JotCast | FanGraphs 2022 Opening Day Chat

FanGraphs 2022 Opening Day Chat

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Recorder

3:24

Could Vlad Jr set the home run record with 62 this year?

Jay Jaffe

3:24

The home run record is 73. So no, he's not going to break that.

David Laurila

3:24

Despite the fact that Miguel Cabrera is there to DH, I suggested on a Tigers pod some weeks back that Detroit should sign Andrew McCutchen. I expect Cutch to have a solid season.

Dan Szymborski

3:24

He spent a big chunk of his career in NY and CA on top of federal tax

David Laurila

3:26

Hendricks has seven Ks already, and I think all but one or two has been on a changeup.

3:26

SPIN article is fantastic - deep on musicians, stoked to see Phillie fanatic and guitar great JD (not T) Brubaker in there. Biggest non-surprise: Steve Earle being a Yankees fan.

Jay Jaffe

3:27

I was actually surprised by Earle. Funniest: Julian Casablancas favorite Met being Miguel Castro, since traded to the Yankees.

Farhandrew Zaidman

3:28

Thanks for sharing that Spin article! I'll read literally anything Riley Breckinridge writes. Shoutout to his old grindcore band "Puig Destroyer" and their hit song "STOP F&$%ING BUNTING"

Jay Jaffe

3:28

Amen!

Anita Bath

3:28

Miguel Cabrera's xwOBA has been better than his wOBA every single year

Dan Szymborski

3:28

xwOBA could still use some calibration

ZiPS errors using a similar method are not year-to-year correlated

Slew

3:29

@Jay - Why is other sports vulturing athletes a problem? Will the end consumer even notice? (The greatness of the athletes is measured against each other, right?)

Jay Jaffe

3:33

Seems to me that baseball's decline from its peak popularity and its losing ground to other spots in the public sphere has something to do with losing out on some of those multitalented athletes. Will the average middle-aged white male fan notice? Probably not, but fans of color will notice. Ask Black Americans where baseball sits for them given the diminishing representation within the game (to say nothing of MLB's failures when it comes to representation within the dugouts and front offices)

hypnotoad

3:29

I guess relegation/promotion has to wait until the next CBA.

Jay Jaffe

3:29

it would never work because you could never make the economics of a Triple-A stadium work for a major league team and vice versa

Dan Szymborski

3:29

Yeah, I'd love relegation, but it's too tricky to pull off with the existing structure

3:30

The most you could do is have a first division/second division *within* MLB

and even that isn't happening

Morbo

3:30

I'd love relegation, but it's too tricky to pull off with the existing structure

Oof

I was trying to follow that up with

Farhandrew Zaidman

3:30

Any player-centric podcasts you'd recommend? Shoutout to the Chris Rose Rotation, Toeing the Slab, The Compound, Holding Kourt, etc.

David Laurila

3:30

FanGraphs Audio does a decent amount of players interviews. Today’s episode has one.

Luke

3:31

Deshaies drops my favorite new baseballism - Hendricks’ changeup is like ‘’throwing a styrofoam cup up there’’

Morbo

3:31

So what I'm hearing is but it all to the ground

But that's what I get for chatting on my phone

Guest

3:32

Which young relief pitcher (under 25 YO) are you guys most excited to see this year?

Dan Szymborski

3:32

Clase

then Graterol

Morbo

3:32

Jordan Hicks

Dan Szymborski

3:32

BUT STARTER!

Eno Sarris' Sandwhich Induced Nightmares

3:32

First run of the year? WOOOO!!!!

Joe

3:32

I think relegation works as a concept, and in places where it has always been a thing isn't as devastating, but it would kill baseball in certain cities if we had it here.

The Ghost of Bobby Thigpen

3:33

How much do the Lynn, Crochet and Moncada injuries hurt their chances at the AL Central crown?

Dan Szymborski

3:33

I like how New Era says "OK, it's Opening Day, let's advertise the good hats, not the crappy ones."

Morbo

3:34

Yeah, I'm pretending that I don't know that information re: Hicks starting

Dan Szymborski

3:34

But I'm pretending you do!@