Moneyball 2: Twins/Sox version

[caulfield12]

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/have-the-twins-found-the-next-moneyball-style-trick-to-win-in-mlb-011548831.html

Debate/discuss...

[Harry Chappas]

Pretty much says all you need to know about the free swinging White Sox and why their offense sucks.

 

[reiks12]

I read an article on the Athletic that laid out just how much the Twins are putting into their hitting development, from low A all the way to the majors. I am sure their low A teams have better scouting than our MLB one does. They also have been having front office analytics people in the dugout, and Baldelli stated that he listens to them like any other coaches.

Meanwhile our analytics guy, Duncan (what a joke of a hire), can't even approach TLR about anything analytics. 

[southsider2k5]

I wonder if anyone has considered telling Jerry that by signing high OBP guys you see more pitches, which means longer games, which means more beer sales?

[FoxForce2]

14 minutes ago, reiks12 said:

I read an article on the Athletic that laid out just how much the Twins are putting into their hitting development, from low A all the way to the majors. I am sure their low A teams have better scouting than our MLB one does. They also have been having front office analytics people in the dugout, and Baldelli stated that he listens to them like any other coaches.

Meanwhile our analytics guy, Duncan (what a joke of a hire), can't even approach TLR about anything analytics. 

Another article from The Athletic observed how the Astros employ continuity from the Rookie league through the Big Club. Coaching techniques and development practices,while not rigidly standardized, are relatively uniform throughout the system. Terminology and general style of tailoring programs to individual development isn't much different in the Bigs than it is in the minors. Some of the upcoming Astros have remarked on this a big plus in that they're not confronted with a dramatic change in what they're doing when they hit MLB. Sure, there are constant adjustments and improvement - but that in itself is part of the Astro process. This, covering all aspects of the game: hitting, baserunning, fielding and pitching.
Support this kind of 'all of one cloth' approach with advanced tech and practical deep analytics and you've probably got a high functioning program. In the Astros case, the bottom line -winning- shows the results. So do the Sox need to emulate the 'Stros? Well no, but it is only rational to take on their best ideas and Soxify them. It just makes sense. 
As for the garbage cans - well that's a different story.

[Ducksnort]

3 minutes ago, FoxForce2 said:

Another article from The Athletic observed how the Astros employ continuity from the Rookie league through the Big Club. Coaching techniques and development practices,while not rigidly standardized, are relatively uniform throughout the system. Terminology and general style of tailoring programs to individual development isn't much different in the Bigs than it is in the minors. Some of the upcoming Astros have remarked on this a big plus in that they're not confronted with a dramatic change in what they're doing when they hit MLB. Sure, there are constant adjustments and improvement - but that in itself is part of the Astro process. This, covering all aspects of the game: hitting, baserunning, fielding and pitching.
Support this kind of 'all of one cloth' approach with advanced tech and practical deep analytics and you've probably got a high functioning program. In the Astros case, the bottom line -winning- shows the results. So do the Sox need to emulate the 'Stros? Well no, but it is only rational to take on their best ideas and Soxify them. It just makes sense. 
As for the garbage cans - well that's a different story.

This is the way

[Highland]

One thing I have noticed about Sox hitters is that they sometimes don't just take one strike but take two. Then they're 0-2 and they haven't even offered at a pitch. I don't know how any hitter can expect to succeed with an approach like that.

[FoxForce2]

13 minutes ago, ScooterMcGuire said:

This is the way

On second thought, 'Soxifying' this approach might very well be something that makes one go - hmmmmmmmmm.

[Harold's Leg Lift]

Here’s the trick, in its glossiest, most Powerpoint-ready form: Take a ball to start your at-bats.

[bmags]

The white sox ownership and front office believe they are the centrists in baseball, whose continuity and common sense prevent them from getting thrown overboard chasing every new trend in baseball, and keeping a foot on traditionalist and modern team building practices. Except the traditionalists lost. So all they are doing is half-assing modernizing their team.

For a small market team, not using resources to gain every advantage in player development and scouting is committing yourself to permanent mediocrity. But the white sox have more resources than the Guardians and Twins, yet cede them the advantage here. THey could crush them with the biggest and most advanced organization and payroll, but instead perform their friends and family org chart with 200 special asst to the GM for any ole pal that wants to hang.

[Dam8610]

5 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/have-the-twins-found-the-next-moneyball-style-trick-to-win-in-mlb-011548831.html

Debate/discuss...

If they're 2% better than the next best team, that sounds like they're an outlier that will regress to the mean.

[GREEDY]

Not surprising that teams that aren't swinging at the dead ball during the cold weather months were having success.

If it is cold enough for Leury to wear a facemask he'd be better off not even bringing at bat to the plate. 

[TaylorStSox]

It's not like the Sox seek out free swingers. The make-up of the team is mostly just best player available (Anderson, Robert, Eloy etc). 

[bmags]

41 minutes ago, Dam8610 said:

If they're 2% better than the next best team, that sounds like they're an outlier that will regress to the mean.

the extra 2% you say

[Chimpton]

16 minutes ago, TaylorStSox said:

It's not like the Sox seek out free swingers. The make-up of the team is mostly just best player available (Anderson, Robert, Eloy etc). 

They could maybe try scouting players.

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, FoxForce2 said:

Another article from The Athletic observed how the Astros employ continuity from the Rookie league through the Big Club. Coaching techniques and development practices,while not rigidly standardized, are relatively uniform throughout the system. Terminology and general style of tailoring programs to individual development isn't much different in the Bigs than it is in the minors. Some of the upcoming Astros have remarked on this a big plus in that they're not confronted with a dramatic change in what they're doing when they hit MLB. Sure, there are constant adjustments and improvement - but that in itself is part of the Astro process. This, covering all aspects of the game: hitting, baserunning, fielding and pitching.
Support this kind of 'all of one cloth' approach with advanced tech and practical deep analytics and you've probably got a high functioning program. In the Astros case, the bottom line -winning- shows the results. So do the Sox need to emulate the 'Stros? Well no, but it is only rational to take on their best ideas and Soxify them. It just makes sense. 
As for the garbage cans - well that's a different story.

See the “under the radar” success of Jeremy Pena pretty seamlessly replacing Correa at SS.

[chw42]

No team has had more events when ahead in the count than the Twins. Not even the Dodgers. 30.5% of their pitches seen are when they're ahead in the count. It's not like their hitters are that much better at hitting in those situations, it's just that they see about 5% more of those situations than the Sox, who are in the bottom 3rd of the league. You might think 5% isn't a lot, but that's 450 more pitches seen while ahead in the count. Over the course of a whole season, that matters a lot. 

[reiks12]

2 minutes ago, caulfield12 said:

See the “under the radar” success of Jeremy Pena pretty seamlessly replacing Correa at SS.

Its pretty amazing, i cant even fathom that happening in our org. I hate the Astros but I respect that system.

[caulfield12]

2 hours ago, Dam8610 said:

If they're 2% better than the next best team, that sounds like they're an outlier that will regress to the mean.

Probably accounted for by Luis Arraez bats alone.