Buster Posey for MVP

The National League MVP used to be one of the more boring awards this year, as it was basically a one man race between Andrew McCutchen and the rest of the world.  Ryan Braun has been consistently elite in 2012 as well, and is submitting a season about equal to his MVP performance last year.  But since the All-Star break, McCutchen started to become more human, and Buster Posey began to turn into a fire-breathing baseball machine.  And he has just about earned himself the award.

Let's talk about his second half.  Because it's historic.  A .383/.455/.639 AVG/OBP/SLG line is beyond any expectations that were thrown his way.  Take a walk back to May 25, 2012, a year removed from his crushing ankle injury.  He was batting a respectable .290 and the giants were 4 games behind the Dodgers still.  People had no reason to panic, but nothing special seemed to be on the horizon.  Four months later the Giants are 10 games up and a 25-year old catcher, our catcher, has a chance to be named the best player in the NL.

In Buster Posey's second half, he's hitting .350 in 4
places outside of the strike zone.  Uhhhhhhh...wow.

The offensive arguments are there for Braun and McCutchen, as they match or exceed Buster in a number of categories.  But they play left field and center field, respectively, which are two of the most talented positions in the majors.  And while both hold their own defensively, neither players are considered highly above average according to UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating).  Posey equals each on the defensive side, and plays a much harder position.  Plus, quality catchers hardly grow on trees these days.  The difference between Posey and the average starting catcher is much greater than Ryan Braun and the average left fielder, especially offensively.  According to Bay City Ball, Buster is hitting better than any first baseman in the league. The most offensive-oriented position in the league can't hold a candle to Buster Freakin' Posey. In early September Posey had already achieved the greatest season for a Giants catcher ever. That is an enourmous value that the Giants get to take advantage of.

Honestly, it comes down to the fact that there is only one Buster Posey.  And that's what will win the voters over.  And rightfully so, because his story is incredible.  Many thought he would maybe get 400 plate appearances at the most considering how awful and career-threatening his injury was.  He has 580.  He came back stronger and with more resilience than anybody expected, leading his team in every connotation of the word.  The Giants are going to the playoffs on his shoulders, while the Brewers and Pirates are just not quite there.  When looking back at the lack of offense for the 2011 team, it is now so clear how truly valuable Posey is to this franchise.

He is the Chosen One, and he deserves to be the 2012 NL MVP.

SF Giants 2012 Draft

Back on Track
By: Brian Sanchez @SportsReportDU

     The Giants have strayed from stock piling talent in the starting rotation in recent yeas with the first round picks of CF Gary Brown and SS Joe Panik.  Well, the Giants are back on track now taking RHP Chris Stratton out of Mississippi St.  Many, including the Giants, did not think Stratton would be there at 20.  The 6'3" 198 lb. starter had a great season in college this last year.  He went 11-2 with a 2.38 ERA in the potent SEC with 127 K's and only 25 BB's in 110 innings.  Stratton edged out 4th overall pick Kevin Gausman for SEC pitcher of the year and was a finalist for the Golden Spikes award.  In his first game as a starter this season he struck out 17 against the LSU Tigers.  Stratton sits between 90-93 MPH on the fastball which has a good downward plane and decent late movement.  He has good skill at elevating the fastball up above the letters where it will entice hitters without leaving it down where it can be driven hard.  His best secondary pitch is a devastating slider.  It breaks more up and down than it does left to right, but it bites hard and is very deceptive.  He also has a curveball which is not as good as the slider but adds another wrinkle.  His change up is a work in progress, and with the way the Giants have been able to aid their pitchers in learning the change up it could be a good one.  He has very good accuracy and will throw any pitch at any time.  Now, you may be saying to yourself, "wow that sounds like a scouting report on a much younger Matt Cain."  Well, that's because he compares very well to a younger Matt Cain, the one who first cam to the pro's.  They are very similar pitchers, this is just a projection, but Stratton has everything it would take to pitch like a Cain, including the work horse load.  Look for Stratton to be in call-up conversations within 2-3 years.  Good pick for the Giants, and with the way they draft pitching you'd have to bank on Stratton being good and Teams looking back at this drsft wondering why did we let him past us?  

     This may be a situation where sounding like a broken record is a very good thing.  The second pitcher taken was Martin Agosta out of St. Mary's in California.  Agosta is 6'1" 180 lbs. And has done nothing but dominate and win at every level he has played at.  He won 8 games for St. Mary's with a 2.37 ERa and struck out 74 batters in 87 innings.  Agosta can throw 90-93 MPH despite his smaller frame with an ability to run a fastball up to 95 MPH.  His fastball has very good sink and tail on it making it a very good first option.  Both his curve and his changeup project to be solid MLB pitches.  As he works his way through the ranks they will probably improve given the Giants track record of grooming pitcher who were picked early.  Agosta has very good control of his pitches and while he does not have quite the upside of Stratton he does project to be a 3 or 4 starter who gives his team a chance to win every day in the MLB.  He is probably 3 years away from being considered for a MLB call up but when him and Stratton both hit Single-A San Jose at the same time it will foster healthy competition between the two not to mention dominant stat lines.

     The Giants finally took a position player and he may just turn out to be a good one.  The pick was Mac Williamson out of Wake Forest.  He is a big boy at 6'4" 240 lbs. and he has some good projectable abilities with some obvious flaws.  Williamson has tremedous raw power which will be exciting to track through the Giants system as they have a dire need for power.  Williamson also has decent speed a cannon for an arm.  He projects as a middle of the order power hitting RF which is a site for sore eyes in the Giants organization.   His big flaw is his ability to make consistent contact right now, he projects to a .240-.260 BA guy in the pros but of course that will be an area to focus on in his development.  His calling card will be his power and right now I could see him going 25-30 HR in the meat of his career which means you will live with a .250 BA given his power.  He is an intriguing prospect who will take 2-3 years to be in call up conversations as the Giants continue the quick through the system college players.

Check back later for more information on any more notable picks from this draft.  Spoiler alert: there are some more relievers that can throw Heath Hembree fast.

Giants Roster Finalized

My Thoughts
By: Brian Sanchez
April 4, 2012


Opening day is just around the corner, and today the Giants announced their opening day roster.  It is a bit shocking, but not because of the decisions made.  It is more because of what the Giants didn't do.  The Giants did not necessarily start a youth movement, but they did select youth over experience at some key back up spots.  Here are my thoughts:

• It is finally Brandon Belt time (left).  Bochy said that Huff is this teams Left Fielder.  End of discussion.  Belt is finally the Giants First Basemen and it will stay that way.  Pill is Belt's back up, not Huff, Huff is a LF now. 

• Nate Schierholtz gets shoved to being the 5th outfielder now because of Huff shifting out there.  He was already on the verge of losing his job to Gregor Blanco, so Nate will start the season as the left handed bat off the bench with Pill being the right handed hitter off the bench.
• Hector Sanchez (right) will be Buster Posey's back up at Catcher.  Most people thought it would come down to the automatic outs of Eli Whiteside and Chris Stewart battling for the back up role even though Hector was tearing the cover off of the ball in spring.  This was a big youth move for the Giants and it can give fans hope that they are shifting towards trusting their prospects. (especially the ones who can hit)

• Chris Stewart has been traded to the New York Yankees for relief pitcher George Kontos.  Not much to say here other than we will never have to watch another Chris Stewart at bat!  WooHoo!
• In a not very surprising move the Giants purchased the contract of Gregor Blanco (left).  He's impressed this spring with his ability to get on base and steal bags while he is there.  Angel Pagan has struggled in spring training, and should his struggles extend long in to the regular season Blanco will be there ready to take his job.  

• As mentioned before, Brett Pill (right) made the team.  He will be the right handed thunder off the bench and platoon at first with Belt.  The reports have said his first start will come in the Rockies series, most likely against old man Moyer.
• Dan Otero made the team out of camp.  The young kid had a stand out spring, and this was another move that showed the Giants will trust their own players; especially if they do well in camp.  Otero will likely be sent back to the minors when Ryan Vogelsong comes off of the DL.
• Both Ryan Theriot and Emmanuel Burriss are on the roster.  They will be competing to remain on the team when Freddy Sanchez comes off of the DL.  You would have to think whoever is playing worse will be cut as Burriss has no more minor league options left.
• Clay Hensley is another new name in the bullpen.  He makes the team mostly because the Giants feel they need 7 relievers and they haven't said why but I think we all know it's because of Zito.

Now Let's take a look at my opening day Line-up.  You will not see this one used friday:

LF Gregor Blanco

CF Angel Pagan

RF Melky Cabrera

C Buster Posey

3B Pablo Sandoval

1B Brandon Belt

SS Brandon Crawford 

2B Manny Burriss

P Tim Lincecum

Here is the line up I think Bochy will trot out there on Friday:

CF Angel Pagan

RF Melky Cabrera

3B Pablo Sandoval

C Buster Posey

LF Aubrey Huff

1B Brandon Belt

SS Brandon Crawford

2B Ryan Theriot

P Tim Lincecum

Don't forget to tune in to The Sports Report Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. only on radio.dominican.edu.  You can also follow me on Twitter @SportsReportDU and as always you should like The Sports Report FaceBook page for updates on the show.  

Matt Cain

Why He's Worth Every Cent
By: Brian Sanchez
April 2, 2012

Matt Cain is the longest tenured Giant and he was rewarded for his loyalty and outstanding performance with a 6 year $127.5 million contract.  He is the most dependable pitcher on the Giants staff.  He may not have the awards that Tim Lincecum has but that does not make him a better pitcher.  Cain is a rare combination of size, strength, accuracy, stamina, and durability.  Here is why he is worth every cent.

Matt Cain Notes

• He is younger than Lincecum.  Sure it is less than a year, but still, the more mature and steady Cain is actually younger than Lincecum.
• He is sturdy, with 203 career starts already under his belt and over 30 starts per year for the last 6 years.
• A career record of 69-73 does not matter much because we all know it would be completely different if he were playing for a team that could give him constant run support.
• He has 13 complete games in his career 4 of them being shut outs.
• He's logged 1317.1 innings in his career already and has gone at least 200 innings in the last 5 years.  the last year he did not throw 200 innings he still through 190.  
• He has never walked 100 batters in a year
• He has only given up over 200 hits once, and that was in 2008 when he gave up 206.
• He has a career ERA of 3.35 WHIP of 1.20 and Opponent Batting Average of .227
• He has only made 9 errors in 7 big league seasons
• He is a career .117 hitter with 5 HR.  Not to shabby.
• And of course, he has a World Series Ring.  The next run he gives up in the playoffs will be his first.

Matt Cain is a silent leader on this team.  He leads by example and is the perfect role model for the guy who is up next for his big extension, Madison Bumgarner.  Cain is worth every cent.  You see his career numbers and the last three years he has been getting better, and better.   There is a good outlook on this deal for Cain.  He should be healthy for most of his contract.  He should always at least be an effective pitcher.  And that is at the very worst.  I see no Zito problem with Cain.  

Make sure you listen to The Sports Report on Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. on radio.dominican.edu.  You can also follow me on twitter @SportsReportDU to get all the sports information you'll ever need.  For updates on the show, like The Sports Report FaceBook Page.  

SF Giants News and Notes

By: Brian Sanchez
Monday February 20th

Pitchers and catchers have reported.  Jeremy Lin and Tim Tebow are great and all, but thank goodness BASEBALL IS BACK!  The main focus on this blog will be on the team that is my favorite, as well as the favorite of many of my listeners and followers; The San Francisco Giants.  The Giants made some decent moves over the off season but the main focus will be on the players returning from injuries.  Let's get to the good stuff.

Buster Posey
Getting him back in the line-up is the same as the Giants making a huge acquisition in the offseason.  When he showed up in 2010 his bat and glove brought the city a world series ring.  When he was taken out (by he who shall not be named because it was never a clean play and nobody will ever be able to convince me otherwise) last year the team slipped into mediocracy with dismal catching and a flaccid offense.  Most of the early reports on him have been good.  New CSN insider Andy Baggarly (formerly of the SJ Mercury, great pick up by CSN) reported that Posey has been catching bullpens, mainly those of Tim Lincecum and Matt Cain.  Yesterday he also caught from a pitching machine and sprung up out of the crouch to simulate a throw down to second.  Posey said his ankle felt fine this morning.  He took batting practice to thunderous applause, and even knocked the third pitch he saw out of the park.  Posey took BP today without any protection on his left ankle.  He should be good to go and playing by the second week of games.  And as far as opening day, neither Buster nor skipper Bruce Bochy see why he wouldn't be ready.

Freddy Sanchez
Far less news about Freddy.  He is coming off a shoulder surgery and missed nearly all of last year.  He is one of the Giants top hitters and certainly their smartest.  He has reported to camp early and should be playing alongside Buster in the second week of games.  His opening day is much more questionable than Buster's, hence the Ryan Theriot signing.  Freddy is expected to be in the line-up opening day though.

Brian Wilson
The league's craziest, most out of control closer is in camp and healthy.  He is throwing off the mound every third day coming off of his oblique and elbow injuries last year.  He said last year he was constantly hurt whether it was the elbow, oblique, or both.  He is completely healthy now and like Freddy and Buster will probably begin playing in the second week of Spring Training games.







Ryan Vogelsong
Vogelsong is hopefully getting all of his issues out early this season.  Yesterday he was diagnosed with a strained back and was said to be out for ten days.  Today he came down with the flu and was sent home.  The projected No. 4 starter for the Giants is expected back in a few weeks and should be 100% by opening day.

Charlie Culberson
Culberson (Below) one of the top hitting prospects the Giants have also plays in the middle infield.  This was going to be a spring where he put himself on the map.  Unfortunately he dropped a weight on his fingertip this morning and is out indefinitely.  Injuries are a theme for the Giants this season.

Those are the key updates on the Giants for today.  Be sure to tune in to The Sports Report on Tuesdays from 6-8 p.m. on radio.dominican.edu