When the Mets drafted Michael Conforto 10th overall in the 2014 draft, the Oregon product was regarded as one of the more complete hitters in the pool. At the time, Perfect Game raved about his approach, saying in his scouting report, "He has plus, game usable power as well as one of the most disciplined... Continue Reading →
I've seen plenty of discussion about pitch classification recently, both on Twitter and online forums. In their AL Wild Card game chat on Fangraphs, former Astros' executive Kevin Goldstein, ZiPS creator Dan Szymborski, and Roster Resource writer Jon Becker expressed their dissatisfaction on current pitch classification systems. Becker made a good point: classifying pitches can... Continue Reading →
Alec Mills threw the game of his life on September 13th, 2020. That day, the right-hander authored the 17th no-hitter in Cubs history. Through his nine frames, zero batters tallied a hit against the Cubs' righty. Despite coming into the game with a 4.74 ERA on the season, Mills masterfully worked his way through Milwaukee's... Continue Reading →
This past season, BaseballCloud had the privilege to work with several college players who were selected in 2021's Amateur Player Draft. One of the players we wanted to highlight is Tommy Mace, hailing from Florida. He was recently selected by the Cleveland Indians in the second round (69th overall) in 2021's Amateur Player Draft. This... Continue Reading →
There are two types of Major League pitchers. Some pitchers succeed by chucking high-velocity, high-spin, high-efficiency heaters past hitters. These are Gerrit Cole's of the world, the ones who can dominate by pure, awesome force. They light up radar guns, go viral on Twitter, and top 95 mph routinely. But not every pitcher is blessed... Continue Reading →
In his 2019 Big Board update, Fangraphs' prospect expert Eric Longenhagen only awarded one player a future value of 65+ in both his future hit and future game power tools. In his description of this hitter, he said "This is the best hitter in the minors and the stick will play anywhere." With strong baseball... Continue Reading →
This winter, the Mets made it a priority to upgrade their bullpen. Although the production of the bullpen was adequate last season, the need for another impact backend arm was evident, even moreso when the team recently announced that Seth Lugo would miss the start of the campaign recovering from right elbow surgery. Key to... Continue Reading →
For the purpose of this exercise: Let's say Major League Baseball, specifically the Mets, is the Matrix. Mets' pitching coach Dan Warthen represents Morpheus and you, the reader, are a rookie MLB pitcher. However, Warthen isn't offering you a blue or red pill, rather he's extending you a pitch (literally and figuratively). A delivery that... Continue Reading →
Last season, the Orioles bullpen was a pleasant surprise. In a campaign where the club wasn't able to escape the basement of the AL East, their bullpen represented a bright spot in an otherwise dismal season. Each of their relievers had a different way to beat opponents. Tanner Scott's upper-90's fastball could blow by most... Continue Reading →
In 2018, Derek Holland was given a second chance to revive his baseball career. Holland was a former star for the Texas Rangers, helping them clinch two AL Pennants in 2010 and 2011, but he had fallen on hard times. The 2017 season represented a massive struggle for the southpaw. Statistically, he was one of... Continue Reading →
I like the Rays. They've been the inspiration behind a couple of my pieces, whether that be about Tyler Glasnow allowing a 458 foot homer or how to evaluate relievers' salaries. Every move the Rays make contrasts traditional baseball decision-making. Baseball goes left; the Rays opt for the right path (literally and figuratively). Baseball spends... Continue Reading →
Last offseason, the Braves splurged on their bullpen, spending a combined $57.75 million on Chris Martin, Will Smith, Darren O'Day and Josh Tomlin. Coming into the 2020 season, their bullpen represented approximately a third of the team's overall salary commitments. Meanwhile, the Kansas City Royals found themselves on the other end of the bullpen spectrum;... Continue Reading →
Tyler Glasnow is a damn good starting pitcher. Glasnow's always had that label. His talents were plenty evident during his time in the Pirates' farm system, but once Tampa Bay worked their magic on the tall righty, he turned into the second coming of Jacob deGrom. He's one head of the Rays' Cerberus of starting... Continue Reading →
In 1995, thanks to a quintet of dominant starting pitchers, Atlanta secured their third World Series championship. Their staff, fronted by three future Hall-of-Famers, combined for a 3.24 ERA. In the mid-2010's, the Braves' ownership opted for a new wave of front-office executives. The new hires decided to replicate the success of their predecessor by... Continue Reading →
I like Devin Williams. Devin Williams does not like opposing batters. There are plenty of monikers that can apply to Williams. Jake Mailhot of Fangraphs dubbed him a Unicorn. He's no Aang, but PitchingNinja's nickname of Airbender fits him pretty well. Me? I call him a mystery. A puzzler that Fenton Hardy can't even solve.... Continue Reading →
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