For quite some time people have been waiting for Nathan Eovaldi to turn the proverbial corner because he’s young, talented, and throws hard, and perhaps most importantly because his results haven’t always reflected that reality. Eovaldi is only 25, but it feels like he’s been around for a while. Even though he’s new to the […]
Author: Nick Ashbourne
Chasen Shreve Riding a Dynamite Splitter to a Quietly Excellent Season
Baseball games are won with depth, not stars. That’s a gross simplification, but that doesn’t mean it’s inaccurate. Because of the way players are deployed in the sport, it is very difficult to put your best players in specifically for the most important situations. Therefore your sixth-best hitter needs to be passable because he could come […]
Alex Rodriguez’s long road to Twitter respectability
When one reads Baseball Prospectus (or in this case one of its offshoots) one expects to be educated by relatively serious “inside baseball” analysis about the subtleties of men attempting to hit balls with polished sticks. Although the publication has dabbled (absolutely brilliantly I might add) in what constitutes a sandwich, rigorous examinations of baseball do tend […]
Andrew Miller owns the real estate outside of the strike zone
Despite a shaky return to the Yankees bullpen on Wednesday night, there is no doubt that Andrew Miller is extraordinarily good at his job. Being good at your job–or at least being perceived to be good at your job–is normally a pretty basic prerequisite for signing a four-year $36 million dollar contract. Miller doesn’t have […]
Brett Gardner is making the most of his fly balls
Four years ago we were fairly certain we knew exactly who Brett Gardner was as a baseball player. Between 2009 and 2011 he ranked 23rd in WAR among position players, second in UZR and second in Base Running Runs. During the same period, Gardner posted a pedestrian 102 wRC+ and below-average .107 Isolated Slugging. The picture those […]
Masahiro Tanaka and the limitations of peripherals in a small sample
Right now Masahiro Tanaka is struggling. That statement seems fair coming off two straight starts with 11 earned runs conceded in 10 innings pitched. If we take it back it a bit further he’s posted a 4.35 ERA and a 4.78 FIP since returning from the disabled list. These numbers are undoubtedly bad and for […]
Nathan Eovaldi is settling in to life as Bizarro Ricky Nolasco
Assessing Nathan Eovaldi has the look of a borderline impossible task as there is simply too much conflicting information in play. Eovaldi is 25-years-old and his fastball averages 95.9 mph so it’s hard to say he’s a guy who doesn’t have stuff or potential. He’s also consistently under-performed his peripherals with a career 4.20 ERA and […]
How do you hit Dellin Betances?
If there was a metric measuring which pitchers caused the most nightmares in opposing hitters you could bet your bottom dollar Dellin Betances would be at the top of the leaderboard. All of the elements are there for the Yankees right-hander. First of all he’s massive at 6-8 260 lbs. Secondly, he averages over 96 mph […]
Stephen Drew is a one-pitch hitter
Stephen Drew has had himself a pretty bizarre career so far. The 32-year-old shortstop has been everything from a rising star to a complete liability and one season rarely seems to be predictive of the next. Drew has posted a negative WAR in three separate seasons with at least 300 plate appearances accumulated (2007, 2012, […]
Brian McCann is going from loving Yankee Stadium to needing it
When Brian McCann signed with the New York Yankees he was almost universally considered a “good fit”. Both the media and his new teammates saw his left-handed swing and the short porch at Yankee Stadium and assumed McCann was in for some big seasons in the pinstripes. So far the veteran backstop has posted a 3.5 WAR in […]