(Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) In 2021, the Baltimore Orioles were arguably the worst team in baseball with a 52-110 record. In reality, they had been one of the league’s worst since 2017. But their revival started in 2022, with the decision to call up uber-prospect Adley Rutschman in May. They were 83-79 that year….
Brooklyn-based Jay Jaffe is a senior writer for FanGraphs, the author of The Cooperstown Casebook (Thomas Dunne Books, 2017) and the creator of the JAWS (Jaffe WAR Score) metric for Hall of Fame analysis. He founded the Futility Infielder website (2001), was a columnist for Baseball Prospectus (2005-2012) and a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated…
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) When the Atlanta Braves traded for starting pitcher Chris Sale, they were risking part of their future. It was always a worthwhile risk, though: Vaughn Grissom, who was traded away, is an infielder, and there are multiple talented, even All-Star-caliber infielders in Atlanta. There aren’t many pitchers like Sale,…
On Saturday afternoon, I watched the Greenville Regional elimination game between East Carolina and Wake Forest, which featured two top pitching prospects in the draft class: Wake’s Chase Burns and ECU’s Trey Yesavage. The game was reminiscent of last year’s College World Series semifinal between Wake and LSU, which was one of the best baseball…
(Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images) The New York Mets have a mediocre 24-35 record and have lost seven of their last 10 games. By now, it’s evident that the bullpen has been their weakest link in recent games. First, it was Edwin Diaz, who blew multiple saves before landing on the injured list with a…
Every major league player has great individual performances on his résumé, and that’s especially true when you include their time in the minors and amateur ball. From youth leagues on up, they’ve had games where they’ve stood out among their peers with epic displays at the plate and/or the mound. When you’re good enough to…
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) Sports gambling has become more and more widespread in our society with each passing day. We now see ads for gambling sites and platforms everywhere we look. It’s understandable for fans to want to engage in the activity. However, professional athletes shouldn’t do it, especially in the sport they practice. In…
Last year, Kyle Schwarber made history by becoming the first player in MLB history to drive in more than 100 runs (104) in a season with a batting average below .200. He also became the first player to hit 40 home runs (he hit 47), score 100 runs (he had 108), or draw at least…
(Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) We are just a couple of years removed from Spencer Torkelson being one of the top prospects in baseball. The Detroit Tigers’ No. 1 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Torkelson has had a hard time this season and the organization has made a rather surprising decision. They…
Jordan Johnson-USA TODAY Sports Baseball is big business and no team is infinitely patient with players who are struggling. While teams won’t generally describe it in such blunt terms, at the beginning of the season, every player has some unknown, invisible amount of leeway when it comes to poor performance. Established role players and fringe…
