baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
Todd Frazier Pulls a Switcheroo, Joins Yankees Instead
The dominant narrative of the Todd Frazier trade market has been that he was going to the Red Sox. Indeed, the Sox were in desperate need of a 3B, having just DFA’d free-agent-mistake Pablo Sandoval. But in a sudden turn of events, the Red Sox’s biggest rivals, the Yankees, landed Frazier and White Sox RPs David Robertson and Tommy Khanle in exchange for Tyler Clippard and a wealth of prospects. Let’s break this trade down.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Red Sox Acquire Affordable 3B in Smart Move
Eduardo Nunez is not Yoenis Cespedes. He is not J.D. Martinez. He isn’t Carlos Beltran, or Jonathan Lucroy, or anything like the impact bats that we’ve seen moved around before the trade deadline that help teams make the playoff push.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
With Clayton Kershaw Out, Justin Verlander Could Be the Answer for the Dodgers
The LA Dodgers have been on fire this season. They currently boast the best record in all of baseball at 71 and 31, an astounding 40 games over .500. This past week their starting pitching took a hit though when ace of the staff and arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Clayton Kershaw, went on the shelf for 4 to 6 weeks with a back strain. Just a short time before that, they also lost Brandon McCarthy to the disabled list.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Getting the Mariners to the Playoffs
Heartbreak for any baseball team is tough. For years, it has been the Cubs’ heartbreak that has been glamorized and somewhat sought after by north siders. It’s weird, holding onto and being fond of that “lovable losers” title. Unless you are a Mariners fan — especially in the Jerry Dipoto era. All the Mariners have known is heartbreak. Just take a look at the logo for their SB Nation based blog, Lookout Landing:
Owen McGrattanPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
The MLB Players Weekend Uniforms are Great and Eh, Ugly
MLB Players Weekend will be August 25–27, and the teams will be repping bright and potent colors as their teams take the field that weekend. The MLB is channeling some kid’s mind on MLB The Show 17 on his online franchise customizing his made-up team with the brightest and most annoyingly, terribly designed uniforms. Some of these Players Weekend unis should be used as alternates, and some look like a guy played on photoshop for the first time for all of three minutes. Here are the best and worst hats, jerseys and nicknames from the newly released MLB Players Weekend uniforms.
Stone StrankmanPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Aaron Nola: Changed and Better Than Ever
Everyone knows the Phillies are rebuilding. It’s a bleak time for any franchise, but it generally looks even worse especially considering the Phillies are supposed to better than their record right now. The few bright spots? Well you really have the Aaron’s to thank: Alther and Nola.
Owen McGrattanPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Fox Sports Made a Really Poor Decision
It’s almost certainly not my place to say. But as a writer, I feel the need to criticize Fox Sport’s decision to move their website’s content from text and video based to solely video based.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
The Chicago Cubs Are Not the 2017 World Series Favorites
Heading into the 2017 season one thing is clear: Vegas loves the Chicago Cubs’ odds at winning back-to-back World Series’. According to the Vegas based sports betting website Bovada, the loveable losers from Chicago have the best odds at winning the 2017 World Series at +400. Followed by the Boston Red Sox at +500. Then the defending American League champion Cleveland Indians at +800. Given how well the North Siders have performed over the last two seasons and how well Theo Epstein has the team set up for the future, +400 odds doesn’t sound too crazy. I’d argue that it is crazy and the real favorite has the same odds as the San Francisco Giants and the Houston Astros at +1400, the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Dylan SvobodaPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Joey Gallo Is Killing the Importance of Batting Average
We’ve talked a lot about the “fly-ball revolution” lately — the idea of elevating and making hard contact to increase production. Yonder Alonso has used it to his benefit, as have players like Mike Moustakas and Brett Gardner.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
The Aaron Judge Cinderella Story Continues
It’s the type of start that every big league rookie dreams of. Your first full season in the Majors, leading the league in homers, and becoming the talk of the city. New York City, to boot. Well Aaron Judge has done just that. They even created a specific section for Judge in right field at Yankee Stadium called the “Judge’s Chambers”. Your own section in honor of how great you are at baseball? Must be nice. But the former first round pick deserves it. He’s taken the baseball world by storm, hitting mammoth home runs and making diving catches in the alleys of Yankee stadium. When Judge began the season on this kind of tear, a lot of people thought it would slow down. But it hasn’t. Judge is hitting .335 with 24 bombs, and was just asked to participate in the Home run derby at the 2017 All-Star game. For good reason, too. He currently holds the longest hit home run of the 2017 season at an astounding 495 feet.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Possible Dark Horses in the 2017 MLB Home Run Derby
The three day All-Star festivities begin on Sunday, highlighted by the 2017 Futures game, featuring some of the best prospects in baseball who are sure to be future big leaguers.
Quinn AllenPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
Zach Britton Could Win the World Series for the Dodgers (Or Whoever Else Wants Him)
The 2016 playoff series was unique in how we saw relievers used. We saw Buck Showalter punished brutally for not bringing his closer into a high-leverage situation in a tied game on the road; we saw Terry Francona ride his relievers all the way to Game 7 of the World Series; and we even saw Clayton Kershaw come out of the pen and dominate.
John EdwardsPublished 7 years ago in Unbalanced
