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I was going to talk about my surprise win, but in writing this report I have realized what is possibly a flaw in the system? Literally ESPN making a mistake, […]
I was going to talk about my surprise win, but in writing this report I have realized what is possibly a flaw in the system? Literally ESPN making a mistake, or it is a loophole I did not know? Jack had more than eight starters go this week. He had 11 starters get credited for stats. In all stats. Strikeouts, wins, ERA and WHIP.
I am not insane. He had the following:
That is 11 starters. And I checked. They all started their respective games.
Can someone explain this? Am I just in the dark?
I know that me griping about this in last place may seem really stupid. But this can affect everyone in the playoff hunt if Jack keeps sliding. And I don’t know how long this has been going on? Or maybe I am just completely wrong? Can someone enlighten me on this problem?
I touch on more of this in the strikeouts and wins category segments.
Also should note there was a trade this week. Bove has traded Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette to Mike DiMaio for Baltimore third baseman Gunnar Henderson and Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber.
And here we are, week 15. Let’s take a look at it.
Jack got a bit fucked because I had one of my best hit total weeks of the entire season. Meanwhile he had two players go for a combined 0-for-31. OUCH! Marcell Ozuna of Atlanta went 0-for-18 and Anthony Rizzo (when he was rostered) went 0-13 for the Yankees. For myself, Jonathan India, Christian Yelich and Spencer Steer had eight hits each. I had six players with five or more hits, including late week pickup Jarren Duran.
Runs was a wide discrepancy due in large part to many of Jack’s big hitters struggling. Mookie Betts did manage to score a team-leading four runs despite going 4-for-25, but Nick Castellanos, Austin Hays, and Luis Alvarez combined for just four runs scored despite having more than 80 combined plate appearances. My team’s 37 run total was brought to life by Ian Happ and Paul Goldschmidt who combined for 13 runs scored. Brandon Nimmo and Elly De La Cruz each had four runs scored.
It was a low home run total in this matchup. I was tied for the second-fewest this week, and only Jack had the worst. I had seven home runs, hit by seven different people. I am not going to write out all seven players, but I am just happy that De La Cruz decided one of his three hits should be a dinger. List had four home runs, all by different people as well.
Despite more home runs, I remain horrendous when it comes to runs batted in. I am second worst in the league now, only better than Bove (who I play next week). Jack List had 12 home runs from Nolan Arenado. I didn’t mention him in the hits category because of the more lackluster performances in his lineup, but he deserves a shout out for an outstanding week. Yelich was my leading RBI guy with five. Steer and and Yandy Diaz had four runs batted in each too.
Much like home runs, neither Jack nor I will be scampering home to tell our significant others about our stolen base category performance. We can leave it at the fact that I had four and Jack had three. J.T. Realmuto had two steals for Jack, and I have to give credit to my victory all to Duran who stole two bases for me as a mid-week pickup.
It was not a very good week for OBPs for anyone this week. Kenney was the only team that had an OBP over .3500. Wowza. Yikes. I had the direct middle of the road with the fifth best mark of .3270, and List had the worst mark at .2727. It was just not a good week for List. He had his hitless players, both of whom did not even record a walk. Arenado led the way for Jack with a .452 clip. I had only two players with over a .400 OBP, one of whom was Duran and and the other was India who has busted out of his slump. But enough of the OBP.
I have a question, why did Jack get credit for all of his strikeouts on the final day when he was maxed out of pitchers? He had seven starts heading into Sunday, so therefore only one of his starters should have counted? He threw four starters on Sunday. Working backwards: 31+13+4+7+3+14+3. That equals 75. But he was only allowed one starter? I thought only eight starts per matchup? Even if you give Jack his best strikeout on that last day (Lucas Giolito with 9), that means you have to subtract 19 strikeouts. That would mean I would have only lost by two. And I am not checking game times. I don’t want the trauma.
I lied. I looked. White Sox game started after the Nationals game. That means Gore strikeouts should count. He still would have beaten me by one. But wait, the Royal and Yankees also started at 1:35, same time as the Nationals game. Severino only had five strikeouts. That swings a category. Just so confused about this whole process.
I am confused. Is this an ESPN mess up? Do I not know the rules? Has Jack been benefiting this way all season long? Have we all?
More questions about the eight starters max when it comes to the wins category. Both Luis Severino and MacKenzie Gore each recorded wins on the last day. He was only allowed one pitcher to pitch. He had had seven starters go prior. We should have drew in the wins category, that is giving Jack one win from the two that he maybe should not have gotten. I am not looking up exactly what time each game started. I am so confused.
The league leader in saves earned a win in the category with five saves. The red hot Baltimore Orioles handed Felix Bautista five innings of work where he gathered three saves and struck out nine in five innings. Josh Hader of San Diego pitched two scoreless innings and recorded two saves. I had two saves from Camilo Doval, and one save from Will Smith. Run of the mill average week is not good enough to beat Jack.
I am not going to tabulate the difference in ERA or WHIP with the seemingly extra starts accounted for. So I will stop that for now. I won this category thanks in large part to Corbin Burnes and his MVP performance with eight shutout innings. James Paxton picked it up as well for the Red Sox with a quality six inning start allowing only two runs. Jon Gray tossed only 4.1 innings and danced around trouble but didn’t allow a run. Jack’s ERA was elevated by Kodai Senga allowing two earned runs in only 3.1 innings against the Red Sox. This could have been worse or better if this game did not get suspended. But the main culprit for Jack’s struggle with earned runs was his best strikeout pitcher, the aforementioned Giolito who had 14 strikeouts but allowed eight runs in 8.2 innings.
Giolito also hurt Jack and his WHIP. The White Sox flame thrower had a WHIP of 2.31 in his starts against the Mets and the Twins. Marcus Stroman saw just one start and surrendered four earned runs in 3.2 innings allowing seven hits and four walks. The only pitchers for Jack that had WHIPs under 1.17 were his relief pitchers Bautista and Hader. My team’s WHIP was not very good either, but I’ll take the category win. Burnes had his dominant start, but Kevin Gausman also had a WHIP under 1.0 in six innings. He allowed four earned runs, but seems like the long ball hurt him.
The MVP for my team this week is going to go to my first starter for the week, Milwaukee’s Corbin Burnes. I was able to take the ERA and WHIP categories this week, which very rarely happens. That is due in large part to Burnes who tossed 8.0 scoreless innings against the Philadelphia Phillies. He allowed only two hits and one walk. Seeing how none of my other starters had an ERA better than 3.00, I needed Burnes to really anchor and that he did.
I hate to do this to him, but I have to do it to him. Elly De La Cruz went 3 for 23 with a .259 on base percentage. Sure he did blast a home run and had four runs scored, but the most electric shortstop in baseball needs to be better! AND NO DIMAIO, I AM NOT TRADING HIM TO YOU. Of anyone who had over 15 at-bats on my team, De La Cruz had the lowest OBP and the lowest hit total. He has been my MVP before, so it is time to humble him.
The MVP’s for Jack’s team is whatever loophole is happening in regards to the starters. He won the strikeout category on it. Has he been benefiting from this all season long? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
I was thinking Lucas Giolito for the LVP for Jack, but the fact he had a team-leading 14 strikeouts negates his 8.31 ERA. His 14 Ks help him win that category. That leads me to the hitting categories, and there is really only one option. Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves. He was 0-for-18, with zero walks. That is a .000 OBP, in case you want to do some math. Ouchie mama. And he was worse than Anthony Rizzo…who was 0-for-13 when he played! Jack didn’t play Rizzo when he went 4-for-4 with a home run.
MVP TRACKER: Albies (1), Burnes (1), De La Cruz (2), Mullins (3), Goldschmidt (2), Soto (1), Steer (2), Verdugo (1), Walls (1), Yelich (1)
LVP TRACKER: Albies (1), Burnes (1), Casas (1), De La Cruz (1), Gausman (1), Goldschmidt (1), Gore (1), Gray (1), Paxton (1), Peralta (1), Soto (1), Sale (1), St. Louis Cardinals (1), Walls (1), Wisdom (1)
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