MLB 2018 regular season thread

His walk rate is high, but in line with 2015 and '16 when he handled it much better. His K percentage is 26.0, almost his career high and way up from the previous three years.

 

He does walk a lot. Leads the NL. Misses a lot too. Third in NL n whiffs.

 

Even that's misleading.

45 percent of his walks came in his first 29 games.

So 38 walks in 29 games (1.3 walks per game), followed by 46 walks in 74 games (.62 walks per game).

 

Nice to see someone in high visibility sports who understands the privilege he enjoys (Sean Doolittle):

https://deadspin.com/nationals-sean-doolittle-does-some-good-and-wise-tweets-1827987323

He nails it, those who throw out slurs [pros here, but applies universally] are almost always [his words] "at the top of the food chain".

 

It's both.

Bryce Harper » Statistics » Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

He's seeing 4% fewer strikes but swinging and missing much more.

 

I think what these straight percentages does not tell us, and I am sure people have this percentage somewhere on the internet, is when you get behind Harper 2-0, you are not going to grind him for that out. You are going to give him first. If I have Bryce 2-0 or 3-1 or 3-2 on the Nats, I'm still nibbling. I see 2-0 or 3-1 with Judge and Satnton holding bats, I'm not nibbling as much.

 

See also Rose, Pete: "He should have challenged me with a fastball."

 

You think he would pass through waivers?It's a pro-rated fraction of an expiring deal. The playoff teams will let him get to each other? I can't believe that.

 

I'm surprised there isn't a contending team willing to take a flyer on Greg Holland. I assume he'd be available for almost nothing but the $3-4 million left on his contract for the year.

 

I'd be shocked if Harper passed through. Verlander made it because it looked like he was on the downslide and he had $56M coming in 2018-19.

 

I was at that game!!!

 

And not seeing as many strikes makes it more difficult to hit the ones he does see, not easier.

I think it is a decent bet that Harper would improve if the Yankees got him, but he really has been bad the last couple of months.

I agree that he won't get through waivers. As LTL posted, it's a very different situation from Verlander.