MLB Daily

The 2020 season had many problems. The Covid-19 pandemic, no fans in the stands, outbreaks amongst teams, rule changes, only 60 games and more. There was a mini season with a World Series champion so all was not lost. In fact, the best team won mitigating some of the issues from the season.

2021 intends to be a complete 162 games. I think we should enjoy this as much as we possibly can. It might be the calm before the storm! Last year, while trying to start the season, the owners and the MLBPA could not agree on anything. They had issues agreeing to rules regarding pay, schedules, playoffs and so forth. There was no playoff agreement until opening day last year! It was ugly at times. This season season is special for one reason alone. This season is the last season under the current CBA. There will need to be a new CBA for 2022. Based on the troubles in communication, trust, and betterment of the game; it is the last season we stand a chance of having before negotiations get hot and heavy again.

Although this season has yet to have Spring Training or pitchers and catchers report, there are some negations currently on going. The teams don’t know about the rules carry overs from 2020 for example. The latest proposal from the owners was to have a unified DH in both leagues, which the players want, but to get it, the players had to agree to extended teams inclusion into the playoffs. The two issues were tied together by the owners. The MLBPA declined that proposal and did not counter offer as of yet. The MLBPA believe that extending the playoffs allows more teams in the playoffs; hence the teams will then not try to be as competitive, which could limit free agent signings. The owners would incur a cost of the DH as another player on the roster, but would recover some by getting playoff revenue to compensate. Regardless of your stance, we continue to see these sides battle over everything.

As simple as trying to get a DH into the game may seem, it has become apparent that every issue will be negotiated hard. The current CBA gives the owners leverage because they can always fall back on what was agreed to. In 2022, there will be no CBA, as it has yet to be written. Imagine rehashing every item, every rule, pay structure and having to agree for a new CBA. I do not expect this process to go well at all. In fact, I expect this to be very tedious and extremely ugly. The MLBPA does not trust the owners. This is crystal clear. The impact of this will be devastating at the negotiation table. The point is, labor will be a topic around the game once this season ends and possibly have “pop up” scenarios during this season. Pay close attention to how the sides work together. It might be a forecast into the 2022 negotiations.

It leads me to this understanding of the 2021 season. 2022 is uncertain at best. A labor problem is likely and current trend makes it seem lengthy. It means this 2021 season needs to be enjoyed to its fullest. Regardless if you like a bad team or a good one, recognize these are the best players in the world. Their day to day performances are amazing. When you get a chance to see a live game….GO! Who knows if 2022 will provide us with those opportunities. It is a unique sport where every pitch thrown is by a pitcher that is the best in the world. His purpose is to disrupt the timing and rhythm of the best hitters in the world. It is a battle on every pitch.

Enjoy the games, we might not be able to later. My advice is to capitalize now. Take nothing for granted. Get into the details and be in awe of how great today’s MLB players really are. Every pitch, every swing, every field of a groundball or a flyball matters. Above all else, have fun watching the games!

MLB is a sport where rhythm, timing, muscle memory, and routine are common successful traits when players are properly executing. Pitching is all about changing the timing, rhythm, expected location, and speed to disrupt a proper swing. Hitting is all about identifying what pitch is on the way, where it is going to be, and what velocity it is arriving at. The question is what batters are making solid contact per swing, not per at bat? Once identified, does it really matter if they swing and miss, or have a high strike out rate because they are productive anyway?

I found a way to measure this. There is a Stat Cast metric Hardhit% per swing. It does just that. It measure 95+ mph exit velocity per swing! It is similar to barrels, but exactly the same. A top 25 hitter under this stat would be someone who has limited holes in their swing. They are not fooled often and make solid contact better than the average hitter, thus they should be a good hitter. I want to compare that to the Sabermetric stat wOBA. wOBA is a very important metric. It is an offensive all inclusive metric. wOBA is based on a simple concept: Not all hits are created equal. Batting average assumes that they are. On-base percentage does too, but does one better by including other ways of reaching base such as walking or being hit by a pitch. Slugging percentage weights hits, but not accurately (Is a double worth twice as much as a single?) and again ignores other ways of reaching base. On-base plus slugging (OPS) does attempt to combine the different aspects of hitting into one metric, but it assumes that one percentage point of SLG is the same as that of OBP. In reality, a handy estimate is that OBP is around twice as valuable than SLG. In short, OPS is asking the right question, but we can arrive at a more accurate number quite easily. Weighted On-Base Average combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.

Lets see what happens when we compare Hardhit% per swing with wOBA. The first chart is Hardhit% per swing. Followed by wOBA chart.

The wOBA chart is the most important in terms of the hitter being productive so lets see how many of the top 25 are on both carts. The answer is only 9 hitters are on both charts. This answers a very big question for those who believe the strikeout hurts the game. The top 25 batters in MLB are not the same 25 batters who hit the ball hard per swing. It corelates the best hitters will swing and miss, yet be more productive than someone who hits the ball hard more often.

Marcell Ozuna (#3 wOBA) is the first not on the top 25 hardhit% chart. Clearly he has a K% of 22.5% so he has swing and miss. Jose Ramirez (#5 wOBA), Ronald Acuna (#6 wOBA), Trea Turner (#7 wOBA), Dominic Smith (#8 wOBA), and Nelson Cruz ( #9 wOBA) are all top ten but do not get on the hardhit% per swing chart. In general, it is easy to see why, their K% rates are higher n most cases. Ramirez and Turner are the only ones not above 20%.

The data shows while making hard contact per swing would seem like a tie in to performance, it does not. It doesn’t mean it is a poor trait to have, yet it is not a focus point for success. There is a guy on the top 25 wOBA list with 30% K rate! This supports the idea that swings and misses or strikeouts, are not as bad as we think. It isn’t pretty but it is reality. MLB conceptually has changed and we need to understand performance of the players today against the concepts we have of what good looks like. I guess in my mind. I would like to see the guys who miss get better making contact and maybe they would move up the wOBA charts.

The previews cannot officially begin without an understanding of what last year was. When we investigate forecasting 2021, we do rely on many conditions; some of which are, 2020 and its relevant data, the previous most recent seasons and those trends, age, team changes, off season development, and more. In the past, the previous season was largely the single most influencer to predict the future for most players and teams. Not the case for everyone or every team, yet strong weighting compared to some of the others. This year forecasting will be more difficult unless the homework is done properly.

            The “season 2020” had a World Series Champion, played meaningful games, gave young players opportunities to see what they could do, and more. The season was largely experimental. We had to deal with the Covid protocol for the sport which altered the number of games played and the rules. We had zero fans in the stands until the playoffs, then were limited to only a few. The games came across well on tv, but the players have said they felt like exhibitions. The rules were changed for safety. We had a DH in both leagues, extra innings rules, 3 batter minimums for pitcher changes, doubleheader changes, scheduling, and safety protocols like no other. The changes and length of the season do alter what we need to consider for the 2021 forecasts.

            A simple understanding is the length of the season. MLB played 60 games or roughly 2 months. A normal season is 162 games and 7 months. Batters made 250-260 at bats in 2020, but in 2019 (a 162-game season), they made 650-700 at bats. Starting pitchers made 12 starts in 2020 and made 30+ in 2019. This gap is large, and we need to view it with importance. A complete season will often have peaks and valleys in performance. A segment of 60 games often reflects those outlier performances, but due to the length of the season, evens out the final numbers. The year 2020 will NOT have the evening out of the numbers. Certain players or teams will not have had their successes or failures included. MLB tv doing the best position player available now series, usually includes the previous season and the one prior. This year they included last season and the previous two seasons to get to their results. I like how that looks. They applied a weighting factor so 2020 would have large bearing on the outcomes, but they did apply some thought and reasoning to the data.

            I will be doing some similar comparisons. My belief is that we can apply the projections, then identify trends in performance. We need to identify which trends to follow and which ones to debunk. Using methodology around age, team changes, and trend; I should be able to use last year much the same way MLB tv did. Using 2020 is an influencer on future performance, I should be able to forecast 2021 for both players and teams with a large certainty of expectancy. Being right in these forecasts will set us apart from the betting lines on future market wagers, allow proper understanding of value, and give us an edge in the daily grind of a 162-game season. I will be identifying strengths, weaknesses, player progressions and regressions, player movement, depth of teams, and more for every team. I should be able to set a win total for every team with a divisional rank, which then allows for playoff and World Series forecasts. I am very interested in the prop wagers. It is January as I write this so there are not many to look at, but I will be identifying prop wagers to investigate as well. OK, so let’s get into the 2021 team previews!

2020 was only a 2 month season so we must realize there were some oddities of great performances. These performances above a player’s standard season indicate a regression is ripe. The comparison of a complete 162 game season with 6 months is much more truthful than the 2 month snippet of a season we had last year. A perfect example of this is AL MVP Jose Abreu. He earned 2.6 WAR (8th in MLB) with a .411 wOBA and 166 wRC+. He ranked 3rd in WAR, 3rd in wOBA, and 2nd wRC+ in the American League. However, his .411 wOBA and 166 wRC+ are tied for his career best season. It happened in 2014 which was his first season in MLB. The projections for 2021 suggest he is likely to have a “normal” season which is dramatically different form his MVP season last year. Keep in mind he will be 34 years old this season. He is projected with 1.6 WAR, .342 wOBA, and 115 wRC+. He is 7th in projected WAR on his own team for 2021! It is crucial to understand the value of a 2 month season against a full season. Therefore, knowing what performance is expected will not come as a surprise and one can plan accordingly regarding future betting markets or DFS. In this case of the White Sox, look for a progression form Eloy Jimenez. This will the 3rd season for this 24 year old. The productivity lost from Abreu will be picked up by Jimenez. He projects 3.3 WAR, .366 wOBA, and 131 wRC+. His single best WAR season is 1.8 WAR. He projects with 38 HRs and 107 RBI.

The idea here is to look at last season under scrutiny. We need to dig a little deeper to find truths and variances. We can wager on that.

The purpose of this guide and preview is assist your baseball knowledge for the 2021 season. It is laid out and formatted for those who wager on baseball but will also apply to those that are just fans of the game. I hope that by the time you have read through the articles, strategies, team previews, etc. that you will use this as a resource for the season and will have learned a little about baseball through a Sabermetric view of the sport. A daily fantasy player might find some value in here as well. It will not be nor is it intended to be a draft guide for fantasy. This guide is all about wagering and evaluating teams and matchups as to provide an edge to the bettor. It never hurts to put yourself in a spot where you can make some money!

When looking into the 2021 crystal ball, I came across the Seattle Mariners offense. Some projections often surprise me. From a far, one might think this is a young rebuilding team with some exciting talent on the rise. I believe this is the worst offense in baseball.

The projections indicate a below average performer at every position except Haniger (who is average in the projection) and missed the entire season last year. Notice that the higher WAR totals reflect defense not offense. OFF is the batting side of the WAR calculation, which in this case reflects everyone (but Haniger) is worse than a replacement player! It is also shown in the wOBA. The average should .325 or so, and here we find no one. Again, wRC+ (average is 100) sees Haniger at the average with no one else! This will be a rough ride for SEA in 2021. It also shows how far away they really are.

The website is now LIVE. It still needs tweaking and adding widgets t is far enough along to allow public view while still getting its enhancements. It will make getting content a breeze.

The Webb Report is a video show! It will recap, preview all the MLB games with a wagering aspect. All MLB all the time!

Jan. 21, 2021: Astros sign OF Michael Brantley and C Jason Castro

Jan. 20, 2021: Blue Jays sign OF George Springer, P Kirby Yates and P Tyler Chatwood

Jan. 19, 2021: Angels sign P José Quintana

Jan. 18, 2021: Nationals sign P Jon Lester

Jan. 18, 2021: Pirates trade P Joe Musgrove to Padres in three-team deal that sends P Joey Lucchesi to Mets

Jan. 15, 2021: Yankees sign P Corey Kluber

Jan. 15, 2021: Yankees sign IF DJ LeMahieu

Jan. 13, 2021: Astros sign P Pedro Báez

Jan. 12, 2021: White Sox sign P Liam Hendriks

Jan. 9, 2021: Nationals sign OF Kyle Schwarber

Jan. 7, 2021: Indians trade SS Francisco Lindor and P Carlos Carrasco to Mets for IF Amed Rosario, IF Andrés Giménez, and Minor Leaguers RHP Josh Wolf and OF Isaiah Greene

Jan. 5, 2021: Tigers sign OF Robbie Grossman

Dec. 31, 2020: Padres sign INF Ha-Seong Kim

Dec. 29, 2020: Cubs trade P Yu Darvish and C Victor Caratini to Padres

Dec. 29, 2020: Rays trade P José Alvarado to Phillies in three-team deal

Dec. 29, 2020: Rays trade P Blake Snell to Padres

Dec. 26, 2020: Rangers sign P Kohei Arihara

Dec. 24, 2020: Pirates trade 1B Josh Bell to Nationals

Dec. 23, 2020: Dodgers sign P Tommy Kahnle

Dec. 18, 2020: Rays sign P Michael Wacha

Dec. 16, 2020: Giants sign P Anthony DeSclafani

Dec. 15, 2020: Rangers trade P Rafael Montero to Mariners

Dec. 14, 2020: Red Sox sign OF Hunter Renfroe

Dec. 12, 2020: Mets sign C James McCann

Dec. 11, 2020: Rangers agree to deal with OF David Dahl

Dec. 10, 2020: Rays trade 1B Nate Lowe to Rangers

Dec. 9, 2020: Mariners sign P Chris Flexen

Dec. 8, 2020: White Sox sign OF Adam Eaton

Dec. 8, 2020: Royals sign 1B Carlos Santana

Dec. 8, 2020: Giants sign P Matt Wisler

Dec. 7, 2020: Rangers trade P Lance Lynn to White Sox for P Dane Dunning

Dec. 7, 2020: Reds trade P Raisel Iglesias and cash to Angels for P Noé Ramirez and PTBNL

Dec. 2, 2020: Orioles trade SS José Iglesias to Angels

Dec. 1, 2020: P Trevor May signs with Mets

Nov. 30, 2020: OF Michael A. Taylor signs with Royals

Dec. 1, 2020: P Mike Minor signs with Royals

Nov. 25, 2020: Reds trade P Robert Stephenson to Rockies for P Jeff Hoffman

Nov. 24, 2020: P Charlie Morton signs with Braves

Nov. 16, 2020: P Drew Smyly signs with Braves

My annual MLB Preview and Betting Guide is being written now! Previous editions have included 3-4 page previews for every team, season win best bets, and articles relating complex Sabermetric data to wagering. The 2021 edition is more of the same excellent content. It will be available in the beginning of March, 2021.