The Best of FanGraphs: August 15-19, 2016

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.

MONDAY
FanGraphs Is Expanding Its Social Media Presence, by Michelle Jay
We may ramp up slowly, but we will be utilizing social media platforms more frequently in the future. Hopefully, you’ll let us know what we’re doing right and doing wrong.

Still Pitching and Still Fascinating at 69, by Eno Sarris
I have to say, I’m actually excited to see this movie. It’s been awhile since there’s been a good baseball movie.

TUESDAY
Mookie Betts Needs Some New Comparisons, by Dave Cameron
I know what you’re thinking, but Apollo Creed and McBain might just be reaches. But they might not be, since as Jeff pointed out on Thursday, pitchers have been pitching to Betts differently, and it hasn’t yet mattered.

A Cy Young Reliever Should Be Almost Impossible, by Jeff Sullivan
August made the case for Zach Britton on Monday, but Jeff is not having it. He elaborated on his feelings further in Thursday’s edition of the FanGraphs Newsletter.

WEDNESDAY
Goodbye To The Greatest Walkless Streak We May Ever Know, by Corinne Landrey
If you saw a woman walking around Delaware dressed in all black the past couple of days, it just might have been Corinne mourning the death of this amazing streak.

The Domination of the Other Phelps, by eyesguys1
David Phelps is having a career year, and eyesguys1 — if that is his or her real name — explores why.

THURSDAY
The So-Far Disastrous Crop of 2016 Free Agents, by Dave Cameron
As front offices get smarter, perhaps big ticket free agents will be even riskier.

Imagining the All-World Defense Team, by August Fagerstrom
August estimates that the best defense ever would make its pitching staff a full run better. IE, they’d make a staff with a 4.00 ERA have a 3.00 ERA. That’d be pretty sweet.

Selling Danny Duffy, by Mike Podhorzer
Mike was on the Danny Duffy bandwagon early. Now he’s off it early, too. Circle of life.

The Physics of Hard-Hit Balls, by David Kagan
One of the two great presentations from Saberseminar that the presenters graciously put into written form for those who couldn’t make it to Boston.

FRIDAY
Dave Righetti on Pitching, by David Laurila
The man knows a few things about this particular subject.

What if Wil Myers Stopped Running?, by Paul Kastava
Paul runs through some comps for Wil Myers, irrespective of his shiny new stolen bases.

A Trio of Useful Players: Aybar, Quinn and E-Rod, by Josh Shepardson
While I can’t abide people calling Eduardo Rodriguez by “E-Rod,” since it’s a profoundly stupid nickname, but Josh has a good breakdown of his recent success, as well as those of Aybar and Quinn.

Toward a Probability Distribution Over Batted-Ball Trajectories, by Scott Powers
And this is the second. It’s just a first step, but this is some outstanding work from Scott. I am looking forward to more in the future.

Scouting Dansby Swanson, Atlanta Braves Cornerstone, by Eric Longenhagen
Not every day that a former No. 1 pick makes it to the Show, so Eric was on the case. Chris was too.