The depressing first paragraph from Robert Arthur today at The Athletic:

The first few weeks of the season have produced some outlandish statistics, from the highest spin rate ever to the lowest batting average ever to eye-popping speeds off the bat. As has become the rolling tagline of the last half decade, the ball is once again to blame for most of the outliers we’re observing. What the league told us would be a deadened baseball is instead livelier than ever off the bat but dying quickly before it gets over the fence. Though it doesn’t align with the changes MLB said they planned to make, this new iteration of the ball has the chance to break the records for home runs per batted ball and push the game into an even more dinger-dependent state.

The depressing last paragraph:

One record that probably won’t be broken this year is another challenge to 2019’s all-time home run total. Yes, homers are flying on a rate basis just as much or more than two years ago, but what has changed is that hitters are making significantly less contact than they did then. Strikeout percentage is up by the largest margin since World War II, and so hitters have many fewer opportunities to actually touch the ball than they did even in 2019. Even though home runs are as high as they’ve ever been, this season will probably be remembered instead as the year batting average died.

theathletic.com

Lowered his ERA to 10.32 today :-(

Ah. Now I see why seats were so cheap.

From OnRoto:

04.16: Friday's game between the Mets and Rockies has been postponed due to inclementweather. (More specifically, it has been snowing in Denver. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday. We will have to wait another day for a Jacob deGrom start. Chi Chi Gonzalez had been slated to start for the Rockies.)

It looks like for $2 you can get into Coors tonight to watch Jacob dGrom pitch. In case you're in the area.

Will Carroll's UTK email today sez ... Joakim Soria will throw a pen over the
weekend and could return to the pen next week if all goes well

Two guys in my league knew on auction day that Barlow was valuable . I stopped bidding at 6; the other guy bid 7. Funny story afterward. He said he had bought Kennedy at 9 and was thinking Barlow as a handcuff. He forgot Kennedy moved to Texas. At the time I thought 16 was way too much for both, but he may have done well. 

The one and almost only Panda.

Yesterday's Second Biggest Play

You assume Dunn's BABIP is very, very lucky. Then you watch the condensed game and think: No it's not.

Yesterday's Top Performers

Pitchers:

Michael Pineda* (MIN): 7.0 IP, 0 ER, 2 H, 1 BB, 6 K, 78 GmSc

Lance Lynn* (CHW): 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 10 K, 64 GmSc

Justin Dunn (SEA): 5.0 IP, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 6 K, 63 GmSc

Sean Manaea (OAK): 6.0 IP, 2 ER, 5 H, 0 BB, 7 K, 61 GmSc

Aaron Civale (CLE): 6.0 IP, 1 ER, 5 H, 2 BB, 4 K, 60 GmSc

View All of Yesterday's Pitchers at Baseball-Reference.com

* - pictured above

In the Patton formulas, do four singles = one HR?

It depends!

In Bill James' runs created formula, do four singles = one HR?

Yesterday's Top Performers

Batters:

Justin Turner* (LAD): 3-3, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 2 R

Jake Cronenworth* (SDP): 2-2, 2 RBI, 2 R, 1 SB

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.* (TOR): 3-5, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Nick Solak (TEX): 3-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Carson Kelly (ARI): 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Niko Goodrum (DET): 3-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R

Mike Brosseau (TBR): 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Pavin Smith (ARI): 1-3, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Ryan McMahon (COL): 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R

Luis Arraez (MIN): 4-5, 2 RBI, 1 R

View All of Yesterday's Batters at Baseball-Reference.com

Worth noting that Graveman's BABIP after five games (6 IP) is .084. Twelve balls have been put in play, 11 have been turned into outs. His G/L/F is 42/17/42.

Kiciking off the Monkey's morning report:

April 16, 2021

Seattle Mariners – It sure looks like a committee is taking shape in Seattle. Kendall Graveman and Keynan Middleton each earned their second save of the year in both ends of a doubleheader on Thursday. Rafael Montero, who also has two saves this season, pitched the sixth inning to set up Graveman in game one. Manager Scott Servais said he used the pitchers in that order because of the pockets of hitters due up in each inning. Both pitchers did not pitch in the nightcap. So who is the closer? It’s complicated, but it seems Montero leads the group, for now. 

Updated hierarchy: *Montero | Graveman | Middleton.
* = closer-by-committee

Holy cow. The Dodgers now have a lefty closer?

If he's a lefty sixth-inning guy once through the lineup, the wins will fall his way.

Los Angeles Dodgers — It was a special night in Los Angeles on Thursday as David Price pitched a clean ninth to earn his first save since the 2008 ALCS. Manager Dave Roberts said he told Price before the game he’d get the opportunity to close if the situation presented itself. When Price converted to close Jackie Robinson Day across Major League Baseball, Roberts said, “I think (it) capped a really good night off.” Price could be looking at some high-leverage bullpen work moving forward, so we’ll track his upcoming usage. 

Hierarchy remains: Jansen | Knebel | Treinen.    

PS: the thing to note in Stammen's first five games is he has pitched ten IP. A recipe for wins on a winning team (or any team). His G/L/F is 57/11/32.

The Monkey's morning report:

San Diego Padres — Craig Stammen pitched the final three innings of the team’s 8-3 victory Thursday to earn his first save of the season in unconventional style. He shouldn’t factor into the team’s late-inning plans very often. 

Hierarchy remains: *Melancon | Pagan | Pomeranz.
* = closer-by-committee

Recalled and will get the first crack at replacing Drew Smyly. Well known, but under owned -- he's available in 3 of my 5 leagues.

Pitches tonight so we should have some data.

If you get enough teams, it will be interesting to hear what some of the prices are (Acuna, for instance), so let us know.

I love the name (NL Steals & Deals).

Tucupita Marcano, UTIL, Padres—Marcano's performance in spring training was so strong that he won a spot on the Padres Opening Day roster despite the fact he'd never played a regular season game above Low-A. After being used exclusively as a pinch-hitter and defensive replacement in his first nine games, Marcano made his drew his first career start on Thursday and notched his first career hit with an RBI double in the Padres' 8-3 win over the Pirates. Marcano, the Padres No. 8 prospect, has long been lauded for his ability to drive the ball to all fields, and he showed it by driving a 95-mph fastball from Mitch Keller the other way down the left-field line.

Michael Pineda (P) MIN - Apr. 15

https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=771057

Pineda blanked the Red Sox across seven innings on Thursday, allowing two hits and a walk while striking out six. He did not factor into the decision.

ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: After giving up a leadoff single to Enrique Hernandez, Pineda retired 14 batters in a row before issuing a walk to Hunter Renfroe in the fifth frame. It's worth noting that Boston decided to test their weather alarm before and during Renfroe's at bat. Pineda not only pitched through it, but bounced back from the walk by sending Franchy Cordero down on strikes to end the inning. The right-hander then faced the minimum over the next two frames and left the game poised for the win with a three-run lead. Unfortunately, the bullpen...

Ryan McMahon (2B) COL - Apr. 15

https://www.rotowire.com/baseball/player.php?id=771107

McMahon went 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run and an additional run scored in Thursday's loss to the Dodgers.

ROTOWIRE RECOMMENDS: McMahon lifted a Julio Urias pitch over the fence for his sixth homer of the young season, putting him behind only Ronald Acuna for the major-league lead. The pitch from Urias was a curveball, but McMahon is notably punishing fastballs this season after he had some trouble catching up to heat last year.