TT: Good and Bad 1st Impressions this spring

[Tony-OH]

17 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

You read the fangraphs piece on J.D. Martinez?

You know that ground ball v fly ball is like lefty v righty correct?

Maybe the O's having a fly ball pitching rotation isn't such a bad thing.

Interesting piece, but I want to address your last sentence here. After reading that piece, why would having a fly ball rotation be better than a ground ball rotation? If players OPS better with balls in the air (which by the way should be of no surprise), why would it be better to have pitchers who pitch to that strength? 

IMHO, a ground ball pitcher who can miss bats and change speeds and eye levels is the best combination. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Interesting piece, but I want to address your last sentence here. After reading that piece, why would having a fly ball rotation be better than a ground ball rotation? If players OPS better with balls in the air (which by the way should be of no surprise), why would it be better to have pitchers who pitch to that strength? 

IMHO, a ground ball pitcher who can miss bats and change speeds and eye levels is the best combination. 

From what I have read, and this was a few years ago so I don't have it handy, fly ball pitchers have the advantage when facing fly ball hitters.  Same with ground ball pitchers and ground ball hitters.  The hitters have the advantage when they are facing the opposing style.

If I had to hazard a guess as to why they are more effective I would suggest that it is harder to get a proper launch angle using an uppercut swing on pitches up in the zone and that they end up with more vertical distance instead of horizontal distance (pop ups and cans of corn).

 

[Shabadoo25]

I'm trying to be cautiously optimistic about our pitching based on this spring.  It looks like several pitchers have taken a step forward like Wright and Gausman and others have been pleasant surprises like Miley, Aquino and Ynoa.

Time will tell as we get closer to 3/31.

[weams]

19 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

From what I have read, and this was a few years ago so I don't have it handy, fly ball pitchers have the advantage when facing fly ball hitters.  Same with ground ball pitchers and ground ball hitters.  The hitters have the advantage when they are facing the opposing style.

If I had to hazard a guess as to why they are more effective I would suggest that it is harder to get a proper launch angle using an uppercut swing on pitches up in the zone and that they end up with more vertical distance instead of horizontal distance (pop ups and cans of corn).

 

I think there has been some discussion about using the hitter's approach to get them out as a derivative of the leg kick, uppercut swing path as well. Palmer has talked some about that. 

[Can_of_corn]

 

[Tony-OH]

7 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

 

His stuff did not look good today. 89-90 and the split was not sharp. He might get DFA'd if his stuff doesn't come around.