NERD Games Scores: Matt Boyd Debut Event
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
Texas at Toronto | 13:07 ET
Gallardo (87.2 IP, 95 xFIP-) vs. Boyd (N/A)
The author has exercised his world-famous discretion this morning and assessed to left-handed Toronto prospect Matt Boyd a NERD score of 14 — with a view, that maneuver, to giving this Rangers-Blue Jays contest the highest game score of the day. With regard to Boyd, one finds his name currently third among all prospects on the Fringe Five Scoreboard, which fact reveals simultaneously that (a) Boyd was omitted from Kiley McDaniel’s preseason top-200 prospect list (as well as all other similar lists), but (b) has exhibited some combination of performance and talent worthy of recognition. Indeed, concerning that performance, a brief inspection of the leaderboards reveals that Boyd has produced one of the top strikeout- and walk-rate differentials among all starters in the high minors. And concerning that talent, the author himself has observed Boyd sitting at 92-93 mph while periodically touch 95. A formula, that, for achieving what the Germans likely refer to as not-failure.
Readers’ Preferred Broadcast: Texas Radio.
Two Brief Notes
Debut Report: Alex Meyer, RHP, Minnesota
Right-handed Twins prospect Alex Meyer — ranked 71st among Kiley McDaniel’s top-200 prospects this offseason — recorded his major-league debut on Friday, appearing in relief of starter Trevor May after the latter conceded five runs in merely 0.1 innings. Meyer’s own appearance wasn’t a rousing success: against nine batters he allowed two home runs. He did compile two strikeouts, however, while also producing an average fastball velocity of roughly 97 mph.
Today’s Free Game
Today’s free game features the same Texas and Toronto club discussed above, and can be accessed by means of this hyperlinked text.
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 the calculations both for team and game NERD scores have changed recently to better integrate playoff odds into same. Read more about those changes here, if you’re the sort of person accustomed to making poor life decisions.
| Away | SP | Tm. | Gm. | Tm. | SP | Home | Time | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yovani Gallardo | TEX | 3 | 3 | 7 | 9 | 14 | TOR | Matt Boyd* | 13:07 |
| Kyle Gibson | MIN | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | MIL | Matt Garza | 14:10 |
| Gio Gonzalez | WAS | 6 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 6 | PHI | Adam Morgan* | 15:05 |
| Julio Teheran | ATL | 5 | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | PIT | Charlie Morton | 16:05 |
| Chris Rusin | COL | 5 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | SF | Tim Lincecum | 16:05 |
| Chris Young | KC | 1 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 5 | OAK | Scott Kazmir | 16:05 |
| John Danks | CHA | 4 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 5 | DET | Kyle Ryan | 16:08 |
| Wade Miley | BOS | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 5 | TB | Matt Andriese | 16:10 |
| Mi. Lorenzen | CIN | 3 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 10 | NYN | Matt Harvey | 16:10 |
| Clayton Kershaw | LAN | 10 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | MIA | Tom Koehler | 16:10 |
| Masahiro Tanaka | NYA | 7 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 3 | HOU | Br. Oberholtzer | 16:10 |
| Donn Roach* | CHN | 3 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 8 | STL | Michael Wacha | 19:15 |
| Cody Anderson* | CLE | 7 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 2 | BAL | Chris Tillman | 19:15 |
| J.A. Happ | SEA | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 5 | LAA | Garrett Richards | 19:15 |
| J.my Hellickson | AZ | 3 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 7 | SD | Andrew Cashner | 22:10 |
* = Fewer than 10 IP, NERD at discretion of very handsome author.
Carson Cistulli has published a book of aphorisms called Spirited Ejaculations of a New Enthusiast.
Shut it down, Cistulli.