baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
Let the Twins Be a Warning to Other Front Offices
The 2017 Minnesota Twins are going to the playoffs. The same Twins team that started to give up at the deadline, moving Jaime Garcia to the Yankees just five days after he was acquired. But they pulled through and came out on top of the mediocrity that was the AL Wild Card.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
The Washington Nationals Pitching Staff Could Take Them Deep into Postseason
The Washington Nationals are flat out legit, and they have been for the last couple years. Regardless, they have struggled to make a deep run in the postseason. This year could be a different story. They already clinched the NL East a few weeks back, and trail only the LA Dodgers for the best record in the entire National League.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
The AL Cy Young Race Is Close as Can Be
In all honesty, I wish that we could give out two AL Cy Young awards. Why? Because to reward only one player this season would be to do a disservice to the other contender. If Kluber wins, Sale will have been robbed, but if Sale wins, Kluber will just as equally been robbed.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
I'm Not Saying Jon Gray Isn't Noah Syndergaard...
The Colorado Rockies have had a remarkable season, posting a 84-73 record en route to, according to PECOTA and FanGraphs projections, about a 70% chance of making the playoffs this fall. This is the most success the Rockies have had since 2009, with six miserable seasons sandwiched in the middle. What makes their success this year so interesting is that they have largely been without their ace pitcher, Jon Gray.
By Matt Mocarsky8 years ago in Unbalanced
The Halo's Secret Weapon
The construction and mindset of Major League Baseball teams has changed since the implementation of the play-in wild-card game five years ago. More teams are in the mix. A club can hover around .500 for much of the season and still consider themselves playoff contenders. Front offices who realize their team is likely to compete in the play-in game can build their rosters to leverage themselves in the potential winner take-all match-up.
By Dylan Svoboda8 years ago in Unbalanced
Ozzie Albies: Atlanta's Future at Second
(Stats as of 9/18) It's well-known that the Braves have been rebuilding for awhile and have accumulated the best farm system in baseball. Headlined by a wealth of arms and arguably the best prospect, Ronald Acuna, the Braves are on their way to unleashing their farm in the near future. But they already have their cornerstone second baseman of the future in Ozzie Albies.
By Owen McGrattan8 years ago in Unbalanced
Gary Sanchez and Mike Trout Are Comparably Dominant
Baseball has never been the same since 2012. That was when Angels center-fielder Mike Trout made his season debut after being recalled from AAA Salt Lake. If you like baseball, then you know what happened next. If you don’t, I’m happy to talk about it. Trout took the league by storm, finishing one of the finest seasons ever by a rookie. Since then, he’s been the best player in the game, and by margins unlike we've seen in awhile.
By Matt Mocarsky8 years ago in Unbalanced
Did the Dodgers Losing Streak Happen at the Right Time?
The LA Dodgers have done everything imaginable this year to build their roster to be the team in the National League. The team that will go all the way and plays for a World Series title. They have one of the best all around lineups in the entire game, and with the addition of Curtis Granderson in the outfield and Yu Darvish on the mound, they became that much better. They still boast the best record in all of baseball at 96 and 53, even though they're fresh off an 11-game losing streak.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Taijuan Walker Is Starting to Get It
It’s the middle of August, and the Arizona Diamondbacks find themselves in the thick of the National League Wild Card chase. As it stands today, the D-Backs are in control of the second Wild Card position behind the Colorado Rockies. Arizona’s success has come on the strength of their starting pitching, which has accumulated the third most Wins Above Replacement in Major League Baseball, according to FanGraphs. One of their best starters this year has been longtime object-of-attention Taijuan Walker, who is our topic of discussion today.
By Matt Mocarsky8 years ago in Unbalanced
The Unsung Fantasy Baseball MVPs of 2017
There’s not a single fantasy expert who wouldn’t tell you to pick Mike Trout in the first round of a fantasy draft. Year after year, Trout consistently provides top-tier values in the relevant categories: Runs, RBIs, HRs, SB, and BA. He’s never injured. He’s not just the best player in baseball, he’s the best player in fantasy baseball as well.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
