By MARK SIMON There’s so much consternation about the Hall of Fame at this time of year that perspective on potential inductees can become a secondary story. So let’s wade through the PED scandals and other transgressions and point to some Hall of Fame candidates for whom there is statistical support for Hall of Fame election, though not [...]
By MARK SIMON As 2021 ends, it’s once again time for our supplemental MLB awards, ones that are statistically driven. These will salute some of the leaders in specific areas of our recordkeeping. The Hard-Hitter Award Sports Info Solutions charts every batted ball as hard-, medium- or soft-hit, based on the ball's location and velocity. The winner of the Hard-Hitter Award is [...]
December 14, 2021 By MARK SIMON Four pitchers threw at least 200 innings in 2021. Sandy Alcantara, Walker Buehler, Adam Wainwright, and Zack Wheeler deserve a special salute for doing so in MLB's first full season [...]
For the second straight year, Sports Info Solutions made the 2021 Fielding Bible Awards a global affair. Today, we announce the winners of the NPB and KBO Fielding Bible Awards for defensive excellence. The awards were voted on by panels of experts and SIS Video Scouts, who spent the entire season tracking NPB and KBO games. Among our voters were [...]
by MARK SIMON With little positive news to report on the MLB lockout, Sunday was a good day to celebrate baseball history. It was also a good day for those who like to celebrate great defense in baseball. The Baseball Hall of Fame elected six candidates - Bud Fowler and Buck O’Neil were voted in by the Early Baseball Era Committee. [...]
The following essay is an excerpt from The Bill James Handbook 2022, which is available at bookstores now and can be purchased at ACTASports.com. The book features essays, stats, leaderboards, and much more. It's more than 600 pages of baseball goodness! by ALEX VIGDERMAN Orioles center fielder Cedric Mullins [...]
By MARK SIMON The following essay is an excerpt from The Bill James Handbook 2022, available now from ACTA Sports. Sometimes in baseball, things happen early in the season that set a tone for the entire year. In Shohei Ohtani’s case, his first series of the season foreshadowed much of what followed. He lived up to the hype. The Home Run Ohtani homered in the ninth [...]
By SARAH THOMPSON The following essay is an excerpt from The Bill James Handbook 2022, available now from ACTA Sports. Bill James devised a system, dubbed “The Favorite Toy,” that determines the likelihood of a player achieving a certain milestone. Since most of these milestones are counting stats, the shortened 2020 season did a number on most people’s chances of hitting milestones [...]
By MARK SIMON On April 6, the Braves fell to 0-4 after a walk-off loss against the Washington Nationals. “I don't think anybody is too worried,” said pitcher Drew Smyly. On July 5, Max Fried allowed six runs in an 11-1 loss to the Pirates. “Coming out of my hand, it didn’t feel like I was throwing pitches that were really sharp…” Fried told reporters [...]
SIS is pleased to announce the winners of the 2021 Fielding Bible Awards. This marks the 16th season that we have honored the best defensive players in MLB. The awards are voted on by a panel of experts who consider statistical analysis, the eye test, and any other factors that they wish to consider. This year’s winners are: Position Name Team 1B Paul Goldschmidt Cardinals 2B Whit Merrifield Royals SS Carlos [...]