2024 Spring Training Stuff

JM3

JM3

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bosox188 said:
Eno has all of his Stuff+ numbers kept in a Google spreadsheet, he keeps the link to it in his Athletic articles because it's intended to be for Athletic subscribers. I imagine once the regular season starts, Fangraphs will have major league Stuff+ and Location+ numbers tracked just like they did last season. Hopefully they also keep including the PitchingBot model as well. But Eno's sheet will have some additional things like minor league numbers for parks that have Statcast data.

I've been looking at tjStuff+ a lot too this spring, just because Thomas Nestico tweets out a stuff breakdown of every interesting pitcher who throws on a daily basis. It's more convenient to follow, but he seems to only focus on the stuff and not the location, which can be a bit misleading. I'm also not certain of what the differences are between his model and Eno's.
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I think TJ has a location one, too, but it's definitely not as out there.

View: https://twitter.com/TJStats/status/1769829768394834081
 
JM3

JM3

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JM3 said:
View: https://twitter.com/brendan_camp/status/1770250187077738595
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Some stuff in here that makes me optimistic about Lopez in terms of lack of health previously.

https://bloggingtheredsox.com/2024/03/19/red-sox-of-prospect-eduardo-lopez-homers-on-first-pitch-he-sees-this-spring/

Lopez, who turns 22 in May, is projected by SoxProspects.com to make the jump to Double-A Portland for the start of the 2024 minor-league season. With that being said, it may be tough for Lopez to find at-bats if he is behind the likes of Roman Anthony, Corey Rosier, Phillip Sikes, and others on the Sea Dogs’ outfield depth chart to open the year.
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In terms of this, I think Rosier probably starts the season in Worcester & there should be plenty of AA OF at bats available if someone earns them, especially before Castro & Bleis get there.
 
JM3

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Bailey Ober is 28 & has been part of the Twins rotation for the past 3 years, including a 3 bWAR season last year (& has struck out 16 in 10 innings this Spring). Clearly no match for swol BLEIS.
 
JM3

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Sandy Leon Trotsky said:
Geez! I’m still skeptical after this time last year being all in for GW as a starter. But I’d love little more than to see Smiling Joe happily eat crow
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Here's a nice long-form piece on why we shouldn't give up on Whitlock, yet:

https://www.overthemonster.com/2024/3/20/24102581/boston-red-sox-rotation-analysis-dont-give-up-on-garrett-whitlock

Basically he expects his pitches to go back to being good.

Pitching out of the pen and once every five days is different, but having success in one role doesn’t preclude someone from doing it in another. Although Whitlock hasn’t been able to succeed as a starter yet, the makings of the pitcher who was so dominant in 2021 still exist. With Whitlock having a full spring training and a new pitching coach to offer a new perspective, I believe Whitlock can return to form as a member of the rotation.
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JM3

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Here's a detailed writeup of Cooper Criswell that is much less optimistic & they are concerned he is this close to the rotation.

We need reliable, proven starters for a chance at mediocrity in 2024, and while Criswell has some factors that validate the “reliable” part, the uncertainty around him proving himself only proves the front office should have invested more into this pitching staff in 2024 to ensure the rest of the organization doesn’t suffer due to the lack of preparation.

But we all already knew that, didn’t we?
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https://www.overthemonster.com/2024/3/21/24105415/red-sox-season-preview-things-were-excited-for-and-terrified-of-in-2024-cooper-criswell-as-an-entity
 
Sandy Leon Trotsky

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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JM3 said:
C Note at 2nd today.

View: https://twitter.com/RedSox/status/1770853459803205904/photo/1
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I know some are against it, but I like having Cedanne Delivery be the #1 CF and keeping him as the backup 2B and even SS. It'll allow the DH to be used mostly for Yoshida but also to get guys a break but keeping their bat in the lineup
Duran can CF it occasionally (or O'Neill it seems maybe?), Yoshida can move to LF and the DH can give Story/Grissom whoever a break. Been discussed plenty obviously
 
Rovin Romine

Rovin Romine

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JM3 said:
Here's a detailed writeup of Cooper Criswell that is much less optimistic & they are concerned he is this close to the rotation.



https://www.overthemonster.com/2024/3/21/24105415/red-sox-season-preview-things-were-excited-for-and-terrified-of-in-2024-cooper-criswell-as-an-entity
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Eh. He was signed as depth, but presumably because Breslow actually liked something about him and thought he was tweakable. Because you don't sign a guy with his track record (and stuff) because you want to see that track record replicated for your club. (Nor do you repeatedly trot him out in ST if he were just one of those "one emergency start only" guys you're going to stash at AAA.)

So the question is, has something changed in what he's doing? That's the basic unanswered question in assessing him. Maybe we don't know yet, but an article that only rehashes his past numbers sort of misses that. I mean, it's alway useful to take a look and see what he's done.
 
JM3

JM3

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Rovin Romine said:
Eh. He was signed as depth, but presumably because Breslow actually liked something about him and thought he was tweakable. Because you don't sign a guy with his track record (and stuff) because you want to see that track record replicated for your club. (Nor do you repeatedly trot him out in ST if he were just one of those "one emergency start only" guys you're going to stash at AAA.)

So the question is, has something changed in what he's doing? That's the basic unanswered question in assessing him. Maybe we don't know yet, but an article that only rehashes his past numbers sort of misses that. I mean, it's alway useful to take a look and see what he's done.
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There's a paragraph in there on his Spring stats:

His Spring Training performance is middle-of-the-pack, which is likely where I want a guy on the fringe of making a roster to be. In five appearances and three starts, he’s pitched 14 1⁄3 innings to the tune of 13 strikeouts and just 3 walks (more low walk-rate!) and his ERA is 3.77, with a slightly lower 3.41 FIP.
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Obviously there aren't a bunch of pitch shape metrics attached to it, but I haven't heard any particular reports about him looking amazing out there, & his 8.2 k/9 is below average for the Red Sox as a whole this Spring (9.1). His 3.77 ERA is right in line with the Red Sox 3.82 ERA (& is ahead of Winck, Bello & Pivetta).

View: https://twitter.com/PatSullivan05/status/1765063842995040765


My main takeaway from the Savant page is that he needs to learn to throw harder because his sinker gets crushed. Successful sweeper, though.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/cooper-criswell-681867?stats=statcast-r-pitching-mlb

I think it was a fine signing & maybe they can find another gear or tweak his mix in a way the Rays failed to, but not sure they've found it, yet.
 
JM3

JM3

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Clegg broke down 6 Spring Training standouts from the backfields. Only 1 of them is available for non-subscribers, but that one is YOELY, so that's cool.

https://www.thedynastydugout.com/p/backfields-standouts-march-21-2024

When he walked out for batting practice, what first stood out to me was how strong he was. Cespedes’ arms are massive, and they have strong forearms and wrists.
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Cespedes took five at-bats in which he made hard contact four of the times. There were a couple of whiffs, but every at-bat ended with the ball in play. In Cespedes’ first at-bat, he smoked one to the centerfield wall. Two other batted balls ended up in the outfield grass as well.

It was a highly impressive showing for an 18-year-old bat who has only played in the Dominican Summer League. To me, he already looks like a top-100 prospect, given what I saw and his Dominican Summer League performance.
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The power comes naturally as Cespedes posted 101 mph in the 90th percentile, which is quite an impressive mark for a 17-year-old who also saw a max of 107 mph.

I am in.
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simplicio

simplicio

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No news about Luetge means he accepts a minors assignment or?

I feel like Joely makes the team. Cron I have no idea. He hasn't played much and his ST stats are bad but that really doesn't mean anything at all.
 
JM3

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simplicio said:
No news about Luetge means he accepts a minors assignment or?

I feel like Joely makes the team. Cron I have no idea. He hasn't played much and his ST stats are bad but that really doesn't mean anything at all.
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He has a later opt out date.

Early next week, lefty Lucas Luetge has an upward mobility in his clause that would allow him to leave the Red Sox if another team is willing to guarantee him a major league opportunity.
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https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2024/03/two-red-sox-veterans-trigger-opt-outs-forcing-roster-decisions-by-sunday.html

View: https://twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/status/1771281179158659520
 
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JM3

JM3

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The smart thing is probably to keep Joely, Luetge & Cron because everyone else has options... but Weissert should make the team imo.
 
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