Latest news with #EnoSarris
New York Times
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
Live Q&A: Talking baseball with Eno Sarris on Friday 5/30 at 3:00 p.m. ET
We're two months into the Major League Baseball season, and last year's World Series participants are playing each other this weekend. Eno Sarris wrote about how the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Yankees build their starting rotations, and now he is ready to respond to questions about your fantasy teams in a live chat, exclusively for subscribers, so please submit your questions below.
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Which teams with strong starts will fade before the MLB playoffs?
We're just over a quarter of the way through the MLB season, and while some teams have already surpassed our expectations, nothing is decided in May. For ballclubs with postseason aspirations, it's the results in the fall that truly matter. On the latest episode of 'Rates & Barrels,' Joe Sheehan joined Derek VanRiper and Eno Sarris to break down which early overachievers will likely fade from the playoff picture as the season wears on. Watch the discussion below. A partial transcript has been edited for clarity and length. The full episode is available on YouTube below or in the 'Rates & Barrels' feed on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Derek: The question that Eno just took off the rundown without actually asking the question (laughs) … was which team today has the best record that won't make the playoffs? I'm assuming the Giants are your pick for that, then? Eno: Yeah, they are, and I'll run you through my reasoning for that real quick. I just think this offense is over its skis, and it's literally over its skis in terms of projections. They're scoring 4.6 runs per game, and they're projected to score 4.25, so they're over their skis in terms of projections. Then as I look around at that offense, I think that Tyler Fitzgerald is going to regress from where he is right now, and even though I do think there'll be some positive regression from Willy Adames, I think that Heliot Ramos may also have some regression built in. Mike Yastrzemski is also around 31 percent better than league average right now. And I know there's probably some mechanical changes and stuff, but at his age and given his track record, I just don't necessarily believe in him. We've had this famous thing with Wilmer Flores about how I said he was done, and then he hit seven homers in around three weeks. But I see age coming in, and it's just not an oppressive offense for me. They can get it done on pitching and maybe they'll squeak in, but it's not an impressive offense for me. Advertisement Joe: I agree with you. I can see them continuing the run prevention, I love the way they've managed Hayden Birdsong, Kyle Harrison might be up in that multi-inning role again, and I like the way Bob Melvin has run that staff. But I just think with the talent base in the offense and when you look at that division, they're going to only be able to really play for the wild card, and the NL wild card is just so competitive. So I'm with you, and even though they're not my pick, I agree that they're going to be one of the teams most likely to slip. Derek: Yeah, they're probably one of the first teams out when the dust clears in the NL playoff picture this fall. Who's your pick for this one then, Joe? The team that has the best record today that will fall short of the postseason. Joe: I'm following the numbers here. And as you guys know, I worked with Clay Davenport at Prospectus for a lot of years and he still runs which calculates third-order records. Third-order records take into account how well you've played, so your run differential, the teams you've played and what your underlying performance is contributing to runs. In other words, if you've hit well with runners in scoring position, that's likely to not be sustained. So if you look at the third-order record, the team that has the largest gap between its actual performance and its underlying performance is the Guardians. They're 24-17 (at the time of recording) to start the year, but when you look at Clay's numbers he's got them more as a 16-25 team. He just doesn't think they're good at all. That's a seven-game difference and this is consistent with last year as well. Last year they didn't show up well, and of course they had one of the all-time bullpen seasons and were actually able to carry that. But there was a combination of things that got three AL Central teams into the playoffs last year, it was a unique year, we'll just call it that. The Guardians still benefit from playing in that division and playing the White Sox a lot, but the underlying performance just isn't there. The bullpen was always going to regress — we've seen that — and the defense was considerably worse last year. The numbers that Clay publishes are picking up on this stuff, so I've got the Guardians not just missing the playoffs, but they might even be sellers by the deadline. Advertisement Derek: It would be a hard turn from where they are right now, but they have tricked us so many times on this show. We've been counting them out for years and waiting for them to have to do an actual rebuild. Some of it is the division and some of it is finding different ways to win. I can't even explain how they do it, but it does seem more flimsy than usual, looking at that roster right now. You can listen to full episodes of Rates & Barrels for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, and watch on YouTube. (Photo of Willy Adames and Wilmer Flores: Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Live Q&A: Talking baseball with Eno Sarris on Friday 5/9 at 2:30 p.m. ET
After a week in which he covered 10 early-season numbers that could be cause for alarm, it only seemed right that Eno Sarris leaned toward the positive with some buy-low candidates on the hitting side. This is the time when the moves you make can change the course of your fantasy season, so we know you have questions. He's here for another live chat, exclusively for subscribers, so please submit your questions below.
New York Times
09-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Rosenthal: How Max Fried has turned into a different pitcher with the Yankees, plus more MLB notes
It's almost as if Max Fried is a different pitcher. By design. What impressed New York Yankees coach Matt Blake most about the left-hander, from the first time they spoke via Zoom during free agency, was his openness to new ideas. The number of adjustments the Yankees suggested to Fried might be perceived as excessive for a successful pitcher joining a new organization on an eight-year, $218 million contract. But Fried, according to Blake, essentially said, 'Keep going. What do you got? Keep giving it to me.' Advertisement The Yankees gave Fried the information. Fried, 31, implemented it to maximum effect. And his major-league leading 1.05 ERA represents Fried's best eight-start stretch in a single season. Fried throws seven pitches in all, and Blake said he has improved many of them on the margins. For insight into how he has changed, I asked The Athletic's Eno Sarris what he sees in the data. And man, Eno had plenty to offer: • Fried's sinker has four inches more drop, and his usage of the pitch is at a career-high 18.8 percent. • His curveball and changeup also have more drop even though he is throwing the curveball a mile per hour faster (75.6 mph). • Fried is throwing his sweeper more to righties than he did in his previous two seasons of usage. Generally, pitchers use sweepers as a weapon against same-side hitters, but they can also be a back-foot option against them. • And the big one: According to Stuff+, Fried's mix is the best it has ever been, and his curveball and sinker are the best they've ever been. 'Obviously, Atlanta has got a really strong pitching program. But they go about it in a little more traditional way,' Blake said, referring to Fried's former club. 'He just was interested in exploring some of the data and tech that is available now. That's what we've leaned in towards. Just really understanding how the pitches are moving, why they're moving, what his body is doing to make those pitches move. 'Combined with what he learned in Atlanta — the game-skill component, understanding hitters, reading swings, understanding how to turn lineups over multiple times — he's going as deep into the game as anybody right now. Just knowing how he's going to navigate seven pitches three times through the lineup, sometimes four.' Fried entered Thursday tied with the Athletics' Luis Severino for the most batters faced a third and fourth time through the lineup (64). He led the majors with 51 2/3 innings, a 226-inning pace. His career-high, set in 2022, is 185 1/3. In each of the past two seasons, he missed time with forearm issues. Advertisement To state the obvious: The Yankees, already down Gerrit Cole for the season, Marcus Stroman until at least later this month and Luis Gil until June or July, cannot afford to lose Fried. 'It's one of those things we're always mindful of, especially with where our starting pitching is at and how important he is to us,' Blake said. 'It's a combination of, what did those innings look like? What were the pitch counts to get to those spots? 'He's been pretty efficient in a lot of innings, other than the first game when he kind of grinded through it a little bit. We're being mindful of extra rest days here and there, mindful of the throwing program in between. We've done a good job of being objective about what his actual workload looks like, not just on game day but his throwing program, his bullpens.' He is a different pitcher, a better pitcher. The best Max Fried we've seen. Early on Thursday, I spoke with a head of baseball operations who said that later in the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates might be a difficult opponent. By then, the executive said, several injured Pirates hitters should be back, and injured right-hander Jared Jones and top prospect Bubba Chandler might be part of the starting rotation. The Pirates hold much of the same view. But as evidenced by their dismissal of manager Derek Shelton on Thursday, they ran out of patience after starting the season 12-26. 'I don't think we have to squint too hard to see a better team on the field in 2025,' general manager Ben Cherington said. 'I believe we can and will be better on both sides of the ball. 'I'm also not blind to the hole we've dug. We've had a perfect storm of stuff happening that has contributed to a much more difficult start than we wanted. No way to climb out of it but a pitch at a time.' Advertisement The perfect storm to which Cherington referred includes injuries not only to Jones, but also second baseman Nick Gonzales, shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa, catcher Endy Rodríguez and the team's biggest offseason acquisition, first baseman Spencer Horwitz. The Pirates' health issues, though, are less severe than those of two other small-market NL Central rivals — the Milwaukee Brewers, who already have used 10 starting pitchers, and Cincinnati Reds, whose injured list on Thursday grew to 12 with the addition of ace right-hander Hunter Greene. The scrutiny, then, will now justifiably turn to Cherington, who is presiding over his sixth straight losing season. At a time when small-market Milwaukee, Cleveland and Tampa Bay routinely field competitive teams, the Pirates' failures are indefensible. Everyone in baseball, though, knows the team's problems start with owner Bob Nutting. As a former player told The Athletic in February 2024, Nutting is 'comfortable being mediocre.' In the news release announcing Shelton's firing, Nutting said, 'We need to act with a sense of urgency and take the steps necessary to fix this now to get back on track as a team and organization.' A sense of urgency? That's a good one. Nutting became the club's principal owner in 2007. The largest free-agent contract in Pirates history remains a three-year, $39 million deal for Francisco Liriano in 2014. Urgency, thy name is not Bob Nutting. The A's are 20-18. Their run differential suggests their record should be 17-21. But at this relatively early stage of the season, such extrapolations are misleading. While the A's minus-24 run differential is the second worst in the AL West, ahead of only the Los Angeles Angels' minus-61, three of their losses were by a combined score of 47-6. Advertisement Perhaps more telling, seven of the A's past 14 games have been decided by one run. They are undeniably more competitive than in recent seasons. But to seriously contend, they will need to improve their defense. Through Wednesday, they ranked last in both Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and Outs Above Average (OAA). They remain a work in progress defensively. Tyler Soderstrom, who moved from first base to left field to accommodate the promotion of first baseman Nick Kurtz, already is comfortable at his new position. Kurtz is a good defender. Jacob Wilson is improved at short. And Luis Urias has stabilized second since replacing the demoted Max Muncy. At third, Miguel Andujar is not as strong a defender as Gio Urshela, but playing him at that position is the best way to get him in the lineup now that Soderstrom is in left. And perhaps the biggest concern is JJ Bleday, the worst defensive center fielder in the game at his position by OAA and second worst by DRS. When catcher Sean Murphy suffered a left rib cage fracture in spring training, the Atlanta Braves were keenly aware that last season, they probably brought him back from a strained left oblique too soon. Murphy, 30, was never the same after missing nearly the entire first two months and playing only four games on a rehabilitation assignment. He finished with a .193 batting average and .636 OPS, both career lows. After his latest injury, the Braves vowed to give Murphy more time to recover. But this time, his rehab assignment was even shorter, lasting only three games. Normally quiet and reserved, Murphy was adamant when talking to club officials — this was a different injury, he said, a broken bone that healed. His argument proved convincing. And his performance shows he was right. Advertisement In 22 games, Murphy is batting only .225, but with seven homers — three shy of his total last season — and an .832 OPS. One postscript to the story I published Wednesday about the Arizona Diamondbacks' Geraldo Perdomo: The Diamondbacks seem not at all concerned that their top prospect, Jordan Lawlar, also is a shortstop. Lawlar, who turns 23 on July 17, is playing second and third at Triple A in addition to short. Center field also is a long-term possibility. He is highly regarded, ranking 10th in Keith Law's top 100 prospects. And the Diamondbacks view him as an important part of their future, even after signing Perdomo in February to a four-year, $45 million extension with a club option for 2030. 'I told Jordan that we signed Perdomo because of him,' Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said. 'It wasn't to block him off. I want them to be together. This will be a very good team with both of those guys on the same team. I'm not necessarily worried about who the shortstop is.' Perdomo, 25, ranks among the league's best defensive shortstops, and would appear entrenched at the position. Second baseman Ketel Marte, like Perdomo, is under club control through 2030. But third baseman Eugenio Suárez turns 34 on July 18 and is in the final year of his contract. One way or another, the Diamondbacks will figure it out. After an offseason in which they spent a mere $11.25 million in free agency, the Seattle Mariners hardly appeared the obvious choice to claim outfielder Leody Taveras, who was owed about $3.7 million the rest of the season. Injuries to outfielders Victor Robles and Luke Raley forced the issue, as did Randy Arozarena playing with a sore hamstring. Perhaps Taveras can provide the same type of boost as Robles did after he signed with the Mariners last June following his release by the Washington Nationals. But now the question becomes, will the Mariners still have payroll flexibility to add at the trade deadline? Advertisement Only ownership truly knows, but perhaps it's a positive sign the front office received approval to add Taveras, who is 26 and under club control for two more seasons, assuming the Mariners want to pay his arbitration salaries. One team official, granted anonymity for his candor, said: 'We will figure out July in July.' Kudos to the Kansas City Royals for taking advantage of a relatively soft part of their schedule. The Royals' 15-2 run includes four wins against the Chicago White Sox, three against Colorado, three against Tampa Bay and two against Baltimore. The Royals, though, still need offensive help. Before defeating the White Sox on Thursday, 10-0, they ranked 27th in runs per game. And their outfielders ranked 28th in OPS. Unlike the Mariners, the Royals did not view Taveras as worthy of a claim, according to a source briefed on their thinking. Club officials essentially believed the financial commitment to Taveras would be too great, particularly when it might limit their dollars available at the deadline. Outfielder John Rave, batting .268 with six homers and an .886 OPS at Triple A, is an internal candidate for promotion. • More on the Mariners: In each of the past two seasons, their strikeout total was the second highest in the league. Through Wednesday, their rate was the 16th highest, and that was just one sign of their offensive turnaround. The Mariners also ranked ninth in slugging percentage, fourth in homers and first in walk rate. Only one opposing pitcher had completed seven innings against them: the Houston Astros' Hayden Wesneski on April 7. Jorge Polanco, a switch-hitter who only recently resumed batting right-handed after dealing with an issue in his side, has emerged as a stealth MVP candidate. Polanco, who returned to the Mariners on a one-year, $7.75 million free-agent contract, is only 10 appearances shy of qualifying for the league leaders. His 1.103 OPS would rank second only to Aaron Judge. Advertisement • More on the A's: Their resurgence partly is due to their success with recent first-round draft picks: Kurtz (fourth overall, 2024), Wilson (sixth, 2023), Muncy (25th, 2021) and Soderstrom (26th, 2020). The A's from 2017 to '19 failed to produce a major leaguer out of their first rounders, after a run from 2011 to '16 that included Sonny Gray, Addison Russell, Matt Chapman and AJ Puk. • How badly do the Houston Astros need Yordan Alvarez to return as soon as possible from a muscle strain in his right hand? Consider: Every hitter on the Astros' current roster is right-handed except for the two backup catchers: Victor Caratini, a switch-hitter, and César Salazar, the left-handed hitter who replaced Alvarez. (Top photo of Max Fried: New)
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Ryan Pressly's historic meltdown, plus the Guardians prospect pitching through cancer
The Windup Newsletter ⚾ | This is The Athletic 's MLB newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Windup directly in your inbox. Well, that was quite an 11th inning in Chicago. Plus: Ken on Geraldo Perdomo's big personality, Zack Meisel on the prospect pitching through cancer treatments, and the Red Sox really need a first baseman. I'm Levi Weaver, here with Ken Rosenthal. Welcome to The Windup! Trouble: Is it time to worry? Yeah, probably Eno Sarris has an article today in which he looks at 10 early numbers that indicate legitimate trouble for a few teams. Most of them are things we know are going wrong, but Sarris does a good job of explaining why . Now … let's pivot: I had a whole section here highlighting a few of these numbers. You can still click the link and read them. But here's what Sarris had to say about Cubs reliever Ryan Pressly. Keep in mind, he wrote this when Pressly's ERA was 2.08. Pressly's declining stuff — he's lost velocity and ride on the four-seam, which has become more cutter-like, and his curve is his only remaining above-average pitch — will probably cost him the closer's role sooner rather than later. Pressly's ERA is now 7.23, because he faced eight hitters and allowed nine runs in the 11th inning against the Giants last night. So let's focus on that , shall we? Because holy crap. Per the Giants broadcast, it was the most runs ever allowed in any extra inning in Wrigley Field history. It was also the most runs scored in an extra inning by the Giants since at least 1901. Per Stathead, there has only ever been one other outing in which a pitcher allowed nine runs without recording an out — extra innings or not. That was Hank Borowy of the Detroit Tigers, who did it against the St. Louis Browns on Aug. 18, 1951. Since it came in extra innings (ghost runner), only eight of Pressly's runs were earned (so Borowy still owns the record for earned runs. Only four pitchers have previously allowed that many earned runs in an inning without recording an out (most recently: Carlos Rodón in 2023). As you might have guessed, we have more on this game. Here's Grant Brisbee on the Giants angle, and Patrick Mooney from the Cubs side. Ken's Notebook: How Perdomo won over the D-Backs From my latest story: The new kid on the Diamondbacks wouldn't stop talking, and it was driving Mookie Betts nuts. So the Dodgers star pulled aside Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo, a trusted confidante from their days together with the Boston Red Sox, and offered some advice: 'You've got to get this guy to shut up.' Geraldo Perdomo wouldn't shut up and still hasn't shut up, keeping in line with an ebullient personality that once drew the ire of veteran teammates and even the occasional opponent. But since his major-league debut in 2021, Perdomo has not only emerged as one of baseball's best shortstops but also gained respect and admiration from his Diamondbacks teammates, growing into a leader. Perdomo, 25, isn't as well-known as Francisco Lindor, Corey Seager and Bobby Witt Jr., among others. But so far this season, he leads all shortstops in fWAR and ranks fourth in the majors overall, behind Aaron Judge, Pete Alonso and teammate Corbin Carroll. Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen calls Perdomo's plate discipline elite. Pitcher Zac Gallen calls him one of the game's underrated defenders. Betts? He smiles when asked about Perdomo. Right away, he was taken by the kid's enthusiasm. But Betts also could see how some might view Perdomo's decorum on the field as a problem. For example, Perdomo seemed unaware his celebrations might be perceived differently when the Diamondbacks were losing. 'In my head, I was like, hey, you've got to kind of straddle that line,' Betts said. Early on, straddling that line was not the easiest task. The Diamondbacks finished 52-110 in 2021, the year Perdomo made his debut in two brief stints totaling 11 games. They were 74-88 in 2022, his first full season. So, when Perdomo would talk away in the clubhouse in the middle of a losing stretch, or with opponents at second base regardless of the score, some of his teammates seethed. 'For some of us, the older players, it was kind of not the greatest look,' Gallen said. With a team gone sour, Perdomo even raised eyebrows with a seemingly innocuous act, jumping over the dugout rail in excitement when the Diamondbacks would score. Former Arizona catcher Carson Kelly, now with the Chicago Cubs, recalls some of the veterans reacting skeptically: 'Whoa, that's a little different.' Lovullo, pitcher Merrill Kelly and others said Perdomo indeed rubbed people the wrong way. More here. Drama?: Devers not the 1B answer (for now) in Boston It was the biggest story in camp. The Red Sox had signed Alex Bregman — reigning AL 3B Gold Glove winner Alex Bregman, mind you — and the entire sport seemed to slowly turn its head toward incumbent third baseman Rafael Devers to see his response. He didn't disappoint (assuming you were hoping for a little drama, anyway). Devers made it clear that he was a third baseman, not a designated hitter. Period. Aaaaaand then a couple more periods to make it an ellipsis, because after meeting with manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox front office, Devers reversed course: He was ready to do whatever the team needed. Well, they need a first baseman now. Triston Casas' season-ending knee injury created a void. Could Devers be that guy? Here's a line from Jen McCaffrey's recent story: 'Before Tuesday's game, Cora said that he's had no discussions with Rafael Devers about moving to first base. Devers has been asked by the media to discuss the matter, but so far he has declined to talk.' To be fair, that's not quite the full-chest 'no way' we got from Devers this spring. It's also not an offer to do it. All we know is: It's not happening. So far, the Red Sox have used Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro in Casas' absence. If Devers did play first base, it would allow Boston to put Masataka Yoshida at DH. Yoshida is returning from a shoulder injury, and capable of hitting, but is still experiencing pain when he throws. Stay tuned? Today's Must-Read: The prospect pitching through cancer treatments When it comes to telling stories like this, there aren't many who can do it like Zack Meisel. Today, he brings us the story of Nic Enright, who hasn't even made it to the big leagues just yet. Part of the reason might be because he's pitching through cancer treatments. In December 2022, the Guardians prospect was selected by the Miami Marlins in the Rule 5 draft, meaning — barring an IL stint — they would have to keep him on their big-league roster all season long, or offer him back to Cleveland. Less than a month later, an egg-sized lump on his neck caused him to see a doctor. He was diagnosed with 'Stage 2 nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma.' That IL stint in Miami did happen. By the time the deadline came to activate him or send him back, it was late June, which is how he ended up back with the Guardians. Meisel walks us through Enright's journey — chemotherapy treatments, walks with his wife, scheduling his treatments around the baseball season, and support from others in the sport who had battled cancer. Now, at age 28, he's back on the verge of making the big leagues. Go read the rest of the story. Whether you're a Guardians fan or not, you'll probably have a new player to root for by the time you're finished. Handshakes and High Fives From prospect to regular to folk hero: Pete Crow-Armstrong is an undeniable star with the Cubs. The Astros are nearing a decision deadline on Brendan Rodgers as they try to replace Jose Altuve at second base. Royce Lewis didn't do his usual big-day-at-the-plate-in-his-return-from-the-IL bit, but the rest of the Twins lineup stepped up and did it for him. Last year, new glasses helped break Kiké Hernandez out of a slump. Now Max Muncy is giving it a go. The Yankees scored 10 runs off the vaunted Padres bullpen, who apparently decided to get all their regression out in one go. Additionally, the Yanks have DFA'd Carlos Carrasco. Brendan Kuty tells us what the rotation options are. Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández has officially hit the IL — it's a Grade 1 adductor (groin) strain. On the pods: Tigers manager A.J. Hinch is on 'Starkville,' talking about the team's hot start — including Spencer Torkelson and Javy Báez. And on 'Rates and Barrels,' Will Sammon discusses the Mets' rotation and lineup questions. Most-clicked in our last newsletter: Five trades Jim Bowden would like to see this month. 📫 Love The Windup? Check out The Athletic 's other newsletters. (Top photo: Ed Szczepanski / Imagn Images)
