Morning Mound Visit: sabermetrics news - 4/16/19

FanGraphs | Devan Fink: Alex Gordon is the fact of the last generation of Royals, but all of the sudden, he’s hitting again. Now it’s to the tune of a .356/.456/.667 triple slash, thanks to a new stance/mechanics that have allowed him more extension to the outer third of the plate.

Baseball Prospectus | Matthew Trueblood ($): Just like with NPB, full counts and longer plate appearances seem to be the norm in our own league, largely because of more breaking pitches, more patient hitters, and a battle between pitcher and batter that is less personal and more honed on laser-hard contact than anything else. Pace of play is internationally recognized as an issue as batters and pitchers take the at bat to its logical conclusion.

The Ringer | Michael Baumann: Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel remain unsigned... why exactly? There are reasons to avoid them, like age, consistency, or having to forfeit a draft pick if signed before the draft. But that’s trivial considering the sub-1 median WAR for draft picks at that level, or the fact that most teams remain under the luxury tax with a dire need for more pitching.