JotCast | Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/20/26

Return to

Dan Szymborski FanGraphs Chat - 8/20/26

powered by

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

This chat is available to members only. Please log in to participate.

Philip Christy

12:40

What's the closest you ever came to working in an MLB front office? I am just assuming you got some offers

Dan Szymborski

12:41

Nothing beyond some idle discussions with teams. Any time there's a discussion (and theer's been at least a discussion five or six times over the last 15 years depending on where you draw the line of seriousness), I make it clear that I'm really not interested in working for a team full time

12:42

Usually teams that have been getting full 10 year zips and updates for a long time

But if I'm unlikely to take a job, I'm not going to suggest otherwise. I'm happy with what I do and I'm also well suited to what I specifically do

12:44

And I don't really play games with people. When I talked with David about coming to FG, I told David outright that I already had a discussion with other media outlets. And when I talked to ESPN after accepting the FG offer (on my 40th birthday after I half drowned myself), I politely turned down a counteroffer.

12:46

I like all my work product being mine, and having the freedom to spend a chunk of workday exploring things that may not pan out, or may not have immediate relevance

redbeard2

12:46

Austin Hedges seems to have found his swing stumbled into some great batted ball luck this season. He's currently running a wrc+ of 105 which would more than double last year's 51, which was more than double 2024's 20. Doubling wrc+ in consecutive seasons has to pretty rare right?

Dan Szymborski

12:46

It has to be!

unless it's like 10 to 25 to 60

There was actually a time where it looked like Hedges might hit a bit, though that seems weird now

didace

12:46

Is this new "First Base Receiving" data going to change how we look at anyone? It seems to me everyone is in a very narrow band so there's not much separation.

Phillip Denny

12:47

how (if at all) are you using the new 1B statcast metrics?

Dan Szymborski

12:47

Interesting stuff (and I've seen raw-er data for several years now), but I don't believe it's going to be a real difference maker

12:48

I have it as pretty erratic year to eyar, moreso than other defensive data

and the magnitude is small

volatile data of small magnitude is usually going to be stuff in the margins

12:49

like ZiPS usually gives Alonso 2-3 runs for 1B scooping, but it's not like that changes stuff

mrdog61

12:49

So I'm not the only one who randomly thinks about Mickey Morandini a lot? What about Sweaty Joe Borowski?

Dan Szymborski

12:49

I actually think about Borowski a lot

His 2007 was the last time people widely tried to claim a shitty closer was actually good because saves

triplesandtea

12:49

Would baseball be more fun with more triples?

Dan Szymborski

12:50

Absolutely

except for the relatively rare inside-the-park homer, the triple is the best play in baseball

the triple is the normal play with the single greatest uncertainty as to the outcome

war2d2

12:50

Danimal! Szymborskinator! The Twins are currently in playoff position with a record that’s two games under .500. Is this the first time we wind up with a losing record in the playoffs? And do you correctly think this is an abomination against god and man, or do you, as my casual-MLB-fan friend said, incorrectly think this is “fun”?

Dan Szymborski

12:51

It's both!

White Castle cheeseburgers are awful, but sometimes great in the certain mood

I'm Team Entropy. I like reality being trolling

Tyler Banks

12:51

Mild/moderate concerns about Acuna? 113 wRC+ this year with seemingly terrible defense

Dan Szymborski

12:52

Moderate. I'm a little worried that like Trout a few years ago, he's crossed the Rubicon and is now in post-superstar territory

InsertWittyNameHere

12:52

Is the 40 trillion comment a Jeopardy question? If so, what is the amount that legalized gambling has taken from those who are the least able to lose money.

Dan Szymborski

12:52

I think a national debt reference

crew87

12:53

In a forefeit isn't it recorded as 5-0 or something? So if you're down 10-0 in the eighth couldn't you just tell your guys "we're competing for run differential tiebreakers in the playoffs?"

Dan Szymborski

12:53

I thought 9-90

9-0

NicklePickers

12:55

Bradish or Kirby? Two guys I can’t figure out. Who do you like rest of season?

Dan Szymborski

12:55

I still like both guys!

InsertWittyNameHere

12:55

Dan Szymborski

12:56

I understand the reference, but I'm not sure what player it's referring to!

there's no player named Over

Connecting…

Register

Message History

On Off

On Off

On Off

On Off

Your current subscriptions

None

Register now to continue managing your subscriptions

E-mail Address	Chat Owner	Status	Remove

Enter your email address to be notified when Dan Szymborski hosts a chat