Author: Paul Sporer | Page 241 | RotoGraphs Fantasy Baseball

Matt Shoemaker’s strikeouts have essentially gone through three phases this season. Through his first six starts, he had just 17 strikeouts in 24.7 IP with a 14% strikeout rate. The fastball was getting pummeled and certainly not generating a necessary number of strikeouts. It yielded a 1.175 OPS and just 5% strikeout rate in 74 PA over those first six. The splitter (.566, 35%) offered hope. He decided to lean on it and it remained dominant over his next 12 starts, while also lessening the burden on his fastball.

Both pitches excelled in the two-month span from May 16th through July 16th. He had a 29% strikeout rate thanks in large part to the fastball’s improved output. The splitter it definitely the carrying pitch and gets its due credit for his resurgence, but the impact it had on the fastball allowed him to reach these heights.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 378 – Stanton & Brantley Done for the Year

by Paul Sporer

August 15, 2016

8/14/16

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

Follow us on Twitter

Notable Transactions/Rumors/Articles/Game Play

Giancarlo Stanton done (4:00)
Michael Brantley done (10:00)
Steven Wright to DL (16:30)
Mookie Betts top 5 in ‘17? (23:40)
Zack Greinke pummeled (29:00)
Brandon Moss dominating (30:40)
Michael Fulmer leading AL in ERA (34:15)
J.A. Happ’s awesomeness (40:00)
- Jason’s piece on him
Charlie Blackmon’s 5 HR weekend (46:00)

Read the rest of this entry »

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 377 – A Pitcher Show!

by Paul Sporer

August 12, 2016

8/12/16

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

(I’ll update timestamps later)

Follow us on Twitter

Notable Transactions/Rumors/Articles/Game Play

Matt Duffy as SS
Nathan Eovaldi to DL
StL looking at Carlos Gomez deal

Strategy Section

Read the rest of this entry »

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Paul Sporer Rotographs Chat – August 11th, 2016

by Paul Sporer

August 11, 2016

Thanks so much for coming out, check out the transcript below!!

Read the rest of this entry »

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 376 – Potential 2017 First Rounders

by Paul Sporer

August 10, 2016

8/10/16

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

Follow us on Twitter

Notable Transactions/Rumors/Articles/Game Play

Carlos Gomez DFA’d (3:40)
Steven Wright won’t start Thursday (23:40)
Yasmani Grandal is dominating (33:10)

Strategy Section

Are They 2017 Top 15 Hitters?
- Wil Myers (43:30)
- Daniel Murphy (52:00)
- Kris Bryant (56:00)
- Corey Seager (1:02:30)
- Ian Desmond (1:06:30)
- Starling Marte (1:08:00)

Read the rest of this entry »

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

Tyler Anderson Continues to Deal, Especially at Home

by Paul Sporer

August 10, 2016

Corinne Landrey just wrote about Tyler Anderson last week, outlining some loose comparisons between he and Clayton Kershaw. I commend you to read that, but also this. By the way, she doesn’t really think he’s Kershaw, just wanted to point out some interesting similarities. I’m always fascinated when a pitcher finds success at Coors Field so I wanted to see how he was doing it.

He only has 11 major league starts, but eight of them have already been at home. Small sample size caveats are in full effect, of course. The first I noticed about Anderson is that he seems to have different paths to success for home and road. He doesn’t necessarily change how he pitches batters home and road, but the resultant statistical profiles are interesting. He has taken these paths to virtually the same ERA in (3.04) and outside of Coors (3.06).

HOME

In Coors, Anderson leans on his fastball-changeup combo using them a combined 74% of the time. His fastball comes in around 90-92, about average for a lefty, but his 81 MPH changeup helps the heater play up a bit while also being really good, too. He throws it to righties and lefties alike. Righties get it 33% of the time, but lefties get a steady diet as well at 26%.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Sleeper and the Bust Episode: 375 – A Shortstop Renaissance

by Paul Sporer

August 8, 2016

8/8/16

The latest episode of “The Sleeper and the Bust” is live!

Follow us on Twitter

Notable Transactions/Rumors/Articles/Game Play

Taijuan Walker demoted
Junior Guerra hurt
Daniel Norris recalled
Kevin Pillar DL; Melvin Upton in
Travis Jankowski’s speediness

Strategy Section

Interesting SS leader on Player Rater
Top 10 Look
- Whoops, forgot to get to Eduardo Nunez
- He was the #4 guy we referenced but never discussed
Blind Comps
J.J. Hardy & Brad Miller raking
Any off the radar SS you like rest of way outside of these?

Read the rest of this entry »