The Best of FanGraphs: August 14-18

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August 19, 2017

Each week, we publish north of 100 posts on our various blogs. With this post, we hope to highlight 10 to 15 of them. You can read more on it here. The links below are color coded — green for FanGraphs, brown for RotoGraphs, dark red for The Hardball Times and blue for Community Research.

ALL WEEK
All week, the venerable Eric Longenhagen provided summer updates of his team top-10 and league top-100 prospect lists. Here they are, in all of their glory!

Updated Top-10 Prospect Lists

MONDAY
Chris Sale for MVP, by Dave Cameron
It’s OK for pitchers to win MVP. Honest.

Let’s Watch Rafael Devers Take Aroldis Chapman Deep, by Jeff Sullivan
Not sure if you knew this, but the name of this weblog is now DeversGraphs.

Keeper League Dump Trades and League Integrity, by Mike Podhorzer
Mike is always ruining things. Or is he?

Giving Players the Bonds Treatment by John Edwards
Despite reports to the contrary, the Bonds Treatment is different from the royal treatment.

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It looks like you aren't yet a FanGraphs Member (or aren't logged in). We aren't mad, just disappointed.
We get it. You want to read this article. But before we let you get back to it, we'd like to point out a few of the good reasons why you should become a Member.
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We hope you'll consider a Membership today, for yourself or as a gift! And we realize this has been an awfully long sales pitch, so we've also removed all the other ads in this article. We didn't want to overdo it.

TUESDAY
Did the Orioles Steal Tim Beckham?, by Dave Cameron
Dan Duquette isn’t a perfect baseball executive, but he rarely gets the credit he deserves.

Joey Votto Faced a Four-Man Outfield, by Jeff Sullivan
That’s one more man than usual.

Pitcher Spotlight: Breaking Down Reynaldo Lopez’s 2017 Debut, by Nick Pollack
This was Nick’s RotoGraphs debut. Please welcome Nick to the RG team! Nick also wrote a second piece on Wednesday, which you should also read.

Better Playing Through Chemistry … Still, by Stephanie Springer
The Joint Drug Agreement is more bark than bite. Here’s why.

WEDNESDAY
Applying Asset Pricing Theory to MLB, by Rachel Heacock
The value of a player depends significantly on the team he plays for or the one looking to acquire him.

THURSDAY
The Fascinating Race for the NL MVP, by Dave Cameron
Yes, quite fascinating.

What Statcast Reveals About Contact Management as a Pitcher Skill, by Craig Edwards
Well, don’t expect *me* to tell you, read the article!

Celebrating Women in Baseball Night at Safeco Field, by Isabelle Minasian
The Mariners’ inaugural event was a rousing success.

FRIDAY
How Would We Increase Balls in Play?, by Eno Sarris
Eno does that thing where he talks to baseball players and get illuminating answers.

The Disappearance of David Wright: A Murder Mystery, by Kate Feldman
Things have gone horribly wrong.





 

Paul Swydan used to be the managing editor of The Hardball Times, a writer and editor for FanGraphs and a writer for Boston.com and The Boston Globe. Now, he owns The Silver Unicorn Bookstore, an independent bookstore in Acton, Mass. Follow him on Twitter @Swydan. Follow the store @SilUnicornActon.

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Shane Tourtellotte
8 years ago

Am I the only one here mesmerized by Spock’s eyebrows, and all the little discrete movements they make during the speaking of just one word?

Thanks a bunch, Paul. I have to get away now, before I can think of nothing else.

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