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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 4/28/17
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Jeff Sullivan
9:03
Hello friends
Welcome to Friday baseball chat
Bork
9:03
Hello, friend!
Jeff Sullivan
9:03
Hello friend
Sock Therapy
9:03
Is Aaron Judge the messiah
Jeff Sullivan
9:03
Some people are made in something superior to God's image
Rick
9:04
I was expecting an article on Jared Weaver popping out the side against the Marlins.
Jeff Sullivan
9:04
I would've, too, if I knew that that happened. Alas, sometimes there's too much good stuff :(
Side note: five starts, 10 homers for Jered Weaver. Records will be broken!
John
9:06
What's up with Daniel Norris?
Jeff Sullivan
9:07
If I could put an optimistic spin on things, his stuff seems fine, and so many of the rates are similar. Same zone rate, same contact rate, same swing rates, almost. He's not sharp, and I notice that Norris' pace has slowed down by more than four seconds -- that's weird. But I think he can get settled into a groove before long
Relsh
9:07
Hey Jeff, both Lynn and Wacha seem to rely heavily on their fastball usage, is the coincidence or a result of the type of game Yadi likes to call?
Jeff Sullivan
9:08
Lynn has been fastball-first for forever. That's just his thing
Wacha...doesn't have a high fastball rate. Lots of cutters and changeups.
Darwin (No, not the dolphin)
9:09
How long do you think it will be before pitcher wins are no longer regularly discussed during a baseball game broadcast?
Jeff Sullivan
9:09
I think by now everyone knows they're silly. Within five years they'll seldom be mentioned
Tanner
9:09
Biggest non-Thames surprise/story of April?
Jeff Sullivan
9:09
For me this was going to be a huge year for determining what Bryce Harper is, and he seems to have decided to be amazing again
9:10
But you've also got the surprising slumps of the Giants/Mets/Blue Jays, which has shaken things up
captainpeanutbutter
9:11
Do you get less questions about why you are so low on Gsellman?
Jeff Sullivan
9:11
It's funny, his name hasn't come up
9:12
That being said, he's nowhere close to as bad as his current ERA. I figured he was something like a No. 4. We'll see where his numbers end up when he stops just facing the Marlins, Phillies, and Braves
caesarsolid
9:12
Arrieta's velocity is still down from last year, but his k% is at a career high and bb% at a career low - what do you make of him going forward?
Jeff Sullivan
9:13
In his most recent start, his velocity ticked up. So that's something. And perhaps his location has improved a little bit while not throwing at 100%. I still don't trust his command all that much but the movement he generates is sufficient to avoid hard contact
Oddball Herrera
9:14
Aaron Hicks - guy who deserves a spot as a regular or mediocre bench bat who's just had string of good games?
Jeff Sullivan
9:15
I'm not prepared to say that Hicks should be playing every day, but right now he's on pace for almost 400 plate appearances. I think that sounds about right.
It'll be very interesting to look at him in a month and see if he's still swinging at basically zero pitches out of the zone
Carl
9:16
What do you make or early season success from Conforto- you buying? Also, check out his batted ball profile- prettt interesting!
Jeff Sullivan
9:17
You get my attention when you take Max Scherzer deep
9:18
The batted-ball quality is there. Simply a matter of making enough contact. Apparently the Mets won't trust Conforto to hit lefties, but for now he's a super useful mostly-regular
He was never going to stay as bad as he looked last season
JTT
9:19
Jeff, is Kenny Lofton the least fortunate player of recent memory? He has been on the wrong end of most of the most epic postseason collapses of his era. The 2002 World Series, the 2003 NLCS, the 2004 ALCS and the 2007 ALCS. Not to mention losing the 1995 WS as well. John Smoltz lost 4 world series but he did at least get 1 win.
Jeff Sullivan
9:19
Not gonna lie to you, I had zero recollection of Kenny Lofton on the 2004 Yankees
9:20
There's also Lofton not getting a job in 2008 even though in 2007 he was a 3-win player
And don't forget his immediately falling off the HoF ballot despite 62 career WAR
9:21
Lofton, at least, got to play for two decades, and he got plenty of playoff experience. Plus, you know, he earned 61 million dollars. But still, ouch
Jack
9:22
Concern level for Encarnacion? He's striking out a whole lot, which is something he didn't do a lot of for a power hitter in the past.
Jeff Sullivan
9:23
I don't really have a scale, but...4 out of 10
9:24
You don't like to see all the swings and misses, but he's had a handful of recent 20-game stretches with 27% strikeouts or so. If he's still doing this in a month, then that's bad
S
9:24
Which team will still be in a playoff race in September: Rockies, Dbacks, or neither?
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