09-19-2023, 03:17 PM
The problem right now is this: people want to compare this team to 2015 -- like this is a bridge season to something great. I don't see what will take the team to the next level. In 2015 it was obvious; we had an almost embarrassing amount of young talent that was entering their prime. Baez, Rizzo, Bryant, Schwarber, Russell, plus several Cy Young-worthy starters (Lester, Jake, Hendricks). They added Heyward in the offseason, which looked like a brilliant move (obviously didn't pan out as we hoped, but he gave us amazing defense and leadership) and brought back Fowler. You could point to how exactly they could make a legit World Series run.
I know the minor league system is highly rated now, but it isn't anything like what it was back in 2015. PCA looks like an elite CF, but his bat doesn't look close to ready. Canario? Who knows. We don't really have a 3B or a 1B. The rotation is solid, if unspectacular (minus Steele -- but he's almost 28 already). The bullpen is kind of a mess, but a lot of that is due to injuries. I'm simply not feeling the optimism I had in 2015 -- not even close.
If they can get over this hurdle and overcome the horrific road trip, then I'll be thrilled. I hope they can beat up on the Pirates and Rockies and maybe even sweep one of these series. We'll see...
I know the minor league system is highly rated now, but it isn't anything like what it was back in 2015. PCA looks like an elite CF, but his bat doesn't look close to ready. Canario? Who knows. We don't really have a 3B or a 1B. The rotation is solid, if unspectacular (minus Steele -- but he's almost 28 already). The bullpen is kind of a mess, but a lot of that is due to injuries. I'm simply not feeling the optimism I had in 2015 -- not even close.
If they can get over this hurdle and overcome the horrific road trip, then I'll be thrilled. I hope they can beat up on the Pirates and Rockies and maybe even sweep one of these series. We'll see...