Around Baseball 2026

[BTS]

6 minutes ago, Sorrow said:

That’s actually insane BTS lol.

 

On another note Rich Harden has my favourite all time pitch in the spluckle which was either a knuckleball that split or a splitter that knuckled.

Rich Harden was so nasty. One of the most fun pitchers of that era to watch. Shame he couldn't stay healthy. 

[BTS]

1 minute ago, Brownie19 said:

Those are wild stats.  I stubbled across his name and numbers at some point as well - I can fall down a rabbit hole on fangraphs with the best of them.  

I also remember when Bob Welch was the best pitcher in baseball because he was 27-6.  I was 9.  A 27 win season produced 1.8 WAR, LOL.

I think I would have guessed Dave Stewart, simply because I assume he threw like 275+ innings a few years.

You would have got it right! Stewart had a 205 K season in Oakland. 

[Terminator]

2 hours ago, BTS said:

So I just lost Immaculate Grid because I couldn't guess an A's pitcher with 200+ Ks in a season (I guessed Rich Harden). 

But it led me down a rabbit hole to a guy named Rube Waddell, who struck out 302 guys in 1903 and 349 guys in 1904. Which is crazy because nobody struck out in that era. The third highest K/9 of qualified starters from 1903-1905 was Christy Mathewson at 5.75. Waddell was #1 with 8.15. League average K/9 was like 3.8. Would be like someone striking out like 17/9 today 

 

I never knew about this guy until now. What a legend. From his wiki article:

Quote

Pitching style

Waddell's pitching repertoire usually consisted of only two pitches: one of the fastest fastballs in the league and a hard curve. However, he had command of many more pitches, including slow curves, screwballs, "fadeaways" and even a "flutterball". Mack once said that Waddell's curve was "even better than his speed... [He] had the fastest and deepest curve I've ever seen".[15]

Waddell enjoyed waving his teammates off the field and then striking out the side. He actually did so only in exhibition games, since official baseball rules prohibit playing with fewer than nine men on the field in regulation play. But in a league game in Detroit, Waddell actually had his outfielders come in close and sit down on the grass to watch him strike out the side. Once the stunt almost backfired. Pitching an exhibition game in Memphis, he took the field alone with his catcher, Doc Powers, for the last three innings. With two out in the ninth, Powers dropped the third strike, allowing the batter to reach first. The next two hitters blooped pop flies that fell just behind the mound. Despite running himself ragged, Waddell subsequently struck out the last man.

[Olerud363.354]

55 minutes ago, Brownie19 said:

I also remember when Bob Welch was the best pitcher in baseball because he was 27-6.  I was 9.  A 27 win season produced 1.8 WAR, LOL.

When he was 7-13 a few years before that he had 5 fWAR.  And also led the NL with 7 bWAR in 1987. 

Weird.   27-6 2.95.   A season like that could be worth between 1.9 and 8 fWAR depending on strikeout rate and homer rate.   Which is why some people don't believe in WAR.   Not saying it's wrong.  

Funny thing is Roger Clemens had a 1.92 ERA 200+ ks.   AND 7 homers given up compared to Welch's 27.  

Like they literally gave it to Welch because of wins.  And it wasn't like clemens was 11-12 or something with super bad luck.  He was 21-6 200 ks 7 homers given up sub 2 ERA.

Really insane.  

[Olerud363.354]

Just now, Olerud363.354 said:

Like they literally gave it to Welch because of wins.  And it wasn't like clemens was 11-12 or something with super bad luck.  He was 21-6 200 ks 7 homers given up sub 2 ERA.

Clemens had 8.2 WAR to Welch's 1.9.  I can understand the reporters at the time didn't know that.  

They did know Clemens had 20+ wins.  200+ ks.  1.92 ERA and 7! homers give up.  And less walks then Welch. 

They knew all that and still voted for Welch. 

[Brownie19]

2 hours ago, BTS said:

Rich Harden was so nasty. One of the most fun pitchers of that era to watch. Shame he couldn't stay healthy. 

100%  Reminds me a bit of Brandon Morrow.  Just electric and fun to watch when healthy and on their game.

[BTS]

Tigers sign Emilio Pagán for 1/11

[Brownie19]

Astros are brining on Brad Ausmus to be their next Manager.

[Terminator]

3 hours ago, BTS said:

Tigers sign Emilio Pagán for 1/11

Fellas make sure to find yourselves a gal in life who loves you as much as the Detroit Tigers love mid late inning relievers

[BTS]

7 minutes ago, Terminator said:

Fellas make sure to find yourselves a gal in life who loves you as much as the Detroit Tigers love mid late inning relievers

Yeah, they keep throwing real money at these guys and it keeps failing: 1/11 for Jansen, 2/19 for Finnegan. Now 1/11 for Pagan. Unimaginative half-measures. 

[Laika]

MLB awards remain a joke 

Varland correctly wins AL reliever of the year, but multiple writers left him off their ballots. There is no justifiable reason for that other than conspiracy. Some writers trying to get someone else to win or exercising a personal grudge against the Blue Jays. 

Then Bryan Baker simultaneously wins the old AL Mariano Rivera reliever of the year award. This is voted on by the players or former players I think. They used to call it the delivery man of the year award and it was sponsored by UPS or some s***. Why does this award even exist anymore, since there is now a BBWAA reliever award? It shouldn't exist and they somehow got it wrong anyway because players are dumb.

[BTS]

What ever happened to the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award?

[BTS]

Have we talked about how Sal Stewart winning ROY might be the worst award voting in over a decade?

[Brownie19]

13 minutes ago, BTS said:

Have we talked about how Sal Stewart winning ROY might be the worst award voting in over a decade?

I think this is just MLB knowing their audience.  They can't completely alienate the mouth breathers who think WAR and advanced statistics are a farce and/or ruining baseball.  They likely represent 50% of fans.

MLB gave the AL ROY to McGonigle to satisfy the modern baseball fan and the NL ROY to Stewart to satisfy the mouth breathers who love HRs and RBIs.

[Terminator]

 

[Terminator]

That seems really high for Phillips

[Brownie19]

3 minutes ago, Terminator said:

That seems really high for Phillips

Yes it does.  Wow.  If Phillips is worth $35M, then Morejon is worth $100M+

[glory]

Morejon is going to get paid. 

[Laika]

Man alive I thought Phillips would get 1/$12m or something 

[BTS]

Phillips had the same Pitching+ as Louis Varland this year. Braves are just betting that he'll stay on the field now that he successfully returned from his TJS. 

[Brownie19]

14 minutes ago, BTS said:

Phillips had the same Pitching+ as Louis Varland this year. Braves are just betting that he'll stay on the field now that he successfully returned from his TJS. 

OK I see why some suggested Loáisiga...his Pitching+ has always been elite.  Better than Varland.

[BTS]

1 minute ago, Brownie19 said:

OK I see why some suggested Loáisiga...his Pitching+ has always been elite.  Better than Varland.

Loaisiga is a really interesting case this offseason. Obvious negatives: doesn't strike guys out, just had his first healthy year in like 4 years, his great command this year kind of came out of nowhere. But on the other hand he sits 98, has always had loud stuff, and was almost impossible to square up this year. I'm kind of expecting a 2/15 kind of deal, but I could see teams thinking they could add a bit of swing and miss and push the bidding up a fair bit higher than that. 

[Brownie19]

3 hours ago, BTS said:

Loaisiga is a really interesting case this offseason. Obvious negatives: doesn't strike guys out, just had his first healthy year in like 4 years, his great command this year kind of came out of nowhere. But on the other hand he sits 98, has always had loud stuff, and was almost impossible to square up this year. I'm kind of expecting a 2/15 kind of deal, but I could see teams thinking they could add a bit of swing and miss and push the bidding up a fair bit higher than that. 

I'm on board if you get him for 2/$15M

[jaysblue]

5 hours ago, Terminator said:

 

Three-years is a lot geez. 

I mean if he stays healthy, great. But risky giving him all those years. 

[jaysblue]

5 hours ago, Brownie19 said:

Yes it does.  Wow.  If Phillips is worth $35M, then Morejon is worth $100M+

Yeah don't understand why the Braves would give Phillips a three-year deal. 

Morejon potentially could get $100M geez if this is the way the reliever market goes. 

[glory]

 

[bluejaysinternNo5]

Good for Bauers.

[Brownie19]

Wow.  Good for Bauers.  He could be a steal at that cost.

I'm a bit surprised the Brewers let him walk, but honestly, they fixed Andrew Vaughan so well, that he just slides into that role. 

[Laika]

2.2 WAR projection

Crowd source was 3/$51M 

QO free agent so Boston loses pick

Interesting roster for Boston. Contreras / Bauers / Anthony / Yoshida something's gotta give. Also Casas' corpse. 

Milwaukee was NEVER going to commit that money to a 1B/DH 

[Brownie19]

16 minutes ago, Laika said:

2.2 WAR projection

Crowd source was 3/$51M 

QO free agent so Boston loses pick

Interesting roster for Boston. Contreras / Bauers / Anthony / Yoshida something's gotta give. Also Casas' corpse. 

Milwaukee was NEVER going to commit that money to a 1B/DH 

It's all in how much you believe in that breakout and how sustainable the adjustments he made at the plate truly are...If you believe the 119 wRC+ projection, then blah, but if you think he could be a 130-140 wRC+ bat moving forward, he's a steal for $15M a year.