Podcast: 2020 Regular Season is Ovah! Onward to the Postseason
Josh and Jim recap the final weekend of the 2020 regular season. Unfortunately, the White Sox poor play continued as they lost eight of their last ten games. Still, there were some positive outcomes such as Luis Robert beginning to string hits together.
With the regular season over, it’s time to focus on the upcoming postseason, and the White Sox journey begins in Oakland. Can the Sox overtake the Athletics? How far will they go this postseason? They answer those questions and provide their gut predictions on the 2020 MLB Postseason.
Finally, they answer as many P.O. Sox questions as they can in an expanded edition.
The Sox ended the losing streak. They broke the twelve-year playoff drought. The rest of the season should be playing with house money, right? So why does the end of the year feel so unsatisfying?
Derek King
Hopefully, when you answer this, the Sox will have looked better in the final two games against the Cubs. Still, it’s been a tough end to the season. Based on what you’ve seen over the last 10 days or so, how worried should we be about the playoffs? How much is fan overreaction? What really has you concerned?
Does anyone have inside info on how Crochet was being developed in summer camp? Were the Sox working on him as an ASAP reliever, or was he still working on being a starter when he got called up and therefore might be stretched out enough to go 4+ innings every 5th day in October?
Even though the season hasn’t ended well as of right now, I’m very excited that you guys finally got to cover a postseason team. Thanks for getting me through some rough seasons. What would you do with Crochet? Should he skip the minors all together or should he be a starter in the minors and work his way through?
What’s the most crucial factor to the Sox’ potential success 2021-2025: Improvement in major league acquisitions, continued development of the existing roster, or regression of Cleveland and Minnesota?
Patreon Bonus P.O. Sox Questions:
Since it seems that the white Sox DH spot is indeed cursed….is it the curse of Thome or Thomas? Also, do we take any comfort in the fact that JD Martinez who seemed a favored target was bad this year.? Or just shake our head in sorrow at what appears to be a sad sad lineup spot for the rest of our days.
Of all the rule changes that came about in 2020 – universal DH, runner on 2nd in the 10th, 7 inning doubleheaders, (further) expanded rosters, expanded playoffs, and even things like managers not being allowed to argue, and a more regional schedule, which are most likely to stay for 2021 and beyond?
Can Jarrod Dyson resurrect happy memories of Geoff Blum in October?
I really wanted to pick the Reds to make the World Series, but I just can’t do it. Dodgers over Indians in 5
Jim picks Mazara over Encarnacion. Hmmm. I would pick the other way. At least Encarnacion is a homer threat. Both strikeout at the same rate. Encarnacion has better better walk%. More power. Higher slugging%. Higher wOBA. Higher rWC+. Granted, both have been really bad. So bad, that I think Yolmer or Engel pose to be greater threats than either of those two. BTW, there is no reason not to have Engel in RF.
I wonder how is Leury doing
I’d pick Encarnación against average-to-worse velocity, changeup artist, etc. Against guys with more stuff, I feel a lot more confident in Mazara’s ability to shank a hit. Encarnación hit .137 in September, and it wasn’t unlucky.
The preferred option is neither, with Engel starting in right and both catchers playing.
Makes sense. I agree with the preferred option being neither. I was expecting a bit decline from Encarnacion, but it has been brutal. I also expected some power from Mazara, and nothing else, but I (we) was (were) disappointed. What strikes me most is that Mazara K% increased in a noticeable fashion, so much that it does not make sense. It is as if Menechino broke a Chinese jar that was already broken.
For round one, I’d go with Eloy at DH, Engel in LF, and mostly Mazara, with some Dyson, in RF.
This maybe moot if Eloy can’t play, but I like this for a few reasons. Most importantly, it lets Eloy get more time to properly heal without rushing back (assuming he can take an AB without danger). If he really can’t run well, you could even pinch run the first time he gets on base.
This keeps Eloy’s bat in the lineup while letting him heal, but it’s not like moving him to DH hurts the Sox. It makes for a *significant* upgrade in LF defense while substituting Edwin’s or McCann’s bat for Engel’s—and, at this point, that’s not exactly a downgrade. Engel has a 142 wRC+ in September vs. McCann’s 108 or Edwin’s 49 (!). At least Engel is the hot hand.
Mazara isn’t great in RF, but, as Jim’s alluded to, has at least shown signs of life. In the last 10 days (against some tough pitchers, too) he’s managed a 97 wRC+ and a slash line of .267/.313./.400. His K% has even dropped around 10 points during that time, to a more palatable 18.8% (against 29.5% the rest of the season).
I am good with lopez never throwing a pitch for the sox again
If a game 3 happens you just have to say the hell with it , all hands on deck, i would do something like:
Innings
1-2 Foster
3-4 Crochet
5-6 Heuer
7- Marshall/Fry
8-Bummer
9- Colome
Cease or Dunning maybe if it goes into extras. If you are gonna go down , let it be with your best arms throwing. Obviously if the pen gets burnt a bit in games 1 and 2 the options may dwindle in which case I would still probably throw cordero or dunning before going to someone like lopez.
I have the Sox beating Oakland and losing to the Twins. I have the Rays beating Toronto, Cleveland, and Minnesota. On the other side, LA, Cincy, SD, and the Cubs. Cincy beats LA and loses to Tampa.
I think the Sox can beat the A’s and Twins before bowing out to the Rays. The number 7 seed for them is not bad at all.
We’re worried about a third starter in the opening series, but that makes the absence of a fourth and possibly fifth starter all the more acute. If Eloy is healthy, and Timmy, Yoan, and Luis all start hitting again, they can pummel some opponents and fake it with the bullpen. That’s a big ask, so I went with the Twins.
Anything can happen. Sox are capable of winning it all. The safe bet says they won’t.
Yep, all that and the fact Renteria can’t get in the way of a three-game series. Talent is probably enough. Best of seven series with the listed holes above? Oh boy.
I have the Sox winning the WS because, I am a fan which leads to an irrational way of thinking.
Maybe Nomar will win the MVP
The rightfielder did it in ’05. Similar talent levels, so why not?!!
ALWC
Rays
Cleveland
Astros
A’s
ALDS
Cleveland
Astros
ALCS
Cleveland
NLWC
Dodgers
Padres
Cubs
Reds
NLDS
Dodgers
Reds
NLCS
Dodgers
WS
Dodgers over Cleveland