Category: Sports News

At this time last year, Brad Lord was one of the biggest stories of Nationals Spring Training. After working at Home Depot in the offseason, the former 18th round pick pitched his way on to the Nationals roster. Following a solid rookie season, Lord is flying much more under the radar.

He is a lock to make the roster, the only question is what role he will serve. Lord is a quiet, go with the flow guy, which makes him the perfect candidate to bounce between the rotation and bullpen. He just wants to help the team in whatever way he can. Lord told me that he will “Do whatever they need and I am always open to anything”.

As of right now, he is building up to be a starter, but he is not sure what his ultimate role will be. After the Zack Littell signing, I think he is likely to head to the bullpen. He was more effective out of the bullpen last year, posting a 2.79 ERA in that role. However, he was reliable wherever he pitched and was a rare bright spot on a brutal Nats pitching staff.

Lord faded a bit down the stretch, but he still had a great rookie season for a guy taken in the 18th round. He posted a 4.34 ERA in 130.2 innings as a rookie. His ability to generate ground balls and keep the ball off the barrel made him a solid MLB pitcher. To get to the next level, he will have to refine some of his secondary pitches, as he was very fastball reliant last year.

He threw either a 4-seam or a sinker 66.5% of the time last year. With the Nationals cutting fastball usage, I anticipate that to go down. However, the heater should still be Lord’s bread and butter. His low arm slot and solid velocity make his fastballs quite good. He just needs another weapon that hitters have to respect.

Lord told me that one thing he was refining is his changeup. He did not make any massive changes, but the righty did tweak his changeup grip. Last year, the changeup was a solid weapon to lefties, but nothing special. This grip change could improve the pitch. Lord used the changeup to overwhelm Nolan Gorman yesterday in his Spring Training outing.

Yesterday was the best Lord has looked this spring. Six of his nine outs came via the ground ball, which is exactly what you want to see from him. Getting quick outs is a big part of Lord’s game. It is what makes him a solid starter and a fantastic swing man.

Lord was at his best last season in that swing man role. From late May to early August, he was dominant, posting a 2.20 ERA in that time. When he moved to the rotation full time, he got exposed a bit down the stretch. I also think he began to wear down at the end of his first MLB season.

Whatever his role is, Brad Lord will be a key piece for the Nats pitching staff. He is a guy who can get outs in a variety of roles, which is very important in the modern game. While he is unlikely to start the season in the rotation, he will be the next man up when injuries inevitably hit. 

Last season, he made 48 appearances with 19 starts. I would not be surprised if we saw something like that again. He can just do whatever the manager asks of him, which is incredibly valuable. Brad Lord’s name is not on the tip of fans tongues like it was last year, but I think he is poised to be a pivotal piece of the Nats pitching staff once again.

Morning, all!

Chris Young says that he’s seeing indications that the Rangers have had a better approach at the plate this spring and he hopes that means the offense won’t be repeating the futility of 2025.

Evan Grant hosted a Q&A where he answered questions about how the bullpen will shake out, whether Ezequiel Duran will make the team, and the expected outfield alignment.

Shawn McFarland continues his prospect countdown with number 13, RHP Leandro Lopez.

It just wouldn’t be spring if we weren’t reading articles wondering if this is finally the season a player is finally as good as they were three years ago.

The experts are predicting big things for Rangers’ pitching prospect Caden Scarborough

Arguably the most consistent debate in Kansas City sports over the last two years is about who should be the Kansas City Royals’ leadoff hitter. After shuffling around multiple guys in the spot in 2024, the Royals went out and acquired Jonathan India last season to explicitly fill the job. That didn’t quite work, and so now Matt Quatraro is mulling over five different players to be the team’s main leadoff guy.

Unfortunately, in addition to being the most consistent debate in Kansas City sports, this particular conversation is also, I think, the stupidest. There is one and only one answer to who the Royals’ leadoff hitter should be, and that person is Bobby Witt Jr.

I’m not going to go into extreme detail here, but let’s cover why this is the case. Most importantly, the first hitter in the lineup sees the most plate appearances; over the course of a full year, a team’s leadoff spot in the lineup sees about 760 plate appearances with each subsequent spot seeing about 18 fewer PAs. Secondarily, the first hitter in the lineup is the only hitter you can guarantee a clean base with no one in front of them.

As a result, there are three schools of thought with leadoff hitters. One is that your leadoff hitter should be the guy with the best on base percentage on your team because he gets a chance to get on base before anybody else; let’s call this the Alex Gordon School. Two is that your leadoff hitter should be fast to take advantage of open bases; let’s call this the Rickey Henderson School. Three is that your leadoff hitter should simply be your best hitter; let’s call this the Shohei Ohtani School.

The reason why Witt should lead off for the Royals is because it literally doesn’t matter what school of thought you ascribe to. Who’s got the best OBP ability on the team? Bob, no question. Who is the fastest player on the team? Bob, again. Who’s the most talented overall hitter on the team? Bob, by a rather huge margin.

Historically, Witt has hit second, which is the second-best place for him. Hitting second makes it so that he always has a chance of coming to the plate with someone on base. But Kansas City’s problem is that Witt is so much better than anyone else on the team that it just doesn’t make sense for him to lose out on those 18 plate appearances along with the other elite table-setting benefits that Witt provides. Remember: Witt does hit home runs, but he’s a doubles machine who leads all of Major League Baseball over the last two seasons.

All of this has sort of made it frustrating to see JJ Picollo and Matt Quatraro waffle on who should be the leadoff hitter between Witt and literally any other inferior option. So far, I’ve chalked it up to Bob simply not wanting to hit leadoff. Baseball players are a superstitious bunch, and Lord knows that Witt has earned enough leeway to say that he prefers hitting second and stick to it.

But something rumbles, y’all. During the World Baseball Classic, Witt has been leading off.

Witt as Team USA’s leadoff hitter is significantly more up for debate considering the hilarious offensive firepower he’s paired with. If he didn’t want to hit leadoff, he wouldn’t have to. I mean, what are we gonna do, complain about Aaron freaking Judge hitting at the top spot of the lineup otherwise?

But Witt is indeed hitting leadoff. And it’s going well; he’s contributed on offense and on defense for Team USA.

So my hope, my prayer, is that Witt realizes his love of hitting leadoff for Team USA and brings that love of leadoff to Kansas City. Then, we might close this debate for good as long as Witt may reign with the Royals. Amen.

Hello everyone!

The Mariners continued their run as the Cactus League’s sad sack losers, falling prey to the Rockies in an 11-7 slugfest. The good news is Matt Brash made his spring debut and appears to be on track for an Opening Day return.

If you were the Mariners, would you ever consider stretching Brash back out as a starter at any point? I highly doubt they’d consider it, to be clear — but would you?

In Mariners news…

• In case you missed it, Bryce Miller exited a planned bullpen session as he felt some renewed discomfort in his oblique. The Mariners are not planning to shut him down from throwing at this time, but it seems unlikely he’ll be ready for Opening Day.
• The Mariners announced their slate of new menu options at T-Mobile Park this summer. I’m jealous of all of you who live in the Seattle area and will get to try some of these delectables!
• Former LL staffer Patrick Dubuque wrote about the Cal Raleigh-Randy Arozarena beef as if it were a Jane Austen novel in his latest post for Baseball Prospectus. ($)
• Miles Mastrobuoni’s run with the upstart Italian squad appears to be at an end.

In the World Baseball Classic…

• The dream tourney run for Team Italy rolled on with an easy 9-1 victory over Mexico, punching their ticket to the next round and securing the U.S. a spot there too.
• Team Canada is advancing to the quarterfinal for the first time ever after a 7-2 win against Cuba gave them the top seed out of Pool A.
• The Dominican Republic continued its dominant run in the tournament with a 7-5 win over a talented Venezuela squad, giving the DR the top seed out of Pool D.
• For Team Venezuela, the World Baseball Classic is giving the team’s players a reason to celebrate and hope during a time of political upheaval.

Around the league…

• Astros closer Josh Hader is set to begin the season on the injured list while he recovers from a biceps issue.
• Ian Cundall at Baseball America listed ten pitching prospects with intriguing velocity increases this spring, with Ryan Sloan headlining the bunch. ($)
• Smarty Jones at The Good Phight wrote that “lineup protection” clearly isn’t the issue for Bryce Harper given how poorly he’s performed during the WBC.
• Congratulations to fellow LL staffer Ryan Blake, who is now a contributor over at Fangraphs! In his first piece, he wrote about the slow, sad death of Mike Trout’s career amidst the apathetic Angels.
• Ben Clemens at Fangraphs wonders how long it will be until someone other than Aaron Judge is the best hitter in the sport.

There are many players to grace a professional baseball diamond who have also had controversy overtake their careers in Major League Baseball. Some have put on a Yankees uniform at different times in their careers, and some have even had their Hall of Fame chances ruined because of said off-field issues.

Darryl Strawberry’s career is no different, and while he didn’t spend the majority of his time in MLB donning white and navy pinstripes, he still made an impact for the Yankees during their glory ’90s years. But his terrific tenure in The Show also came with a large elephant in the room.

Darryl Eugene Strawberry
Born: March 12, 1962 (Los Angeles, CA)
Yankees Tenure: 1995-1999

Strawberry didn’t have the easiest childhood, as his father Henry was abusive to both him and his mother, Ruby. The police took Henry away when Darryl was 10, and he soon flourished as an up-and-coming athlete in the LA area. He excelled at baseball, basketball, and football, and would sign a letter of intent to play college baseball at Oklahoma State University. That all changed when his star was so bright that the New York Mets selected him with the first overall pick in the 1980 MLB Draft.

It took three seasons for Strawberry to reach the Mets roster, and he was already receiving otherworldly comparisons. He debuted against the Reds on May 6, 1983, when the just-turned 21-year-old went 0-for-4 with two walks and a stolen base in a 7-4 Mets win. From there, the 6-foot-6, 190-pound outfielder’s extensive career was off and running.

Strawberry’s first season in the majors was a success, as he imposed his will on opposing pitchers. He played in 122 games for the Mets and slashed .257/.336/.512 for an OPS+ of 134, smashing 26 home runs along the way. He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award with 18 of 24 first-place votes.

While Strawberry’s sophomore season wasn’t quite as dominant, he was still good enough to earn an All-Star nod, the first of eight-straight in his career. In 1985, he hit a career-high (to that point) 29 home runs and posted a career-high .947 OPS, but after tearing ligaments in his thumb while making a catch during a game, he missed a significant chunk of the Mets’ season and played only 111 games.

The Mets of 1986 were a juggernaut. There’s no other way to say it. And Strawberry was one of the heads of the beast, alongside catcher Gary Carter, first baseman Keith Hernandez, and Straw’s fellow young star, ace Dwight Gooden. In 136 games, he slashed .259/.358/.507 for an OPS+ of 139 and hit 27 home runs for his fourth straight season of 25+ bombs, good for an All-Star nod and a Mets franchise record 108 wins for the team. Strawberry played in 13 postseason games between the NLCS against the Astros and the infamous World Series against the Red Sox, recording multiple clutch hits, including a major home run in Game 3 of the NLCS and another in Game 7 of the World Series. He was a champion already at 24 years old, but he also already had a drug problem.

Strawberry’s best individual seasons came from 1987 to 1991. In 1987, he finished the year with a 5.5 fWAR, the second-highest of his career. He joined the 30/30 Club with 39 homers and 36 steals, tallied 104 RBI’s, and finished with a .981 OPS. All of this resulted in finishing sixth in the National League MVP voting, and in 1988, Strawberry hit a league-leading 39 home runs again with a league-leading .545 slugging percentage and .911 OPS. He also registered 101 RBI’s and was the NL MVP runner-up, only trailing Kirk Gibson of the Dodgers (who dispatched the Mets in a six-game NLCS). He also took home his first of two Silver Slugger awards in his career.

Following a 1989 campaign that saw another All-Star appearance (but a downgrade compared to his previous two years), Strawberry’s 1990 output was revitalized, bashing 37 home runs, tallying a career-high 108 RBI’s, and a career-high 6.5 fWAR. He finished third in NL MVP voting and was awarded another Silver Slugger. And 1990 was also the final season he would don a Mets uniform. In the offseason, he went on to sign a five-year $22.25 million contract with his hometown Dodgers, and while his 1991 season was still above average, it was the start of the downturn of a once-great power-hitter’s career.

In 1992 and 1993, Strawberry played a combined 75 games for the Dodgers and was released in 1994 by the team after failing to show up to a game. He then joined the Giants for the year, where he only played in 29 games.

Strawberry was suspended at the beginning of the 1995 season after testing positive for cocaine. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner decided to see what he had left, and Strawberry joined New York’s other team as a lefty DH/bench option. He posted a 112 OPS+ as the Yankees snapped their 14-year playoff drought with a Wild Card spot, but he got just two at-bats in the ALDS loss to Seattle and remained unsigned for the entire offseason.

Although that could have been the end of Strawberry’s life in baseball, he found new life in an unlikely locale. Given a shot with the Northern League’s St. Paul Saints, he obliterated Indy ball to such a preposterous degree—a .435 average and 18 homers in 29 games—that Steinbrenner couldn’t resist. He ended up re-signing with the Yankees in July 1996 and soon became the primary left fielder for the eventual champions.

Strawberry had a three-homer game, walked off the White Sox with the 300th bomb of his career, and while he was up-and-down in the playoffs, he slugged a trio of homers to help dispatch the Orioles in the ALCS.

Strawberry helped lead the Yankees to three World Series titles during his time in the Bronx, and also struck up a friendship with budding star Derek Jeter. Despite the limited playing time—outside of 1998, when he played 101 games and hit 24 home runs—he posted some excellent numbers in pinstripes and was beloved in that clubhouse. Strawberry’s career slash line of .255/.362/.502 and 119 OPS+ in 239 games was more than good enough to be an above-average piece off the bench.

In ’98, Straw even turned the cool trick of getting two pinch-hit grand slams in the same season.

For everything that happened in Strawberry’s turbulent life, he also always maintained that memorable buggy-whip swing.

Strawberry was unable to join the Yankees’ World Series run in ’98, as he was diagnosed with colon cancer in the middle of the ALDS. He recovered and prepared for the ’99 campaign before his old demons struck again. He was arrested for possession of cocaine and soliciting an undercover cop posing as a prostitute. MLB suspended him 140 days and he did not return to the Yankees until the final months of the season. Strawberry showed little signs of rust, hitting .327 in 24 games and belting apair of key playoff homers as the Yanks repeated as champions.

Strawberry’s off-field drug issues continued. He tested positive for cocaine in February 2000 while attending spring training. Commissioner Bud Selig demanded Strawberry leave the team while waiting for a decision on the suspension length. After the test news came out, Selig announced that Strawberry would be suspended for the entire 2000 campaign, and, as a result, his MLB career was over. It was a celebrated one, featuring four World Series titles, a Rookie of the Year, two Silver Sluggers, and eight All-Star nods. But for many fans, it felt like he left a lot on the table, too.

The first few years after Strawberry’s retirement were a journy through the wilderness and multiple more arrests. Thankfully, he did eventually find sobriety, and it has reportedly lasted over two decades. The Mets just retired his No. 18 in 2024, and he’s often attended Yankees Old-Timers’ Days and team reunions. Here’s wishing Darryl a happy 64th birthday.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

When the 2025 season ended, there was a narrative espoused by the Mets’ front office that one of the goals of the offseason was to focus on run prevention. This narrative more or less went out the window with the signing of Jorge Polanco and Bo Bichette, but the concept endures in the trade of Brandon Nimmo to the Rangers in exchange for Marcus Semien.

The deal was a palatable one for both sides because it was a swap of contracts that have not aged well, and for players who filled organizational needs for their new teams. Semien, the reigning American League Gold Glove winner at second base, is entering his fifth year of a seven year, $175 million deal. His deal has two fewer years remaining on it than Nimmo’s does. His story is a well-known one: a former shortstop who excelled defensively when he switched to second and who, after a few boffo offensive seasons, has cooled off with the bat considerably.

All of that somewhat belies what a useful player Semien still is. Over his past two seasons, he ‘s been worth 7.4 bWAR with an OPS+ of 103 and 97, respectively. Obviously, much of his value came from his defensive skills, but he was still the 13th most valuable second baseman in baseball last year. And while, yes, Semien is entering his age 36 season, he’s just three years removed from a season when he came in third place in the AL MVP voting and when he slugged 29 home run and 100 RBIs. It wasn’t his best season (that would be 2019’s 8.4 bWAR season), but it was a very valuable one.

But let’s pretend that 2025 is more where he is offensively for the last three years of his contract with the Mets. If he can provide quality defense up the middle and hit 15ish home runs while playing just about every day, the Mets’ offense should be able to more than carry him at the bottom of the lineup. That’s still a trade the Mets likely make, even if Semien isn’t quite who he used to be.

But the change of scenery, protection in the lineup, and his underlying skills could come together in another 2022 season for Semien. And if it does, the Mets’ lineup will be truly formidable.

Playing shortstop is a point of pride.

Even now, years later, it still visits me in dreams — the slow chopper that turns into a barehand play; the diving backhand deep in the hole; the thrill of a perfectly timed double play. Shortstop lives at the heart of the diamond. Every ground ball feels like it might find you. Every pop fly is yours to claim. You call teammates off, direct the rhythm of the infield, and for a moment, you feel like the quiet general of the defense. 

When I had to move to second base in college, it was devastating. Shortstop wasn’t just a position I played — it was the one I loved. 

Because I played shortstop, those were always the players I watched the closest. Luckily for Rockies fans, there have been some excellent ones to watch over the years — from Troy Tulowitzki’s all-around brilliance to Trevor Story’s power and athleticism. 

Today, the position now belongs to Ezequiel Tovar. 

This is a snapshot of where the Rockies’ shortstop position stands entering 2026 — anchored by Tovar’s elite defense and shaped largely by what happens if he isn’t on the field. 

At a glance

The Rockies’ outlook at shortstop rests on two pillars: 

• Elite defense. Tovar is already one of the best defensive shortstops in baseball. 
• Volatile offense. His aggressive swing decisions create both upside and inconsistency. 

Tovar enters the 2026 season at 24 years old (turning 25 on Aug. 1) and looks to be the long-term answer at shortstop in Colorado. 

His breakout season came in 2024, when he led the National League with 45 doubles, hit 26 home runs, and won a Gold Glove. That performance cemented his reputation as a cornerstone defender and one of the most dynamic young players on the roster. 

Defense remains the foundation of Tovar’s value. According to Statcast, he recorded 15 Outs Above Average at shortstop in both 2023 and 2024, placing him among the elite defenders at the position. Even in a shortened 2025 season, he still produced 3 OAA, continuing to provide positive defensive value. 

That 2025 campaign was limited to 95 games due to a hip injury in April and an oblique strain in June, which helps explain the offensive regression. But even in that abbreviated season, the underlying plate-discipline metrics moved slightly in the right direction. 

Tovar’s offensive profile is defined by aggression. In 2025 he posted a 41.1% chase rate and a 60.7% swing rate, both dramatically higher than MLB averages (28.4% and 47.3%). That approach limits walks and can create streakiness at the plate. 

However, there were encouraging signs beneath the surface. His walk rate improved from 3.3% in 2024 to 5.4% in 2025, while his strikeout rate dropped from 28.8% to 25.1%. They are small steps, but meaningful ones for a hitter whose biggest developmental hurdle is swing decisions. 

The raw power is also real. Statcast measured Tovar’s average exit velocity at 88.8 mph in 2024 and 89.4 mph in 2025, with a maximum exit velocity of 112.5 mph. Those numbers support the “sneaky pop” profile Rockies fans have already seen when he’s locked in. 

Another encouraging indicator is Tovar’s contact quality. Statcast’s Launch Angle Sweet-Spot percentage (LA Sweet-Spot %) tracks how often a hitter produces launch angles between 8° and 32°, the range most associated with productive contact. Tovar ranked in the 90th percentile in this metric, suggesting that when he squares the ball up, the underlying contact profile supports his potential for continued power production. 

The Rockies clearly believe in him. Tovar is signed through 2030 with a club option for 2031, a deal that could look increasingly team-friendly if his offensive game continues to evolve. 

2026 Outlook

FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projection system forecasts roughly 21 home runs and about 3 fWAR for Tovar in 2026. 

Across projection systems, the expected range generally falls between about 2.1 and 3.1 WAR, reflecting both the stability of his defensive value and the uncertainty surrounding his offensive approach. 

That defensive floor is important. Statcast’s Fielding Run Value credits Tovar with 13 defensive runs in 2023, 16 in 2024, and 3 in 2025, reinforcing the idea that even during a down year he remains a positive contributor in the field. 

But if the approach at the plate continues trending in the right direction — fewer chase swings, a few more walks, and continued gap power — the upside grows considerably. That’s where the All-Star conversation begins to enter the picture. 

Depth Behind Tovar

Shortstop depth in the Rockies organization largely revolves around Tovar staying healthy. 

Behind him, the options are mostly contingency plans rather than clear everyday alternatives. 

Ryan Ritter – Ritter has the athleticism and defensive ability to play shortstop, though questions about his offensive consistency remain. He has already filled in during past Tovar absences but currently profiles best as depth or a utility option. Ritter’s defensive ability is far ahead of his offense at this point, but Ritter is absolutely destroying the ball this spring.

Willi Castro – Signed to a two-year deal before the 2026 season, Castro provides versatility across the diamond and could handle shortstop in short stretches if needed. Castro has tallied over 1,200 innings at short in his big league career to mixed results.

Nicky Lopez (NRI) – A glove-first veteran invited to spring training as a non-roster player. If he makes the club, it would likely be as a defensive specialist capable of covering shortstop late in games. 

Cole Carrigg (No. 4 PuRP) – Carrigg is currently playing shortstop for Team Israel in the World Baseball Classic, a valuable opportunity to continue developing the position. Within the Rockies system, however, he is viewed more as a multi-position athlete than a long-term major league shortstop. 

The broader point is simple: If Tovar misses significant time, the Rockies’ defensive stability up the middle takes a noticeable hit. 

In the Pipeline 

At the top of the Rockies’ shortstop prospect ladder sits Ethan Holliday (No. 2 PuRP), one of the organization’s most exciting prospects and the fourth-overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. The son of former Rockies star Matt Holliday, he enters the system with enormous offensive upside. The main question is whether he remains at shortstop long term or eventually shifts to third base. 

Beyond Holliday, the shortstop pipeline is still developing rather than overflowing with top-tier talent. Ashly Andujar (No. 20 PuRP), a young switch-hitting infielder signed out of the Dominican Republic, has shown strong bat-to-ball skills and defensive instincts in the lower minors but still needs to add strength as he climbs the ladder. 

Other names deeper in the system include Andy Perez and Dyan Jorge. Each shows defensive potential at shortstop but remains far from the major leagues. 

For the foreseeable future, the Rockies’ stability at shortstop depends on Tovar holding down the middle of the diamond. 

The Big Picture

There is a lot of weight on Tovar’s shoulders, but he doesn’t need to be a superstar. 

His defense already provides a valuable foundation. If the plate discipline continues to inch forward and the power remains part of his profile, Tovar could develop into one of the better all-around shortstops in the National League. 

But he doesn’t have to reach those heights to be integral to the Rockies. 

If he simply continues progressing — staying healthy, refining the approach, and anchoring the defense — Ezequiel Tovar can be exactly what the Rockies need him to be: A steady force through the rebuild, and a core piece of the next winning team in Colorado. 

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Over the last five years, we’ve written often about the outstanding job A.J. Hinch and his staff does in terms of getting the most out of a good, but far from dominant roster. From pinch-hitting, to bullpen usage, to creativity when things go wrong, to details like taking the extra base, the Tigers continue to do a lot of little things right to paper over weaknesses and play to their strengths. Sports Info Solutions gave us another example in an article written by Mark Simon on Monday.

Sports Info Solutions provides data and analysis to teams in many different sports, and has been a leader in that field over the last decade in particular. They are the creators of the defensive runs saved (DRS) metric used by FanGraphs and many other sites to evaluate team and player defense. And the defensive metrics on the Tigers the past two seasons are fairly eye-opening.

In 2024, the Tigers were a combined negative four defensive runs saved if you add up each players” individual DRS numbers. Yet the team was plus 40 in defensive runs saved in defensive positioning, far outweighing the modest collection of defenders’ actual ability.

In 2025? The Tigers were a negative 11 runs saved on defense individualy. And yet their positioning saved 47 runs, for a net +36 runs saved. Pretty impressive.

Defensive runs saved, on a player by player basis, functions much like Statcast’s outs above average. Each play made or not made is judged by where the fielder is on the field at contact, how fast the ball is moving and its trajectory, figuring the most direct intercept point, and judging difficulty of plays by those means. However, DRS also visually grades plays so that unique factors, like a baserunner crossing in front of a defender and blocking their view momentarily, the ball changing direction or off of the pitcher’s mound or the edge of the infield grass, and other factors that the raw data can’t pick up, can be taken into account. Statcast is much more straightforward. The ball was hit to this spot, this hard, and did the fielder take a good route, have the range to get to the spot, and did they make the play cleanly.

Defensive statistics are never going to be perfect, and their are valid arguments for both DRS and OAA. Still, actual defensive value is tricky to evaluate, particularly when you don’t have several years worth of data. Personally I tend to just rough it out between them, figuring that somewhere between each number is likely closest to the truth.

The difference here is that Statcast doesn’t issue a positioning metric for teams. Essentially, Sports Info Solutions is adding another layer of defensive analysis by grading how close to where the ball is actually hit a given team’s fielders are over the course of a season. Teams that routinely position their defense best in accordance with each individual hitters’ tendencies, have the advantage of being in a better starting position to make each given play.

I’m simplifying the whole methodology here, so if you’d like to learn more, read the full article here, with notes on individual players. You can go deeper and check out Sports Info Solutions numerous articles on the topic on their site, though they keep their full methodology under wraps.

Of course, this isn’t solely about George Lombard and Joey Cora positioning their fielders in accordance with the opposing teams’ spray charts produced by the Tigers’ analytics department. There’s also the component of getting the hitter to hit the ball where you want it to go, or to strike out. This is a group effort that also leans heavily on Chris Fetter’s game-planning and pitch sequencing acumen, and translating all that to his catchers to call the game.

Fetter and his staff’s ability to combine pitching strategy and defensive positioning to exploit hitter tendencies was a big part of his work with the Michigan Wolverines, and it’s part of the secret sauce that made him a sought after coach at the major league level. A.J. Hinch and the Tigers did well to land him, and as we’ve seen, the Tigers results often seem better than the raw pitching talent they’ve had over the last five seasons. This despite the fact that outside of Tarik Skubal and a few others, they haven’t actually made that many young pitchers radically better in isolation.

What’s interesting about these results, is that they suggest that the Tigers can make average defenders play like above average ones by positioning them better and getting the ball hit to that position more regularly. You might grade negative in DRS, but if you’re routinely being positioned closer to spot you need to be to make a play, the team is in good shape even if your individual defensive grades aren’t actually good. The plays you’re required to make are just made easier from the start.

Managers often talk about putting their players in the best position to succeed, but Hinch and his coaching staff have taken this very literally, to the Tigers’ benefit.

It’s pitching preview time, ladies and gentlemen. Over the next several days, I’ll be writing 10,000 words or so about everyone you might see pitching for the Red Sox to start the season. Last time, we took a look at the primary middle relief options. Today, we’re talking about the last part of the bullpen: the lefties.

The left-handed relief group is lacking depth. Aroldis Chapman is the only southpaw in the bullpen with significant MLB experience, and he’ll handle the ninth inning almost exclusively. Patrick Sandoval could also figure into the mix here, but that will probably be in a long relief role to keep him stretched out for a spot start, if necessary. Past that, there aren’t many veterans in the mix.

While the three-batter minimum has changed the role of lefty reliever, it’s still a unique one. Oftentimes, you’re being called on to clean up someone else’s mess. Recent rule changes mean that these pitchers need to be able to get both sides of the plate out, though matching up with pockets of left-handed hitters is still their primary responsibility. The group isn’t very deep, so don’t be surprised to see an addition before the season begins.

Jovani Moran

Jovani Moran is in pole position to win the spot as the first lefty out of the bullpen, which is somewhat terrifying. Moran threw four innings in the majors last season; before that, he hadn’t pitched in the majors since 2023. Fortunately, while the track record of success isn’t there, there’s plenty to like about what Moran brings to the table.

Moran’s best season came all the way back in 2022. He posted a 2.21 ERA over 40 2/3 innings with a 33% strikeout rate and 11% walk rate. He was effective against both sides of the plate, but his stats against righties were slightly stronger. It’s thanks to his changeup, which has posted swinging strike rates over 20% in each of his four big league seasons. He keeps the ball down well, which prevents hard contact, though the lone zone rate contributes to his high walk rate. His four-seam fastball has a flat shape and is thrown with seven feet of extension, which led to decent swing and miss numbers, though righties didn’t expand the zone frequently. It’s up to 94 mph in Spring Training, and it will play well if he can locate it at the top of the zone.

Against lefties, it’s a similar story. Both his changeup and his fastball created whiffs, but the four-seam didn’t get hitters to chase. He mixed in a slider as well, although it was almost never in the zone, so it didn’t help with his walk issue. He showed a cutter and a slider last year in the minors and in Spring Training, though he’s thrown 92% fastballs and changeups for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. He’s faced almost entirely righties and done a good job keeping his fastball up. He’s yet to allow a run over three innings, striking out one and walking two. He needs to be in the zone and limit walks, but the strikeout potential is enough to give him the inside track to the opening day roster.

Tyler Samaniego

Samaniego came over in the Johan Oviedo trade and is a really intriguing arm. Stop me if you’ve heard this before — he’s a big lefty with huge extension. He has different approaches against each side of the plate. Righties see a four-seam fastball with solid vertical movement from a low release that should be able to miss bats with solid command. It’s paired with a changeup that can induce whiffs when he spots it on the arm side. Lefties see sinkers with solid horizontal movement, and a slider that’s both in and out of the zone. His velocity and extension give him a solid floor, although the secondary pitches need to be honed in to reach his potential. He walked 7% of hitters in 38 minor league innings last season, a level of strike-throwing that will help him get to the big leagues.

Samaniego was late to get into a spring training game, but he’ll be ready to go for opening day. He’s on the 40-man roster, but he has options remaining, so he’s not a lock for the opening day roster. He’s probably next in line behind Moran for the leverage lefty spot in the bullpen.

Alec Gamboa

Gamboa is a non-roster invitee who throws from a straight over-the-top arm slot. He spent part of 2025 in the KBO, where he struck out 24.6% of hitters but walked 10.3%. He has a 94 mph four-seam and sinker, as well as a hard slider and a steep curveball. He was shut down for a few days with elbow soreness, however, and is on the outside looking in for the 26-man roster.

T.J. Sikkema

T.J. Sikkema is a soft-tossing lefty who worked as a starter for a recent Spring Training game. The lack of velocity limits his upside and makes it hard to find a spot for him as the matchup lefty, but he’s shown good command in camp. He’s spotted his sinker consistently on the arm side, allowing him to get strikes and weak contact. He’s also thrown his cutter to righties on the glove side regularly, although the lack of velocity makes it possible for them to get around it. He’s unlikely to find a spot besides a depth option to provide innings, but his command in camp has been impressive.

Jeremy Wu-Yelland

Jeremy Wu-Yelland was already reassigned to minor league camp, so he won’t be on the active roster to start the season. That doesn’t mean he won’t appear in a big league game this year, though.

Wu-Yelland is similar to other Red Sox pitchers in that he has a low release that helps create a flat approach angle on his four-seam fastball. He’s also very different due to the fact that he has less than five feet of extension. He has a unique delivery that allows him to hide the ball, although the cross-body style he employs sometimes leads to inconsistency in command. His walk rate was 8.5% last season over 45 innings at High-A and Double-A, so he appears to have a handle on it, but strike-throwing was an issue earlier in his career.

While he’s yet to reach Triple-A, his ability to punch hitters out has stood out in the low minors. Last season, his strikeout rate was over 37%. His fastball has touched 97 mph, and he also has a hard cutter/slider that he’s uses as a primary offering. His go-to breaking ball is a sweeper that he hasn’t quite found a feel for, but it contributed to that huge strikeout rate by missing bats. Wu-Yelland isn’t on the 40-man roster, so Samaniego is probably in front of him, as is Moran, but he isn’t that far down the totem pole and has a chance to debut this season.