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Jay Jaffe FanGraphs Chat - 4/9/21
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AvatarJay Jaffe
3:15
I think that getting Nolan Arenado was a good idea and that they should have gotten another starting pitcher. One week of going 5-2 doesn't really change that.
Steve Herd
3:15
Thoughts on Nelson Cruz re: HOF? Lack of defense and the Biogenesis issue are high hurdles, but what does JAWS think of him?
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:17
B-Ref has him at 40.5 WAR which... is a hair better than Harold Baines (38.7) but nowhere near as good as David Ortiz (55.3), and yeah, that Biogenesis suspension sticks out like a sore thumb. Until voters elect Manny Ramirez, there's nothing to see here.
mmddyyyy
3:17
You've been covering baseball for a while, what feels different?
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:20
You know, i realized that today isn't just the 40th anniversary of the start of Fernandomania, it's the 20th anniversary of my laying what was essentially the cornerstone of Futility Infielder, a post about Willie Stargell, who had died that day and who was another favorite of my childhood. So yes, I've been covering baseball for awhile now.

Particularly in writing about Fernando I was reminded of how little I actually got to see him during that great run and how many more ways there are to access baseball now. Fernando wasn't on cable, there was no ESPN, to say nothing of MLB Network or MLB.tv, and so at best I was getting highlights along with newspaper and magazine articles.
3:21
Now we have access to every regular season game, and the ability to revisit and quantify every single pitch and play. What a time to be alive.
Stylistically, what sticks out though is the growing homogenization of the game towards power on both sides of the ball, and the deemphasis on the running game. We desperately need more variety in that regard
Farhandrew Zaidman
3:22
Is the "middle class" major leaguer disappearing? By that I mean, teams seem more and more to be relying on pre-arb and early arb guys built around one or two mega-contracts. I.e. You can't pay your set-up man 5 mil per year if your shortstop costs you 32?
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:23
Yes, i think that's what we've seen happen in the free agent market in the past several years. Veterans who aren't elite don't get the longer-term, bigger-dollar deals that they used to.
Puster Bosey
3:23
How long until the obligatory full-length FanGraphs Yermin Mercedes piece? He hasn't actually stopped hitting since that 8-for-8 start and he hit a ball nearly into orbit yesteday (485 ft!)
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:23
I think we've got somebody noodling on a piece but I'm not sure. Happy to take up the task if nobody has
Guest
3:23
I'd like to think that Dom's popularity is due to more than his batting- he's been a pretty eloquent spokesperson on social issues this past year, and he's also been one of the most visible cheerleaders for his teammates in the dugout whether he's playing or not. Your mileage re: him as a player may vary, but Opening Day is a pretty symbolic occasion in a lot of ways anyway- starting him as a nod to the fans would have made sense in a lot of ways.
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:25
You're right, he really put himself out there last summer during the George Floyd protests and that was impressive, beyond his multiyear uptick in performance. Still, I think Opening Day is kind of overstated in its importance and dwelling upon a perceived slight when there's so much else to be concerned about seems rather unproductive.
mmddyyyy
3:25
Does leading the league in WAR count as black ink?
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:25
in my book it does. Literally.
Estevão
3:27
Is Corey Seager the best Dodger hitter? I have a feeling he'll be by October
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:29
Well, his 158 wRC+ in 2020-21 outdoes Betts (153), Turner (144), Taylor (140), and Bellinger (just 112) so I think the case is already being made. Let's see if it holds up
Jeff
3:29
Random but can I request an article on Dave Stieb? Before my time but man nearly 60 WAR pitchers/players don't grow on trees
AvatarJay Jaffe
3:29
Noted!
3:30
OK folks, I'm on fumes here. Thanks for bearing with me today, this has been fun but I think I need to rest my brain and my body. Tune in next week, and in the meantime, please stay safe!
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