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FanGraphs | Justin Klugh: Mike Trout has been so good for so long, that even when a video pops up of him destroying a golf ball it’s almost boring in its excellence. This year Trout will continue his legend-like career, and while it is certainly put on a pedestal with the likes of Mickey Mantle, it’s become so “normal” that we forget that that’s how great he actually is.
The Ringer | Michael Baumann: Baseball has changed a lot since 2010, and surely it will look different in 2030. The few macro-trends that could be important are the role of private equity in baseball ownership, the labor tension between the PA and the owners, the possibility of that TV bubble finally bursting, and the overarching specter of climate change waiting in the wings.
The Athletic | Eno Sarris ($): How much does a pitcher’s stuff matter, and how much does command matter? It turns out, unsurprisingly, that it’s both. Stuff matters slightly more than command, maybe by a degree of 10 percent, but they’re also intermingled; to get good “stuff,” you need to replicate the same, good pitches. To do that, you need good command, so around and around we go.