Spring Training 2023 Thread

Harry Hooper

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Ugh, I watched the clip, and he seemed to not pick up the pitch at all until very late.
 

Sandy Leon Trotsky

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Bloom should’ve been able to know this was going to happen!
Sorry…. Wouldn’t make the joke if he was seriously injured. Hope that’s obv.
What’s the situation with Refsnyder? His ST numbers look terrible. Is he basically a lock though?
 

Blizzard of 1978

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Sep 12, 2022
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Bloom should’ve been able to know this was going to happen!
Sorry…. Wouldn’t make the joke if he was seriously injured. Hope that’s obv.
What’s the situation with Refsnyder? His ST numbers look terrible. Is he basically a lock though?
Refsnyder hit the ball hard today and made a great play. Tapia looks good. Didn't know the dude was 6 foot 3. I wonder how many back up outfielders they will have?
 

DontTauntOrtizMe

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Justin Turner’s wife posted on her Instagram that there are no fractures and scans are all good. They are home.
 

JM3

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Bloom should’ve been able to know this was going to happen!
Sorry…. Wouldn’t make the joke if he was seriously injured. Hope that’s obv.
What’s the situation with Refsnyder? His ST numbers look terrible. Is he basically a lock though?
They're better than Duvall's #s? 0-8 with 4 walks > 0-11 with 3 walks. But yeah, small sample sizes.
 

Looch

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Jul 15, 2021
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Justin Turner’s wife posted on her Instagram that there are no fractures and scans are all good. They are home.
That’s such a relief! I was semi hopeful because the ball kind of disappeared in the video I saw, without doing a full Zapruder, which is better than if it just sits there in front of him. So a semi glancing blow as opposed to full on.
 

Ale Xander

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Oct 31, 2013
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Turner got incredibly lucky.

The Red Sox are currently the best team in MLB.

It’s our year for sure. 120-42 coming up!
Hasn’t their 2nd closest game been against Northeastern?
I don’t think they play them in the regular season. If they can split against the Braves, they can win 140-145
 

YTF

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That's how it looks. Last year he played SS once a week. It will be interesting to see if that continues in Triple A.
That actually wouldn't be a bad idea. Keeping him sharp at SS could be beneficial if/when he gets called up this year and depending on what this year's trade deadline or next season's FA period brings, either position could be open in '24.
 

brandonchristensen

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Hasn’t their 2nd closest game been against Northeastern?
I don’t think they play them in the regular season. If they can split against the Braves, they can win 140-145
If they don’t play Northwestern in the regular season (I haven’t looked yet) - they’re absolutely winning 150+.
 

BaseballJones

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When Turner returns to full health, I wonder how skittish he will be entering the batter's box, especially if he sees another high and tight 96 mph fastball.
 

joe dokes

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When Turner returns to full health, I wonder how skittish he will be entering the batter's box, especially if he sees another high and tight 96 mph fastball.
They were saying on the radio that his earflap caught a fastball early in his MLB career. Not quite the same, of course, as the first one didn't do serious damage; but this isn't his first rodeo. Almost all MLBers seem to have managed to push the fear part of hitting to the back burner just to get to MLB in the first place. Hopefully it remains there for him.
 

Ale Xander

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So a couple of the games tomorrow are Houston v Venezuela and the Red Sox v . Puerto Rico

guessing Altuve and Enrique will play for their countries

will be pretty cool
 

nvalvo

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I just rewatched Paxton's 1 2/3 against the Twins.

He looked very good before he pulled up hurt. He was throwing low-effort, low-velo (92-94ish), and just painting, dotting the fastball on the corners, mostly low in the zone. Mostly four-seamers, but also three of on an 81 mph split-change-looking thing (or is it a tight curveball?) that he dropped right in at the knees to freeze Correa for a backwards-K. Another breaking pitch was less competitive, a slider (probably?) at 87 in the dirt. I only saw one of those. He faced legit major league hitters, too, and conceded four gentle flyballs for outs around the K.

Being able to dot the four-seam in spots where it can't be squared up but very well might be called a strike while throwing 2/3 of the off speed/curve thing for strikes just looked like a really compelling package. If he ever gets all the way healthy, there should be more velocity, but even if there isn't, the command looked really impressive.
 

EyeBob

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Dec 22, 2022
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I just rewatched Paxton's 1 2/3 against the Twins.

He looked very good before he pulled up hurt. He was throwing low-effort, low-velo (92-94ish), and just painting, dotting the fastball on the corners, mostly low in the zone. Mostly four-seamers, but also three of on an 81 mph split-change-looking thing (or is it a tight curveball?) that he dropped right in at the knees to freeze Correa for a backwards-K. Another breaking pitch was less competitive, a slider (probably?) at 87 in the dirt. I only saw one of those. He faced legit major league hitters, too, and conceded four gentle flyballs for outs around the K.

Being able to dot the four-seam in spots where it can't be squared up but very well might be called a strike while throwing 2/3 of the off speed/curve thing for strikes just looked like a really compelling package. If he ever gets all the way healthy, there should be more velocity, but even if there isn't, the command looked really impressive.
If you have to choose between velo and command…you choose command every time.
 

Cassvt2023

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Sox (mostly AAA depth) 11 Yanks (mostly starters) 7... 11-0-3 counting the exhibitions... when are people going to have to stop saying it's only early in spring training? I think Cora is on an F you tour and this season could be very interesting, good health being the key.
 

LogansDad

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Sox (mostly AAA depth) 11 Yanks (mostly starters) 7... 11-0-3 counting the exhibitions... when are people going to have to stop saying it's only early in spring training? I think Cora is on an F you tour and this season could be very interesting, good health being the key.
I mean, I've been as optimistic as basically anyone on the board about this team for the entire winter, but.... it's the 2nd week of Spring Training.
 

simplicio

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I mean, I've been as optimistic as basically anyone on the board about this team for the entire winter, but.... it's the 2nd week of Spring Training.
I have no idea what you're talking about, we're very clearly going to be 204-0-3 in 2023.
 

YTF

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Sox (mostly AAA depth) 11 Yanks (mostly starters) 7... 11-0-3 counting the exhibitions... when are people going to have to stop saying it's only early in spring training? I think Cora is on an F you tour and this season could be very interesting, good health being the key.
I also think that it's going to be an interesting season for a variety of reasons. Pinning 6 earnies on Tyler Danish in a third of an inning in an 11-7 win over the MFY is fun and 11-0-3 is great, but we're still three weeks from the regular season.
 

Yo La Tengo

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Nov 21, 2005
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I generally accept the premise that spring records are not indicative of expected regular season results.

This chart feels about right to me:

Spring Training Winning Percentage Distribution of Playoff Teams 1984-2011

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“two-thirds of all playoff teams over the last 28 years have at least played .500 in the spring, and only 13% have reached the post season after playing sub.-400 baseball.”

It is an older post, but, lots of interesting info:
http://www.captainsblog.info/2012/03/30/springboard-effect-does-a-good-exhibition-record-translate-to-the-regular-season/14199/
 

LogansDad

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I generally accept the premise that spring records are not indicative of expected regular season results.

This chart feels about right to me:

Spring Training Winning Percentage Distribution of Playoff Teams 1984-2011

View attachment 62073

“two-thirds of all playoff teams over the last 28 years have at least played .500 in the spring, and only 13% have reached the post season after playing sub.-400 baseball.”

It is an older post, but, lots of interesting info:
http://www.captainsblog.info/2012/03/30/springboard-effect-does-a-good-exhibition-record-translate-to-the-regular-season/14199/
I would be interested in the..... opposite (not sure that's the right word...) chart. I.E. What percentage of teams who play .700 in spring training go on to make the playoffs?
 

Yo La Tengo

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Nov 21, 2005
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I would be interested in the..... opposite (not sure that's the right word...) chart. I.E. What percentage of teams who play .700 in spring training go on to make the playoffs?
[EDIT] See follow up comments.

Top-10 Spring Training Records 1984-2011
(1990 and 1995 excluded)


62074
 
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