Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports Analysis of Oakland Athletics Farm System Below is an analysis of the prospects in the farm system of the Oakland Athletics. Scouting reports were compiled with information provided by industry sources as well as my own observations. This is the fourth year we’re delineating between two anticipated relief roles, the…
In the modern game, pinch-hitting is seen as something of a lost art. This likely started with teams prioritizing roster spots for extra bullpen arms over spare position players. With that came a heavier emphasis on positional flexibility off the bench, rather than plus contact skills (think Ross Gload) or a big bopping bat (à…
Courtesy of John DeMarsico On April 28, the Mets walked off the Cardinals in the 11th inning. It was a huge moment, made even bigger because the embattled Mark Vientos delivered the knockout blow in just his second big league game after starting the season in the minors. That night, John DeMarsico, director of SNY’s…
Welcome back to Top of the Order! Where every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I’ll be starting your baseball day with some news, notes, and thoughts about the game we love. On Friday night, after a horrendous 9-24 start to the season, the Marlins waved the white flag barely a month into the campaign when they…
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images) MLB closers have the unique opportunity to make grand entrances into games when called upon in the 9th inning, and many greats of the past such as Mariano Rivera, Trevor Hoffman, and Jonathan Papelbon had plenty of mystique and intrigue added to their appeal by having such fun entrances….
(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) After Shohei Ohtani signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers this past offseason for $700 million, one of the first things he did was buy reliever Joe Kelly’s wife a Porsche to thank the family for Joe letting him wear No. 17. This week, he decided to buy another Porsche…
Kyle Harrison was pitching for the Double-A Richmond Flying Squirrels when he was first featured here at FanGraphs in August 2022. Then a fast-rising prospect in the San Francisco Giants system, the now-22-year-old southpaw had broken down the early evolution of his arsenal for me prior to a game at Portland, Maine’s Hadlock Field. Fast…
(Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images) Houston Astros infielder Jose Altuve is one of the best players of his generation. He has been an ever-present figure in the Astros’ run of dominance in the American League, from 2017 to 2022. To be fair, he was already a star even before then. He has won batting titles,…
Ben Lindbergh and Meg Rowley discuss a recent increase in base stealing and the criticism of Mike Trout’s loyalty to the Angels. Later, they are joined by Patreon supporter Alex Levy to talk about Alex’s background as a podcast listener, baseball fan, and mail carrier. They also answer emails about various baseball topics. Audio intro:…
(Photo by Meg Oliphant/Getty Images) When talking about the 2024 Los Angeles Dodgers, many people focus on Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani. It makes perfect sense: they are the ones doing the heavy lifting offensively. However, they haven’t been alone: other hitters and position players are helping them. One of those unsung heroes has been…
