now that Baseball Tonight's Top 100 list is complete, it's time for them to name their annual Top 10 players at each position going into the 2016 season. once again, the way in which this was revealed differs from last year.
today, on March 25, ESPN's Baseball Tonight unveiled all of their Top 10s in one day and at the same time online. the panel of MLB writers, analysts, and contributors who ranked the Top 100 also ranked the Top 10s, and some players who didn't make the Top 100 list did make it onto their respective position lists. my blog, however, is solely going to focus on the Top 10 Left Fielders.
this year, BBTN ranked Michael as the 4th best left fielder going into 2016. last year, he was ranked as the best left fielder going into 2015. so clearly their opinion of Michael has gone down, most likely due to the shoulder injury he suffered towards the end of the season. (although, if you've been keeping up with all my Brantley update blogs, then you already know there's now a chance that Michael could open the season with the Tribe.) whatever the reason, i disagree immensely.
here is BBTN's entire Top 10 LF list, featuring both American and National League players:
Friday, March 25, 2016
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Brantley's March 2016 Hitting Advancements (Soft Toss to ON THE FIELD BP!)
so um, i don't know if you've heard...but i figure i should probably blog about the fact that...Michael Brantley is now playing in spring games! i repeat, Michael Brantley is now playing in spring games! how awesome is that?! bravo to a man who absolutely killed it in his rehab and crushed his original timetable.
when news of Michael's shoulder surgery broke back on November 9, 2015, i questioned whether or not he would be able to play in any games this spring, and if so, would he even get to play with the Indians in the big league camp? while the latter remains to be seen, hearing this good news is still very exciting and i'm extremely grateful for Michael's swift progress.
note: Terry Francona spoke with the media yesterday and officially announced that Michael would make his game debut on March 17 in a minor league game, but i wanted to wait and be sure it actually happened before i went ahead and posted this blog.
despite the month of March not being over, i didn't like the idea of combining Michael's hitting program updates with his spring training/rehab game info. therefore, this post will simply consist of Michael's continued hitting advancements in March up until today, his "game activation" point. then,
when news of Michael's shoulder surgery broke back on November 9, 2015, i questioned whether or not he would be able to play in any games this spring, and if so, would he even get to play with the Indians in the big league camp? while the latter remains to be seen, hearing this good news is still very exciting and i'm extremely grateful for Michael's swift progress.
note: Terry Francona spoke with the media yesterday and officially announced that Michael would make his game debut on March 17 in a minor league game, but i wanted to wait and be sure it actually happened before i went ahead and posted this blog.
despite the month of March not being over, i didn't like the idea of combining Michael's hitting program updates with his spring training/rehab game info. therefore, this post will simply consist of Michael's continued hitting advancements in March up until today, his "game activation" point. then,
Brantley Ranked 80th in Baseball Tonight's Top 100 Players
i wasn't expecting Baseball Tonight to start its Top 100 countdown so soon. usually, they do that over two days at the end of spring training, both online and in a TV special. now, the Top 100 reveal is taking place over 10 days, from March 15-24. every morning, a new set of 10 players, beginning with #100-91, is posted on ESPN.com. and when it's time for the Top 10 to be announced on March 24, that will occur on a special edition of Baseball Tonight at 10 pm EST on ESPN2 and WatchESPN.
much like the change in the publication of this list, the way in which it was constituted differs from last year as well. a panel of 70 ESPN experts (vs. 60 previously), including MLB writers, analysts, and contributors, was polled in February and March after being given a list of more than 350 MLB players (vs. 600 last year). these experts evaluated the players by assigning them a number from 0 to 10 based on player projections for 2016.
a year ago, Michael Brantley made his debut on this list when he ranked 43rd on BBTN's Top 100. knowing that Michael's 2015 season was not as strong as his All Star 2014 season, and knowing that projections don't take into account the fact that Michael played hurt a lot in 2015 (which consequently hindered some of his stats), i presumed Michael wouldn't top last year's rank.
so where does Michael fall on this list?
much like the change in the publication of this list, the way in which it was constituted differs from last year as well. a panel of 70 ESPN experts (vs. 60 previously), including MLB writers, analysts, and contributors, was polled in February and March after being given a list of more than 350 MLB players (vs. 600 last year). these experts evaluated the players by assigning them a number from 0 to 10 based on player projections for 2016.
a year ago, Michael Brantley made his debut on this list when he ranked 43rd on BBTN's Top 100. knowing that Michael's 2015 season was not as strong as his All Star 2014 season, and knowing that projections don't take into account the fact that Michael played hurt a lot in 2015 (which consequently hindered some of his stats), i presumed Michael wouldn't top last year's rank.
so where does Michael fall on this list?
Monday, February 29, 2016
Brantley's February 2016 Shoulder Updates & Hitting Program News
before i get into this i want to address something. if Michael is not going to play the spring training games that are on the Indians schedule like he usually would due to his continued rehab, then i unfortunately am not going to be able to write a proper Brantley's Spring Training #s blog this year. what i'll probably have to do instead is keep track of all his rehab games, from March until he's activated with the Indians in April or May, and then write a blog recapping his overall rehab.
originally they said when Michael does ultimately begin to play in games again, it would be with the minor league camp in spring, AND he would play with them before he's even ready to bat. don't know how you can play in a game without being in the lineup, but i guess they will figure that out. and whenever he does start hitting in games again, if he remains with the minor leaguers, i don't know that i'll be able to find much detailed information online about each game that he appears in (ie. pitch count, inning, outs, results of all plate appearances). odds of me getting his situational numbers (RHP vs LHP, RISP, runners on, bases loaded, etc) are low as well. it also seems unlikely that i'll even be able to do an accurate calculation of his total numbers. so i'm asking my readers to please bear with me as i am gonna be forced to do things differently with the documentation of Michael's rehab/spring game #s.
as always, the best way to see any news and updates that i find on a daily basis would be to follow me on twitter, @clevelandgirl23.
in case you're not fully up-to-date with Michael's progression thus far,
originally they said when Michael does ultimately begin to play in games again, it would be with the minor league camp in spring, AND he would play with them before he's even ready to bat. don't know how you can play in a game without being in the lineup, but i guess they will figure that out. and whenever he does start hitting in games again, if he remains with the minor leaguers, i don't know that i'll be able to find much detailed information online about each game that he appears in (ie. pitch count, inning, outs, results of all plate appearances). odds of me getting his situational numbers (RHP vs LHP, RISP, runners on, bases loaded, etc) are low as well. it also seems unlikely that i'll even be able to do an accurate calculation of his total numbers. so i'm asking my readers to please bear with me as i am gonna be forced to do things differently with the documentation of Michael's rehab/spring game #s.
as always, the best way to see any news and updates that i find on a daily basis would be to follow me on twitter, @clevelandgirl23.
in case you're not fully up-to-date with Michael's progression thus far,
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Brantley Ranked 31st in MLB Network's Top 100 Players Right Now
we are very close to the first game action of Spring Training 2016. in the meantime, MLB Network has been revealing their annual list of "Top 100 Players Right Now." Greg Amsinger, Bill Ripken, and Ron
Darling played hosts to counting down the Top 100 current major league baseball players going into the 2016 season. this was done in 5 one-hour episodes, announcing 20 players per show, over 3 days from February 23-25. tonight, on February 24 at 10 pm ET, the 4th segment of the 5-part series aired.
the Top 100 players list is created based on player performances from the past 3 seasons (2013-2015), with a heavy weight on the most recent. additional factors used to compile these rankings include projected player performance for 2016, defensive position, individual accolades, and the intangibles a player brings to the game (such as team leadership).
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| photo courtesy of @MLBNetwork on twitter |
the Top 100 players list is created based on player performances from the past 3 seasons (2013-2015), with a heavy weight on the most recent. additional factors used to compile these rankings include projected player performance for 2016, defensive position, individual accolades, and the intangibles a player brings to the game (such as team leadership).
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Goodbye Goon Squad (and a few others)
the non-roster invites and new player signings seem to be done, and almost everyone who's supposed to be in Goodyear with the Cleveland Indians has reported to Arizona for spring training. sadly though, unlike in years past, there are a few faces missing. normally, i write goodbye blogs for players who've been with the team for a significant amount of time and then are traded. in this case, we lost some Indians to free agency this offseason and i would like to say some formal goodbyes to them.
Tribe flashback: remember the Goon Squad? yeah, that's officially defunct now because they've all moved on/moved up. ain't nobody left. Jason Giambi ended his 2-year tour with the Tribe after 2014 (however, he will make a brief appearance in camp this week as a guest instructor); Yan Gomes got promoted from a bench guy to a starter in 2014; and Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn were not re-signed after 2015. so the Goonies are over. c'est la vie.
okay Mike Aviles, i'm starting with you. let me get this outta the way, how could you sign with the enemy? our division rivals, the Detroit Tigers? seriously? ugh. Aviles first came to the Indians in November 2012 (with fellow Goon Squader Gomes) from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Esmil Rogers. "Handsome Mike" was
Tribe flashback: remember the Goon Squad? yeah, that's officially defunct now because they've all moved on/moved up. ain't nobody left. Jason Giambi ended his 2-year tour with the Tribe after 2014 (however, he will make a brief appearance in camp this week as a guest instructor); Yan Gomes got promoted from a bench guy to a starter in 2014; and Mike Aviles and Ryan Raburn were not re-signed after 2015. so the Goonies are over. c'est la vie.
okay Mike Aviles, i'm starting with you. let me get this outta the way, how could you sign with the enemy? our division rivals, the Detroit Tigers? seriously? ugh. Aviles first came to the Indians in November 2012 (with fellow Goon Squader Gomes) from the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for Esmil Rogers. "Handsome Mike" was
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Please Sign the Petition for Bob Feller
Bob Feller has got to be the one Cleveland Indians player who i most wish i could have seen live. but alas, i was born in the wrong time. i can't even say i've had the pleasure of meeting him. but i have read a multitude of stories about our beloved Rapid Robert, and i know what an icon the man is, not only to the Indians franchise, but also to baseball as a whole.
therefore, i'm going to plead with you--yes you, the person reading this right now--and ask you to please sign a petition that the Cleveland Indians started to award Bob Feller the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Feller willingly put his baseball career on hold after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and became the first professional baseball player to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. his bravery and courage earned him the rank of Chief Petty Officer. after Feller returned, he refused to be recognized as a hero, stating, "i'm no hero. heroes don't come back."
if you'd like to lend your support to Feller and the Indians in this cause, here's how:
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| photo courtesy of cleveland.com |
therefore, i'm going to plead with you--yes you, the person reading this right now--and ask you to please sign a petition that the Cleveland Indians started to award Bob Feller the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Feller willingly put his baseball career on hold after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and became the first professional baseball player to join the U.S. Navy during World War II. his bravery and courage earned him the rank of Chief Petty Officer. after Feller returned, he refused to be recognized as a hero, stating, "i'm no hero. heroes don't come back."
if you'd like to lend your support to Feller and the Indians in this cause, here's how:
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Brantley News & Shoulder Rehab Progression Through January 2016
because Michael's been appearing at several public events in Cleveland over the last few days, i have a lot more up-to-date information on his recovery from right shoulder surgery. i've been keeping track of his progress all along, so if you've missed anything to this point, be sure to check out my Brantley News From the 2015 Winter Meetings (December 6-10) blog and the second half of my Brantley Confirmed For Tribe Fest 2016 blog, which contains health updates from December 17-21, for the final updates from 2015.
now let's get into the most current news, day by day, as it was unveiled.
January 25: Chris Antonetti, Indians President of Baseball Operations, did an interview with Christopher Russo on MLB Network's High Heat. Antonetti said that Michael was in the clubhouse earlier and that he's been in Cleveland rehabbing for most of the month of January. "he's on track and progressing really well. he's feeling good and pushing the trainers to push forward his timetable."
January 27: at night, Michael was spotted at
now let's get into the most current news, day by day, as it was unveiled.
January 25: Chris Antonetti, Indians President of Baseball Operations, did an interview with Christopher Russo on MLB Network's High Heat. Antonetti said that Michael was in the clubhouse earlier and that he's been in Cleveland rehabbing for most of the month of January. "he's on track and progressing really well. he's feeling good and pushing the trainers to push forward his timetable."
January 27: at night, Michael was spotted at
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Brantley Ranked 1st in MLB Network's Top 10 Left Fielders Right Now
hello again, Brantley fans! for the past 2 Thursdays, MLB Network has
been airing their annual Top 10 lists, and tonight, on January 28 at 10
pm EST, it was time for their "Top 10 Right Now: Left Fielders" show.
with hosts Brian Kenny and Cliff Floyd, the Top 10 left field players currently in baseball going into the 2016 season were ranked by MLB Network's Shredder. an analytic methodology going by the name of The Shredder, who operates unbiased and without emotion, compiles rankings based on a player's recent performance and projections for the player's upcoming season. keep in mind that baseball analysts and fans disagree with The Shredder quite often, so this isn't a list to get too worked up about if you dislike the rankings. but it's fun to debate why The Shredder is right or wrong anyway.
before this particular Top 10 even aired, i had concerns about where Michael would place. i felt like
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| photo courtesy of @MLBNetwork on twitter |
with hosts Brian Kenny and Cliff Floyd, the Top 10 left field players currently in baseball going into the 2016 season were ranked by MLB Network's Shredder. an analytic methodology going by the name of The Shredder, who operates unbiased and without emotion, compiles rankings based on a player's recent performance and projections for the player's upcoming season. keep in mind that baseball analysts and fans disagree with The Shredder quite often, so this isn't a list to get too worked up about if you dislike the rankings. but it's fun to debate why The Shredder is right or wrong anyway.
before this particular Top 10 even aired, i had concerns about where Michael would place. i felt like
Tuesday, January 12, 2016
Brantley Confirmed For Tribe Fest 2016 + Health Updates!
Happy 2016, Brantley fans! i am back and have some exciting news for you all! today, on January 12, it was announced that Michael Brantley will be attending the 4th annual Tribe Fest, presented by KeyBank.
unlike in years past, however, there are some big changes to this year's event. due to the current renovations being made at Progressive Field, Tribe Fest will be held at Aloft Cleveland Downtown and the Ernst & Young Tower lobby in Flats East Bank. not only that, but because of limited space, it's just ONE day this year on January 30.
tickets for Tribe Fest are on sale now. you must purchase a general admission ticket--$5 for both adults and children--in order to attend. (NOTE: children under 3 are free.) like usual, fans can purchase general admission tickets alone, or bundle them with an autograph ticket. the two different autograph sessions to choose from are 9 am - 2 pm and 2 pm - 7 pm. while you cannot choose which specific player to get an autograph from, you can pick between a current Indians player ($25 ticket) or an alumni player ($20).
along with Michael, the following players have already confirmed to appear (although this is subject to change):
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| photo courtesy of @Indians on twitter |
unlike in years past, however, there are some big changes to this year's event. due to the current renovations being made at Progressive Field, Tribe Fest will be held at Aloft Cleveland Downtown and the Ernst & Young Tower lobby in Flats East Bank. not only that, but because of limited space, it's just ONE day this year on January 30.
tickets for Tribe Fest are on sale now. you must purchase a general admission ticket--$5 for both adults and children--in order to attend. (NOTE: children under 3 are free.) like usual, fans can purchase general admission tickets alone, or bundle them with an autograph ticket. the two different autograph sessions to choose from are 9 am - 2 pm and 2 pm - 7 pm. while you cannot choose which specific player to get an autograph from, you can pick between a current Indians player ($25 ticket) or an alumni player ($20).
along with Michael, the following players have already confirmed to appear (although this is subject to change):
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