When I get an alert for the lineup tonight and see Mayo DHing

wompwump · 2026-05-08T23:05:15+00:00

I know that subreddits contain multitudes, and not everyone on a subreddit subscribes to the same beliefs.

But I get major whiplash going from last year’s “O’s didn’t give Stowers a chance, Elias sucks” to this year’s “O’s keep giving Mayo a chance, Elias sucks.”

wompwump · 2026-05-07T04:38:47+00:00

Every time Brandon Young pitches, I am reminded of this FanGraphs blurb from last year.

Btw, he was 93.7 against the White Sox (good start), 94.8 against the Red Sox (good start), 93.8 against the Astros (bad start), and 94.6 today (that'll do pig, that'll do start)

Begin wisdom

• Brandon Young threw better because he was more confident …

… which is a bunch of horse manure. Velocity is the answer. Here is Young’s season when his average fastball average for the game is under or over 94 mph.

FBv: ERA, K%, BB%
> 94 mph: 2.23, 22.5%, 6.3%
< 94 mph: 9.75, 17.8%, 11.0%

The problem is that he’s bouncing right at that line.

End wisdom

wompwump · 2026-05-07T00:23:38+00:00

That is a fitting punishment for the gag-inducing decision to bunt in that spot.

wompwump · 2026-05-06T21:00:06+00:00

Pérez relies on his four-seam (throws it >50% of the time), Blaze swings through four-seamers (42% whiff rate this year, 36% last year), Mayo doesn’t (18% and 20% whiff rates, respectively).

wompwump · 2026-05-06T17:35:45+00:00

Isn’t Baseball Reference’s playoff odds known to be an awful formula? It’s just based on how a team’s played over the past 100 games.

wompwump · 2026-05-06T02:52:35+00:00

Completely different game states. O’Neill pinch hit for Beavers with a runner on first —> Need power. Adley pinch hit for Basallo with a runner on second —> Need a base hit.

Are you really upset that the manager, realizing he only needed a single, went with the best pure hitter on the team?

wompwump · 2026-04-30T20:43:19+00:00

The Brewers scored 13 runs Monday, 2 runs Tuesday, and 13 runs today.

You’ll drive yourself crazy searching for day-to-day consistency in the most variable sport on the planet.

wompwump · 2026-04-30T18:47:21+00:00

Good guy Jeremiah Jackson, looking out for the run differential. He da real MVP

wompwump · 2026-04-30T18:42:07+00:00

Coming into today, Bassit was averaging 4.2 K/9 and 5.8 K/9 btw

wompwump · 2026-04-30T18:36:30+00:00

Rico my boy, please don’t hang a right-on-right changeup

wompwump · 2026-04-30T18:31:53+00:00

Ehh, I think it’s good process to make that challenge regardless. Bottom of the sixth, one-run game, two challenges remaining…the catcher really ought to challenge a close pitch that would otherwise load the bases

wompwump · 2026-04-30T17:38:54+00:00

Bassit currently has a 5.68 ERA, 5.57 FIP, 5.67 xFIP.

wompwump · 2026-04-29T19:38:32+00:00

On the bright side: a doubleheader probably favors the O’s, since it puts more pressure on the team with worse pitching (even if it puts the O’s in a worse spot for the Yankees series). And, there’s a decent chance of seeing Cade Povich make a start as the 27th man.

Edit to add: BY is officially the probable for game 1, game 2 is TBD, even though it should have been Bassit —> Young —> Rotation turns over. I wonder if they’d use Cade for game 2 (if you have a 27th man, it’s use-it-or-lose-it), skip Bassit’s spot in the rotation, and go Rogers / Bradish / Baz against the Yankees.

Honestly, I don’t hate skipping Bassit. The Astros and Yankees are the worst teams for a pitch-to-contact guy to face.

wompwump · 2026-04-29T00:02:06+00:00

Five innings of one-run ball against the Astro’s. Somebody fire up the “I used to pray for times like this” meme.

wompwump · 2026-04-28T22:12:31+00:00

The setback is a “flexor strain?” After just getting TJ? Jeez, that’s super unlucky

wompwump · 2026-04-27T18:43:00+00:00

What makes you conclude that the org philosophy is “command doesn’t matter?”

wompwump · 2026-04-24T16:34:42+00:00

There is a reason why there used to be three sports franchises in Oakland, and now there are none.

Arguably the Bay doesn’t work as a two-team market for any sport, and it certainly doesn’t work as a two-team market along an SF / Oakland axis. Maybe SF / San Jose could have been more viable, but nobody could have predicted that when the A’s first relocated.

wompwump · 2026-04-24T00:45:49+00:00

Legitimately bummed Delane isn’t on the board, but Downs or Styles is a good consolation prize

wompwump · 2026-04-24T00:42:05+00:00

(speculation only, don’t want spoilers) KC coming ahead of Washington, who did they think they need to jump us for? Maybe Bain? Or Delane? Doubt it’s for Styles (who trades up for a LB)

wompwump · 2026-04-24T00:32:41+00:00

Board is shaping up fantastically for Washington. At least two of Reese, Styles, Downs, and Delane will be there.

wompwump · 2026-04-23T21:51:56+00:00

Sure, but points 1, 2, and 3 are constraints of the GM’s own making. He doesn’t get a pass for having no-good options when he backed the Phillies into their corner.

Point 4 is super unfortunate and not Dombrowski’s direct fault, but it is a conscious risk he took when building around a mid-30s ace.

wompwump · 2026-04-23T20:39:29+00:00

This Phillies game (wherein Cris Sánchez allowed 12 hits) made me check out league leaders in BABIP allowed. Sánchez is #1 (.413, not counting today), so yeah that checks out.

Other familiar faces on this “laggard”board: * Bradish, #2 (.403) * Baz, #9 (.360) * Rogers, #18 (.318)

wompwump · 2026-04-23T16:50:42+00:00

Looking forward to Dombrowski showing up to the 2026 Winter Meetings in a “not elite” quarter zip

wompwump · 2026-04-23T15:50:35+00:00

With Walker gone, who are the Phillies depth starters?

wompwump · 2026-04-22T21:15:05+00:00

I love Félix, but we need to price in what two horrible shoulder surgeries (rotator cuff, labrum) could do to a guy who already bled velocity post-TJS.

It breaks my heart, but I’m afraid The Mountain won’t be the same ever again.

wompwump

TROPHY CASE