Because you are reading this website, I’d guess you enjoy watching baseball. So, chances are, you know that Madison Bumgarner hit two home runs on Sunday, making him the first pitcher to homer twice on Opening Day. That shouldn’t be news to you, but if it is, I’m glad to have caught you up.
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The argument is simple. Oftentimes, in major-league games, the final three outs are not the most important. Win probability and leverage index tell us that there is usually a spot earlier in the game, potentially around the sixth or seventh inning, where the use of a team’s best reliever is advantageous. And, for the vast majority of Major League Baseball teams — except for the Indians — the team’s best relief pitcher is in fact their closer.
Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. Royals manager Ned Yost informed the media Monday that Nathan Karns will be named the team’s fifth starter, as one of the first significant roster moves of spring training for any team.
After the tragic death of young star Yordano Ventura in late January, the Royals found themselves in dire need of starting pitching depth. They signed both Jason Hammel and Travis Wood in February, with the latter expected to compete for the fifth spot in the rotation. And while Karns was acquired from the Mariners weeks prior to Ventura’s passing, he too gained increased importance in the battle for the roster spot. After a strong spring thus far, Karns will open the season as Kansas City’s No. 5. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. The Tampa Bay Rays and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier reportedly agreed to a six-year, $53.5 million extension on Tuesday. With the deal, the Rays are able to lock up one of their most promising young players, while Kiermaier gets some financial (and likely team) security over the next six seasons.
Kiermaier has been featured a lot here at Beyond The Box Score, often for his outstanding defense. I’ll sum his career up quickly before going into the extensive details of what his contract means in context. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez had a solid season last year. For the first time in his career, he posted a wRC+ over 100 (108), making him an above-average hitter. Adding in reliable defense on the right side of the infield, Hernandez was worth a cool 4.4 fWAR, a real asset to the Phillies’ squad.
Here at Beyond The Box Score, you’ll be hard-pressed to find an article that focuses on batting average, but I’m about to embark into the depths of the stat that is frowned upon by many in the sabermetric community, who are far more in favor of on-base percentage at the very least. Hernandez’s batting average last season was .294. This is quite good, although it’s not above the completely arbitrary .300 mark that has always signaled a “good” hitter. But, how about this? While Hernandez did bat .294, he would have dropped to .274 if not for 15 bunt hits, good for the most in the major leagues. Click here to read more on Beyond The Box Score. |