MLB Off-Topic

[Jr.]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Interesting numbers on Heyward:

• According to Inside Edge, Heyward’s 22.9 percent line-drive percentage this season is the highest of his career. Baseball Reference has it even higher, at 27 percent.
• According to ESPN Stats and Information, Heyward is hitting .563 when he hits a line drive, a career low, and 156th out of 159 qualified hitters. For comparison, last year he hit .686 on line drives, a previous career low.
• Heyward’s batting average on balls in play is just .273. That ranks 135th in baseball. The league average is .311.

Talk about an unlucky hitter. Now I know, he's still swinging at some pitches he shouldn't be, pulling some pitches he shouldn't be, fouling off pitches he shouldn't be, and his swing is long and sucks. Thankfully it's flat, but he's also just not hitting the ball out either. Even still, these numbers are pretty telling as well... though I'm willing to bet his speed-off-bat numbers are lower on average this year as well.

He's just yanking everything. So his line drives are almost all going into the overload shift, where there just isn't much room for them to fall.

[BleacherBum2310]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

It's clear he's been unlucky. This is stunning and also his swing path makes it very hard to lift balls so some of the LD are unable to leave the ballpark.

[CBoller1331]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/playe...to-get-traded/

Speaking of Enos Sarris....or maybe that was the Trade Deadline thread. whatever....

Very interesting read. Seems to be the consensus that getting traded sucks but is exciting at the same time.

Also another rocket out for Heyward in his first AB tonight. When's the dude gonna catch a break

[TheMatrix31]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Related to the Heyward's Luck discussion:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/luck-...wards-problem/

I haven't read it as most of their **** goes way over my head but figure I'd post it since I saw it earlier today.

[Blzer]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Related to the Heyward's Luck discussion:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/luck-...wards-problem/

I haven't read it as most of their **** goes way over my head but figure I'd post it since I saw it earlier today.

Yup, pretty much what I speculated.

His swing casts so much, that in itself is strange... but his load is crazy weird now. It is so close to his head that he has nothing to launch from, and then he extends way around as well. It's sad that this was not his swing and stance during his rookie season. I still love the guy, but I hope he is realizing these things as well.

[AC]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Exit velocity is calculated in a way that a 3 MPH difference could literally mean he's had 2-3 more swinging bunts this year than usual or something. And the Hard% and Soft% data aren't particularly accurate either. It's probably still a good amount luck, with a solid amount being him hitting worse as well.

Also love the echo chamber in the comments. Guy points out just how far below his mean Heyward's "luck" stats are and gets downvoted to high hell. FG comment sections, man.

[DieHardYankee26]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

How do you weigh player value? Random question, but I think id say 75% offense, 25% defense. I dont believe in this argument that defense at any given position is really that beneficial, definitely not as much as I believe an average defender with an elite bat can be hidden in a decent defense. I thought about this partially because of the Griffey Trout debate where people insist Griffey being a great defender makes a huge difference. I think it's a great asset to have, but I can't weigh it over Trout being a superior hitter and baserunner. Guys are seriously undervaluing Trout's bat, and that shouldn't be possible. Dude is legit.

[WaitTilNextYear]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Related to the Heyward's Luck discussion:

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/luck-...wards-problem/

I haven't read it as most of their **** goes way over my head but figure I'd post it since I saw it earlier today.

I posted this same article in the Cubs thread a couple of days ago and I agree with this analysis. Heyward has been unlucky, but the overriding thing is he's just not making consistent, hard contact. Anyone who's watched the games (Braves fans are probably nodding sadly right now) has seen that he hits soft liners and soft pop ups and soft fly balls and soft tappers...a lot of it is due to how easily he gets jammed and some other mechanical things that I'm not an expert on. This results in a low launch angle and a lower exit velocity, which are both generally not good things. He looks tentative up there quite often and pitchers know they can beat him with a good fastball, especially high and tight.

[Speedy]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Heyward changed his hands where it's way to close to his body so he has to both extend his hands/arms and THEN load up before the pitch. I dunno who did it to him but he needs to go back to 2010 form where his hands were higher and a bit further out from his body. He has a 6'4" 225 LB frame and his stance is like he's 5'9" 180 LBs.

2010:


2016:

[Ghost Of The Year]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

How do you weigh player value? Random question, but I think id say 75% offense, 25% defense. I dont believe in this argument that defense at any given position is really that beneficial, definitely not as much as I believe an average defender with an elite bat can be hidden in a decent defense. I thought about this partially because of the Griffey Trout debate where people insist Griffey being a great defender makes a huge difference. I think it's a great asset to have, but I can't weigh it over Trout being a superior hitter and baserunner. Guys are seriously undervaluing Trout's bat, and that shouldn't be possible. Dude is legit.

75/25 is a good starting point but I might lean a little closer to 70/30 but that's just me splitting hairs.
As for Griffey/Trout, when all is said & done Trout might prove better but I'd still take Griffey.
If there were any justice in this world, he should have had 800 homers, less injuries & world championships in Seattle and Cincy.
#ItsNeverIffyIfItsGriffey

[TripleCrown9]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

There's a really good doc on Netflix called Fastball. They talk about all the hardest throwers in the history of the game.

Turns out Walter Johnson, who had the fastest pitch in the entire country in his day, was only throwing 83.

So far they've discussed Goose Gossage, Walter Johnson, Aroldis Chapman, and Bob Feller.

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

There's a really good doc on Netflix called Fastball. They talk about all the hardest throwers in the history of the game.

Turns out Walter Johnson, who had the fastest pitch in the entire country in his day, was only throwing 83.

So far they've discussed Goose Gossage, Walter Johnson, Aroldis Chapman, and Bob Feller.

How did they measure Johnson's fastball? I am really curious how they can accurately say he was throwing 83 mph...

[rkwittem]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

How did they measure Johnson's fastball? I am really curious how they can accurately say he was throwing 83 mph...

I am too. I had read somewhere that some research types had predicted he threw 91 MPH, really interested to see how they figured that out.

[Majingir]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Does the whole "speed=distance/time" stuff apply? If there's video of him pitching,couldnt you slow it down and figure out exact amount of time it took for ball to cross the plate?

[Sportsforever]

Re: MLB Off-Topic

Does the whole "speed=distance/time" stuff apply? If there's video of him pitching,couldnt you slow it down and figure out exact amount of time it took for ball to cross the plate?

I actually did this several years ago with the 1956 Don Larsen perfect game. I researched what frame rate it was recorded in and then measured the individual frames from release point to crossing the plate. What I came up with was that Sal Maglie was throwing 83-84 most of the game and Larsen was sitting in the 88-89 mph range, which I can believe (by that point Maglie was on the tail end of his career).

The reason I ask about Johnson is there isn't really great footage of him (that I've seen) pitching that could accurately be used...