Snake Bytes 3/2: Tardy to the Party

Diamondbacks News:

[SI] Diamondbacks battery spectacular against Giants

The Diamondbacks got a strong performance from their starting battery in an 8-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. Drey Jameson tossed two perfect innings on three days rest and Carson Kelly going 3-for-3 with a home run and drove in four runs.

[FG] Prospect report: Diamondbacks 2023 imminent big leaguers

There are also many valuable part-time players who can only generate so much WAR due to their lack of playing time. As such, FV grades below 50 tend to describe a role more than they do a particular WAR output; you can glean the projected roles from the players’ reports. In short, anyone who is a 40+ FV player or above projects as an integral big league role player or better.

[AZC] After breakout, D-backs 1b enters 2023 with ‘different feeling’

“Knowing that I can do it for a whole season,” Walker said, identifying what feels different. “I was always confident about that and I always believed that, but it’s different when you see it on paper and there’s closure to it.”

[PRNW] Perfect Game’s prestigious Dick’s Sporting Goods All-American Classic returns to Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona

21st Annual All-American Classic to take place August 20, 2023

Say that three times fast.

Baseball News:

[ESPN] Spring training batting averages, runs tick upward amid shift limits

Runs and batting average were both up through the first wave of games compared to spring training a year ago. Players were hitting .272 through Feb. 28, with an average of 11.9 runs scored. That’s up from a batting average of .259 and 10.6 runs through the same period in 2022.

[Yahoo] Forget the new rules - the biggest news story in baseball is the collapse of the regional sports networks

“I think our aggressiveness with respect to stepping in in the event that Bally’s can’t broadcast was driven in part by the fact that we saw it as an opportunity to fix this blackout problem,” he said two weeks ago in Florida.

(He also said, “I don’t relish any of this,” which seems, quite frankly, to be a bit too much protest — so much, in fact, that some might view it as evidence to the contrary.)

In the event that DSG declares bankruptcy and loses the ability and rights to broadcast games — that elides the complications of bankruptcy court and the possibility that not all teams and RSNs have the same fallout — Manfred says MLB is prepared to produce and broadcast local games.

[NBC] MLB sets up local media group, could broadcast 17 teams

Major League Baseball added three executives to its new local media department as it prepares for a possible takeover of broadcasts for 17 teams amid the financial deterioration of the Bally and AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks.

[FS] Braves send clear message to Marcel Ozuna early in spring training.

Marcell Ozuna’s struggles the past two seasons were well documented. Some fans wanted him traded, but his contract is an albatross given his limited production.