mvp 78

943 career. Can't find postseason splits.

931 career OPS. 947 career OPS in the postseason.

Pitch clock is easier to establish as fans are more familiar with the tech (already used in football and basketball). Once the fans are comfortable with that change, the switch to robo umps (which still use human umps behind the plate) will be fine.

Red Sox selected Wyatt Olds. Mets selected Wyatt Young. Let's see which strategy works out.

Agreed.

Seems to cut it a little too tight IMO.

@KyleAGlaser Rob Manfred on A’s relocation: “Las Vegas is a viable alternative for a major league club….Thinking about this as a bluff is a mistake.” The pro sports Oakland to Las Vegas pipeline is real. Good thing the Warriors already crossed the bay.

$13M lux tax

I believe Duffy would put us over.

This would be a good idea for its own thread.

Sox announced Kiké as a 2b (probably since JBJ was still unsigned). They had a hole at 2b that seemed like he'd be able to fill. It only makes sense that it was the first reaction. You were correct in recognizing his defensive capabilities in CF.

What is holding the team back is the starting pitching first and foremost. Dalbec is second or third on the list after that.

I'd go pitch clock first, then robo umps.

Angels first 11 rounds were all college pitchers.

JBJ currently has a 30% k rate for the year.

Yes, I've mentioned elsewhere that his defense is fine. He's Dalbec in CF with a decent glove.

@PeteAbe Rob Manfred says 7-inning doubleheaders aren’t part of the future. They were instituted for health and safety reasons. Manfred also suggested the extra-innings rule could be done. Actually like that one (if you start it in the 11th inning).

Kiké is the best CFer. Gonzalez has 3 career innings at CF, none with the BOSOX.

Seems simple to me too.

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/red-sox-extend-one-of-this-seasons-best-relievers/ Fangraphs write up. Didn't know Barnes will wind up with 3rd most appearances for a Sox pitcher sometime next season. To get to this level of dominance, Barnes made an important count-based change. Ben Clemens wrote about Barnes’ “one simple trick” for success back in May, noting that Barnes’ absurdly-high 0-0 count zone rate helped yield more success on his curveball, which he has relied on more when ahead in the count than in years past. It’s seemingly simple, then: If Barnes can get ahead in the count more often, he can thus throw his curveball more often and ultimately get more hitters to whiff. That was Ben’s conclusion in a nutshell, but the more granular breakdown is an enjoyable read. Barnes has a near-70% first strike percentage this season, which is the sixth-highest rate among pitchers with 30 innings; his year-over-year increase of 9.1 percentage points is also the 18th-largest increase in baseball, minimum 20 innings pitched in 2020 and 30 in ’21. Overall, Barnes has thrown 35% of his pitches this season while ahead in the count, ranking as the 12th-highest mark among the 329 pitchers who have thrown at least 500 pitches.

If Dalbec played JBJ defense in CF, I don't think we'd be running him out of town.

When the vaccines began to rollout Nov/Dec, it was only a matter of time before things would be "normal."

I think Gonzalez is fine in a bench role. His glove is useful as a late inning sub.

He's a guy that will k 5 times one game and then hit 2 bombs the next. He's just a CF Dalbec. Maybe he can figure it out? It's worth the risk IMO.

I was hopeful, but it's not looking likely.