JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 6/1/20

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Pumpsie Green

3:05

In a short season, we could see some terrific win percentages. A couple of 8-game winning streaks will be huge! Do you think we'll see some team hit 60 wins in an 82-game season?

Ben Clemens

3:05

60 is a lot, but yeah, there's far more chance of nonsense.

3:06

I'm expecting an awesome ZiPS projections article on this if/when the schedule is finalized

Matt D

3:06

Are you surprised that no teams have ever messed around with switch-hitters not switch-hitting in certain batter-pitcher matchups (i.e. finding an advantageous matchup having a switch-hitter hitting L against a certain LHP)?

Ben Clemens

3:06

I used to wonder this a lot. There are some pitchers with real reverse platoon splits

But one thought has kind of frozen me

And that's the fact that your switch hitter probably has VERY few reps hitting lefty pitching while batting lefty

3:07

Maybe the pitcher is easy for lefties to pick up in general

But you're asking a guy who has, for the last 10 years probably, never faced a lefty on the mound as a lefty hitter

That's a big muscle memory disadvantage

3:08

I'd want to ask someone who's been a switch hitter in the majors, you know? I goofed around with switch hitting when I was a kid because it was fun but I'm far from an authority on it

It's just my general feeling that getting reps is too important

Lorenzo

3:08

Are you a believer in the late bloomer Charlie Morton? What an awesome 2019 he had. What are the chances that Snell-Morton-Glasnow are the best 1-2-3 combo in baseball(assuming full health)? Who has a better combo?

Ben Clemens

3:08

Yeah, I'm a believer in Morton, potentially even more so than I am in Glasnow

(less than Snell still)

3:09

As for better rotations: I'd take the Nats, for now

3:10

The Dodgers and Yankees are kinda close

And I guess the Reds? I'm sketchy on the Reds

Pumpsie Green

3:12

How long until the Astros go back into tanking mode? Could it be as soon as this year? If they don't re-sign Springer and Correa, maybe it's time to think about extracting maximum value out of their two long-term guys, Altuve and Bregman.

Ben Clemens

3:12

They stlil have a pipeline

3:13

It's not super imposing, it's not what it was at its peak

But they have a lot of young players who I find interesting

Abraham Toro, Tucker, Josh James, Urquidy

I think stapling Bregman and Altuve to that and resigning one of Springer or Correa can make that work as a good team

Isolated Thinker

3:14

Can't teams set up their stadium parking lots with large screens and have fans attend in their cars? I'm seeing a lot of large parking lots being used as drive-in movie theaters. They can charge for tickets and make up the gap a little.

Ben Clemens

3:14

Oh I like this idea

Heck, why not, right?

3:15

I do wonder how much teams will scratch to get more revenue after and if a deal is agreed

Kevin Yost

3:15

Is there a study out about the potential franchise value decline if there is no 2020 season? Maybe owners and fans siding with owners could get a better idea of the long term damage they are causing the bottom line if they could see that saving 10 cents today is costing them 20 cents down the line. I work as an art and the save a penny today lose a dollar tomorrow culture seems to be very prevalent.

Ben Clemens

3:16

I haven't seen any, but I have a feeling the owners commissioned McKinsey or some other arbitrary fancy-lad consulting agency to do one

Those studies don't have a good track record of actually prioritizing long-term gains correctly, though