Last season, we predicted ten pitchers who would likely become most impacted by the rule change. This season, using the pitch tempo data provided by Statcast, we were able to track which players have seen the biggest dips in their tempo on the mound. Here is how it works:
“Pitch tempo measures the median time between pitches (in other words pitch release to pitch release). Only pitches that follow a take (called strike or called ball) and are thrown to the same batter are considered for this metric.”
Note that this timer adds about six seconds more than the actual pitch timer used by umpires.
Using this data, meanwhile, we were able to determine which pitchers are operating at a faster tempo between each pitch while on the mound.
While we cannot assess that correlation equals causation, we also compared the expected weighted on-base average for each pitcher to track their year-over-year progress or regression.
This is why we chose that particular metric for evaluation (via MLB.com):
“xwOBA is more indicative of a player’s skill than regular wOBA, as xwOBA removes defense from the equation. Hitters, and likewise pitchers, are able to influence exit velocity and launch angle but have no control over what happens to a batted ball once it is put into play.”
Here are the ten players whose pitch tempo has been most impacted by the pitch clock rule change. The number next to each name indicates how much shorter the tempo is between each pitch for the player compared to last year.
Williams hadn’t given up a home run all year. Whoops.
Let’s get two things clear:
Devin Williams is arguably the best reliever in MLB and has the stats to prove it.
Baseball is so, so cruel.
On that first point, Williams had gone 30 consecutive outings without allowing a run. He’d gone all season long without giving up a homer. A sterling 1.59 ERA and 66 strikeouts on 19 walks in 39.2 innings is plenty evidence of his greatness.
It’s the type of stuff that convinced the Milwaukee Brewers to trade equally-dominant closer Josh Hader to San Diego at the deadline and move Williams into the 9th inning role.
Wednesday provided Williams with the first opportunity to show he could handle the added pressure as he entered a game tied at 7 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on the road.
That’s just the second walk-off home run of Reynolds’ career. He also hasn’t had too much luck against Williams before Wednesday, striking out three times in 12 plate appearances with just three hits—and none of them went for more than a single. Williams had previously only allowed one home run at PNC Park and that was back in 2020. Wednesday’s home run was just the third hit given up by Williams in Pittsburgh since.
And the walk-off absolutely crushed the betting public.
According to Action Network, 81 percent of all moneyline bets and 69 percent of all the money wagered on the ML was on Milwaukee.
Actualmente los Milwaukee Brewers llevan una ventaja de tres juegos en la NL Central y van que vuelan para llegar otra vez a los playoffs. Pero a juzgar por su movimiento más reciente antes de la fecha límite de cambios de la MLB, nunca se lo …
Actualmente los Milwaukee Brewers llevan una ventaja de tres juegos en la NL Central y van que vuelan para llegar otra vez a los playoffs. Pero a juzgar por su movimiento más reciente antes de la fecha límite de cambios de la MLB, nunca se lo hubieran imaginado.
Aún así, no verán a muchos fans de los Brewers emocionados por el acuerdo. Dejando de lado las dificultades que tuvo Hader en el 2022 y del bullpen tan fuerte de los Brewers, normalmente no se vería a ningún equipo hacer este tipo de movimientos; especialmente cuando a Hader aún le queda otro año en el equipo. Los Brewers debían saber que el intercambio no sería bien recibido porque el lunes el equipo publicó un comunicado explicando su decisión.
Traducción: LHP Taylor Rogers, LHP Robert Gasser, OF Esteury Ruiz, RHP Dinelson Lamet por LHP Josh Hader.
Traducción recuadro: Los jugadores a los que recibimos con esta transferencia nos ayudan a asegurar que el futuro de los Milwaukee Brewers siga brillando sin comprometer nuestro deseo ni nuestras expectativas de ganar hoy. Esta mezcla presenta el talento de la Major League y los prospectos de alto nivel que perpetúa nuestro objetivo de obtener la mayor cantidad de piezas de la manzana como sea posible, y al final del día, traer una Serie Mundial a Milwaukee. El intercambiar a buenos jugadores en buenos equipos es difícil y ciertamente es el caso con Josh. También reconocimos eso para darle a nuestra empresa la mejor oportunidad de tener una competitividad sostenible, para evitar extender los periodos que experimentan muchas empresas y para las que tuvimos que tomar decisiones que no son sencillas.
David Stearns, presidente de operaciones de beisbol.
El comunicado por parte de David Stearns no ayudó a mejorar las cosas, y la parte sobre los pedazos de las manzanas realmente hizo que la explicación se saliera por la borda. Si tienes que explicar públicamente un intercambio a tu base de fans, probablemente no debiste haber hecho ese trato.
La respuesta de los fans de los Brewers fue burlarse del comunicado tan extraño y lo llamaron por lo que es: un movimiento barato que no los puso en una mejor posición para conseguir un lugar dentro de los mejores equipos de la NL.
Así reaccionó Twitter:
Long winded way to say we’d like to be good enough to sell tickets for years to come but never really be a contender https://t.co/xVcmabqQpW
Traducción: Una forma muy elaborada y larga de decir que nos gustaría ser lo suficientemente buenos para vender boletos por muchos años, pero nunca ser realmente un contendiente.
Typically you don't have to post statements about a trade because typically the trade makes sense! https://t.co/sVUfDmK2Jp
The Milwaukee Brewers currently hold a three-game lead in the NL Central and are well on their way to another playoff appearance. But you wouldn’t have been able to guess that just by judging their latest move ahead of the MLB trade deadline.
Still, you’re not going to see many Brewers fans get excited about the deal. Hader’s 2022 struggles and the Brewers’ strong bullpen aside, you don’t normally see contending teams make this kind of move — especially when Hader still has another year of team control. The Brewers must have known the trade wouldn’t go over well because the team issued a statement explaining themselves on Monday.
The statement from David Stearns didn’t help matters either, and the part about biting apples really took the whole explanation off the rails. If you have to publicly explain a trade to a fanbase, it probably wasn’t a trade that should have been made.
Brewers fans responded by mocking the team’s weird statement for what it was — a transparently cheap move that didn’t better position them into serious contention with the top NL teams.
Yes, you read that right: The Brewers traded Josh Hader to the Padres. Let’s grade the deal.
The Milwaukee Brewers are in the middle of contending in the National League thanks in part to All-Star closer Josh Hader in the back of a robust bullpen.
Sure, he had a 4.24 ERA, but it’s Josh Hader. Come the postseason, he’s going to be needed.
So the Brewers did the logical thing and … traded Hader? To the San Diego Padres, who needed a closer badly?
Yep. Not a typo. He had one year left on his deal, but whaaaaaaaat?
Highlighting potential fantasy baseball busts you’ll need to avoid in your drafts for the 2020 MLB season.
[jwplayer YUKDWTWZ]
The 2020 fantasy baseball season will be one like never before and will require owners to have near-perfect drafts. Below, we call attention to the players most likely to be a bust in 2020 and who you should be avoiding in your fantasy baseball drafts.
There’ll be no time to wait on slow-starters and early-season slumps in the 60-game MLB season. This means it’ll be incredibly important to avoid a draft bust, particularly in the early rounds.
Mar 5, 2020; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Cleveland Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez. (Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian – USA TODAY Sports)
Jose Ramirez, 3B, Cleveland Indians
Here is where the term “bust” comes under scrutiny every year. By all means, draft Ramirez. He’s a fantastic player, but he won’t be worth a mid-second-round pick in 2020.
He has slashed .272/.347/.469 in the first half of the season for his career, compared to a .288/.356/.504 line in the second half – that split was even worse in 2019. Part of the problem is likely due to the cold March and April weather in Cleveland, but it’s also a sign he usually starts the year behind pitchers. There’s no time for that in a 60-game season.
Mitch Garver, C, Minnesota Twins
Garver crushed 31 home runs in just 93 games and 359 plate appearances for the Twins last year. He did it with a .357 ISO and 29.0% home run to fly ball ratio compared to his .146 and 8.0% marks across 103 games in 2018.
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Salvador Perez, C, Kansas City Royals
Perez’s start to the season is already in jeopardy after testing positive for COVID-19. Though he’s asymptomatic, he’s also recovering from a season lost to an elbow injury. Expect a serious power decline from his 27-home run seasons of 2017 and 2018.
Mallex Smith, OF, Seattle Mariners
Smith offers little fantasy value outside of his great contributions in the stolen bases category. He’s also another poor starter with a career .629 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) in March and April.
Jon Berti, IF/OF, Miami Marlins
Berti is viewed by some as a sleeper this season after stealing 17 bases in 73 games last season. He struck out in 25.4% of his plate appearances, walked in just 8.4% and can’t get on base consistently enough to contribute at the same pace in the shortened campaign. He had a .273 batting average in 2019, but it was mainly the result of an inflated .360 BABIP (batting average on balls in play).
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Josh Hader, RP, Milwaukee Brewers
Hader is one example of the high-priced closers to fade this season, along with the saves category. There’ll be fewer opportunities in the unpredictable season as teams use less-defined pitcher roles. The mid-round pick isn’t worth leaving better and more predictable hitters on the board.
German Marquez, SP, Colorado Rockies
Two factors work against Marquez. He’ll play 30 of his 60 games in the hitter-friendly Coors Field, where he has a career 5.01 ERA compared to a 3.72 mark on the road, and he has also performed best in the second half of the season. Owners won’t be able to sit through those rough starts this season.
Zac Gallen, SP, Arizona Diamondbacks
Gallen was viewed as a favorite sleeper target by many back in March. He pitched to a stellar 2.81 ERA, but 4.15 xFIP across 15 starts and 80 innings in 2019. He won’t have the necessary time to develop in his shortened sophomore season and can’t be expected to pick up right where he left off.
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