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Geez, what is it about Steven Matz?!

The puns have been outpouring faster than illogical movies by Christopher Nolan.  Maybe it’s because he pitches for the Metz?  I don’t know!

I’ve been… well, naive to not rank Matz to this point.  Even with my standing concerns coming into his debut, he likely should’ve been ranked the last few weeks.  I thought it would be at least July until he was up, and I questioned how many innings he’d really get through in the Majors.  His peak is 140.2 IP last year across high-A and double-A, and he entered the Majors at 90.1 innings before yesterday’s debut.  Innings concerns are a big question mark after his career started with major elbow issues (TJ and complications).

And after that debut with 4 RBI at the plate, the mythical legend might be one of the biggest gaps from perception to reality.  Then again, I’m saying all this before breaking down his first start without seeing much of him beyond the numbers.  What Pitcher Profiles are all about!  You can’t know for sure on a guy until you really get a chance to see him pitch.  So without any more noodling, here’s how Matz looked in his debut:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The Razzball Pod is back, this time with more misused French frases (and more misspellings!)…  On today’s show we talk Giancarlo Stanton‘s injury, Stephen Matz‘s callup, and our most annoying players so far.  Grey gets so annoyed he makes this an R-rated Pod!  We then jump into how pitchers have changed the fantasy landscape this season, and a surprise pitcher JB loves.  Grey spoiled it halfway through!  Way to toot everyone’s horn with the goods before I could!  Here’s the newest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

It’s funny how drastic and immediate changes can be from the Minors to the Majors.  Thinking back on Trevor May who was profiled a few weeks back – the guy was walking everyone in the Minors and in his short stint in the Majors last year, to become top-25 in K:BB ratio.

But that took some seasoning.  We’re seeing something even drastic-er and immediate-er with what’s going on with the Astros younguns.  Lance McCullers went from being old Trevor May with better Ks to having an 18:0 K:BB stretch before getting a tad wilder these past few…  But he was supposed to struggle through control issues, not Vincent Velasquez!  Vinny V went from a 4.11 K:BB mowing through AA this year to 1.70 so far this year in the show with 17 Ks and 10 BB through his first three starts.

I was pretty high on Velasquez when he was called up, but maybe it was a tad too early for the 23 year old to find immediate success.  So I decided to break down his start yesterday, that should’ve been a cakewalk at the Mariners, to see how he’s looking:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Grey is back for the Razzball Pod alongside Sky and I for a threeway that would make any 3D printed Giancarlo Stanton jealous…  On today’s show we talk Kyle Schwarber, Manny Machado, and put over/unders on HR and overall value from Todd Frazier.  Grey got so mad at Sky’s bullishness!  We also catch up on Max Scherzer‘s no-hitter and Chris Sale‘s fantastic run, and then talk some wily vets that are making an impact.  Quick, bring Jaime Garcia an ice pack!  Here’s the newest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

How do you quantify the pure power of you, yes you, the loyal Razzball Nation commenter?

How about with an 82 ranking as if from nowhere!

I’ve actually seen Nate Karns pitch in AAA, and I remember not being too impressed…  Then again I was balls deep in craft beer and a footlong hot dog with BBQ and slaw on it, so there’s that…

I really haven’t seen too much of Karns this year, but what I have seen heading into yesterday’s start is a pretty good fastball with a solid knucke-curve.  Nothing “blow you away”, but enough to keep hitters honest.  And with a garbage-ish pool of pitchers to stream in a couple of leagues where I’m behind in my innings quota, Karns was my stream of choice against a struggling White Sox offense yesterday.  Boy was I happy with the result!  So I decided to go back and watch this start complete with all of the Pitcher Profile bells and whistles to see if there’s something a little deeper here than just a 10 or 12-team matchup streamer:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

We’re back with the Razzball Baseball Podcast with guest hosts Mike and Jay to talk prospect fever!  Byron Buxton and Francisco Lindor had Sunday promotions and we chat their contributions ROS, talk pitchers from Houston including how far Collin McHugh has fallen and what to expect from Vincent Velasquez, and we learn a lot from Mike’s past when we get into A.J. Pollock.  Who knew our prospect guru was so artistic?!  We also catch up on Maikel Franco and other hitters and pitchers we’re keeping an eye on through the next week.  Now available – the Franco-Arroyo scale!  Here’s the newest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

I’ve used a similar open before, so rounding to the point – there’s a ton of players in baseball…  It’s why fantasy baseball rules the land – there’s no end to how deep it goes (that’s what she said!).  You can play 10 team, 12 team RCL, AL and NL only, and I’m hoping to start up a 30 teamer next year.  The possibilities are endless!

And even within the abyss of players that will contribute to an MLB season, I’m only looking at starting pitchers and even then I miss tons of things!  It’s not like I scan every starter’s game log and peripherals every single week, so guys will occasionally fall through the cracks.  One such example is Trevor May, who I thought was still having egregious control problems.  I looked at his ERA and WHIP in passing on the wire, and gave it an ol’ shrug-a-roosky.  But then I started digging into the numbers after his huge 7-inning two-hitter, and realized he was much more than a butterface.  Kinda like realizing you could hop on board of that!  “It’s not the sweater, but what’s underneath that counts!”  I was then on the verge of picking up May after seeing his 50:9 K:BB in 56.1 innings this year, remembering he was a pretty hot prospect despite walking everyone in his limited time last season.  I watched an early 2014 start and it was something like that uber-fail Tyler Matzek debacle (58 pitches, 20 strikes?!).  So I decided that May would be a perfect pitcher to Profile (and Peter Piper picked peppers!) to see just how dominant his start was last Wednesday at the Red Sox.  I know I usually pick a pitcher who started over the weekend, but I’m selfish and I’m using this week’s post for my own add/drop evaluation needs!  Here’s how May looked:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

The Razzball Pod is back!  On today’s show we talk about Mark Trumbo‘s trade to Seattle and the possible opening for Peter O’Brien in Zona, Anthony Rendon‘s return from the DL, and a big week for young pitchers hurling big games.  JB & Grey love the Trevor May!  Working on my ebb & flow right there!  We also catch your Twitter questions and take a look at the RCL leaderboard.  Hint!  I’m nowhere near the top in either of my RCL leagues…  Here’s the newest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Who is Chi Chi Gonzalez?

He’s a pitcher I only really knew because of his incredible name (and seeing it a few times on prospect lists)… I knew almost nothing about this guy.  So instead of doing any research or pounding the Fangraphs, I decided to go into this week’s Pitcher Profile blinded.  I’m going into it like walking into a crowded room, desperately yelling “Chi Chi?!  Chi Chi!??!?!”

And honestly, I wouldn’t have broken down his debut against the Red Sox on Saturday had it not been a no-hit bid into the 6th.  Debut bias alert!  “JB, you got suckered in…”  Darn tootin’!  But I was unable to watch the start live, so even though I figured there was some smoke and mirrors going on, you never really know until you sit down and watch a guy to see how he looked.  So alas, here’s how I saw Chi Chi’s Major League debut:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Grey is over his horrific ailments that had him sippin’ tha purp drank on last week’s show, so if you are looking for an even crazier show than last week – send Grey some hallucinogens!   On this week’s show, we talk Stephen Strasburg to the DL, Prince Fielder‘s new approach, and why kale is actually bad for you.  If it don’t taste good, why try and make it taste good?!  We also talk RCL strategy with leagues that use starts limits, and catch your questions from Twitter…  Now with another installment of Grey bashing social media!  Grey also mentions his checkers prowess, so I think he’s actually 80 years old…  Here’s the newest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

Small sample size (that’s what she said!)…  Oh wait, I’m not Grey on the Podcast!

Let’s start over…  Aherm…

Small sample size…  They happen all the time.  Shane Greene is awesome!  F You Shane Greene!  Shane Greene is awesome again!  But usually less bipolar than that.

The funny thing with small samples is the timing.  Sorta like how “impressions are everything” and that hooblah.  Start a year awesome, everyone wants to marry you!  Start the year terrible, and you get cut in the shower and sent to AAA (poor Scooter…).

I will admit the only Mike Bolsinger I had watched before this Pitcher Profile was a start last year for the Dbacks and he didn’t look good.  Impressions are everything!  …I more or less wrote him off even with a decent start to 2015 with the Dodgers.  Then he goes all Corey Kluber and 1-hits the Padres over 8 innings.   So I decided to break down Bolsinger’s fantastic start last Saturday, and see if there’s really something here:

Please, blog, may I have some more?

We’re back with a threeway!  On this week’s Pod, Sky joins Grey and I as we chat Bryce Harper and his ejection, Clayton Kershaw‘s value moving forward, and the moment when Grey figured out he likes girly movies.  Hint – it came during a film review panel in the men’s room.  Grey – why were you in the middle urinal?!  We also recap DL-ridden hitters with who to drop or hold, and answer some of your Twitter questions.  All-in-all, I think it was one of our cutesier episodes…  Here’s the newest edition of the Razzball Baseball Podcast:

Please, blog, may I have some more?