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Today is Tuesday and the SaberSphere has come to rescue you. Hop on the train and stop at the Petco Park for a look at a Padres pitcher, Bowie for a look at an Orioles prospect, and The Ballpark in Arlington where Miguel Cabrera went nuts.
Previously on Beyond the Box Score
- Believe in Burch? By Ryan Potter - Beyond the Box Score
Ever heard of Burch Smith? Other than having one of the odder first names combined with one of the most generic last names, Smith is a pitcher for the San Diego Padres. He's fairly new to the Majors and Ryan takes a look at the pitcher and what makes him so fascinating.
- What Can We Learn From Expected Strikeout and Walk RateOutliers? By Chris St. John - Beyond the Box Score
Chris puts his intelligence to good use, performing some intricate analysis to attempt to answer an important question. Which pitchers outperform our expectations based on peripheral metrics?
Around the Sabersphere
- Would the Astros' Piggyback Starters Model Work in the Majors? By Russell Carleton - Baseball Prospectus
It is never a bad time to take a look at current paradigms, question them, and then look to improve them. That's how we got such amazing concepts as "the earth is round" and the "the earth isn't the center of the universe." Maybe doing the same in baseball isn't as earth shattering, but Russell takes a look at changing the pitching paradigm, and as usual, makes a compelling case.
- Kevin Gausman, MLB Ready? By J.D. Sussman - Fangraphs
Prospect writer J.D. Sussman takes a look at the other Orioles top-pitching prospect (Not Dylan Bundy). He dissects a recent outing in for Bowie, and then concludes with whether he thinks Gausman should be pitching in a different town beginning with the letter B, cough cough, Baltimore.
- Sean Nolin: Next Blue Jays Savior? By Marc Hulet - Fangraphs
Fangraphs released two great prospect pieces on the same day, so they should be posted on the SaberSphere in tandem. Marc Hulet takes a look at one of the remaining prospects left in the Blue Jays farm system, Sean Nolin. Nolin may not be a star in the making, but Hulet discusses a game he recently pitched, his future, and the pros and cons of the young hurler's game.
Around SB Nation
- Baseball's Greatest Player (Right?) -By Rob Neyer - Baseball Nation
Hopefully we are past the argument that would never end concerning the 2012 AL MVP. Still, Miguel Cabrera hasn't stopped crushing baseballs. While most agree that left-handed hitters have the prettiest swings, Miguel Cabrera may be the exception that proves that rule. He's been raking in 2013, and Rob Neyer wonders whether he is actually the greatest player currently playing baseball.
- Ian Desmond Doesn't Agree with Brian Kenny by Marc Normandin - SB Nation
Brien Kenny is the face of advanced metrics on television, which means he makes some very happy, and many more angry. Maybe in 15 years things will change, but for now, there's one Washington Nationals player expressing his unhappiness towards the MLB Network host.
Outside the Sabersphere
- This Kid Just Died. What He Left Behind Is Wondtacular. By Adam Mordecai - Upworthy
While I'm always sympathetic towards those afflicted with awful diseases, so many stories exist concerning these often-courageous members of society, that to read or listen to each piece would be too depressing and time consuming. ESPN doesn't help by having Rick Reilly or some other reporter tell us about how a professional athlete visited a child with a disease, but forget all of that. Watch this video, it's worth it, and then listen to this.
