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Archie Bradley for 2019 Closer
The moving Archie Bradley to the closer’s role is something that has been speculated on for the better part of a season and a half now. Then, Bradley ran into trouble in the second half of this season, causing the calls for such a change to dry up. Well, now it seems Lovullo is prepared to give it shot for 2019. Hopefully, Bradley has a well-rested arm and his fingernail is no longer limiting his devastating curve.
Has Analytics Killed the Art of Hitting?
No. No it hasn’t. Yes, baseball has now seen its first ever season where strikeouts outnumbered hits. The Yankees set the single-season record for home runs by a team with 267, including 10 or more from every regular position player on the squad. However, the presences of Paul Goldschmidt, Joey Votto, Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, Mike Trout, and Christian Yelich littering the upper echelons of MVP voting for the last five seasons would seem to indicate that true hitting, without the help of the launch angle revolution still reigns supreme.
Rockies Edge Out Cubs in Wild Card Marathon
The Colorado Rockies are heading to Milwaukee to face off against the Brewers in the NLDS thanks to a 13-inning Wild Card victory over the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs were held to one run on six hits; this only one day after having been held to one run on three hits by the Brewers, bringing their 2018 campaign to an unsavoury end.
AL Wild Card Game Position-by-Position Comparison
Given how much of an offensive juggernaut the Yankees have been all season long, it is not surprising that they claim six of the nine slots with the catching position also being close to a wash.
The quick and dirty on what fans might expect to see in today’s AL Wild Card game between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees.