Everyone loves a great bandwagon or a rags-to-riches story. Tanking, when done right, can rewrite an organization's narrative. Take the Houston Astros, for example. In the early 2010s, the organization was known for being mediocre at best and also in the middle of a stretch of downright horrendous seasons. Fast forward, and they are amidst a dynasty run. They have terrorized the American League postseason since 2017, fueled by strong player development and strategic trades. But what happens when the clock strikes midnight before Cinderella is ready to leave the ball? What happens when tanking ..read more

Oracle Park CC by 2.0 License Casey Schmitt was a very exciting draft pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 2020 MLB draft. Going 49th overall, Schmitt was compared to the best two-way player for the Angels, Jared Walsh, for his power at the plate and production on the mound. Schmitt was a closer for his San Diego State University team, featuring a lively fastball and above-average splitter. Giants fans became excited about Schmitt, especially after seeing the unique position listing of 3B/RHP. Unfortunately, the pitching part of his game has taken a step back. However, this step back is fo ..read more

The Cubs are a really fascinating organization, leading to an incredibly interesting farm system. As we all know, the Theo Epstein era was marked by great success and an eventual World Series Championship, but by the end of his tenure, the Cubs were left with a mediocre MLB squad and an inadequate farm system. Jed Hoyer took over and began an attempt to usher in a new era of winning baseball in the Windy City. His first priority was to restock the farm system. Many likely remember the 2021 trade deadline firesale in which Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez, and Craig Kimbrel were dealt ..read more

After the free agent frenzy of November and December, baseball’s January headlines are filled with arbitration news. From a legal perspective, arbitration refers to a method of alternative dispute resolution where two parties use a neutral party to settle a dispute rather than going to court. In baseball, arbitration is the process used to determine a player's salary under team control but does not have a contract for the coming season. When a player has between three and six years of Major League service time and is not under contract for the following year but remains under team control, th ..read more

One of the most common knocks on sabermetrics is how certain stats are flawed. I am not going to talk about how FIP is a perfect stat and is the end-all, be-all when it comes to advanced stats. FIP is a very flawed stat with holes. However, it is also a highly important metric in the world of baseball today and needs to be understood for all levels of baseball players. So, first of all, what is FIP? FIP is a stat that is based on the work of Voros McCracken on defense-independent pitching statistics. Tom Tango and Clay Dreslough made the stat itself and they first called it “Defense-Independe ..read more

Jose Hernandez with the Milwaukee Brewers; CC by 2.0 License Love it or hate it, sabermetrics is firmly in the game of baseball and the GM of your favorite team almost definitely takes them into consideration when assembling his team. wRC+ is arguably the best and most important sabermetric stat in today's game. It is somewhat of a difficult stat to understand and the method and formula of calculating it are also difficult. However, understanding wRC+ and how to use it will show how amazing of a stat it truly is. wRC+ honestly is a complicated beauty and there is so much to unpack with this s ..read more

Scott Rolen is a third baseman who played predominantly in the 2000s and is known mainly for his stints with the Cardinals and the Phillies. Rolen is one of the most underrated players of all time and has been on the ballot for the Hall of Fame for five years, going on six. Each year, the number of votes for him has risen. He got up to 63.75% in 2022, only about 12% away from getting into Cooperstown. The projections make it seem like he will be getting into the Hall of Fame either this year or next, but, in my opinion, it should not have taken this long. First, let’s look at some basic stats ..read more

One of the most common knocks on sabermetrics is how certain stats are flawed. I am not going to talk about how FIP is a perfect stat and is the end-all, be-all when it comes to advanced stats. FIP is a very flawed stat with holes. However, it is also a highly important metric in the world of baseball today and needs to be understood for all levels of baseball players. So, first of all, what is FIP? FIP is a stat that is based on the work of Voros McCracken on defense-independent pitching statistics. Tom Tango and Clay Dreslough made the stat itself and they first called it “Defense-Independe ..read more

Every December, plenty of baseball fans express extreme frustration with their favorite team’s front office. As the hot stove starts to turn up, most people feel that the success of their team’s next season will be determined by how active the franchise is in the free agent market. While free agent acquisitions are an integral part of any elite team, you don’t have to look very far to find a franchise that has largely depended on their farm system to get them World Series rings. The Houston Astros, baseball’s most successful team over the last 5 years, have only occasionally splurged on a big ..read more

The views expressed in this article represent only the individual author and not the entirety of The Drummey Angle Dear Hal, I am writing to you as a concerned baseball fan. For the record, I am not a Yankees fan, but I really want to see the Evil Empire rise again. A good Yankees team is good for the game that we both love. Your franchise is in the midst of a historic drought in terms of the Yankee standard. It has been 13 years since your last World Series appearance; I would assume that you are well aware of that statistic, along with the fact that the 2010s were the first decade in which ..read more