Hitting in a 3-2 count in the major leagues must be very difficult. Think about it. Try to remove everything besides the count. Don’t worry about the runners, or lack thereof, on base. Try not to think of how many outs there are or what inning it is in or even how many runs are on the score-board. Instead, think of just the hitter and what they are trying to do, get on base.

Every hitter likely has an approach in a 3-2 count and that approach is also likely to be molded to their skill set. Really good at reading the ball out of the pitcher’s hand? Take a close 3-2 pitch and end up standing on first base. More of a “swing for the fences” type of hitter? Get that front foot down and swing away!

Here’s a look at those two approaches and how different hitters perform in 3-2 counts:

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We still have a number of teams remaining with new everyday players to discuss, so let’s continue on!

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Let’s pick back up with the new starters as games resume after the All-Star break. Consider this a Pirates edition, as three of the four names play their home games at the convergence of three rivers.

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Yesterday, I asked you to vote on which group of pitchers you expect to post a better ERA over the rest of the season. One group was composed of the 10 biggest SIERA overperformers, while the other comprised the underperformers. Now let’s poll you on hitters. I’ll follow the same concept and compare two groups of hitters based on xwOBA overperformance and underperformance. We know that xwOBA isn’t perfect. Neither is SIERA. In fact, no estimated/expected/forecasted equation is going to be perfect, because there will always be players that do something we have a difficult time quantifying. Furthermore, there will always be players each year that fall into either end of the extremes for no other reason than complete randomness. So let’s keep that in mind when reviewing these two groups.

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As we head into the All-Star break and take a moment to catch our breath, let’s continue reviewing new everyday players, or hitters that have recently become regular starters.

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Big bases, a faster pace, and younger stars might be the way we summarize the 2023 season. There was a time, not so long ago when service time manipulation would hold players down in AAA for longer than they needed to be. While that is still possible, Michael Bauman reported, back in March, on the new CBA and how it incentivizes teams for calling up players to the big leagues earlier than in years past. It seems to be truly working in 2023. Read the rest of this entry »

As is typically the case when I return from vacation, there are a number of new faces in starting lineups. Since playing time is king, especially in deeper leagues, let’s discuss some of the hitters who have recently become regulars.

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American League

Angels

• What a mess with the trades for Mike Moustakas and Eduardo Escobar. Hunter Renfroe got pushed off first base and back to the outfield where he shares two spots with Mickey Moniak and Taylor Ward.

• David Fletcher has started in five of the last six games at shortstop. Since being recalled he’s posting a .900 OPS. Read the rest of this entry »

Recently, I had to write up Luis Matos and saw he raked in AAA to the tune of .398/.435/.685 in 116 PA. Luis played for the Sacramento River Cats. in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). So far in the PCL, the league-wide OPS of .839 OPS while it is only a .728 OPS in the majors. The league-wide difference can’t be used because not all the hitters get promoted and many who do are only up for a short time. I just ran a quick test to have an idea of how much of a production drop should be expected from AAA to the majors. Read the rest of this entry »

American League

Angels

• Hunter Renfroe (.736 OPS) no longer has a permanent spot in the lineup with just three starts in the last six games. He’s now in a rotation with Mickey Moniak (.941 OPS) and Taylor Ward (.693 OPS).

• Andrew Velazquez (.250/.429/.313, 0 HR, 4 SB) has started six straight games at shortstop. Read the rest of this entry »