baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
Ian Happ Won’t Be an Everyday Big Leaguer With the Cubs
The Cubs No. 2 overall prospect and the 25th overall prospect in all of baseball, Ian Happ, is showing that he deserves to play at the big league level. He’s hitting .264 in AAA Iowa with six home runs in just 13 games. He proved in spring training that he has all the talent to compete at the big league level, hitting .417 in 24 Cactus league games. As we know, the Cubs big league roster is already stacked. You have Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist at second base, the primary position that Happ plays. Happ can also play outfield, but there isn’t any room out there for him, either. There’s Kyle Schwarber in left, Albert Almora and Jon Jay in center, and Jason Heyward or Zobrist in right. No matter how great Happ plays in Triple-A, I honestly don’t see a place for him on the Cubs roster in the long run.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Should Jose Altuve’s Early Struggles Raise Concerns for the Astros?
Baseball is a game of failure. You fail 3 out of 10 times, you’re a hall of famer. Through eight games, Jose Altuve is hitting just .188. He hasn’t hit any home runs, no extra base hits, and has only stolen one bag. It’s not the typical play we see from Altuve, but it’s so early in the season, there really isn’t any reason to worry.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Dr. Dallas and Mr. Keuchel — The Two Faces of the Astros Ace
Plenty of aces fell off of cliffs in 2016. There was Adam Wainwright, who looked to be moving towards inevitable age-related decline. There was Zack Greinke, who crashed and burned after signing a huge contract. And then there was Dallas Keuchel — the 2015 AL Cy Young Winner.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
Aaron Judge: A Star in the Making
The day I saw the Yankees draft Aaron Judge in the first round out of Fresno State in 2013, I didn’t know too much about him. But once I looked him up, I was extremely impressed in his raw power and athleticism for such an enormous guy. As mentioned above, he stands 6 foot 7, and 282 pounds. Now that’s quite heavy. But this guy is absolutely sheer muscle.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Why Mookie Betts Is Such a Vital Part of the Red Sox
The fact that Mookie Betts hasn’t struck out once all season in over 40 plate appearances is flat out amazing. It just goes to show how great of hand eye coordination Betts has at the plate. In fact, the last time Betts struck out was last September against Oliver Drake, who now pitches for the Brewers.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Dylan Bundy Is Emerging as the Ace of the Orioles Rotation
It’s been a long, winding road for Dylan Bundy. Snagged up fourth overall in the 2011 draft out of an Oklahoma high school, it didn’t take long for Bundy to reach the big leagues. He would make his Major League debut just over a year later for Baltimore. Since 2012, Bundy has had numerous injuries: Tommy John, lat strains, shoulder problems, and elbow soreness.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Analyzing Madison Bumgarner’s Swing: What Makes Him Such a Threat at the Plate?
One of the best pitchers to ever toe the rubber is also a serious power threat at the plate. MadBum can do it all. When you think of Madison Bumgarner, you usually think of lights out performances on the mound. Bumgarner is absolutely filthy with a three quarters arm slot and a wipeout slider. Arguably one of the best pitchers in the bigs, MadBum has proven he can also hit.
By Quinn Allen8 years ago in Unbalanced
Pay For Your Own Damn Stadium
In 2017, with much fanfare, pomp, and circumstance, no fewer than three major league Atlanta sports teams will receive new stadiums. The Atlanta Braves will move north from Turner field into SunTrust Park, and the Falcons and the newly-formed Atlanta United FC will move into the aperture-esque Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
The WBC Was Just as Successful as It Needed to Be
The confetti has been swept up, the uniforms are in the wash, and the trophy is in storage. Yes, it’s true — the World Baseball Classic has finally wrapped up. It’s been a month of big story lines — from team Israel making a surprise run into the second round to Puerto Rico’s blondes-have-more-fun mentality causing the entire island to run out of blonde hair dye. And who could forget the USA taking their first crown following a stellar performance by Marcus Stroman?
By John Edwards8 years ago in Unbalanced
