Pitching is really good. Batting is getting much worse. (Stats from fangraphs.com)
2010-19 teams avg. 7+ k/9 (A’s 6.94) 2009-16 teams 2005-6 teams
Defense is really good this year
2010-16 teams posting positive UltimateZoneRatings/150 2009-11 teams
Team BA.
Since 2001, only 8 teams have hit lower than .250 for a season. In 2010 alone, 6 teams are hitting below .250 with another 3 very close. Houston, Pitt, Toronto, and Seattle area all hitting at or below .240! (That’s unheard of futility).
(But, Pitchers are getting lucky too) From 2000-2009 lowest team BABIP was roughly .280. In 2010-5 teams are close to .280 including 3 around or below .270. That has to normalize.
Teams are striking out more than ever before. This is a cultural change over the last 20 years. Where it used to be just power hitters, now teams will have entire lineups of guys with over 100k/yr. Guys are ripping no matter what the count or situation, and teams are okay with it.
In 1990, there were no teams that struck out 20% of their plate appearances (none). By 2000, that number was up to 8. 16 teams struck out more than 20% of the time last year, and in 2010 a whopping 19 teams are on pace. (Arizona has already struck out 773 times!).
In 2001, 1 team struck out more than 1200 times. In 2007, that number had grown to 6. Last season, 8 teams struck out more than 1200 times. 11 teams are on pace this season. 11.
I think as much as anything, this is demonstrating a lack of quality offensive players throughout the game. I believe you are seeing players who have taken a power hitting approach in the minors that is not translating to the bigs. Good pitchers are taking advantage of marginal offensive players. Good offensive teams are still going to get theirs, even against good pitchers, but bad teams have no shot.
Pickups
Matt LaPorta (speaking of quad A players)
.353BA 2 hr 7 rbi in July
Branyan was traded opening up 1B full-time.
Pedro Alvarez
.375 2 hr 4 rbi in July
Good pickups. What about a dump list? Here is my list:
ReplyDeleteJonny Gomes - there was no way he was keeping a .300+ BA for the season. He is slumping faster than Megan Fox's career right now. He is good for only a few more dingers and RBI's. Not starting material.
Rod Barajas - 11 homers on the season, I think he has had 3 in the last 6 weeks. And the average stinks. This is why he is 60 years old and no one has ever heard of him.
BJ Upton - All potential team. AAAA All star. Bench him in case he decides to hit for average this season. If he was an actress he would be doing lines of coke with Lindsay Lohan and wrecking cars to get noticed.
Extra pickup of the week:
Geovany Soto - Sweet Lou is starting to play him more often and he is showing his ability to hit for power and drive in runs the way he did his rookie year. He is hotter than Ohio asphalt right now.
And last but not least, the dude that runs this blog is a giant d-bag so every should make a lot of posts to support his d-baggery.
Good luck on the show and with the blog.