Mega Thread MLB season 2024

[RPCB]

Imagine facing 103mph fastballs. The Yankees were blown away by A's closer RHP Mason Miller this morning as he recorded three strikeouts to retire Volpe, Soto and Judge in order to save a 2-0 win for the A's.

I watched the end of the game, it was the free game of the day on MTB.tv. My first thought when I saw Mason Miller was that I wished the Cubs had someone like him. Damn.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

He's actually a homegrown story. The A's drafted Miller in the third round of the 2021 draft. He started the 2023 season in Double-A, where he started one game before being promoted to Triple-A. After making one start in Triple-A, the A's called him up in April last year. But we had to shut him down in May last year when he reported elbow tightness in his pitching arm. He was put on the 60-day IL in June. We're using him as a reliever to limit the number of pitches he has to throw, but I suspect that, long term, he'll be moved back into the starting rotation (and presumably we'll ask him to throw less hard than when he's going for an inning).

 

[RPCB]

Watching the Giants/Mets free game of the day on MLB.tv and the Giants have a fake Marlins Man.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Nice article from Baseball Australia on the Australian players at various stages in the USA.

Player	Position	Current team	MLB team
Clayton Campbell	C-IF	Lakeland Flying Tigers (Single-A)	Detroit Tigers
Josh Gessner	RHP	Hickory Crawdads (High-A)	Texas Rangers
Solomon Maguire	OF	Bradenton Marauders (Single-A)	Pittsburgh Pirates
Adam Bates	RHP	DSL Red Sox Red (Dominican Republic)	Boston Red Sox
Lachlan Wells	LHP	Reading Fightin' Phils (Double-A)	Philadelphia Phillies
Brandan Bidois	RHP	Greensboro Grasshoppers (High-A)	Pittsburgh Pirates
Jackson Grounds	RHP	60-day IL	Pittsburgh Pirates
Callum Wallace	RHP	Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (Single-A)	Los Angeles Dodgers
Kai-Noa Wynyard	RHP	Down East Wood Ducks (Single-A)	Texas Rangers
Rubens Romero	RHP	DSL Pirates Black (Dominican Republic)	Pittsburgh Pirates
Juan Manuel Ramirez	RHP	DSL Blue Jays (Dominican Republic)	Toronto Blue Jays
Curtis Mead	2B	N/A	Tampa Bay Rays
Jach O'Loughlin	LHP	Las Vegas Aviators (Triple-A)	Oakland Athletics
Drew Davies	OF	ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League)	Cincinnati Reds
Jack Bushell	RHP	DSL Tigers 1 (Dominical Republic)	Detroit Tigers
Jarryd Dale	IF	San Antonio Missions (Double-A)	San Diego Padres
Darcy Longstaff	RHP	ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League)	Cincinnati Reds
Nikau Pouaka-Grego	IF	Clearwater Threshers (Single-A)	Philadelphia Phillies
Blake Townsend	LHP	Everett Aqua Sox (High-A)	Seattle Mariners
Jarrod Belbin	1B	Development List for the Seattle Mariners	Seattle Mariners
Declan Speirs	C	DSL Phillies White (Dominican Republic)	Philadelphia Phillies
Jayden Kim	SS	N/A	Pittsburgh Pirates*
Bjay Cooke	SS	Stockton Ports (Single-A)	Oakland Athletics
Liam Hendriks	RHP	N/A	Boston Red Sox
Mitch Neunborn	RHP	Reading Fightin' Phills (Double A)	Philadelphia Phillies

* Kim was signed by the Pirates in December 2023 to a minor league contract, but he has not been assigned to a minor league team at this stage.

In addition to the players listed above, there are a number of Australian players who either play in the independent leagues or in Mexico. Rixon Wingrove was part of the Phillies' organisation but was released at the end of Spring Training. He has signed with the Long Island Ducks in the Atlantic League. Aaron Whitefield (formerly with the Los Angeles Angels) has signed with the Sioux Falls Canaries in the American Association. Briley Knight (an outfielder) has signed with the Washington Wildthings in the Frontier League. Billy Parsons, a pitcher, has returned to Sussex County Miners for 2024 after being named an All-Star in 2023. Lewis Thorpe has made three starts for the Toros de Tijuana in the Mexican League. Robbie Glendinning hit homers in back to back games for his new Mexican team, Bravos de Leon.

 

[Dixie Flatline]

Here's how Australians in professional baseball fared in April 2024 | Baseball.com.au

We're one month into the minor league season. Want to know how all our Australian players are doing in their professional North American leagues? You've come to the right spot.

baseball.com.au

 

[Jatz]

Was always going to be a tougher season in Queens but some of the offensive shit I've seen this season...

Lindor is my main one in the firing line.

 

[RPCB]

Was always going to be a tougher season in Queens but some of the offensive s**t I've seen this season...

Lindor is my main one in the firing line.

It was a great pitching performance by Imanaga. 5-0 start to his Cubs career.

The play right at the end. Wow, talk about fine margins.

 

[Jatz]

It was a great pitching performance by Imanaga. 5-0 start to his Cubs career.

The play right at the end. Wow, talk about fine margins.

We've just been so poor.

Yeah crazy finish. So flipping close.

 

[RPCB]

We've just been so poor.

Yeah crazy finish. So flipping close.

You know how I was telling you the other day about MLB.TV and the costs? Well today was my yearly charge after the trial and it came to $165 USD (I was expecting $150 USD as shown on the website). Emailed them but expecting it’s an International surcharge so that seems to be the real price.

 

[Jatz]

You know how I was telling you the other day about MLB.TV and the costs? Well today was my yearly charge after the trial and it came to $165 USD (I was expecting $150 USD as shown on the website). Emailed them but expecting it’s an International surcharge so that seems to be the real price.

What did that end up being AUD?

 

[RPCB]

What did that end up being AUD?

$254.

 

[RPCB]

TIL the helmet is an extension of a players hand. PCA took his helmet off halfway between 1st and 2nd base and the rest can be seen on the clip.

 

[Jatz]

The day after I trash Lindor, he hits the winning double. Because, of course.

 

[RPCB]

The day after I trash Lindor, he hits the winning double. Because, of course.

Hated losing that game the way we did. But just the way it goes haha.

 

[Orange crush]

My boy Shohei on track for a 10 wAR season as DH …. Unprecedented

 

[RPCB]

My call on a Cubs board this morning about to begin the bottom of the 9th. “One pitch. One home run. Easy.”

Michael Busch:



I was proud of that one.

 

[Warsaw]

Dunno how real peaking at the right time is...even though 2022 Phillies are Exhibit A.

But enjoying this pretty hot start to the season. 11 of the last 12, but more importantly aren't playing catch-up to the Braves who already had us in a hole this time last year (and the year before).

 

[RPCB]

Wild that that was a team mandate.

 

[revo333]

My boy Shohei on track for a 10 wAR season as DH …. Unprecedented

The Dodgers are playing some beautiful baseball at the moment ️

He might be worth the $700 mil without having to pitch a baseball ever again.

 

[Jatz]

Wild that that was a team mandate.

Absolutely ****ing stupid idea. Sitting that close is just asking for trouble.

 

[RPCB]

Absolutely ******* stupid idea. Sitting that close is just asking for trouble.

Wilson Contreras is All Right now.

 

[RPCB]

Wild scenes between the Pirates and Cubs. Pirates led 6-1, now it’s 6-5 off the back of 13 straight balls and the next pitcher walked the first pitcher he faced off 5 pitches. 16 balls in 17 pitches. Haven’t seen that before.

Edit: Bases loaded now with 2 outs. 6-6 ball game after an infield hit. Rain coming down now. Tarp on. Crazy.

Edit 2: 2 and a half hour delay and a four pitch walk straight out the bat. And then a 5 pitch walk. 8-6 Cub lead. 6 walks in the inning, all with 2 outs. Holy crap.

 

[RPCB]

Ian Happ fits the NL Central.

Drafted by the Cubs, ML debut in St Louis, attended University of Cincinnati, born in Pittsburgh, has a teammate named (Colten) Brewer. One of those really weird baseball trivia.

 

[Jatz]

Trying to avoid a sweep against the Braves today.

They're just a much better side than we are.

 

[RPCB]

Trying to avoid a sweep against the Braves today.

They're just a much better side than we are.

It will be our turn over the next 3 days. We can compare notes.