NERD Game Scores: Buy-Low Psychic Investment Opportunity
Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric nobleman 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
Tampa Bay at Detroit | 16:10 ET
Smyly (49.2 IP, 85 xFIP-) vs. Fulmer (19.1 IP, 85 xFIP-)
The virtues of Drew Smyly as a pitcher are what Thomas Jefferson — and also anyone who possesses some facility with English — might describe as “self-evident.” As for Michael Fulmer’s virtues as a pitcher, those are decidedly less evident at the moment. Because one of the things he’s done is to concede earned runs at a rate about 50% higher than an average pitcher. By this measure, his virtues are rather obscure. But look: he’s produced a fielding-independent line that’s roughly a standard deviation better than the average starter’s. And a sitting fastball velocity more than a standard deviation better. And he’s also more than a standard deviation younger than the average starter. The marginal return on your psychic investment in Michael Fulmer is likely to be enormous. Thanks to Michael Fulmer, you’re going to be flush with psychic currency.
Two Other Brief Notes
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Kansas City at Chicago AL, starts at 14:10 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.
Broadcaster Rankings
Recently, the present author began the process of process of reproducing the broadcaster rankings which appeared on this site roughly four years ago. The final installment of the results from that effort — for television broadcasts, at least — appeared Thursday.
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. Note that calculations both for team and game NERD scores feature adjustment for postseason odds that increases as season progresses. Read more about those adjustments here and here.
| Away | SP | TM | GM | TM | SP | Home | Time | ||
| Danny Duffy* | KC | 8 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | CHA | Miguel Gonzalez | 14:10 |
| J.A. Happ | TOR | 4 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | MIN | Pat Dean* | 14:10 |
| Williams Perez | ATL | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 | PHI | Adam Morgan | 15:05 |
| Robbie Ray | AZ | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 4 | STL | Mike Leake | 16:05 |
| Trevor Bauer | CLE | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 6 | BOS | Joe Kelly* | 16:05 |
| Tyler Chatwood | COL | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | PIT | Jon Niese | 16:05 |
| Masahiro Tanaka | NYA | 7 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 6 | OAK | Sean Manaea | 16:05 |
| Zachary Davies | MIL | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | NYN | Jacob deGrom | 16:10 |
| Felix Hernandez | SEA | 3 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 1 | CIN | John Lamb | 16:10 |
| Drew Smyly | TB | 8 | 7 | 7 | 4 | 9 | DET | Michael Fulmer | 16:10 |
| Jon Lester | CHN | 6 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | SF | Matt Cain | 19:15 |
| Cesar Ramos | TEX | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | HOU | Mike Fiers | 19:15 |
| Joe Ross | WAS | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 10 | MIA | Jose Fernandez | 19:15 |
| Kevin Gausman | BAL | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 3 | LAA | Matt Shoemaker | 22:05 |
| Alex Wood | LAN | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | SD | Cesar Vargas | 22:10 |
TM denotes team score.
GM denotes overall game score.
Highlighted portion denotes game of the day.
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of clueless author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Does your NERD game score algorithm account for compelling narratives and storylines? Like Smyly facing his former team? http://twtwsports.blogspot.com/2016/05/the-ballad-of-drew-smyly.html
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/nerd-scores-return-with-something-not-unlike-a-vengeance/ explains what goes into NERD scores. Can you not even pretend to read the articles you spam with links to your crappy blog?