The way sports teams are built have changed, the way players are playing have changed, the way coaches’ coach have changed, and the way that fans are viewing sports have changed. Sports are not the same as it was 50 years ago, or even 20 years ago. Teams are trying to get any and every competitive edge that they can get to separate themselves from the pack. Teams are starting to use the field/court in a more efficient way, teams are spending money in a more efficient way, and teams have embraced the importance of analytics. What is the “Pace and Space” effect? Pace and Space effect is the comp ..read more

Analyzing The 3 Most Important Traits In Scouting Young Catchers Framing pitches is one of the most valuable traits for any catcher. It puts your pitcher in more advantageous situations, it saves runs over the course of a 162-game season, and it gives opposing hitters an opportunity to see better off speed pitches. However, as innovation and technology grow, the value of pitch framing will decline. Automatic strike zones are becoming a strong focal point in MLB’s future. MLB is already experimenting with automatic strike zones in different minor league stadiums and is continuing to t ..read more

There’s a reason why smart teams are moving away from labeling relief pitchers, such as a set-up man, closer, middle reliever, etc. Instead, these teams are putting their best bullpen arms in the most high-stress situations and allowing their worst bullpen arms to pitch in the least high-stress situations. If a lead is getting threatened in the 6th inning or 7th inning, it might be time to bring in the “closer” or in other terms, the “Bullpen ACE.” Teams are starting to incorporate a “bullpen ACE” or multiple “bullpen ACES” if they have them. A bullpen ACE is simply a team’s best bullpen arm w ..read more

This article is not about teams spending money from a team perspective. I firmly believe that every team needs to spend money if they want a shot at winning the World Series. However, this article is analyzing whether teams should give out huge contracts for individual players. Was giving Mike Trout close to $450 million worth it? Was giving Bryce Harper close to $350 million worth it? Was Alex Rodriguez’s contract of close to $300 million worth it? This article will analyze these contracts to determine how successful these players and teams are while the “superstar” players are unde ..read more

While more and more pitchers are throwing 100 MPH, throwing with insane spin rates, and utilizing pitch tunneling to their advantage, hitters are simply playing catch up. Developing hitters is behind the 8-ball compared to developing pitchers. There are 2 reasons why developing hitters is extremely difficult to do: 1.) Trying to predict the unknown. You never get the same pitch twice in a row. Hitters need to be ready for 99 MPH on the inside corner, then a nasty curveball on the outside corner the very next pitch. 2.) There are a lot of misconceptions and confusion about the perfect swing and ..read more