotating between the Easts, Centrals, and Wests. This is your chance to catch up on what is going on in each division and discuss them with other fans.
This week we are discussing the AL and NL Easts.
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u/bichettes_helmet Toronto Blue Jays Apr 20 '23
The AL East has 4 teams > .500. It's the only division currently with 4 teams over .500. The fifth team is only one game under .500 right now.
The last two weeks of Toronto's schedule this year is 15 straight divisional games, 12 of which are the Yankees and the Rays.
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Apr 20 '23 edited Apr 20 '23
Since the Wild Card was introduced in 1994, there have been 44 total AL Wild Card teams to make the postseason (including the 5xWC spot 2020 shortened season).
28 of those 44 AL Wild Card spots (or 64% of them) were won by teams in the AL East.
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u/WhoDatBrow Houston Astros Apr 21 '23
Yeah, I don't think anyone in their right mind would argue against the AL East being the best division in the AL. Hell, just lately it's been Astros vs AL East for every single ALCS since 2016 when Cleveland made it.
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Apr 21 '23 edited Apr 21 '23
At least one AL East team has been in every single ALCS since
20062011.E: I forgot about Tigers-Rangers in 2011. My original post was wrong.
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Apr 20 '23
That’ll be a brutal 12 game period.
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u/Flynn58 Toronto Blue Jays Apr 20 '23
It'll also be as frantic and blood-pumping as that 12-11 game we just played on the 9th.
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u/theyaz8 Boston Red Sox Apr 20 '23
With their win today, the Red Sox are now at .500.
There are 16 teams in all of MLB that are .500 or better, and 5 of them are AL East teams.
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u/cooljammer00 Apr 20 '23
The MLB app has the Wild Card tab, and I laughed the other day when it was Rays/Div Winner, and then all 3 WC spots were AL East teams.
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u/Ndysmth Baltimore Orioles Apr 20 '23
Os have most of our divisional games spread out a bit more this year but I feel you on this. Would love to see the ALE do a full wild card sweep this year.
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u/NovaPrime15 MLB All-Star Game 1999 Apr 20 '23
And it's looking like the Red Sox will be .500 at the end of the day if today's game continues the way it is
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u/ms_barkie Toronto Blue Jays Apr 20 '23
At least we’ve got some easier opponents leading up to those last 4 series, but as soon as I saw the schedules were released that had my butt clenched. No matter how well or poorly we do up to that point the division will likely be decided in the final few games which is both exciting and nerve wracking.
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u/ThatGuyFromVault111 Tampa Bay Devil Rays Apr 20 '23
Can you smack the Stinkees around and then capitulate to us? K tnks bye
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u/UniqueNobo New York Mets • New York Mets Apr 20 '23
someday the Braves will lose multiple games while we win multiple games! someday!
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u/amuscularbaby Atlanta Braves Apr 20 '23
Cool it, buddy. We’re winning this division with no theatrics this year! You will take your 102 win wild card spot and you will like it.
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u/UniqueNobo New York Mets • New York Mets Apr 20 '23
if that actually happens i will cry. this division was insane last year, i don’t know if my heart can handle the same shit this year
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u/Ol_Rando Apr 21 '23
Yeah idk if I can handle a whole season of us going back and forth for the division. I think it took its toll on both of our teams in the playoffs last year.
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u/Ol_Rando Apr 21 '23
Yeah idk if I can handle a whole season of us going back and forth for the division. I think it took its toll on both of our teams in the playoffs last year.
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u/amuscularbaby Atlanta Braves Apr 20 '23
NL East hasn’t been too surprising so far. I still believe in the Phillies despite the slow start. Surely Nola and Wheeler at least turn it around. I never expect the Mets to stay healthy out of principle that they’re the Mets but the rotation has had enough depth to where the numerous injuries haven’t totally wrecked them. Luis Arraez and friends are hovering around .500 which is where I expect them to be. Not much to say about the Nationals. Obviously very happy with how the Braves have started.
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u/AnEmptyKarst Marlins Bandwagon Apr 20 '23
We're just happy to be here guys
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u/amuscularbaby Atlanta Braves Apr 20 '23
at the very least, y’all should have a fun team to watch even if it’s not incredible. I do think there is a wacky best case scenario where the Marlins grab a wildcard.
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u/AnEmptyKarst Marlins Bandwagon Apr 20 '23
I’d like to imagine that possibility, but I that would require a lot of things to go well that have previously gone poorly for us. All our bats need to stay healthy and also good (and also DFA Avi Garcia), and I don’t know how many of those things happen.
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u/JaxGamecock Atlanta Braves Apr 21 '23
Well as we know if the Marlins nab a wildcard spot they will win the World Series
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u/Dangerous-Elk-6362 Washington Nationals Apr 20 '23
Nats are losing but the pitching has been a pleasant surprise. I would rate them serviceable in that phase of the game. They just have literally no power threats in the lineup.
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u/amuscularbaby Atlanta Braves Apr 20 '23
ngl, I haven’t watched the Nats at all outside of the first series. anyone in particular standing out?
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u/Dangerous-Elk-6362 Washington Nationals Apr 20 '23
Well, they're 5-13 so take it with a grain of salt, but... Gore has a lot of potential and has been effectively wild. Gray has had some decent results but doesn't strike guys out. Williams who they picked up has been pretty decent. Corbin is standing out for his ability to continue to suck as bad as last year. Overall they're like 18th in team ERA which for these guys makes me happy.
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u/LitchedSwetters Atlanta Braves Apr 20 '23
Mackenzie Gore diced us up in the first series, I think he's gonna be good for y'all, and I think CJ Abrams is better than he's been playing. That motherfucker Lane Thomas seems to get on base every fucking time against us, and Ruiz has a helluva arm at catcher. It's still crazy to me that Robles hasn't turned into an all-star, he showed so much promise a few years ago.
Obviously the Nats are down bad and will be for a few years, but y'all have a few pieces that could legitimately turn into something. I don't think it'll be enough to contend for the division, but in a few years I could see the Nats being a pesky Diamondbacks kinda team and sneak into a wildcard.
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u/Dangerous-Elk-6362 Washington Nationals Apr 21 '23
I still can’t believe they got Lane Thomas for the ghost of Jon Lester.
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Apr 21 '23
Even weirder to me is that it somehow worked out for both teams, I thought Lester was a lost cause but he pitched well for the Cards down the stretch
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u/CybeastID New York Mets Apr 20 '23
Scherzer suspension is gonna fucking ruin things.
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u/mji6980-4 New York Mets Apr 20 '23
I mean it’s not ideal, but he’d miss two starts. “Ruin” is a little much.
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u/cooljammer00 Apr 20 '23
Nah, a guy like him misses a few starts a year anyway due to injury. Think of this as like, "stiff neck" or "flu like symptoms". He'll miss two starts max.
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u/IPF21 Pittsburgh Pirates Apr 20 '23
I don't see that standing. Plus, it's what, 2 starts? Some rest for the veteran
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u/UnknownUnthought New York Mets Apr 20 '23 edited Apr 20 '23
If it sticks, the only player who was on our projected opening day rotation who’s able to play is Kodai Senga.
Scherzer-> suspension Verlander-> IL (back in May) Senga-> Healthy Quintana-> IL (back in July) Carrasco-> IL
Thankfully the Mets have depth, but being down 4/5 starters in April is absolutely brutal. Obviously we have depth because we knew we were putting a lot on some older arms, but this many concurrent random issues with starting pitchers is something you literally cannot plan for. It’s less about Scherzer specifically and more that like, we’re down to option number like, 8 and April isn’t even over yet
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u/yoboapp Toronto Blue Jays • Toronto Blue Jays Apr 20 '23
Balanced schedule is nice, but I fucking hate it here.
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u/Sir_Bass13 Tampa Bay Rays Apr 20 '23
I feel like the MLB is slowly moving towards getting rid of divisions and maybe even leagues. Making inter league play a regular thing, universal DH, now with the everybody plays everybody schedule. It’s just a matter of time
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u/IPF21 Pittsburgh Pirates Apr 21 '23
Honestly I think the inevitable is 2 expansion teams. 4 divisions of 8, 2 on each side. Top 3 in each division in playoffs, or top 2 in each and then the next 2 teams based on record. Basically hockey rules but we hopefully keep 6 playoff teams and not 8
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u/aemerson511 Pittsburgh Pirates Apr 21 '23
I'd rather do 8 divisions of 4 teams, and each division leader is in the playoffs. I enjoy divisional rivalries so it'd be nice to keep that
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u/doucheachu Toronto Blue Jays Apr 21 '23
We don't even call it Major Leagues Baseball! They've set us up for so long!
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Apr 20 '23
Mets have had a strong start but Braves are thus far still clearly the team to beat
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u/youknowitistrue Atlanta Braves Apr 21 '23 edited Apr 21 '23
It’s so early though.
Edit: and we play head to head in a week, that will be fun to see how they stack up head to head.
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u/squarerootofapplepie Boston Red Sox Apr 20 '23
How are we .500?
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u/NovaPrime15 MLB All-Star Game 1999 Apr 20 '23
Besides the Rays series, the Red Sox have been pretty good at battling back when down, sans yesterday. I think they're still a .500 team by the end of year, but they have some fight in them. Curious to see how they'll do against a good Milwaukee team this weekend
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u/AmishCableGuy Boston Red Sox Apr 20 '23 edited Jun 16 '23
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u/Redbubble89 Boston Red Sox Apr 20 '23
It sucks being the most eastern team because we can't ask the league to realign us.
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u/FritosRule New York Mets Apr 21 '23
The Mets record is a bit of a mirage. They continue to have their starters barely able to go 5, much less 6. This is meaning a pileup of bullpen innings early which will come back to bite them later on. In addition, they're using their #8 starter (Joey Fuego) tonight- they have no more depth unless I guess Eliesar Hernandez or Jose Bhutto counts as depth. If their rotation takes another hit - highly likely since they feature a couple of old men and an import unused to MLB- they're gonna be throwing mediocre or worse pitchers 3 or 4 days out of the rotation. They're gonna have to be aggressive at the deadline to avoid some serious backsliding in the 2nd half.
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u/FlyinDtchman Florida Marlins Apr 21 '23
Marlins are playing pretty good ball right now.. Not enough to make up for the 100 million of payroll to the braves or 300 million to the mets though.
I'd say they had a shot at the wildcard.. but with the braves, mets, padres, phils, dodges, and cards... they really don't. Hell, even the cubs are playing well right now.. Glad to see the marlins actually playing some decent ball though.
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u/DeVofka New York Mets Apr 21 '23
Gnats and Phills are holding back the TITANS that are the Braves, Mets and....checks notes Marlins!
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