Around Baseball 2022

[jaysblue]

If Yadi makes the HOF, Martin deserves it as well. But yeah Yadi will be considered a first ballot, and Martin likely would have to wait a couple of years for sure.

 

Posey likely will be a first balloter. What about Mauer?

 

In terms of career WAR, Martin is right there with those three. Sad he won't get the recognition as those three names will.

[Terminator]

I dont even know what kind of argument could be made for Perez. He was at one time half decent at defense, but isnt anymore. When he was good at D, he was bad at O, now it's the reverse. Like there's no argument to be made for Sal Perez at all.

 

The dinosaur sports writers will find a way

[connorp]

But Yadier is somehow considered a slam dunk hall of famer.

 

People are weird. Martin hit better, ran the bases better, and defended at an elite level. Has more WAR per season than Yadier. Afterthought HOF?

 

Yadier blew chunks with the bat, didnt run well, and was otherworldly on D. Slam dunk HOF?

 

That’s fair but in the sense of Hall of FAME.. Yady had the Ozzie Smith type generational buzz going for him. He played on the same team, who were a good team consistently… RM was kind of a merc, didn’t have same buzz. I’m just stating the facts of why one is slam dunk and the other isn’t. Not arguing merits

[BTS]

Franmil Reyes f***ing blows and just had a hilarious AB. Culminated in this:

 

[King]

 

Batters across the league are hitting .231/.307/.368 for a league average .305 wOBA this season. WITH Universal DH.

 

MLB should be f***ing ashamed of itself. They turned the hitting sliders down too far. f***ing ridiculous.

[BTS]

Maybe these f***ing idiots could stop rolling out a different ball every few months?

[Laika]

I don't really mind it. Lower scoring games are quicker and more exciting tbh.

[BTS]

I don't really mind it. Lower scoring games are quicker and more exciting tbh.

 

We actually haven't arrived at a bad place: 170 lb slap hitters aren't hitting 30 bombs, and games are frequently flying by in fewer than 2.5 hours. K's are also down, so there are more balls in play. This has actually been really good baseball, in a vacuum. The best in awhile.

 

It's just bush league to keep changing the ball every year (and sometimes mid-year) and significantly changing the the way the game is played.

[Brownie19]

I don't really mind it. Lower scoring games are quicker and more exciting tbh.

 

Might this lead to a change in approach? More contact, more balls in play, more small ball, more action on the field? Couple that with restrictions on shifting and the changes to increase the pace of play (pitch clocks, electronic signs) and we might see some tangible changes to the game environment.

 

This is my own perception, but I do think teams are starting to value players who make more contact...

 

(although restrictions to shifting may lead to more batters sacrifice contact for power again...)

[BTS]

People need to talk more about game times. Last night was glorious:

 

LAD-ARZ - 2H33

CLE-LAA - 2H22

TOR-BOS - 2H16

 

7 games on the schedule, and three were finished in the time it would take for a Hallady vs. Buehrle game to finish.

[King]

People need to talk more about game times. Last night was glorious:

 

LAD-ARZ - 2H33

CLE-LAA - 2H22

TOR-BOS - 2H16

 

7 games on the schedule, and three were finished in the time it would take for a Hallady vs. Buehrle game to finish.

 

I've been busy the last few weeks so haven't been able to watch as much but what has changed to make these game times faster?

[BTS]

I've been busy the last few weeks so haven't been able to watch as much but what has changed to make these game times faster?

 

I think it's mostly the reduction in offense. Maybe they're also gaining time with many catchers no longer giving signs?

[BTS]

People are complaining on Twitter, but is it actually a problem if the league slash line goes from like 245/320/415 in the last few years to like 235/310/380? And it wouldn't be just the ball - sign stealing has effectively been eliminated.

 

Maybe we actually see a return of all-fields contact approaches from smaller guys and more base stealing if the Kevin Pillars and Jonathan Villars of the world can't jack 20-30 homers trying to pull the ball in the air every time they swing.

[Laika]

People need to talk more about game times. Last night was glorious:

 

LAD-ARZ - 2H33

CLE-LAA - 2H22

TOR-BOS - 2H16

 

7 games on the schedule, and three were finished in the time it would take for a Hallady vs. Buehrle game to finish.

 

Yeah it's nice.

 

Also, pitchers have been ahead of hitters I think. Many hitters don't have timing because of the short spring. That will be changing very soon. And pitching is effectively better because more relievers are being used. Once we get into May and SP start going 100 P and hitters have their timing you'll see more offense particularly a TTO spike against SP.

[Olerud363]

Martin compares in many ways with Yadier who is seen as 1st ballot HOF. He compares in some ways with Posey. Posey had more uber elite seasons. But a Catcher should be rewarded for durability and consistent value in the hardest position to play. I've heard more people say Sal Perez should be in the HOF than Martin. I agree Martin will be passed over, which is a shame.

 

I always bring it back to John Olerud, so will again. Martin is similar to Olerud. Both 55ish WAR players with disjointed careers, and lots of seemingly unimpressive 17 homers 60 rbish seasons, sprinkled in with great ones.

 

Both went through a phase where they were insanely under-appreciated in their 20s, and didn't have great traditional stats, but were still hitting good for their respective positions. Both retired at 36 so didn't tack on counting stats at the end, and were part time players at the end. Gives a disjointed feel to their careers as compared to guys that string together their good seasons.

[Laika]

Personally I love sinker/slider org guys like for example Tyler Danish. Love some Tyler Danish.

[Brownie19]

I think it's mostly the reduction in offense. Maybe they're also gaining time with many catchers no longer giving signs?

 

I think they are gaining time with the electronic signs. The pitcher is often getting the sign before he even steps on the rubber. That seems to be keeping the batters in the box more and reducing how often that "time" is called. Somebody must be keeping stats on the time between pitches. I'd be curious to see if it's dropped a lot this year.

[Terminator]

 

So they deadened the ball even more? Why the hell do they keep tinkering with the damn thing.

[King]

Maybe these f***ing idiots could stop rolling out a different ball every few months?

[Pendleton]

Maybe these f***ing idiots could stop rolling out a different ball every few months?

 

I don't remember this ever being a thing until maybe five years ago and now it seems like they can't stop f***ing with it.

[HERPDERP]

Here is the leaked yankee letter:

https://sny.tv/articles/yankees-letter-revealed

[Stangstag]

 

So they deadened the ball even more? Why the hell do they keep tinkering with the damn thing.

 

I was reading it has something to do with the humidor situation. MLB is trying to implement a standardized humidity for baseballs but effectively deadened the ball somehow in the process.

[Brownie19]

I was reading it has something to do with the humidor situation. MLB is trying to implement a standardized humidity for baseballs but effectively deadened the ball somehow in the process.

 

They showed the humidor in Sunday Night Baseball I think...every stadium has one now.

[Grant77]

I think the extra pitchers and the flexibility to play matchups has had the biggest impact on hitting. It used to be a mystery why Jose Bautista would crush Darren O'Day and hit like a pitcher against Jered Weaver, but the teams know this stuff now. They have more flexibility to mix and match to exploit a hitter's weaknesses than ever before.

[John_Havok]

So, uh, Mike Trout hit a check swing homer ? WTF is this?

 

[Terminator]

Lol no way that's real

[BTS]

So, uh, Mike Trout hit a check swing homer ? WTF is this?

 

 

It was a triple and he was stranded at third, but yea.

[Stangstag]

Lol no way that's real

 

Lol nah the swing is from yesterday when he hit a check swing triple down the line. Close enough though

[Jimcanuck]

the numbers show pitchers have the early season advantage, pitching stats get worse April to June. the advantage is probably more pronounced this year due to shortened ST

 

This along with the other things mentioned and here we are

[John_Havok]

MLB and the PA agreed to extend the 14 man max pitchers until the end of May. Overall rosters still decrease, but they'll still be allowed 14 pitchers rather than 13