Previous to speaking to him in Wrigley Discipline’s dwelling clubhouse in late August, my data of Ethan Roberts largely consisted of his being a 27-year-old, right-handed reliever with restricted big-league expertise and a excessive spin fee. I additionally knew he’d had Tommy John surgical procedure in 2022 as that was talked about, alongside together with his spin, when he was blurbed as an honorable point out on our 2023 Chicago Cubs Prime Prospects record.
The 2018 fourth-round select of Tennessee Technological College has added to his résumé since we spoke and now has 27 appearances for his profession, 18 of them this yr. His numbers within the present marketing campaign embrace a 2.66 ERA and 23 strikeouts over 23-and-two-thirds innings. Three days in the past he tossed a scoreless body in opposition to the Washington Nationals and was credited together with his first big-league win.
Roberts realized that he spun the ball effectively upon getting into professional ball. Not lengthy thereafter, he realized that not all spin is created equal.
“It was my first time round know-how,” defined Roberts. “I threw a bullpen and my fastball was spinning fairly excessive. It was spinning like 2,800 [RPMs] —proper now it’s extra 2,600-2,700 — and I really throw it very supinated. It’s form of like a pure cutter. However yeah, once I received on know-how there, in Arizona [at the Cubs spring training complex], I used to be like, ‘I don’t know what any of this implies, however thanks for telling me.’”
Which brings us to his spin traits, in addition to to pitch classifications.
“We tried a number of instances to get it to go straight, with completely different grips, completely different angles, and completely different X, Ys and Zs,” Roberts mentioned of the fastball he grips as a four-seamer. “In the long run, we form of simply adopted what I’ve. It’s like 4 vert, 4 horizontal, virtually each time, so it’s just about a cutter. Whereas it’s excessive spin, the spin effectivity might be like 60 %.”
His slider, which Baseball Savant classifies as a sweeper, can be excessive spin, It averages over 3,000 RPMs… no matter what you select to name it.
“I imply, I believe they’re each the identical,” Roberts mentioned of the slider-or-sweeper query. “I suppose everybody, on this new age, is asking the larger ones a sweeper. However I do get wherever from 15 to 22 inches. They taught me that slider in 2022. Earlier than, the horizontal was in all probability 12 to 13 and I’d get a number of inches of destructive. Now I’m getting in all probability a mean of 18 inches of sweep with perhaps two destructive. We simply made it larger.”
Roberts informed me that he’s additionally throwing a two-seamer, which he started growing earlier this season. He’d solely thrown a smattering of them in video games on the time we spoke, considered one of which was “three vertical, 15 horizontal” whereas one other was “seven and 9.” The necessity to develop consistency apart, having a 3rd pitch that strikes arm-side ought to solely make him higher.
“Pitches play off of one another,” mentioned Roberts. “After I throw my slider and my cutter, they’re the identical for a very long time after which they break up — one is shorter and the opposite is longer, and one is quicker and different is slower. That’s my aim with the sinker. I would like to have the ability to give hitters a special look.”
For Roberts, the appears to be like embrace a variety of spin. No matter the way you label his pitches.
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RANDOM HITTER-PITCHER MATCHUPS
Dick “Ducky” Schofield went 4 for 32 in opposition to Roger Craig.
Dick Schofield Jr. went 0 for 28 in opposition to Mark Gubicza.
Kirby Puckett went 4 for 32 in opposition to Danny Darwin.
Darwin Barney went 5 for 8 in opposition to Justin Verlander.
Roy Smalley went 10 for 27 in opposition to Rex Barney.
Roy Smalley Jr. went 10 for 27 in opposition to Glenn Abbott.
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Tony Cloninger went 3-for-5 with two grand slams and 9 RBIs whereas permitting three runs in a CG win. Rick Smart threw a no-hitter in a recreation the place he homered twice. Was both of those a greater particular person efficiency than what Shohei Ohtani did yesterday?
I requested that query in a Twitter ballot Friday, on the heels of the record-setting Los Angeles Dodgers celebrity’s 6-for-6 efficiency that included three dwelling runs (the final of them in opposition to a place participant), two doubles, two stolen bases, and 10 RBIs.
Surprisingly — at the least to me — the ballot elicited scant curiosity, with fewer than 100 individuals bothering to solid votes. Of those that did, two-thirds have been of the opinion that Cloninger and/or Smart had the higher efficiency. I agree with the bulk. Furthermore, I’d rank Smart’s as the perfect of the three.
Notable in Smart’s effort is that he threw his two-home-run no-hitter in 1971 in opposition to a Cincinnati Reds lineup that included Johnny Bench, George Foster, Hal McRae, Tony Perez, and Pete Rose. The Philadelphia Phillies right-hander retired Rose to finish the 4-0 win.
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“What has been the perfect recreation of your life?” is a query I’ve requested quite a few gamers this season, with the primary dozen of the solutions making up a chunk that ran in June. I’ve since included a handful of different responses in Sunday Notes, and we’ll proceed in that vein this week with two members of the Chicago White Sox. As famous beforehand, “finest recreation” isn’t simply in MLB, and even skilled baseball, however relatively any time since they first placed on a uniform.
“There was a recreation in school in opposition to USC the place I had two homers and considered one of them was a walk-off grand slam,” mentioned Andrew Vaughn, who grew up in Santa Rosa and starred on the College of California Berkeley earlier than being drafted third general by the White Sox in 2019. “Again in Little League, there was a recreation the place my neighbor, Richard — we’re nonetheless good pals to at the present time — and I pitched in opposition to one another. I threw a no-hitter. He threw a no-hitter, however then needed to come out as a result of he’d reached his pitch restrict. I used to be the subsequent batter and hit a walk-off dwelling run in opposition to the child who changed him. It was the one hit of the sport.”
“I don’t find out about particular person video games, however once I was 10 or 11 [years old] I had a event the place I went like 19-for-21,” recalled Dominic Fletcher, who grew up in Orange County. “One thing loopy like that. I used to be in all probability 10 or 11 years previous, and this was a journey ball event. I believe it was referred to as Huge League Desires. There have been in all probability some fortunate hits in there, however yeah, it was one thing like 19-for-21. Exterior of that, I might need had a few highschool video games the place I hit two homers.
“In professional ball, I had a recreation in Double-A, in Amarillo, the place the wind was howling out and I had a few homers, together with a grand slam. It was Mom’s Day. Mother wasn’t there, although.”
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A quiz:
Which pitcher has began probably the most video games for the Chicago Cubs over the previous 50 seasons (since 1975)?
The reply might be discovered beneath.
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NEWS NOTES
Barbara Gregorich is the winner of this yr’s Dorothy Seymour Mills Lifetime Achievement Award. Extra info on Gregorich and the award might be discovered right here.
Minnie Mendoza, a local of Ceiba del Agu, Cuba who performed in 16 video games for the Minnesota Twins in 1970, died earlier this month at age 89. A veteran of 20 skilled seasons who was 35 years previous when he made his MLB debut, Mendoza logged three big-league hits, two off of Mike Cuellar and one off of Sam McDowell.
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The reply to the quiz is Greg Maddux, who pitched for the Cubs from 1986-1992, and once more from 2004-2006, with 298 begins. Carlos Zambrano is second with 282 begins, whereas Kyle Hendricks is third with 269.
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FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Tokyo Yakult Swallows third baseman Munetaka Murakami went deep for the twenty ninth and thirtieth time on Friday and now has 238 dwelling runs over six NPB seasons (plus a six-game cameo in 2018 at age 18). In the meantime, 26-year-old Yokohama DeNa BayStars second baseman Shugo Maki has hit 20 or extra in every of his 4 NPB seasons. He has 97 dwelling runs to go along with a .298/.346/.516 slash line over 2,212 profession PAs.
Rowan Wick is 5-1 with a 2.72 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 43 innings for the BayStars. The 31-year-old right-hander is in his first NPB season after pitching for the San Diego Padres in 2018, and for the Chicago Cubs from 2018-2022.
Yeong Hyun Park is 10-2 with 25 saves and a 3.67 ERA for the KBO’s KT Wiz. The 20-year-old right-hander has 85 strikeouts and 60 hits allowed in 73-and-two-thirds innings.
Ja-wook Koo is slashing .343/.416/.618 with 31 dwelling runs and a 162 wRC+ in 560 plate appearances for the KBO’s Samsung Tigers. The 31-year-old outfielder has a .318 batting common to go along with an .896 OPS and 165 dwelling runs over 10 seasons.
Japan gained its second straight U-23 Baseball World Cup title final weekend, beating Puerto Rico 5-0 within the championship recreation. The event MVP was Puerto Rico outfielder Edgardo Villegas, a 20-year-old native of Bayamon who performs on the College of Miami.
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A random obscure participant snapshot:
John Castino had a fantastic glove, and if not burdened by a persistent again damage he seemingly would have had an extended and affluent profession. Because it was, the slick-fielding third baseman performed simply five-plus seasons, all with the Minnesota Twins, recording 648 hits and a 97 wRC+ over 666 video games. His future seemed particularly shiny early on. Castino shared American League co-Rookie of the 12 months honors with Toronto’s Alfredo Griffin in 1979, and the next season he batted .302 with 13 dwelling runs. Gene Mauch and Brooks Robinson have been amongst those that championed his defensive prowess on the sizzling nook.
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Adam Mazur didn’t impress statistically in his preliminary big-league alternatives. Over three separate stints spanning early June to late July, the 23-year-old right-hander made eight appearances for the San Diego Padres and allowed 28 earned runs in 33-and-two-thirds innings. However he did present sufficient potential to impress scouts for a rival workforce. With the commerce deadline quick approaching, the Miami Marlins acquired Mazur as a part of the six-player deal that despatched Tanner Scott west.
The St. Paul, Minnesota native attracted the eye of beginner scouts in 2022 after transferring to the College of Iowa from South Dakota State, the place he’d largely unimpressed. A stellar junior season with the Hawkeyes earned him Huge 10 Pitcher of the 12 months honors and helped make him a second spherical decide. He attributes improved mechanics for his step ahead in efficiency.
“It was the work I put in with my pitching coach at Iowa coming to fruition,” Mazur informed me shortly earlier than the commerce to Miami. “It was largely mechanical stuff, like staying in my again leg slightly bit longer, ensuring I wasn’t flying open with my entrance shoulder, and actually simply driving towards dwelling plate.”
Mazur started this season in Double-A, was promoted to Triple-A in mid-Might, then moved up on June 4 when an arm was wanted in MLB. In July, our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen assigned him a 40 FV, writing that righty’s “arm power and breaking ball high quality guarantee he’s going to be a helpful large leaguer.”
Mazur has made eight Jekyll and Hyde begins with the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp since becoming a member of the Marlins group. He has a 5.21 ERA over these outings.
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FARM NOTES
Angel Genao slashed .330/.379/.499 with a 150 wRC+ over 496 plate appearances between Low-A Lynchburg and Excessive-A Lake County. The 20-year-old switch-hitting infielder within the Cleveland Guardians system had 38 doubles, 4 triples, 10 dwelling runs, and 25 stolen bases.
GJ Hill had 20 dwelling runs to go along with a .267/.358/.528 slash line and a 139 wRC+ over 336 plate appearances between Low-A Fresno and Excessive-A Spokane. The 23-year-old second baseman/outfielder within the Colorado Rockies system was an ideal 16-for-16 within the stolen base division.
Okay.C. Hunt went 8-3 with a 2.03 ERA, a 2.29 FIP, and 139 strikeouts in 102 innings throughout Low-A Carolina, Excessive-A Wisconsin, and Double-A Biloxi. The 24-year-old right-hander within the Milwaukee Brewers system had a 7.67 ERA over 81 innings in 4 seasons at Mississippi State College earlier than being signed as a non-drafted free agent final summer season.
Nico Zeglin went 7-0 with a 0.95 ERA, a 2.19 FIP, and 90 strikeouts in 66 innings between Low-A Myrtle Seashore and Excessive-A South Bend. The 24-year-old right-hander within the Chicago Cubs system was signed as a non-drafted free agent in April.
Ian Seymour went 9-4 with a 2.35 ERA, a 3.30 FIP, and 162 strikeouts in 145-and-a-third innings between Double-A Montgomery and Triple-A Durham. The 25-year-old left-hander within the Tampa Bay Rays group was featured right here at FanGraphs in March 2022 following his first skilled season.
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What has been the worst pitch you’ve thrown all yr, and why was it so dangerous? I’ve requested that query to a handful of pitchers this season, the latest being Baltimore Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes.
“Teoscar Hernández hit a three-run homer off of me on a backup curveball,” the four-time All-Star and former Cy Younger Award winner mentioned of the August 28 gopher he surrendered to the LA Dodgers slugger. “It was in all probability the fifth curveball of the AB. It was a type of issues the place I attempted to do an excessive amount of. I attempted to make it extra nasty than it already is, and it backed up on me. He homered, which was the difference-maker in that recreation.
“It nonetheless had good condition to it, it simply got here out of the hand extra arm-side than the curveballs earlier than that,” continued Burnes. “Had I simply thrown the identical curveball, I’d in all probability have gotten a floor ball, or perhaps one other foul ball that will have saved me within the at-bat. However once more, I attempted to do an excessive amount of.”
His having mentioning each good condition and “backed up” prompted my asking for additional clarification. That struck me as counterintuitive.
“My curveball, good or dangerous, whether or not it backs up or not, has good condition to it,” replied Burnes. “But when I yank from the entrance aspect too early, my launch level is just a bit completely different. It spins, with good condition, proper down the center relatively than within the down-and-away quadrant. I’ve turn into fairly good through the years of realizing how the ball ought to come out of the hand, so it’s not crucial the way it spins, it’s what goes on earlier than that. Often I can rip a curveball tougher and make it higher, however in that recreation, in that situation, it didn’t. It was middle-in and he hit it.”
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LINKS YOU’LL LIKE
MLB.com’s Alex Stumpf wrote about three Pittsburgh Pirates who’ve rebounded to complete the season robust.
MLB.com’s Julia Kreuz wrote about Luis De Los Santos루이스 and 4 Toronto Blue Jays prospects.
Emily Waldon talked to speedy Detroit outfield prospect Seth Stephenson for Tigers Minor League Report.
Sports activities Illustrated’s Stephanie Apstein wrote about how Kansas Metropolis catcher Salvador Perez has efficiently bridged the hole between Royals eras.
MLB official historian John Thorn featured Justine Siegal in his Pioneers sequence at Our Sport. The founding father of Baseball For All, Siegal was honored in 2022 with SABR’s Dorothy Seymour Mills Award for Lifetime Achievement in Ladies’s Baseball.
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RANDOM FACTS AND STATS
Baltimore’s Anthony Santander has 99 RBIs. The final Orioles switch-hitter with 100 or extra RBIs in a season was Bobby Bonilla, who had 116 in 1996.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have 33 sacrifice hits this yr, probably the most within the majors. They’ve 64 sacrifice flies, additionally probably the most within the majors.
Gerrit Cole recored his 2,246th profession strikeout on Friday, shifting him right into a tie with Eddie Plank for 61st place on the all-time record. Cole has thrown 1,947-and-a third innings. Plank, whose Corridor of Fame profession spanned the 1901-1917 seasons, threw 4,495-and-two-thirds innings.
Corridor of Fame pitcher Bob Feller had 1,486 profession plate appearances. He scored 99 runs, drove in 99 runs, drew 100 walks, and had 100 sacrifice hits.
Jamey Carroll and Birdie Tebbetts completed their respective careers with precisely 1,000 hits. Carroll mixed to attain and drive in 825 runs. Tebbetts mixed to attain and drive in 826 runs.
Roberto Clemente and Tommy Lasorda (who went 14-5 with a 3.51 ERA) each performed for the Montreal Royals in 1954. So did Worldwide League legend Rocky Nelson, who together with having a number of monster seasons on the Triple-A degree noticed motion within the 1952 World Sequence with the Brooklyn Dodgers, and the 1960 World Sequence with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On at the moment’s date in 1975, Adrian Garrett slammed a pinch-hit three-run homer off of Goose Gossage within the backside of the sixteenth inning to provide the California Angels a 3-0 win over the Chicago White Sox. Frank Tanana threw a career-high 13 innings for the profitable aspect.
On at the moment’s date in 1962, Boston Crimson Sox left-hander Billy MacLeod was tagged with the loss in a 4-3, 12-inning defeat to the Washington Senators whereas permitting the one earned run of his transient two-game big-league profession. Three years later, MacLeod went 18-0 with a 2.73 ERA for the Double-A Pittsfield Crimson Sox.
Gamers born on at the moment’s date embrace Dave Sax, who slugged his solely big-league dwelling run — Toronto’s Jimmy Key gave up the gopher — on yesterday’s date in 1986. The older brother of Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Steve Sax logged all 16 of his profession hits with the Crimson Sox.
Additionally born on at the moment’s date was City Shocker, who gained 20 or extra video games for the St. Louis Browns every year from 1920-1923. The correct-hander, who later had 19- and 18-win seasons with the New York Yankees, was recognized for his spitball.
