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Meg Rowley FanGraphs Chat - 5/5/2021
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Jonny
4:32
With fewer and fewer pitchers reaching 162 IP per season, how long is it before the threshold for qualifying for an ERA title changes? Who sets that threshold?
Meg Rowley
4:33
It's an interesting question - I imagine it will still be awhile before there's a ton of movement there, but league-wide trends might force the issue. MLB determines it.
Sharps
4:34
How is every team underperforming xwOBA?
Meg Rowley
4:36
It's a combo of the weather and the new ball. At some point, it'll need to be recalibrated for the new offensive environment.
Matt
4:37
how should I be feeling as a phillies fan right now?
Meg Rowley
4:38
It sure would be nice if they'd give you all an easy win. Just, a normal-ass win. It seems very stressful to be a Phillies fan right now. It does not seem... fun, though perhaps the Phillies fans I follow constitute an unrepresentative sample.
But beyond that, hey you're in first place and your division is surprisingly soft! So feel good about that part.
Mugghead
4:39
Will Lindor's contract go down as among the worst in MLB history?
Meg Rowley
4:39
Seems very unlikely!
4:41
His struggles are odd - walking and not striking out at career-best rates. He's just really not barreling stuff up at all. And he's hitting so much on the ground!
4:42
It isn't good, but doesn't seem unfixable, though if you want to write some sort of disaster narrative and read it as a continued swoon from last season, you could, but why do that just yet.
Birchlover Birdich
4:44
What name would you give to an expansion team in Portland? (In case it ever happens)
Meg Rowley
4:44
Call them the roses and then have one of the logos be a baseball but with a thorny stem as the seams.
Mason Storm
4:45
Is there a scenario where the MLB draft has as much of a draw as NFL or NBA drafts do? Or is the nature of the players going to MilB, plus a deep pool going to keep it from being a popular event?
Meg Rowley
4:46
It's tricky to do for the reasons you outlined and also because the amateur pool is less well known and certainly less well seen on average than it is with college.
4:48
In a year like this one, with so many first rounders from Alabama and other programs involved with the national championship, I had pretty good context on the class even though my college football viewing is at an all-time low. But even if the average baseball fan knows about Rocker and Leiter, when you get into non-SEC programs, it dips and then there are the high school guys.
4:49
All of that said, I think the broadcasts that MLB and ESPN have done lately are great for those who care about it. But it's just going to have a different vibe. With rare exception you aren't going to see these dudes for a while, whereas I'll see a whole lot of D'Wayne Eskridge (So fast, yay! Already 24, oh Seattle, you have such a type) just a few months from now.
Mettyfap
4:50
Your thoughts in Amir Garretts suspension?
Meg Rowley
4:50
That even with prior incidents and the health and safety protocols, it seemed long.
Han Soto
4:50
I don't like pineapple all that much in general, but I can absolutely see the spicy working with it on a pizza. I'll give it a try sometime.
Meg Rowley
4:51
The spicy and sweet balance nicely imo. I'm not a big fan of Canadian bacon (though I get that the salty probably functions the same way for some folks that spicy does for me).
Magic Kingdome
4:52
Let's try this is a different way -- who is the Mariners' best starting pitcher (OK to assume Gonzalez is healthy)?
Meg Rowley
4:52
Good grief, is it maybe Chris Flexen? I... I need to sit with this for a minute.
asnbrv
4:53
Is it a glitch on my browser when I toggle the postseason stats on player pages, it gives me like 10rows per postseason year?
Meg Rowley
4:53
There's a glitch, should have a fix in later this evenings is my understanding.
Lunar verLander
4:54
Would their intrasquad game be called The War of the Roses?
Meg Rowley
4:54
YES IT WOULD. IT WOULD BE CALLED THAT.
giodude
4:55
The new group of writers have been excellent :)
Meg Rowley
4:56
I think so, too. Really enjoying getting to know them and see what is interesting to them. And also, just deeply grateful that folks have continued to support the site with memberships, making new features and new voices possible.
4:57
There's a lot still to be set right in (gestures at the world) but sometimes I think about how much dread and existential threat we felt at work last year, and can't believe where we are now.
Guest
4:57
Why do fangraphs writers have such strong opinions about non-baseball related matters and why are they always wrong in those opinions?
Meg Rowley
4:57
You don't have to order that pizza if you don't want to.
Gil
4:58
Re: Mets and Davis

Has there ever really been a case of a coach being fired and things noticeably improving as a direct result? Seems like it would be pretty tough to pin improvement on that choice alone.
Meg Rowley
4:59
I think that's right - there have certainly been instances of team-wide offense improving after a coach's firing but I think it's really hard to pin that on the firing. Which isn't to say that hitting coaches don't matter. It's just hard to isolate the improvement to their absence (or a new presence).
John
4:59
While MLB tries out drastically new ideas, here's one for increasing action. Any strikeout automatically erases every baserunner. For example, with 2 on and no out, we're currently taught to panic over hitting the ball (OMG risk of double play), but a strikeout would function as a triple play or reset button. Instant incentive to put the ball in play! And make the game, you know, watchable again.
Meg Rowley
4:59
Incentive, sure but in execution I think you just designed a 30 minute baseball game?
HankLloydWright
5:00
I hate pineapple on pizza and yet hearing the words "pineapple and jalapenos" together somehow makes me want to try that pizza
Meg Rowley
5:00
The trick is to order a half-n-half with something you know you like. Much lower pizza stakes.
Isolated Thinker
5:01
% chance that Ohtani and Trout are AL co-MVP?
Meg Rowley
5:02
This Byron Buxton erasure will. not. stand. WILL NOT.
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