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The last twenty comments in true blog fasion, with the links to their authors and the player commented upon.
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3rd highest earner, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 429
Avg Exit Velocity: 93.0
Avg HR Distance: 398
Avg Launch Angle: 10.6
Mookie Betts' homers went two feet further on average.
16th most valuable pitcher, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 901
Pitch Type: Four-seam FB
Avg Pitch Speed: 93.7
Avg Spin Rate: 2,353
Avg Exit Velocity: 89.7
Slightly faster than average fastball (93.7), slightly faster than average exit velocity (88.4). Spin rate well above average (2,263).
17th most valuable hitter, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 491
Avg Exit Velocity: 87.5
Avg HR Distance: 407
Avg Launch Angle: 12.0
Slashed .249/.329/.439 on the road.
One of the few players to earn more in 5x5 than in 4x4.
8th most valuable pitcher, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 578
Pitch Type: Sinker
Avg Pitch Speed: 97.3
Avg Spin Rate: 2,371
Avg Exit Velocity: 87.2
First reliever on the list of highest earners. His sinker was was almost six mph faster than the average sinker (91.6). The exit velocity was more than one mph lower than the average (88.4).
I am writing this in November, before the Cy Young voting has been announced. He and Diaz would both be very high on my ballot, probably second and third behind Snell; in the cumulative wisdom of the baseball writers, neither is going to be in the top five.
What I can't decide is, which one is second?
Lots of fastballs, few of them hard hit.
12th most valuable hitter, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 472
Avg Exit Velocity: 89.9
Avg HR Distance: 408
Avg Launch Angle: 15.2
Slashed .248/.325/.447 on the road.
Pitcher No. 26 in $5x5 (both leagues).
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 372
Pitch Type: Knuckle Curve
Avg Pitch Speed: 81.2
Avg Spin Rate: 2,464
Avg Exit Velocity: 88.3
First pitcher on the list (of pitchers ranked by $5x5) whose primary pitch was not a four-seam fastball. A close to average knuckle curve at that, going by Statcast (MLB averages -- 80.9, 2,488, 88.4).
Jeffress is only the fourth relief pitcher on the list (behind Treinen, Diaz and Kimbrel), although he of course ranks much higher in 4x4.
The XFL, drafting for 2019 in November at First Pitch Arizona, plays 5x5.
Fifteen teams, nine pitchers.
Jeffress wasn't even taken.
Other notable free agents when it was all over: Brad Boxberger, Bud Norris, Shane Greene, Sergio Romo and (of course) Fernando Rodney.
14th most valuable hitter, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 509
Avg Exit Velocity: 89.3
Avg HR Distance: 384
Avg Launch Angle: 10.8
Surprising that his average home run didn't travel further.
15th most valuable hitter, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 479
Avg Exit Velocity: 88.6
Avg HR Distance: 394
Avg Launch Angle: 12.8
Only two homers and four stolen bases after the break.
19th most valuable hitter, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 460
Avg Exit Velocity: 87.3
Avg HR Distance: 377
Avg Launch Angle: 13.9
Possibly the shortest average home run distance of any player with 20 or more. Was batting .326 with 16 homers at the break.
Signed a one-year deal on Nov. 30 for $2.65 million. Will be a free agent next year.
FIP and SIERA -- not to mention K/9, K/W, BABIP and G/L/F -- say he had amazingly bad luck last season.
18th most valuable pitcher, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 1725
Pitch Type: Four-seam FB
Avg Pitch Speed: 93.6
Avg Spin Rate: 2,299
Avg Exit Velocity: 87.0
That's a lot of fastballs.
20th most valuable hitter, both leagues, in 5x5.
No Statcast stats, for some reason.
Slashed .333/.379/.507 and stole 11 bases at home.
SIERA pays some attention to BABIP, hence is lower than FIP. But both metrics say his ERA was lucky. Billy Beane must have agreed; Fiers was non-tendered in November.
Hitter No. 26 in $5x5 (both leagues).
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 416
Avg Exit Velocity: 93.7
Avg HR Distance: 405
Avg Launch Angle: 11.6
With a slightly higher launch angle...
Hitter No. 35 in $5x5 (both leagues).
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 493
Avg Exit Velocity: 90.1
Avg HR Distance: 404
Avg Launch Angle: 14.8
Put the ball in play 61 times on an 0-2 pitch and had 14 hits. Struck out, either swinging or looking, 19 times.
May not sound great, but I'm sure very few batters did as well. Maybe no one.
With the count full (71 times) he managed only six hits: four singles and two doubles.
So he was a wuss on the most critical count in baseball, right?
Yes, but an effective wuss. He shortened his swing and struck out 11 times. How many were backward K's? Can't say but it was more than a few: he drew ball four 25 times.
His slash stats on the 3-2 pitch: .133/.433/.178.
My kind of batter.
Hitter No. 31 in $5x5 (both leagues).
2018 Statcast averages
HIP: 391
Avg Exit Velocity: 91.2
Avg HR Distance: 400
Avg Launch Angle: 14.7
A steady upward trend in earnings.
And now, assuredly, Has Plateaued.
Pitcher No. 28 in $5x5 (both leagues).
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 1239
Pitch Type: Four-seam FB
Avg Pitch Speed: 95.8
Avg Spin Rate: 2,309
Avg Exit Velocity: 86.1
He threw a lot of fastballs and it's obvious why: it went toward the batter very fast and went the other way, when it did, considerably slower.
Third most valuable pitcher, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 1374
Pitch Type: Four-seam FB
Avg Pitch Speed: 96.0
Avg Spin Rate: 2,362
Avg Exit Velocity: 86.3
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14th most valuable pitcher, both leagues, in 5x5.
2018 Statcast Averages
NP: 1387
Pitch Type: Four-seam FB
Avg Pitch Speed: 89.5
Avg Spin Rate: 2,335
Avg Exit Velocity: 87.9
Fastball almost four mph slower than the MLB average (93.2). Exit velocity not much better than average (88.4).