Around Baseball 2021

[King]

So how does this change how we evaluate prospects? There was a few year period where any contact hitter got a value boost because he would come up and hit 30 home runs. I don't think we are going to see that anymore.

 

Is the goal to just look for kids with big exit velocities that hit the ball hard?

[BTS]

wRC+ values are routinely catching me off guard this year.

 

Gallo 209/365/361 and a 113 wRC+

Dickerson 279/344/388 and 109

Y. Diaz 256/377/300 and 107

 

With league OBP down to 0.313, a ~0.350 OBP is so much better than average that you basically don't need any power to be an above-average hitter.

[King]

wRC+ values are routinely catching me off guard this year.

 

Gallo 209/365/361 and a 113 wRC+

Dickerson 279/344/388 and 109

Y. Diaz 256/377/300 and 107

 

With league OBP down to 0.313, a ~0.350 OBP is so much better than average that you basically don't need any power to be an above-average hitter.

Yasmani Grandal is hitting 136/391/364 with more home runs than singles and a 30% BB rate. 126 wRC+ lol

[Dr. Dinger]

Puts Vlad’s absurd line into even more stark contrast.

[Laika]

It's kind of crazy. DJ LeMahieu is back to a .087 ISO guy. Gleyber Torres has a sub .100 ISO. The new ball basically ended Elvis Andrus career. The wRC+ leaderboard is full of slap hitters who used to hit 20-30 home runs but are running sub .100 ISOs now. David Fletcher is f***ing trash now. Dom Smith is trash now.

 

It's completely fair to say that the fringe power guys who were boosted by the juiced ball, had an UNO reverse card pulled on them and are running .050 ISOs instead of .200.

 

Really don't understand how there isn't more outrage over this. Millions of dollars are at stake and Manfred, as I believe BTS said, is treating the game like MLB The Show sliders.

 

I dunno. Maybe I'm wrong and it's just that those guys were meant to suck this year. There are some non-power guys who are still having ok ISO years. It seems like more doubles power than home run power though. Like Adam Frazier.

 

I kind of like that these slapdick hitters are slapdick hitters again. Was getting sick of seeing twerps like DJL and Cavan Biggio hit a bunch of cheap homers.

 

It just sucks that it is happening at the same time as all of these pitchers evolving into legendaries with their spin science and advanced training and pitch design.

 

A lot of these hitters need to revert their approaches to the dumb up the middle, take it the other way for a single s***.

[BTS]

Yasmani Grandal is hitting 136/391/364 with more home runs than singles and a 30% BB rate. 126 wRC+ lol

 

Jesus

[King]

I kind of like that these slapdick hitters are slapdick hitters again. Was getting sick of seeing twerps like DJL and Cavan Biggio hit a bunch of cheap homers.

 

It just sucks that it is happening at the same time as all of these pitchers evolving into legendaries with their spin science and advanced training and pitch design.

 

A lot of these hitters need to revert their approaches to the dumb up the middle, take it the other way for a single s***.

 

I agree that I don't think those types of players should be massive home run hitters. I do find the flip flopping back and forth from Manfred annoying.

 

There was an "Air Ball Revolution" a few years ago where everyone just wanted to get the ball in the air because you could hit cheap homers, and it obviously worked. Now these air ball hitters are f***ed because their homers are going for lazy flyouts. It'll be interesting to see who adjust their approach to what you said.

[Orgfiller]

Yasmani Grandal is hitting 136/391/364 with more home runs than singles and a 30% BB rate. 126 wRC+ lol

 

I mean this line is hilarious but it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that a guy with a .391 OBP is rated as a very good hitter. With that OBP you basically need to have a .200 SLG to be below average.

[King]

I mean this line is hilarious but it shouldn't be surprising to anyone that a guy with a .391 OBP is rated as a very good hitter. With that OBP you basically need to have a .200 SLG to be below average.

True

[glory]

My guess is Manfred deadened the ball so that hitters stop swinging for the fences as much and shift their approach. The issue is that pitchers are so good now that even making contact is difficult, whether it's in the air or otherwise. With how bad this season has been in terms of offense, they will almost certainly start incorporating those experimental rule changes because long term this is not good for the sport.

 

Although I am glad that the deadened baseball, if nothing else, has hurt the hitters who hit cheapo HR's. Unfortunately that list includes Biggio so it hurts the Jays, but at least it makes the HR a bit more an accomplishment.

[G-Snarls]

I'm kind of glad we traded Noah Syndergaard.

 

It would have been heartbreaking to have on the team and see him go through all these ups and downs

[Dr. Dinger]

What’s heartbreaking is holding him in two dynasty leagues through several seasons of contention.

[BTS]

Willians Astudillo has gone 126 PA and counting without a walk.

[Brownie19]

I watched a pretty interesting clip on the MLB Network yesterday regarding offense in baseball (https://www.mlb.com/video/mlb-now-on-boosting-offense?t=mlb-network).

 

Here are some stats illustrating how difficult it is to produce v. high velocity.

 

 

They believe the solution is to 'blunt' velocity and one of there recommended solutions was to lower the strike zone. They explained the top of the strike zone is technical the mid point between the shoulders and the belt (not sure I even knew that). I think at one point he suggested we make it the belt, but then backtracked a bit and said to just lowering it a few inches. They then showed these stats on high fastballs.

 

 

This would eliminate the high strike and allow hitters to lay off that pitch (those who can develop the eye to do so).

 

They also talked about the shift and how it continues to get better. They provided the following summary to support that and discusses the merits of implementing restrictions on the shift.

 

 

I thought it was actually a quality piece from MLB. Thought I'd share.

[BTS]

Snitker watching yet another lead evaporate, letting known shitbag Drew Smyly implode in the 6th at Fenway with an off day tomorrow and a rested pen.

[Jimcanuck]

Kyle Glaser in his chat the other day says the offensive struggles has more to do with hitters timing being off ie. the early season pitcher advantage is extended this year. Due to the shortened 2020 season, higher injury absences.....

[Ray]

Damn, imagine if we signed Gausman in the offseason. Apparently we offered him a 3 year deal in the $40M range.

 

Feels bad man.

[Abomination]

Unhappy with the circumstances, Cards manager Mike Shildt came out to voice his displeasure with the inspection, citing the wrong time of a big game to make any sort of statement by checking for illegal substances that give an advantage to pitchers.

 

Uhhh, so the right time to check is when the game doesn't matter and there's no obvious black mark on the brim of the hat?

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/giovanny-gallegos-hat-taken-by-umpires-in-cardinals-win

[Laika]

I wonder if Toronto will take a look at Josh Lindblom. Bloated ERA but the stuff under the hood looks like it should play. Spin king and had a 3.88 FIP last year while mostly starting. They tried to get him when he came back from Korea.

 

Right now, he's either signing a minor league deal or replacing probably just Ty Tice.

[wilko]

I wonder if Toronto will take a look at Josh Lindblom. Bloated ERA but the stuff under the hood looks like it should play. Spin king and had a 3.88 FIP last year while mostly starting. They tried to get him when he came back from Korea.

 

Right now, he's either signing a minor league deal or replacing probably just Ty Tice.

 

He's worth a look.

[G-Snarls]

Willians Astudillo has gone 126 PA and counting without a walk.

 

Arencibia-esque

[G-Snarls]

Nobody seems to want to win the NL East...

[BTS]

Javy Baez just did something great and is now Will Craig's father.

[BTS]

[wilko]

 

Wow. Was the throw to first that bad he had to come off the base?

[Orgfiller]

 

This is terrific from Baez but also in contention for the worst/most braindead play of all time from the first baseman.

[Brownie19]

I thought as soon as you go backwards on a force play, you are out. I could be wrong on that, or perhaps running to 1st isn't considered a force play?

 

The 1st baseman is very stupid. Take 2 steps back and touch first and none of that happens and then even if he's stupid enough to chase Baez backwards - throw it to the catcher sooner.

[Orgfiller]

I thought as soon as you go backwards on a force play, you are out. I could be wrong on that, or perhaps running to 1st isn't considered a force play?

 

The 1st baseman is very stupid. Take 2 steps back and touch first and none of that happens and then even if he's stupid enough to chase Baez backwards - throw it to the catcher sooner.

 

I don't think this is a thing at all. Why would that even be a rule? Runners get deked all the time on shallow line drives/pop ups which may or may not drop. Baez was totally within his rights to do what he did, it's like you said, the 1B should have taken a couple of steps back and finished the inning.

 

I think the run only counted once Baez reached first however, because of the force play at first. So just a horrific defensive miscue by the entire Pirates defense.

[Scion]

Am I missing something, why didn't the 1B just touch the bag at 1st?

[wilko]

Am I missing something, why didn't the 1B just touch the bag at 1st?

 

He's an idiot.