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VardyParty

9:35

Why is the fastball the set-up pitch? Is it because it is easiest to control and command? Could a changeup or slider not be used as a set up pitch for the rest of the repertoire?

Paul Swydan

9:35

Generally, I think it is because your bat has to speed up for the fastball, and once the pitcher has your bat sped up, he can drop in something slower and get you to swing early and either miss it or make weak contact.

9:36

But not all pitchers pitch that way. Guys like Pedro Martinez and Zack Greinke can/did pitch "backwards," which is a way of saying they used their non-fastball pitches to set hitters up.

Norris

9:36

Is a hard changeup still an offspeed pitch if it is only 4-5 MPH less than FB?

Paul Swydan

9:37

Yes, though obviously if the velocity gap is that small, you are relying more on the relative movement of the two pitches to help separate them.

Minty

9:37

Think Vlad Jr bashes his way up next September, or will he get the Acuna/Bryant treatment and be up 2019?

Paul Swydan

9:37

I'm not smart enough to answer this question, but I hope it's 2018. :-)

Colt Holt

9:38

Five keepers in round drafted. 6*6 with std plus holds and obp. 12 teams. Scherzer, goldy, Harper first three rounds. Rizzo would be fourth. Grienke in 9th, Luis Castillo, Hoskins, Filipe Rivero were free agents cost last pick. Who to keep?

Paul Swydan

9:38

Hard to argue with Greinke in the 9th. But see how Hoskins hits the rest of the way. He would be the one I keep an eye on.

Chin Music

9:39

Ride the hot hand with Dejong or stick it out with Bogaerts?

Paul Swydan

9:39

Couldn't fault you either way. I think Bogaerts will turn it around, but, I always think that since he's my favorite player.

Andres

9:39

Seems like José Ramírez has cooled off after a great couple of months. Can he rebound and be excellent again?

Paul Swydan

9:39

Yes. Yes he can.

Andres

9:39

Has Freeman lost some power after the wrist injury? Seems like it

Paul Swydan

9:40

Power usually comes back very slowly after wrist injuries. I wouldn't worry about it affecting him long-term.

John

9:40

Hi Paul, thanks for chatting. Question about WAR, if someone moves from LF to CF, they'll play worse defense but they'll get a bigger boost from the positional adjustment, theoretically balancing out, right?

Paul Swydan

9:40

Theoretically, yes.

Guest

9:40

Are Ryon Healy and Matt Chapman going to be part of the next good A's team?

Paul Swydan

9:41

Boy, I sure hope so. Because if they're not, they're not going to be good again for a loooooooong time.

Mattingly's Sideburns

9:41

Rank these things: Jonny Gomes as a commentator. Doug Fister starting for a contender. Brock Holt starting at 1B for a contender.

Paul Swydan

9:41

Yeesh.

Fister least offensive, then Gomes, then Holt?

9:42

But they're all bad. Very bad. Do not like.

Tony Womack

9:42

Why dont teams sign guys to extremely frontloaded contracts instead of 25 a year for 10 years why not give 40 for the first 5 and 10 for the last 5 which makes the player more tradeable when they are declining

Paul Swydan

9:42

Because that limits the flexibility of the team in the current season, and in the future the backloaded salary might not seem so horrifying.

9:43

Case in point, Jayson Werth. When he signed his deal, it seemed like monopoly money. Now, here we are at the end of his deal, and his deal doesn't seem so extravagant anymore.

Jason giambi

9:43

Miguel Andujar = Miguel Sano?

Paul Swydan

9:44

I don't think so. Different profiles for one. Andujar doesn't strike out as much.

For another, Sano spent a much larger portion of his age-22 season in the majors.

9:45

And in the minors, Sano hit for a lot more power.

Almost a 100 point gap in ISO.

Andres

9:45

Which 4 córner IF would you prefer to start: smoak, hoskins, freeman, rendon, shaw? Have to bench one

Paul Swydan

9:45

In a vacuum, Smoak. But Shaw hasn't been very hot lately, so maybe him right now?

Good problem to have.

Da Bum

9:46

I've heard power is all about bat speed. I understand the science behind that but I wonder about a one handed swing. A one hander gives you greater bat speed but the ball doesn't actually go as far. Why? Does the inertia not transfer as well because you can't hold the bat as steady on contact? Just a random thought.

Paul Swydan

9:47

Not sure that is really true, but if it is, then yeah, it's because a one-handed swing would probably lead to more vibration on the bat.

Nick

9:47

Whats the problem with Domingo Santana lately?

Paul Swydan

9:47

I mean, he was really good for four months. Everyone hits a downspurt now and then.

9:48

Certainly he's striking out more this month. So there's that.

Baby Bomber Fan

9:49

Hey, do you think NYY could get past Houston/Cleveland/Boston if they win wild card game?

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