Thomas, Franco headline MWL All-Stars D-backs outfielder Alek Thomas was named MVP and Rays shortstop Wander Franco took Prospect of the Year honors as the Midwest League rolled out its end-of-season All-Star list. Source: https://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20190823&content_id=310236782&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
DetailsBellinger, Devers, and MLB’s Most Improved Position Players FanGraphs contains multitudes. Multiple flavors of Wins Above Replacement — one in which the pitching component is driven by FIP, the other by actual runs allowed (RA9-WAR) — for one thing. Multiple projection systems (Steamer and ZiPS) and ERA estimators (FIP, xFIP, SIERA). Multiple measures for defense, pitch…
DetailsDoes MLB’s Options Structure Need To Change? Giants right-hander Jeff Samardzija recently crossed the 10-year threshold in terms of Major League service time and took the occasion to voice concerns about the difficulty today’s younger players will have in reaching that same milestone (link via Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle). More specifically, Samardzija…
DetailsFinding a Beltway Baseball Comp for Renato Núñez Every year, the Orioles and Nationals play games against one another, though the number actually varies depending on baseball’s rotational interleague schedule. These meetings are referred to as the “Beltway Series,” paying homage to the defining characteristic of the region: traffic on I-495 (the Capital Beltway) and…
DetailsTexas notes: Hooks’ Ivey continues climb Other than missing some time with a “mild UCL sprain,” Tyler Ivey’s first taste of Double-A has been smooth. The third-round pick in 2017 is 4-0 with a 1.57 ERA over 46 innings for Corpus Christi. Source: https://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20190823&content_id=310207860&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
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Patrick Corbin Slows the Tempo In my mind, Patrick Corbin is an archetype. He’s the idealized sinker/slider guy, pairing the two pitches so masterfully that batters can’t figure out which one is coming until it’s too late. His breakout in 2018 was foreshadowed by a solid 2017, when he upped the percentage of sliders he…
DetailsVibes’ Lindell seizing his second chance After the Brewers Karsen Lindell was released on the heals of his third straight shoddy pro campaign, the righty rebuilt his game on the mound. This year, he’s an All-Star in the Milwaukee system. Source: https://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20190823&content_id=310119832&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
DetailsToolshed: Most surprising promotions of ’19 With the 2019 season coming to a close, Toolshed looks back and ranks the 10 most unorthodox yet exciting promotions involving Top 100 prospects in the past few months. Source: https://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20190823&content_id=310211950&fext=.jsp&vkey=toolshed&sid=milb
DetailsPrimer Dugout (and link of the day) 8-23-2019 A masterclass in insensitivity towards people suffering from mental illness in the Chattanooga News, August 23, 1919:They’ve gone baseball crazy at the Elgin [Illinois] State Hospital for the Insane. But Supt. Ralph Hinton, says baseball dementia is preferable to being just plain crazy and the patients are…
DetailsProspect Roundup: Games of August 22 Nationals right-hander Jackson Rutledge tossed five scoreless innings for Hagerstown while A’s outfielder Chase Calabuig posted his first career five-hit game for Double-A Midland. Source: https://www.milb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20190823&content_id=310232784&fext=.jsp&vkey=news_milb&sid=milb
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