Tag Archives: Brad Ausmus

BSE Baseball Writers MLB Awards Predictions

American League Most Valuable Player

Thom Howland: Jose Ramirez hit .270 last year with an unlucky 25% hit rate. With his top tier power, peak age, and a Cleveland team gunning for another AL Central crown, the time is ripe for his MVP closeup. Dark horse candidate – Jose Abreu

Scott Frizzell: It is just so hard to pick against Mike Trout. The new $430 million dollar man has finished in the top two every year of his career except one, when he finished fourth after missing six weeks of action. Dark horse candidate – Andrew Benintendi

John Principe: Coming off a year that didn’t end in him winning the MVP, I fully expect Mike Trout to again put up his insane numbers. He’s the closest thing in sports to a perennial lock, and is my pick to stay healthy and win his third MVP. Dark horse candidate – Matt Chapman

Ben Rolfe: Yes, it is the boring pick, but Mike Trout is so far above anyone else in baseball right now it is incredible. If we ignore his small rookie appearance then Trout’s average WAR is 9.2 per year and his numbers are something out of a video game. Dark horse candidate – Luke Voit

Mike Quilty: Mike Trout may be the favorite, but I think Alex Bregman will have a huge year for Houston.

Mike Trout is always a safe bet to be near the top.

National League Most Valuable Player

Thom Howland: Kris Bryant, the former MVP, is over the injuries that sapped his power last year. The Cubs are being counted out, and he will be at the center of their resurgence. Dark horse candidate – Ronald Acuna

Scott Frizzell: Paul Goldschmidt is leaving the desert for St. Louis this season, and I think he will put up his usual big numbers while helping lead the Cardinals back to the postseason for the first time since 2015. After a dreadful first two months last year, Goldy batted .330 with 26 home runs and a 1.022 OPS from June 1st on. Dark horse candidate – Ronald Acuna

John Principe: Bryce Harper is coming off an okay year, but a great contract, what’s in store for him? The new Philly slugger, to me, is poised to breakout again and have his best season since his MVP year in 2015. Look for Bryce to put up another season with an OPS over 1.000, carry his Phils to an NL East title, and win MVP while he’s at it. Dark horse candidate – Ronald Acuna

Ben Rolfe: Nolan Arenado is one of the best fielders at his position and he hits in Coors Field, which always means his hitting numbers will be right up there. His best chance is if he can lead the Rockies back to the playoffs. Dark horse candidate – Jesus Aguilar

Mike Quilty: Paul Goldschmidt had never won the award before but has been close multiple times as a D-Back. After a trade to St. Louis a change of scenery may be just what he needs.

Paul Goldschmidt joins a new team for the first time in his career.

American League Cy Young

Thom Howland: The all-time MLB leader in K/9 and K/BB will put it all together this year. After 6 straight Top 5 AL Cy Young finishes, Chris Sale will finally gain the top spot in 2019. Dark horse candidate – Eduardo Rodriguez

Scott Frizzell: Coming off a fantastic first season in Houston, I will choose Gerrit Cole to win the Cy Young this year. There is no one candidate this year that stands out to me. Dark horse candidate – Shane Bieber

John Principe: Despite struggling in the second half of 2018, I expect a massive year out of Jose Berrios. The bats are a little better behind him, which should work to his advantage. He’s a nasty pitcher with devastating off-speed stuff and will have a good chance to finish at least top 5 in Cy Young voting. Dark horse candidate – Mike Clevinger

Ben Rolfe: The drop in velocity for Chris Sale has me scared, and Gerrit Cole looked so dominant at times last year. He will be a crucial part of a playoff bound rotation and could win 20 games this season.

Mike Quilty: Chris Sale has come in the top five in each of the last six years. Injury last season ended his first shot at the award as he was pitching well. I think Sale will have an amazing year in 2019 and win his first Cy Young.

Chris Sale always finishes in the top five, but can he finally win the coveted award?

National League Cy Young

Thom Howland: Noah Syndergaard went 4-1 with two shutouts in September of last year. Finally healthy after years of nagging injuries, and with an improved Mets team behind him, the promise of his 97+ MPH fastball and devastating off-speed stuff will bring home the NL Cy Young in 2019. Dark horse candidate – Luis Castillo

Scott Frizzell: I tried Noah Syndergaard last season and instead his teammate won the award. I’m going him again. Syndergaard has the stuff to win it, reaching into the upper-90’s with his fastball with a devastating slider thrown around 92. Dark horse candidate – Walker Buehler

John Principe: Walker Buehler came up and absolutely dominated last year. With Kershaw ready to pass the load (and possibly ace status) on to Buehler, this could be a huge breakout year for him in establishing himself as a premier pitcher in the NL. Dark horse candidate – Kyle Freeland

Ben Rolfe: Patrick Corbin moves to a rotation which is known for pitching success on the back of a great 2018. Pitching alongside Max Scherzer gives a perfect person for him to be compared to all season in order to win this award. Dark horse candidate – Robbie Ray

Mike Quilty: Max Scherzer has won three times already, and had a career high last season with 300 strikeouts. He went 18-7 with a 2.53 era and probably would’ve won his fourth if not for Jacob deGrom and his historic season.

“Thor” has electric stuff, but has had some injury troubles.

American League Rookie of the Year

Thom Howland: As a 19-year-old, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. rocketed from Rookie Ball all the way to AAA last year. Along the way he managed a .381 average, 20 Home Runs, and 29 Doubles. He’ll be delayed by a few weeks, but this 20-year-old will rake once he makes the show. Dark horse candidate – Josh James

Scott Frizzell: Eloy Jimenez could have a fantastic rookie season, but it’s hard to go against Vladimir Guerrero Jr. after he hit .402 at AA last season. This could shape up similarly to the Ronald Acuna vs Juan Soto race for Rookie of the Year last season. Dark horse candidate – Josh James

John Principe: Possibly the easiest category of all, Vlad Jr. is poised for greatness regardless of when his call-up comes. He’ll be in the show this season, hopefully by the middle of May at the latest. Even with his competitors getting possibly an extra month to pad their stats, Vlad should easily win this award. Dark horse candidate – Yusei Kikuchi

Ben Rolfe: Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is not a particularly fun pick, but I cannot see who else it will be. Guerrero is so talented and in a hitter friendly park, he will have every chance to put up huge numbers. Dark horse candidate – Yusei Kikuchi

Mike Quilty: Vladimir Guerrero Jr, 19-year-old son of HOF Vladimir Guerrero has dominated every level he’s played at to this point. He’s a great talent with great lineage and will now showcase his talent in the big leagues.

National League Rookie of the Year

Thom Howland: Fernando Tatis Jr. is another precocious 20-year-old. He hit .286 with 16 HR and 22 Doubles last year in AA. The Padres are moving the newly minted $300 Million Dollar Manny Machado to third base so Tatis Jr. can play every day. Dark horse candidate – Pete Alonso

Scott Frizzell: Nick Senzel keeps getting moved around the field due to being blocked at the big league level all over the infield. His bat will play anywhere though. It looks like his new home will be center field for the Reds. Although I think Pete Alonso might slug 30 home runs for the Mets, I believe Senzel will have a more rounded game, batting around .300 with 15-20 home runs and stolen bases. Dark horse candidate – Chris Paddack

John Principe: The opposite of the AL, this race seems wide open to me. With no clear favorite, the Mets slugger Pete Alonso is my choice. Alonso has a brilliant eye, and lots of pop in his bat and should have a chance to play first base right away for the Mets. Dark horse candidate – Nick Senzel

Ben Rolfe: Anyone with Nick Senzel’s talent who gets to play in a hitter friendly park is always going to have a great shot of success. Add in the highlight plays he seems to be capable of making in center field and this could be a fun player to watch this season. Dark horse candidate – Chris Paddack

Mike Quilty: If Alex Reyes can finally stay healthy, he has some of the most electric stuff in the entire sport.

Nick Senzel was drafted 2nd overall in 2016.

American League Manager of the Year

Thom Howland: The Angels are an afterthought in the AL playoff picture. The A’s funky stadium and Billy Beane’s witchcraft will run out, and Brad Ausmus will have the Angels in the playoffs for the first time since 2014. Dark horse candidate – Kevin Cash

Scott Frizzell: I like Thom’s pick of Brad Ausmus. Mike Scioscia had gone stale and in need of replacing, the fresh face of Ausmus will give the club an extra jolt this season. Although their pitching staff is questionable, their lineup is looking rock solid. Dark horse candidate – Rocco Baldelli

John Principe: After being named a finalist in 2018 due to his innovation and his ability to do lots with very little, Kevin Cash should take the next step and win this year. There’s always the possibility of a team exceeding expectations (i.e. 2018 Athletics) and that manager taking the award, but for now Cash seems like the safest bet. Dark horse candidate – Rocco Baldelli

Ben Rolfe: Rick Renteria could have a perfect storm of young talented players starting to reach their peak and a weak division. The White Sox could push the Indians deep this season and even not making the playoffs that would be enough to get Renteria in consideration for the award. Dark horse candidate – Rocco Baldelli

Mike Quilty: Call me a homer but I’m going with Alex Cora

Can Brad Ausmus lead the Angels to the playoffs in his first season at the helm?

National League Manager of the Year

Thom Howland: Bud Black has two top-five MVP possibilities in Nolan Arenado and Charlie Blackmon. They have promising starters in Jon Gray, German Marquez, and Kyle Freeland. Black will help their pitching and lead them to the NL Playoffs, despite being given a slim 17.5% chance of doing so. Dark horse candidate – Dave Martinez

Scott Frizzell: Last year I said the Phillies would surprise people and hang in the race before ultimately fading. This year, they will win the NL East, and with it Gabe Kapler will take home the Manager of the Year Award. Dark horse candidate – David Bell

John Principe: David Bell has a great opportunity in front of him in his first year leading the Reds. A young lineup that has already proved itself may now have some pitching behind it to support this team. A lot of people have the Reds as the breakout team of 2019, myself included. If they can push themselves into playoff contention in that division, or even over .500, it’s going to be hard not giving this award to Bell. Dark horse candidate – Dave Martinez

Ben Rolfe: This is another case of a perfect storm. Gabe Kapler took a lot of stick for some of his decisions last season. However, now he has a young rotation and an incredibly talented lineup at his fingertips. This team could be in contention for the most wins in the NL. Dark horse candidate – Bud Black

Mike Quilty: I think Dave Roberts will get the Dodgers back to the World Series and have one of the best records. After losing one of his key players, that could be enough to net him this award.

Gabe Kapler and the Phillies are trending up.

Featured picture taken from CBS Philly

And the New Manager Will Be?

The Favorites

Brad Ausmus, in my opinion, is the leading candidate for the job. Not saying he is my top choice, (though I think he’d be a fine hire) he’s just the lead dog in the race. Managers typically do better in a second go around; Terry Francona, Tony La Russa and Bobby Cox are just a few who flopped in their first managerial stint only to go on to success in their second job. Joe Torre took several tries before getting it right. Ausmus is a smart guy– he went to an Ivy League school in Dartmouth. He also caught behind the plate for 18 seasons. Ausmus knows baseball. In 2013, he interviewed for the Red Sox managerial opening and impressed the Red Sox with his pitch. If Toronto had not agreed to trade John Farrell to the Red Sox, Brad Ausmus probably would have been our manager.

Brad Ausmus was hired in Detroit by none other than Dave Dombrowski, who is now doing the hiring for the Red Sox. Maybe he will go hire his guy again. Ausmus could do better a second time around, though he wasn’t a complete flop in Detroit. He posted two seasons above .500, including a 90 win season in 2014. Ausmus is from Connecticut and owns a home on Cape Cod, he is a local guy. The connection here is too easy. In pairing Ausmus back up with Dombrowski, the Sox would have the man who gave JD Martinez another chance after being waived by the Astros, and his former manager with the Tigers. Maybe this pairing would increase the Red Sox chances of signing him.

Dave Dombrowski has hired Brad Ausmus as manager before.

Alex Cora is the other name that will be discussed. Cora has been talked up as a future MLB manager since he was still playing. A sizable chunk of those playing days came in Boston as a utility infielder. Acquired by the Red Sox in 2005, Cora stayed with the team through the 2008 season. Many former teammates have touted his baseball acumen and said he would make an excellent manager. Cora currently serves as the Houston Astros Bench Coach, and has had obvious success there. Any hiring of him would have to wait until after the Astros season concludes, which at this point hopefully isn’t anytime soon.

Alex Cora #13 of the Boston Red Sox celebrates as he scores the game winning run in the ninth against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Secondary Candidates With Managerial Experience

Ron Gardenhire is a name that surprises me a bit, as he has had health issues. Currently serving as a coach with Arizona, Gardenhire had a lot of success while managing the Twins; regular season success. The Twins made the playoffs in six of his first nine seasons at the helm, finishing with a losing record just once in that span. They only advanced out of the first round in his first season, way back in 2002. Their overall playoff record under him was 6-21. The Twins also trended downhill over his last 4 seasons, topping out with a high of 70 wins.

Brad Mills is an interesting name. Mills served as Francona’s Bench Coach for much of his time in Boston before taking the Managerial position in Houston. Houston was lousy during his time there, but they would have been lousy under anyone. The Astros roster was quite anemic during those years. Stated previously, having prior managerial experience usually helps in a second go around. Mills is again serving as Francona’s Bench Coach in Cleveland, having more success alongside his friend.

Brad Mills poses during photo day (Photo by: Nick Laham/Getty Images)

Tony Pena is a bit of a dark horse candidate. He isn’t mentioned much, and I’m curious why he hasn’t managed since 2005. Pena was once an up and coming managerial candidate. He was in the game seemingly forever as a catcher. He won Manager of the Year in 2003, his second year on the job. What is the reason for him not getting a manager position since? Pena interviewed for the Sox opening last time, and has been serving on the Yankees coaching staff since 2006.

Secondary Candidates with Red Sox ties

Mike Maddux was considered one of the favorites for the Red Sox manager position in 2013 before he withdrew from consideration. At the time he cited being too far away from his family in Texas. Since that time, Maddux has taken the position of pitching coach with the Washington Nationals, not really any closer to Texas than Boston. He seems to have changed his mind. Maddux did well as pitching coach in Texas, considering the pitching conditions and the guys on their staff. He has done a good job in Washington as well. Maddux also pitched for the Red Sox back in 1995 and 1996, so he is familiar with the city and the atmosphere at Fenway. Maddux is someone I believe deserves the opportunity to manage in the future.

Mike Maddux pitching for the Red Sox in 1996.

DeMarlo Hale is another former Terry Francona bench coach in Boston. Unlike Mills, he has yet to receive a chance to manage at the big league level. He did manage for years in the Minor Leagues before becoming a coach in the big leagues. Hale was only the Red Sox bench coach for two seasons, his tenure ending following the 2011 beer and chicken fiasco. I’d consider him a bit of a long shot.

Gary Disarcina has worked all over the Red Sox organization, so why not add another job to his belt? He was a baseball operations consultant, did some studio work for NESN, and was a minor league manager and infield instructor. Disarcina has had three separate stints with the Red Sox, winning Minor League Manager of the Year in his one season as Pawtucket’s manager in 2013. The last two seasons he has served as the bench coach.

Gabe Kapler is probably an unlikely candidate, but one who deserves to be on this list. During Kapler’s first retirement from his playing days, he immediately became a manager in the Red Sox system. He managed in the low minors for the Red Sox for one season before deciding he wanted to continue his playing career. Kapler hasn’t gotten back into managing since his ultimate retirement. Kapler has however been the Director of Player Development for the Dodgers the past few years, contributing to the revamp of their minor league system.

Jason Varitek is the long shot candidate everyone wants to know about. Is Varitek a real possibility to manage the team? Maybe a few years down the road would be a better time? We aren’t really sure what to make of his potential candidacy. However, it is obvious to anyone who watched Varitek during his playing days that he is very smart and knowledgeable about the game of baseball. He caught a record four no-hitters and won 2 World Series championships. He just seems like the kind of guy who will one day make an excellent manager.

Jason Varitek #33 of the Boston Red Sox walks in from the outfield after throwing before the start of the Red Sox game against the Baltimore Orioles. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Secondary Candidates with no experience and no Red Sox ties

Tim Wallach has been discussed as a future manager for several years now. Wallach interviewed for the Red Sox opening in 2013. He won Pacific Coast League Manager of the Year in 2013.

Sandy Alomar Jr. is another former Major League catcher with a probable future as a manager. He has been in coaching since 2008 and even got six games as the Indians interim manager in 2012, going 3-3. He has served on Terry Francona’s staff in Cleveland the last five seasons.

Dave Martinez is a guy I am surprised hasn’t gotten a manager job yet. He has served under Joe Maddon as his bench coach since 2008. They spent seven years together in Tampa Bay, and the last three in Chicago with the Cubs. Suffice it to say, the pair have experienced a great deal of success together. He would be an intriguing dark horse candidate, but one that will likely wind up managing somewhere else down the road.

Dave Martinez should get a chance to be a Major League manager someday soon.

Boston Sports Extra

By Boston Fans, For Boston Fans