As the Cleveland Cavaliers moped off the court Tuesday night -- heads down, shoulders slumped -- LeBron James waited with his arms extended. He slapped five with each and every one of his deflated teammates, a gesture that screamed typical LeBron. "The King" was playing for the cameras, as always, but I don't think many of us were buying the fake camaraderie.
To the contrary of his outward behavior, I wonder, is LeBron to blame for the Cavs' finger-pointing and overall dysfunction?
Before I dive into this abyss, let's get one thing straight: LeBron is the reason the Cavs have reached the Eastern Conference Finals. He's the reason they swept a better all-around team in the Raptors. So, I'm not questioning his on-court value, and I never would.
The questions here are...has LeBron pumped his teammates full of confidence? Has he welcomed Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood, George Hill and Larry Nance? As the GM, head coach, leader and face of the franchise, has he gone the extra mile to make sure Koby Altman's acquisitions settled into comfortable roles within Cleveland's offense? What about simply teaching them how to play off his penetration and one-on-one playmaking?
Tuesday Hood played 11 minutes. Same for Nance. Hill scored 3 points in 33 minutes and last but not least...Clarkson was a DNP Coach's Decision!
I mean seriously, how can that be? In just 29 minutes per game last season, Clarkson averaged 15 points for the Baby Lakers. The athletic young guard shot roughly 45% from the floor and 80% from the line. For most of his career, he's been an aggressive offensive performer with sneaky explosiveness off the bounce. That very same player is averaging 5.1 PPG this postseason on 32% FG shooting.
How can you get so much worse, playing with the best basketball player in the world? An unselfish on-court player, no less. Something isn't adding up, here.
On February 11, in Clarkson's first game with the Cavs, he went 7-of-11 with 17 points in just 23 minutes. He connected on 3-of-4 from downtown, while chipping in 3 rebounds and 2 steals. The Cavs played with a ton of energy that night, and LeBron made a concerted effort to seek out both Clarkson and Hood. The latter left-hander drilled 6-of-11 for 15 points, 3 threes and 3 rebounds. In these playoffs, Hood is averaging 4.9 points and shooting 11% from three.
So what the hell happened to these kids? Hood was considered a primary scorer for a Jazz playoff team. Clarkson was a go-to one-on-one creator for the Lakers. Why have they dissipated into thin air playing alongside LeBron?
Of course, one explanation is that they are choking. Maybe they can't handle the scrutiny of a team that gets national TV exposure and daily hot takes from industry pundits. Maybe LeBron's reputation alone is too much for them to handle. But I don't know. I saw a lot of potential in their very first game with the Cavs.
They CRUSHED the Celtics 121-99 that night. And Kyrie Irving was out there and healthy for the Celtics at that point. The Cavs were the darlings of media coverage the next day. "GM" Altman was getting plenty of positive buzz. Everyone was saying it was Cleveland's conference to lose.
Something is different now. Hood played his way out of the rotation, eventually leading to his refusal to enter a playoff game at garbage time. That's bush league, and has nothing to do with LeBron -- I personally think Hood should have been suspended by the team for the remainder of the playoffs -- but why have things devolved to this point? Why haven't Clarkson or Hood received the touches they had on night one in a Cleveland uniform?
In the end, the players have to perform. They may not like their roles or lack of rhythm touches, but you have to play well if you want an expanded role.
The problem for LeBron, Tyronn Lue and their Cavs is that this isn't the best possible version of their team. Right now they are leaning on veterans who will do an adequate job -- Kyle Korver, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith -- but they didn't unload Isaiah Thomas, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder and Derrick Rose to get NOTHING in return.
One would think LeBron, Lue and Altman would want to conjure ways to make Clarkson, Hood and Nance integral parts of their steady rotation. That just hasn't happened. And we know LeBron has a history of taking the credit when things are going well, then throwing his teammates under the bus when they aren't.
The Warriors and Celtics thrive on positive energy passed from the front office down to the coaching staff and through the players. Everyone keeps each other upbeat. Positive plays are rewarded; negative plays are forgotten.
That's not the way it goes with LeBron. It wasn't like that with Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant, either. Some stars expect greatness, and berate anything below it.
Clarkson, Hood and Nance probably would have been better off in a more welcoming "team" environment, but that's just not the situation they are in. And they haven't made the best of it.
Can this hodgepodge group of misfit toys put it together in Game 3?
I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Thursday, May 17, 2018
Wednesday, May 9, 2018
Dissecting the Playoff Careers of CP3, Curry, Harden & Westbrook: Are These Guys Clutch?
Late Sunday night, I was taking a beating from Mark "HD" Rue and Ernest "E-Sharp" Lindain.
The following evening, Sam Ytuarte and Billy Valeriano continued the assault on my opinions. So what were these four, sophisticated NBA minds so worked up about?
Well, I refused to call Stephen Curry "clutch." I told them all that LeBron James and Kevin Durant are at the top of the heap -- in terms of carrying over their regular season production into the postseason -- while Curry, Chris Paul, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are in a similar category...one where their clutchability can be questioned because their playoff production dips below who they've established themselves to be.
Before I get into the comparisons, I want to establish some important points:
(1) I try not to punish or reward an individual player too much for his TEAM'S ultimate success in the postseason. For example, until now, Harden has never had a Rockets' team that could compete with the depth and talent of Steph's Warriors. How can we say trite things like his team has never won it all, when he's never actually had the best team? However, this season, since the Rockets were the No. 1 seed in the West, we can knock Harden if he struggles and Houston ultimately loses in the Western Conference Finals.
(2) When I evaluate players and their teams' runs in the postseason, I compare them to what they have already established. For example, I'm not gonna say, well, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans didn't come through because they lost in the Western Conference Semifinals. Based on what we knew coming in, they went as far as they should have gone, right? They weren't beating the Warriors or Rockets, so they accomplished what they should have, if not better. Their season was a success, even though they lost.
I'm sure more will come up, but let's get into it...
The following evening, Sam Ytuarte and Billy Valeriano continued the assault on my opinions. So what were these four, sophisticated NBA minds so worked up about?
Well, I refused to call Stephen Curry "clutch." I told them all that LeBron James and Kevin Durant are at the top of the heap -- in terms of carrying over their regular season production into the postseason -- while Curry, Chris Paul, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are in a similar category...one where their clutchability can be questioned because their playoff production dips below who they've established themselves to be.
Before I get into the comparisons, I want to establish some important points:
(1) I try not to punish or reward an individual player too much for his TEAM'S ultimate success in the postseason. For example, until now, Harden has never had a Rockets' team that could compete with the depth and talent of Steph's Warriors. How can we say trite things like his team has never won it all, when he's never actually had the best team? However, this season, since the Rockets were the No. 1 seed in the West, we can knock Harden if he struggles and Houston ultimately loses in the Western Conference Finals.
(2) When I evaluate players and their teams' runs in the postseason, I compare them to what they have already established. For example, I'm not gonna say, well, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans didn't come through because they lost in the Western Conference Semifinals. Based on what we knew coming in, they went as far as they should have gone, right? They weren't beating the Warriors or Rockets, so they accomplished what they should have, if not better. Their season was a success, even though they lost.
I'm sure more will come up, but let's get into it...
Chris Paul: 10 postseason appearances, 37.4 minutes per game, 21.5 pts, 9.1 asts, 4.8 rebs, 2.6 TOs, 0.1 blks, 2.2 stls, 48.5% FG, 4.9 FT attempts, 84.9% FT, 4.3 3pt attempts and 38% 3pt.
James Harden: 9 postseason appearances, 34.5 minutes per game, 21.5 pts, 5.5 asts, 5.2 rebs, 3.2 TOs, 0.4 blks, 1.7 stls, 42.0% FG, 7.8 FT attempts, 87.1% FT, 6.4 3pt attempts and 33.6% 3pt.
Stephen Curry: 6 postseason appearances, 37.5 minutes per game, 26.1 pts, 6.5 asts, 5.1 rebs, 3.7 TOs, 0.2 blks, 1.8 stls, 45.4% FG, 5.2 FT attempts, 89.1% FT, 10.1 3pt attempts and 41.2% 3pt.
Russell Westbrook: 8 postseason appearances, 37.9 minutes per game, 25.5 pts, 7.8 asts, 6.9 rebs, 3.9 TOs, 0.3 blks, 1.9 stls, 41.3% FG, 7.7 FT attempts, 84.0% FT, 4.6 3pt attempts and 30% 3pt.
Important Points and Observations
1. Directly comparing their numbers isn't the best way to analyze these players. There are dozens of reasons why, but here are a few in short order:
2. Their styles of play are different. Curry relies on the three-point line, as we can see from his 10.1 attempts per playoff game, which are more than DOUBLE both Paul and Westbrook. Harden and Westbrook love to attack the basket and get to the charity stripe, as evidenced by their nearly identical FT attempt averages around 7.7-7.8. Curry and Paul are more around 5. Three extra FT attempts per game can be valuable, particularly at the end of close games.
3. Westbrook's usage rate is through the roof. Behind Michael Jordan, he's second in the history of the NBA in having the ball in his hands. Harden is 17th, Curry is 25th and Paul is 110th. Obviously, that makes Paul more efficient, and Westbrook less. You could say that Westbrook has an unfair advantage in the cumulative statistics, while Paul has a clear disadvantage.
4. As you can see, Harden has the LEAST minutes per game because Scott Brooks was on Mars early in his career. "The Beard" played only 20 minutes per game in the 2009-10 playoffs. Only 31.6 minutes in 10-11, compared to 43.8 with the Rockets in 13-14.
5. These are guards and as you can see from the stats, blocks aren't important. I am officially eliminating blocks from this discussion.
Part II: Ranking the Importance of the Stat Categories (per game)
This is MY opinion, in terms of importance to success in basketball, particularly for star guards like these:
1. Points
2. FG%
3. Assists
4. Free throw attempts
5. Three-point attempts (we know the teams that attempt more threes tend to be more successful in recent years)
6. Turnovers
7. Three-point percentage
8. Rebounds
9. Free throw percentage
10. Steals
1. Points: Curry, Westbrook, Harden/Paul (tie)
2. Points, adjusted for Harden's time in Houston, only (to be fair in terms of usage and being an offensive focal point for his team): Harden, Curry, Westbrook, Paul. Harden averages 27.5 PPG.
3. FG%: Paul, Curry, Harden, Westbrook.
4. Assists: Paul, Westbrook, Curry, Harden.
5. Assists, adjusted for Harden's time in Houston: Paul, Harden, Curry, Westbrook. Harden averages 7.2 APG.
6. FT Attempts: Harden, Westbrook, Curry, Paul.
7. 3pt Attempts: Curry, Harden, Westbrook, Paul.
8. Turnovers (least to most): Paul, Harden, Curry, Westbrook.
9. Turnovers, adjusted for Harden's time in Houston: Paul, Curry, Westbrook, Harden. Harden averages 4.3 turnovers per game.
10. 3pt %: Curry, Paul, Harden, Westbrook.
11. Rebounds: Westbrook, Harden, Curry, Paul.
12. FT%: Curry, Harden, Paul, Westbrook. FT percentage is not very important for this group. Everyone is an excellent FT shooter. None of them are a liability.
13: Steals: Paul, other 3 essentially tied.
14. Steals, adjusted for Harden's time in Houston: Paul, Harden, Westbrook, Curry. Harden moves to 2.0 stls per game. Still negligible with Westbrook and Curry. Overall steals aren't very important within this foursome.
Important Points and Observations
1. We're really splitting hairs here, aren't we?
2. It's really only fair to focus on Harden's time in Houston. Curry, Paul and Westbrook have ALWAYS been playoff focal points for their respective teams. Harden was not a focal point in OKC because of Westbrook and Durant.
3. Harden wins points and free throw attempts.
4. Curry wins three-point attempts, three-point percentage and free throw percentage.
5. Paul wins FG%, assists, least turnovers and steals.
6. Westbrook wins rebounds.
You are free to draw your own conclusions from these results. Depends on the stat categories you value.
Part IV: Career Regular Season Averages
Chris Paul: 13 seasons, 35.3 minutes per game, 18.7 pts, 9.8 asts, 4.5 rebs, 2.4 TOs, 2.3 stls, 47.2 FG%, 4.9 FT attempts, 86.8 FT%, 3.4 3pt attempts and 37.2 3pt %.
James Harden: 9 seasons, 33.8 minutes per game, 23 pts, 6.1 asts, 5.1 rebs, 3.5 TOs, 1.5 stls, 44.3 FG%, 8.3 FT attempts, 85.4 FT%, 6.6 3pt attempts and 36.4 3pt %.
Harden on the Rockets, only: 27.9 PPG, 7.7 APG, 4.3 TOs
Stephen Curry: 9 seasons, 34.4 minutes per game, 23.1 pts, 6.8 asts, 4.4 rebs, 3.2 TOs, 1.8 stls, 47.7 FG%, 4 FT attempts, 90.3 FT%, 7.8 3pt attempts and 43.6% 3pt %.
Russell Westbrook: 10 seasons, 34.4 minutes per game, 23.0 pts, 8.2 asts, 4.0 TOs, 1.7 stls, 43.5 FG%, 7.2 FT attempts, 81.4 FT%, 3.5 3pt attempts and 31.1 3pt %.
Part V: Comparing Regular Season Performance to the Playoffs
In my opinion, this is the BEST way to determine if a player is clutch in the playoffs, status quo or chokes a bit. I mean, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT 4 OF THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE HISTORY OF BASKETBALL, HERE. No one is disputing how good any of these guys are. To pick between them is generally a matter of preference.
But...if we're talking about clutch...well, shouldn't you at least be able to duplicate your regular season output? Maybe not because defenses are tougher and opposing teams are better. Who the hell knows? So many questions and hypotheticals...
The most important comparisons are points, FG%, assists, turnovers, FT attempts, 3pt attempts and 3pt%.
Chris Paul: Increases 2.8 PPG, Drops 0.7 APG, Adds 0.2 TOs, Increases 1.3% FG, exactly the same FT attempts, adds 0.9 3pt attempts and Increases 0.8% in 3pt. Summary: Improves in 4 categories, gets worse in 2, stays the same in 1.
James Harden (first 3 categories, Rockets only, rest are all-inclusive): Drops 0.4 PPG, Drops 0.5 APG, exact same turnovers, Drops 2.3% FG, Drops 2.8 3pt% too lazy for FT and 3pt attempt calculations, but both of his increase in the playoffs. Summary: Improves in 2 categories, gets worse in 4, stays the same in 1.
Stephen Curry: Increases 3 PPG, Drops 0.3 APG, Adds 0.5 TOs, Drops 2.3% FG, Adds 1.2 FT attempts, adds 2.3 3pt attempts and Drops 2.4% in 3pt. Summary: Improves in 3 categories, gets worse in 4.
Russell Westbrook: Increases 2.5 PPG, Drops 0.4 asts, Drops 0.1 TOs, FG% Drops 2.2, Increases 0.5 FT attempts, Increases 3pt attempts by 2.9 and Increases 3 pt% by 2.5. Summary: Improves in 4 categories, gets worse in 2, essentially the same in turnovers.
Important Points and Observations
1. Paul, Curry and Westbrook all have significant point increases. Harden is basically status quo.
2. Paul attempts an extra three-pointer per game in the playoffs, and his percentage goes UP.
3. Harden has notable drops in FG% and 3pt%.
4. Curry has notable drops in FG% and 3pt%.
5. Westbrook has a notable drop in FG%.
6. Who would have thought that Westbrook's three-point percentage would INCREASE by 2.5?
1. Playoff appearances: Paul (10), Harden (9), Westbrook (8) and Curry (6).
2. Conference Finals appearances: Curry (4, 1 pending), Harden (4, 1 pending), Westbrook (4) and Paul (1).
3. NBA Finals appearances: Curry (3), Westbrook (1), Harden (1) and Paul (0).
4. NBA Finals wins: Curry (2), Harden (0), Westbrook (0) and Paul (0).
I think Part V is the best indicator of clutchability, but everyone is certainly entitled to their opinion.
So...what is your conclusion?
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
MLB Top 250 Players: Electric Aces, Outstanding Outfielders and A Special Second Baseman Top My List
With the NBA Playoffs and NFL Draft dominating recent headlines here at John Frascella Sports, my MLB Top 250 Players series has been forced to take a backseat. With that in mind, I'm going to wrap it up in one shot. Here's how we got to this point:
Players 250 down to 240
Players 239 down to 230
Players 229 down to 201
Players 200 down to 180
And remember, these rankings were compiled PRIOR to the 2018 MLB season. Countdown...right now:
179. Greg Holland, RP, Cardinals
178. Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies
177. Adam Eaton, OF, Nationals
176. Rich Hill, SP, Dodgers
175. Steven Souza, OF, Diamondbacks
174. Alex Cobb, SP, Orioles
173. Rougned Odor, 2B, Rangers
172. Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers
171. Danny Duffy, SP, Royals
170. Sonny Gray, SP, Yankees
169. Fernando Rodney, CP, Twins
168. Jed Lowrie, 2B, A's
167. Justin Bour, 1B, Marlins
166. Kevin Kiermaier, CF, Rays
165. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Rangers
164. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners
163. Ian Happ, OF, Cubs
162. Mark Trumbo, DH, Orioles
161. Kendrys Morales, DH, Blue Jays
160. Whit Merrifield, 2B, Royals
159. J.T. Realmuto, C, Marlins
158. Cesar Hernandez, 2B, Phillies
157. Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox
156. Dylan Bundy, SP, Orioles
155. Scooter Gennett, 2B, Reds
154. Jon Gray, SP, Rockies
153. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox
152. Marwin Gonzalez, Utility, Astros
151. Cole Hamels, SP, Rangers
150. Billy Hamilton, OF, Reds
149. Jeurys Familia, CP, Mets
148. Roberto Osuna, CP, Blue Jays
147. Ken Giles, CP, Astros
146. Jake Odorizzi, SP, Twins
145. Logan Morrison, DH, Twins
144. Brad Hand, RP, Padres
143. Kevin Pillar, OF, Blue Jays
142. Lance Lynn, SP, Twins
141. David Robertson, RP, Yankees
140. Chris Taylor, OF, Dodgers
139. Yasiel Puig, OF, Dodgers
138. Brett Gardner, OF, Dodgers
137. Ender Inciarte, OF, Braves
136. Evan Longoria, 3B, Giants
135. Aaron Nola, SP, Phillies
134. Domingo Santana, OF, Brewers
133. Matt Carpenter, 3B, Cardinals
132. Trey Mancini, OF, Orioles
131. Raisel Iglesias, CP, Reds
130. Rick Porcello, SP, Red Sox
129. Felipe Rivero, CP, Pirates
128. Zach Britton, CP, Orioles
127. Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates
126. Cody Allen, CP, Indians
125. Jeff Samardzija, SP, Giants
124. Kyle Seager, 3B, Mariners
123. Joey Gallo, 1B, Rangers
122. Eduardo Nunez, Utility, Red Sox
121. Drew Pomeranz, SP, Red Sox
120. J.A. Happ, SP, Blue Jays
119. Andrelton Simmons, SS, Angels
118. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
117. Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
116. Yuli Gurriel, 1B, Astros
115. Michael Conforto, OF, Mets
114. Eddie Rosario, OF, Twins
113. Marcus Stroman, SP, Blue Jays
112. Jose Berrios, SP, Twins
111. Masahiro Tanaka, SP, Yankees
110. Wil Myers, OF, Padres
109. Avisail Garcia, OF, White Sox
108. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals
107. Alex Colome, CP, Rays
106. Jose Quintana, SP, Cubs
105. David Price, SP, Red Sox
104. Rhys Hoskins, OF, Phillies
103. DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Rockies
102. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox
101. Zack Cozart, 3B, Angels
58. Yu Darvish, SP, Cubs
26. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Nationals
18. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves
5. Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals
ANGRY DISAGREEMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!
Players 250 down to 240
Players 239 down to 230
Players 229 down to 201
Players 200 down to 180
And remember, these rankings were compiled PRIOR to the 2018 MLB season. Countdown...right now:
179. Greg Holland, RP, Cardinals
178. Maikel Franco, 3B, Phillies
177. Adam Eaton, OF, Nationals
176. Rich Hill, SP, Dodgers
175. Steven Souza, OF, Diamondbacks
174. Alex Cobb, SP, Orioles
173. Rougned Odor, 2B, Rangers
172. Matt Kemp, OF, Dodgers
171. Danny Duffy, SP, Royals
170. Sonny Gray, SP, Yankees
169. Fernando Rodney, CP, Twins
168. Jed Lowrie, 2B, A's
167. Justin Bour, 1B, Marlins
166. Kevin Kiermaier, CF, Rays
165. Shin-Soo Choo, OF, Rangers
164. Felix Hernandez, SP, Mariners
163. Ian Happ, OF, Cubs
162. Mark Trumbo, DH, Orioles
161. Kendrys Morales, DH, Blue Jays
160. Whit Merrifield, 2B, Royals
159. J.T. Realmuto, C, Marlins
158. Cesar Hernandez, 2B, Phillies
157. Rafael Devers, 3B, Red Sox
156. Dylan Bundy, SP, Orioles
155. Scooter Gennett, 2B, Reds
154. Jon Gray, SP, Rockies
153. Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox
152. Marwin Gonzalez, Utility, Astros
151. Cole Hamels, SP, Rangers
150. Billy Hamilton, OF, Reds
149. Jeurys Familia, CP, Mets
148. Roberto Osuna, CP, Blue Jays
147. Ken Giles, CP, Astros
146. Jake Odorizzi, SP, Twins
145. Logan Morrison, DH, Twins
144. Brad Hand, RP, Padres
143. Kevin Pillar, OF, Blue Jays
142. Lance Lynn, SP, Twins
141. David Robertson, RP, Yankees
140. Chris Taylor, OF, Dodgers
139. Yasiel Puig, OF, Dodgers
138. Brett Gardner, OF, Dodgers
137. Ender Inciarte, OF, Braves
136. Evan Longoria, 3B, Giants
135. Aaron Nola, SP, Phillies
134. Domingo Santana, OF, Brewers
133. Matt Carpenter, 3B, Cardinals
132. Trey Mancini, OF, Orioles
131. Raisel Iglesias, CP, Reds
130. Rick Porcello, SP, Red Sox
129. Felipe Rivero, CP, Pirates
128. Zach Britton, CP, Orioles
127. Josh Bell, 1B, Pirates
126. Cody Allen, CP, Indians
125. Jeff Samardzija, SP, Giants
124. Kyle Seager, 3B, Mariners
123. Joey Gallo, 1B, Rangers
122. Eduardo Nunez, Utility, Red Sox
121. Drew Pomeranz, SP, Red Sox
120. J.A. Happ, SP, Blue Jays
119. Andrelton Simmons, SS, Angels
118. Alex Bregman, 3B, Astros
117. Willson Contreras, C, Cubs
116. Yuli Gurriel, 1B, Astros
115. Michael Conforto, OF, Mets
114. Eddie Rosario, OF, Twins
113. Marcus Stroman, SP, Blue Jays
112. Jose Berrios, SP, Twins
111. Masahiro Tanaka, SP, Yankees
110. Wil Myers, OF, Padres
109. Avisail Garcia, OF, White Sox
108. Mike Moustakas, 3B, Royals
107. Alex Colome, CP, Rays
106. Jose Quintana, SP, Cubs
105. David Price, SP, Red Sox
104. Rhys Hoskins, OF, Phillies
103. DJ LeMahieu, 2B, Rockies
102. Xander Bogaerts, SS, Red Sox
101. Zack Cozart, 3B, Angels
JOHN FRASCELLA'S TOP 100 MLB PLAYERS
100. Ryan Zimmerman, 1B, Nationals
99. Carlos Santana, 1B, Phillies
98. Hanley Ramirez, Utility, Red Sox
97. Michael Fulmer, SP, Tigers
96. Alex Wood, SP, Dodgers
95. Ervin Santana, SP, Twins
94. Lance McCullers, SP, Astros
93. Salvador Perez, C, Royals
92. Yadier Molina, C, Cardinals
91. Miguel Cabrera, 1B, Tigers
90. Travis Shaw, 3B, Brewers
89. James Paxton, SP, Mariners
88. Miguel Sano, 3B, Twins
87. Starling Marte, OF, Pirates
86. Jean Segura, SS, Mariners
85. Christian Yelich, OF, Brewers
84. Adam Duvall, OF, Reds
83. Jonathan Schoop, 2B, Orioles
82. Johnny Cueto, SP, Giants
81. Jay Bruce, OF, Mets
80. Adrian Beltre, 3B, Rangers
79. Gio Gonzalez, SP, Nationals
78. Trevor Bauer, SP, Indians
77. Wade Davis, CP, Rockies
76. Jake Lamb, 3B, Diamondbacks
75. Andrew Benintendi, OF, Red Sox
74. Corey Knebel, CP, Brewers
73. Adam Jones, OF, Orioles
72. Justin Smoak, 1B, Blue Jays
71. Luis Severino, SP, Yankees
70. Chris Archer, SP, Rays
69. Elvis Andrus, SS, Rangers
68. Gerrit Cole, SP, Astros
67. Carlos Carrasco, SP, Indians
66. Robbie Ray, SP, Diamondbacks
65. Jon Lester, SP, Cubs
64. A.J. Pollock, OF, Diamondbacks
63. Kyle Hendricks, SP, Cubs
62. Ryan Braun, OF, Brewers
61. Tommy Pham, OF, Cardinals
60. Trea Turner, SS, Nationals
59. Didi Gregorius, SS, Yankees
58. Yu Darvish, SP, Cubs
57. Andrew McCutchen, OF, Giants
56. Lorenzo Cain, OF, Brewers
55. Dee Gordon, OF, Mariners
54. Carlos Martinez, SP, Cardinals
53. Jake Arrieta, SP, Phillies
52. Aroldis Chapman, CP, Yankees
51. Buster Posey, C, Giants
THE TOP 50 BASEBALL PLAYERS IN THE WORLD
50. Anthony Rendon, 3B, Nationals
49. Cody Bellinger, 1B, Dodgers
48. Eric Hosmer, 1B, Padres
47. Andrew Miller, RP, Indians
46. Justin Upton, OF, Angels
45. Robinson Cano, 2B, Mariners
44. Kenley Jansen, CP, Dodgers
43. Zack Greinke, SP, Diamondbacks
42. Edwin Encarnacion, 1B, Indians
41. Anthony Rizzo, 1B, Cubs
40. Craig Kimbrel, CP, Red Sox
39. Dallas Keuchel, SP, Astros
38. Yoenis Cespedes, OF, Mets
37. Gary Sanchez, C, Yankees
36. Khris Davis, OF, A's
35. Madison Bumgarner, SP, Giants
34. Brian Dozier, 2B, Twins
33. Jose Abreu, 1B, White Sox
32. Noah Syndergaard, SP, Mets
31. George Springer, OF, Astros
30. Corey Seager, SS, Dodgers
29. Jose Ramirez, 3B, Indians
28. Marcell Ozuna, OF, Cardinals
27. Justin Turner, 3B, Dodgers
26. Stephen Strasburg, SP, Nationals
THE TOP 25 BALLPLAYERS IN THE UNIVERSE
25. Josh Donaldson, 3B, Blue Jays
24. Justin Verlander, SP, Astros
23. Daniel Murphy, 2B, Nationals
22. Jacob deGrom, SP, Mets
21. Manny Machado, SS/3B, Orioles
20. Mookie Betts, OF, Red Sox
19. Francisco Lindor, SS, Indians
18. Freddie Freeman, 1B, Braves
17. Giancarlo Stanton, OF, Yankees
16. Nelson Cruz, DH, Mariners
15. Carlos Correa, SS, Astros
14. Kris Bryant, 3B, Cubs
13. J.D. Martinez, OF, Red Sox
12. Corey Kluber, SP, Indians
11. Joey Votto, 1B, Reds
THE ABSOLUTE BEST OF THE BEST
10. Charlie Blackmon, OF, Rockies
9. Nolan Arenado, 3B, Rockies
8. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks
7. Aaron Judge, OF, Yankees
6. Clayton Kershaw, SP, Dodgers
5. Bryce Harper, OF, Nationals
4. Chris Sale, SP, Red Sox
3. Mike Trout, OF, Angels
2. Max Scherzer, SP, Nationals
1. Jose Altuve, 2B, Astros
ANGRY DISAGREEMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME!