Red Sox/MLB 2023 Regular Season II - 140-22 still possible - RIP Vida Blue

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BruinsFanSince94

The Perfect Fan ™
Sep 28, 2017
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You don't build a roster of old and broken parts on short term deals expecting them all to hit. You hope a few overperform and let the glut of mediocrity sort itself out. Kluber will be gone soon enough

Yep. He’s not helping the team at all. They’ll do away with him and fill the role with someone else. Also, allows them to keep an arm they maybe weren’t expecting to.

If Kluber is out, you go with:

1. Sale
2. Paxton
3. Whitlock
4. Bello
5. Houck/Pivetta

6. Winckowski
7. Crawford
8. Pivetta/Houck
9. Martin
10. Jansen
11. Rodriguez (L)
12. ???
13. ???

Two spots for Bernardino (L), Garza, Bleier (L). I’d personally DFA Bleier, recall Bernardino and keep Garza. How long is Schreiber out for, 3-4 months?

The only thing is you have some injury prone guys there already. Injuries can happen to anyone but Sale, Paxton, and Whitlock haven’t shown the ability to stay healthy as of late. Whitlock when it comes to being a SP, but I won’t go there. I’m pro-BP for Whitlock.
 

GatorMike

Registered User
Jul 18, 2022
4,378
6,135
Woburn, MA
I can't figure out Kluber. The velocity is down only slightly from last year, but the spin rate is better. He's gone from essentially not walking anybody to 3.8 per 9 innings, and he's missing up in the zone WAY too much. He's actually been fairly effective when he keeps the ball down. He's stopped throwing his cutter as much and is throwing more sinkers and changeups. The changeups are effective, but the sinker is getting killed. Maybe it's time to try throwing dramatically fewer sinkers and instead focus on being more of a cutter/changeup/curveball guy.

Sinker
2022: 88.9 mph, 26.1" drop, 16.3" break, 2075 spin rate, .284 xBA, 26.8% of pitches
2023: 88.1 mph, 26.1" drop, 15.3" break, 2208 spin rate, .353 xBA, 29.2% of pitches

Curveball
2022: 80.7 mph, 41.0" drop, 16.5" break, 2526 spin rate, .230 xBA, 27.3% of pitches
2023: 80.5 mph, 39.4" drop, 15.6" break, 2551 spin rate, .197 xBA, 28.8% of pitches

Cutter
2022: 86.3 mph, 28.1" drop, 2.9" break, 2463 spin rate, .275 xBA, 34.2% of pitches
2023: 86.1 mph, 28.0" drop, 1.9" break, 2475 spin rate, .320 xBA, 25.1% of pitches

Changeup
2022: 82.9 mph, 33.7" drop, 13.6" break, 1653 spin rate, .242 xBA, 10.3% of pitches
2023: 82.0 mph, 37.9" drop, 14.9" break, 1721 spin rate, .177 xBA, 14.9% of pitches

4-Seam Fastball
2022: 88.9 mph, 20.2" drop, 6.3" break, 2271 spin rate, .290 xBA, 1.5% of pitches
2023: 88.1 mph, 22.0" drop, 8.9" break, 2232 spin rate, .000 xBA, 2.0% of pitches
 
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CDJ

Registered User
Nov 20, 2006
57,334
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Hell baby
I could go the rest of my life without seeing Devers try to bunt for a hit in a tie game in the 7th and be very happy
 

Mione134

Queen in the North
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Mar 30, 2010
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I could go the rest of my life without seeing Devers try to bunt for a hit in a tie game in the 7th and be very happy

He's been atrocious at the plate tonight. He's looking to hit a homer. He needs to work the count more. He's too eager.
 

CDJ

Registered User
Nov 20, 2006
57,334
47,897
Hell baby
He's been atrocious at the plate tonight. He's looking to hit a homer. He needs to work the count more. He's too eager.
I mean he’s had 3 at bats and one was a laser hit, I can’t call that atrocious. I do agree that it would be better if he can be more selective though for sure. Swings at too many pitchers pitches
 
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McGarnagle

Yes.
Aug 5, 2017
30,426
41,791
I can't figure out Kluber. The velocity is down only slightly from last year, but the spin rate is better. He's gone from essentially not walking anybody to 3.8 per 9 innings, and he's missing up in the zone WAY too much. He's actually been fairly effective when he keeps the ball down. He's stopped throwing his cutter as much and is throwing more sinkers and changeups. The changeups are effective, but the sinker is getting killed. Maybe it's time to try throwing dramatically fewer sinkers and instead focus on being more of a cutter/changeup/curveball guy.

Sinker
2022: 88.9 mph, 26.1" drop, 16.3" break, 2075 spin rate, .284 xBA, 26.8% of pitches
2023: 88.1 mph, 26.1" drop, 15.3" break, 2208 spin rate, .353 xBA, 29.2% of pitches

Curveball
2022: 80.7 mph, 41.0" drop, 16.5" break, 2526 spin rate, .230 xBA, 27.3% of pitches
2023: 80.5 mph, 39.4" drop, 15.6" break, 2551 spin rate, .197 xBA, 28.8% of pitches

Cutter
2022: 86.3 mph, 28.1" drop, 2.9" break, 2463 spin rate, .275 xBA, 34.2% of pitches
2023: 86.1 mph, 28.0" drop, 1.9" break, 2475 spin rate, .320 xBA, 25.1% of pitches

Changeup
2022: 82.9 mph, 33.7" drop, 13.6" break, 1653 spin rate, .242 xBA, 10.3% of pitches
2023: 82.0 mph, 37.9" drop, 14.9" break, 1721 spin rate, .177 xBA, 14.9% of pitches

4-Seam Fastball
2022: 88.9 mph, 20.2" drop, 6.3" break, 2271 spin rate, .290 xBA, 1.5% of pitches
2023: 88.1 mph, 22.0" drop, 8.9" break, 2232 spin rate, .000 xBA, 2.0% of pitches
This is the analysis I come for.

I remember this offseason when they signed him being intrigued by his stats the last few years. He had a very weird split where his overall big picture stats like ERA+ were down but all the underlying stuff (K/9, K/BB) was not only up, but he actually led the AL in walk rate. It was curious and made me think there was some hope he'd put it together based on that, but it looks like it's going the other way.

And if you look at his results this year, K/9 and H/9 are pretty much identical to last year. It's the walks that have skyrocketed. He walked 21 batters in 31 games last year. In 9 games this year, he's already walked 18. His K/BB has gone from 6.6 to 1.89. His FIP is over 6. His entire strength from last year has become his largest weakness. Either Tampa had better methods for hiding tack or he's just lost all his command overnight.

Can't see the experiment lasting much longer TBQH.
 
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