Snake Bytes 10/27: World Series Eve

D-backs News:

[Arizona Sports] Diamondbacks claim pitcher Tyler Zuber off waivers

Zuber, 27, did not pitch in 2022 after Kansas City placed him on the 60-day injured list in mid-March due to right shoulder impingement syndrome. He broke through to the major league level in 2020, making 23 relief appearances across 22.0 innings for a 4.09 ERA.

The right-hander then bounced back and forth between Triple-A and MLB in 2021. He made a combined 59 outings at those two levels, with the 31 for the Royals resulting in 19 earned runs during 27.1 innings for a 6.26 ERA.

[SI] Shane Loux discusses his transition to pitching coach

Shane Loux is currently the pitching coach of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Double-A affiliate in Amarillo. Loux was formerly a second round selection in the 1997 Draft by the Detroit Tigers out of Highland High School in Gilbert, Arizona. He spent 18 years in affiliated ball, which included 58 major league appearances, 13 starts, two Tommy John surgeries and a World Series ring with the San Francisco Giants in 2012.

Baseball News:

[FiveThirtyEight] The Astros are baseball’s most business-like buzzsaw

Despite the turnover and turmoil in the front office and dugout, the Astros have enjoyed a lot of continuity. Second baseman José Altuve and third baseman Alex Bregman have been linchpins for their entire post-2017 run, but the roots run deeper than them. Every hitter in the starting lineup has been part of the organization since at least 2019, and every starting pitcher since at least 2017, but often longer. The Astros’ player development tastes likely changed somewhat when Dusty Baker and James Click replaced Hinch and Luhnow as manager and GM, respectively, but there are obvious holdovers in how the Astros play and what they do well.

[Deadspin] MLB needs to explain why Juan Soto is a gold glove finalist

The Padres outfielder is not a good defender. He’s not subpar. He’s well, well, well below average. In fact, in terms of Outs Above Average (OAA), Soto totaled -15 OAA in 2022, the worst mark of his career.

[Seattle Sports] Mariners claim Luke Weaver

Seattle announced Wednesday afternoon it has claimed right-hander Luke Weaver from the Kansas City Royals, and the reason you may know his name is because he was the other half of the national anthem standoff that Mariners pitcher Robbie Ray “won” during a game at Kansas City on Sept. 25.

[NYT] You be the ump - a fun simulation game

With Major League Baseball considering the adoption of an automated strike zone system as soon as 2024, this could be one of the last World Series with umpires calling balls and strikes. Now it’s your turn behind the plate: Are you more accurate than a major league umpire?