baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
The Dodgers: Kings of Weak Contact
The Dodgers have been the best pitching staff in baseball this year. They lead the league in fWAR amongst starting and relief pitchers, and they’ve been rolling through teams. They do all the things you would expect an elite staff to do. They strike out a great deal of batters (25.4% K%) and don’t walk many, either (7.1% BB%), giving them the third best K-BB% in the league.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
It’s Time to Start Giving Zack Godley Your Attention
Earlier in a post I wrote as the D-Backs were looking more and more like legitimate contenders, I highlighted Zack Godley as someone who was having a good deal of success. The Arizona rotation is strong. Zack Greinke and Robbie Ray are great, but Zack Godley has continued to fly under the radar.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Lindor Versus Correa Versus Bogaerts: Battle of the Elite Shortstops
There’s quite the disparity between the best three shortstops in the AL and the rest of the shortstops in the league. In 2016, Francisco Lindor was worth 6.3 fWAR, Carlos Correa was worth 4.9 fWAR and Xander Bogaerts was worth 4.7 fWAR — then the next closest AL SS was Troy Tulowitzki, worth only 2.8 fWAR. That’s quite the gap between tier one and tier two for AL shortstops.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
Robbie Grossman or Joey Votto?
First off the answer is Joey Votto regardless of whatever question I was going to ask. But lets play a little game. Can you tell me which of these two players is Robbie Grossman based on these plate discipline numbers from this year?
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
The Brewers, White Sox, Angels, and Starting a Rebuild on the Cheap Bullpen
We’re coming up on trade season once again, and it’ll soon be time for teams to overbuy on rentals or role players. We’re also coming across the midst of a bullpen revolution when teams are using relievers more than ever.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Aaron Judge: Major League and Small Town Folk Hero
On Sunday, Aaron Judge did this: View on Twitter That ball left the bat at 118.6 MPH and traveled a projected 495 ft. It’s tied with a Kris Bryant bomb for the second longest HR in the Statcast era (since 2015 when these estimates were taken), but Giancarlo Stanton’s record holding 504 ft HR was aided no doubt by the elevation at Coors Field. Regardless, this is something that human beings shouldn’t be able to do, and adds on to the folk hero status that Judge holds. This is just the day before Judge set the record for the hardest hit ball in the Statcast era:
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Unbalanced Trade Deadline Series: Yu Darvish
It’s almost the time where the Rangers are all but done. In an AL Wild Card race that is still as crowded as hipsters at a cold brew coffee shop, the Rangers find themselves outside the race despite being 3.5 games back. Competing is a long shot because of the quality of the teams that stand in front of them and it’s hard for anyone to envision jumping up and catching the Yankees or Rays when your starting pitching is suffocating your chances. The farm system is barren and they have to capitalize on trading pieces while they can, retooling at the least.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Chris Sale Is on the Cusp of History
I am touching sacred ground here, but Chris Sale is approaching 1999 Pedro Martinez levels right now. The fellow Boston righty strikes out a lot of people as you are well aware, I’m sure. He’s also incredible at not walking batters either. This year, he’s posted a K% of 36.1% and a BB% of 4.7% for a K-BB% of 31.4%. Were the season to end today it’d be the second highest single season mark (amongst starters) of all time, only behind 1999 Pedro Martinez (33.1% K-BB%).
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Zack Greinke and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Year
Zack Greinke had one of the most dominating stretches in baseball history with the Dodgers. In his three-and-a-bit years with the Boys in Blue, Greinke went 51-15 (that’s a .773 W-L%!) with a 2.30 ERA, 2.97 FIP, and a 1.027 WHIP. In his 2015 season, he went 19–3 with a 1.66 ERA — the lowest in a single season since Greg Maddux pitched to a 1.63 ERA in 1995.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
Lonnie Chisenhall: Flyball Connoisseur
Flyballs. It’s the sabermetric and baseball buzzword for the year and for good reason. Flyballs can transform careers, making players into offensive juggernauts. But there is always a breaking point and a balance to be found for each and every player.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
This Is What the Dodgers Were Built For
(All stats through 6/18)* Pitchers are ever so delicate beings. There is nothing that should be expected when it comes to pitcher durability. Even the best of them, like Clayton Kershaw, break down or catch some bad luck from time to time.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Rookies to Watch in 2017
It’s finally that time of the year — baseball season. There’s a handful of rookies in both the American and National League that are sure to make an impact at the big league level in 2017. Let’s take a look at a few of these future stars.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
