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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 3d

Had the terrible realization that Scott Boras will weave “Motor City,” “engine,” and “purrs” into the same sentence when he talks this winter about a potential Tarik Skubal extension.

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Spooky Ha-Lewie-n Name Pollis @lewispoll.is · 8d

Watching last night's games, I was reminded of this research I published last year, suggesting that teams' increasingly aggressive bullpen usage was backfiring as managers overwork and overexpose their best relievers.

Letting Garrett Crochet throw a career-high 117 pitches is one way to avoid this!

Is This How the Strikeout Era Ends?

How the 2024 playoffs could change modern pitching philosophy

www.thelewsletter.lewispoll.is

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Reposted by R.J. Anderson

Joe Sheehan @sheehannewsletter.bsky.social · 8d

Most plate appearances in a postseason nine-inning game, scoring one or fewer runs:

43, Tigers, 10/1/2025
41, -dians, 9/30/1954
41, Tigers, 10/5/1934

Three tied with 40

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 8d

George Valera is authoring a fun story. He was a top prospect not long ago, but he couldn't stay healthy. Guardians waived around this time last year and he passed through untouched. Received the call late in the season and has showcased strength and eye versus righties.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 8d

You almost have to admire the Rockies’ loyalty to their front office members. Their assistant general managers have each been with the organization since at least 2006. Furthermore, they haven’t hired a GM from outside of the franchise since 1999. Looks like that last part will change this winter.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 8d

Never a good sign when your offense enables Blake Snell to be efficient.

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Alex Speier @alexspeier.bsky.social · 8d

Yoshida is the first Red Sox pinch-hitter *ever* to have a swing that turned a deficit into a lead in the postseason.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 9d

Sometimes you have to make a business decision.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 9d

The contact play has gained popularity around the league because of some favorable break-even calculations—if you watched the Guardians this summer, you saw them run it all the time.. But when it doesn't work out, it really doesn't work out.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 9d

Every time I watch Gavin Williams pitch I'm reminded that he looks just enough like Jason Hammel (at least in the face) to give me pause.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 9d

Tigers led the majors in extra bases taken (during the run of play) and outs made on the bases—even a few of their tugboats attempted 10-plus tag-ups; Guardians, meanwhile, led the majors in outfield assists and outfield throwing errors. Runs could be at a premium, amplifying mistakes by either.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 11d

Hey now, a few weeks ago the Guardians had only two players with an OPS+ of 100 or better, no matter their plate appearances. These days, they’re up to four thanks to the Halpin and Valera promotions (53 combined PA).

Sam Miller @sammillerbb.bsky.social · 11d

Any strike, in any situation, to Jose Ramirez is a huge mistake:

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Emma Baccellieri @emmabaccellieri.bsky.social · 11d

On the Fever, living and dying by Kelsey Mitchell, as ever:

In a Season of Uncertainty for the Fever, Kesley Mitchell Has Been a Sure Thing

Indiana would not have made it this far in the WNBA playoffs without their veteran guard being as reliable as ever.

www.si.com

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 13d

Jason Benetti just described Troy Melton as a “classic rock fan” because he knew the words to a Blink-182 song. Never felt more like dust.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 15d

Yeah, and in my head, I make a distinction between that kind of predilection and the more granular preferences I detect with other clubs—for instance, the Cubs and Guardians with deviation from expected movement for certain pitch types, to the extent that it can’t just be a coincidence.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 15d

That’s fair. I do think they have some signature aspects to their approach—they have more tolerance for taking low-wattage hitters in the first than other clubs, for instance.

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 15d

Few organizations do a better job of identifying and enhancing a given player’s strengths. It’s also interesting how the Brewers don’t seem to lock in on certain profiles, the way other (highly successful) front offices do. Impressive group, impressive run.

RD Topp @rdtopp.bsky.social · 15d

Since 2017 the #Brewers have played a total of 4 games (2 each in 17 and 22) after being eliminated from contention.

In that same span they will have played 55 (56 if you use the @jrradcliffe.bsky.social accounting) after clinching a playoff spot.

18: 5
19: 4
20: 0
21: 14
23: 8
24: 10
25: 13*

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JJ Cooper @jjcoop36.bsky.social · 16d

Myths to dispel about the ABS system.

Myth: It will make games longer
Myth: Catcher framing is now obsolete
Myth: Full ABS is now right around the corner.

That and more here:

www.baseballamerica.com/stories/11-t...

11 Things To Know About MLB's New ABS Challenge System For 2026

MLB will implement the ABS challenge system full-time beginning in 2026, the league announced. Here's everything to know.

www.baseballamerica.com

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 20d

Only two teams have lost more than 2,000 individual player games to injury, per Baseball Prospectus’ database: the Dodgers and the Astros. It's remarkable that each could win their division anyway.

Chandler Rome @chandlerrome.bsky.social · 20d

The Astros plan to activate Isaac Paredes off the injured list prior to tonight's game against the Mariners, source tells @theathletic.com. Paredes has been out since July 19 after suffering a severe right hamstring strain. MLB dot com first reported

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R.J. Anderson @rjandersonwrites.com · 20d

Worth monitoring. Sasaki has made a few interesting tweaks to his arsenal since the last time he pitched in MLB, including mothballing his slider in favor of a new cutter that he has (in a small sample) shown a better feel for locating.

Eric Stephen @ericstephen.bsky.social · 20d

Roki Sasaki is pitching in relief tonight for Oklahoma City

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Joe Sheehan @sheehannewsletter.bsky.social · 21d

Ignoring 2020, which never happened, this will be the fifth straight season in which the league hits under .250. That's happened just twice before: 1965-69, and 1904-10.

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Carlos Collazo @carlosacollazo.com · 21d

MLB is adopting a new dead period for draft-eligible players.

No scouting, evaluating, video-gathering or data-gathering for high school players from Oct. 15-Jan. 15 and for college players from Nov. 15-Jan. 15.

All the details:

www.baseballamerica.com/stories/mlb-...

MLB To Adopt Scouting 'Dead Period' For Draft-Eligible Players

In an MLB memo obtained by Baseball America, the league announced it will introduce new rules limiting scouting, player evaluation and data-gathering on draft-eligible HS and college players during…

www.baseballamerica.com

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Reposted by R.J. Anderson

Zach Crizer @zcrizer.bsky.social · 27d

It's a great time to hop on and subscribe to The Bandwagon.

@hannahrkeyser.bsky.social and I will be collecting the most interesting thoughts and stories all the way through the stretch run and the postseason. Consider joining us.

➡️ bandwagon.substack.com

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Katie Sharp @sharpstats.bsky.social · 29d

Yankees are the 2nd MLB team in the last 75 years to have 2 relievers allow 4+ ER and get 0 outs in a game.

The Angels also did it on August 31, 1999 vs Indians

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Brent Maguire @bmags94.bsky.social · Sep 7

Wow. Jackson Holliday homered with two outs in the ninth inning to end Yoshinobu Yamamoto's no-hitter.

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