A few years back, Ketel Marte was a middle infielder who was destined to hit .285 while stealing 25 bags a season with the Mariners. He didn’t have any power, but he could run and made good contact, and scouts were confident he would be an effective offensive weapon. He showed up as a rookie […]
Ray’s Ramblings: Innings Pitched Concerns
Chris Paddack was recently sent to the minors in order to curtail his workload this season (we’ve known since the preseason that 135-50 innings was the likely end point for the righty of the Padres, so it was very surprising to me to see so many folks in a tizzy not getting what the Padres […]
Ray’s Rundown – 6/15
(1) How the 40-man roster works. (2) Who is the best hitter in baseball right now? (3) Players to buy, and sell: Tim/Brian Anderson, Smoak, Bruce, Jorge Polanco, JaCoby Jones, Donaldson, Kendrick. (4) The waiver-wire HITTERS (Asdrubal Cabrera, Garrett Cooper, Lourdes Gurriel, Keston Hiura, Kevin Kiermaier, Ramon Laureano, Kevin Newman) and PITCHERS (Joe Biagini/Daniel Hudson, […]
June 14, 2019: Which Direction to Go?
Is that hot starting player going to stay hot, or is there something in the data that suggest a downward turn is on the horizon? Conversely, what about that guy that is a major drain on your club at the moment. Is he going to continue to smell like rancid meat, or is there a […]
Who Is The Best Hitter in Baseball?
Cobb or Ruth? Williams or Mays? Bonds or Pujols? A debate as old as time. Is there an answer to who the best hitter in baseball is? Probably not. Am I going to solve the question in this piece? Likely not. Doesn’t mean I ain’t gonna try though. Let me define the scope of this […]
Ray’s Ramblings: 40-Man Roster & Hurlers
The Marlins called up Yamamoto and not Gallen. Why? Are the cracked? Are they tanking? Is something else going on? Hint: we will discuss the 40-man roster. How long will Brett Anderson last as a usable piece? What about DeSclafani? Eflin is rolling for the Phillies, but should you be selling? Ditto Kelly with the […]
The Closer Chart – June 13th, 2019
The 2019 season is underway and, predictably, it’s a disaster. Some teams seem to have no plan at all. Other teams are continually searching for answers to get the last out, either because of poor performance or injury. Very few are the situations that have nary an issue. Each week we will try to get […]
Ray’s Ramblings: June 13th, Batters
Peter Alonso has been mashing up a storm for the Mets. Will it continue? Adam Eaton has been solid. Enrique Hernandez just hasn’t been anything special. Eloy Jimenez is blasting away, and all of a sudden people remember he’s an elite end hitting prospect. Yoan Moncada has swing and miss in his game, but the […]
BURR 2019: Week 12
Bullpen Usage & Reliever Ratings, or BURR, is an idea that Flowers and Mans have been playing around with since the 2017 season. The reason for their focus is simply that bullpens are a more important part of the modern game than ever before. You know what we mean. Whereas at one time starting pitchers threw 220 […]
Ray’s Ramblings: Mound Mavens, June 12th
Luzardo and Puk finally took the hill in a game that mattered. Bundy has cut the homers, and success has followed. Since his first pitch, Griffin Canning has looked like he belonged. I still can’t believe how many folks were all-in with German Marquez this season. Minor has been, frankly, as good as folks thought […]
