Tag: Stephen Strasburg

MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis talks comps for Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews

Callis discussed MLB comparisons for two of LSU’s best players, Dylan Crews and Paul Skenes.

The college baseball season isn’t over yet, but it’s never too early to talk about the MLB draft and one of the many pastimes of draft experts: player comps.

Jim Callis discussed MLB comparisons of two of LSU’s best players, [autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] and [autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag], who are projected to be drafted No. 1 and No. 2 overall in the 2023 draft, respectively.

It has been stated by multiple coaches and analysts this year that Skenes reminds everyone of Stephen Strasburg, one of the best collegiate pitchers of all time. Strasburg’s final season at San Diego State was in 2009 and he finished that season with a 13-1 record, 1.32 ERA, 195 strikeouts, and 19 walks.

Skenes has an 11-2 record with a 1.90 ERA, 179 strikeouts, and 17 walks so far this season with at least one more start remaining as he will pitch against Kentucky in the Baton Rouge Super Regional this weekend.

As for Crews, Callis hasn’t found a great comp for his position. In terms of the production he could provide though, Callis compared him to Freddie Freeman, first baseman for the Dodgers.

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Stephen Strasburg got ejected during a Nationals game he was watching from the stands

That’s a new one.

In an effort to promote social distancing during this pandemic-shortened MLB season, players are allowed to watch the game from the stands instead of a crowded dugout.

But that doesn’t mean that the stands protect players from the wrath of hypersensitive umpires. Just look at Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg.

During Thursday afternoon’s game between the Nationals and Mets, home plate umpire Carlos Torres exchanged some words with Nats manager Davey Martinez over balls and strikes. It appeared that Torres accurately called a borderline 2-2 pitch a ball, but the Nationals were still furious.

That was when Torres pointed towards the stands and ejected … somebody.

There was some initial confusion over who had just been ejected. The broadcast thought that Martinez had been tossed — even Martinez seemed to ask if he was ejected. But no, it was Strasburg who was watching the game FROM THE STANDS.

Strasburg, upon realizing he was just ejected, tipped his cap and walked through the aisles to exit the stands.

Just amazing — all of it.

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2020 National League Cy Young odds, picks and best bets

Previewing the National League Cy Young Award odds, with MLB betting odds, picks and best bets

Can anyone prevent Jacob deGrom from winning the 2020 National League Cy Young Award — which would be his third straight? The gang at BetMGM isn’t making it easy on bettors who think not, installing the Mets ace as the clear favorite at +280.

As of 4:30 p.m. ET Sunday, March 8, BetMGM has 10 other pitchers with a line of less than +3000:

  • Max Scherzer (+450)
  • Walker Buehler (+1000)
  • Jack Flaherty; Stephen Strasburg (+1100)
  • Clayton Kershaw (+1200)
  • Luis Castillo (+2000)
  • Patrick Corbin; Aaron Nola; Yu Darvish; Trevor Bauer (+2500)

National League Cy Young: Breaking down the field

When it comes to projecting a Cy Young winner, you try to go through a process of elimination.

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You don’t get enough return from deGrom. Strasburg is coming the best season of his career, but he has too long an injury history to ignore. The same goes for Kershaw. Opponents have a .208 career batting average against him and he has a career 2.44 ERA, but he hasn’t thrown 180 innings in any of his last four seasons, which limits your opportunities to get wins consistently.

Flaherty has talent and could be primed for a breakout season, but in 66 career starts he has a record of 19-19, which makes winning the Cy Young a spring training stretch — despite him going 7-2 with a 0.91 ERA after the All-Star Break last year. Castillo showed great improvement in 2019, but walks too many players, which leads to too many cheap runs being scored.

When it comes down to placing a wager, I would split the money between two of the top candidates that have solid return rates — Scherzer and Buehler. Scherzer is 35 so there is a concern about age, but in an era dominated by strikeouts, few are better than him. In five seasons in Washington, he has posted a sub-3.00 ERA of each of them and has an astounding 1,371 strikeouts in 1,050 2/3 innings. Last year, despite battling through back problems, he posted 243 strikeouts in 172 1/3 innings and a WHIP of 1.03 (his highest total in five years). He has all the tools.

Dodgers starting pitcher and budding ace Walker Buehler. (Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports)

Put the other half of your bankroll on Buehler. At +1000, there are a lot of things to like about him. The Dodgers have dominated the National League West, winning the last seven division titles and leaving no reason to expect they won’t again in 2020. With concerns over Kershaw’s availability for a full season, Buehler will likely be asked to take on the role of the innings-eating ace. At 25, he is hitting his prime and, with that potent Dodger lineup behind him, 20 wins is a possibility.

THE BET: Scherzer if you’re only betting on one player; Scherzer and Buehler if you’re willing to split your bet.

Want to get some action on MLB futures betting? Do you have what it takes to pick this season’s winners before the season even starts? Place legal sports bets online at BetMGM.

For more sports betting tips across all sports? Visit SportsbookWire.com.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services.  Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Follow @SportsbookWire.

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Is being a starting pitcher the best job in sports? Ye$ it i$!

Being a good starting pitcher is so money.

This is the online version of our morning newsletter, The Morning Win. Subscribe to get irreverent and incisive sports stories, delivered to your mailbox every morning.

There are many great positions in sports – like being a star QB who is known for leading his team down the field in key moments and getting big wins, or being the shooting guard who buries big shots when things matter the most.

But nothing really beats the life a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball, which is something we’re learning again this week.

Did you see that deal Stephen Strasburg signed earlier this week to remain with the Nationals – 7-years for $245 million… all of which is guaranteed!?

And then just after midnight on Wednesday it was announced that Gerrit Cole agreed to a 9-year, $324 million deal with the Yankees.

$324 million!

I mean, come on. It doesn’t get any better than that.

While NFL players are putting their brains on the line every play and NBA players are running up and down a wood floor in playing 82 games a year (unless you’re a really great player and get load management nights off), starting pitchers are over there in a beautiful ballpark smiling on a nice summer day and taking it all in.

These guys only really have to work every fifth day. If they start on three-days rest they’re hailed as gosh darn heroes, though heroes that could break apart at any point, but still – heroes!

In between starts they spend their time playing long toss in the outfield (who doesn’t like some long toss!?) before spending the day or night sitting on the bench and spitting seeds while watching their pals play a good ol’ game of baseball.

Then after some nice time off they finally take the mound. After six innings their bosses are usually like, “OK, man. You did great. Let me have that ball and you go enjoy the rest of the game from the clubhouse.” There they can shower and watch on TV as the pressure falls on their teammates to wrap things up in a victorious way. Plus there are usually snacks in the clubhouse, so they can eat those while watching.

Then it’s back to a few days of long toss and seeds.

Sure, things can get a little intense in the postseason but even then if you go seven innings and leave with a lead people will rise and give you a boisterous  ovation as you politely tip your cap and head for shower and snacks.

It’s a great life!

Plus, if you’re really good you make a boatload of money and never have to worry about a darned thing again. Sure, you’re elbow will probably blow out at some point but that’s fixable and then you get even more time off.

Starting pitchers, man. Living the dream!

Tuesday’s biggest winner: Celine Dion? Celine Dion!

The legendary singer is on tour in Toronto and she was given a very big championship ring by the Raptors’ mascot, because of course? It looks cold in Toronto because she has what looks like 19 layers on, but that ring sure is noticeable. She had some nice things to say about Toronto, too.

Quick hits: Best NBA teams of the decade… Worst NFL calls of the year… Le’Veon has a career (bowling) game… And more!

– We’re getting into our “Best of the Decade” content and Mike Sykes ranks the best NBA teams of the 2010s. Did he get things right?

– We also have some year-end content coming your way. Check out the worst calls by NFL refs this season… there were a lot to choose from!

– Le’Veon Bell spoke Tuesday about that trip to the bowling alley he took last Saturday night when he was still rebounding from the flu. He rolled a career-high score that night of 251, which isn’t bad. But still, Jets fans can’t like that.

– New Arkansas football coach Sam Pittman was an emotional wreck at his introductory press conference.

(Follow me on Twitter at @anezbitt. It might change your life. Just don’t tell me about your fantasy team.)

Here’s the latest on Stephen Strasburg and Gerritt Cole

What I’m Hearing: MLB Insider Bob Nightengale provides the latest on the lucrative free agent market for pitchers and the latest with Strasburg and Cole.

What I’m Hearing: MLB Insider Bob Nightengale provides the latest on the lucrative free agent market for pitchers and the latest with Strasburg and Cole.

WATCH: Yankees GM Cashman adds talks with Bumgarner’s agency to offseason to-do list

It is already on the table that New York wants to go after Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, who both come off outstanding runs in the 2019 World Series.

The Yankees have plans to pursue big-name pitching during the off-season. It is already on the table that New York wants to go after Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, who both come off outstanding runs in the 2019 World Series.

Now, General Manager Brian Cashman is adding former Giants ace Madison Bumgarner to his wish list.

The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday that Cashman confirmed the 30-year-old is a guy the Yankees will try to sign during free agency.

“I will definitely talk to Bumgarner’s agency,” the Yankees general manager said. “I haven’t. But I will. He’s been a tremendous player for a long time.

“We’re going to look at everybody that’s out there, obviously. Starting pitching is important, and he’s been one of the game’s better starting pitchers for a long time. So we’ll certainly have a conversation.”

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Yankees GM Cashman adds talks with Bumgarner’s agency to off-season to-do list

It is already on the table that New York wants to go after Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, who both come off outstanding runs in the 2019 World Series.

It is already on the table that New York wants to go after Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg, who both come off outstanding runs in the 2019 World Series.