You Probably Expected to Pay Some Attention to the NL West This Season

May 7, 2021 2:25 PM

You probably didn’t expect that watching the NL West would be like putting on Godzilla vs. Kong only to see Mothra kick everyone’s ass. With all due respect to the Dodgers and Padres, this fledgling season has belonged to the less-than-ballyhooed San Francisco Giants—who not only lead the NL West over teams that Baseball Prospectus projected would win 103 and 96 games, respectively, but in fact are tied for the best record in the National League. It is bizarre. It is wonderful. What in the world is going on? from The NL West Has Only One Superteam, and That Team Has Buster Posey [The Ringer, by Claire McNear]
posted by chavenet (14 comments total)

It is bizarre. It is wonderful. What in the world is going on?

It's the first week of May, and they've played half their games against the Rockies and Marlins is what's going on. But they're better than people gave them credit for, sure.
posted by LionIndex at 2:42 PM on May 7, 2021 [10 favorites]

Yeah, as a long-suffering Blue Jays fan I've learned to be cynical about early-season heroics. I think LionIndex has it right - the Giants have played 31 games, and 9 have been against the poor Rockies. So contrary to the article, I think their numbers have a lot more to do with their schedule than the secret machinations of Taylor Swift(!?).

Anyway it's only been 7 years since they won a World Series so like hell am I cheering for their 'underdog' success. Go Padres!
posted by ZaphodB at 3:25 PM on May 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

Also from the Ringer, two weeks ago: article about the Dodgers breaking the wins record, who have now lost 13 of their last 17.

Given that track record, I half wonder if Claire McNear is a Dodger or Padre fan testing if the Ringer has some kind of jinx power.
posted by LionIndex at 3:33 PM on May 7, 2021 [1 favorite]

the secret machinations of Taylor Swift(!?)

And a new socket puppet account name contender has entered the stadium!
posted by axiom at 4:10 PM on May 7, 2021 [6 favorites]

Hey guys, please allow us poor Giants fans a little early-season optimism, ok? Soon enough, as midseason reality sets in, for me it will be exclusive sportsviewing of Australian Rules Football reruns, whose outcomes and teams I donʻt know, whose players are in constant banging motion, and whose sportsball shape generates satisfying near-random bounciness. Unlike excruciating Giants baseball, it is therefore fun to watch.
posted by Droll Lord at 4:33 PM on May 7, 2021 [5 favorites]

Never count your chickens before August, August is where winning seasons go to die.

Also, Gigantes delenda est.
posted by Abehammerb Lincoln at 5:42 PM on May 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

As a long time NL West fan, the Dodgers are a late season team. They're a playoff team. It seems like every year Padres fans and Giants fans start counting their chickens in May.
posted by muddgirl at 5:50 PM on May 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

You Probably Expected to Pay Some Attention to the NL West This Season

What's the catchy internet aphorism where a non-question is false?
posted by Reasonably Everything Happens at 6:09 PM on May 7, 2021 [3 favorites]

Never count your chickens before August, August is where winning seasons go to die

I take exception to this statement.

As a Yankees fan, this year especially, I know that teams are streaky. I heard a stat on the Yankees telecast the other night that this is the first season ever (?) that after 30 games, no team won 18. No team was at. 600 or more after 30.

It is a long season. Time will tell who outperforms or underperforms the metrics and expert prognosticators. Why not the Giants winning the West?
posted by AugustWest at 10:11 PM on May 7, 2021 [2 favorites]

Buster Posey has been a nice add to my fantasy team, that’s for sure.
posted by notyou at 6:28 AM on May 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

We will see in a few months if the article's premise is true; in the meantime, I always enjoy hearing about Buster Posey. He's a Georgia boy, and I grew up with his mother way back when.
posted by TedW at 7:41 AM on May 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Yeah, as a long-suffering Blue Jays fan I've learned to be cynical about early-season heroics.

e.g.: The Mets are 14 and 13, just better then .500, but I know it's not going to last.
posted by mikelieman at 9:32 AM on May 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

e.g.: The Mets are 14 and 13, just better then .500, but I know it's not going to last.

Yeah, with the power of the rally ratcoon unlocking the bats they’ll be racking up the wins in no time.
posted by Huffy Puffy at 10:21 AM on May 8, 2021 [1 favorite]

Between John Means, Wade Miley, and Kevin Gausman, it's been a pretty good month for pitchers who were in the Orioles system in 2017.
posted by escabeche at 12:32 PM on May 8, 2021 [1 favorite]