Around Baseball 2017

Terminator · April 24, 2017

Remember when he was an All-Star? Good times

Grant77 · April 24, 2017

Steve Delaballs suspended for PED

The drug he got caught for is used to treat the side effects of anabolic steroids, but is not really an effective performance enhancer on it's own. That's interesting.

TheHurl · April 24, 2017

Weighted balls are tough to lift

BigCecil · April 24, 2017

lol

Clearly PEDs do not help you throw strikes, but they do help you be able to pick up weighted balls.

Candy Maldonado · April 24, 2017

The drug he got caught for is used to treat the side effects of anabolic steroids, but is not really an effective performance enhancer on it's own. That's interesting.

that's not true. Ostarine is a SARM. It's like a mild pro hormone.

BTS · April 24, 2017

Eric Thames just hit his 9th homer. This is unreal.

jays_fever · April 25, 2017

508 ISO through 80 AB's

bendera3 · April 25, 2017

Eric Thames just hit his 9th homer. This is unreal.

The pitcher should just throw the ball over the fence and save some time.

Gary · April 25, 2017

Makes you wonder if Delabar got his gear from Colabello...

King · April 25, 2017

Another one

BTS · April 25, 2017

Holy f***.

Angrioter · April 25, 2017

Chocolate Thunder

jays4life19 · April 25, 2017

I had Garrett in DFS tonight. f*** you chocolate thunder. f*** you so hard.

Abomination · April 25, 2017

Eric Thames just hit his 9th homer. This is unreal.

I'm still not completely convinced he's a legit everyday player, but that is one hell of a tear he's on.

John_Havok · April 25, 2017

I'm still not completely convinced he's a legit everyday player, but that is one hell of a tear he's on.

http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=3711&position=OF

Seems like the pitchers really need to stop throwing him low and away and start busting him on the inner half

jaysfan2014 · April 25, 2017

And now Thames just hit his 10th! What's the record for fastest to 10 HRs in a season to start?

Laika · April 25, 2017

http://www.fangraphs.com/zonegrid.aspx?playerid=3711&position=OF

Seems like the pitchers really need to stop throwing him low and away and start busting him on the inner half

Click on SLG or ISO - he is killing pitches inside.

Really he is killing all pitches.

Maahfaace · April 25, 2017

Man I wish he was a Jay

MunenoriKawasakiMVP · April 25, 2017

Eric Thames is a poor man's Barry Bonds at this point. Pina and Braun are also raking for the Brew Crew this year.

Laika · April 25, 2017

Eric Thames is a poor man's Barry Bonds at this point. Pina and Braun are also raking for the Brew Crew this year.

Thames' current wOBA and wRC+ are higher than Bonds' best seasons. He's a rich man's Bonds.

Of course, Thames has a 23% k rate and .400 BABIP, so to some extent his numbers are lucky. How much is TBD.

Gary · April 25, 2017

It's all the Asian hotties he banged while playing in China the last few years.

MunenoriKawasakiMVP · April 25, 2017

Thames' current wOBA and wRC+ are higher than Bonds' best seasons. He's a rich man's Bonds.

Of course, Thames has a 23% k rate and .400 BABIP, so to some extent his numbers are lucky. How much is TBD.

Nah he'll regress for sure. The question now is how much. I think he is at least a ,900 OPS hitter but if the pitchers don't find a hole in his swing the sky is the limit for him.

Abomination · April 25, 2017

Nah he'll regress for sure. The question now is how much. I think he is at least a ,900 OPS hitter but if the pitchers don't find a hole in his swing the sky is the limit for him.

Last year only 16 qualified players broke the .900 OPS mark, 2015 only 11. That seems unlikely to me. If he maintains the plate discipline though and pitchers don't make an adjustment, I could see .850. I don't think he'll settle in that high, but he certainly wouldn't be the first guy to find himself and break out.

baseballsss · April 25, 2017

Last year only 16 qualified players broke the .900 OPS mark, 2015 only 11. That seems unlikely to me. If he maintains the plate discipline though and pitchers don't make an adjustment, I could see .850. I don't think he'll settle in that high, but he certainly wouldn't be the first guy to find himself and break out.

lol doesn't this mean he'll just keep tearing the league a part?

vdubmvp · April 25, 2017

Pfft, stupidly posting this in the GDT first...

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/yonder-alonso-athletics-letter-to-my-younger-self/

I like hearing from the players in their own words.

P2F · April 25, 2017

Pfft, stupidly posting this in the GDT first...

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/yonder-alonso-athletics-letter-to-my-younger-self/

I like hearing from the players in their own words.

This was a fantastic read. Thank you for posting.

Boxcar · April 25, 2017

Pfft, stupidly posting this in the GDT first...

https://www.theplayerstribune.com/yonder-alonso-athletics-letter-to-my-younger-self/

I like hearing from the players in their own words.

tl;dr

P2F · April 25, 2017

Puig with the laser dart cannon to get Belt at the plate:

http://m.mlb.com/video/?content_id=1318959783&topic_id=6479266

Edited April 25, 2017 by P2F

burlingtonbandit · April 25, 2017

Last year only 16 qualified players broke the .900 OPS mark, 2015 only 11. That seems unlikely to me. If he maintains the plate discipline though and pitchers don't make an adjustment, I could see .850. I don't think he'll settle in that high, but he certainly wouldn't be the first guy to find himself and break out.

He's projected to be over .850 so I'd say its a reasonable bet for him to be over .900 this year. Miller Park helps him out.