A Fistful of Dollars

Today's society is nothing if not a desperate quest for parity. Is it good or bad, then, that baseball refuses to join in the equality movement? 

No, I am not referring to social issues that inevitably end up in political disputes. Instead, the focus is on the payroll inequality that is currently rearing its' ugly head on America's great pastime.  

The breaking news today came from Los Angeles, where the Dodgers inked their superstar south paw to the largest contract for a pitcher in the history of baseball. Kershaw's annual average value for the next seven years will be north of $30 million, a line that everyone knew (and some dreaded) would be crossed eventually. No one deserves that kind of deal more than Kershaw; combine otherworldly talent with a charitable heart, and you want to see the guy prosper.

What you do not want to see is a team become trigger happy with nine digit deals. The Dodgers' spending habits resemble that of the Yankees on steroids (no pun intended). Blazing a new frontier into the land of ludicrous spending, the worst part may be that it seems that they will feel little--if any-- hurt. The billionaire group with their lucrative new TV deal seems to have no monetary limits. 

In other words, nothing will stop the Dodgers from coming hard and fast for any small market talent that they can get their hands on. Hell, they could take on the entire Miami Marlins payroll if they so chose to. Ask yourself: in what world is it fair that one team can spend upwards of $250 million on their payroll, while many others are spending $200 million less? 

 

Ironically enough, though, seven of last years top 10 spending teams missed out on the playoffs. The Dodgers flamed out in the Championship Series against Saint Louis, and Detroit lost in the Division Series against the eventual World Champion Boston Red Sox. The Sox ranked fifth in spending last year, and yet still stand well more than $100 million behind the Dodgers. 

MLB.com senior writer Richard Justice, during an interview on MLB Network's Intentional Talk, said that even though it may not be fair, baseball is better when the Yankees and Dodgers are winning. It is a healthy sign for baseball when they are doling out deals that few, if any, athletes deserve. In what way is this good for baseball? 

For one thing, the Dodgers and Yankees are already extremely marketable, and become even more wide-spread when they win. Believe it or not, more people will tune in to a Yankees World Series game than they will if the Milwaukee Brewers or Oakland Athletics make it. There is no disputing that a larger market is satisfied when a larger team wins. 

Big spending doesn't always impact the mid to small sized market teams either. Look at the Cardinals, who are as consistent a contender as their is in the National League.  The Cardinals get by on player development and some, but not much, free agent interaction. The Oakland Athletics are another exception to the destruction caused by major markets. 

Big spending has led to statistical analysis unprecedented by other sports. Basketball and football have some fancy formulas and efficiency data, but neither can hold a candle to the accomplishments of Bill James and the ever-evolving world of sabermetrics. These in-depth numbers have adjusted the game to counteract the negative effects of The Evil Empire big markets. 

Conversely, the toll that big market spending sprees take on small markets can be extremely damaging. Whereas the team may be losing a player, the fans might be losing the sole reason that they come to the ballpark. In Milwaukee, the Brewers are a middle of the pack team when it comes to attendance, usually ranking between 10th and 15th. Since losing Prince Fielder to Detroit, though, attendance has steadily dropped each year. The team isn't good (and wasn't for most of his Brewers tenure), yet people came to Miller Park to see him crush baseballs. If Ryan Braun is bought up by a big spender in a more attractive market, that attendance will likely nosedive. 

Whether or not a fan believes the big market, big spending approach is justified depends on where his or her priorities lie (or what team they are a fan of). There are some deep philosophical theories that could be harkened on for both sides of the debate. 

The way that I see it, though, is that baseball is only as big as its' fans. Big markets winning will make the most amount of people happy; but small markets losing their players can and will turn small market fans off to the sport. 

Cubs 2013 Season In Review: Position Player Performances

Coming into this season, it was no secret that the Cubs were in rebuilding mode. Acquiring young players and prospects that could provide success in the future was at the forefront of the Front Office's mind. The veteran players that were signed by the Cubs were done in attempts to buy-low and sell-high, and getting younger in return. On the field, the most important part of this season was for the young core to develop. In certain cases, that happened; in others, we saw a big time regression.

Grades are based on predictions coming into the season. A player that has a "C" performed exactly as expected, whereas an "A" grade means that said player blew expectations out of the water. Obviously, an "F" means the player underperformed drastically.

Wellington Castillo: Who would have anticipated that "Beef" would turn in a top 5 defensive season among catchers? In fact, Castillo's DRS (Defensive runs saved) stands at 18. Which catchers posted a higher DRS than Castillo? Not Yadier Molina; not Buster Posey; not Russell Martin. The answer? No one. He saved four runs this year by catching base runners, good enough for second best in all of baseball, trailing only Russell Martin. Whether that will regress is anyones guess, but if he keeps that up over the course of his career, he will be considered elite. Defense is only half of the equation, though. Castillo posted the second highest on base percentage (.349) among Cubs players, as well, trailing only fellow backstop Dioneer Navarro.
Season Grade: A

Dioneer Navarro: How often does a backup catcher hit 13 home runs and hit above .300? Not to knock Castillo's numbers, but in approximately 170 fewer plate appearances, Navarro had more home runs, more runs batted in, and more runs. No one would have predicted an .897 OPS, unless the discussion was about 2008 All Star Navarro. Part of his success can be attributed to his near 26% Line drive percentage. Castillo looks like he is the catcher of the future, but if Navarro can be retained (he is a free agent after this year), he will be a real asset in the future.
Grade: A-

Anthony Rizzo: Fans may have been expecting more from Anthony Rizzo this season; his 22 home runs and .240 average seem to be a let down from the first baseman of the future. Despite a slightly disappointing triple slash line though, Rizzo posted the fifth highest amount of extra base hits in the National League in 2013. Actually, he is tied for fifth with MVP candidate Andrew Mccutchen, which is not too shabby. The only Cubs regular to post a higher walk rate (11%) was third baseman Luis Valbuena (13.6), who did so in roughly 50 less games. Still, Rizzo is being paid to hit the long ball, and though 22 is a solid number, more was expected.
Season Grade: B

Darwin Barney: The Biracial Angel has been getting by for too long on defense alone, and his run is likely coming to an end. A Gold Glove winner last year, everyone in the organization knows how dangerous he could be if he could be average at the plate. Unfortunately, Barney is no Brandon Phillips. Statistically, Barney was the second most valuable player defensively on the Cubs this year behind, you guessed it, Wellington Castillo. A sub .210 batting average and OPS in the range of .570 does not cut it for a major league hitter, though. Per FanGraphs, Barney was the least valuable offensive contributor on the entire team. That includes pitchers. Barney committed four errors, which is an increase from 2012, and disappointed at the plate.
Season Grade: D+

Starlin Castro: The positive side of Castro's 2013 season is that he committed considerably fewer errors (22) than he ever has before. That is the end of the positives for the young shortstop. His first several years were marred with ugly defensive mistakes, though he made up for those mistakes with exceptional hitting ability. 2013 saw Castro fall off a cliff offensively, and still lead all shortstops in errors. Hopefully, 2014 will be a bounce back for Castro, as a franchise player does cannot be well below average in both defensive and offensive metrics. The most troubling aspect of Castro's offensive decline is that his BABIP (batting average on balls in play) was a solid .287. He was not unlucky with his contact, and yet his average was abysmal for a contact hitter. It is hard to even call this year a regression, as it isn't something he's ever done before.
Season Grade: F

Luis Valbuena: No matter what Valbuena does, he'll never be considered part of the future core. Valbuena's twelve homers and .331 on-base percentage might make fans miss Aramis Ramirez, but for a fill in third baseman, he has been the textbook definition of solid. His BB/K rate (.84) led the team, and his ISO of .160 was sufficient for a fill in player like Valbuena. Though his numbers were less than where you would hope, Valbuena posted the second highest WAR (Wins Above Replacement player) on the team (2.0).
Season Grade: B-

Nate Schierholtz: Nate the Great had an ideal season for a buy-low sell-high player, though the Cubs decided not to deal him at the trade deadline. Schierholtz exceeded expectations in terms of power, blasting 21 home runs and slugging .471. His average (.250) and on base percentage (.301) were not ideal, though for a corner outfielder, his line is definitely acceptable. His future is a question mark, as he could still be a sell-high commodity. His WAR of 1.6 was solid, as on a better team, his 56 runs and 65 RBI's would likely be higher.
Season Grade: B+

Junior Lake: Lake burst onto the scene in late July and has stayed a solid contributor over the final two months of the season. Lake gets by on pure athleticism, using his plus speed to bunt for hits, and has solid hitting ability when he does swing away. His K-rate of 26% is extremely troubling, unless he turns into Adam Jones (3rd highest K-rate in baseball). Also troubling is the fact that his BABIP is .387. He does possess a high line drive percentage (27%), but enjoy it while it lasts. For this season though, Lake has been a very nice surprise and should be a solid platoon outfielder in the future.
Season Grade: A-


*All statistics courtesy of FanGraphs
*All numbers are as of September 25th

Cubs 2013 Season In Review: Transactions

The Chicago Cubs 2013 season has been a roller coaster ride. In terms of player development and transactions, the season has been a resounding success. Between the white lines of Wrigley, though, the season has been an abject failure.

Kris Bryant is not regarded as a once in a generation type player, but no one can question his superstar potential. Early indications are that the Cubs spent the second overall pick in the 2013 MLB Draft on a player that will be part of the core for years to come. Whether he can stick at third base will be a topic of debate going forward, but he is regarded more for his prodigious power than his defense (which is still a plus). Pitching was a large proponent of the Cubs draft, as the Cubs added names like Rob Zastryzny, Trevor Clifton, Trey Masek, and more.

In the transaction department, the Cubs have added tremendously to an already borderline elite farm system. Selling high on Matt Garza, the Cubs gutted the Texas Rangers' farm. CJ Edwards is already being talked about as a top 3 pitching prospect in all of baseball (keeping in mind TNSTAAPP). Pitchers Neil Ramirez, Justin Grimm and third baseman Mike Olt look to be contributors around the time that the Cubs are competitive, as well.

Theo and Co. also added talent through the international pool, signing Eloy Jimenez and Gleyber Torres to deals. Both are only 17, and as such it will take several years to determine the overall success of their signings. If either can live up to their potential, though, the Cubs have added a cornerstone piece.

Transactions among veteran players were not such a resounding success. The off season addition of Scott Feldman resulted in the Cubs getting Jake Arrieta and Pedro Strop from Baltimore. Far from a blockbuster deal, the swap looks like a buy-low sell-high deal for the Cubs. This was definitely among the more successful trades that the Cubs front office was able to work out.

Swapping Alfonso Soriano seemed at the time to be a resounding success. Fans were chomping at the bit for his huge contract to be shipped off to another club. Upon news breaking that he would be joining the Yankees, fans and players seemed to get Graduation Goggles. Players came out of the woodwork saying how much he meant to them. Fans finally admitted that, after several frustrating years, he really was a solid part of the team. In return for Soriano's services, the Cubs acquired Corey Black, a mid-level pitching prospect. Soriano has since posted a phenomenal 1.7 WAR in the two months since being with the Bronx Bombers. Not only that, but the Cubs are stuck paying most of his remaining salary.

Only two transaction grades are deserving of a negative grade. Sending David Dejesus to the Nationals made very little sense. Reports surfaced that Washington picked him up by mistake (whatever that means), though Dejesus was a valuable member of the Cubs outfield. Do the fans miss David or Kim Dejesus more? The other head scratching move involved the signing of the infamous Kevin Gregg, who has been quite the statistical anomaly. Not often are players so drastically better on the road than they are at home, but that is certainly the case with "Goggles". His struggles on the road outweighed his  successes at home, and his post game flare up last week did not help his cause.

Transactional grade: B+. The added wealth of prospects, the most influential part of the season's transactions, are not guarantees to be successful, but they are a huge step in the right direction. With time, this grade could improve dramatically.

Fun With Sabermetrics Part II: Clutch Rating

The Cubs have never been clutch. Not even an amateur Cubs fan needs to be told that the Cubs have failed to win a World Series in the last century. Most need not be reminded of being five outs away from a World Series berth in 2003. Venturing a guess, none need to be informed about being upset in the first round of the 2007 playoffs, either. Choke jobs like these have been the legacy of the Chicago Cubs organization.

This year, the Cubs have been better than expectations, despite the fact that they're 14 games below .500 going into Friday's series opener against the Saint Louis Cardinals. Players like Nate Schierholtz and Travis Wood have exceeded what was expected, and the Cubs have looked better than their 50-64 record indicates. Their are a number of possible explanations for the Cubs struggles, but a major cause might be sticking with the tradition that the Cubs have become so accustomed to over the years; choking.

In Layman's terms, the Clutch metric is how a player performs in situations of high importance to the team. It involves over performing, having a higher batting average in situations that would give the team an edge. Per FanGraphs, the formula for calculating a player's Clutch rating is:
(WPA/pLI)-WPA/LI

The WPA aspect of the formula is the Win Probability Added, or the contribution of a player to the teams chance of winning on a play by play basis. Scores usually range from 6.0 being the best, to -3.0 being the worst. Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis leads all major leaguers in WPA with a score of 5.83.

LI, or Leverage Index, is a means of gauging pressure of a situation. Lets say that Anthony Rizzo is batting with men on second and third with two outs in the ninth inning and the Cubs down by one. The LI of the situation would be considerably higher in this instance that it would be if Rizzo was batting with the Cubs comfortably ahead (something that is all too rare for the North Siders). LI is out of the hitter's control, and is totally dependent on the situation that the batter is faced with.

The third and final aspect of Clutch rating is WPA/LI, known as Context Neutral Wins. Dividing the Win Probability Added by the Leverage Index makes up for the unpredictable and inevitable disparity in the number of clutch situations a player is faced with. As FanGraphs states, WPA/LI "measures how much value a player added to their team regardless of the leverage. Because of this, it is more a measure of a player's talent level than WPA." The WPA/LI number in essence reflects the wins or losses attributable to clutch play.

Clutch rating can be misleading in some cases, such as that of Mike Trout, who currently owns a horrifically poor rating of -2.26. Clutch rating can vary greatly from year to year, though it can be a good assessment of how a player handles pressure. It is a better measure of how a season is progressing, as opposed to being a career quantifier. Mike Trout has had a short career thus far, though he will almost assuredly bounce back in the clutch rating department.

Now that Clutch rating is defined, take a look at some of the Cubs leaders in the category. Rizzo is the team leader with a rating of .3. On the scale of -2.0 being awful and 2.0 being superb, Rizzo chalks in at just barely above average. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Starlin Castro owns a rating of -.47, deemed below average. Neither of these should be surprising; mostly everyone is aware of Castro's tough season so far, as well as Rizzo's solid, though unspectacular, 2013 season.

Clutch can be attributed not only to players, but to teams, as well. Interestingly enough, the team with the best record is among the least clutch teams in baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates (-3.07) actually rank one spot below our loveable losers, coming in 27th overall. Take from that what you will, though it is fair to infer that, considering the record of the Pirates despite the poor clutch play, it is a real tribute to the lineup that the Bucs field. The Los Angeles Angels, on the other hand, have both a poor record and the 28th ranked Clutch rating. On paper, they have arguably the most talented team in the sport.

The Pirates may rank 27th overall in Clutch rating, yet they currently rank 12th overall in Win Probability Added. They rank seventh overall in Context Neutral Wins (3.89), as well. Breaking down the Clutch rating metric, it makes sense that they seem to be playoff bound. It also makes sense that the Cubs are where they are.

The Cubs rank 22nd in the league in WPA, currently sitting at -4.91. They sit at -2.20 in Context Neutral Wins, ranking nineteenth in the league. Both numbers are below average, and so they tie in perfectly with where the Cubs sit in the standings.

Is the Cubs' lack of clutch hitting inversely related to their league worst batting average on balls in play (.277)? BABIP is often attributed to luck (either good or bad), but it is also a factor of the contact the team makes. Line drives lead to the most runs by far, followed by fly balls, and then ground balls. The Cubs rank 29th in the league in line drive percentage, whereas they are 2nd overall in fly ball percentage.

A team that hits few line drives won't score a lot of runs; a team that hits a lot of ground balls will have a high number of base hits with few runs; and a team that hits primarily fly balls will be somewhere in between both of those. A decent amount of base hits, with a decent amount of runs. That sums up the Cubs's season thus far. They are a fly ball team, and because of that, do not get an above average amount of hits or runs. This ties directly back into the Clutch rating metric.

All of this rambling means that the Cubs' Clutch rating is an exact representation of the type of team that they are. They may lead the National League in extra base hits, but being a fly ball team, they make life easier for opposing defenses. Fly balls are the easiest for a defense to field, and so a fly ball hitting team will have more trouble scoring runs in big moments.

Fun With Sabermetrics Part I: Average Game Score

Travis Wood is having a very memorable season for the Cubs, seemingly dominating opposing hitters. The team around him might be faltering every step of the way, but Wood is blowing his peripherals clean out of the water. He isn't getting the wins that he deserves (only five), and without delving much into statistics, his season can be defined as merely "good". This is not the case.

Wood is tied with division rival Adam Wainwright, as well as Philadelphia Phillies' ace Cliff Lee for the league lead in quality starts, and is tied with Lee in quality start percentage. Coming into Thursday, both had 15 quality starts; both had quality start percentages of 88%. Those numbers are achieved by staff aces, something that Wood is not considered to be. Wainwright, being a former Cy Young winner and ace of the Cardinals, is sure to get accolades (or at least extensive media coverage) for his remarkable season; Lee will undoubtedly get the same treatment, and will be talked about on Baseball Tonight. Wood likely will not hear much about it outside of the Friendly Confines (but thats another story for another time).

One would expect that Wood and Wainwright would be atop most of the player efficiency ratings, as they have far out-pitched so much of the league. If you go off of one of Bill James' formulas, though, Wood and Wainwright aren't even on the map.

Average Game Score is a fairly simple formula that measures the strength of any given game by a pitcher. The formula is listed below:
1. Start with 50
2. Add 1 for every recorded out, and add two for each inning pitched after the fourth.
3. Add 1 for every strikeout, and take away one for every walk.
4. Subtract two for each hit, and subtract two for each unearned run
5. Subtract four for every earned run

For example, looking at Wood's game against the Oakland Athletics on Thursday: 50+22 (recorded outs)+4 (5 strikeouts and 1 walk)-3 (hits). That leaves Wood with a very solid score of 73. This start for Wood was excellent, but something that seems to be common place this year for Wood.

Adam Wainwright, facing off against the Angels in Los Angeles, did not have the same success as Wood tonight. His score would be: 50+32 (outs recorded)+2 (3 strikeouts and 1 walk)-14 (hits)-16 (earned runs). Wainwright did not earn a quality start, and ended up with a score of 54, which is still above average. The numbers make it seem like he struggled a bit, when in reality, this was still a solid performance.

Seeing as Wood has pitched as well as he has, and an off night for Wainwright still netted him an above average score, it should come as a surprise to no one that Wood's Average Game Score (before his Thursday start) was a 30.9, and Wainwright's (also before his Thursday Start) was a 32. How in the world does that make any sense.

Wood and Wainwright vary greatly in several categories, each of them strong in a category that the other has difficulty with.

Wainwright is really earning the AGS (Average Game Score) points when it comes to innings. Going into Thursday, Wainwright had pitched just over 133 innings, three more than AGS leader Clayton Kershaw. Pitching into later innings earns more points, and Wainwright's 133 are a real tribute to his stamina. Wood, on the other hand, has pitched 110 innings, and has not gone into particularly late innings. He pitches late enough to get quality starts, and does not go much longer.

Over his 133 innings, Wainwright has allowed 120 hits, a number that would be very troublesome if not for his low walk rate (only 13 thus far). Overall, Wainwright is allowing 9 base runners per nine innings. Kershaw has allowed far less hits, though he has walked more batters, and his WHIP (walks and hits per innings pitched) sits at an outstanding .93. Like Kershaw, Wood has not allowed nearly the amount of hits as Wainwright (75), yet has walked more batters, and has a WHIP of .98.

The category that has done the most damage to Wood is strikeouts, where he isn't even in the same ballpark as Wainwright and Kershaw. Wood has 80 strikeouts, which pales in comparison to Kershaw and Wainwright (126 and 117, respectively). Strikeouts are a large part of the reason that Wood sits nearly 40 averages points behind Kershaw.

To put it lightly, strikeouts have a massive impact on AGS. The highest achievable score for a pitcher would be 114. That would mean: 50+37 (outs recorded)+ 27 (strikeouts)+ 0 (hits, walks, or runs). In other words, a perfect AGS would mean that a pitcher threw a perfect game, while striking out all 27 batters. Cy Young threw a no hitter in the early 20th century, yet he earned a score of 88 due to the fact that he had amassed only two strikeouts. Kerry Wood threw a complete game shutout in 1998 in which he tossed 20 strikeouts (any baseball fan should remember that game). He allowed only two hits, and earned the highest ever AGS for a nine inning game. His score for that game was 105, only nine points away from perfection. Matt Harvey came close to that earlier this year, posting a 97.

When putting it into context, one has to question the validity of the AGS metric. There is no question that Kershaw has been better than Wainwright and Wood this season, but is it signifiant enough to separate them by nearly 40 points? Bill James' formula for AGS measures a quality start as a score of exactly 50. If Wood has averaged six or more innings and three or fewer runs (the dictionary definition of a quality start) 88% of the time, is it fair to say that he has been well below the AGS quality start number?

To throw another curveball into the mix, Cubs' frontline starter Jeff Samardzija's AGS is a 57.9. Scott Feldman, now considered a former Cub, has an AGS of 54.2. Have both of these pitchers been significantly better than Wood? This, quite frankly is mind-boggling, considering how much better Wood has seemed. He has a lower ERA than both of them; he has a much lower WHIP than both of them; he has more quality starts than both of them. If this doesn't confuse you, you're on a different wave-length than I am.

If AGS is the best measurement of a pitcher's efficiency rating, do quality starts even carry much weight? After all, a pitcher could conceivably have an ERA of 4.50 and have a quality start in every appearance.

Max Scherzer and Travis Wood: More Similar Than Meets the Eye

Max Scherzer is Major League Baseball's most talked about pitcher right now. The Tigers' number two starter is having a career year, and just won his 12th consecutive start. He is the first pitcher in 27 years to accomplish that feat, and should definitely receive praise for it; despite analysis from the experts, though, Scherzer might not be the best pitcher in baseball this year. In fact, Scherzer might not even be in the top five. If stats don't lie, sabermetrics should be taken as gospel. Using the formulas of the great Bill James, a back of the rotation starter has actually posted a very similar year to that of Scherzer: Travis Wood of the Chicago Cubs.

Coming into Friday, Wood had pitched five less innings than Scherzer. Wood had allowed four fewer runs (31-35), had a lower earned run average (2.85-3.05), had allowed one less hit (69-70), and earned three more quality starts (14-11). Scherzer blew the doors off Wood in terms of strikeouts (122-69), had a significantly higher K/BB ratio (5.08-2.38), and bested Wood in WHIP (.91-1.00). With the exception of the strikeout-to-walk ratio and strikeout total, all of these numbers are very similar. They do not tell the whole story though.

BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is one of the more controversial categories when measuring a pitcher's efficiency. On one hand, a low BABIP can mean that a pitcher is forcing hitters to swing defensively, hitting weak ground balls and popping up. Alternatively, a low BABIP can mean that a pitcher is getting lucky, succeeding as a result of solid defensive work behind him. Going into Friday, Wood lead the league in BABIP, with an astoundingly low .212. Scherzer coming into Friday was sitting at .240, which is still quite respectable. Seeing the struggles of the Cubs' defense this year, luck might not be the determining factor in Wood's BABIP, though. Since it is such controversial statistic, other metrics must be taken into account.

Component ERA(CERA) is used to take the luck out of pitching. It predicts the ERA of a pitcher based on the number of walks and hits that they allowed, instead of looking at the runs that crossed the plate. Scherzer presides over Wood in this category, but not by a wide margin. Coming into Friday, Scherzer's 1.85 CERA was good enough to rank him fourth in all of baseball. Wood came in eighth, with a 2.08 CERA. A differential of.23 is not a wide margin by any means. CERA is focuses heavily on hits, and therefore can be attributed (at least partially) to the effort level of the defense. If, say, a certain shortstop is staring into the outfield bleachers when a ball goes by, the pitcher will be credited with allowing a base hit.

Where the two begin to separate is when Defensive Independent Pitching (DIPS) is taken into account. This category was actually not one of James', but actually is credited to Voros McCracken. DIPS takes into account only the plays that are strictly controlled by the pitcher; that means home runs, strikeouts, and runs. Scherzer took this category pretty handily, outdoing Wood by a margin of 1.01. Having already determined that Scherzer is more of a strikeout pitcher, it is not a shocking revelation that Scherzer leads in this category. In fact, Wood actually had allowed fewer home runs coming into Friday (8-11), which is surprising considering that Wood pitches in a more hitter-friendly park. Scherzer might be ahead of Wood here, but all things considered, the margin is not as wide as it appears.

The categories go on and on, and endless cases can be made for who is having the better season. Scherzer has the better power finesse ratio, but Wood throws fewer pitches per inning. The point is that nearly every category is close, though. So why is Scherzer getting the notoriety and the segments on ESPN, and Wood is getting the support of amateur bloggers? Is it because of the Tigers' success coupled with Cubs' general incompetence? Why is it that Scherzer is almost guaranteed an All Star spot, and Wood will have several days off?

When voting for the All Star teams, SB Nation recommends/encourages voting for players, independent of their teams. For whatever reason, fans are not allowed to vote for pitchers when it comes to balloting. SB Nation's request is admirable in theory though, and should be applied to media coverage, but more importantly award decisions. Do not hold pitchers accountable for the fiasco that the team behind them might be.

That Wood be a Travis-ty (and that is a God awful pun).

First Round Draft Results and Commentary

1.1 Houston Astros select Mark Appel:

Appel is originally from Houston, but, seeing as Scott Boras is his agent, he probably didn't cut them much of a deal. One scout said that Appel is 2013's version of Luke Hochevar, though he didn't back up why. Harold Reynolds believes that Appel could be starting in Houston as soon as July. 

1.2 Chicago Cubs select Kris Bryant:

The Cubs had to take an extra minute after the clock expired, though eventually took the third baseman with mammoth power. Bryant has the enthusiasm of a little kid, already telling the media that he will "one day tell his grandchildren about sitting down with Theo Epstein". 

1.3 Colorado Rockies select Jonathan Gray:

Rumor had it that the Rockies were holding out hope that Bryant would fall to them, but they can't be too disappointed in Gray. The analysts believe his ceiling to be higher than Appel's, and according to Reynolds, "when you're as good as Gray, the altitude doesn't have an effect on you". More words of wisdom from Reynolds...

1.4 Minnesota Twins select Kohl Stewart:

Reynolds and the staff seemed surprised by Stewart going fourth, but they shouldn't be; Minnesota assigned scouts to watch his games for the last two years. Interestingly enough, the Saint Pius product did not buy a Twins hat, but actually sewed the Twins logo onto his hat. 

1.5 Cleveland Indians select Clint Frazier:

 Mayo described Frazier as having Popeye like forearms, and he should be an interesting fit if he can get a deal done with the Tribe. He went to high school a short distance away from Austin Meadows in Georgia. Frazier is considered raw, but according to the MLB Network crew, "has big power, and can hit a baseball 400 feet!"Lets hope that he can do a little more than that, as most stadiums will require that. 

1.6 Miami Marlins select Colin Moran:

Moran has the best patience of any hitter in the draft, and is considered by many to be the best pure hitter. Whether he stays at first base is in question, as his range is limited at third. If he can stay under the radar a little bit, maybe he'll survive a Jeff Loria fire sale or two. Don't count on him staying off the radar, though. 

1.7 Boston Red Sox select Trey Ball:

Ball is a two way player out of New Castle High School, having a bright future as either a pitcher or a talented hitter. Scouts say that, as of now, he has the power to hit around 10 home runs, and his fastball can top out at 93 miles per hour. On a side note, isn't this a perfect name for a basketball player?

1.8 Kansas City Royals select Hunter Dozier:

The earliest that anyone had the Stephen F. Austin shortstop going was at the end of the first, and even that seemed to be a reach. Mayo said that he sees a lot of Troy Tulowitzki in him, and the move makes sense from a slot standpoint. Unfortunately, the staff had to explain to Reynolds what the under slot/over slot concept was. Oh Harold..

1.9 Pittsburgh Pirates select Austin Meadows:

The compensation pick for Appel bailing on them last year, the Pirates may have chosen the highest ceilinged player in the draft. Meadows was a consensus top three pick going into this season, though his stock dropped during his senior season. Within the next several years, the Pirates outfield could consist of three M's. McCutchen, Marte, and Meadows. There has to be a nickname somewhere for that. 

1.10 Toronto Blue Jays select Phil Bickford:

The scouting report on Bickford is an outstanding read; to summarize, his fastball can hit 97 with relative ease, but he really can't throw much else. He doesn't have a feeling for a breaking ball, and his curveball is average at best. Seems worthy of a first round pick, eh?

1.11 New York Mets select Dominic Smith:

Smith is the first true first baseman to go in the draft. He is a fantastic hitter for only being in high school. He told the MLB Network that if baseball doesn't work out, he wants to open his own restaurant. It is good to have a plan B, but it seems to me that he should be more focused on baseball.

1.12 Seattle Mariners select D.J Peterson:

The New Mexico third baseman is very unlikely to stay at the position, and will likely move to first base relatively soon. Comparisons see Peterson topping out as Freddie Freeman-esque, as he has a very solid hit tool. Third base seems to turning into more of a premiere position than ever. 

1.13 San Diego Padres select Hunter Renfroe:

Smart front office's tend to stay away from players that have had just one great year, as it can be terrible deceiving. That being said, Josh Byrnes selected Mississippi State's one year wonder, Hunter Renfroe. Not to say that he won't be a solid player, it just seems risky. Renfroe will likely play center field in pro-ball, and hopefully he steer clear of Evereth Cabrera and Yasmani Grandal. 

1.14 Pittsburgh Pirates select Reese McGuire:

Taking the best catcher in the draft, the Pirates fill the positional need, as well as drafting the best player available. His hitting is not where he makes his name; defensively, he is a stud. Mayo gives his arm a 7, with room to improve. This is the second pick of the first round for the Steel City, and it seems like another smart selection. 

1.15 Arizona Diamondbacks select Braden Shipley:

The rich get richer when it comes to pitching. Throw high school pitcher Shipley in with Tyler Skaggs, Patrick Corbin, and Archie Bradley, and the Diamondbacks are going to be very tough to hit for years to come. Unlike Toronto, the Dbacks drafted a young pitcher that can throw a breaking ball. Scouts expect Shipley's curveball to turn into a plus pitch. 

1.16 Philadelphia Phillies select JP Crawford:

Crawford seems like the Darwin Barney of shortstops; he's nothing fantastic offensively. He has little power, and projects to be an average contact hitter. His glove is where he will make his money. The Crew agreed that he is the truest shortstop in the draft class, and could one day make an adequate replacement for 96 year old Jimmy Rollins. 

1.17 Chicago White Sox select Tim Anderson:

The White Sox take a positional player in the first round for the sixth time in seven years. Hopefully for the South Siders, he can buck the trend and actually pan out. Anderson broke out this year, and is another case of a one year wonder. Scouts agree that his speed is plus-plus, though his inability to do a backflip was a bit of a turnoff for Kenny Williams. 

1.18 Los Angeles Dodgers select Chris Anderson:

Anderson is the fourteenth pitcher that the Dodgers have taken in the first round since 2002. There are concerns that Jacksonville's coaching staff used Anderson too much, but obviously this was not a red flag for the Dodgers. 

1.19 Saint Louis Cardinals select Marco Gonzales:

Lets all be honest; it makes no difference who the Cardinals draft, he's going to be a star. Mayo believes that he could be the most ready pitcher in the draft behind Mark Appel. Scouts believe the Gonzaga product to be a very safe pick. Let the slide for Ryne Stanek commence..

1.20 Detroit Tigers select Jonathan Crawford:

Crawford already faced semi-pro pitching in the SEC, posting great numbers in Gainesville. Some scouts, including Mayo, believe that he could have mechanical issues down the road, considering that everything he throws is hard. 

1.21 Tampa Bay Rays select Nick Cuiffo:

Cuiffo said in an interview that he wants to be the next Brian Mccann. While that might be a lofty expectation, he can be a plus player from both sides of the plate. He strikes out at a higher rate than he should, but projects to hit for above average power and contact. If all else fails, he is great at wiggling his ears, according to his interview. 

1.22 Baltimore Orioles select Hunter Harvey:

Harvey has a plus fastball, though his other pitches are average. That being said, the O's have seen what the other guy with the last name of Harvey is capable of, and just couldn't pass up on the opportunity. Interestingly enough, scouts consider him to be very similar to Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman. 

1.23 Texas Rangers select Alex Gonzalez:

Gonzalez flew up the boards recently, but that should not take away from the solid four pitch repertoire that he has. Mayo said that his fastball has such good movement, it is basically a hard slider. He also throws a slider. He should be in the big leagues relatively soon, though is likely to be a bullpen arm, according the the Crew. Ryne Stanek is calling his service provider to make sure his phone is working.  

1.24 Oakland Athletics select Billy Mckinney:

Another high school player is coming off the board. Mayo says among his best tools is his attitude, though he is an above average hitter as, as well. Pulling him away from the Milwaukee Bucks front office could be tough, but they should be able to make a compelling enough offer to the Plano West product. 

1.25 San Francisco Giants select Christian Arroyo:

No one saw this coming. Not even ranked in Mayo's top 100 list, there was a resounding "Wow!" when his name was called. He doesn't have any plus tools, though he could develop them. Reynolds just had to ask, "Is this another one of those money things?" At least he's starting to figure it out. 

1.26 New York Yankees select Eric Jagielo:

The Evil Empire has three picks between now and the end of the first round. Jagielo projects to be an average third baseman with slightly above average power. Rumor has it that Cashman is already debating whether to start Jagielo over Alex Rodriguez. He should be carried by his bat throughout his career. 

1.27 Cincinnati Reds select Phillip Ervin:

George Amsinger's supposed favorite player, Ervin projects to be a center fielder at the major league level. He might be short of six feet tall, but he can hit for power. He seems like a solid fit for a team already full of talent. If he has an attitude problem, he'll fit in just fine.

1.28 Saint Louis Cardinals select Rob Kaminsky:

If Ray Charles were to be drafted right now by the Cardinals, he would finish towards the top of the Cy Young voting in several years. A New Jersey lefty, Kaminsky has a plus slider, which compliments a plus fastball. One has to wonder if the Cardinal's pitching prospects will ever get an opportunity at Busch Stadium. It will take a lot to overthrow any of the Red Birds' starters in the near future. 

1.29 Tampa Bay Rays select Ryne Stanek:

Such is the end of draft day slide for the Razorbacks' ace. Stanek posted ridiculous numbers in the SEC this year, with an ERA of just 1.39. His low strikeout numbers were a concern, as he struck out 79 batters in 97 innings. The Rays has to have been thrilled that he lasted this long, though, as he is a very polished pitcher. He came up short on qualifying for the draft last year, but was projected to go in the top five if he was able. 

1.30 Texas Rangers select Travis Demeritte:

Sticking with their tradition of drafting raw, high upside players, the Rangers drafted the raw, high upside shortstop out of Georgia. Known for his bat speed and his defense, Demeritte looks like a future utility man at the major league level. He has experience playing nearly everywhere in the infield, though third base looks like the most natural place for him. 

1.31 Atlanta Braves select Jason Hursch:

Usually teams see Tommy John surgery as a bad thing, but don't tell the Braves front office that. They drafted Alex Meyer last year, and Jason Hursch this year. Scouts do not see Hursch as being much more than a relief pitcher, though he could be a solid one at that.

1.32 New York Yankees select Aaron Judge:

Judge is huge, and has equally large power. Standing at approximately 6"7', Judge can hit a baseball a long distance. Where he struggles is hitting anything low, and that should end up being a significant problem. If he can solve that problem with the Yankees hitting coaches (or whatever substance Robinson Cano uses), he could turn into a solid major leaguer.

1.33 New York Yankees select Ian Clarkin:

The Bronx Bomers end the first round by choosing Clarkin, who many see as a steal. He was expected to go in the mid first round, though the lefty dropped to the very end of the first. He has a very solid fastball, along with a plus curveball, and Mayo expects him to be a future middle of the rotation starter.