Two World Series trips in three years has the Crox itching for a third trip.
A third trip in 2019, however, would come with the pressure of trying to avoid pulling a Choo.
Choo [choo]
noun
to lose in the JLB World Series three times.
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If Crox gets back there again, it’s going to be because of his great pitching staff.
He takes great pride in the staff that he has built and with a few young stars really stepping into the limelight this season, this could be by season’s end among the better JLB rotations ever assembled.
THE STAFF
This could be very interesting if it all comes together the way many think it will.
Carlos Carrasco, David Price and Chris Archer headline the staff based on what they have done over the last five years, but let’s be serious; the future of this staff belongs to Walker Buehler, Jack Flaherty and Brandon Woodruff. Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi give Crox three starting Sox which means wins and more wins. Dylan Bundy brings in even more strikeouts and Carlos Martinez, sitting on the DL at this point, should provide even more.
This is another white-flag staff. I know when I face the Crox, I have absolutely no chance to match this starting staff. Time to grab some Rays openers and hope for the best.
MR. RED OCTOBER
The ALCS MVP Jackie Bradley Jr. is a Crox Sox. Anyone surprised?
Yeah, I didn’t think so, but considering how long JBJ hung out in the draft, there is a bit of surprise that comes to play here.
Bradley, who got the MVP award thanks to a pair of homers and 9 RBIs, really didn’t hit like crazy in the postseason. He just had a few clutch hits and walked nine times in three series to score six runs.
The real intriguing part of JBJ’s value right now is that he worked with the same instructor that turned JD Martinez’s career around.
Could it be that we’ll see a new JBJ in 2019?
Crox certainly hopes so.
RUTH-LESS
The pitching staff may be ruthless on all opponents this season, but the offense will not.
OK, yes, Crox should hit this year. That’s not what I’m saying.
His boy, J.T. Realmuto, is J.T. Ruth in Crox’s world, and that world includes much higher projections than the .279/26 HR/88 RBIs that is currently attached to the Phillies brand new catcher.
And I tend to agree. Realmuto is in the heart of that lineup and he is going to see some more pitches for sure.
Plus factor in what he has done outside of Marlins Park.
At home with the Marlins, he was a .245 hitter with 22 homers and 106 RBIs.
Away from the pitcher-friendly park, Realmuto batted .309 with 37 homers and 137 RBIs.
So is he a .300 hitter this year?
No, I’m not saying that, but I could easily see .285/.290 with more than 30 homers and close to 100 RBIs.
It’s very possible. There are still some question marks surrounding him in the Crox lineup, but if he can dominate a position that doesn’t really have many star hitters, it could give him a leg up and a chance at a third World Series appearance in four years.
DISASTER AVOIDED
Jose Ramirez is the Crox's prize offseason acquisition and for a few hours last week, it was almost stolen from him.
A foul ball off the knee in the last spring training game nearly made Crox cry.
He said next man up, but that's not a next man up scenario. J-Ram has been a Top 5, if not Top 3 fantasy player over the last couple years. He traded a trio of really good players in George Springer, Matt Chapman — darkhorse MVP candidate for 2019 for me, biased of course — and Amed Rosario.
It was a great deal for the Crox — both teams, in fact (biased again) — and had he been lost for a significant amount of time, I would question his chances of making a run at the division title.
Ramirez is that valuable of a fantasy player. He has power, he steals bases, he scores runs, he drives in runs, walks and hits for a high average. He can flip numerous categories in your favor in one week.
Writing that paragraph makes me wonder how I will do without him.
It also has to make Crox wonder how he would have done without him.
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