The incredible baseball statistics website, Fangraphs.com, has come up with a new stat percentage that shows the amount of soft contact a pitcher has given up. This will be great when the time comes to write about Yankees pitchers*, like I did Yankees hitters last week.
While the season is still young for Dellin Betances, who has thrown 14.2 innings (he threw 90 last season), it's nice to see that he leads all MLB reliever with a soft contact percentage of 52%. While his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) of .240 could scare people into thinking he's due for a regression, when you look at that soft contact percentage it makes sense. Oh, and then there's the fact his BABIP was just .241 last season.
When you add the soft contact percentage with an awesome strikeout rate (he's k'd 25 hitters in those 14.2 innings), it makes Yankees fans feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
You can check out MLB league leaders, among all pitchers, right here. But before you click that let me tell you that Cole Hamels, the pitcher everybody in baseball will be discussing in trade rumors, is leading all "qualified" pitchers. And no... I still don't want the Yankees to trade the farm for the guy. Tanaka or not.
*Sorry... I can't say when this article will be out. Not because I'm keeping it a secret, but because I really don't know.
Remember when you hated stats as much as you hated prospects?
ReplyDeleteI hated stats? Prospects... yeah. We've known each other a while, though, so you're probably right.
DeleteI may have you confused with someone else. I'm getting old, I know you have been able to relate for the past 10 years or so.
DeleteDaniel....Me thinks I may be the guilty party on this one! Although, I use stats to guide me when evaluating a player, I don't let them tell me I am right or wrong with something I see with my own eyes.
ReplyDeleteIt may have been you, I am getting old after all.
Delete.....
ReplyDeleteWHO ?...on the Yankees is batting .358 ?.....Silence ?
ReplyDeleteNone other than, Didi Gregorius & Stephen Drew combined.
Stephen Drew at .147, even after his much needed spring training, is living in 2014.
What happened to this guy ?
Will he be the next Mets SS ? Perhaps.
And Ryan ? Does anyone miss him ? Someone must want these guys.
In fairness to Gregorius....he made a play in the bottom of the 3rd tonight, that Jeter
in his prime, could not have made. What an arm.
Patrick, Mateo will need to be a good hitter if he wants to supplant Didi in a couple years. Didi will start showing just how good he can be, being the player taking the place of Jeter has to be one hell of a nerve-racking experience for him. With the glove, he is one of the better SS around and thank yous should be offered to Cashman for getting him and I am sure the pitchers will be very happy guys for a long time.
DeleteRyan hasn't played much at all for the team.
Pirela will be activated today and we will probably see Mr. .206 Gregorio Petit get sent down.
Delete#1 Now the question is; Dose he start at 2nd or sit on the bench?
ReplyDelete#2 Another question; Will Didi start hitting much better? If not, I'll accept his glove work!
#3 Will Beltran come out of the funk he is in?
#4 Can Tex keep it going?
#5 How long will A-Rod be able to play at an acceptable/better level?
#6 How long can Ells and Brett keep getting on base for the other guys?
Anyone wish to tackle those questions?
Hell I'll take a shot.
Delete1. Pirela will likely platoon or sit on the bench, won't knock Drew completely out.
2. Maybe, maybe not. Probably not, but maybe.
3. Beltran has hit well over the past week. Whether it's a sign of what's to come or not remains to be seen. You have to remember he learned and developed a lot of bad habits in 2014 playing injured and he has to unlearn them in 2015.
4. Yes he can as long as he stays healthy.
5. I see him declining already and asked for him to be dropped in the lineup today on the blog.
6. They are both leadoff hitters so I wouldn't see why they couldn't keep it up all season long.
Not bad Daniel, I like your answers even though I don't agree with them all. But that is what the questions were for, to get a different but almost the same answers you gave.
DeleteI think Pirela will start to-night.
starting at 2B while Drew is at SS
Delete