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

The Ringer | Zach Kram: The most talented player in Los Angeles is still Mike Trout, but one of the best performers in the area so far has been Cody Bellinger, sporting ten home runs and a .432 batting average to start the year. Due to a changed approach and better plate discipline, he could be riding that all the way to the NL MVP.

Baseball Prospectus | Rob Arthur ($): You know the supposed juiced ball? Well, they gave that ball to Triple-A, and the results have already shown. It’s one thing to have a major league ball affected, but now that it is trickling to the lower levels, it is going to unalterably affect how players develop themselves for a completely different ball that features almost no drag in comparison to previous years.

The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): A lot of veteran players with new teams, unsurprisingly, are pressing more at the plate than they usually do; that includes Yasmani Grandal, Robinson Canó, Yasiel Puig, and yes, Bryce Harper. While it’s troubling in one sense, it probably means they will settle down to a new normal eventually, and it could bode well for someone like Harper who already looks improved.