RotoGraphs Audio: The Sleeper and the Bust 6/4/13

by
June 4, 2013

Episode 21
Today’s episode of The Sleeper and the Bust stars yours truly and features RotoGraphs editor Eno Sarris. We discuss an issue that has surprisingly arisen in our Tout Wars league and a hyped pitching prospect expected to get the call in a week and a half.

**Apologies for some of the choppiness as we had not one, but two(!), technical issues thanks to both my microphone and Skype hating us.

Don’t hesitate to direct pod-related correspondence to @mikepodhorzer or @enosarris on Twitter and tweet us any fantasy questions you have that we may answer on our next episode.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or via the feed.

Intro by DJ Sinton (no, contrary to popular belief, I do not moonlight as a rap star).

Approximately 47 min of joyous analysis.

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Mike Podhorzer is the founder of ProjectingX IQ, an advanced fantasy baseball analytics platform that transforms projection data and in-season performance signals into actionable intelligence. He is the 2015 Fantasy Sports Writers Association Baseball Writer of the Year and three-time Tout Wars champion. He is the author of the eBook Projecting X 2.0: How to Forecast Baseball Player Performance, which teaches you how to project players yourself. Follow Mike on X@MikePodhorzer and contact him via email.

12 Comments
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Eddie
13 years ago

Anthony Rendon recalled. WHOOOOOO!!!!!

1
e
13 years ago

Actually, Matt Harvey has never had a walk rate above 4 per 9 in the minors. This is such a commonly stated falsehood that I hear all the time by some Fangraphs writers. His strikeout rate through every level has been above 9 k/9 and his walk rate has never been above 3.93 bb/9 in the minors. He was moved through the system pretty quickly even considering his college career and it’s incredibly common to see temporary walk rate spikes as pitchers face improved competition for the first time. He may not have plus-plus command, but I think you have to call it plus. It seems to me that his not being like by scouts as much as Wheeler comes down more to the fact that college pitchers always seemed to be viewed very skeptically, sometimes illogically so.

1
Mike PodhorzerFanGraphs Staff
13 years ago
Reply to  e

I think I was the one to say that on the ‘cast and I didn’t have Harvey’s stats up. I knew he was around 4.00, so it was off the top of my head. The main point was that his control right now has been a big surprise given his poor walk rates in the minors.

1
e
13 years ago
Reply to  Mike Podhorzer

I completely understood your point. What I’m saying is that your and many other writers’ perceptions about his having a poor walk rate is wrong. In 76 innings in High-A, his first assignment, he had a 2.84 bb/9. In another 59 innings at AA, still in his first professional season he had a 3.47 bb/9. Last year in AAA, it was 3.93 in 110 innings and then 3.94 in 59 major league innings. This just doesn’t sound to me like a guy who should be described as having poor walk rates or poor command. There are some obvious age vs. level considerations, give he was a college pitcher, but he was also aggressively promoted and never significantly faltered. I’m not saying anyone could’ve predicted how good he has been so far, I’m just saying he didn’t have significant command issues in the minors.

1
e
13 years ago
Reply to  Mike Podhorzer

The Sleeper and the Bust is great, by the way. I’ve recently become a never miss an episode fan.

1
Mike PodhorzerFanGraphs Staff
13 years ago
Reply to  Mike Podhorzer

Thanks for the compliments about the show! I guess we have a different definition of a poor walk rate. A high 3.00 walk rate in the minors is poor in my eyes. League average for starters in the Majors this year is just 2.8.

1
Dancing Homer
13 years ago

Listening to your conversation about the dead team. This happened to a league I was in a few years ago. We were lucky in that it was a 12 team H2H league and the guy quit on us right around the 1/2 way mark of the season. We all decided to freeze his roster, bench his whole team and just give everyone essentially a bye week. It’s annoying as hell though, especially in leagues where all owners are active and invested.

1
Mike PodhorzerFanGraphs Staff
13 years ago
Reply to  Dancing Homer

Yeah, there’s no perfect solution and it really sucks. Something you just don’t expect in a league like Tout Wars.

1
Tony Tutone
13 years ago

In a league that is as well known as Tout, I’m surprised that you can’t find someone to take over the ghost team.

1
Mike PodhorzerFanGraphs Staff
13 years ago
Reply to  Tony Tutone

It’s not a matter of being unable to find a replacement. The LLC decided the best solution was to just leave the team be.

0
Dan
13 years ago

I am such a fan. Thanks for everything Eno and Mike. You two need to start throwing the 30-second advertisement to start off the show – get paid for your hard work.

1
Mike PodhorzerFanGraphs Staff
13 years ago
Reply to  Dan

Thanks!

0