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With the 2024 regular season now in full swing, here are three things to watch around baseball today:
1. An IL stint is imminent for Josh Jung:
The Rangers have not yet placed Josh Jung on the injured list, but they will surely do so sometime before this evening’s contest with the Rays. The third baseman suffered a fracture on Monday after he was hit on the wrist while swinging at an offering from Phil Maton. The Rangers were unable to offer a timeline for his return last night, but he will undoubtedly be gone long enough to require an IL stint. Expect an announcement and a corresponding roster move from the team later today.
2. Pitching matchups to watch:
By the end of this evening, all 30 teams will have begun their second (or third) series of the season. That means plenty of interesting starting pitchers and pitching matchups to follow.
Several aces will be back on the bump for their second turn in the rotation, including Logan Webb, Zac Gallen, and Luis Castillo. Perhaps the most compelling matchup to watch will be between Astros Opening Day starter Framber Valdez and Blue Jays Opening Day starter José BerrÃos. Valdez will be looking to rebound from a mediocre first outing against the Yankees, while BerrÃos hopes to get his team back on track after last night’s no-hitter.
One more pitcher to keep an eye on is Tigers starter Casey Mize. As long the Tigers and Mets aren’t rained out (a mounting possibility), Mize will make his first start since April 2022. The former top prospect and No. 1 overall pick is returning from Tommy John and back surgery.
3. MLBTR Chat today:
It’s the first chat of the 2024 season! With no shortage of topics to discuss, including injuries, rumors, a recent free agent signing, and a no-hitter, MLBTR’s Steve Adams will host a live chat with readers this afternoon at 1pm CT. You can click here to ask a question in advance, and that same link will allow you to join in on the chat once it begins or read the transcript after it is completed.
Two things from yesterday:
1. LOL @ Blue Jays on getting no-hit. What a terribly constructed team. The Rebuild failed and it’s time to dump some key players for the rebuild.
2. Shota Imanaga had a decent game yesterday. Sure, it was against another terrible team, in the Rockies, but still a good start for him. His FRA was 2.87.
Imanaga was helped more by the weather than his stuff. There were at least four balls (Blackmon twice, Montero once, Bryant once) hit by the Rockies that would have been home runs 90% of the time in Wrigley. Absolutely NOTHING was going anywhere in left field and that is where the Rockies hit everything. He did not pitch as well as the numbers showed. Charlie Blackmon absolutely destroyed one pitch (over 101 mph exit velocity with 30 degree launch) and it barely made the warning track. He is not going to do well in Wrigley as the weather heats up unless he changes something.
@hiflew
Which is why I referenced that his FRA was 2.87 for the game. He should have given up some runs in that game, based on the way he pitched.
It should have been higher than 2,87. As I said, easily 4 homers.
@hiflew
Maybe, but Fangraphs has his xERA at 2.84 and xFIP at 2.87. I’d say it’s a fairly decent evaluation of how he pitched that day, given the conditions.
Those two numbers do not take weather conditions into account. They are basically an aggregate of what should happen in perfect conditions with normal defense. But they do not factor in wind or any other natural factors that can affect game play.
@hiflew
FRA, xERA & xFIP remove the normal defense from the performance review of the pitcher. They evaluate what the pitcher can actually control
That’s fine. I honestly don’t care what goes into the formulas because those stats are not based in reality anyway. No pitcher has true control over anything. One pitcher can have a perfect pitch hit a mile and another can have godawful pitches met with a swing and a miss. Which pitcher is really better?
Pitchers are always dependent upon the hitter and vice versa. Then you also have to factor in the umpire as well. The pitcher really controls nothing except when the pitch is thrown and the pitch clock is even starting to take that control away also..
FRA essentially evaluates exactly what the pitcher throws, so given it’s 2.87, I’d say he had a decent day but should have given up more runs than he actually did.
Old – Speaking of paid to post, it sure seems like you’re getting compensated for trying to sell FRA. Haha!
@Fever Pitch Guy
I sure wish I was. However, I am not. I find the stat useful and quite good at predicting future success. Is it perfect? No, but it’s no different than when you watch MLB Network and hear them talking about fWAR, ERA+, etc, as if they’re the ultimate refined stat of all stats. I also like SIERA but not a lot of people like to talk about that. It’s one of the better predictor stats for pitchers as well.
Predictor stats do not work simply because there are too many variables that don’t carry over from game to game. Just far too many variables to ever predict future results accurately. Sure it can be fun to guess and be right, but it is always just a guess.
Old – It’s a little too early to pass judgement on the Jays, who BTW were missing Bo in the lineup for the no-no. It wouldn’t make any sense to dump him or Vladdy already.
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@Fever Pitch Guy
I’m glad you’re getting paid to post.
Anyway, I just don’t like the makeup of this team. But given the circus that is the MLB playoffs, I wouldn’t be surprised that they’re the D-Backs of 2023 and end up in the 2024 WS.
Old – The Jays certainly have the great pitching to contend. I hope you’re right about them in the WS, my interpreter made a few wagers on my behalf. Of course I had no knowledge of it until after the fact.
Fever, you hear the bad news about Larry Lucchino passing away?
Hope mlbtr does him justice sometime today in memoriam
GASox – Holy crap, no I didn’t hear. Thank you for the heads-up.
Wow that really, really saddens me. As you know I’ve been a vocal supporter of his for decades. I am certain they will do a nice write-up here.
Damn the past 2 1/2 years have been awful with the passing of Remy, the Wakefields and now Larry.
Yes sir Fever, on all counts. I know you, I, and a few others saw him for the credit he deserved in Boston, he had his fingers in a lot of things through the years.
We can’t claim him only as ours either, as he was also highly important to the Os and Pads.
GASox – You are 100% correct, he was a builder of many teams and many ballparks ….. in addition to saving Fenway.
Did you know he was the attorney who represented the Washington Redskins in the Riggins case.
Speaking of others, where has TF been the past few days? Did he say that he needed a break after the disappointing offseason?
Not sure.
I *still* wouldnt constitute the offseason as disappointing. Could it be better? Sure. Could it have gone much worse? YES!
For all the moves they didn’t make, and money Henry wouldn’t spend, you have to count the other things they COULDVE done and didn’t, as far as trading away some young and controlled guys in moves that would hurt down the road.
I rate it as an okay offseason that didn’t follow hype. At some point, when you’ve got so many young guys ready at the same time, you’ve got to play them and see what you can make.
Our young arms got a new coaching and development regimen, something bloom was clueless about. See what they can do. Young hitter need to hit, and to play. Signing older guys just holds back their development.
But, I’ve defended breslow all offseason so, we’ll see. I could be very wrong.
No hitters are getting less impressive and more common. There’s been at least one every year since 2005.
@JimmyTwoBags
It’s a result of a shift in strategy from contact that was happening in the previous years leading up to the 80s and a strategy shift to power. More guys with big swings for power and more Ks and less contact.
Making Nolan Ryan’s 7 even more impressive IMO
There are many MLB Pitchers who were unbeatable when they are/were at their best. But only one of them has the most career no-hitters, 1-hitters, and 2-hitters of all-time.
Nolan Ryan could shove like nobody before or since.
If you have never seen the documentary “Fastball” (2015), look for it and watch.
One tidbit concerns Ryan’s fastball measured at 100.8 MPH, just before crossing the plate, back in ’74. Today, and this includes Chapman’s 105+ MPH, pitches are measured at 50 from the plate. When physics/math is applied and adjustments are made to compensate for “the lost speed” difference between measurements it turns out Ryan’s pitch was 108+MPH.
It really is a great doc.
Facing Nolan is another great documentary
I will have to look for it, queenie….thanks.
Loved the late Ron Luciano’s story. Ryan was pitching…threw a fastball…Ron called it a strike. The batter said “Are you sure that was a strike?” Ron’s answer was “It sounded like it.”
Old – You make a good point about the more recent swing-for-the-fences approach to hitting.
Also with benches being a lot thinner it makes for weaker lineups. You basically have a backup catcher and three other position players on the team more for their “defensive versatility” than their ability to hit.
A’s send 1 player to AAA and another is benched. Why? They wore a arm band from a group protesting Fisher to sell the team. Don’t complain about your team when MLB lets a owner like Fisher destroy a team before your eyes.
Last Dive Bar is a radical group lead by extremist.
Yes its so radical to think people protesting a owner who hates a entire fans base.
@ARC 2
A’s need to return to Philly. Enough with this nonsense about going to Las Vegas or Hawaii.
More than that is MLB needs to get a new owner for the team. Fisher will be remembered as the worst baseball owner ever.
Jeffrey Loria would like a word.
Rather have Loria than Fisher.
You’d be one of the few.
I’ll preface by saying Fisher sucks but don’t bite the hand that feeds you. If you feel that passionate about supporting the group, ask to be released or refuse to play. You’re helping to support Fisher’s product by choosing to stay on the field.
Fisher wouldn’t release them. He just sends them down to AAA or benches them as punishment. Owners love the power they have over player’s livelihood.
Players also love guaranteed contracts where they are paid no matter. The conspiracy theory you’re spreading is ridiculous.
how about going to SFGATE website and read up.
You mean the liberal rag that has won one Pulitzer and that was literally in cartooning.
That characterization strikes me as reductive. Pre-arb players like these are not on guaranteed contracts, other than receiving a minor league salary on demotion. The average MLB career is three years – give or take. The substantial majority of baseball players don’t make it to free agency after having their salaries artificially depressed for six years with no freedom to choose where they play.
So just suck it up if your boss is horrible? Take it without complaint? If that was the case, players wouldn’t have free agency or lots of other benefits they’ve fought for.
OR don’t be foolish enough to support a group that is actively opposing YOUR BOSS. If I was the boss, you wouldn’t have to publicly support me in all my decisions, but I’ll be damned if I am going to pay you while you publicly support the people opposing me.
Wearing a armband is not openly opposing the owner. It would be like wearing a American flag by a player for a team owned by a foreign business. You should have watched the opening day ceremony. Even the players feel like a visitor in their own stadium.
It is if the armband is related to a group actively protesting against that owner. If my boss and his wife are going through a divorce and I decide to wear an armband to work supporting the wife, don’t you think it might upset the boss? At the very least, it won’t make him happy.
Players just need to decide if the crazy good money they make is worth keeping their opinions to themselves. If not, that is their choice to make, but they should be prepared to deal with the consequences of that action as well. They don’t get paid to feel like a member of the family, they get paid to play baseball.
One of the most pathetic things I see is some nobody Joe or hiflew here defending Fisher like he is worth defending. I always aske why would anyone defend what he has done to a community and to MLB. I would like to know hiflew why do you defend Fisher when he wouldn’t even stop if you were crossing the street in front of his car? So why and you better have a real answer
Oh I better? Am I in your sights or something? Yeah I think I will just risk it and stop talking to you for the rest of my life.
no problem here since your excuses are hey let owners do whatever they want and who cares about the fans.
Ye ask and ye shall recieve.
I heard Blanco was intercepting signals from the catcher so he knew in advance what pitches were going to be thrown. Cheaters.
Is there a way for people like me, who pay for this site to both support it and avoid ads, to not have to see giant ads for whatever Factor is? What am I paying for if you are still sliding ads in on me?
It’s a fair request. With Factor and Sports Reference, we did some deals for normal MLBTR posts “brought to you by” the advertiser.
Since the posts have value in their own right, I felt that subscribers would prefer to see them.
We do have the ability to entirely hide posts for subs, something I erroneously forgot to do when we did an “entirely sponsored” post from Factor.
I think the solution here is to stop offering “brought to you by” posts to advertisers, because then I can’t block those ads from subs.
If you’d like to discuss further please drop me a line:
mlbtraderumors.com/contact