Quantcast
Welcome to Baseball Prospectus! Click Here to Subscribe Today! Already a member? Login | Forgot Password

Prospectus Hit List for May 1



by Matthew Kory

Hit List for April 29 Hit List for May 4
Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

It's Friday, Friday, gotta get down a fried egg.

RkTmWLW1W2W3HLFAHLFWin Div%Win WC%Playoff%1-Day7-Day
1

13

8

13.0

14.5

14.1

.625

.606

83.8%

9.6%

93.5%

-0.1%

1.6%

The Dodgers have a reliever named Adam Liberatore who is almost certainly a pseudonym for Brian Wilson. If he shows up naked on the field except for a conquistador hat we�ll know for sure.
2

15

7

15.6

16.6

16.0

.586

.605

22.5%

11.8%

34.3%

3.4%

3.9%

Are the Royals the second-highest-scoring team in baseball because they lead the AL in sacrifice bunts or are they the highest bunting team in the AL because they almost lead baseball in runs? Process the trust!
3

15

7

14.1

15.7

15.6

.581

.600

23.7%

18.3%

41.9%

4.7%

23.2%

Houston is the best defensive team in baseball this year by Defensive Efficiency. This is A) true, and B) a better slogan than the one on Astros.com, �More than just a game.�
4

15

6

14.9

14.6

13.7

.613

.594

53.0%

24.3%

77.3%

1.2%

-3.3%

Bumper sticker opportunity: My boss is Matt Carpenter.
5

13

9

13.6

14.1

14.6

.562

.581

16.1%

20.6%

36.7%

-0.7%

6.6%

Mark Teixeira is slugging .608, which is higher than Didi Gregorious�s OPS. Mark Teixeira is hitting .216, which is just 10 points above Didi Gregorious�s batting average. #WeirdStats
6

15

8

12.5

14.5

14.1

.561

.580

57.6%

10.3%

67.9%

-2.6%

-2.0%

The Tigers have only three relievers with ERAs over 5.00. This should be put on a poster with a majestic waterfall or a soaring eagle.
7

12

10

11.1

12.8

13.2

.548

.568

30.8%

26.2%

57.0%

-1.4%

5.7%

Drew Smyly�s six innings with 10 strikeouts, one walk, and two runs allowed means I�m having a harder time than usual not making a Sesame Street joke.
8

12

10

10.4

11.1

11.4

.529

.549

39.1%

25.8%

64.9%

1.3%

-4.2%

The Red Sox starting rotation has a large 1.84 difference between ERA and FIP, but the difference between their DUH and their D�OH is only 0.01.
9

12

8

11.3

12.1

12.3

.564

.545

30.7%

30.8%

61.5%

-0.4%

14.0%

MLB�s investigation found the Cubs didn�t tamper with Joe Maddon while he was with Tampa, though they did provide him with some artisan soaps and a pedicure. Fortunately for Chicago, there is no penalty for pampering.
10

9

14

12.6

13.4

13.8

.524

.544

10.8%

11.7%

22.5%

-3.3%

-12.9%

We should start pronouncing the A's team name the way Americans pronounce "a", with the schwa. Like as a joke, until eventually not.
11

10

10

10.7

11.5

11.6

.514

.534

6.5%

10.6%

17.0%

-0.0%

3.6%

After Wednesday�s win in front of an empty stadium, the Orioles have closed Camden Yards for the season except for five tickets, all made of gold, and which can only be found inside chocolate bars.
12

11

11

11.1

9.3

9.6

.510

.530

42.2%

16.7%

58.9%

4.0%

-2.5%

You know how players give a guy the silent treatment when he did a really good thing? All fans should give Mike Trout the silent treatment for the rest of his career. Every time he does anything, totally quiet.
13

15

8

13.3

12.1

12.0

.538

.518

40.0%

18.3%

58.4%

-3.4%

-3.9%

The Mets lost last night because they used two pitchers whose last names start with �G� and one that started with �deG� but the Nationals used three pitchers whose names start with S. Also the runs.
14

10

12

9.1

9.7

9.7

.485

.505

21.3%

15.6%

36.9%

-4.6%

-0.4%

Nelson Cruz hit a monster 483-foot home run which, according to advanced metrics, is worth one run.
15

12

10

13.2

11.4

11.1

.525

.505

13.3%

23.6%

36.9%

0.2%

11.0%

Now that Andrew McCutchen hit the Pirates' first triple you can probably get a discount on thepiratesdonthaveatripleyet.com.
16

11

12

12.2

9.7

10.0

.483

.503

7.5%

14.8%

22.3%

3.9%

-9.4%

Blue Jays Trivia time! Justin Smoak is: A) hitting .209, B) hitting .219, C) hitting .229, D) ON THE ROSTER??
17

10

13

11.1

10.8

10.5

.518

.498

48.1%

18.7%

66.8%

2.1%

-5.4%

Ian Desmond haz more erors (9) thinn the Tigres (7), Ryas (7), Merlins (6), and me in this coment (8).
18

10

12

12.1

12.3

12.0

.511

.491

9.5%

10.1%

19.6%

-1.3%

6.3%

On Wednesday Mike Dunn didn�t allow a home run or get a strikeout but he did walk a batter� *sniff* Oh, it�s not the same� I� I just miss him so much...
19

11

12

11.2

9.9

10.3

.493

.473

9.0%

25.8%

34.8%

0.4%

-14.0%

The Padres have allowed 108 runs, the second most in the National League, but 103 of those runs came because the other team asked politely.
20

7

14

8.4

8.5

9.0

.441

.461

7.4%

5.3%

12.7%

-0.9%

-5.8%

The worst team by Defensive Efficiency, Cleveland is also the best team by Defensive Inefficiency. Bonus: they�re in first place by a lot!
21

11

11

10.3

10.9

10.9

.475

.455

2.4%

6.7%

9.1%

1.4%

-2.3%

Both Billy Hamilton and Mike Leake homered, which is like the Reds came within $100 without going over and won both Showcases. Don�t forget to spay or neuter your pets!
22

8

11

6.7

6.6

7.0

.431

.450

10.1%

6.9%

16.9%

-3.0%

-2.2%

Not sure I believe it so I just checked for a third time and yup Chris Sale gave up eight earned runs to the Twins and has a 5.32 ERA� aw heck, I�m checking again.
23

10

11

11.6

10.0

9.6

.470

.450

1.2%

4.0%

5.2%

0.3%

-0.1%

If nothing else the Diamondbacks lead all of baseball in complete games. I�d tell you the number but then it would sound much less impressive.
24

10

12

9.5

7.8

8.7

.425

.445

2.4%

2.7%

5.2%

0.5%

0.9%

The Twins scored 12 runs, nine of which came off Chris Sale. You know, in case you were thinking of trying to predict baseball.
25

9

13

7.7

9.1

8.9

.456

.436

4.6%

16.0%

20.6%

-0.2%

0.4%

Bumgarner versus Kershaw is one thing, but Vogelsong versus Greinke is like bringing a banana to a gun fight.
26

11

10

8.8

9.3

8.8

.452

.433

1.3%

6.3%

7.6%

-0.1%

-0.8%

By WARP, the worst pitcher in baseball is Kyle Kendrick using our new stat Deserved Run Average (DRA), but using our even newer stat, Served Gum Average� actually that�s Kendrick too.
27

7

14

8.2

6.3

6.3

.408

.427

2.0%

2.8%

4.8%

-1.3%

-4.5%

Prince Fielder is neither a prince nor a fielder. Discuss.
28

10

12

10.1

9.4

9.0

.438

.418

1.9%

2.7%

4.7%

-0.0%

-1.0%

Good news and bad news. Good news: Christian Bethancourt has been better at pitch framing than A.J. Pierzynski! Bad news: he�s been worse at pitch framing than Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
29

5

17

6.2

5.8

6.3

.380

.361

0.7%

2.5%

3.1%

-0.2%

-2.5%

Twenty-two games into the season and the longest win streak the Brewers have had is one. That�s less a win streak than a win take-your-clothes-off-and-get-tackled-before-you-make-it-over-the-outfield-wall.
30

8

15

6.3

7.1

7.3

.366

.348

0.4%

0.5%

1.0%

0.0%

0.1%

We�re two and a half months from the All Star game, which seems like it might not be enough time to figure out who should go from the Phillies.