BCB After Dark: Are you for real?

Welcome back to BCB After Dark: the late-night after party for night owls, early-risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re glad we saved you a seat. You’re just in time for the opening act.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Tonight’s Cubs game in Atlanta stunk. I guess if you’re looking for silver linings, Trevor Williams continues to look like a solid back-of-the-rotation pitcher. If you want to talk about the game here, my first question is “Why?” But you can if you insist.

Yesterday I asked you who you thought was the best player in the game right now. I wondered if with all the young stars in the game, maybe the answer isn’t as simple as “Mike Trout” anymore. It was pretty simple for you as 73% of you said that Trout is still the best player in the game. In second place was Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom with 9%.

On Tuesdays I don’t go into real depth on jazz or movies, but I will provide you with a song to listen to while you read. You’re free to ignore it if you wish. You won’t hurt my feelings.

I heard tonight’s jazz piece while I was driving home from an appointment yesterday on the SiriusXM Real Jazz channel. I’d never heard it before, but I liked it so I decided to share it with you. It’s the Tierney Sutton Band with their cover of The Police’s “Driven To Tears.”

I’d bet that there’s a jazz version of “Driven To Tears” done by Sting somewhere on the internet, but I’m also willing to bet that I’d probably rather not hear it. Sting can just stick to his original rock arrangement.

Tonight’s question is about the start to the season and how much we can trust it. I’m not going to ask you about the Cubs or the teams that are off to a rough start. Instead, I’m going to ask you which of the teams off to an unexpectedly good start will keep playing well all year, if any.

I’m also not asking about the Dodgers, Padres or Brewers. People expected them to be good and they are. I’m listing teams that have exceeded their preseason PECOTA forecast so far.

To put it simply, “Which of these teams is for real?” or “Which of these teams has the best chance to make the postseason?”

1. Red Sox (15-9). It’s almost not fair to put the Red Sox in this category, since Boston is expected to be good every year, at least by their fans. But the Red Sox finished last in 2020 are were only predicted for an 80-82 record this year.
2. Royals (14-8). Maybe the feel-good story of the season so far, the plucky Royals are the surprise first-place team in the AL Central. (Although they have won the World Series more recently than every other team in the division.) But the Royals only finished ahead of the woeful Tigers last year and were projected for a 71-91 record in 2021.
3. Athletics (15-9). The A’s won the AL West last season, but expectations were low coming into the year as PECOTA pegged them for 80-82 in 2021. Expectations were even lower after they lost their first six games this year. Then they ran off 13 straight wins.
4. Giants (15-9). The Dodgers were expected to be a juggernaut coming into the year and while they’ve had some tough losses against the Padres, they look every bit as good as we thought they’d be. But they’re only tied for first place with their arch-enemy from up the coast. The Giants were projected to finish 75-87.

I hope you’ll join us again tomorrow night.