05/27 Phillies (Morgan) @ CUBS (Lester) 1:20 CDT, CSN

[squally1313]

Kris Bryant, our 24 year old 6.5 WAR 3B/LF/CF/RF/1B.

[woodchip2153]

Hopefully Bryant has practiced catching a ball and glove at the same time.

[Sammy Sofa]

This must be Ski's favorite lineup of all time.

[Andy]

That's quite a forfeit lineup.

 

Hell with it, we'll still score 7 runs.

[bcl412]

That's quite a forfeit lineup.

 

Hell with it, we'll still score 7 runs.

Our forfeit lineup is still solid. We are good

[bcl412]

This must be Ski's favorite lineup of all time.

Didn't one of the spazzez flip out because Bryant or someone sat out a day after an off day? I'm surprised that hasn't been a thing yet.

[Omar]

Jorge Soler career (batting 4th) splits by batting order placement

I         Split  G GS  PA  AB  R  H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO   BA  OBP  SLG   OPS TB GDP HBP SH SF IBB ROE BAbip tOPS+
   Batting 1st  3  1   6   5  0  2  1  0  0   0  0  0  1  2 .400 .500 .600 1.100  3   0   0  0  0   0   0  .667   200
   Batting 2nd 18 17  77  73  8 19  4  1  1   6  0  0  3 28 .260 .286 .384  .669 28   3   0  0  1   0   0  .400    81
   Batting 3rd  9  9  41  33  6  9  1  0  2   6  0  0  6 11 .273 .390 .485  .875 16   2   1  0  1   0   0  .333   138
   Batting 4th 33 33 137 125 13 27  6  1  4  18  3  0 10 38 .216 .270 .376  .646 47   2   0  0  2   2   3  .271    74
   Batting 5th 36 36 152 140 18 43 12  0  7  25  1  1  9 44 .307 .349 .543  .892 76   4   1  0  2   0   1  .396   139
   Batting 6th 46 42 166 148 21 35  6  0  4  19  0  0 15 42 .236 .319 .358  .677 53   3   3  0  0   2   2  .304    85
   Batting 7th  9  9  35  29  4  8  0  0  1   3  0  0  5  7 .276 .371 .379  .751 11   0   0  0  1   1   4  .318   106
   Batting 8th  3  0   4   4  0  0  0  0  0   0  0  0  0  2 .000 .000 .000  .000  0   0   0  0  0   0   0  .000  -100
   Batting 9th  9  0   9   6  0  1  0  0  0   0  0  0  3  2 .167 .444 .167  .611  1   0   0  0  0   0   0  .250    78

[BigSlick]

That's probably the worst lineup they've run out this year (still obviously quite potent), and insult to injury, it's for Lester who seems to get the worst luck with run support.

 

So they'll win 9-1

[CubinNY]

Getting ready for a little pregame libation. No Rizzo is a bummer.

[Liam Neeson]

Scizzors has a big day today.

[UMFan83]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

[BigSlick]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

Or that Wrigley is playing more like a hitters park this year than last year. (Which would make sense given that Wrigley bizarrely played as a pitchers park last year for the first time I can remember)

[UMFan83]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

Or that Wrigley is playing more like a hitters park this year than last year. (Which would make sense given that Wrigley bizarrely played as a pitchers park last year for the first time I can remember)

 

Is it? I assumed with all the crappy weather and wind blowing in it would be playing like a pitchers park. But given that the team with the 2nd most RPG in baseball plays there, that might have something to do with it.

 

Edit: Is ESPN's park factors a reliable source? If so, Wrigley was 14th with a .950 runs scored, so slightly below average. This year its 17th at .943.

 

But again, the weather has been really shitty, and last years numbers include a nice July-September where the hitting conditions were mostly great.

Edited May 27, 2016 by UMFan83

[RammyFanny]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

 

And it sounds crazy, but I wouldn't be surprised if a .310 BABIP is a little low for him.

[Sammy Sofa]

This must be Ski's favorite lineup of all time.

Didn't one of the spazzez flip out because Bryant or someone sat out a day after an off day? I'm surprised that hasn't been a thing yet.

 

All I know is him and Rondon Fan repeatedly demand for players to be punished after bad games or bad stretches.

[Liam Neeson]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

Or that Wrigley is playing more like a hitters park this year than last year. (Which would make sense given that Wrigley bizarrely played as a pitchers park last year for the first time I can remember)

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fun-with-early-season-park-factors/

 

Wrigley has been pitcher-friendly so far this year.

[BigSlick]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

Or that Wrigley is playing more like a hitters park this year than last year. (Which would make sense given that Wrigley bizarrely played as a pitchers park last year for the first time I can remember)

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/fun-with-early-season-park-factors/

 

Wrigley has been pitcher-friendly so far this year.

The second most pitcher friendly park in the league this year so far, amazing

 

Kyle Hendricks crosses himself and thanks the baseball gods

[Omar]

wow, below Dodger stadium.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

I was looking at ESPN's park factors, and I was surprised to see Nationals Park listed at #2 back in 2003. you know, a half decade before it opened.

[Sammy Sofa]

I was looking at ESPN's park factors, and I was surprised to see Nationals Park listed at #2 back in 2003. you know, a half decade before it opened.

 

NEVER FORGET YOUPI.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Kris Bryant is remarkably consistent

 

2015 .275/.369/.488/.858, 133 OPS+, 5.9 WAR (B-R)

2016 .279/.368/.503/.870, 133 OPS+, 6.1 WAR (on pace, 151 games played)

 

Power up a tick, but looks like hitting is up in general given the identical OPS+ numbers. Is on pace for 34 2B and 34 HR (in 151 games) vs. 31 and 26 respectively last year.

 

And it sounds crazy, but I wouldn't be surprised if a .310 BABIP is a little low for him.

 

Yeah, especially with him changing his swing plane in order to get launch angles more conducive to hitting line drives -- which, he is hitting more line drives. A .378 BABIP was probably a bit of an aberration last year, considering how many fly balls he hit. I was expecting the following to happen, just based on his profile: BABIP goes down while HR/FB goes up. But, with the change in his swing, he might be able to maintain a .330+ BABIP, with how hard he hits it combined with his speed. His infield-hit% of 14.4% led the majors last year. A lot of people thought it was a little fluky and would come down. It's at 14.6% this year. Granted, small sample sizes and all. But he would appear to be one of those freaks that can maintain a high BABIP, because he does a lot of things really well when it comes to hitting.

[Omar]

I was looking at ESPN's park factors, and I was surprised to see Nationals Park listed at #2 back in 2003. you know, a half decade before it opened.

 

NEVER FORGET YOUPI.

 

maybe they meant RFK

[Sammy Sofa]

I was looking at ESPN's park factors, and I was surprised to see Nationals Park listed at #2 back in 2003. you know, a half decade before it opened.

 

NEVER FORGET YOUPI.

 

maybe they meant RFK

 

Nah, they were the Expos through 2004.

[Aaron_Kennelly]

Wrigley being that pitcher friendly so far doesn't surprise me at all. We've only had the wind blowing out once or twice that I can remember, and it has been viciously howling in a number of times. Remember all those damn warning track flyouts that were smashed into the wind?

 

Just wait until the wind starts blowing out and it gets really hot out, and balls start flying out of the park.

 

The good news on that front is that our pitchers get the second most ground balls in the league and our hitters hit the third fewest ground balls in the league. We are going to reap the benefits of the wind eventually.

[badger]

The good news on that front is that our pitchers get the second most ground balls in the league and our hitters hit the third fewest ground balls in the league. We are going to reap the benefits of the wind eventually.