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The MLB Daily Dish is a daily feature we're running here at MLBDD and rounds up roster-impacting news, rumors, and analysis. Have feedback or have something that should be shared? Hit us at @mlbdailydish on Twitter.
Good morning baseball fans!
Somehow, it keeps getting worse for the San Francisco Giants. While also losing a ton since the All-Star break, they’ve lose Brandon Crawford and Johnny Cueto due to injury.
A look back at the 2016 season for the Los Angeles Angels.
Could Kyle Hendricks win the Cy-Young because he seemingly pitches better when guys are on base?
An obvious question follows from this: Why doesn’t Hendricks just throw his changeup that often, and in that location, with the bases empty? My only theory is that he doesn’t want to become too predictable; he knows that this strategy can blow hitters away, but if he implements it universally, opponents might catch on and adjust. Whatever the reason, that strand rate — and the ERA it’s begot — speaks for itself.
This doesn’t mean that Hendricks should win the Cy Young, necessarily. (I think he should, simply because of this suave play alone, but I doubt the BBWAA will send me a ballot.) It doesmean that we shouldn’t write off his low ERA as a fluke and give the award to Thor. Hendricks has a different approach with runners on base, meaning he’s earned the title of “clutch” by discernibly changing his approach when required. Whether he keeps it up beyond this year, we’ll have to see. For the award voting, though, it’s just 2016 that concerns us, and here and now, no one strands runners quite like Hendricks.
Here is a roundup of news from around the National League East.
Rick Porcello is growing, and it’s making him a Cy-Young candidate.
It’s career-bests across the board, in some instances by laughable margins. The last two columns being the most important, and also perhaps the most striking. A touch over 100 innings is perhaps too small a sample to declare that Rick Porcello has figured out lefties, but it sure looks like Rick Porcello’s figured out the lefties who have plagued him throughout his career. The formula? More four-seam fastballs than ever, particularly early in the count, and more two-seamers inside for weak contact.
Changing the way he uses his fastballs against lefties has helped shore up the biggest weakness of his game. Shoring up that weakness has helped him average more innings per start than all but four pitchers this season. Getting the most out of both quality and quantity has turned Rick Porcello into a legitimate Cy Young contender.
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Today in Baseball History: In 1990, Andre Dawson steals his 300th base. He becomes only the second player in history with 300 homers, 300 steals and 2,000 hits.