Around Baseball 2023

[Laika]

Shutdowns and Meltdowns on Fangraphs assess that

[Olerud363]

The blown saves is a misleading stat.

 

There were games and will be games where we were only down 1 or 2 or tied and the pen turned it into a blow out. Successful teams have pens that keep it close and give the offense a chance to win. None of those poor performances show up as BS/S/H stats etc...

 

This has only happened once this year, the Houston game. But you can't say it was an awful move replacing Berrios with Pop, given the performance of Berrios the last 18 months.

 

The stats show starters will get wrecked 4th time through the order so you keep them in their you will probably get burned more than by going to the pen, even if the pen isn't elite.

[Jimcanuck]

On this episode of “Cleveland develops another homegrown ace”….

 

 

And this is after Logan Allen debuted this past week as well. Both college arms drafted in the 4th-5th rounds who zipped through the minors with absurdly high K-rates.

 

Honestly comical how the Guardians keep doing this.

 

Also today they promoted Gavin Williams to AAA, a guy considered better than Allen and Bibee.

[Carlos Danger]

Also today they promoted Gavin Williams to AAA, a guy considered better than Allen and Bibee.

 

*Jim owns in Fantasy

[Jimcanuck]

*Jim owns in Fantasy

 

* Also Bibee

[Carlos Danger]

I just read that Marly Rivera was fired for calling another female reporter a C#%t. Shame, one little thing can ruin a 13 yr career with the same employer.

 

Marly was good and I always like hearing her scoop on the Yankees etc.

 

I hope someone else picks her up.

[Carlos Danger]

* Also Bibee

 

I have a share of the Bibee, not to be confused with Beiber the pitcher, or Canada’s darling or a Beaver, Canada’s other mascot.

[Ray]

Also today they promoted Gavin Williams to AAA, a guy considered better than Allen and Bibee.

 

I forgot about Gavin Williams. There's also Daniel Espino if he ever gets healthy.

 

They might end up trading Shane Bieber in the offseason for a haul and not even miss a beat.

[Carlos Danger]

I forgot about Gavin Williams. There's also Daniel Espino if he ever gets healthy.

 

They might end up trading Shane Bieber in the offseason for a haul and not even miss a beat.

 

Watch out for Joey Cantillo sleeper pick.

[Jimcanuck]

I forgot about Gavin Williams. There's also Daniel Espino if he ever gets healthy.

 

They might end up trading Shane Bieber in the offseason for a haul and not even miss a beat.

 

If they intend to move Bieber, most likely be at the trade deadline

[Pendleton]

 

Carved up the Rays tonight

[Orgfiller]

Rays lose, now have lost two series against non garbage teams. Shut out twice in a row at home.

[Orgfiller]

Jordan Walker sent down?

 

Seems sudden. I read he was struggling on D too, so I guess that expand it some too

 

Is there more to the story? He was hitting .274 with great exit velocities, apparently not the greatest d, and not huge power despite the exit velocity.

 

Vlad would have been sent down several times in 2019 and 2020 if they had decided to send him down when he was about where Walker is right now.

 

He's been in a prolonged slump hitting for little power with lots of Ks while being awful defensively in RF. He's just not a contributor at the MLB level right now, certainly not in the outfield.

 

Vlad had generational hitting talent, never had issues with strikeouts, and unlike Walker completely dominated the minors. Walker's 128 wRC+ in AA last season as a 20 year old makes for a great prospect, but at a younger age Vlad was making a mockery of the upper minors. They're not that comparable. And believe it or not, Walker's groundball rate right now is worse than Vladdy's has ever been at the MLB level. 60%, barf.

[glory]

The Rays are 2-4 against the only good teams they have faced this season.

 

Of course they face the White Sox next.

[BTS]

Why are the Braves continuing to roster Ozuna? Just AA's pride?

[Solaxys]

Topa served up some meatball sinkers to Phillies who come back and take the lead in 8th.

Mariners using lot of bullpen.

[Jonn]

Pirates can’t be stopped. Just rolling over the Dodgers. America’s Team!

[John_Havok]

Rays lose 1-0.

 

They’ve played two series against good teams, lost them both.

[Jonn]

A lot of people keep saying that. But the Rays beat up on the teams they are suppose to beat. That’s why they are consistently contenders every year. Most teams have slip ups against the bottom feeders. Rays execute them

[Grant77]

Topa served up some meatball sinkers to Phillies who come back and take the lead in 8th.

Mariners using lot of bullpen.

 

That can't be bad, but none of their 3 good relievers made an appearance, unfortunately. We'll get a heavy dose of Munoz, Sewald, and Brash.

 

The good news is that they have 3 good starters and 2 s***** ones. We face the 2 s***** ones after Castillo in game 1.

[WryNGinger]

Interesting that the Jays draw the 3rd highest attendance in opposing teams stadiums. Almost 33,000 per game.

[Solaxys]

That can't be bad, but none of their 3 good relievers made an appearance, unfortunately. We'll get a heavy dose of Munoz, Sewald, and Brash.

 

The good news is that they have 3 good starters and 2 s***** ones. We face the 2 s***** ones after Castillo in game 1.

 

Ya, but they have one more game tomorrow. They might have to burn one or two of those. Can hope!

 

And I think Munoz is still on IL, might get activated soon though.

[Stangstag]

Rays lose 1-0.

 

They’ve played two series against good teams, lost them both.

 

This pleases me

[Brownie19]

f*** - you guys see this Maggi guy tonight for Pittsburgh? The guy who spent 13 years in the minors? Pinch hit in the 8th inning....swings and rips the first pitch deep, but foul....takes a moment to soak it all in and of course he f***ing gets called for a pitch clock violation. He ended up striking out. Rooting for this guy to get a base knock before the ride is over.

[jaysblue]

Pirates can’t be stopped. Just rolling over the Dodgers. America’s Team!

 

Johnny Depp is happy!

[jaysblue]

Rays lose 1-0.

 

They’ve played two series against good teams, lost them both.

 

I'm down another $10 haha. 1-2 so far so its working!

[jaysblue]

Interesting that the Jays draw the 3rd highest attendance in opposing teams stadiums. Almost 33,000 per game.

 

Those stadiums are a lot better than the Rogers Centre that's why haha

[Olerud363]

He's been in a prolonged slump hitting for little power with lots of Ks while being awful defensively in RF. He's just not a contributor at the MLB level right now, certainly not in the outfield.

 

Vlad had generational hitting talent, never had issues with strikeouts, and unlike Walker completely dominated the minors. Walker's 128 wRC+ in AA last season as a 20 year old makes for a great prospect, but at a younger age Vlad was making a mockery of the upper minors. They're not that comparable. And believe it or not, Walker's groundball rate right now is worse than Vladdy's has ever been at the MLB level. 60%, barf.

 

After his worst stretches in 2019 and 2020 Vlad superficially looked worse than Walker does now, hitting .220 over his first 25 or so games in both 2019 and 2020. The fact he dominated aa and aaa a bit more than Walker could have been an argument in favor of sending him down as you could say Vlad was farther from his potential than Walker is, so why waste service time when he was playing at replacement level??

 

Julio Rodriquez was worse over his first 20 games last year. Kelenic was way worse and given way more rope (though was eventually sent down a couple of times after hitting sub .200 through a couple hundred at bats).

 

Just seems an unusual way to treat a young player after 20 games. I totally get he probably wasn't playing as well as the .275 batting average indicated. However traditionally once calling a young player up, teams don't send them down until it's glaringly obvious they need to be down.

 

Plus isn't there like some incentives to keep a guy up the whole year? Like they get a draft pick if he finishes in top 3 rookie of the year. Would have made more sense to give him 20 more games and then evaluate.

[Pendleton]

[Orgfiller]

After his worst stretches in 2019 and 2020 Vlad superficially looked worse than Walker does now, hitting .220 over his first 25 or so games in both 2019 and 2020. The fact he dominated aa and aaa a bit more than Walker could have been an argument in favor of sending him down as you could say Vlad was farther from his potential than Walker is, so why waste service time when he was playing at replacement level??

 

Julio Rodriquez was worse over his first 20 games last year. Kelenic was way worse and given way more rope (though was eventually sent down a couple of times after hitting sub .200 through a couple hundred at bats).

 

Just seems an unusual way to treat a young player after 20 games. I totally get he probably wasn't playing as well as the .275 batting average indicated. However traditionally once calling a young player up, teams don't send them down until it's glaringly obvious they need to be down.

 

Plus isn't there like some incentives to keep a guy up the whole year? Like they get a draft pick if he finishes in top 3 rookie of the year. Would have made more sense to give him 20 more games and then evaluate.

 

First of all, I don't know why you're so obsessed with the batting average, given that Walker is hitting for no power, while Vladdy in his first month was at least hitting for some (.181 ISO in his first). Walker also has an awful K/BB, Vlad had a 20% K rate and 10% walk rate, both indicative of a much better approach. And then the easier to justify part, the Blue Jays were not that good of a team and could afford to give their top prospect more rope, the Cards want to be competitive, and can't have the worst defensive outfielder in the majors who's just average offensively to drag down their production when they need wins.

 

The fact he dominated aa and aaa a bit more than Walker could have been an argument in favor of sending him down as you could say Vlad was farther from his potential than Walker is, so why waste service time when he was playing at replacement level??

 

This argument makes zero sense. Vlad dominating the minors means there's nothing else for him to prove by sending him down, it's just a waste of development time for him. Walker could actually use some more development, as his hitting approach clearly has some flaws and the defense needs major work. He did not dominate AA, he merely did well at it at a good age. Julio Rodriguez and Kelenic both had far more MiLB success at younger ages, and the latter got sent down multiple times so I don't get the point that he was babied, at least Rodriguez and Kelenic weren't butchers in the outfield.

 

It's pretty clear Walker is not a finished product, he needs more development both defensively and offensively. The Cards thought he was more of a finished product and had the athleticism to learn RF on the fly in the MLB, obviously this has not been the case.