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Mostly MLB Notes: Talking Chris Archer, catchers and a look around the league
It sure looks like Chris Archer has taken the leap this season and is going to make his fantasy owners very happy. Of course his 0.84 ERA is going to regress, but there’s a lot of underlying stats to get excited about. He has a 37:6 K:BB ratio while allowing just 18 hits over 32.1 innings. His 25.8 BB-K% ranks top five among all starters, and among the top 10 in that stat, only Felix Hernandez has a higher GB/FB ratio than Archer’s 2.33. Archer’s 13.8 SwStr% is also top five in MLB. Limiting walks, getting a ton of swings and misses and inducing a bunch of groundballs is a pretty good recipe for success.
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His average velocity for both his fastball (95.2 mph) and slider (87.0) are career highs, and often a pitcher’s velocity is down in April. Archer’s slider has arguably been the single best pitch so far this year (seriously, check out how dirty it is). He’s somehow posted a sub-1.00 ERA despite facing an extremely difficult schedule, as he’s faced the Blue Jays (lead MLB in runs scored) twice, Boston (have scored fifth most runs), Baltimore (sixth most) and Miami (11th most). While the AL East remains the toughest division in which to pitch, at least he benefits from Tropicana Field, which has suppressed home runs by 15 percent over the past three years (only five other parks have done so more over that span). Archer is a legitimate threat to make a run at the Cy Young this season.
This magic card trick is pretty legit.
Here’s an unexpected guess on “Family Feud.”
This “The Price Is Right” clip has so many things going on, from the amazing $499 bid to the guy’s over-the-top reaction after apparently forgetting what he bid 15 seconds earlier. This second clip reveals some people might not know what an iPhone costs.
State of catchers: It’s been a brutal start for backstops to open 2015. Injuries have been a major culprit, already hitting Jonathan Lucroy, Devin Mesoraco, Yan Gomes and Travis d’Arnaud, not to mention Matt Wieters’ slower than expected recovery. But performance has also been a problem, as Buster Posey is currently the No. 329 ranked player, while Evan Gattis is batting .156 with a 35.5 K%, and Brian McCann continues to get killed by shifts (he had the fifth-most at bats against the shift last season, which is crazy considering he had fewer than 500 ABs), and it’s tough to ask him to go the other way with Yankee Stadium’s short porch in RF so inviting. Moreover, Yadier Molina has a .345 OBP yet has scored two runs, while Russell Martin is batting .173 yet has somehow been the fourth most valuable catcher this year despite that. Congratulations if you own Stephen Vogt, who’s easily the No. 1 ranked catcher. Of course he’s unlikely to finish as such, but Vogt is batting third in Oakland’s lineup, hits left-handed and has been crushing righties (he sits against southpaws), so he’s actually setup for prolonged success this year.
Headlines of the Week: Agoraphobic Grandmother Conquers Her Fears Of Open Spaces To Leave Home For Third Time In 10 Years Only To Break Leg And Nose Falling Down Manhole...Omaha Killer Nikko Jenkins Tries To Carve ‘666’ Into Forehead, Accidentally Carves 9s...Brother And Sister Separated For Years Are Reunited After Matching With Each Other On Tinder...China Says Please Stop Hiring Funeral Strippers...Woman’s Brain Tumor Turns Out To Be ‘Evil Twin’ Complete With Bone, Hair And Teeth...Cardboard All Star? Homeless Man Survives NYC Streets With One Night Stands.
Quick Hits: The safe bet is Alex Guerrero isn’t going to keep this pace (114 homers over 500 at bats), but if you have any open bench spots, few players to stash right now offer as much upside. He’ll see some time in left field with Yasiel Puig going to the DL, and the kid can clearly rake. Guerrero is currently owned in fewer than 50% of Yahoo leagues (between him, Joc Pederson, Corey Seager and Hector Olivera, the Dodgers look scary loaded for the future)...Mark Teixeira has a 1.044 OPS despite a .242 BA, thanks to a strong walk rate and the fact more than half of his 15 hits have been home runs (to go along with four doubles). He currently ranks second in MLB in homers (eight) and RBI (18)...This Alex Gordon catch was no joke...Bryce Harper homered Sunday, although he ended his streak of walking in 10 straight games...Casey McGehee “led” all of baseball while grounding into 31 double plays last season, and he somehow has hit into eight (over 14 games) already this year, which is more than Adam Dunn totaled over his final two years in the league (280 games). The most ever in a season is 36.
Police Blotter: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan Argument Results In Aggravated Assault Charges For State College Man...Washington State Man Sees Amber Alert, Tells Police He’s Babysitting Abducted Child...Escaped Prisoner Turns Himself In After 39 Years For The Health Care...Naked Pedestrian Tries To Carjack Man Offering Him Clothes...Bra Bandit Hits Same Victoria’s Secret Store For Third Time...Truck Driver Pleads Guilty To Trading $50,000 Worth Of Lunch Meat For Crack...LAPD Looking For Graffiti Artist Who Tagged A Cop’s Horse.
Quick Hits Part Deux: Normally an 18-game slump would be meaningless when it comes to someone with Andrew McCutchen’s track record, even if it’s a particularly ugly one (.186/.315/.322), but given the mystery surrounding his leg injury (combined with some scary underlying stats such as an 8.7 LD% and a noticeable drop in base running), I’d be seeing if I could get something like 80 cents on the dollar right now...Despite playing half of their games in PETCO Park, the Padres have the highest OPS against left-handers this season (.922) by a wide margin (next best is .820). Meanwhile, the Brewers sport a hideous .498 OPS against southpaws...It’s hard to complain about Dee Gordon’s .390 batting average, but he’s not walking at all and has been caught on five of his last seven SB attempts. Still, stolen bases are so hard to come by, and he’s obviously got the green light. I’m going to regret avoiding him at draft tables in March...Here’s Drew Stubbs as the early candidate for worst slide of the season...Avisail Garcia is a corner outfielder playing in one of the best hitter’s parks in baseball, but his 4.17 GB/FB rate is the third-highest in MLB, so unless he changes that drastically, don’t expect many home runs (he’s at 2.38 during his brief career, which is discouraging)...After going 7-for-7 over the past two games, Evan Longoria raised his BA from .218 to .306, which is a good reminder how early it still is in the season...Brandon McCarthy is off to one of the crazier starts you’ll ever see, as he’s combined a terrific 29:4 K:BB ratio with nine homers allowed over 23.0 innings. Let’s hope his elbow injury isn’t serious.
Longread of the Week: The Contestant.
Quick Hits Part Tres: Julio Teheran and Alex Wood entered the year as two of the brighter looking young pitchers in the game, but they’ve combined for a 30:22 K:BB ratio over 45.1 innings, with each posting a 1.50 WHIP. There’s plenty of time for a rebound, but both have seen their velocities drop every year they’ve been in the majors, including this one. Wood’s start is especially concerning, considering his ugly 2.0 K-BB% and 4.2 SwStr%...Those who had the “under” in the A’s/Astros game Friday suffered quite a brutal bad beat, as the score was 0-0 through nine innings. The game ended 5-4...Here’s Torii Hunter inexplicably trying to steal home with the bases loaded and two outs...Remember when Adam Eaton was a popular sleeper, if only he could stay healthy? The 26-year-old has already accrued 70 at-bats while hitting in a home park that’s increased run scoring by 10 percent over the past three seasons, with only Coors Field ranking higher over that span. Remarkably, Eaton has zero RBI on the year...With a 27:2 K:BB ratio combined with a 1.90 GB/FB rate and a 10.9 SwStr%, consider Michael Pineda easily a top-20 fantasy starter, at least until his next injury.
