Welcome to Ronnie’s Run Down! This column looks at some fascinating matchups and facts that might pique the interest of the reader as that day’s games are reviewed. This is just my attempt at creating come compelling thought on any given day. There are nine innings in baseball, and nine points in my daily run down.
- Patrick Corbin is pitching like a master right now, and he’s doing his best Chris Sale impression. In his last 5 starts he has a 11.07 K/9 with just a 0.54 BB/9. In 33.1 innings he has a 2.27 SIERA and a 50.0% GB.
- On the opposite end of the spectrum, Dylan Bundy has been terrible in his last 4 starts. He’s allowed a whopping 7 home runs in 23.1 innings, good for a 4.79 xFIP. Those home runs are on the strength of a 44.7% FB and a 20.6 HR/FB. He’s been worth a total of -0.1 fWAR in that time.
- Nick Castellanos’ 7.6 wSI is the 4th best in the AL Central; he’s the best Tiger against the sinker and Nick hits that pitch better than any other. In the last 33 PA he has a .501 wOBA and 54.5% HC. Tonight he faces Kyle Hendricks of the Chicago Cubs. Castellanos has an advantage in this matchup as Hendricks throws a sinker 45.8% of the time.
- Rougned Odor leads the Majors over the last week with a 73.7% HC. Thanks to that HC he’s hit .333/.346/.542 in 26 PA. Odor is enjoying a nice year with a 124 wRC+ while making 45.5% HC on the year.
- Rhys Hoskins is another sinker killer, he ranks 1st in the NL with 13.3 wSI. In his last 31 PA he has a 178 wRC+ and a .370 ISO. He bats today against the Nationals Tanner Roark. The Washington righty pitches right into Hoskins’ wheelhouse as 40.1% of his pitches are sinkers.
- AJ Pollock is crushing line drives right now. He ranks 1st in MLB over the last week with a 53.3% LD. Pollock is accumpaning that with a 66.7% HC in that time. That fantastic contact is churning out fantastic results. In 23 PA he’s hitting .350/.391/.700 with a .442 wOBA and a .350 ISO. Tonight the Diamondbacks face Felix Pena of the Los Angeles Angels. Pena has a 5.20 xFIP in his last 3 starts with a 10.4% walk rate.
- Alex Bergman is the last of today’s sinker ball hitters. He’s the best Astro against the pitch with a 6.1 wSI. Bergman has a .378 ISO and a 17.4% walk rate in his last 23 PA. He steps in today against Mike Leake, Seattle’s top sinker pitcher in terms of volume; he throws a sinker on 36.5% of his pitches. Leake also throws the occasional slider at 12.2%. Bergman ranks 4th in the Majors with a 10.7 wSL.
- Matt Olson is raking right now with 70.0% HC in his last 26 PA. In that time he has a .280 ISO and a 35.0% LD. Tonight he faces the Rangers Ariel Jurado. The 22 year old Texas righty has only made 5 starts on the season with very little success. He owns a 5.37 SIERA on the season and has just a 3.71 K/9. Opponents are making 44.1% HC off of him in his 26.2 innings this year.
- Chris Davis is a vampire sucking the production out of the Orioles offense. He is unquestionably the least valuable hitter in the game right now. He ranks dead last with -2.2 fWAR, second to last with a 49 wRC+, second to last with -25.3 oRAA, and he isn’t doing himself any favors in the field with a -10.4 dRAA.
