Edgy MD

Bob Feller didn't strike out 3,000. You can blame World War II, but he actually didn't even come that close.

The 20-80 grading system is generally credited to Branch Rickey. If one set of numbers appears, we should understand it as the profile the scout believes the player will have when he arrives in the majors, but sometimes they give you two sets of numbers — one representing where the player is now, and a second representing where he should be. So while the numbers skew toward the mean, finding an 18-year-old guy who you can confidently state will have even modestly above average power when he matures into a big leaguer ain't nothing for a scout. And finding an 18-year-old who gets a 50 on anything NOW — meaning he'd be average with that skill if you dropped him into the majors right out of high school, is an eye-opener. But again, you mostly get only the MLB projection numbers. When you read something like "plus power" or "plus fastball," you can understand that to be the equivalent of a 60 rating. A "plus-plus" tag equates to about 70. An 80 rating is usually described in text as "elite" or just "80-grade." It's rare that a scout will come out and turn in an initial report with an 80 grade, because that means sticking your neck out, and who wants to do that on a teenager? But as a player gets a rep, and a consensus builds around him, ratings might grow less conservative. Still, a scout typically has a lot more confidence penning in a 20 or 25 grade for a player's weak areas (even a real prospect's weak areas) than he or she might have writing in a 75 or 80 for a player's strongest areas. The industry stops and gasps when an 80 rating comes down the pipeline. But Wilmer Flores typically got 20 ratings for his speed, despite coming up at a speed position (shortstop) and was still never-the-less considered to be a very solid prospect.

Yeah, it's being discussed in the Pete Alonso ASG thread.

I think that's the first time teammates have gone #1 and 2. Dillon Head, LOL.

See you in the post-All Star Break portion of our season.

Letting D.J. bat against the lefty again.

And it all blows up.

D.J. Stewart is your new double-deck hitter and your new tying run.

Two-run dubble, Barney Rubble! McNeil, now on dubble-deck, is still your tying run!

McNeil, on triple deck, is your tying run.

Marte not hitting for Guillorme, either, but he doinks in a dubble.

Seven stranded and dropsy by Álvarez. Maybe needed a rest.

But D.J. works a walk with some umpy help.

Marte kind of could be pinch-hitting for Stew here.

The thing about that dropped popup is that I didn't see Alonso helping Álvarez out.

I've seen this many batters hit in a game before, but I'm pretty certain I haven't seen a single pitcher hit this many batters while pitching a shutout.

Man, that's five strandies for Álvarez.

And ... that didn't happen.

Big chance by D.J. Stewart here to show his quality.

The Pads are wearing their third home uni in three days.

Well, that was a thing. Right into Colónville.

"I'll take "Things that Look Like a Groin," Dick!" If a guy goes down with a tweaked muscle, at least he's got a four-day break to rest it.

No, this is a different Morrow. Here's the Exposure guy.

G'night.

Alonso and Álvarezzy both whiffed. Down to the last out. The batter is squirrellish.