Hey, the 2018 MLB Season is Half Over

Each year, at the 40/60/80 game mark I redo the end of season team predictions and select All Stars.

Last year (and I think it's the same this year) there are 32 roster spots for each team.  20 position players, 12 pitchers, at least 3 of those are relievers (in practice, you'll note many more relievers than that are usually chosen, but not by me). 

I do this All-Star selection every year - I do not recall a year where it was more challenging to get a representative from every team as it is with the AL this year.  

AL East
1. Bos 101
2. NYY 101
3. Tampa
4. Tor
5. Balt

AL Central
1. Cleve 94
2. Min 
3. Det
4. CWS
5. KC

AL West
1. Hou 103
2. Sea 89
3. LAA 84
4. Oak
5. Tex

NL East
1. Wash 90
2. Atl 89
3. Phil 86
4. NYM
5. Mia

NL Cen
1. Chi 92
2. Mil 89
3. StL 85
4. Pit 
5. Cin

NL West
1. LAD 89
2. Ariz 87
3. SFG 80
4. Col
5. SD

NL
C JT Realmuto Mia 3.05
   W.Contreras Chi 2.45
    F.Cervelli Pit 2.2

1B F.Freeman Atl 4.2-MVP
     J.Votto Cin 3.45
     P.Goldschmidt Ari 3 
     B.Belt SFG 2.3

2B S.Gennett Cin 2.75
      O.Albies Atl 2.65
      J.Baez Chi 2.55
      
SS T.Turner Wash 3.05
      B.Crawford SFG 2.6

3B N.Arenado Col 3.4
      E.Suarez Cin 2.9
      T.Shaw Mil 2.4

LF B.Nimmo NYM 2.95
     
CF L.Cain Mil 3.6
      O.Herrera Phi 2.75
      M.Taylor Wash 2.2
       
RF N.Markakis Atl 3.2
      
SP 
       J. DeGrom NYM 4.55-Cy
       M.Scherzer Wash 4.15
       A.Nola Phi 4.05
        R.Stripling LAD 2.9
        K.Freeland Col 2.9
        J.Lester Chi 2.7
        M.Mikolas StL 2.6
        M. Foltynewicz Atl 2.4  
        P.Corbin Ari 2.35
   

RP  S.Doolittle Wash 2.1
      A.Ottavino Col 2
      K.Yates SD 1.65

AL

C  M.Stassi Hou 1.5
    W.Ramos TB 1.4

1B M.Olson Oak 2.1

      M.Moreland Bos 1.9

2B J.Altuve Hou 3.6

      J.Lowrie Oak 2.25

SS F.Lindor Cle 4.45
     C.Correa Hou 3.05

     A.Simmons LAA 2.8

     J.Segura Sea 2.6

3B J.Ramirez Cle 4.55

     M.Chapman Oak 3.25

     

LF E.Rosario Min 3.05
     

CF M.Trout LAA 5.85-MVP

RF M.Betts Bos 4.25

      A.Judge NYY 3.75
      M.Haniger Sea 3.05

      G.Springer Hou 2.75

DH   JD Martinez Bos 3.45
        M.Davidson CWS 1.1

SP        C.Kluber Cle 4.4-Cy

             J.Verlander Hou 4.05
             L.Severino NYY 3.95
             C.Sale Bos 3.75
             T.Bauer Cle 2.9
             B.Snell TB 2.85

             C.Hamels Tex 2
             JA Happ Tor 2

             M.Boyd Det 1.35

       

RP  A.Chapman NYY 2.5 
      K.Herrera KC 1.9
       R.Bleier Balt 1.6

     

      

This Is (Not) a Mock 2018 NBA Draft (Rnd 1)

Not a prediction, it's my selecting for each team for Round 1 of the 2018 NBA Draft.

1. Phoenix         Luka Doncic PG Slovenia
-  I don't know how far he's falling, but any amount is too far.

2. Sacramento   Deandre Ayton C  Arizona
3. Atlanta           Jaren Jackson PF Michigan St
4. Memphis        Mikal Bridges SF Villanova
5. Dallas           Mo Bamba  C  Texas
6. Orlando         Trae Young PG Oklahoma
7. Chicago          Marvin Bagley C Duke
8. Cleveland      Michael Porter SF Missouri
9. NY                  Mitchell Robinson C HS
10. Philadelphia  De'Anthony Melton SG  USC
11. Charlotte        Collin Sexton PG  Alabama
12. LA Clippers    Zhaire Smith SF TTech
13. LA Clippers   Wendell Carter C  Duke
14. Denver            Miles Bridges F  Michigan St
15. Washington    Robert Williams C Texas A&M
16. Phoenix          Dzanan Musa SF  Bosnia
17. Milwaukee     Kevin Knox F  Kentucky
18. San Antonio   Troy Brown SG Oregon
19. Atlanta           Shai Gilgeous-Alexander G Kentucky
20. Minnesota      Kevin Huerter SG Maryland
21. Utah              Jacob Evans SF Cincinnati 
22. Chicago         Keita Bates-Diop SF  Ohio St
23. Indiana          Lonnie Walker SG Miami
24. Portland          Donte DiVincenzo PG Nova
25. LA Lakers     Gary Trent SG   Duke
26. Philadelphia  Omari Spellman F Nova
27. Boston          Grayson Allen SG Duke
28. GSW            Khyri Thomas SG Creighton
29. Brooklyn      Kenrich Williams SF TCU
30. Atlanta         Kevin Hervey F UT-Arlington

2018 NBA Draft Big Board (1-60)

My (final) big board for the 2018 NBA Draft

1. Luka Doncic  PG  Slovenia
2. Deandre Ayton C  Arizona
3. Jaren Jackson PF Michigan St
4. Mikal Bridges SF Nova
5. Trae Young PG    Oklahoma
6. Mo Bamba  C      Texas
7. Marvin Bagley C  Duke
8. Michael Porter SF  Missouri
9. Zhaire Smith SF   Texas Tech
10. Mitchell Robinson C  High School
11. De'Anthony Melton SG  USC
12. Wendell Carter  C    Duke
13. Miles Bridges F   Michigan St
14. Collin Sexton PG Alabama
15. Jacob Evans SF  Cincinnati
16. Dzanan Musa SF Bosnia
17. Kevin Knox F Kentucky
18. Robert Williams C Texas A&M
19. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander G Kentucky
20. Troy Brown SG Oregon
21. Kevin Huerter SG Maryland
22. Keita Bates-Diop SF  Ohio St
23. Lonnie Walker SG Miami
24. Jevon Carter PG WVA
25. Donte DiVincenzo PG Nova
26. Gary Trent SG   Duke
27. Kevin Hervey F UT-Arlington
28. Kenrich Williams SF TCU
29. Khyri Thomas SG Creighton
30. Omari Spellman PF Nova

31. Landry Shamet PG Wichita St
32. Jalen Brunson PG Nova
33. Grayson Allen SG Duke
30. Josh Okogie  SG  Geo Tech
35. Mortiz Wagner C Michigan
36. Ray Spalding PF Louisville
37. Shake Milton G SMU
38. Jarred Vanderbilt  SF  Kentucky
39. Elie Okobo  PG  France
40. Malik Newman G Kansas
41. Trevon Duval PG Duke
42. Melvin Frazier SF Tulane
43. Bonzie Colson  F NDame
44. Devonte Graham PG Kansas
45. Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk SG Kansas
46. DJ Hogg SF Texas A&M
47. Aaron Holiday SG UCLA
48. Rawle Alkins SG Arizona
49. Isaac Bonga SF Germany
50. Anferee Simons SG High School
51. Vince Edwards F Purdue
52. Theo Pinson SG UNC
53. Chandler Hutchison SG Boise
54. Gary Clark PF Cincinnati
55. Jerome Robinson PG BCollege
56. Gary Clark PF Cincinnati
57. Alize Johnson PF Missouri St
58. Tony Carr PG Penn St
59. Justin Jackson F Maryland
60. Bruce Brown SG Miami

Best Television Shows 2018 (April-June)

January-March is here.

1. The Americans (FX)
2. Barry (HBO)
3. Killing Eve (BBCA)
4. Cobra Kai (YouTube Red)
5. Arrested Development (Netflix)
6. Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (Netflix)
7. Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox)
8. AP Bio (NBC)
9. Billions (Showtime)
10. Silicon Valley (HBO)

The Americans, without question, is one of the 20 greatest dramas in US television history.  It finished its run with a final half of its last episode so good it, on its own, vaults to the top of the list.  Barry and Killing Eve, two shows mixing comedy and drama, both about contract killers, come in next.  Cobra Kai was the biggest and most pleasant suprise we'll have all year; my brother Joe passed away 4 years ago, periodically there will be something in sports or culture that would have been targeted just for him - this is that.  Arrested Development is on my Mt Rushmore for all time sitcoms; I loved its largely panned 4th season - this, however, was more than a little disappointing, and, as the back half of its season is still ahead, we'll see where it lands at year's end.  Kimmy Schmidt has settled into being the Titus show, anything that isn't Titus scoring starts to get shaky.  Nine-Nine and the newcomer AP Bio are top line funny network sitcoms.  Billions is a soap, but a fun one - and Silicon Valley had its weakest season and looks to be near the end of its effectiveness.

Other than Goliath, which is dropping today, and GLOW, which hits at the very end of June, I've watched everything I'm going to see through the first half of the year. So, if there's a show over these 6 months that doesn't appear on either of my lists, it ain't gonna, absent shows like MLB Now, the best sports analysis show on television, which I'll work in as soon as it makes sense.

Athlete of the Month, June 2018

May is here.

Kevin Durant.  Runners-up: Alex Ovechkin, Steph Curry, Justify

Halfway home in the race for the 2018 Athlete of the Year:

     January: Nick Foles
     February: Yuzuru Hanyu
     March: Azura Stevens
     April: Arike Ogunbowale
     May: LeBron James
     June: Kevin Durant