152 replies to this topic

[Slidemaster]

The last time we were in the playoffs was our free swinging era.

This team takes great at bats up and down the lineup.

Great point. Organizationally they are doing a much better job of that

[BaltBird 24]

Crazy we're only 1.5 games back of TB after their 20-3 start.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Holy crap. They beat Alcantara.

One of my fears is if these guys can get to playoff caliber pitching. Doesn't get much more playoff caliber than him.

He’s still solid and has it in him at times. But this isn’t a holy crap IMHO. I’ll take it, but he fell to 3-8 tonight with a 4.64 ERA on the year. xFIP 4.05. Labored, as he has all year.

[Slidemaster]

He’s still solid and has it in him at times. But this isn’t a holy crap IMHO. I’ll take it, but he fell to 3-8 tonight with a 4.64 ERA on the year. xFIP 4.05. Labored, as he has all year.

Yeah I just checked his stats and was surprised he's been as average as he has been. Still, as you said, he's far from a bad pitcher.

[Slidemaster]

Crazy we're only 1.5 games back of TB after their 20-3 start.

Honestly, they haven't had a team this good since 2014, and I think the argument can be made that this one has higher upside and might be better built for the postseason.

They need to buy at the deadline, and not just a bullpen arm or two. They need to go for it. Timelines be damned, this team has a chance to win the division and they are young enough that they don't need all the pieces they have in the minors. Go get Goldy. Go get Cease. Go get Montgomery. Have some balls and go for it. This team can beat anybody.

[You Play to Win the Game]

Yeah I just checked his stats and was surprised he's been as average as he has been. Still, as you said, he's far from a bad pitcher.

Lot of great pitchers having meh years. All over the place.

[Slidemaster]

Lot of great pitchers having meh years. All over the place.

As someone who drafted Manoah, Woodruff, and McClanahan in my fantasy league, trust me - I know.

Okay. I guess two are injured and McClanahan has been good when out there. But still. It sucks.

[jamesdean]

Great point. Organizationally they are doing a much better job of that

I think overall throughout the sport, there's been a shift towards the importance of working an at bat, making a pitcher pile up the count, etc...There seems to be more value for OBP and of course, OPS.  Batting averages are becoming irrelevant, though. 

[Mike B]

Lot of great pitchers having meh years. All over the place.

The elimination of the shift??

[You Play to Win the Game]

The elimination of the shift??

I don’t know why I always forget about this one when thinking about the rule changes and the impact on the pitching environment this year, but it’s a big one. Good call. Alcantara has a 50% GB rate and a 42% pull rate. Even last night the O’s got a couple hits against him that the shift would’ve prevented.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

I don’t know why I always forget about this one when thinking about the rule changes and the impact on the pitching environment this year, but it’s a big one. Good call. Alcantara has a 50% GB rate and a 42% pull rate. Even last night the O’s got a couple hits against him that the shift would’ve prevented.

Ced says hi. More balls are in play against him though. The more balls in play the better the chance of a player reaching base. The more runners on base thr higher the chance they score. Hes never been a huge K guy. So last year was on on the better ends of his outcomes and this year closer to the lower end. I habent looked at under the hood stuff but Im guessing little has changed. I do love that he is a workhorse. Dude throws innings

[CantonJester]

Ced says hi. More balls are in play against him though. The more balls in play the better the chance of a player reaching base. The more runners on base thr higher the chance they score. Hes never been a huge K guy. So last year was on on the better ends of his outcomes and this year closer to the lower end. I habent looked at under the hood stuff but Im guessing little has changed. I do love that he is a workhorse. Dude throws innings

 

Marlins announcers were talking about his struggles this year to throw his changeup for strikes. I looked at FanGraphs - and apparently his changeup was 24.6 runs above average last year. This year it's -5.4.

[85Knight]

The elimination of the shift??

That's a very good point. Numbers have to go down.