The Best of FanGraphs: August 21-25

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
When the Ump Show Takes Center Stage, by Ashley MacLennan
Not sure if you noticed, but Ashley is crushing her Residency. She wrote a great piece on Friday as well.

Lars Anderson Discovers Japan, Part 6, by David Laurila
Lars Anderson has been discovering the hell out of Japan.

TUESDAY
Danny Duffy, Now Totally Different, by Eno Sarris
Well, he has the same name, at least.

Rhys Hoskins Looks Kind of Awesome, by Dave Cameron
You might say that he’s been giving them the Rhys-ness. Or you might not, it depends on how cool you are.

Byron Buxton Is Playing Excellent Baseball, by Jeff Sullivan
If you gave up on him, get back on the bandwagon. You’ve been warned.

WEDNESDAY
Players’ View: Will Hitters Adjust to the High-Spin High Heater?, by David Laurila
Josh Bell is quoted here. I like Josh Bell. Other people are quoted too.

The Matt Carpenters of the Minor Leagues, by Carson Cistulli
Carson builds on Dave’s Hoskins piece.

Pitcher Spotlight: Lucas Giolito’s 2017 MLB Debut, by Nick Pollack
There’s seven GIFs just on the first inning.

A Walk Through Don Baylor’s Austin, by Eric Robinson
A baseball great overcame segregation in his hometown.

Starting Pitching: Not Dead Yet by 1908
The death of starting pitchers has been greatly exaggerated.

THURSDAY
Rich Hill and Rethinking the Perfect, by Travis Sawchick
Travis makes some very good points here. But so do Nas and AZ.

Fly Ball Carry and the Home Run Surge, by Alan Nathan
Is the baseball really responsible for this season’s home run surge?

FRIDAY
A Clandestine Operation with Yasmani Grandal, by Travis Sawchick
Travis finally talks to the player he alone voted for MVP last season.

Is Baseball’s Age of Parity Over?, by Craig Edwards
Money is talking a lot more these days.

Extrapolating 3D Contact Point Using Statcast, by Andrew Perpetua
Some sweet, delicious nerdery inside.