Author Archive: Paul Sporer

Chat transcript is below!

Read the rest of this entry »

6/1/17

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is brought to you by Out of the Park Baseball 18, the best baseball strategy game ever made – available NOW on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms! Go to ootpdevelopments.com to order now and save 10% with the code SLEEPER18!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer
• @enosarris
• @jasoncollette

Leading Off: Question of the Day

• Trading Trout: Jeff’s Piece
  • What would you take for Mike Trout in a non-keeper roto lg?

Notable Transactions/Rumors/Articles/Game Play

May Standouts: Hitters

• Justin Bour 11 HR, 201 wRC+
• Brett Gardner 9 HR, 184 wRC+
• Zack Cozart 6 HR, 164 wRC+
• Tommy Pham 5 HR, 4 SB, 157 wRC+

Read the rest of this entry »

Maybe it’s unfair to do a “what’s wrong with this guy?” piece on a guy the night after he goes 7 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 1 ER, 5 K, but I don’t think a strong outing against KC does much the quell the concerns those have with Justin Verlander. I decided to write this up last night after watching the outing and learned quickly this morning that I wasn’t the only one still concerned as I received this text:

I pay people to address me as that in texts and real life conversations. LOL, just kidding, I don’t have real life conversations. On the year, Verlander has a 4.50 ERA, 1.37 WHIP, 21% K, 10% BB, 9% SwStr, and 1.2 HR in 68 IP. I dug into the numbers and here are the findings:

Read the rest of this entry »

5/25/17

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is brought to you by Out of the Park Baseball 18, the best baseball strategy game ever made – available NOW on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms! Go to ootpdevelopments.com to order now and save 10% with the code SLEEPER18!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer
• @enosarris
• @jasoncollette

Leading Off: A Follow Up

• An addendum to the Buy Low Hitters show

Strategy Section: SP ERA Leaders

• Alex Wood
• Ervin Santana
• Zack Godley
• Mike Leake
• Derek Holland
• Jason Vargas
• Michael Fulmer

Read the rest of this entry »

We decided to push the waiver wire pod this weekend for the holiday, but I wanted to write up a little something about pitchers to keep an eye on tonight.

TWO-START ARMS

Shallow:

• Matt Moore – v. WAS, at PHI
• Jeremy Hellickson – at MIA, v. SF
• Jordan Montgomery – at BAL, at TOR
• Chris Tillman – v. NYY, v. BOS

Moore has been rounding into form a bit over his last four starts with a 3.28 ERA and 21 Ks in 24.7 IP, but he does have a 1.49 WHIP and I might be careful with that Washington start. Hellickson has a 1.7 K:BB and 1.6 HR/9 so I just can’t see starting him anywhere right now. I like Montgomery, but he’s been markedly worse on the road with a 16% K rate and 1.3 K:BB, compared to 27% and 3.4 at home. I’d probably start Tillman if I have him, but I’m not sure I’d seek him out on a waiver wire.

Read the rest of this entry »

Sonny Gray | 3.34 ERA, 1.08 WHIP, 23% K, and 7% BB in 29.7 IP

Gray has only made five starts, but he’s looking as sharp as ever. He missed all of April, but he certainly looks health right now. His velocity is at a career-best 93.4 mph (94 w/the four-seamer; 93 w/the sinker). Here’s what else I’ve seen in the stats and video of his last two starts:

• He’s using the sinker more than ever and working both fastball iterations down in the zone at a career-high clip, too.
• His fastballs are down in the lower third of the zone 52% of the time and they are fueling a career-best 59% groundball rate.
• The slider has always been a weapon, but it’s been a plus-plus monster and generated 9 of his 11 strikeouts on Wednesday.

Read the rest of this entry »

Chat transcript is below. Lots of Dinelson Lamet questions, so be sure to check out Jeff’s Quick Look at him, too.

Read the rest of this entry »

5/25/17

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is brought to you by Out of the Park Baseball 18, the best baseball strategy game ever made – available NOW on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms! Go to ootpdevelopments.com to order now and save 10% with the code SLEEPER18!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer
• @enosarris
• @jasoncollette

Leading Off: Question of the Day

• Which surging vet do you trust most: Jason Vargas, Ervin Santana, or Mike Leake? (4:10)

Read the rest of this entry »

5/24/17

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is brought to you by Out of the Park Baseball 18, the best baseball strategy game ever made – available NOW on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms! Go to ootpdevelopments.com to order now and save 10% with the code SLEEPER18!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer
• @enosarris
• @jasoncollette

Strategy Section: Eight Buy Low Bats

• Rougned Odor (6:24)
• Carlos Gonzalez (16:10)
• Andrew McCutchen (21:30)
• Maikel Franco (26:00)

Read the rest of this entry »

5/18/17

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is brought to you by Out of the Park Baseball 18, the best baseball strategy game ever made – available NOW on PC, Mac, and Linux platforms! Go to ootpdevelopments.com to order now and save 10% with the code SLEEPER18!

Follow us on Twitter

• @sporer
• @enosarris
• @jasoncollette

Strategy Section: Waiver Pickup Episode

Shallow (5:10)

• Alex Cobb LAA, at MIN 80% C, 59% Y!, 25% E
• Matt Shoemaker at TB, at MIA 81% C, 55% Y!, 55% E
• Jerad Eickhoff COL, CIN 71% C, 57% Y!, 25% E
• Patrick Corbin CWS, at MIL 66% C, 25% Y!, 28% E
• Amir Garrett CLE, at PHI 65% C, 26% Y!, 31% E

Read the rest of this entry »