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.

NERD Scores for May 21, 2016

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

SP denotes pitcher NERD score.
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.