Hitting with two strikes is hard. As if baseball isn’t hard enough already, when down two strikes, the pitcher is generally in solid control of an at-bat. For example, the 2012 league leader in batting with two strikes were the Angels, who happened to lead the majors in total offense (measured by wRC+). How well did the most potent offense …
Continue Reading →Sometimes, it’s not hard to know what GM Kevin Towers is thinking. In the most recent offseason, the team was very public about its desires to add a power-hitting outfielder and a front-line starter. In the offseason before that, it was the desire to trade a power-hitting outfielder.
Whether stating your priorities to the world helps potential trade partners come …
Continue Reading →The D-backs went 0-3 in March and 9-19 in April, but began to show signs of life in a series with the Padres over the weekend. The team now has a winning record (2-1!) in May, but the real source of optimism may be the performance of Bronson Arroyo, Brandon McCarthy and Wade Miley in San Diego: a combined …
Continue Reading →Are some hitters particularly well-suited for RBI-likely spots in the lineup not just because of hitting prowess overall or tendency to hit for power, but also because they find ways to get guys in? The saber community has pretty much dispensed with the idea of “clutch” being a skill (which is not to say that some players have not been …
Continue Reading →This winter, we evaluated the Diamondbacks and thought it would be a tough season. More specifically, we concluded that the team could be competitive but that they needed pretty much everything to break right for them in order to be a playoff contender. Then came some trades that were perhaps underwhelming from a value standpoint, if not from a …
Continue Reading →To say Miguel Montero hit a bump in the road last season would be a massive understatement. I’ve personally never witnessed a player scuffle so badly and so obviously for such an extended period of time. It was tough to watch and one couldn’t help but feel for the heart and soul of the D’backs as he tried to fight …
Continue Reading →In sabermetric circles, you frequently hear that the ideal lineup is worth only five to fifteen runs over the average lineup. But five to fifteen runs is more than nothing, even over the course of the season, and lineup construction also happens to be fun to talk about. My preferred lineups — and justification — are below.
Lots to …
Continue Reading →For a time last week, one forgot the horrible start to the season. For a time, the D-backs looked like last year’s squad, capable of a comeback or walkoff at any time. But in dropping yesterday’s contest despite an excellent start by Brandon McCarthy, the team actually went 3 for 7 in the last week. The Cubs series may …
Continue Reading →Despite two decent starts at the end of the Cubs series, the D-backs rotation is still struggling: last in ERA (5.39) and 26th in FIP (4.27). But don’t lay the blame at the feet of Miguel Montero: new statistics show that he’s been much better than the average catcher at getting pitches called as strikes. A study published by …
Continue Reading →So, while we debated what to do at shortstop all winter and everyone had their say, the Diamondbacks chose Chris Owings as the man in the end. With the losses, poor pitching and occasional #TRUMBOMB, it seems as if we haven’t really discussed how the rookie shortstop has adjusted to full time big league life. The short answer: fairly well.…
Continue Reading →If we weren’t already doing it this way, is this the way we would start? Before taking over as General Manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Paul DePodesta explained in a presentation (which, sadly, was taken down once he became GM) that like with many other endeavors, continually asking that question could help a team win. DePo credited “management efficiency” …
Continue Reading →The D-backs floated back up to 28th in ESPN’s Power Rankings this week, but as noted there, the team is still in free fall. The team scratched out a win against the Dodgers on Friday in what was a great game to watch, but still lost that series after getting swept by the Mets. Something about the sweep by New …
Continue Reading →Let’s get one thing straight right off the bat: no one, and I mean no one, thinks a manager can be evaluated solely with sabermetrics. The game is played on the field, and while General Managers can at least be evaluated primarily on their transactions, there is a ton to the manager’s job that defies statistics and always will.…
Continue Reading →If the book and subsequent film “Moneyball” taught us anything, it’s that there are a lot of ways to build a winning baseball team. When I meet people and they ask about my baseball writing, they usually end up mentioning the prolific work of Michael Lewis and if they were paying attention, they describe it as “the movie where all …
Continue Reading →It’s been a while since I argued that Will Harris should be treated as the second lefty in the bullpen, someone who could pitch a whole inning with multiple left-handed batters due up while Joe Thatcher could be saved for matchups. When the team broke camp with an unusual thirteen-man pitching staff, the team had not one, but three …
Continue Reading →@ryanpmorrison
Best part of Peralta’s 108 mph fliner over the fence, IMHO: that he got that much leverage despite scooping it out… https://t.co/ivBrl76adF, 
RT @OutfieldGrass24: If you're bored of watching Patrick Corbin get dudes out, you can check out my latest for @TheAthleticAZ. https://t.co/k1DymgY7zO, - Of course, they may have overtaken the league lead for outs on the bases just now, also...
But in 2017, Arizona ha… https://t.co/38MBrr2D4b,
- Prior to the games today, there had only been 5 steals of 3rd this season (and no CS) in the National League. The… https://t.co/gVVL84vPQ5,
- RT @OutfieldGrass24: Patrick Corbin has a WPA of .318 and it's only the fifth inning.,
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- Feels about right https://t.co/CeuJBRSiNt,
- Tweeting transactions as a thread is actually a really nice strategy. https://t.co/dN1HZGd7yH,
- Jake Barrett stays in the division https://t.co/ieE4kjJ0kM,
RT @EWOKinLA: It is February and we are reduced to who is “checking in”. 😽 https://t.co/LM3OkPs5XV, 
RT @unlikelyfanatic: So, what is DRC+ when we take away the numbers? In part, it's what you or I might do, sitting at a ballpark, discus… https://t.co/vAJFykKfoD,
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