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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 2/10/17
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Joe
9:24
Anything to get mildly excited about with the O's trading for Ynoa?
Jeff Sullivan
9:24
Let me check real fast!
9:25
Looks like, no, because Ynoa is a pitcher, and the Orioles are the Orioles
9:26
But in seriousness, Ynoa is a recent bullpen conversion. Didn't miss any bats in the minors as a starter. Had some better luck in the bigs
9:27
He obviously has a strong arm, and he's young, so with a more consistent breaking ball he could shine
9:28
I guess if the Orioles intend to use him as a starter again, he's like an uninteresting No. 7
Turd Ferguson
9:28
Everyone knows that there is a real advantage for the pitcher in most lefty vs. lefty situations. Is there any writing or research on types of pitches that pitchers should throw in opposite hand (righty vs. lefty, etc.) matchups? Like, is there anything a RHP can do to emulate the things that make a LHP successful against left handed batters?
Jeff Sullivan
9:29
There's nothing an opposite-handed pitcher can do to mimic the same-handedness deception, but in general, changeups and cutters work the best when you have the platoon disadvantage. One of the things that allowed Kyle Hendricks to surge forward last year was improving his straight fastball underneath lefties' hands
9:30
What kind of perplexes me is that changeups work so well, while two-seamers are the opposite. But the results are the results
Huphrey
9:30
Which player(s) do you think will have a break out year this year?
Jeff Sullivan
9:30
Perfect opportunity for me to point to Paxton again
And get ready for the Keon Broxton bandwagon
9:31
I don't know which players will succeed after making new adjustments. I just know which adjustments I like the most from 2016
Oh, and Mitch Haniger
Jose
9:31
Why are you and Bork friends?
Jeff Sullivan
9:31
I consider many of us to be friends
Graves
9:31
Miami Marlins: Worst run organization in Professional Sports?
Jeff Sullivan
9:31
I don't know enough about the other professional sports, but, yes, they have been a complete and utter disaster
bl27
9:33
Cameron Maybin should be the leadoff man with the Angels ? 1Maybin-2Calhoun-3Trout-4Pujols-5Cron ?
Jeff Sullivan
9:33
I'd be interested in Calhoun leading off and Trout batting second, but Maybin wouldn't be an awful idea, if somewhat traditional
BaseballDesert
9:33
With how broad your attention hasto be as a writer, how often do you watch a full game from start to finish? Under what circumstances?
Jeff Sullivan
9:34
Mostly, it's the playoffs. During the season I'm almost always bouncing around. The playoffs re-introduce a fixed focus. It's weird and refreshing
J
9:35
If a player is worth their contract exactly how much does their talent or years of control affect their trade value?
Jeff Sullivan
9:35
In theory it shouldn't make a difference, but I imagine it would go up with the talent, because that player will be worth more to contending teams, and contending teams will trade value for great players
Graves
9:35
The New Owner of the Marlins should move the team to _______ and rename them the _________ ?
Jeff Sullivan
9:35
I'd like to at least see the Marlins get a shot in Miami with a real owner first
9:36
Loria didn't give the fans a chance
5 Run Homer
9:37
Could there be a correlation between Ryan Raburn's extreme volatility and the amount of lefties/righties he faces? Because I seem to remember him being a lefty masher.
Jeff Sullivan
9:37
Modest correlation. Had the same platoon rates in 2012 and 2013, when he was volatile, but the last two years there's been a major shift. Faced lefties almost exclusively in 2015. Then the Rockies for some reason let him face more righties in 2016. It didn't work!
Robbie
9:38
If Zack Greinke goes into the All-Star break with an ERA close to 3.00, is he gone? Assuming the Diamondbacks aren't miraculously in the playoff hunt
Jeff Sullivan
9:38
If Zack Greinke is pitching well, I'm not convinced the Diamondbacks will be that bad. More importantly, he feels like more of an offseason trade candidate, because of the amount of money he's linked to
Dan
9:39
Who are your picks for 2017 AL/NL MVPs & Cy Youngs?
Jeff Sullivan
9:39
Welp, let's see
9:40
Yeah, sorry, I can't make this particularly interesting. Trout, Bryant, Sale, Kershaw
Don
9:41
Money being equal, if you could only chose 3 Cubs to start your team around, who would they be?
Jeff Sullivan
9:41
Bryant/Russell/Contreras? I'd try not to build around any pitchers, and I'm emphasizing the importance of youth here
E
9:42
Since teams don’t want to burn their bullpen in extra innings I propose this idea. After the 12th inning only position players may pitch. This will lead to more runs scored to hopefully end the game and maybe we’ll see more players like Rick Ankiel and Micah Owings because they’ll have unique value.
Jeff Sullivan
9:43
Managers don't actually like using position players either because of the seemingly increased injury risk
Eric Weinstein
9:44
Is it just me, or is MLB's approach to pace of play/time of game very frustrating? It seems like they are simultaneously willing to entertain ideas that intrude on the core rules of the game (start guys on 2nd base, pitch clock), while also refusing to address the most obvious problem: More pitching changes = more commercial breaks and interminably long middle innings. Why should the networks get a windfall from the trend toward more pitching changes? Why not try out Bill James suggested solution of no commercial breaks for pitching changes?
Jeff Sullivan
9:45
MLB loves commercial breaks because commercial breaks mean MLB gets more money. MLB exists to make money. The best we can hope for is that commercial breaks don't get any longer from here. I don't know how this might change down the line when baseball is essentially removed from cable, but for now, I think we're stuck as is
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