Early Stuff and Late Junk

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DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Early Stuff and Late Junk

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:35 am

We love our symbolic numbers. Yadier Molina got no acclaim for catching 1,999 ball games.
2,000 comes, and the press is all over it.
And now that 2,000 games has been passed, nobody cares again.

We're the same.
During drafting season, I will see this after somebody drafts a coveted player.....
"I expect a 30-30 season from him."
30-30 is an elite stat.
In real and fantasy baseball it is seldom reached. During drafting season, it is reached easily.
Instead of a 30-30 season, I think a 26-26 season is perfect for us.
On the face of things, 26-26 seems very doable. Even, easy.
All a player has to do is hit a home run and steal a base on a weekly average.
Simple, right?
Wrong.
It's only simple when drafting.
No player did it last year. Just messing with you...last year was only 60 games.
In 2019, only two players had a 26-26 season. Acuna and Yelich.
Both were selected as two of the top three picks in drafts the following year.
26-26 is made more difficult these days because stealing a base is not a large part of baseball any longer.
The last time we saw a player steal 50 bases was when judys roamed the fantasy earth.
In 2017, Dee Gordon and Billy Hamilton stole 60 and 59.
Baseball, no longer allows judys to be everyday players.
We may not see a player steal 50 bases again for a very long time.
Anyway back to 26-26...Only nine players stole 26 bases or more in 2019.
Two of those players being the last of the judys, Mallex Smith and Jarrod Dyson.
Stolen bases are tough and the reason why we won't see many 26-26 players this year.

Here are the players who have a 3/3 after three weeks of play....

Javier Baez 4/5
Ronald Acuna 7/3
Bo Bichette 4/3
Trea Turner 4/3
Jose Ramirez 4/3
Whit Merrifield 3/5
Manny Machado 3/4
Jazz Chisholm 3/3

Yadi Molina leads Catchers in Games and age.....And also RBI (12) and Runs (11)

Two players have an .OBP over .500 and it's not Ronald Acuna.
Brandon Nimmo (.543) and Vlad Guerrero Jr. (.507)

A little amusing is that the elder Guerrero never found .OBP a friend.
He liked hitting everything.
Nowadays, he would be criticized for his "See ball, hit ball" approach.
Senior never had an OBP over .430
His lifetime OBP being 'only' .379
We loved Vladdy....The Votto-ites would not.

In 14 games, Starlin Castro has 11 RBI....2 Runs...One of those from his own home run....

Here's the King of do-it- yourselfers...

Wilson Ramos- 6 home runs, 7 Runs, 8 RBI

Jose Abreu is averaging 1 1/2 strike outs per game.
In past seasons, he has come close but never averaged even one strike out per game.
Covid is a secret killer in our game.

Yesterday, Lucas Giolito allowed six hits to the first six hitters he faced in the White Sox-Red Sox game.
Corbin Burnes has allowed four hits....this year.

This is just weird...

Jake deGrom .045
Corbin Burnes .049
Danny Duffy .050

They lead baseball in E.R.A.
Each has allowed one earned run.
Yet, between them, they have allowed four home runs.

After three weeks, 35 Starters have an E.R.A. of 3.00 or under

Last year, after 60 games, 15 Starters had an E.R.A. of 3.00 or under

In 2019, after 162 games, eight Starters had an E.R.A. of 3.00 or under

Save Leaders...

Jake McGee- 6
Mark Melancon- 6
Emmanuel Clase- 4
Ian Kennedy- 4
Diego Castillo- 4

K Leaders among Closers...

Matt Barnes- 15
Diego Castillo- 13
Will Smith- 12

None of the names mentioned above were high draft picks

Lastly, and the most disturbing...

We have never had a full 162 game baseball season in which pitchers average a strike out per inning.
Due to power arms, but mostly hitters flailing away trying to hit home runs, the trend has been edging towards a K per inning.
Believe it or not, when the NFBC started, the K/9 was 6.4
Since then, it has increased steadily.
In 2009, it reached seven per inning.
In 2016, it reached eight per inning.
In the last full year of 2019, 8.9 per inning.
In the shortened season of 2020, 9.1 per inning.
This year, a crazy 9.4 per inning.
The Strike Out has gone from something revered in pitchers like Koufax and Ryan and Randy to a yawn now.
We are more amazed by a pitcher throwing eight innings than a pitcher who gets 12 K's.
The reverse was more fun. ​


Connected with this, is Ichiro. Yep. Ichiro.
You see, Ichiro was the last true batting average hitter in baseball.
We no longer have a player who plays and is mostly counted on for batting average.
DJ LeMahieu may be as close as it gets.
The NFBC started in 2004. We've had fantasy team averages of over .300 in that time.
Seriously.
This takes 14 players, including two C's, who average batting .300
Those days, long gone.

In the last full year of baseball in 2019, 15 batters in all of baseball, batted .300
We don't even hear about batting streaks any longer.
That has been replaced by 'consecutive games reached' which nobody gives a rat's ass about.
I miss the excitement of a batting streak.

Batting average is so bad that over the last three year's, it has fallen from .252 in 2019 to .245 in 2020 to this year's pathetic. 233
That's right, the AVERAGE hitter is at .233
There is no more Ichiro.
A player who would bunt. A player who would hit to the opposite field.
A player who could hit home runs, but chose what was best for his team.
A player who did not count a base on balls as 'work'.
They do not work at their craft any longer.
That 'craft' ihas become swinging a sledge hammer at the county fair hoping to ring the bell.
Just swing as hard as possible.

It used to be said that home runs were mistakes.
Now, they are the objective. The sole purpose for most hitters.
Batting Average?
Screw Batting Average.
It used to be a dishonor to be hitting around the Mendoza line.
Now, AVERAGING only 33 points above that line and trending towards it.
It's a shame. A damned rotten shame.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: Early Stuff and Late Junk

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Mon Apr 26, 2021 12:22 pm

I'll try and post here every Monday.
I will update the players who are hitting a homer and stealing a base every week and have a chance at becoming a 26-26 player along with other Stuff and Junk......

Here are the 4/4 players after four weeks.....
Wait! I just got miffed again watching this KC-DET game. Miguel Cabrera is up at the plate. The count goes 0-2 as Cabrera takes two super pitches for strikes. Then Keller overthrows four straight pitches. NONE NEAR THE ZONE. Three in the dirt.
You know what the announcer says?
"Great at bat by Miguel Cabrera!"
He NEVER freakin' swung the bat!
He never had a tough take.
If anything, it was an EASY at bat for Cabrera.
We have become programmed.
Going from 0-2 to a walk is programmable for a "Great at bat".
HOGWASH!

Ok, back to our regular channel...

The 4/4 players after four weeks are....

Tatis Jr. 7/4
Baez 6/5
Semien 5/5
Turner 4/5
Grisham 4/5
JRamirez 4/4
Myers 4/4
Chisholm 4/4

Stuff and Junk....

Ohtani is tied for the MLB lead in homers.
The NFBC really misses the boat in not making him eligible as a pitcher and hitter like in real baseball.
It takes the air out of the fantasy balloon in owning him.
The seven homers (if his owners played him as a hitter) are sure nice though.

Nick Solak and Jazz Chisholm are the only two 2b (playing every day in real baseball at the position) to have four home runs.
Seven Catchers have at least four home runs.

Javier Baez has struck out 35 times. Drawn one walk.
Screw the analytics. Keep doing what you're doing, Javy!

There is something always wrong with owning Byron Buxton.
Mostly, he doesn't avoid injury.
Sometimes, he steals bases, but doesn't hit for power. Or the other way around.
This year, he has mostly stayed healthy in April, but stolen just one base.

Only one of the top 10 in taking BB is also in the top 10 in Runs (Bryce Harper)
four of the top players in Hits are in the top 10 in Runs. (Martinez, Haniger, Acuna Jr., Verdugo)
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: Early Stuff and Late Junk

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Tue May 04, 2021 9:46 am

Keeping up with the players who are on their way to 26-26 seasons....

Shohei Ohtani 9/6

Fernando Tatis Jr. 8/5

Javier Baez 7/6

Ramon Laureano 6/8

Trea Turner 6/7

Marcus Semien 6/6

Isiah Kiner-Falefa 5/6

Seven players. Five of whom, are guaranteed to be on this list next week.
Only two first rounders, Tatis Jr and Turner.

Analytics says that Baez is not having a good year. C'mon man.
The guy is among the top five in RBI.
Quit pounding the strike outs, Analytics! Who cares if he's walked just once. Enjoy his game.
Yes, he's among the top five in striking out. While analytics focuses on that, Baez is doing some pretty special things.

Remember when Isiah Kiner-Falefa was a Catcher?

Hopefully, this will be the last year for Ohtani owners to have to CHOOSE between Pitcher/Hitter.

We have a whole team who wouldn't make the 5/5 list after five weeks.
The New York Mets have a 18/3.

Other notes.....

Remember when it was a dramatic failure to hit below the 'Mendoza Line'?
The Tigers are hitting .195

This one was picked up from a Mariners broadcast....
The all time leaders for first inning homers at Safeco Park....

Ichiro
Cano
Cruz
MIKE TROUT

That's right. A visiting player is fourth on the list.

Joey Gallo is a three outcome player.
He is leading in striking out.
Second in drawing a walk.
And the owners plead, "Joey, don't forget the other category!"
I hate to tell his owners that it may be 'Joey disease'.
Gallo is looking more and more like his namesake in Cincy.

Analytics will never agree, but do you know what the most important indicator stat there is for the fantasy player?
Total Bases.
Look at the players who have the most total bases.
Each one of them is somebody we wish were on our team.
By the way, the average batting average for a Major League hitter is .232
Not one of the top 50 leaders in total bases is below that batting average.

Smoke 'em, if you got 'em, owners...
Triston McKenzie is averaging a walk per inning.

The present is so bright I have to wear sunglasses....
Tyler Glasnow leads baseball in Starts and Innings.


We all saw this coming....
Top Saves...

Melancon 10
Reyes 8
Castillo 7
Hader 7
Kennedy 7
Valdez 7
McGee 7
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: Early Stuff and Late Junk

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Wed May 12, 2021 9:11 am

Who are on their way to 26-26 seasons?
These guys....

Ronald Acuna Jr. 11/6

Fernando Tatis JR. 9/7

Trea Turner 8/7

Ramon Laureano 7/8

Javy Baez 8/6

Marcus Semien 8/6

Bo Bichette 8/6

Seven players. Being on this list is fantasy gold. YET, fantasy scribes fall into the trap of going all analytics on us, instead of writing about what is important to US.
Javy Baez has a 42/3 K/BB ratio.
I don't give a rats ass.
Put up the numbers, Javy! Let these idiots worry about the small stuff!

Speaking of which....Here is a blurb from this morning...

"Gary Sanchez went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Tuesday's 3-1 win over the Rays.
ANALYSIS
Sanchez did not have a good night at the plate, as he struck out twice and grounded into an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play"

Seriously?
Are you a real baseball writer or a fantasy writer? Sanchez can strike out and ground into double plays three times EVERY GAME....as long as he hits a homer.
Why are fantasy writers doing this?
Sanchez DID have a good game. He hit a homer for his owners. THAT is what we care about.

With analytics and other stats introduced, it is almost as if these 'experts' want to run off course. Writing about fantasy baseball isn't good enough for them any longer.
Unfortunately, their readers don't feel the same way.

Sorry, didn't think I was going to rant there. Guess I'm more passionate about how these writers have turned than I realized.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

DOUGHBOYS
Posts: 13088
Joined: Sat Feb 05, 2005 6:00 pm

Re: Early Stuff and Late Junk 26 26

Post by DOUGHBOYS » Tue May 18, 2021 2:39 pm

Our list of players trying for a 26/26 season has already shriveled this week. Stolen bases, of course, are the culprit. Whit Merrifield is the only player to have reached double digit (12) figures for stolen bases.
At this point, each player has to have had seven homers and seven stolen bases to make the list.
Tough, considering that only 16 players in all of baseball have seven stolen bases.
But, there is still five who make the list.

Ramon Laureano 8/8

Trea Turner 10/7

Fernando Tatis Jr. 9/7

Marcus Semien 9/7

Bo Bichette 9/7

If drafts were held now, I could see Turner in the Mount Rushmore of fantasy selections.
I believe that Acuna Jr, Tatis, deGrom, and Turner would be the top four in most drafts.
Semien has been awesome and if he keeps going, he could end up being a first rounder.
Another fella that deserves a huge shoutout is Shohei Ohtani.
The guy has been fantastic. 13/6 for him and he is out-valuabling Mike Trout as MVP.
A big 'screw you' to the analyst who whined that his OBP is too low and that he only averages a walk a week. Seriously?

To that analyst- Watch the game and try not to match your importance (if any) to the importance of a guy who is setting baseball on fire.
Put away your little BB bias and watch a guy who has been must-see tv.

By the way, yes, I will get on Greg's butt in a few weeks to try and change his mind in how we have to use Ohtani.
His drafter should have the benefit of using him as a two way player just like the Angels in real baseball.
Amazing that Greg was such a stickler for game 163 to count because "It does in real baseball" but that an owner only getting half the benefit of Ohtani is somehow, alright.
Greg, if reading this, feel free to respond.
On my tombstone-
Wait! I never had the perfect draft!

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