baseball
Sabermetric analysis of all things baseball - on-and-off the field. Barry Bonds fan club.
Is Bryce Harper Really the 400 Million Dollar Man?
In December of 2016, news broke that OF Bryce Harper was reportedly seeking at least a 10 year, $400 million contract as a free agent in 2018. This kind of deal is almost completely without precedent — no player has ever signed a contract worth more than $325 million, and no player has ever signed for an AAV of $36 million.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Taking a Closer Look at the Top 5 Prospects of the 2017 MLB Draft
The 2017 MLB Draft is just weeks away; a time where dreams will come true for many college and high school players. According to MLB pipeline, there could be three high school players picked within the top five. Headlining the high school ranks is Hunter Greene, a player who scouts have been drooling over thanks to a triple digit fastball.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Matt Harvey and the Trailblazers of Thoracic Outlet Syndrome Surgery
SP Matt Harvey is coming off of another setback to what had been a promising career, hampered by injury. In 2013, he was one of the best pitchers in the league, pitching to a 2.00 FIP and going 9–5 with an otherwise lackluster Mets squad. In 2014, he missed the entire season with Tommy John surgery. In 2015, he was almost as brilliant as he was in 2013, with a 3.05 FIP and going 13–8, powering the Mets to the World Series. In 2016, he crashed and burned thanks to thoracic outlet syndrome.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Ian Happ Won’t Be an Everyday Big Leaguer With the Cubs
The Cubs No. 2 overall prospect and the 25th overall prospect in all of baseball, Ian Happ, is showing that he deserves to play at the big league level. He’s hitting .264 in AAA Iowa with six home runs in just 13 games. He proved in spring training that he has all the talent to compete at the big league level, hitting .417 in 24 Cactus league games. As we know, the Cubs big league roster is already stacked. You have Javier Baez and Ben Zobrist at second base, the primary position that Happ plays. Happ can also play outfield, but there isn’t any room out there for him, either. There’s Kyle Schwarber in left, Albert Almora and Jon Jay in center, and Jason Heyward or Zobrist in right. No matter how great Happ plays in Triple-A, I honestly don’t see a place for him on the Cubs roster in the long run.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Should Jose Altuve’s Early Struggles Raise Concerns for the Astros?
Baseball is a game of failure. You fail 3 out of 10 times, you’re a hall of famer. Through eight games, Jose Altuve is hitting just .188. He hasn’t hit any home runs, no extra base hits, and has only stolen one bag. It’s not the typical play we see from Altuve, but it’s so early in the season, there really isn’t any reason to worry.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Dr. Dallas and Mr. Keuchel — The Two Faces of the Astros Ace
Plenty of aces fell off of cliffs in 2016. There was Adam Wainwright, who looked to be moving towards inevitable age-related decline. There was Zack Greinke, who crashed and burned after signing a huge contract. And then there was Dallas Keuchel — the 2015 AL Cy Young Winner.
By John Edwards9 years ago in Unbalanced
Aaron Judge: A Star in the Making
The day I saw the Yankees draft Aaron Judge in the first round out of Fresno State in 2013, I didn’t know too much about him. But once I looked him up, I was extremely impressed in his raw power and athleticism for such an enormous guy. As mentioned above, he stands 6 foot 7, and 282 pounds. Now that’s quite heavy. But this guy is absolutely sheer muscle.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Why Mookie Betts Is Such a Vital Part of the Red Sox
The fact that Mookie Betts hasn’t struck out once all season in over 40 plate appearances is flat out amazing. It just goes to show how great of hand eye coordination Betts has at the plate. In fact, the last time Betts struck out was last September against Oliver Drake, who now pitches for the Brewers.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Dylan Bundy Is Emerging as the Ace of the Orioles Rotation
It’s been a long, winding road for Dylan Bundy. Snagged up fourth overall in the 2011 draft out of an Oklahoma high school, it didn’t take long for Bundy to reach the big leagues. He would make his Major League debut just over a year later for Baltimore. Since 2012, Bundy has had numerous injuries: Tommy John, lat strains, shoulder problems, and elbow soreness.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
Analyzing Madison Bumgarner’s Swing: What Makes Him Such a Threat at the Plate?
One of the best pitchers to ever toe the rubber is also a serious power threat at the plate. MadBum can do it all. When you think of Madison Bumgarner, you usually think of lights out performances on the mound. Bumgarner is absolutely filthy with a three quarters arm slot and a wipeout slider. Arguably one of the best pitchers in the bigs, MadBum has proven he can also hit.
By Quinn Allen9 years ago in Unbalanced
