Welcome to a different installment of my weekly have a look at 5 issues that caught my curiosity in baseball. As all the time, I’m indebted to Zach Lowe of ESPN for the concept – his basketball column is a must-read, and his observant eye all the time evokes me to look somewhat nearer at what I’m watching. This week’s version options among the finest gamers within the recreation, a fourth outfielder, an previous ace reinventing himself, a present ace who I’ve unreasonably projected my very own mannerisms onto, and a switch-hitter who won’t be switch-hitting anymore. Let’s get to it.
1. Ronald Acuña Jr., All-Everything Again
Baseball misplaced one in every of its most enjoyable younger stars when Ronald Acuña Jr. tore his ACL in 2021. He was in the course of breaking out – in case you can actually escape from the elevated perch he already occupied – when all of it simply stopped. He didn’t play once more for practically a yr, and 2022 Acuña wasn’t the identical when he did return. He simply didn’t have that additional gear that made him such a delight to look at when he debuted.
This yr, it’s protected to say he’s again. His prodigious bat pace was already beginning to reemerge within the second half of final season, however it’s on full show once more in 2023. He’s again to being one of many quickest gamers in baseball, in addition; his 11 homers and 17 steals have me doing downright irresponsible 40/40 math on a nightly foundation. He’s first in baseball in Wins Above Replacement amongst place gamers, which looks as if a reasonably good indication that he’s as much as his previous methods.
That’s all nicely and good, however for me, watching him is the surest proof. He was a generational prospect for a purpose; one have a look at Acuña is all you want. True story: I noticed him within the Arizona Fall League in 2017, earlier than he’d debuted within the majors, and he didn’t simply appear like he belonged within the massive leagues — he appeared like among the finest gamers there. That sheer athleticism is lastly again.
To borrow from the late David Foster Wallace, Acuña’s swing is a good liquid whip. It doesn’t comply with the legal guidelines of physics that different hitters are constrained by; the barrel of the bat stays within the zone for an impossibly very long time, and but carries unthinkable drive. This dwelling run appeared virtually informal:
It was additionally hit off of Sandy Alcantara at a jaw-dropping 115 mph. That’s the sort of factor that Acuña routinely did earlier than his harm and that he’s getting again to now.
But it’s not simply dwelling runs that announce Acuña’s return. He seems to be like a Ferrari on the basepaths once more, stealing bases freely:
Even when he will get caught in a rundown, the specter of turning on the jets makes defenders play conservatively. Though he by no means put it into excessive gear on this play, he stayed in it lengthy sufficient for the defenders to do one thing foolish and let him escape:
Oh, and don’t run on Ronald, by the way in which:
His 181 wRC+ is superior. He’s placing out much less typically than ever earlier than, which ought to pay long-term dividends. But these issues are much less spectacular to me than seeing Acuña again in peak athletic kind. Watching him is a delight. I’m thrilled for all of us that, after two years of getting it taken away, we’re attending to see him at his finest once more. Now if he might simply get again to taking part in good protection to go along with that wonderful arm…
2. Chris Sale Gutting It Out
Chris Sale is perhaps a star, however that’s the place the similarities with Acuña finish. He doesn’t look easy and overpowering; he seems to be like he’s throwing his complete physique into each final pitch. You can virtually hear the ligaments straining when he fires a excessive fastball:
That’s all the time been the case. Even when he was at his finest for the higher a part of the 2010s, followers and analysts alike anxious whether or not he might stick with it. Eventually, they had been proper; he made solely 11 begins from 2020 by 2022, and whereas he’s already as much as seven begins in 2023, he doesn’t appear like the identical man he was. I don’t both, and time is undefeated in the long term, however it’s nonetheless bizarre to see Sale as simply one other pitcher fairly than a sneering, jersey-slashing remaining boss.
I don’t assume Sale will ever sustainably attain these highs once more. That doesn’t imply he can’t get up the echoes each on occasion, although. Last Saturday towards St. Louis, Sale put up his finest recreation of the 2020s. The Cardinals are maybe the worst matchup in baseball for a lefty pitcher; for the reason that begin of the 2022 season, they’re hitting a mixed .262/.338/.455 towards lefties, good for a 125 wRC+. Their stars are righties. Their switch-hitters are higher from the proper facet of the plate (extra on this later). Their lefties hit lefties nicely. It’s an absolute nightmare.
Sale was as much as the duty. He held the Cardinals down for the primary seven innings of the sport, permitting solely a Nolan Arenado solo dwelling run. It was his third straight begin of six or extra innings, and his second straight with extra strikeouts than innings pitched. But the Red Sox wanted extra — they’d torn their bullpen to shreds yesterday, sending 5 arms out in reduction of James Paxton. Sale had already thrown 92 pitches, however he headed again out to the mound to cope with the underside of the Cardinals lineup and protect the lead his staff labored so laborious to offer him.
The Cardinals didn’t make it straightforward on him. Andrew Knizner wouldn’t go away quietly:
He labored the rely to 3-2 earlier than flying out weakly. One extra batter to go, and Sale reached again for all the things he had left. Here are the final 4 pitches of his outing:
Here’s my finest fastball — 97, 97, 96, 97 — within the strike zone. Come and get it. That’s the sort of pitcher Sale was at his easiest. He won’t be that man persistently anymore, however it positive is enjoyable seeing him flip again the clock when he wants it. Time is undefeated in the long term, however Sale is combating it to a standstill proper now.
3. Raimel Tapia, Monster Whisperer
Boston has constructed up numerous Fenway mythology over time and with good purpose. One I’ve all the time loved is the issue of taking part in left area beneath the Green Monster. It’s not that it’s impossibly laborious or something – there’s actually not that a lot area to cowl – however the angles are all flawed in comparison with taking part in in a standard park.
Raimel Tapia isn’t a Boston lifer. He’s spent most of his profession taking part in within the precise reverse of Fenway’s cramped and carom-heavy outfield: Coors Field and its infinite expanses of grass. So perhaps this can be a sideways dig at Fenway mythology, as a result of Tapia seems to be like he’s been taking part in there his complete life. Watch this, for instance:
That’s a wonderful barehand choose, and if somebody slower than Julio Rodríguez had been operating, it most likely would have been an outfield help. Failing that, it probably would have stored the runner at first. Oh, you need an instance of that? How about one from the subsequent inning:
I can’t stress sufficient how bizarre of a play that is for an outfielder. He seems to be virtually like a 3rd baseman on the market, ready for a excessive hop to return down for a barehand catch – solely as an alternative of throwing to first, he has to get far more mustard on it. Check out his footwork; he’s already beginning a crow hop earlier than he even catches the ball. The prompt he secures it, he’s concurrently turning his head to find the second baseman and planting his left foot to provoke the throw.
Playing that shallow additionally means you’ll must make bizarre short-hop recoveries as a result of line drives are available a lot quicker than they’d at regular outfield depth. Here’s Tapia utilizing his entire physique to carry Teoscar Hernández to a single:
Sharp-eyed readers may be aware that each one three of those performs are from the identical recreation. What, was Tapia simply taking part in out of his thoughts for someday? Maybe – however I watched each inning he’s performed in left area at dwelling this yr and people three had been the one powerful performs he’s tried. That’s one other impact of the Monster; there simply isn’t a lot playable outfield, which suggests there aren’t that many performs. That solely makes me extra impressed, although. Tapia’s a fourth outfielder, taking part in part-time in any respect three outfield spots. He hardly ever has an opportunity to attempt performs like these ones at recreation pace as a result of they don’t come up fairly often. And nonetheless! He seems to be like a pure on the market. You like to see it.
4. Kevin Gausman’s Twitchy Swagger
I can’t sit nonetheless. That’s hardly a me-only factor, I do know, however I simply can’t do it. I shuffle poker chips or cash. I hop from one foot to the opposite, or twiddle my thumbs. I spin a pen in my arms, or drum my fingers on my chair’s armrests. I slide my wedding ceremony ring off after which again on. Even after I’m writing on a deadline, I’ve to stand up or spin round in my chair. I’m not alone on this, I do know. In truth, Kevin Gausman is lots like me, at the very least on this very slim means.
I can’t recover from this fashionable flip:
He does that continuously. That’s not what most pitchers do. They seize the ball out of their glove, normally gently, however after all angrily infrequently. You can most likely image the John Lackeys of the world up there glowering whereas they yank the ball out of their glove disdainfully. But Gausman is pulling off a neat sleight of hand as an alternative. Here, check out it in a special recreation:
Even other than the flip, he’s lots bouncier than your common pitcher. He strikes round whereas he’s getting indicators:
If he forgets to flip it as much as himself, generally he’ll put the ball again in his glove so he can toss it again out:
That’s simply who Gausman is on the mound. Even his supply feels jagged, with somewhat extra leg motion than you’d count on and a hesitation one way or the other tucked into the center of a fluid movement:
What does this should do with Gausman’s talent on the mound? Nothing, actually. But he’s a ton of enjoyable to look at for his mannerisms along with being nice. Stars: They’re identical to us, at the very least in relation to the necessity to hold shifting always.
5. Tommy Edman Stops Switching
You won’t know this in case you aren’t a Cardinals fan, however Tommy Edman is much better as a righty batter than he’s as a lefty. He torches lefty pitching to the tune of a profession .290/.333/.512 line, however hits a relatively weak .263/.320/.383 towards righties. That’s a bigger cut up than most right-handed batters show, and that’s with the platoon benefit. Edman merely doesn’t have any energy from the left facet of the plate, and at this level everybody on each groups is aware of it. He bats a lot larger within the lineup towards lefties, opponents assault him with right-handed relievers, and so forth.
In 2021, Edman briefly experimented with remaining on the proper facet of the plate towards righties. He tried it on precisely two days: July 21 towards Tyler Mahle, and July 28 towards a parade of righty relievers in Cleveland. It didn’t work – he went 0-for-4 mixed – and he deserted the experiment. But this yr, he’s attempting it once more with a lot larger frequency.
First, he tried it towards George Kirby. Kirby has displayed giant reverse splits in his temporary main league profession, although I’m skeptical of how actual they’re. His greatest problem appears to be a .359 BABIP towards righties, and he doesn’t have any notably platoon-busting pitches. The most notable function of Kirby’s arsenal is that he doesn’t throw many sliders — solely 15% even towards righties this yr. In any case, Edman didn’t have a lot success towards him, and he reverted to modify hitting when he confronted Justin Topa later in the identical recreation.
Edman wasn’t accomplished, although: He tried it once more towards Mason Englert, a cutter-dominant Tigers reliever. Then he went again to the nicely towards Brad Boxberger – Boxberger has pronounced reverse splits over an extended main league profession in relieving, so this one makes numerous sense to me. Then it was time to step as much as the plate righty towards some actually fearsome opposition.
First on the record: Kenley Jansen. Jansen has been efficient towards each lefties and righties all through his profession, and cutters are notable for having no platoon splits to talk of. Right on cue, Edman turned on a cutter for a well-struck double:
Jansen might need probably the most well-known cutter since Mariano Rivera. If he doesn’t, Corbin Burnes has a stable declare to that title. Naturally, then, it was time for Edman to bat righty towards Burnes:
Seems like a reasonably good plan! Of course, Burnes had a counter: he threw Edman nothing however sinkers and curveballs the remainder of the way in which, discarding his cutter fully. Edman went 0-for-2 with a strikeout and a weak grounder. That Burnes curveball is hard, notably once you’ve hardly ever seen a right-handed curveball from the righty batter’s field.
Abandoning change hitting is simpler stated than accomplished. Sure, you is perhaps naturally higher from one facet of the plate than the opposite, however the collected muscle reminiscence from years of seeing right-handed pitchers from one vantage level provides up. The finest time for Edman to surrender on change hitting was most likely 5 years in the past, when he’d have extra reps to get used to it.
Still, I like that he’s attempting it now. It’s a cool subplot if nothing else, and I believe there is perhaps one thing there. There will likely be rising pains, little question, however given St. Louis’ glut of offensive choices, it might need been this or lose taking part in time. I’m all for gamers attempting all the things they will to assist the staff, and if it’s one thing distinctive like voluntarily giving up a platoon benefit, that’s notably fascinating.
I hope you had as a lot enjoyable as I did reliving the previous week in little pleasing baseball issues. And hey, don’t let the world get you down an excessive amount of. Even in case you really feel like you’ll be able to’t do something proper:
Things may prove okay in the long run:
Content Source: blogs.fangraphs.com