February Q&A - Gathering your questions!
Added 2021-02-02 20:19:54 +0000 UTCHope you all are doing well. I'll be using this post to gather questions for the February 2021 Patreon Q&A. Feel free to ask about baseball, Youtube, life, etc.
You can view previous Q&As here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3lJFzNSaN7SE7AAWRLGyfnf4S2oONOm-
Comments
This month's Q&A has come and gone, but you've given me some things to think about. It's definitely true that balls in play are a worse outcome for the batter against a good defense, rather than a bad one. It's worth pointing out that every member of the Cubs rotation besides Davies ran an above-average groundball rate last season, and Davies ran high (50+%) groundball rates in previous seasons.
Foolish Baseball
2021-02-25 06:09:30 +0000 UTCAre there any numbers supporting that having low velocity starting pitchers like the Chicago Cubs have is actually an advantage when considering a plus defensive infield, a change of pace from the rest of the teams clubs are facing, and the drastic change from low velo starters to high velo relievers? Is there any data you can dive into to help support my theory that what the Cubs are trying to do by having control and low velocity guys might actually work? Would love to see a junk baller Baseball Bits!
Will Collins
2021-02-24 21:19:35 +0000 UTCThe pirates mascot was a coke dealer in the 80s for the players. Which mascots would most likely have a secret life in crime and what crime would they be committing
Brian Hoang
2021-02-12 07:44:07 +0000 UTCI guess I'm asking of you as an Atlanta fan: when you're taking in Braves history or counting WS titles, do you count their time in Milwaukee as part of the Braves tenure, or do you regard that as a separate team? As a Brewers fan I certainly don't count the Braves, unless I'm talking about Milwaukee baseball as a whole. But I think that means my fandom is more geography based, as opposed to franchise based? I've just always been curious.
Ben Wineke
2021-02-10 23:31:38 +0000 UTCWho are your favorite lesser-known baseball YouTubers?
Cody Dutcher
2021-02-10 17:40:28 +0000 UTCAlways thought about buying Prospectus, had to this year since you covered my Rangers. No questions 🤷♂️ hope your people are all well
Tom Landry Jackson
2021-02-10 07:06:32 +0000 UTCDamn two of my favorite baseball content creators, life’s crazy lmao
James Nagengast
2021-02-09 18:07:40 +0000 UTCAlternatively, which players do you expect to be most affected by the recently announced efforts to deaden the ball (more humidors, altered construction, etc)? Would any hitters benefit from this change?
Paul
2021-02-08 20:22:02 +0000 UTCEver get recognized on the street?
Jackson Walker
2021-02-08 18:20:03 +0000 UTCTo young statheads with a passion for baseball and sabermetrics wishing to pursue a career related to as such, what advice would you give and would you recommend it?
Kenneth Casey
2021-02-08 07:17:42 +0000 UTCOn the topic of Bauer, Baseball Does Not Exist did a video showing that Bauer's way better 2020 than 2019 was at least partially due to dramatic spinrate increase, which many signs point to using a pine tar-like substance. What are your thoughts on how pervasive this is in baseball and whether MLB will do anything about it? Thanks!
Bob Majzler
2021-02-06 04:49:51 +0000 UTCIs Trevor Bauer actually good for the game of baseball?
Harry Lewis
2021-02-06 00:54:42 +0000 UTCSo uh I'm double dipping here. Don't know if this is legal. But do you think LA getting Bauer will make them favorites to win the division again?
Ethan
2021-02-06 00:47:25 +0000 UTCWhat do you think, will the Mets become the more dominant/ popular NY team in the coming years, or will the dormant Steinbrenner gene will awaken in Hal if/when the Mets start winning consistently?
Landon Q Gosselin
2021-02-05 18:50:33 +0000 UTCHow would you grade 2020 MLB off-season compared to 2019 offseaon
PeachSalsa
2021-02-05 05:34:16 +0000 UTCOne of my favorite things about MLB.tv is watching games on teams' local broadcasts. Who are your top three local broadcast teams? My top three would be Joe Davis and Orel Hershiser (LAD), Jason Benetti and Steve Stone (CWS), and Gary Cohen, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez (NYM).
Donovan Schultz
2021-02-04 05:18:01 +0000 UTCRiley, Langeliers, De La Cruz, and Waters for Ramirez. Maybe try and throw Ender in to get him off the payroll. Would you do it? Also... Is Zaxby's the GOAT?
Bo Brown
2021-02-04 03:31:04 +0000 UTCGreetings agian, Foolish! How do you feel about MLB (and professional sports in general, I guess; but baseball specifically) ever growing relationship with gambling outlets/casinos? MLB held out for a long time developing any formal relationships with actual casino's, but as of a little over 2 years ago they finally joined the rest. As someone who has been effected by others struggles with addiction and gambling; I hate it, but I understand the money is probably too good for MLB to pass up.
Mazzocchi (Taylor's Version)
2021-02-04 01:25:33 +0000 UTCHello, hello, do you collect baseball cards? If so what do you think of the industry just for fun or as an investment? Also would you rather have a great defensive centerfielder with a poor bat or a great offensive centerfielder with a poor glove? And lastly Mays or Mantle for your all-time team?
Darren Maybee
2021-02-04 01:21:44 +0000 UTCHow much do you think the Cardinals getting Nolan Arenando is gonna affect the team as a whole? Obviously getting a big bat and great defensive player helps a lot. But I've seen a lot about how just having his presence takes a lot of pressure off the other guys. And in general, do you think you can speak more towards the unquantifiable ways the "star" players affect the rest of the team? Can we ever quantify this?
Tanner Richard Craft
2021-02-03 20:30:55 +0000 UTCWho is the most under appreciated player right now?
Delos Chen
2021-02-03 04:56:34 +0000 UTCHow do you feel about Milb overall and would you change the system ? ( Angel or ahell is correct )
Angel Marquez
2021-02-03 04:24:46 +0000 UTCI feel like this may be a fun thought exercise so can you try to lay out what Rafael Devers has to do to win the MVP in 2021? (Last name is pronounced like the Nintendo console with a ta at the end)
Ben Wiita
2021-02-03 03:50:11 +0000 UTCWhat do you think will be some of the next major advanced stats tracked in the Statcast era?
Josh Getto
2021-02-03 03:25:26 +0000 UTCLoved your Glasnow vid, so was wondering if you could create a Frankstein starting pitcher using the best fastball/curve/slider/etc from around the league what 4-5 pitches would you choose and why (bonus points if you do one for relievers too!)
navman32
2021-02-03 03:05:34 +0000 UTCHey Bailey, with the possible return of the Cleveland Spiders, which other former pro team would you like to see return? Whether they are a defunct team like the Buffalo Bisons and Indianapolis Hoosiers, or simply a team that relocated to become a current team like the Montreal Expos or the St. Louis Browns, or just a name change like the Houston Colt 45s or the Chicago Orphans.
Steve
2021-02-03 01:32:34 +0000 UTCWhen do you think that the first female baseball player will make it to the show? Also, what position will they play? #BringBackPitch
Andy Johnston
2021-02-03 01:11:42 +0000 UTCHow many more significantly injury-shortened seasons would it take for the Stanton trade to be viewed as a bad move? His small-sample performance in 2019 and 2020 suggest the skill is still there, but you can’t really provide value from the IL
Paul
2021-02-03 00:22:33 +0000 UTCNow that Chris Archer has returned to Tampa, what are the most lopsided or worst trades in baseball in this century? I’m a Mets fan so I hope that you do not specifically mention Scott Kazmir.
Jake R
2021-02-03 00:10:48 +0000 UTCNot Bailey, but a lot of teams already treat the CBT threshold as a salary cap
Jake R
2021-02-03 00:09:01 +0000 UTCWho would you rather fight: 5 Mike-Trout-sized trout or 2 trout-sized Mikes Trout?
NowIOnlyWantATriumph
2021-02-02 23:04:09 +0000 UTCHey there, new patron / Tigers fan here. Simple question to start, but when do envision Detroit being able to once again compete for a playoff spot? And who on the current roster has the potential to be an every day starter for such a team? Thanks a lot.
Ryan Gillis
2021-02-02 23:00:57 +0000 UTCAssuming Oakland and Tampa Bay don't stay put AND given that MLB probably wants to expand. What cities do you think get the 4 teams? I would love Portland to get one and act as a natural rivalry to Seattle!
Matthew Hearring
2021-02-02 22:50:58 +0000 UTCWhat are your favorite fake American-ish player names from that Super Famicom baseball game? For reference: https://www.avclub.com/check-out-these-wonderful-american-names-from-a-90s-j-1819219155/amp
Jared Natsis
2021-02-02 22:44:06 +0000 UTCThoughts on Theo Epstein joining the MLB commish office? Personally I'm worried he wants to ban the shift/limit analytics based on what he said when he took the job.
Nolan McDermott
2021-02-02 22:00:58 +0000 UTCEach game the home team is allowed to choose one base to move farther back by 10 feet. All the other bases keep their location. Would it always be first base to make difficult plays easier? What ways would this break baseball that I might not think of initially?
Jacob Vernick
2021-02-02 21:48:27 +0000 UTC1. Do you think baseball needs a salary cap, why yes or why not? 2. Would you change the way that the hof voting is done?
Zachary Kalker
2021-02-02 21:46:59 +0000 UTCHey Foolish, Jolly Olive on YT here, first-time question-asker What do you think is the best single-season team of the 2010s that didn't win a ring, and why?
Jack Oliver
2021-02-02 21:44:19 +0000 UTCSo I was surprised to hear in the last Q&A that you were writing the team essay in the Baseball Prospectus Annual about my favorite team, the Texas Rangers. I'm still waiting for my copy to come, but I just wanted to ask how did a Braves fan like you get into a team like the Rangers? Who do you rely on to get your Rangers news and info? (I for one am a big fan of Levi Weaver and Jamey Newberg on The Athletic.) Would you consider going to a Rangers game together once things improve with the pandemic?
ajnrules
2021-02-02 21:36:47 +0000 UTCHey Foolish, long time viewer/fan, first time commenter! Is there one advanced metric/modern concept that you wish baseball broadcasts did either a more consistent job mentioning, or if they do mention it a lot, did a better job truly explaining its significance? One I've noticed in recent years get a lot of mention is BABIP, but I often feel like broadcasters place the wrong value in a high or low BABIP. What say you?
Will
2021-02-02 21:25:38 +0000 UTCWhat's your pick for the greatest one off season in mlb history? Either an outlier good or bad season in an otherwise unremarkable career
Sean
2021-02-02 20:51:30 +0000 UTCAssuming the playoff format returns to what it used to be, what is the logic of having the Divison Series being 5 game series and the LCS and World Series being 7 game series? Do those few days saved with the DS being a 5 game series really make a big difference? On that note, there are some potential awesome NLDS possibilities. Like Padres/Braves, Dodger/Cardinals, Nationals/Padres, etc. What NLDS series most excite you?
Evan Lewis
2021-02-02 20:40:23 +0000 UTCCan San Diego overtake LA in the NL West this season? I personally think so considering the Dodgers pitching staff isn't getting any younger.
Matt Swanson
2021-02-02 20:30:35 +0000 UTCDo you think you could make the argument for the 2020 Dodgers to be one of the best teams of all time? There hasn't been a team in the Live-Ball era that had a winning percentage above .715 and won the World Series. But on the other hand, they did it in a shortened season. So do you think these factors contribute into the argument?
Ethan
2021-02-02 20:24:23 +0000 UTCSuper bowl picks? I know this video will come out by the time the super bowl is over, but let’s see if you were right.
Lucas Berg
2021-02-02 20:21:15 +0000 UTC
