JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 5/26/22

Dan Szymborski

12:03

Welcome to THUNDER CHAT

12:04

OK, just regular chat, but adding Thunder to things always makes them more exciting

Old Hoss Radbourn

12:04

I know xStats are flawed (even more so this year because of the change in offensive environment), but they're showing Abraham Toro getting insanely unlucky. Is there some bad luck masking a real breakout here?

Dan Szymborski

12:04

I think ther'es some bad luck

xStat stuff is having *calibration* problems, but it should be an issue of *bias* more than accuracy really

12:05

ZiPS stats are more predictive (with slightly differing methodology) and is similarly overexpecting results

(I'm saving off-topic ones)

Old Hoss Radbourn

12:05

There have been reports in the past of prospects struggling at AAA because they were "bored". I always found this to be a pretty unconvincing excuse. However, there have been reports that Oneil Cruz maybe isn't bored, but is kind of annoyed with the Pirates and pissed off that he got sent down after blowing up spring training. Ignoring for a second whether or not he should have been on the opening day roster, is there any evidence that this kind of dissatisfaction affects player performance? I would have to think there is some correlation there, right? Most people perform better at their jobs if they are happy. Is this something teams think about at all when considering roster decisions? Seems kind of counterproductive to piss off your best young players (not that every young player should make the team every year, but I think you see what I'm getting at).

Dan Szymborski

12:06

It's one of those things that are probably out there in the aether, but *really* hard to pin down in a scientific manner.

For example testing the hypothesis that players struggle when bored or struggled when pissed.

If something is intangible, then you don't know magnitude *or* direction really

12:07

Because a pissed off player could be discouraged

OR a pissed off player could be motivated to THATLL SHOW EM

I know I've done some of my best work when I've been pissed off or discouraged

Mr. Redlegs

12:08

Is Brandon Drury a legit MLB starter now?

Dan Szymborski

12:08

I'm not quite there, but he's making a case

It's not the CRAZIEST thing. He was always fringey, but it's not like he was a 150/250/250 projection guy

The Great Giambino

12:08

I'm roadtripping to Cincinnati tomorrow for the game, and I'm going to have the best chili in the world when I'm there. Read it and weep

Dan Szymborski

12:08

Oh, is there a place that serves a nice bowl of Texas red?

12:09

Oh wait, that was off topic!

Last Days of Dayton Moore

12:10

Are any of the pitchers currently in the Royals' organization an above average MLB starter in 2023?

Dan Szymborski

12:10

That comes down to whether you're a believe in eternalism or presentism

12:11

For instance, Einstein subscribed to the block universe theory. If you do, Brad Keller *might* be an above average starter in 2023.

12:13

But otherwise, there is no KC royals or baseball in 2023 because the future does not yet exist

(people who believe in a growing block universe would also believe this, though they do believe that the past still currently exists)

Erik

12:13

Can you think of any other players with a similar early-career trajectory to MacKenzie Gore? Elite prospect > awful final minor-league season > looking like everything he was ever supposed to be as a rookie can't be a common path.

Dan Szymborski

12:13

Halladay sorta?

Pitchers have weird trajectories

12:14

But his struggles were MLB really

so not quite the same thing

Oyster Burns

12:15

after all the hand wringing is ikf a good fit on the yanks?

Dan Szymborski

12:15

Good? No, but sort of acceptable if you're not signing Correa or Story and adamant about blocking a prospect even temporarily

Liz

12:15

I found Szymborski in the name audio list of MLB the Show this morning. What's your go-to game mode or player type in baseball video games?

Dan Szymborski

12:15

I like Road to the Show in MLB the Show

12:16

Franchise in Madden

I usually create Dan Szymborski in MLB the Show

and make the dude look sort of me, doughiness and all

12:17

Like seriously, how many HBPs would you get with this home run trot in real life?

12:18

It's been a good decade so far for Szymborski surname awareness. Added to The Show and there's now a Dan Szymborski in the Young and the Restless universe.

Someone in FanGraphs chat thought I made up Dan Szymborski being a canon character on Young and the Restless.

But no, the greatest moment in Szymborski television history is real.

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