JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 4/8/24

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Anthony Volpe

2:26

Thoughts on the pitcher injury catawampus?

Ben Clemens

2:27

A few people have asked about this, I'll give my quick thoughts but I would highly suggest that people read Jay Jaffe's take on the issue:

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/more-ucl-tears-prompt-pointed-exchange-few...

I don't buy the pitch clock being a huge reason for more injuries. I agree, for the most part, with Justin Verlander: max effort and increasing velo is a big reason for it

2:28

it turns out that throwing your breaking ball really fast is a great way to both get paid millions of dollars and shred your ucl into tiny little pieces

Steeley Dansby

2:28

How long would Miguel Rojas last in a midwestern Winter?

Ben Clemens

2:28

i mean, maybe longer than me. I am such a wimp about cold weather when I'm not getting to ski. I sympathize with Rojas living in warm weather places and hating the cold

Bill

2:29

one week in, whats the surprise in baseball so far - my choice Boston, everyone and their uncle wanted them to sign someone and look at the pitching and young kids in the outfield go

Ben Clemens

2:29

Gotta be Pittsburgh for me

the bad vibes in Boston before the season were for real, but the bad vibes have been in Pittsburgh for most of the millennium

John

2:29

When will Fangraphs start updating for WAR gained/lost to call Angel Hernandez makes?

Ben Clemens

2:30

man, what a disaster he is for umpire PR

I really think that if he just weren't calling games, people would recognize how good umpires have gotten in the last decade

but then there's just this obviously awful guy who keeps getting the spotlight

Appa Yip Yip

2:30

Who would you take right now for the rest of the season, Mike Trout or Mookie Betts?

Ben Clemens

2:30

Mookie by a good margin

Scott K

2:30

Interesting on Elly over Oneil so readily - is age a big factor there? Relatedly, if you could only have one on your team for the 2024 playoffs, would your pick change?

Ben Clemens

2:31

yeah age is a major reason why. I think I'd still take Elly if it were only for 2024, but I think that's quite close

GraphsFan

2:31

Really loved the article and analysis of the Holliday-Orioles situation. So interesting when a FO Is bucking the trend of whatever the public deems the 'rational' decision. If you're a betting man, is Holliday up in a few days after 'working on his defense', or sometime late May / early June on account of Super 2? Even later, to preserve his rookie status and try for PPI in 2025?

Steve O

2:31

O's fans were really upset when I said the O's are holding down Jackson Holiday for service time. Just like they held down Adley at the end of 2021 (who got hurt in spring of 2022, so they ended up having a reason to hold him down in 2022. But then he placed 2nd in RoY anyways and he regained the year of service time.) It's all so silly. I mean they're running out some combination of Ramon Urias/Tony Kemp/Jorge Mateo/Jordan Westburg at 2B/3B every game lol

Ben Clemens

2:32

I'm not sure what the O's will do but I do stand by my analysis: if they're holding him down, it's a bad move on the numbers

2:33

i truly don't get what they're doing. I think that they must really think he's not ready, but.... I mean, I don't agree

bosoxforlife

2:33

I don't want to say "I told you so", actually of course I do. I assume you are surprised by start of the Red Sox but just how surprised?

Ben Clemens

2:34

I'm not THAT surprised. I liked their rotation heading into the year, even with Giolito down, though I do worry about its depth

a Story injury is no fun

2:35

but you know, our predictions thought the Red Sox were pretty good, probably above .500 if they weren't in the ALE, and hey, they look pretty good so far

Jiggy Man

2:35

Is Keaton Winn good? Or is he meh, with potential to be good?

Ben Clemens

2:35

Yeah, Meh with potential as far as I'm concerned

I'm not ready to write him off by any means, but I don't watch him and go 'oh yep he doesn't need to change anything, he's great'

Nate

2:37

Re: paying one guy for 50 IP and a 3 ERA - I mean, this is just the new market inefficiency, yeah? That's basically what the Dodgers are doing, signing a crapton of guys who will throw 50 innings and stapling together a rotation

Ben Clemens

2:38

I'm not sure which is the true market inefficiency. Those guys are considered good too

Jiggy Man

2:38

DO NOT LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT PROPER GLASSES!

Ben Clemens

2:38

Yeah, please don't

Guest

2:38

Any plans to include CSW% on this site