Rule 5: Brandon Bailey - RHP -Astros

[Greg Pappas]

6 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Over the last two weeks Elias has added 7 arms to the system. I’d think they would all rank in the organization top 20-40.

That’s really picking up some depth and improving the depth of our farm system. 18 months from now, we should have one of the top farm systems in baseball. 

Testify! Amen! ... and all that jazz.

[Philip]

3 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

He has a higher Bauer Units (RPM/MPH) on his fastball than anyone in

What does this mean and why are we rejoicing at this fact?

ARE we rejoicing?

”Let Joy be unconfined! His bauer units are through the roof!”

[Philip]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

 Either they got bad information or they don't evaluate/analyze well.

“I’ll take door number two, Bob.”

[Legend_Of_Joey]

1 hour ago, weams said:

They didn't even take Brett Cumberland! I saw two reports of the Tigers being locked on. 

Well, they just signed Austin Romine. Maybe they were locked on if they didn't feel like they could reach an agreement with Romine?

[7Mo]

1 minute ago, Philip said:

What does this mean and why are we rejoicing at this fact?

ARE we rejoicing?

”Let Joy be unconfined! His bauer units are through the roof!”

Bailey is a really interesting dude. 5'9" guy who is really thoughtful and curious about all the technology. 

Connolly has an article on The Athletic about the Rule 5 results but there's a link in there focusing on what the Astros have done developmentally and how Bailey is really kind of a perfect example of what they do. Really good Jake Kaplan article. 

[sportsfan8703]

10 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

Testify! Amen! ... and all that jazz.

8 arms. Forgot about Diplan we got off waivers. So that’s,

Villar Trade - Easton Lucas

Bundy Trade - Zach Peek, Kyle Bradish, Kyle Brnovich, and Isaac Mattson

Waivers - Marcus Diplan

Rule 5 - Brandon Bailey, Michael Rucker

[rudyrooster]

Aaarrrgghhh!  Fellow Hangouters: I am so ready for Spring training. 

[TonySoprano]

Quote

The Astros system is one of the best in baseball, and the club lost three minor leaguers in the big-league phase of this year’s draft. Houston Special Assistant Kevin Goldstein told reporters afterward that he knew it would be tough to keep everyone, including Bailey.

“I think that what attracted (the Orioles to Bailey) is the fact that he missed bats at Double-A, so he is at an advanced level getting strikeouts. The changeup is present-plus right now,” Goldstein said. “We discussed adding about 15, 16 players (to the 40-man roster). We can’t add all of them. … In terms of Bailey, I think he is the most big-league ready of the players we had selected. Just because he’s had success at the upper levels already and he has the one pitch (changeup), I think that can work in the big leagues right now.”

Quote

Take Bailey, for example. He came to the Astros on the heels of two successful seasons in the lower levels of the Athletics’ system. Because of his performance, the A’s more or less left him alone. His focus was the usual — fastball command. 

But upon reporting in February 2018 to the Astros’ complex in West Palm Beach, Fla., Bailey was given a completely revamped plan of attack. His introduction to the Astros’ holistic approach came on Day 1 in a meeting with their two minor-league pitching coordinators at the time, Josh Miller and Chris Holt. Bailey learned he had a lot to refine.

Miller and Holt emphasized to Bailey that his four-seam fastball has an elite spin rate — the quality that creates the illusion to a hitter that the pitch is rising. His curveball, however, needed work so he could throw it out of the same tunnel as his fastball, a staple of Houston’s pitching philosophy. Bailey had developed his curveball the previous season with a grip that was essentially self-taught. He left his first day as an Astro with a new spike-curve grip and instructions on how to use all four laces to his advantage to create more depth.

https://theathletic.com/990262/2019/05/30/inside-the-astros-cutting-edge-approach-to-minor-league-pitching-development/

 

[Luke-OH]

37 minutes ago, Philip said:

What does this mean and why are we rejoicing at this fact?

ARE we rejoicing?

”Let Joy be unconfined! His bauer units are through the roof!”

It doesn’t single handedly make a pitcher good. But if you ascribe to the notion that hitters like to be comfortable, and similar is comfortable, he is on the multiple standard deviations above the mean on this one. 

What it means is that his fastball falls much less than the average fastball in his velocity range. So hitters encounter movement (or in this case lack of movement) that they aren’t used to. It leads to lots of swings under the ball if used properly. It’s one of the explainers for what used to be called an invisible ball (not the only, there are funky mechanics, extension to the plate, and hiding the ball that can contribute to that as well).

Does that make any sense?

[Satyr3206]

But does he have an Eephus pitch? lol

[weams]

29 minutes ago, Satyr3206 said:

But does he have an Eephus pitch? lol

That would make him like the bad Jake Arrieta. I suspect the Orioles will trim him to three pitches. 

[Philip]

1 hour ago, Luke-OH said:

It doesn’t single handedly make a pitcher good. But if you ascribe to the notion that hitters like to be comfortable, and similar is comfortable, he is on the multiple standard deviations above the mean on this one. 

What it means is that his fastball falls much less than the average fastball in his velocity range. So hitters encounter movement (or in this case lack of movement) that they aren’t used to. It leads to lots of swings under the ball if used properly. It’s one of the explainers for what used to be called an invisible ball (not the only, there are funky mechanics, extension to the plate, and hiding the ball that can contribute to that as well).

Does that make any sense?

 Yes, not only does it make sense, but the ability to explain things clearly and briefly is an extreme virtue, and is one of the reasons why I really think you should approach the team about some paid freelance work. I’m gonna have to read it a few more times before I completely understand it, but that’s on me and not on you 

[7Mo]

11 minutes ago, Philip said:

 Yes, not only does it make sense, but the ability to explain things clearly and briefly is an extreme virtue, and is one of the reasons why I really think you should approach the team about some paid freelance work. I’m gonna have to read it a few more times before I completely understand it, but that’s on me and not on you 

Did he explain it clearly and briefly if you don't understand it?

[Luke-OH]

4 minutes ago, 7Mo said:

Did he explain it clearly and briefly if you don't understand it?

I have another way to explain it if that doesn’t make sense to anyone.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Luke-OH said:

I have another way to explain it if that doesn’t make sense to anyone.

I got it the first time.  The lack of movement part reminds me of a Fangraphs piece on Givens.