http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/51937226/ns/sports-baseball/

 

Great Posnanski article on what happened to the Albert Pujols who was one of the five best hitters in baseball history...?

Patrick Corbin FTW

Passan just wrote a long article (giving out "doobs" for dubious) for those players likely to revert back to form.

 

Corbin was 1/5. 5/5 meant you were definitely coming back to earth.

 

Worth reading. Talks about Goldschmidt's hot start, too.

Patrick Corbin FTW

 

He, Yu Darvish, and Clayton Kershaw are awesome...for my fantasy team.

He, Yu Darvish, and Clayton Kershaw are awesome...for my fantasy team.

 

I got that Corbin on my fantasy squad as well.

9. Patrick Corbin has personified that this year. Always second fiddle to Tyler Skaggs as return from the Dan Haren trade, Corbin has a power sinker with improved velocity, secondary pitches that have gone from questions to weapons and greater pitchability, as evidenced by throwing first-pitch strikes to 12 percent more batters. Scouts love what they see as a new-and-improved Corbin.

 

"I thought he was a [No.] 4 or 5," an NL East scout said. "I've seen him twice now, and I think he's at worst a 3 and very easily could be a 2. He's got command, that sinker is a kamikaze and he's fearless."

 

The numbers, on the other hand, speak of a different Corbin.

 

They say his .259 BABIP is too low, especially for a groundball pitcher. (True.) And they say his strand rate – the percentage of players left on base at the end of innings – is absurd at 89.2 percent. (Yup. Only Jeremy Guthrie and Matt Moore's are higher.) And they worry his home runs-per-flyball rate is unsustainably low. In essence, while a 1.52 ERA and 6-0 record say Corbin is a much better pitcher than last season, the peripherals say otherwise.

 

This is where the doobs meter gets tricky. In the majority of cases, stats and scouts agree on a player. With Corbin, they don't. Having seen Corbin, having heard effusive praise and knowing the rarity of an increase in velocity, I'll bet on his home run rate staying down and the strand rate dip and BABIP jump not derailing him.

 

Verdict:1/5

 

 

passan/yahoosports.com

NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR FANTASY TEAM

NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR FANTASY TEAM

 

Mike Trout is good

Hit for the cycle with 5 RBI's.

 

I love to watch him hit. How he takes that pitch to RCF for a HR, I don't have a goddamn clue.

Hit for the cycle with 5 RBI's.

What's the most times anyone has hit for the cycle in a career? He's got the makeup to blow whatever the record for that is away.

Mike Trout is good

 

So much for that sophomore slump...

Welcome back to reality Rodney.

 

Rodney will be the downfall of the Rays this season if Maddon doesnt make a change.

This is just amazing

 

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 7m

 

One more Mariano Rivera note: In 1379 innings, no player has hit more than 2 career HR against him.

espnmlb ‏@espnmlb 2h

 

Reports: Shoulder surgery for Cards' Garcia: St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jaime Garcia needs season-ending surg... http://es.pn/16QcuA7

This is just amazing

 

Jon Morosi ‏@jonmorosi 7m

 

One more Mariano Rivera note: In 1379 innings, no player has hit more than 2 career HR against him.

 

It's impressive to watch how dominant Rivera continues to be into his 40's. The first comparison that comes to mind is Barry Bonds. Roger Clemens is another one.

It's impressive to watch how dominant Rivera continues to be into his 40's. The first comparison that comes to mind is Barry Bonds. Roger Clemens is another one.

 

Hopefully Rivera is cleaner than the other two.

Hopefully Rivera is cleaner than the other two.

 

Well, Rivera never had a crazy jump in numbers, MPH, and never broke down later in his career except for last year in a freak accident.

 

And he only throws one pitch, very very very well. I wouldnt expect him to be dirty. He is just consistently awesome

Well, Rivera never had a crazy jump in numbers, MPH, and never broke down later in his career except for last year in a freak accident.

 

And he only throws one pitch, very very very well. I wouldnt expect him to be dirty. He is just consistently awesome

 

We aren't talking about a starting pitcher who maintains his velocity into his early to mid 40s. We are talking about a reliever who throws one pitch whose velocity has steadily decreased over time who simply has magnificent command of one pitch.

 

Barry Bonds' hips got faster - waaaaay faster - when he was in his late 30s, and Roger Clemens' velocity went from 91.8 to 92.4 from 2003 (age 40) to 2004 (age 41). He was still at 92 MPH as a 42 year old.

 

Randy Johnson's did the same thing from age 39 to age 40, and that was also from '03 to '04, so maybe it was something with the PitchFX technology at the time or in translating it. Johnson always threw pretty damn hard though and his velocity eventually did start winding down (went to 92.7 the following year, and then down to 92.2 and whatever from there). He also found himself dealing with injuries that a pitcher who is older than 40 would deal with too.

It's great to see Neal Cotts back in the majors.

It's great to see Neal Cotts back in the majors.

 

You see his numbers in the minors this year? Holy s***.

 

15 G

23 IP

42 K (16.4 K/9)

5 BB (2 BB/9)

1 HR (0.4 HR/9)

2 ER (0.78 ERA)

0.78 WHIP

 

If he carries over half of that to the majors, he's going to be doing work.

Well, Rivera never had a crazy jump in numbers, MPH, and never broke down later in his career except for last year in a freak accident.

 

And he only throws one pitch, very very very well. I wouldnt expect him to be dirty. He is just consistently awesome

 

I agree. He is one of the last players I would expect to be dirty. You can just never be too sure of the last 20-30 years.

The Brewers losing 10 straight games vs LHP while having a lineup loaded with quality right handed hitters is quite a strange statistic this year.

Nolan Ryan would be a better comparison...for Mo.

 

Although at the end, Nolan wasn't one of the top 3 starting pitchers in baseball...like Rivera is as a closer.

 

Or Julio Franco playing and hitting well into his mid 40's. Would like to think it wasn't due to PED's.

Edited May 23, 201312 yr by caulfield12

NOBODY CARES ABOUT YOUR FANTASY TEAM