Despite posting a 20-20 season as recently as 2013, last season left just about every Shin-soo Choo owner more than a little disappointed. We saw his strikeout rate jump six percent and as a result he was sat down on strikes in nearly a quarter of his plate appearances. Choo’s isolated slugging plummeted over 40 points, his home run total was nearly cut in half and he nabbed just three steals in seven attempts. Let’s just say 2014 wasn’t a banner year for Choo. The Rangers brought about an early (and some may say merciful) ending to his year as he was shut down in late August due to bone spurs in his left elbow. Beyond the somewhat explainable platoon woes — Choo has never really hit southpaws very well — the biggest issue has been his batted ball distribution. After a slow start this year, Choo has rebounded somewhat, and a large reason why is that he has gone back to hitting for power to the pull field. Observe the table below, showing his power numbers for the past four seasons when pulling the ball.
Please, blog, may I have some more?
Author: Davidwiers
You can catch David spouting off about baseball, soccer, tech and other nerdy things by following him on twitter at @davidwiers.
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Ambulance Chasers, Week 14: Motown Funks You Up
July 5, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 11 Commentsby: Davidwiers
Hopefully everyone else had an excellent Fourth of July! Depending on your local weather, perhaps you spent it lounging in a hammock, lounging in a pool or lounging on the couch. The important part is I hoped you all had a lazy holiday.
Miguel Cabrera, Tigers: After spending the day indulging on steaks and burgers, clearly the cows decided to strike back, putting a curse on Cabrera’s calf. The slugger suffered a left calf strain — grade 3 to be precise — and the Tigers have already placed him on the 15-day disabled list. Count on him missing approximately six weeks, and for now the team appears ready to roll with Alex Avila as their primary first baseman. Expect to see Avila gaining 1B eligibility soon, but his lack of power makes him a pretty “meh” option at the corner. For fellow Cabrera owners scrambling for a replacement with some pop, I already snapped up Jon Singleton in one of my leagues, though the recently activated Michael Morse could work too.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Pineda’s Cutter is His Bread and Butter
June 30, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 10 Commentsby: Davidwiers
Michael Pineda has been nothing short of dominant this year. Sure, his 4.08 ERA isn’t too dazzling, but with a 2.73 FIP and 2.80 SIERA, it seems as though sequencing and BABIP have hurt him more than poor pitching. Take a glance at Pineda’s .349 BABIP — a number 60 points above his career average .279 — and it isn’t too difficult to see an overly inflated ERA, especially given a reasonable 0.87 HR/9 thus far. This is all impressive, but I haven’t even begun to wax poetic on his 11.8 percent swinging strike rate or 24.6 percent strikeout rate, both numbers rate him in the top-20 for qualified pitchers. Before we get too invested in what he’s doing, let’s take a look at how Pineda got here.
Please, blog, may I have some more? Ambulance Chasers, Week 13: That is so Cutch
June 28, 2015 | 2023 Fantasy Baseball | 14 Commentsby: Davidwiers
Just like Modest Mouse, this is good news for people who love bad news! Back today — and every Sunday of the season— is the weekly injury report. Here is this week’s injuries and health situations to keep an eye on.
Andrew McCutchen, Pirates: Cutch was removed after being plunked on the elbow from an errant Julio Teheran pitch in the first inning of Saturday’s game. An initial X-ray came back negative, though the club is set to reevaluate him at some point today. Over the past three seasons McCutchen has been struck by 28 pitches, tied for eighth most in the majors. Despite being pelted by inside pitches, he’s managed to appear in more than 145 games every season since 2010 and has been a durable and reliable offensive force. If Cutch does go on the disabled list, some time off for him to rest his legs may not be the worst thing as he’s recorded just four steals on six attempts. It’s possible he’s simply running less due to his spot in the lineup, but last year he nabbed 21 bags. The Pirates haven’t changed their overall run philosophy as heading into Saturday they’ve attempted the sixth most steals so the running game appears to be up to Cutch.
Please, blog, may I have some more?