The Marlins are Awesome!

It seems like every time the Dodgers score nine runs, they win, but the Marlins are evidently the best team in baseball because, after all, we have been told that the best team always wins! Right? Of course, I am being sarcastic! In baseball, unlike a game like basketball, the best team does not always win. In fact, in baseball, every team is going to win about 54 games and lose about 54 games. The best team absolutely does not always win, but the best team will win more of the remaining 54 games than other teams.

We hope the randomness of it all does not hit in the playoffs like it has the past two seasons. Oh, and while I am at it, Bobby Miller has no business pitching in Little League, let alone on an MLB mound! I told you his season was over after his last start. He is a total mess and needs a total reset. He needs to be shut down and unlearn his current muscle memory. Many baseball people believe that the ability to throw a curve or a slider is innate – it’s either in your DNA or it’s not. I happen to believe that because I could never throw a curveball or a slider. I taught both of my sons how to, but I never could. Go figure! Bobby Miller has a decent curve, so that is not his problem. Perhaps he needs to lose 2-4 MPH on his fastball and spin it more. I am not a pitching guru, but I can see that what he is doing is not working.

BaseballSavant.com rates him like this:

You can scroll down the page and see that just about every metric screams, “I am a horrible pitcher!” He is not going to be successful pitching at the MLB level if he keeps doing the same thing. His pitches haven’t changed so much as the league understands what his pitches are doing and in what sequence. This is not going to be an easy fix and he is going to need a personal guru to work with him… for quite some time. I would send him to Camelback Ranch today, along with whoever is going to tutor him.

This deep dive post on X.com helps us see how far he has fallen:

Bobby Miller has the weapons to be one of the best pitchers in baseball, yet he has the worst ERA in MLB. A deep-dive into Bobby Miller and why he’s been so bad despite having an elite arsenal (Part 3 of the deep-dive series).

Every stat used in this deep-dive will be among… pic.twitter.com/CTeEO80Zjq

— Jacob Brownson (@brownsonjacob2) September 17, 2024

Daniel Hudson was unconscious most of the season. His ERA is still a very good 2.75/1.00 WHIP, but he has lost 2-3 MPH velocity, making the separation on his slider less effective. He is either tired or hurt… or both. He might need to rest or go on the IL. Michael Grove is up and down. Here’s my list of pitchers who are no on the playoff roster:

• Miller
• Grove
• Honeywell

Ryan Brasier is also down in velocity… maybe he is building up after being out for so long… or maybe he is injured, too. It’s going to be a war of attrition as to who makes the roster, and right about now, I would say that Tony Gonsolin has a shot. His fastball has been 92-94 MPH, but will tick up 1-2 MPH on an MLB Mound. If I had to guess what the pitching staff looks like in the playoffs, I would say this it is:

1. Flaherty
2. Yamamoto
3. Stone
4. Kershaw
5. Knack
6. Kelly
7. Hudson
8. Vesia
9. Gonsolin
10. Graterol
11. Treinen
12. Phillips
13. Kopech

Of course, I am assuming a lot with Stone and Kershaw not even pitching off a mound… but that is my opinion, and maybe I am wrong. We shall see…

Shadrack is Growing. At 14 weeks, he is 35 Pounds.