Latest news with #Driveline
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Nexteer Debuts Driveline Innovations, Expands Portfolio
Optimizes Premium Ride via Lightweighting, NVH, Durability, Efficiency AUBURN HILLS, Mich., April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nexteer Automotive debuts three Driveline technologies engineered to meet the unique demands of EVs, as well as premium driving experiences across all propulsion types. These next-generation Driveline solutions emphasize long-term durability, optimized NVH performance and efficient, lightweight designs — helping automakers deliver quiet, responsive and premium driving experiences. Technologies include optimized Face Spline Axle, 8-Ball Joint and Premium Double Offset Joint. Additionally, Nexteer expands its Cross-Glide Joint portfolio of size variants. Face Spline Axle Technology Delivers Quiet Refinement & Easy Vehicle Integration: Nexteer's patented Face Spline Axle integrates seamlessly with Face Spline Hubs in the market, eliminates start-click noise and, in some cases, supports overall mass reduction — contributing to a premium driving experience 8-Ball Joint Achieves Over 10 Percent Mass Reduction Via Design and Structural Optimization: Compared to 6-Ball Joints with same strength Premium Double Offset (DO) Joint Enhances Smooth Acceleration and Quiet Comfort: DO Joint with new manufacturing process for the outer race ball track and sphere diameter improves dimensional accuracy and consistency, enabling smoother acceleration and enhanced NVH under high-torque and large-angle conditions Expanded Cross-Glide Joint Sizes: A premium solution for rear applications; provides the highest power-density solution, including low mass, more compact, low lash, enhanced load-to-stroke efficiency and better NVH performance — ultimately delivering a smoother, quieter and more responsive driving experience Delivering Real-World Value Nexteer's latest Driveline solutions are compatible with all propulsion types — including internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids and battery electric vehicles. While effective across the board, these innovations are especially impactful in EVs, which demand higher torque handling, more refined NVH performance and lightweighting strategies to extend range and efficiency. The quiet nature of EVs also amplifies the importance of precision engineering to reduce perceptible vibration and sound. Nexteer's Driveline technologies are validated globally and bring measurable benefits for both OEMs and drivers/passengers. High Durability: Engineered to handle elevated torque and regenerative braking loads with robust materials and designs built for long-term reliability NVH Optimization: Smooth, quiet operation enhances the driving experience — particularly in quiet EV cabins Efficient, Lightweight Design: Reduced mass supports better energy efficiency, improved handling and simplified integration across vehicle platforms Packaging Versatility: Suitable for front-, rear- and all-wheel drive applications in a wide variety of vehicle segments and across all propulsion types, including mixed-propulsion platforms "EVs introduce new challenges for driveline systems including higher torque loads, packaging constraints, and customer expectations for quiet and refined driving," said Robin Milavec, President, Chief Technology Officer, Chief Strategy Officer and Executive Board Director, Nexteer Automotive. "Our latest Driveline innovations are engineered to meet these demands with precision, durability and versatility, drawing from our decades of global Driveline experience. The end result is a premium driving experience that can apply to all vehicle propulsion systems from ICE to Hybrid to EV." Built on Vehicle-Level Expertise Nexteer's Driveline technologies are part of a broader motion control portfolio backed by deep vehicle-level engineering knowledge. The company's global footprint, state-of-the-art manufacturing and focus on application-specific innovation make it a trusted partner to automakers with wide-ranging propulsion strategies. Nexteer will showcase its Driveline advancements at its exhibit during the 2025 Auto Shanghai April 23 – May 2 (1.2H 1BF007), alongside its broader portfolio of motion control systems, including Electro-Mechanical Braking, Rear-Wheel Steering, Steer-by-Wire, Software Solutions and more. ABOUT NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE Nexteer Automotive (HK 1316) is a global leading motion control technology company accelerating mobility to be safe, green and exciting. Our innovative portfolio supports "motion-by-wire" chassis control, including electric and hydraulic power steering systems, steer-by-wire and rear-wheel steering systems, steering columns and intermediate shafts, driveline systems, software solutions and brake-by-wire. The company solves motion control challenges across all megatrends – including electrification, software/connectivity, ADAS/automated driving and shared mobility – for more than 60 customers around the world including BMW, Ford, GM, RNM, Stellantis, Toyota and VW, as well as automakers in India and China including BYD, Xiaomi, ChangAn, Li Auto, Chery, Great Wall, Geely, Xpeng and others. Link to Nexteer Media Center & Link to DL Press Kit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Nexteer Automotive Sign in to access your portfolio
Boston Globe
16-04-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Was expecting so much more from these Red Sox, but they've been frustratingly bad so far
My bad. I trusted them. I bleeped up. After five years of abject neglect, I was convinced that Boston's absentee owners were back in the hard-chargin', Lucchino-driven, contest-living that was the trademark of the first decade of John Henry and the vaunted Fenway Sports Group. It was therefore, wildly embarrassing to witness the pitiful performance of the Boston ballclub's first 18 games. Seriously. You all know what I am talking about. The Sox staggered through Texas, Baltimore, Chicago, and Tampa at the start of this season. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up There have been some good wins for Red Sox manager Alex Cora in this early season, but there have also been a lot of bad losses. Chris O'Meara/Associated Press Advertisement Last Friday in Chicago, the Sox committed five errors the worst team in the history of baseball . This is not hyperbole. The White Sox of 2024 lost more games than any team ever, and had dropped eight straight when the Bostons arrived in the Windy City. The Red Sox responded the next day by Advertisement So what happened Monday? the worst start in the history of the 125-year-old Boston franchise . Getting no help from manager Alex Cora, Houck was left on the mound to surrender 10 hits, two walks and 12 runs (11 earned) in 2⅓ innings. Related : Worst ever. Worse than Fritz Ostermueller, Ike Delock, Johnny Way-Back Wasdin, or Darrell 'Bucky' Brandon. Not all of it was Houck's fault, of course. The Red Sox lead the major leagues in errors in 2025 and, in Tampa's nine-run third inning Monday, vaunted Bregman made his fourth error of the season, and the overrated Trevor Story missed two obvious chances to end the inning with clean fielding on potential double-play grounders. Boston's defense has been so bad, the NESN broadcast booth Tuesday spoke of 'errorless baseball' and celebrated a routine Cedanne Rafaela snag as if it was Willie Mays running down Vic Wertz' centerfield blast in the 1954 World Series. Related : Whatever. The Red Sox are the worst fielders in MLB. Surely, they can make that up with their bats, right? Wrong. The Sox don't hit many homers and strike out more than any team in baseball. In Monday's 16-1 loss to the mediocre Rays, Boston batters struck out 14 times and walked zero times. That's quitting. That's mailing it in. Have some pride in the craft. There was a steady stream of Rays coming home past Red Sox catcher Carlos Narváez on Monday, as Jake Mangum (28) and his Tampa Bay mates poured it on in a 16-1 victory. Chris O'Meara/Associated Press It's particularly galling given Boston management's haughty 'we're smarter than anyone in the history of baseball' approach to hitting. The Red Sox young Driveline geniuses ('We never played, but we have all the answers') are Related : Advertisement Triston Casas? It's time to worry. Rafaela? Maybe the Sox were too quick to give him the security and big bucks. He strikes out a ton and never walks. Fixable, right? Maybe not when you have a smarty-pants staff and an entitled clubhouse. Oh, and we haven't gotten to the starting rotation. Walker Buehler submitted a professional five innings in Tampa Tuesday, but after Crochet it's been a murderers row of Bombinos. The Sox vaunted pitching depth had been Lady Gaga/Bradley Cooper Shallow. Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford can't get here fast enough. Cora wore the humiliating defeat Monday, stating, 'I'll take the blame because it seemed like our team wasn't ready to go.' He had them ready Tuesday. Buehler delivered a solid effort, Bregman had a career-high five hits, and the Sox beat the Rays to improve to 9-10. The good news, of course, is that it's early. Eighteen or 20 games is a small sample in a 162-game baseball season. The American League East is wildly mediocre and it's going to be impossible to play yourself out of contention. But I was expecting improved defense and a wrecking ball lineup. I was expecting so much more. Weren't you? Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
NBC Sports
02-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Guardians' Carl Willis is using decades of MLB experience to shape young rotation
GOODYEAR, Arizona, March 2, 2025 — As Shane Bieber popped the catcher's mitt with fastball after fastball during a spring training bullpen session, he kept looking back at one man standing behind the mound. Every few pitches, Bieber would walk behind the mound and huddle up with him, looking down at a tablet filled with more information than many baseball fans could begin to comprehend. Bieber would then walk back, toe the rubber, and deliver another pitch under the watchful eyes of his pitching coach, Carl Willis. Willis has been in this racket for a while. This year will mark his 42nd spring training. He pitched nine years as a reliever for the Detroit Tigers, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Minnesota Twins before transitioning to coaching at the minor league level. In 2003, six years after he retired, he got his first MLB gig as a pitching coach for the Cleveland Indians. Since then, he has served as a pitching coach for the Indians, Mariners, Red Sox, and Guardians, coaching up five Cy Young Award winners along the way. When CC Sabathia was recently elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, he said, 'Literally everything that I learned as a pitcher, mentality-wise, delivery-wise, even down to holding the baseball, Carl Willis was responsible for.' Now, as the Guardians head into the 2025 season, Willis has a new challenge in front of him. With Shane Bieber out until at least the All-Star break following Tommy John surgery, the Guardians rotation will feature only one player over the age of 27 (Ben Lively) and only one pitcher with over two years of MLB service time (Triston McKenzie). But that relative inexperience doesn't deter Willis, who has always adapted his coaching to the pitchers at his disposal. 'I think our philosophy is dictated by the pitchers we're working with and what their strengths are,' he explained after overseeing a series of bullpens at the Guardians' spring training facility in Arizona. 'But you're also looking for an arsenal. It's tough for a guy to be able to go out and have long-term success relying on one pitch.' Building out that more complete arsenal has become a much different process since Willis began coaching. MLB organizations are now filled with players wearing wearable workload monitors, and all bullpens are accompanied by technology like Trackman, which is a radar-based system that tracks baseballs during bullpens to provide data on spin, velocity, and much more to benefit performance analysis. Pitchers are not only working with their pitching coaches but utilizing training labs like Driveline or Tread to develop new pitches or refine pitches currently in their arsenal to make them more impactful. It's a change that Willis has not only learned to roll with but come to embrace. 'I'm more on the old school side of things,' he admitted. 'Still, I have tried to stay abreast and up to speed with the new technology and the things that we have at our fingertips now. How I view it is that it helps me put a plan together. I have tremendous support here. Guys who are stronger in those areas, I let them take the lead in those areas, and I then look at what we've developed and help the pitcher understand how to use that arsenal.' That second step of 'how to use' the new tools at their disposal is an integral part of what Willis brings to the table and can often get lost in the shuffle with all the available data now. As with any new piece of technology, sometimes we can get sucked into the information, closing our mind off to anything else. 'We have video right there where we can see if two fastballs in a row moved differently or potentially if a pitcher caught a little more of a seam on one pitch,' said Willis. 'But a lot of pitchers live and die on that. They want to look at every pitch. In my mind, it's still, how did it feel? Right? Is it repeatable? Is it sustainable? And at the end of the day, this is telling us the profile of pitch, what it's doing, and how we think we can use it.' For Willis, knowing the profile of the pitch and what it's doing and then learning how to be as effective as possible with the rest of the arsenal is another science completely. 'It's kind of looking at the holistic picture,' he explained. 'How I like to put it is, pitching is not just ripping your best stuff all the time. There's an art to it. There's throwing your fastball to different quadrants of the strike zone, changing speeds, changing eye levels. And I sometimes feel like that's getting lost.' The idea of attacking the four quadrants of the strike zone is a foundational principle of calling a game that will never be phased out by technology. A strike zone is broken down into four quadrants: up and in, down and in, up and away, and down and away. It's long been believed that the most effective pitchers have an arsenal that can attack hitters in all four quadrants of the plate. Even if sometimes one pitch is used in multiple quadrants. This prevents hitters from being able to anticipate pitches in certain quadrants, which allows them to 'sit on a pitch' more successfully and make authoritative contact. Right now, in baseball, there seems to be a shift towards pitchers having multiple fastballs that they can throw in multiple quadrants of the plate. Tanner Bibee talked about adding a two-seam fastball to keep right-handed hitters from leaning out over the plate, and that's something Willis is working with many of the Guardians pitchers on. Because with all the data pitchers have at their disposal, hitters have just as much at their fingertips as well. 'I think with the advance of technology and how we can measure seemingly everything, hitters are a lot more in tune with not just getting on top of that four seamer, but knowing where they have to start,' explained Willis. 'They know how much ride a guy has, and so I think just creating a little bit of unpredictability into the profile of a fastball, the four seamer or two seamer, makes it more difficult [for the hitter].' At the end of the day, making things more difficult for the hitter is the pitcher's primary job. Sometimes, it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that. 'You know, it's about keeping the ball off the barrel of the bat,' said Willis. 'The most important feedback is a hitter. The swing they take, the swing-and-miss, the poor contact, how they react, etc. Those things, at the end of the day, are most important.' So Willis, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, and the rest of the coaching staff continue to work towards building a pitching staff that can regularly make things harder on hitters and induce poor contact. To do that, they need to ensure their pitchers have complete arsenals that they can utilize in different ways to always stay one step ahead of the hitter in the 'cat-and-mouse game' that hitters and pitchers have played for decades. As a team, the Guardians want pitchers that 'can do multiple things with the baseball and command those things as well.' To Willis, that not only means that the team is more likely to win games, but it means that 'the pitchers are gonna be more efficient and not tax their arms as much just trying to rip the heck out of every pitch they throw.' 'Everyone looks at velocity, although you can't throw too hard anymore,' Willis chuckled. 'Hitters hit or see these [fastballs] up or in 98 and 99 on a daily basis now, but I do think we work to try to find pitchers who can develop a pitch off of that fastball that's going to tunnel, that's going to look the same, that's going to create separation, whether it be speed, north, south, east, west, etc. We look at deliveries, we look at profiles, but we never take their strength away from them or neglect that strength.' That philosophy of looking for pitchers with profiles that could lend themselves to adding new pitches or creating more separation to keep hitters off the barrel of the bat led the Guardians to identify two targets in the off-season: Luis L. Ortiz, formerly of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Slade Cecconi, who had been with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ortiz enjoyed a breakout season in 2024, finishing with a 3.32 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 135.2 innings for the Pirates. The former top-100 prospect had failed to live up to expectations for a few years, primarily because he struggled to control his four-seam fastball, which often ran up to 100 mph. Part of Ortiz's turnaround was connected to adding a cutter and taking some of the pressure off of that sub-optimal four-seamer. 'I know the night that [Ortiz] shoved against us, [the cutter] was his bread and butter,' recalled Willis. 'But what we're trying to work towards is more consistency with that pitch, particularly more consistency with the location of that pitch. It is a newer pitch for him. That's part of the reason it played last year because the guys hadn't seen it. Now we're just trying to refine it a little bit to show him what zones it is actually successful in, and where he should hone in on commanding that particular pitch, and now that it's not a surprise, not making mistakes with it in other areas of the strike zone.' That's where that lend of technology and old-school attack of quadrants blends. Ortiz has the pitch. He has a shape that he and the team like. It's a new weapon in his arsenal, but how can that weapon be used more efficiently? How can the weaknesses be minimized as much as possible? That's also the question that the Guardians are asking with Ortiz's slider, which scouts believed was one of his best pitches when he was coming up through the minor league system but has never materialized as a real weapon in his big league innings. 'We're kind of toying with a minor grip change with the slider,' said Willis. 'It's more so about the movement profile, but we also feel that with the with the change he's made [by adding the cutter], he's got a little more feel for staying with the baseball a little longer, so that, in itself, is what's creating the profile, but it's also creating consistency at release to hopefully translate into better command.' Understanding that mutability of skills is another consequence of Willis' decades of experience at the big league level. Identifying a new pitch for a pitcher is great, as is coming up with a strategy to target improving one of their weaknesses, but seeing how one change can impact a pitcher's ability to make another change requires a deep understanding of what it takes to pitch. By adding a cutter last year, Ortiz had gained experience in throwing a pitch with 'cut' but a pitch that he needed to release way out front like a typical fastball and not 'break off' like you might a traditional curve or slider. By gaining comfort with that type of release, Willis knew that it would be easier now to teach Ortiz a slider grip that features a similar release point than it would have two years earlier in his career, before he ever picked up the cutter. One piece builds onto the other piece, as you create a more well-rounded pitcher. With Slade Cecconi, the Guardians went beyond just pitch shape and looked back at his foundation as a pitcher. 'We looked at, you know, spin rates and vertical profile of his pitches,' explained Willis, but we actually went back to looking at video when he was at the University of Miami and some of the changes we saw. So the higher release [in his first spring start] is coming from a change in his lower half. Not him trying to raise the arm slot, but putting him in a better position to stay behind and through the baseball.' Cecconi only pitched 101 innings over two seasons at the University of Miami (FL) because COVID shortened the 2020 season, but Willis and his fellow pitching coaches knew that they liked the way the ball came out of Cecconi's hand then. By identifying how his lower-half mechanics had changed since then, they were able to work with him to recapture that height on his back leg and torso, which is creating more consistency but also a new shape on some of his pitches. 'There's still improvement to be made,' admitted Willis, 'but we're seeing the right progress.' Although, that hasn't stopped the Guardians from also tinkering with how Cecconi utilizes the pitches at his disposal. 'When you look at his entire arsenal, [the curve] does create separation in terms of velocity and the back and forth with the hitter,' said Willis. 'We feel like he could throw his curve more than he threw it last year. He relied heavily on the slider. We think the curveball is good enough that he could up the usage and create a little bit of that separation while also creating a whole different profile.' That goes back to the guiding principle the Guardians and Willis have to help pitchers play to their strengths and 'not to get beat with their third or fourth pitch.' It's part of the reason that they have always produced good results with their MLB pitching staff. Even if they may not have the flashy success stories of drastically re-inventing a pitcher like the Twins, Astros, and Tigers have a reputation of doing, the Guardians always set their pitchers up for success by maximizing the tools at their disposal. It's a big reason why I'm a fan of many of the Guardians' pitchers for fantasy baseball in 2025. I have already written countless articles on Gavin Williams as a post-pick-200 favorite of mine, and I covered Tanner Bibee as a burgeoning fantasy ace. Luis L. Ortiz was listed as one of my favorite late-roud draft picks, and Ben Lively is coming off a season where he registered a 3.81 ERA in 151 innings. He won't miss enough bats to be relevant in 12-team leagues, but he could be a good streamer in 15-team leagues, and both Slade Cecconi and Joey Cantillo could provide value if they get a chance to earn a spot in the starting rotation. As of now, I have Bibee ranked SP24, and he's being drafted as SP34. I have Gavin Williams ranked SP50, and he's going SP67, and I have Ortiz ranked SP86, and he's going SP119, so there is a lot of value to be had in this rotation, and a lot of that has to do with the tutelage of Carl Willis.
Boston Globe
28-02-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Taking stock of Boston's big four professional sports franchises, and other thoughts
Marchand has been a Bruin since the 2009-10 season. He is the last member of the Boston's 2011 Stanley Cup champs still skating at the Garden. He's a top-10 all-time Bruin in games, goals, and assists. He's the captain. Will the Bruins deal him to build for the future, the way the Celtics dealt aging Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Nets in 2013 to set the table for a championship run that we're still enjoying today? Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Patriots: Wednesday was not a great day for the New England football franchise. We saw executive vice president of player personnel Advertisement One has to wonder about the Patriots' hierarchy when, asked about who makes the final calls on the roster, Wolf tells us, 'Ultimately, it's my final say,' just a day after new coach Mike Vrabel Wolf's claim feels untrue, or perhaps a face-saving exercise in semantics. Vrabel is in Foxborough to run the team. He did not come here to be overruled by Wolf, and fans are comfortable with that. So, what is Wolf still doing here? Once again, it goes back to ownership. Are Robert and Jonathan Kraft willing to start spending money and, more important, turn their franchise over to a capable field boss, as they did when Bill Belichick ran the show? Advertisement Already taking on water, the SS Kraft took another torpedo to its port side with It's abundantly clear that how NFL players feel about the Krafts is the polar opposite of the nonstop propaganda that spews from Foxborough, and the estimable, Ch. 4-led Patriots media cartel. This matters at a time when the Patriots are trying to lure new players to New England. Maybe the Krafts should worry less about the Pro Football Hall of Fame and their new lighthouse. Maybe put some WiFi on the team plane. And get rid of the armchair ashtrays. Johnny Most isn't coming through that airplane door. Red Sox: After five post-Mookie seasons of abject mediocrity, this team feels ready to contend. What scares me? Plenty. The bullpen. The defense. The catching. The number of pitchers who showed up wounded for the start of spring training. I must also say that my head explodes when I read some of the accounts of modern-day instruction, analytics, and techniques applied to young players in Fort Myers. ESPN's gifted Jeff Passan this past week filed a report on prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer titled, 'Inside the Red Sox Plan to Revolutionize Hitting.' We learned that the batting cages in Fort Myers are 'where the future of hitting is playing out in real time.' This was accompanied by lots of Driveline speak, including 'real-time batted ball data,' concentric impulse numbers, and a Trajekt robot pitching simulator that can replicate every pitch thrown in the big leagues over the last six seasons. I mean, what good is any batting cage without a Trajekt robot simulator? Advertisement I think the Red Sox might finally be fun again. Let's just hope they're not out to prove they're smarter than everyone in baseball history. Celtics: The fabled parquet floor is Boston sports' sweet spot in the spring of 2025. The Celtics are reigning champs and have the best team in the NBA again. Barring injury, they cannot be stopped by any team in the Eastern Conference in a seven-game series. In the West, we worry about Oklahoma City and maybe Denver. Watch closely Sunday afternoon when the Celtics host the Nuggets at the Garden. This is the Finals matchup I was hoping for last spring after Denver beat Boston twice during the regular season. The Nuggets folded against the Timberwolves in the 2024 west semifinals, which gave the Green Team an easier path to banner No. 18. The Nuggets have been one of the few teams that the Celtics are unable to toy with, and Nikola Jokic is probably going to join Bill Russell and LeBron James as the only players to win four MVPs in five seasons. The ▪ Quiz: 1. Name five coaches with more than 300 regular-season wins with the Celtics; 2. Name six Bruins who are among the team's top 10 in games, goals, and assists; 3. Name six hockey players named to ESPN's list of Top North American Athletes of the 20th century (answers below). Advertisement ▪ Part 1 of HBO's ▪ When the Celtics won the NBA championship in 1981, Bird took seven 3-pointers in 17 playoff games, making three. ▪ Former Red Sox prospect Yoan Moncada represents the Angels' latest attempt to find a third baseman. Matt York/Associated Press ▪ Slouching toward Mendoza: In 2005 and 2006, all 30 big league teams had batting averages of .250 or higher. Last year, that number was seven. The 2024 Red Sox hit .252. Advertisement ▪ What do the Bruins have to do to bring Brady Tkachuk to Boston? In his seventh season with the Ottawa Senators, the big winger has never participated in a playoff game and would be a Hub hockey hero. ▪ Not another word about ▪ Andrew Marchand of The Athletic this past week wrote, 'Either Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has something close to a $550 million-per-year alternative to ESPN, or he has committed sports business malpractice.' We'll find out soon enough, but the announcement that ▪ Projected starting shortstops for NL West powers Dodgers and Padres: Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts. The Red Sox have Trevor Story, who has played what amounts to a single full season (163 games) over three years in Boston, batting .232. ▪ Roger Clemens is in Tampa as a Yankees spring training instructor. The Yanks made a stir this past week, ▪ The Yankees, by the way, have four former MVPs in their clubhouse: Aaron Judge, Giancarlo Stanton, Paul Goldschmidt, and Cody Bellinger. ▪ Odd that the Red Sox have a glut of All-Star third basemen, given that the front-runner Yankees are holding open tryouts (DJ LeMahieu, Oswaldo Cabrera, Oswald Peraza, Jorbit Vivas) to fill the position. ▪ Celtics homerism on NBC Sports Boston has gone past NESN Red Sox levels. I do a handstand upon learning that the Celtics are going to be on ABC, TNT, ESPN, or any Scal-free zone. ▪ Rick Pitino's got St. John's up to No. 7, its highest ranking in 33 years. ▪ Thirty-seven year-old Matthew Stafford to the New York Football Giants? ▪ Plaxico Burress's Super Bowl ring from the 2007 Giants' Plaxico Burress helped the 2007 Giants upset the undefeated Patriots in the Super Bowl. The Boston Globe/Boston Globe ▪ 'The Last Manager,' a new book on the life of Orioles great Earl Weaver by John W. Miller, goes on sale Tuesday. Can't wait. ▪ Quiz answers: 1. Red Auerbach (795), Tom Heinsohn (427), Doc Rivers (416), Brad Stevens (354), K.C. Jones (308); 2. Ray Bourque, Johnny Bucyk, Patrice Bergeron, Wayne Cashman, Brad Marchand, Rick Middleton; 3. Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard. Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at
New York Times
12-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Eno Sarris' 2025 starting pitcher fantasy rankings with Stuff+ powered projections
For years, it's been harder to project pitchers than hitters — for a whole host of reasons. They get injured more and stay injured longer, yes, but they also see their performance change dramatically and quickly in ways that hitters don't. Think of a pitcher debuting a new pitch: He's probably a whole new pitcher now, not just the same guy who will return to his previous norms. There really isn't a corollary for hitters. Advertisement But analysts have been hard at work narrowing the gaps. New tools that incorporate physical data from pitches as well as the pitchers' bodies, paired with better statistical techniques, have improved our pitcher projections. The rankings here attempt to synthesize contemporary research the best way we can. That work includes metrics that will be published here, as well as some behind-the-scenes help: • Pitching+ and the associated Stuff+ and Location+ models • Jordan Rosenblum's stuff-powered projections (ppERA% and ppK%) • Jeff Zimmerman's health grades, which he publishes in The Process • Baseball Prospectus' new arsenal grades • Hand-projected innings totals based on health grades, team tendencies, and depth charts The very best pitchers have elite Stuff+. They locate the ball well as evidenced by their historical walk and Location+ rates. They project well once their park, age, and relevant production are correctly weighted. They have good health grades based on their fastball velocity, age, and number and timing of arm injuries. And they have wide arsenals that can surprise the hitter with a mix of different pitches, shapes and velocities. They've built up the bulk needed to go deep into the season and are on a team likely to go with a standard five-man rotation. Well, wait, that's just Paul Skenes. For everyone else, we have to figure out how to weigh their different strengths and flaws. That introduces some human bias, but also some opportunity, because every projection system makes its own choices about what goes into the meat grinder, and so there's a little subjectivity in every effort anyway. A human might just find the pitchers who fall between the cracks in every system. As an example, Stuff+ has fared remarkably well in predicting the future based on a single model that uses only physical characteristics of pitches as inputs, but as the marketplace has produced more versions of the statistic, it was time for a refresh. The newest numbers, found here and also at FanGraphs in sortable leaderboards, split the single model into multiple ones (swing, take, foul, ball in play, etc), and added features like arm slot (which recently became available at Baseball Savant). In the future, we may find a way to fold in the type of arsenal work being done at Baseball Prospectus and Driveline into the stuff models to have a better idea of how starter's pitch mixes work, how they change performance and how they can be optimized. Advertisement In the meantime, a human can try to look at these different models and weigh them the best they can. This is a fantasy ranking, so a tough home park might hide the fact that some of these pitchers would be ranked higher in different parks. My bias is toward 15-team leagues with no injured list — you may find that if your league has unlimited IL spots, you'd want to push up the pitchers with great per-inning numbers and lower innings projections. They shouldn't be hard to find; they ended up clustered together. In a shallower league, you may also want to skip over some of the more boring veterans in the back half of the top 100 in favor of riskier, younger pitchers with less of a track record (say, pick a Kumar Rocker or Jackson Jobe over a Mitch Keller or Max Scherzer). If they don't work out, your wire is more likely to have a decent replacement waiting for you. As with years past, this google doc will house some goodies during the season like minor league Stuff+ numbers as well as deeper looks at the player pool. Last year, these ranks produced cheap gems like Seth Lugo, Nestor Cortes, Cristopher Sánchez, Michael King, Bryan Woo, Shota Imanaga, Luis Gil and Jared Jones — along with some mistakes we can learn from. Best of luck as you search for the right pitching staff in your leagues this year. (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Photos: Chris Szagola / Associated Press; Joe Robbins / Icon Sportswire; Duane Burleson / Associated Press)
