Can you believe it? It was another one of those weeks. A guy hit an extra-inning homer – but it was only the eighth inning? A pitcher debuted before his debut? A third baseman caught a pop-up in the right-field corner? Yes. That all happened. Here at the Useless Information Department, we could not possibly be more grateful that […]
Statistics and history are integral components of baseball — more so than any other professional sport. The game is constantly be framed and re framed in numbers and narrative, with comparing the present to the past popular with fans and journalists alike. One of the foremost researchers, writers and analysts of baseball stats and history […]
It may be happening four months later than expected, but Major League Baseball’s 2020 season is finally set to open this week. We can think of no better way to mark the occasion than by ranking the 100 best players in the game. Though this was inherently a subjective exercise, we did abide by the […]
There is going to be a baseball season after all, one of 60 games, following a month of ugly public negotiations between the players and owners over how to navigate through the money of the shortened season. In the words of Reds pitcher Trevor Bauer, “COVID-19 already presented a lose-lose-lose situation and we’ve somehow found a way to […]
It’s difficult for teams to find great players in the later rounds of the Major League Baseball draft, but it can and does happen. For the sake of proving the point, we dug up some of the best late-round steals since 2000. Exactly when it starts getting “late” in the draft is subject for debate, […]
The Big Board is a look at players from across the league at key points in the season: in the spring, at the trade deadline and in the offseason. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting the top players at every position — for whenever baseball resumes. We’ve looked at the infielders and the outfielders, […]
The Big Board is a look at players from across the league at key points in the season: in the spring, at the trade deadline and in the offseason. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting the top players at every position — for whenever baseball resumes. The last time around we took a look […]
Analysts and experts have been trying to make Kyle Schwarber a designed hitter for years, and now the Cubs have their chance. But don’t assume Schwarber will move out of left field just because rules for an abbreviated, improvised 2020 season will call for a universal DH. It’s unclear if opening up an outfield spot […]
The Big Board is a look at players from across the league at key points in the season: in the spring, at the trade deadline and in the offseason. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be highlighting the top players at every position — for whenever baseball resumes. First up is the first basemen who […]
Players drafted in the first round don’t tend to be seen as underrated. Any prospect who winds up being taken that early in the draft becomes a household name among that fan base and eventually, among MLB. But if you asked a casual baseball fan outside of the Bay Area about Matt Olson, many likely […]