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FanGraphs | Tony Wolfe: A lot of rookie players are important this season considering how young the game is, from Pete Alonso to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Fernando Tatís Jr. Yet none will have the impact of Keston Hiura, who has a .331/.387/.613 triple slash and a 13.7% barrel rate. Because the Brewers are so in the thick of the race, every plate appearance he has arguably matters more than any rookie on any field.
Baseball Prospectus | Laura Shir: A new play, “Toni Stone,” featuring the black woman ballplayer of the 1950s of that same name, and highlights both the high points of her life, as well as dealing with both racism and sexism in the baseball community of yesteryear. That message still resonates today, and should be focused on and embraced in our circle.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): Does the concept of a “purpose pitch,” where you go high-and-tight on a hitter actually work? Well, it’s complicated. The Pirates make this a focus and it results in, on average, more whiffs and lower slugging on the next pitch. But it only works when you actually locate in the sequence afterward, or else you’re just wild.