Perfect for Game 3

    I made this picture of Nico Hoerner using the Comic Book filter on my phone, and.....I really like it. 

    This comes from one of my all-time favorite baseball player photos, and I thought the comic book setting made it look really cool. I've made a lot of pictures using that filter for guys like Tarik Skubal, and will be happy to show some of them off as the playoffs progress, if anybody finds them remotely interesting. 

    

    It's perfect for Game 3 tonight at 5:00 my time. Nico's been a beast thus far in the series, batting .429 through the first two games.

    I didn't realize how much I'm rooting for the Cubs to win it all until I started watching the games (they were the only free ones on ABC). My friend who'll be coming over shortly is a huge Cubs fan, so if they lose tonight we're gonna be sad.

    I said there would be cards for my next post....but I didn't see myself making this one until about ten minutes before it was published. My bad.

    Go cubs go, and good luck to your playoff teams!

The Playoffs Are Upon Us!

        Today the first games of the postseason start. Thus, I will carry on with my yearly tradition of postseason predictions. 

    It was an interesting final day of the regular season this year, with two pairs of AL teams fighting for the division and a pair of NL teams fighting for the last playoff spot in their division. All in all, the bracket ends up looking like this:

     Adding the extra playoff teams makes the postseason longer and lets teams have a shot at making the world series while just barely over .500, but since I can't change that, I don't really care that much.

    There are a few wildcard series that look exciting (I'm especially eyeing the Yankees and Red Sox).

    

    Without further ado, I'll jump right into my predictions. I don't want this post to take five years to read.

WILDCARD SERIES

3. Guardians vs. 6. Tigers

    A couple months into the season I genuinely felt that the Tigers would be the American League team to go to the world series. However, towards the end of the year the club really cooled down, dropping pretty much every Tarik Skubal gem for the last month of the season.

    As of two or three weeks ago I didn't think the Guardians had a shot to make the postseason, but they performed exactly the opposite of the Tigers and went off to ultimately win the division. They may be hot, but I still question their offensive output.

    Perhaps I may be a little bit biased, but I think the Tigers are going to come out on top in this series 

2-1. I think that might be a bad prediction, but the Tigers are more fun in my opinion.

4. Yankees vs. 5. Red Sox

    The Yankees have the offense to go to the World Series. I don't think many would deny that. They have five players with 25+ home runs in the regular season, including that Aaron Judge fellow everybody's talking about. Their pitching staff could use a little bit of work, but the offense could very well make up for that.
    I didn't realize that the Red Sox were headed into the postseason until Sunday, but it's a pleasant revelation. They have a good lineup, one of the best pitchers heading their rotation (taking nothing away from Max Fried), and a closer who gave us a heart attack when pitching for the Rangers in the playoffs, but had a 1.17 ERA in the regular season.

    I was thinking about giving the Yankees the sweep here, but I really think Garrett Crochet is going to win his start. Thus, I give the Yanks the series in three games.

    Now moving on to the National League:

3. Dodgers vs. 6. Reds

    The Dodgers won the World Series last season, and spent more money than most people will ever have on stacking their team even more for the 2025 season. But somehow they didn't look quite so good, due to guys like Roki Sasaki not performing up to expectation, and off years from Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman. Of course they still have a good shot to win it all, but I'm less confident than I was last season. 

    The Reds are a fun team to watch. They have a few exciting superstars in Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene, and pitchers Andrew Abbott and Emilio Pagan have really stepped up when the team needed them to. However, I'm not really sure they'll be able to handle the mighty Dodgers.

    I think Los Angeles is probably going to sweep this one.

4. Cubs vs. 5. Padres

    Of all the NL postseason teams, these are the two I'd be rooting for, so it's a shame that one needs to be eliminated in the first round. 

    I really like the team the Cubs have put together this year. They're extremely strong defensively, and have good bats across their lineup. I think the team's weakest component is their streaky starting staff. With the exception of soon-to-be Rookie of the Year Cade Horton, the starters have been a bit inconsistent. Sometimes they're on, and sometimes....not so much.

    The Padres only hit 152 home runs as a team this season, which seems a little bit uncharacteristic for them. They had some offensive struggles, but star Jackson Merrill has been heating up the last month or so of the season, and could be a force in the postseason. Their pitching staff is quite good too, with a 3.64 season ERA,

    This should be a fun series, but I have the Cubs squeaking out a three game series win.

    I'll move on briefly to the Division and Championship series.

DIVISION SERIES

1. Blue Jays vs. 4 Yankees

    The Blue Jays really surprised me this year, with a good record, mostly supplied by their offense. Kevin Gausman had a great season, but the team as a whole pitched to a 4.19 ERA. I'm not sure that pitching staff will be able to contain the Yankees.

    I have the Yankees winning this one in 4 games.

2. Mariners vs. 6. Tigers
    The Mariners are the hottest team in baseball right now, with an uncharacteristic and surprising good offense to complement a solid pitching staff. MVP contender Cal Raleigh heads an offense which hit 238 home runs, and he will be very fun to watch in the playoffs.

    I believe that the Mariners will take this series in 5 games.

1. Brewers vs, 4. Cubs
    The Brewers had another good season, winning 97 games, good for best in the MLB. They have a great pitching staff and a speedy lineup capable of both limiting runs and scoring them. 

    Even though the Brewers have quite a good team this year, I'm going a little bit risky with my predictions and guessing the Cubs taking this one in 5 games.

2. Phillies vs. 3. Dodgers

    The Phillies were one game behind the Brewers, with 96 wins on the season. They have an impressive pitching staff and good offense all throughout the lineup. Obviously, not having Zack Wheeler available hurts, but a rotation featuring Christopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, Ranger Suarez, and Aaron Nola (though he had an off-season) is still mighty impressive.

    I think the Phils are going to take the series in 5 games and eliminate the Dodgers.

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

2. Mariners vs. 4. Yankees

    I think the Mariners are going to continue their hot streak into the playoffs, and I believe they're going to make their first World Series appearance in franchise history, taking the Yankees in the full 7 games.

2. Phillies vs. 4. Cubs
    I love the Cubs and am rooting for them to win the World Series, but I don't think they'll be able to take down the Phillies. Philadelphia has a combination of great pitching and batting, and will defeat the Cubs in 6 games.

WORLD SERIES

    Thus, I predict a Phillies vs. Mariners World Series. I think that the Phillies will end up defeating the Mariners in 6 games and win their third championship.

    

    

    What predictions do y'all hold for the postseason this year, and who are you rooting to win it all? Hopefully we have an exciting month of baseball to come.

    This post was kinda long and had no baseball cards, which is kinda like, the point of the blog, Don't worry, I have some cards I traded for with some siblings (including some PC needs) that will be featured on my next post. Until then, good luck to your teams, have a great week, and happy collecting!

Check out my ABS

     Alright, alright, sorry for the corny post title. 

    I just found out yesterday that MLB is planning to incorporate the ABS (Automated Ball Strike challenge system) full-time in 2026.  

    For anybody who isn't exactly sure what this system is, it allows a batter, pitcher, or catcher to challenge a ball or strike call, and then using certain technology, the pitch will be determined either ball or strike, and the call changed if a change is deemed necessary (this might have come in handy when I played rec ball).

    Some think that this is a bad innovation, claiming that MLB needs less change to the rules, and doesn't need robots making calls for umpires. I've seen comments saying that human error is a part of the game and should not be changed.

    Others argue that this makes the game more accurate and fair for every team. They have gone on to say that human error should not be a part of the game since there is a very set strike zone. I have seen a number of comments suggesting that MLB should go with fully automated strike zones and take out the home plate umpire altogether.

    Yankees manager Aaron Boone does not like the new system, claiming that Yankee backstops are the best at framing in the game. While this is certainly a bold statement, he does seem to have a point that this system will render the ever-delicate art of framing useless. 

    From the same article cited above, the Orioles call this installment a 'happy marriage between tradition and modern times.' Although I am unsure where the tradition comes into play. 

    Phillies manager Rob Thompson also likes the ABS system, and believes that most (though not all) of the players will also enjoy it.

    There are some mixed opinions on the system, but it seems that the major league consensus is in favor of the new rule's implementation. However, one can only wonder how many new rules will be added into the game and the tension such new rules will cause between the players and the owners.

    What do y'all think about this rule? I'd love to hear what your opinions on this subject are, and if they are as mixed as those of the major leaguers.  

 Based on the general enjoyment of the ABS system being incorporated into the game, there shouldn't be a lockout over this particular rule. However, I have heard that tensions are already building due to talks of salary caps. Let's just not see any more fighting gentleman, please.

Checking In

     I kinda lost track of time. It's been a little bit longer than intended since the last time I posted. And unfortunately, I've done almost nothing in terms of collecting during that time. Life has gotten really busy really fast (and will be getting even more so in the coming weeks), and I've been doing things other than collecting with my free time. 

    I was planning on waiting until the end of the regular season to do a big postseason blog post, but that's a little bit too long away for my liking, so I'll just fill y'all in with what I've been up to the last few months, and sprinkle some not very special cards into the mix.

    I've become a bit of an injury magnet the last three and a half months as compared to the rest of my life. My streak of never having broken a bone came to an end at the end of May when I was struck by an errant baseball and broke my nose. The healing process took longer than expected, but I am happy to report that I'm back to normal...

...until yesterday, when I damaged my eardrum. I didn't fully rupture it, which is obviously a good thing, but the damage I caused it will probably take about a week to heal. For right now I need to be a little bit careful with both loud noises and lifting weights....so I can't blast my hype playlist while getting those gains on the weight set for a week or so.

    I don't want to complain. After all, I got out mighty lucky with both of those injuries and am thankful they weren't worse.

    I have a new guitar I got a few months ago, and have been very slowly teaching myself how to play. I've wanted to play guitar for a long time now, and I'm glad I've finally started doing so.

    

    I am also in the process of looking for a job. I have a pretty good lead on a job opportunity, and will provide more information on the subject if I am to get it.

    Now then, what have I done with baseball cards? Almost nothing since my last post, and very little since May. 

    I got a pack of 2025 Bowman cards when they were first released. I've neglected to comment upon their new design, and will do so presently.

    I know Bowman isn't always very popular among collectors, but I actually really the design they came up with for this year. Although I find it interesting that the players' legs go through the borders.

    On a side note, I'm kinda disappointed that Andrew Painter hasn't performed well in the minors and isn't getting the call up this year as was expected. Then again, the leap from Single-A to Triple-A is a big one. He's got the stuff, he just needs a little more time.  

    I also got a pack from 1994 that peaked my interest:

1994 Fleer Extra Bases Rookie Standout #4

    These card are definitely very interesting. The dimensions are quite different than that of your typical baseball cards. 

    Let's take the 2025 Bowman Shohei Ohtani card. At 6-foot 3-inches, Shohei is a pretty tall dude, noticeable taller than the 5-foot 11-inch Tim Davis:

    Not so, according to the cards. Davis towers over Ohtani, who looks like a shrimp compared to this card. It's the same width of it's Bowman peer, but a little bit over an inch taller. 

    I kinda like the 1994 Fleer Extra Bases set for it's uniqueness. I'm not going to pursue the 400-card set, but I might look into grabbing all 20 of the Rookie Standout cards, assuming it won't be too expensive or difficult to find. 

    Well, that sums up a lot of what I've been doing rather than posting, and also the most interesting additions to the collection in the last few months. Hopefully before long I'll take a trip to the LCS -- I haven't been there in a little while. 

    I'll definitely post before the start of the postseason. I love making those predictions. Until next time, have a great rest of the week, and happy collecting!

Grant Taylor in 200 Words

     You might not know who Grant Taylor is. He was the #90 prospect on Baseball Prospectus coming into the 2025 season. Taylor was born on May 20th, 2002, in Florence Alabama. The right-handed pitcher threw at LSU before being drafted by the White Sox in the second round of the 2023 MLB June Amateur Draft. Taylor progressed through the minors quickly, needing just 20 appearances (11 starts) and 46 innings before being promoted to the majors, skipping Triple-A altogether. Perhaps he got lucky since he plays for the White Sox. Nonetheless, he possessed a 1.57 ERA on the farms. Either way, Taylor throws his fastball in the upper-90s, and reaches 100+ MPH quite often. His other pitches include a cutter, curveball, and slider. Taylor debuted on June 10th, 2025, when he threw a perfect inning in just twelve pitches. Thus far on the season, he has a 4.41 ERA in 16 1/3 innings pitched. He shows much potential as a high-leverage bullpen arm who can miss bats. I'm looking forward to seeing what Grant Taylor can do with some more big-league experience. I hope to see a long and successful career out of the promising young arm.

They Done Nico Dirty

    One of the baseball players that I specifically follow but don't mention too often on the blog is Nico Hoerner. 

(great shot they got for this card)

    I love the way Nico plays the game -- he's living proof that you don't need to hit homers to be a great player. His combination of insane defense and mad bat-to-ball skills makes him a bit of a threat to pitchers, even though they can usually rest assured that they aren't going to be serving up a homer. 

    Anyway.....Nico's been great this year; he is currently batting .287 across 86 games with 51 runs, 37 RBI, and 16 steals. He also sports the best glove among National League second basemen, leading the league in fielding percentage, putouts, and double plays.

    My point? Nico's an All-Star game snub. 

    My real point? Players such as Nico Hoerner are severely underrated.

    I don't think Nico being left out of the All-Star game is a huge deal, except that he said it would be a dream come true to make the roster. No, the real crime is how undervalued players like him are.

    They aren't particularly flashy since he's not batting .320 or hitting a bunch of homers, but his fielding is elite, as well as his speed. These factors are helping the Cubs win games.

    I don't rely heavily on advanced statistics such as WAR, but to prove a point, I suppose I'll use it.

    Seiya Suzuki (another All-Star snub, by the way) is slashing .260/.319/561 with 25 home runs and a league-leading 77 RBI in 86 games, and has a WAR of 2.1. The statistic is saying he has won the Cubs 2.1 more games than a league-average replacement.

    Nico Hoerner, on the other hand, has 3 home runs. However, his WAR is 3.5, suggesting that he has won one and a half more contests for the team than Seiya Suzuki has (versus an average backup, of course).

    Now, I don't use WAR to determine how good a player is. Suzuki has been much better on offense than Nico, and I don't think anybody would question that. 

    The thing I do appreciate about WAR is that it takes defense into account. Suzuki is a pretty bad fielder, and Nico is the best fielder at his position, which is why the stat leans in favor of Nico. 

    The bottom line is that Nico Hoerner exceeds at defense while also providing decent numbers with the bat (not to mention his miniscule 6.8% strikeout percentage). And I feel that players like that are criminally underrated since they aren't as flashy.

    But, that's just my opinion on the matter. I'd be interested in seeing how anybody else feels on the subject. 

    Until next time, have a great week, thanks for reading (and sorry for the extended rant 😂) and happy collecting!

Name My Team?

     Howdy folks! I've got a sort of a contest for y'all, although there's no prize for the winner (😔). It's just for fun.

    My fantasy football league just opened for the 2025-2026 season, and I don't know what to name 'em. 

    Last year they were Garappolos Tortoise -- since Jimmy Garoppolo was one of the few players I knew. But, with a new season comes a new name, and I'm in the mood for some fun.

    So please feel free to leave a comment with a suggestion for my fantasy football team's name. I will pick the name I like best, and choose that one for my team. Suggestions will run until Opening Day, I guess. I didn't think it through too hard before doing it (the idea came to mind like 7 minutes ago).

    Until next time, have a great week, and happy collecting!