“Hit it where they ain’t.”
Or so said Willie Keeler in 1904, his 7th straight season with a batting average over .360. Ever since, it’s been a classic adage for baseball, one of the, well, strangest games people play worldwide.
Continue reading “On Baseball, Luck, and Squirrels”
Note: this post was originally published for MetsMerized Online. Give them a click!
The New York Mets are in 1st place in the NL East. As of July 11th, they have a 4 game lead on the 2nd-place Braves and a nearly 80%-chance at the postseason per Fangraphs. Could it be possible they’ve actually been unlucky?
Continue reading “Luck and the 2021 New York Mets”
Note: this post was originally published for Metsmerized. Give them a click!
Bears are famous for hibernation.
Maybe that’s what happened in 2020 for Pete Alonso. The affably-known “Polar Bear” had about as red-hot an MLB debut as physically possible, when he set the all-time record for home runs in a rookie season with 53 in 2019. Last season, though, was clearly a down year. Pete saw declines vs. his rookie year in just about everything: batting average, on base percentage, slugging percentage, exit velocity – I could go on but won’t for his sake.
Continue reading “Polar Bear Plate Discipline: is Pete Alonso Waking Up?”
Note: this post was originally published for MetsMerized. Give them a click!
How we feeling, Mets fans?
It’s true – Francisco Lindor, Mr. Smile, is officially headed to Queens. Just as the Dodgers did last offseason, and in shockingly similar fashion, the Mets have acquired a career-prime, marketable superstar to underscore new owner Steve Cohen’s stamp on the team (if that wasn’t strong enough already).
Continue reading “Mr. Smile: a Deep Dive into Francisco Lindor”
Quick! Without cheating – how many home runs has Edwin DÃaz given up this season?
All MLB pitchers were starters at one point in their careers.
Growing up through Little League, college, and the Minor Leagues, anyone who is eventually good enough to pitch in the majors was likely the superstar ace of most of their previous teams. However, at the highest of levels, many pitchers have to make concessions to their new reality – the fact that they may be better served – and better serve their teams – coming out of the bullpen as relievers.
Continue reading “Making the Switch: Which Starters Should Come Out of the Bullpen?”
Even before the Pandemic, baseball attendance was declining.
Jeff McNeil and JD Davis are two of the best hitters in baseball.
Hyperbole? You say maybe. I say no.
Continue reading “Left Side, Strong Side – JD Davis & Jeff McNeil”
In 127 years of Major League Baseball, 21 teams have won at least 100 games at least two years in a row. The 2018-19 New York Yankees are one of those teams. And consider this: As the decade comes to a close, no team won more games than the Yankees. They won 921 – 57 more than the team’s chief rival, the Boston Red Sox; 100 more than the San Francisco Giants. And 150 games more than the Houston Astros.
Edwin DÃaz was supposed to be the best reliever in baseball.
Corner Three 