Josh Donaldson's Clubhouse Introduction

• 💡 Rowdy Tellez recounted an awkward introduction to Josh Donaldson when they were teammates in Toronto in 2018.
• 🗣️ Donaldson reportedly told Tellez and other teammates, "Everybody knows who I am," when asked for an introduction.
• 💬 Tellez also shared a joke where Donaldson asked if he was on the "seafood diet," to which Tellez responded by eating food and telling Donaldson to "[expletive] off."
• ⚠️ Stories suggest Donaldson can make clubhouse jobs miserable, though he's often considered a good teammate otherwise.

Blake Snell's Anomalous Cy Young Season

• 🎯 Blake Snell is having a statistically unusual season, potentially becoming the first pitcher since 1913 to lead the majors in both ERA and walks.
• 🚶‍♂️ Snell differentiates between "good walks" and "bad walks," opting to walk batters strategically in fewer pitches rather than throwing hittable pitches.
• 📈 His strand rate when runners are on base is exceptionally high at 85.9%, ranking 12th best for a starting pitcher.
• ⚾ Snell has significantly reduced his four-seam fastball and slider usage, increasing his curveball and changeup usage, particularly against right-handed batters.
• 🚀 The changeup, previously shelved due to poor performance, is now a key pitch, being thrown more effectively and in more locations.

Pitcher Handedness and Defensive Shifts

• ❓ A viewer questioned why shortstops typically cover the middle of the infield when a left-handed pitcher throws a sweeper down and away to a left-handed batter.
• 📊 Analysis of spray charts and batted ball data suggests that balls hit in that specific scenario (lefty vs. lefty sweeper down and away) are often hit to the right side of the infield or into the outfield.
• 🧐 The data indicates that shortstops have only fielded a very small number of batted balls in this specific situation, leading to a discussion about optimal defensive positioning and shifts.
• 🤔 The conversation explores whether traditional shifts are always beneficial or if pitch-to-pitch adjustments are needed, especially with the prevalence of certain pitch types.