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Should the pitchers have more blame or credit for their hits and outs? The Washington Nationals came into this season as favorites to run away with the NL East and were considered to be World Series contenders by many. Maybe a little bit too much hype? Take a look at some of the best articles here in Wednesday's SaberSphere.
Previously on Beyond the Box Score
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Crowdsourcing Balls in Play by Matt Hunter | Beyond the Box Score
Matt puts together an excellent article taking a look at some balls that were put in play in Cliff Lee's latest start and asks the community on how much of the out or hit should be blamed or credited to him. We assume that BABIP will settle down at around .300 but Matt really takes a deeper look into how much responsibility pitchers should be held to for outs or hits. -
The Next Tom Seaver or the First Matt Harvey? by Ryan Potter | Beyond the Box Score
So Matt Harvey is the Joker in the Dark Knight with a "modus operandi" of burning people and destroying lives every time he takes the mound. Ryan has composed one of the most entertaining articles here. Besides his brilliant metaphors, he also compares Harvey's first 13 starts to Tom Seaver's. Harvey's dominance so far is really something else. -
Team Building: Superstar(s) and Fringe by Lance Rinker | Beyond the Box Score
Lance examines how to build a MLB roster. Is it worth spending a ton of money on a superstar or filling out a roster with average to slightly above average players? The answer actually may surprise you.
Around the SaberSphere
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Are Washington Nationals overrated? by David Schoenfield | ESPN Sweetspot
My first article here at Beyond the Box Score was a response to Schoenfield's article about the odds of the Washington Nationals making history in 2013 and winning 105 games or more. After the first two weeks of the season, the Nationals haven't really been as dominant as people expected. Stop screaming small sample size and take a look at this article that focuses on some areas that Washington needs to improve on. Do you think they're overrated? -
The All-MLB.TV Team by Michael Baumann | Grantland
Michael Baumann is a writer for Crashburn Alley, one of the best Phillies related blogs. As a Phillies fan, I visited the site countless times and it was my first introduction to Sabermetrics and statistical analysis in baseball. Personal bias aside, Baumann is a great writer and he put together an article over at Grantland where he selected a lineup of players that are a must-watch if you have a subscription to MLB.TV. -
The Rejuvenation of Carl Crawford by Dave Cameron | FanGraphs Baseball
Carl Crawford has a little less than 1/10th of a season's worth of plate appearances so far and is hitting .396/.442/.563 with the Dodgers. Crawford is swinging less overall and on pitches outside of the strike zone. Jeff Sullivans wonders if this new adjustment will lead to him being rejuvenated and resembling his early career performance. -
Is Wil Myers the Cure for the Anemic Rays Offense? by Jonah Keri | Grantland
The Rays are struggling to score with their .183 AVG with runners in scoring position. Could they just be unlucky with their ridiculously low .252 BABIP? Maybe but if the Rays want to make up for their underwhelming beginning of the season, should they really consider calling up Wil Myers even if Andrew Friedman can't get him to sign a Longoria-like contract extension? Jonah Keri doesn't think so.
Around SB Nation
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Boston, you're our home by Brendan O'Toole | Over the Monster
A must read reflection after the Boston Marathon tragedy. There's no better summary of this article than the one that was originally penned: A gorgeous day in Boston turned to horror, but maybe we can take solace in sports for a while. -
Do baseball players make too much money? by Grant Brisbee | Baseball Nation
Grant examines the discussion about whether baseball players make too much money. To put it simply, no. We shouldn't be comparing the salaries of baseball players to the average American worker. If players made less money, the only people that would benefit would be the CEOs and owners of the major league teams. -
Mariners purchase majority stake in DirecTV-owned sports network by Steve Lepore | SBNation.com
The Mariners have just purchased a majority stake in ROOT Sports Northwest through 2030. Now that they have a large investment in their regional television provider, the Mariners will definitely be increasing their revenue.
Outside the Sabersphere
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Miguel played 'SNL,' which featured a new Daft Punk commercial (with Pharrell and Nile Rogers) | Brooklyn Vegan
Miguel's Kaleidoscope Dream was one of my favorite albums last year. Two of the best songs from the record, 'Adorn' and 'How Many Drinks' were re-arranged and performed on Saturday Night Live this weekend. Miguel's stage presence is really something else and I can't wait to see him at the Made in America festival here in Philly. But otherwise, at Coachella, Daft Punk premiered a snippet of their first single off Random Access Memories, 'Get Lucky' featuring Pharrell and Nile Rogers. Supposedly, the French duo were at the festival to see the reaction of the festivalgoers resulting in countless rumors of them playing after Phoenix on Saturday night. I can't wait to hear the rest of this album. Take a listen to the absolutely infectious snippet.
