Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated and MLB.TV Free Game
Houston at Detroit | 13:08 ET
Dallas Keuchel (36.1 IP, 80 xFIP-, 0.7 WAR) faces Drew Smyly (22.0 IP, 85 xFIP-, 0.5 WAR). The former, in addition to having produced entirely serviceable strikeout and walk figures, appears also to have recorded thus far the highest ground-ball rate among the league’s 107 qualified pitchers. His two-seamer and changeup have themselves induced grounders more than 75% of the time they’ve been batted into fair ground — considerably higher, in both cases, than the league averages by each pitch type, according to work recently done by the absurdly coiffed Eno Sarris.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.

Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete and very sortable table for all of today’s games. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and also the rest of the internet.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Kevin Correia	MIN	0	5	4	5	7	CLE	J. Masterson	12:05
Dallas Keuchel	HOU	8	6	7	4	7	DET	Drew Smyly*	13:08
A.J. Burnett	PHI	2	3	5	6	7	TOR	R.A. Dickey	19:07
Ubaldo Jimenez	BAL	3	3	6	7	9	TB	David Price	19:10
Franklin Morales	COL	4	9	5	3	5	TEX	Matt Harrison*	20:05
Jake Arrieta*	CHN	6	4	5	3	4	CHA	Scott Carroll*	20:10
Danny Duffy*	KC	6	3	6	4	7	SEA	H. Iwakuma*	22:10
Jacob Turner*	MIA	4	9	6	3	7	SD	Ian Kennedy	22:10
Ryan Vogelsong	SF	0	7	3	5	5	LAN	Josh Beckett	22:10

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
San Francisco at Pittsburgh | 12:35 ET
Tim Lincecum (31.2 IP, 89 xFIP-, -0.1 WAR) faces Gerrit Cole (39.0 IP, 94 xFIP-, 0.1 WAR). The latter has recorded the fourth-highest average fastball velocity thus far amongst qualified starters, at 95.5 mph. The former is once against conceding more runs (over 1.5 of them every nine innings) than his defense-independent numbers would suggest. Note with regard to this game that it will be played in front of probably the league’s most excellent center-field camera. Also note that it’s possible the Giants broadcast will opt for the off-center camera instead.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: San Francisco Radio or Television.

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Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
Houston at Detroit | 19:08 ET
Brett Oberholtzer (32.0 IP, 108 xFIP-, 0.4 WAR) faces Robbie Ray (29.1 IP, 18.3% K, 4.4% BB at Triple-A). The latter was notably acquired from Washington this offseason (along with Ian Krol and Steve Lombardozzi) in exchange for right-hander Doug Fister — a move which seemed to represent a miscalculation of Fister’s value. Owing to a pair of spring injuries, Fister actually won’t make his season debut until Friday — i.e. three days after Ray makes his major-league debut tonight.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Detroit Radio.

Read the rest of this entry »

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
Los Angeles NL at Washington | 19:05 ET
Zack Greinke (35.1 IP, 56 xFIP-, 0.5 WAR) faces Jordan Zimmermann (33.0 IP, 81 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR). One notes, in addition to the particularly compelling pitching matchup, that the visiting club here currently features no fewer than four field players who’ve recorded a win or more — which is probably the highest number on any single team, were one to examine the matter in more depth.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Washington Radio.

Read the rest of this entry »

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
San Francisco at Atlanta | 13:35 ET
Madison Bumgarner (33.2 IP, 91 xFIP-, 0.3 WAR) faces Alex Wood (40.0 IP, 78 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR). The latter, despite recording a single-game 5.79 xFIP in his most recent start, has still produced the 16th-best xFIP- of all 108 qualified starters. The Atlantans as a club, meanwhile, have posted a park-adjusted home-run rate, bullpen xFIP-, and defensive-runs figure all greater than a standard deviation above league average thus far.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: San Francisco Radio or Television.

Read the rest of this entry »

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated and MLB.TV Free Game
Seattle at Houston | 16:10 ET
Hisashi Iwakuma (N/A) faces Dallas Keuchel (30.1 IP, 74 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR). The former makes his season debut after losing the first month of the season to an injured finger. The latter has recorded one of the top swinging-strike rates among qualified starters, largely on the strength of his slider.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Houston Television?

Complete Schedule
Here’s the complete and very sortable table for all of today’s games. Pitching probables and game times aggregated from MLB.com and also the rest of the internet.

Away		SP	Tm.	Gm.	Tm.	SP		Home	Time
Michael Wacha	STL	10	2	6	5	3	CHN	Jake Arrieta*	13:05
Jake Odorizzi	TB	4	7	7	5	10	NYA	Masahiro Tanaka	13:05
Tommy Milone	OAK	0	5	4	3	7	BOS	Jon Lester	13:35
Wei-Yin Chen	BAL	5	4	3	4	0	MIN	Kevin Correia	14:10
Hisashi Iwakuma*	SEA	8	5	7	6	8	HOU	Dallas Keuchel	16:10
Scott Carroll*	CHA	6	4	6	5	7	CLE	Justin Masterson	18:05
R.A. Dickey	TOR	7	6	7	8	7	PIT	Francisco Liriano	19:05
Tanner Roark	WAS	3	6	3	2	2	PHI	A.J. Burnett	19:05
Drew Smyly*	DET	8	3	6	2	7	KC	Danny Duffy*	19:10
Paul Maholm	LAN	0	6	4	8	5	MIA	Jacob Turner*	19:10
Yovani Gallardo	MIL	2	6	5	4	8	CIN	Johnny Cueto	19:10
Ryan Vogelsong	SF	0	7	4	9	4	ATL	Julio Teheran	19:10
Jenrry Mejia	NYN	7	2	5	8	2	COL	Franklin Morales	20:10
Brandon McCarthy	AZ	8	4	7	3	7	SD	Ian Kennedy	20:40
Matt Harrison*	TEX	6	2	6	10	6	LAA	Garrett Richards	21:05

To learn how Game NERD Scores are calculated, click here.
* = Fewer than 20 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
Washington at Philadelphia | 19:05 ET
Stephen Strasburg (34.0 IP, 55 xFIP-, 1.0 WAR) faces Cliff Lee (41.0 IP, 66 xFIP-, 1.3 WAR) — which pairing the reader will recognize as one of the league’s most compelling possible ones. A brief inspection of the former’s player profile reveals that the Strasburg has actually conceded about twice as many runs as his defense-independent numbers would suggest. Said player profile also reveals that Strasburg has produced a 31.0% swinging-strike rate by means of his changeup thus far — greater than twice the typical league average for that pitch.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Washington Radio.

Read the rest of this entry »

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated and MLB.TV Free Game
Atlanta at Miami | 19:10 ET
Ervin Santana (27.2 IP, 57 xFIP-, 0.9 WAR) faces Henderson Alvarez (29.2 IP, 98 xFIP-, 0.4 WAR). The former has been a revelation thus far, having added what appears to be an entirely serviceable changeup to his repertoire — which transformation Jeff Sullivan documented in some depth on Monday. He faces a Miami lineup that has done quite a lot of “hitting” over the first two games of the series, producing single-game wOBAs of .440 and .488, respectively.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta Radio.

Read the rest of this entry »

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
Toronto at Kansas City | 20:10 ET
Drew Hutchison (26.0 IP, 80 xFIP-, 0.6 WAR) faces Yordano Ventura (25.0 IP, 84 xFIP-, 0.8 WAR). The latter, in addition to having posted the highest average fastball velocity among qualified starters (which isn’t particularly surprising), has also generated a considerable number of swings and misses with his secondary pitches (which is more surprising). Hutchison, for his part, has actually recorded even better defense-independent figures, having now struck out more than a third of opposing batters in consecutive starts.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Toronto, Maybe?

Read the rest of this entry »

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by viscount of the internet Rob Neyer, and expanded at the request of nobody, NERD scores represent an attempt to summarize in one number (and on a scale of 0-10) the likely aesthetic appeal or watchability, for the learned fan, of a player or team or game. Read more about the components of and formulae for NERD scores here.

Most Highly Rated Game
Atlanta at Miami | 19:10 ET
Alex Wood (35.0 IP, 67 xFIP-, 0.7 WAR) faces Jose Fernandez (31.2 IP, 44 xFIP-, 1.2 WAR) in a rematch of last Tuesday’s entirely splendid contest featuring these same exact pitchers (box). After playing in front of what is arguably the majors’ second-best center-field camera last Tuesday, the clubs — which meet in Miami this time — once again play in front of arguably the majors’ second-best center-field camera.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Atlanta Radio.

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