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Playing Catch

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Everything posted by Playing Catch

  1. Playing Catch
    Yeah. I've always felt that there are hundreds of MLB 4th/5th OFers. If an outfielder doesn't develop into a bonafide CFer, they really have to mash to make themselves more than a backup. I wonder if the Brewers decided that Yophery was never going to be a true CFer. At that point, a lot of his prospect-luster fades into Carlos Rodriguez/Hedbert Perez territory, as a prospect. Still valuable, but not irreplaceable. I agree with Joseph that perhaps this gives Tyler Black a lifeline when he returns.
  2. Playing Catch
    This is exactly my take on it, @Cool Hand Lucroy. I would add that these days, the volume of scouting available after just a few weeks of spring could have put Priester right back near the top of the prospect ladder. Kid's only 24; he's a first-round pick by Pittsburgh out of high school in 2019. Covid happens after his draft year. He has really strong minor league performance. In 2023, he makes his debut, and is traded from the Pirates to the Red Sox. Flash forward to spring of 2025, and he fails to make the Red Sox opening day roster, soon being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers. I'm not predicting any outcomes for the trade, but it's reasonable to think that after having his minor league career disrupted, (and perhaps being rushed by the Pirates in the process, in order to put on a show for a future trade?)*, that Priester has finally developed into his previous promise. As far as the return for Priester is concerned, it's a lot, but I don't think a significant overpay, especially if the team sees this as a season-saving type of move. *purely my own speculation
  3. Playing Catch
    I had no idea who it was, beyond your guesses above, but now that I see the picture, it looks so obvious! edit to add: He'll be a guy I'll always remember fondly.
  4. Playing Catch
    I'm really concerned about those non-competitive fastballs.
  5. Playing Catch
    I'm already sick and tired of going up against lefties. Lodolo tomorrow, too.
  6. Playing Catch
    This bulleted quote from the article was made abundantly clear watching MLB Network yesterday... "The industry was more aware of players trending toward using these bats than the media and general public were; this didn't sneak up on teams or players." All day long MLB Network's personalities were all over these bats, interviewing bat manufacturers, hitting instructors, physics professors. I think they were universally in favor of them. I suspect that the league wanted to get ahead of traditionalist baseball fans getting upset about the change. Mark DeRosa and Harold Reynolds said they probably would've used these bats their whole career. I suspect this bat will improve barrel-rate for many hitters. But I would also suspect that it could reduce power for power hitters. I could be very wrong about all of my assumuptions, but I would imagine that a guy like Chourio would NOT use this bat. He's got such excellent plate coverage. I wouldn't want him to sap any opposite-field power in exchange for pull power (if my hypothesis is correct and that that's what happens with these bats).
  7. Playing Catch
    I'm walking back what I said yesterday. I think this phenomenon WILL be a big deal, but that it will enhance the game for everyone, including fans. I think that one of two things may happen. (A) - hitters like Brice Turang or Sal Frelick, who don't need to maximize power to the opposite field will benefit, and some selection of hitters will use the bat all the time. This wouldn't fundamentally change how fans watch a game, but it would help to make singles hitters more relevant. OR (B) - many hitters use the bat situationally, perhaps depending on pitcher's throwing hand? I imagine Elly De La Cruz use the bat as a right-handed hitter, or maybe Willy Adames will betray his hitting strategy with a guy on 3rd and less than two outs by selecting the long iron rather than his usual driver. Baseball could dramatize this by highlighting which bat the player selects coming out of the dugout. Please note that I am making some assumptions about the physics of the bat. I am assuming that the reduced angular velocity of the sweet spot being moved inside will not be mitigated significantly by the increase in bat speed. In my head, the bat is merely trading some opposite field power for more pull power for guys that struggle getting the head around inside pitches.
  8. Playing Catch
    I'm not here to defend the decision, as I didn't like it at the time either, but we don't know all the facts involved. Just a few ideas that could have colored their decision... - They wanted more lefties on the 40-man (e.g. Connor Thomas) - They didn't like Smith's medicals - Behind the scenes promises or conflicts with agent/player/teammates/coaches - Some kind of pitching magic metric that convinced them it wouldn't work in MLB. My point in bringing this up is simply to note that the Brewers, of late, haven't conducted themselves as a thoughtless, professionally negligent outfit. They seem to put a lot of thought into all of their decisions -- and perhaps this was an example of overthinking it. Paralysis by analysis. If anything seems thoughtless about this is that the White Sox picked him with the first pick, (seemingly) based on what a newly-hired pitching coach suggested.
  9. Playing Catch
    This is tangential to the topic, but I'm wondering if there are legitimate advantages/disadvantages to where teams spend Spring Training. I presume that if pitchers spend a month in the dry Arizona air, their stuff will behave differently in the cold, wet New York atmosphere. This is merely a curiosity. So I'm not claiming and blaming. I think the "problem" has been that the Yankees took advantage of their park with great effect, and TKO'd the Brewers in the 2nd round. The Brewers pitching staff desperately needs a day off, or three.
  10. Playing Catch
    I think it's fair to be concerned that a poor start could *ahem*, torpedo, their season. However, I think any criticisms of roster construction need to consider that the greater part of their 10 guys are unavailable to start games. Uribe and Mears are also unavailable. I think the team knew that they'd be a little light to start the season, but that hoped they could get through it, and grow into the season.
  11. Playing Catch
    I predict that this phenomenon will end up being no big deal. My guess is that these bats will end up benefitting players that are willing to sacrifice opposite field power for the ability to turn on an inside pitch.
  12. Playing Catch
    I'm not bright enough to understand the problems this would create, but this is exactly the type of thing I've been mulling over.
  13. Playing Catch
    Does inflation factor into revenue?
  14. Playing Catch
    This is how I'm thinking, too. The end of the bat will be detrimental to the hitter. less wood, less area to foul balls off. I'm guessing the end of the bat will shatter like the trademark.
  15. Playing Catch
    I tend to agree. I haven't seen any evidence to prove extending the bag does, or does not make things "safer". But Jopal is right. It's only "unsafe," in the sense that playing a game with athletes running in close proximity of each other is "unsafe".
  16. Playing Catch
    Gumby
  17. Playing Catch
    Has Corobo played? I see he made the bench a couple of days ago. I'm surprised he's in Arizona(?)
  18. Playing Catch
    Excellent point
  19. Playing Catch
    Fast start... 18-13.
  20. Playing Catch
    I'm linking the FanGraphs staff predictions to riff off of. The American League is fun this year. All three divisions are up for grabs, and all three divisions have 3 or 4 teams that could win their division. I was surprised that there was as much consensus behind the Red Sox as there was. I, too, am picking the Red Sox in the AL East. I think the Yankees finish 4th(!) I like the Twins in the central, and the Mariners in the West. Rangers, Astros, Tigers, Guardians, Royals, Orioles, and Rays all finish within a few games of each other to make up the wild cards. The National League is NOT as fun. The Dodgers, Phillies, Mets and Braves suck a lot of life out of the league. I think they are the four best teams in baseball. Like the Fangraphs folks, I like the Diamondbacks to get the last wild card. I think the Brewers finish a game behind the Cubs, and a game behind the D-Backs for the last Wild Card. I'll say the Dodgers beat the Rangers in the World Series. AL MVP: Witt Jr. AL Cy Young: Logan Gilbert AL ROY: Jasson Dominguez NL MVP: Soto NL Cy Young: Skenes NL ROY: Sasaki
  21. Playing Catch
    In my humble opinion... Hoskins hit 26 dingers last season in 131 games. A "bounceback" season for Hoskins, for me, has more to do with hitting more singles and doubles, hitting more sac flies.
  22. Playing Catch
    I have no problem with extending the first base bag. I don't know how softball or youth baseball works with the orange bag, but isn't it orange simply to better see fair/foul? I don't see any competitive imbalance by making the "safe" bag larger to the foul side.
  23. Playing Catch
    I think the Yankees World Series run last season has made unrealistic expectations for Yankees fans this season. Losing Soto? Relying on Judge to be Babe Ruth? Trading from rotation depth to get a superstar closer who just may fall apart under the pressure of that city? I don't know, I just don't see the Yankees being World Series level this season, and I say they miss the playoffs, finishing behind the Red Sox and the Rays, and missing the last WC spots to some combination of the Mariners, Twins, Tigers, Royals, and/or Guardians.
  24. Playing Catch
    Mat Gamel.
  25. Playing Catch
    I concur. The Cardinals will play in front of a lot of empty seats this season.
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