NL East (2017)

[mimontero88]

Cool. I never thought it made sense to not give it to the team with the best record.

Yeah, it finally is actually determined the way it always should have been.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Yeah, it finally is actually determined the way it always should have been.

truth is, unless everyone plays the same schedule, basing it on team record has its fault.  I would not mind it based on league v league won loss in interleague. There was a stretch where that would have favored the AL but at least it would be based on a better measure of strength than either the all star game or even best team record.

[bluestreak]

truth is, unless everyone plays the same schedule, basing it on team record has its fault.  I would not mind it based on league v league won loss in interleague. There was a stretch where that would have favored the AL but at least it would be based on a better measure of strength than either the all star game or even best team record.

I agree with this. with a completely unbalanced schedule, home field based purely on record isn’t totally ideal either. I think interleague record would be a better way to determine with stipulation that a wild card team couldn’t have home field.

[Ray D]

truth is, unless everyone plays the same schedule, basing it on team record has its fault.  I would not mind it based on league v league won loss in interleague. There was a stretch where that would have favored the AL but at least it would be based on a better measure of strength than either the all star game or even best team record.

Measure of strength just isn't as important as the entertainment value of a race to the last day to see who has a better record.  If it were league vs. league, it could come down to a game between the Phillies and White Sox. 

[mimontero88]

truth is, unless everyone plays the same schedule, basing it on team record has its fault.  I would not mind it based on league v league won loss in interleague. There was a stretch where that would have favored the AL but at least it would be based on a better measure of strength than either the all star game or even best team record.

I'm not claiming that it's an ideal solution.  Only that an ideal solution doesn't exist and that it's the best solution.  We already do seeding by best record but that will always favor teams in weaker divisions.  It's a reality we've determined to be acceptable for a long time in many different professional sports.

[Truconfidence]

Hard to believe the magic number will be in the 40s when August starts.

[Slateman]

We'll never catch the Mets now

[NatsAllThe Way]

We'll never catch the Mets now

Maybe not.

[dcpatti]

New York Mets‏ Verified account
@Mets
 
We’ve placed Zack Wheeler on the 10-day DL retroactive to July 23 with a stress reaction in his right arm and recalled Tyler Pill. #Mets
1:18 PM - 24 Jul 2017


Google tells me that a "stress reaction" is one step before a stress fracture, and in arms could be 4-8 weeks recovery time.

[welch]

New York Mets‏ Verified account
@Mets
 
We’ve placed Zack Wheeler on the 10-day DL retroactive to July 23 with a stress reaction in his right arm and recalled Tyler Pill. #Mets
1:18 PM - 24 Jul 2017


Google tells me that a "stress reaction" is one step before a stress fracture, and in arms could be 4-8 weeks recovery time.

Poor Zack Wheeler, and poor Metsies! Wheeler has been hurt forever. (...and hoping Strasburg is OK)

[hotshot]

Dansby Swanson just sent to Triple A by the Braves. Wasn't he a #1 overall draft pick by the the Dbacks? Just goes to show.

[Slateman]

New York Mets‏ Verified account
@Mets
 
We’ve placed Zack Wheeler on the 10-day DL retroactive to July 23 with a stress reaction in his right arm and recalled Tyler Pill. #Mets
1:18 PM - 24 Jul 2017


Google tells me that a "stress reaction" is one step before a stress fracture, and in arms could be 4-8 weeks recovery time.

It's Wheeler. He's always hurt.

[Truconfidence]

start the countdown, magic number is at 50.

[Optics]

Dansby Swanson just sent to Triple A by the Braves. Wasn't he a #1 overall draft pick by the the Dbacks? Just goes to show.

Never fall in love with prospects.

[spidernat]

Never fall in love with prospects.

good advice but seldom heeded

[aBaltoNat]

Never fall in love with prospects.

I hate to admit it, but if selling Robles, Fette, etc gets us a WS....sell the whole damn farm.

[bluestreak]

I hate to admit it, but if selling Robles, Fette, etc gets us a WS....sell the whole damn farm.

If only selling the farm guaranteed you a World Series. Best case scenario with gutting the farm probably gets you to a 1 in 4 chance.

[Ray D]

Best case scenario with gutting the farm probably gets you to a 1 in 4 chance.

1 in 5, or less.  I mean look at the Dodgers.  Their current probability of winning the World Series is 20%.  And if we sold the whole farm we wouldn't be as good as the Dodgers.

[hotshot]

1 in 5, or less.  I mean look at the Dodgers.  Their current probability of winning the World Series is 20%.  And if we sold the whole farm we wouldn't be as good as the Dodgers.

Agree with this. I understand but it's a shame that the measure of success these days in all sports is winning the whole thing (which, of course, is incredibly hard to do).

[mimontero88]

Agree with this. I understand but it's a shame that the measure of success these days in all sports is winning the whole thing (which, of course, is incredibly hard to do).

I don't think this is strictly true.  Fan bases measure success based on expectations.  For instance, I think most people agreed that the 2011 Nats had a successful season even though they only went 80-81.  The 2010 team had gone 69-93 so it was clearly a step in the right direction for the organization.  As painful as Game 5 was in 2012, I think we still saw that as a successful season because the team was young, had put up the best record in baseball, and had made their first-ever postseason appearance.  This year, the Phillies could have considered not finishing in the bottom of the NL East a success (so they still failed).  The reason nothing short of a World Series win would be a success for the Nationals boils down to the fact that they've been a World Series caliber team for long enough that it is reasonable to set a World Series win as the bar for success.

[Natsinpwc]

Nats lead is up to 14 games.

[rileyn]

So as we play out the regular season, let's look ahead for a moment........this question was asked in this weeks Chat Wrap with Boswell.......which NL East team do you think will eventually be the Nats biggest challenge to win the division?

I'm still going to say the Mets because of their pitching, albeit broken down and injured.  I always expect more the Marlins, but they always seem to flounder.  I just don't see the Phillies and Braves moving up yet unless the Phillies sign some major free agents after 2018.

[Truconfidence]

So as we play out the regular season, let's look ahead for a moment........this question was asked in this weeks Chat Wrap with Boswell.......which NL East team do you think will eventually be the Nats biggest challenge to win the division?

I'm still going to say the Mets because of their pitching, albeit broken down and injured.  I always expect more the Marlins, but they always seem to flounder.  I just don't see the Phillies and Braves moving up yet unless the Phillies sign some major free agents after 2018.

Cant answer this question till you see the new Marlins ownership philosophy.
I would say the Phillies are in the best position but the Braves if they get some starting pitching would challenege us

[DPMOmaha]

Cant answer this question till you see the new Marlins ownership philosophy.
I would say the Phillies are in the best position but the Braves if they get some starting pitching would challenege us

Braves have a ton of pitching in the pipeline.

[NatsAllThe Way]

Lead down to 13.5 and Stanton and Ozuna are unstoppable beasts who utterly refuse to lose.  Stick a fork in the Nats, they're melba toast.  See ya next year.