Monday, March 14, 2011

Hey Neil, did you see what Baseball Prospectus said about Miguel Cabrera this year?

Remember the year they had Josh Phelps on the cover? That sucked.
I like the general Baseball Prospectus approach to projecting player performances every year: nobody is going to be good, and the players who, last year, appeared to be kind of good, will this year be revealed not to be any good at all. And they're not wrong. But every year there are, like, I don't know, maybe six guys who they say totally positive things about.  This year, there's Halladay, Ichiro, and I'm sure a couple others, but this one really jumped out for obvious, Neil-related reasons:
After an offseason featuring alcohol counseling and questions about his commitment, Cabrera let his bat do the talking and put to rest any doubt that he can become one of the game's all-time greats.  Cabrera produced an MVP-caliber season, hitting for power and average, leading the league in on-base percentage and RBI, and setting career highs in home runs, slugging percentage, TAv, and WARP.  Perhaps most importantly for his future, Cabrera improved both his walk and strikeout rates and has become a reliable glove at first base.  Still years shy of his 30th birthday, given continued good health, Cabrera is likely to get top billing in pitchers' nightmares for the foreseeable future. Only two questions remain: How far will he climb up baseball's career leaderboards, and how much gaudier might his statistics be if he spent more time in hitter friendly ballparks?
I don't know, Neil, do you think there's maybe a third question, too? Because I think there sort of could be.


KS

12 comments:

  1. The third question: Which will be higher at the end of the season, Miguel's batting average or his blood alcohol content?

    Or ... which will be higher, Miguel's slugging percentage or Miguel's weight?

    Or any combination of the above plus assorted stats. It's fun, like madlibs. *shoots self*

    ReplyDelete
  2. I almost bought this the other week, but didn't because I have failed to nerd out on baseball since I was in like high school, back when batting average, slugging percentage, and ERA were the heaviest mathematical categories that went beyond just adding up what someone did. I have no idea what some of these fucking things people talk about are now, it's like talking to a Chinaman about some shit. So I didn't buy it.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Still, he's already won the MVP of my heart, which is arguably more important than any other trophy out there. Arguably.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Chinese people are awesome, Raven.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Listen to their words and hear their music, Raven.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Just . . . just LOVE them, Raven. Is that so hard?

    ReplyDelete
  7. What wonders of baseball science will unfold once a nation a billion strong turns its attention to its mysteries? Ever think of that?

    ReplyDelete
  8. lol j/k they'll never give a fuck about baseball

    ReplyDelete
  9. I don't mind the Chinamen and Chinaladies and their mysterious ways. I just don't speak the language. I think it would be easier to learn Mandarin than to learn Prospectus Era Cyberstatspeak. Plus baseball nerds don't make $25 alternate dark blue Bryce Harper jerseys with stitched not screenprinted letters.

    ReplyDelete
  10. you know their vagina slits are sideways and smell like honey?

    ReplyDelete
  11. "I believe virtually everything I read, and I think that is what makes me more of a selective human than someone who doesn't believe anything." -- David St. Hubbins

    I have lived my life according to this maxim and it has never once steered me wrong.

    ReplyDelete