Category: Baseball
Analyzing the Limitations of Statcast’s New Bat Tracking Data in Baseball
Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports The bat tracking era is here, and with it comes a wave of new ideas and tools to revolutionize baseball analysis. While the essence of the game remains the same – pitchers throwing, hitters swinging, and players running the field – the way we look at hitting is poised for a…
Exciting Revelations on Batter Tendencies Revealed Through Groundbreaking MLB Stat
(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) In the last few days, MLB and Statcast unveiled their newest stat: average bat speed. It’s obviously self-explanatory, but comes in handy in the analysis of certain things. For example, bat speed depends on many factors, but the average hitter feels inclined to alter speed depending on the count. The…
Lucas Erceg Making a Name for Himself as Oakland’s Latest Breakout Reliever
Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports There’s no way to say this without sounding snarky, so I’m not going to try: The Oakland A’s, who were supposed to be abysmal, have shocked the baseball world by being merely mediocre. They’re in third place in the AL West, with a full series’ worth of buffer between them and…
Red Sox Star Batter Lights Up the Field Since Returning from Injury
(Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) The Boston Red Sox have been more competitive than expected, with a 21-19 record and a solid +33 run differential. That’s good enough for third place in the tough AL East and it’s been surprising, to say the least. Of course, when you have a slugger of Rafael Devers’ caliber,…
Top Teams in MLB: May 6-12, According to FanGraphs Power Rankings
Complete Power Rankings Rank Team Record Elo Opponent Elo Playoff Odds Power Score Δ 1 Braves 24-13 1606 1503 99.0% 1607 1 Tier 1 – The Best of the Best Braves: 24-13, 1606 Elo, 1503 Opponent Elo, 99.0% Playoff Odds, 1607 Power Score Dodgers: 27-15, 1596 Elo, 1498 Opponent Elo, 99.1% Playoff Odds, 1599 Power…
Twins Starting Pitching Shows Exceptional Form with Stellar Stats
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) It took some time, but the Minnesota Twins have caught up to the Cleveland Guardians at the top of the AL Central standings. Minnesota was actually on top at one point this past weekend, but Cleveland is now up half a game in first place. In any case, the…
Unveiling the Rise of Baseball’s Premier Pitching Prospect
Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports The best pitching prospect in baseball, 21-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates righty Paul Skenes, is slated to be called up tomorrow to make his major league debut against the Cubs. The 6-foot-6 leviathan has a 0.99 ERA in seven Triple-A starts this year and has struck out 42.9% of the hitters he’s faced…
Willson Contreras and the St. Louis Cardinals Face a Tough Break
Willson Contreras’ tenure with the Cardinals has not lacked for drama, controversy, or interruptions in his work behind the plate. Unfortunately, the latest chapter in that saga began on Tuesday, when a J.D. Martinez swing fractured the 31-year-old catcher’s left forearm. After undergoing surgery on Wednesday, he’s likely to be out until around the All-Star…
Shota Imanaga is Dominating on the Mound
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Among the crowd of high-end starting pitchers to sign with new teams over the offseason, perhaps none had wider error bars surrounding his projection than Shota Imanaga. An NPB star for the past half-decade, Imanaga had a track record of success but also many questions about how his skills would translate…
Checking in on Reynaldo López: A Closer Look at the Baseball Star
When the Braves signed Reynaldo López to a three-year, $30 million contract last winter, I was confused. Like most people in baseball, I thought López and Lucas Giolito had an E.T.-and-Elliott thing going on, where they couldn’t be separated. They’d come up together as minor leaguers with the Nationals, before being traded together to the…