Opening Day Preview: NYY vs. WSH and LAD vs. SF
Opening Day is finally here with two fantastic matchups! The first, the incumbent World Series Champion Nationals and Max Scherzer take on Gerrit Cole and the Yankees in Washington. Later in the evening, a classic rivalry game at Chavez Ravine as the Dodgers host the Giants.
The Western Division’s Strengths and Weaknesses
The final part of our three-part series will end with the MLB’s Western Division! The Dodgers are projected to come out on top as NL division champs, while the AL has the Astros and A’s as its top contenders. Let’s wrap this up together!
The Central Division’s Strengths and Weaknesses
Part two of our three-part series will focus on the teams playing in the Central Division. Four teams have a legitimate shot to take the NL crown, while the powerful Twins are the clear favorites in the AL. How does your favorite team fair?
The Eastern Division’s Strengths and Weaknesses
With the shortened 2020 season rapidly approaching, it’s time to dive into the strengths and weaknesses of all 30 MLB teams in their updated divisions. The first article of this three-part series will focus on the teams playing in the Eastern Division. Check it out!
“All Talk, No Balk!” Podcast S1:E3 now on YouTube
Permanent link to Stat of the Week: Log-5"Log-5" is a method introduced by Bill James to predict the probability of victory when two teams of a given winning percentage play against each other. The formula is:
WPct = A - ( A x B ) / (A + B) - ( 2 x A x B )
Where "A" is Team A's winning percentage, and "B" is Team B's winning percentage. In the simplest terms, this formula indicates how often Team A should beat Team B.
Imagine that Team A wins 50% of its games and Team B wins 38% of its games. Inputting these percentages (as a decimal) into the formula above would yield:
WPct = 0.31/ (0.88) - (0.38) = 0.62
Or, in other words, Team A should beat Team B 62% of the time.
Fantasy Baseball Do’s and Dont’s for the Short Season
No need to fear, Alex is here! And he’s ready to help you get ready for a short fantasy baseball season. Find out how!
San Diego Padres’ Top Prospects
Are the San Diego Padres a team to watch during a shortened season? With the No. 2 overall farm system in the MLB, San Diego is welcoming its five Top 100 Prospects to The Show! Read more to find out who they are…
“All Talk, No Balk!” Podcast Now on Spotify!
Happy 4th of July Bullpen fans! What better way to spend the day than talking about America’s pastime? In celebration of American independence, we’re happy to announce that our new podcast, “All Talk, No Balk!”, is now on Spotify! Links are on the home page, or you can search “All Talk, No Balk!” on Spotify.
You Need These Guys, ASAP!
Calling all baseball players (especially you college hopefuls)! Our partners at SportsForce Baseball are ready to help take your baseball career to the next level. Read this article to find out how!
Opinion: This Isn’t Baseball…
It has been 244 days since the last MLB game was played, when the Washington Nationals beat the Houston Astros in Game 7 of the World Series. But with the recent rule changes for a shortened 2020 season, when you turn on the TV for Opening Day in 23 days, will you really be watching baseball?
Permanent link to Stat of the Week: LeverageLeverage measures how important a given situation is during a game (relative to the start of the game). The start of a game is defined as a Leverage of 1.0, a neutral situation. As the game progresses, the Leverage can fluctuate based on the inning, the number of outs, the runners on base, and the difference between the two teams' runs scored so far.
Leverage is the ratio between how much a single run scored changes the expected probability of winning in the current situation and how much a run would have changed the expected probability of winning at the very beginning of the game.
For example, if a run scored in the eighth inning increases the probability of winning by 20%, while a run at the start of the game increases it by 10%, then the Leverage of the situation in the eighth inning is 20%/10% = 2.00 Leverage.
Baseball Is Back! Here Are Our Thoughts…
Finally, the long wait is now over! The Bullpen staff members are weighing in on the start of 2020 season; what it means to them and how they feel. There’s a hot take in here somewhere, can you spot it?
Are Pitching Wins Important?
In the modern world of analytics and technology in the game of baseball new statistics are taking over! It seems new stats and formulas are implemented into baseball on a weekly basis, leaving older stats with less credibility. One stat in particular is the pitcher’s win and understanding the true meaning such a statistic holds. Let’s dive in!
3 MLB Teams That Aren’t Getting the Credit They Deserve
A strong farm system does not always equal 100 win seasons, but it does result in advanced player depth throughout the 26 and 40 man roster. Here are 3 current teams that are extremely overlooked and can prove to be long-term contenders!
Permanent link to Stat of the Week: APRAPR, or Adjusted Pitching Runs, measures the number of runs a pitcher prevented as compared to a league-average pitcher in a neutral park in the same number of innings. Derived from the pitching component of linear weights, or pitching runs, APR includes an adjustment for ballparks and is based on all runs allowed, not just the earned runs.
APR = L x IP - (R/PF)
Where "L" is the league average of runs per inning and "PF" is the park factor for the pitcher's home park.
