NERD Game Scores for June 1, 2017

Devised originally in response to a challenge issued by sabermetric forefather 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.

How are they calculated? Haphazardly, is how. An explanation of the components and formulae which produce these NERD scores is available here. All objections to the numbers here are probably justified, on account of how this entire endeavor is absurd.

Most Highly Rated Game
Oakland at Cleveland | 12:10 ET
Cotton (43.2 IP, 120 xFIP-) vs. Kluber (37.1 IP, 87 xFIP-)
The 2017 season hasn’t begun for Jharel Cotton in the way that leading experts like the author would have predicted. As a leading expert, I assumed that his plus-plus changeup alone would lead to a distinctly above-average strikeout rate. So far, however, he’s produced almost a precisely average strikeout rate. It’s always surprising when leading experts are wrong. Look no further than this situation involving Jharel Cotton and a leading expert.

Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Cleveland Radio.

Another Brief Note
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features Arizona at Miami, starts at 19:10 ET, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.

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