JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 3/30/26

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Ben Clemens

2:10

what a debut

Matt Shaw

2:10

With Nico Hoerner extended, what should happen to Matt Shaw? Trade, move to the OF, become a super utility guy?

Ben Clemens

2:10

boy are you in luck, I considered this at length in my article about the Hoerner extension that went up just this morning

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/cubs-nico-hoerner-keep-extension-train-goi...

Mom

2:11

Hi Ben

Ben Clemens

2:11

hi mom!

bosoxforlife

2:11

The ABS Challenge system took a hit on Saturday with C.B. Bucknor's performance. I don't know whether to call it awful or embarrassing, both for him and baseball, but what was clear is that he became vindictive as the game went on. With hitters now having a tool to fight back this could spiral out of control. This cannot happen and baseball has to look into getting calling balls and strikes out of umpires hands ASAP.

Ben Clemens

2:11

I mean, I'd argue that CB Bucknor took a hit

and that he's going to be facing some very pointed questions from both his colleagues and the league

jupiterbrando

2:12

Is that clip of Salvador Perez correctly challenging Doug Eddings three times the best argument yet for his HoF case?

Ben Clemens

2:12

I'll just say this. If that's the best argument yet for putting him in the hall, he does not belong in the hall

because that's not a very good argument for someone being a hall of famer

i personally think the WS title, all the homers, the longevity and whatnot, are enough to put him in

the person who asks the lunch question

2:13

what's for lunch?

Ben Clemens

2:14

wonderful question. i actually don't know. been pretty slammed this weekend and today. I'll probably run out and grab something at the last minute

Sailor Mune

2:14

On a related note: it does feel insane that there were so many takes of “the guy who put up a 225 wRC+ in the 2nd best league in the world is totally hopeless in the best league”

Ben Clemens

2:14

I mean, I was surprised by them

I wouldn't consider myself a scouting expert by any means

2:15

I'm kind of a numbers guy. And like, I just accept that the people who do a lot of close watching of baseball for scouting stuff know better than I do

but yeah... it seemed far-fetched to me that he just couldn't play at all

I think that I've written a few times that he was one of my favorite signings of the winter just because the math doesn't add up

like, you can't be THAT certain he won't hit

Challenge system

2:15

Does nobody watch minor league games? The challenge system has been exciting for years but some are calling for 100% robo umps based on the challenge system and robo umps were a horrible experience in the minors. A system of checks and balances like the challenges is more accurate than 100% human or robo.

Ben Clemens

2:16

i mean, on a relative basis, you're right. No one watches minor league games

I think challenges are the better system, for sure

Insert Witty Name Here

2:16

I promised on the opening day chat, what were you doing in Saudi Arabia? Assuming the baseball infrastructure is sorely lacking.

Ben Clemens

2:16

well, I went to kindergarten

my dad did some kind of waste cleanup job, he used to work for the EPA, this was a very long time ago and all

jupiterbrando

2:17

re: the Lindor send, according to GameDay the Mets' win probability actually went down from before and after Soto's AB. Feel like you just can't let that happen with 0 outs

Ben Clemens

2:17

yeah exactly. Without thinking about the actual likelihood of him being safe tehre, you as the base coach can't actually know that number with certainty, and it needed to be like 99% for that send to make sense

so I think it's a spot where you just can't send him if there's going to be a throw

Giants fan

2:17

Small sample size, but from what I saw Luis Arraez's approach looked a bit more patient so far, like he was really hunting for his pitches. Do the numbers back this up?

Ben Clemens

2:17

they don't because there aren't enough numbers

2:18

Luis Arraez has seen 39 pitches this season

he saw 2,467 last season

bosoxforlife

2:18

It looks like the number challenges is, at least, a couple, too few. Before long teams will never allow a player to take a risk early and there won't be a challenge before the 7th inning which I don't think is the intention of the rule. There needs to be a mechanism that encourages usage throughout the game.

Ben Clemens

2:18

maybe! I'm curious to see what the data sayd

says*

2:19

if it works as I think it should, then you'll see a very high success rate in low-importance spots, with relatively few challenges

i.e. 'correct obviously wrong calls'

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