Featured Archives | Baseball Essential

In Indians’ Loss, “The Future” Is No Silver Lining

Oct 13, 2017

Cleveland Indians, Opinions & Predictions, Postseason

In sports, we often hear after a promising team is eliminated from postseason contention that Team X has the "tools to compete for the future." We all know what that means, but "the future" is an entirely abstr...

10 Ways to Spot a Hack Writer

Jeff J. Snider

Oct 9, 2017

Features, Los Angeles Dodgers, Opinions & Predictions, Postseason

In a classic episode of Seinfeld, Jerry's fellow comedian and "Dentist to the Stars" Tim Whatley (played by Bryan Cranston) converts to Judaism, and Jerry comes to believe that Tim did so just so he could make ...

Houston Astros, Boston Red Sox Set For Epic ALDS Matchup

Tom Dorsa

Oct 3, 2017

Boston Red Sox, Headlines, Houston Astros, Postseason

With Saturday's game between the Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros in the books, the Red Sox took more than a traditional victory out of Fenway Park. The 6-3 final score gave Boston its second consecutive title...

Where The Yankees Have An Advantage Come Playoff Time

Tom Dorsa

Sep 22, 2017

New York Yankees, Opinions & Predictions

As it stands, the New York Yankees are a Wild Card team, meaning they will be forced to compete in a one-game, winner-take-all matchup with an American League foe for the chance to play in the American League D...

Outs Above Average: A Test Case in Statcast’s Newest Number

Jeff J. Snider

Sep 15, 2017

Features, Statistics

A fun thought thing to talk about, if you're the kind of person who enjoys angry arguments about baseball statistics, is the 2016 stat lines for Jason Heyward and Matt Kemp: Player,AVG,OBP,SLG,OPS,OPS+,H...

Chris Sale’s Struggles Against the Indians are Bad News for the Red Sox

Varun Tekur

Aug 28, 2017

Boston Red Sox, Features

Chris Sale is unquestionably having one of the best seasons by a Boston Red Sox pitcher, or any American League pitcher, in recent years. His absurd 12.77 K/9 ratio is the highest figure in the major leagues, a...

What Boston Pressure? Eduardo Nunez Is Tearing It Up For Red Sox

Tom Dorsa

Aug 28, 2017

Boston Red Sox, Features

Can he handle the pressure that comes with playing in Boston? That's the first thing you'll hear from writers and analysts when the Boston Red Sox sign a high-level free agent, promote a promising prospect, or ...

Confessions of a Baseball Jinx

Jeff J. Snider

Aug 11, 2017

Features, Los Angeles Dodgers

I'm no scientist, but I know enough to know that baseball jinxes aren't real. An announcer saying the phrase "no-hitter" does not mysteriously impart added skills to the struggling hitters. No player ever got w...

Giancarlo Stanton Is Quietly Delivering On His Expected Greatness

Tom Dorsa

Aug 8, 2017

Miami Marlins

There are 52 games remaining in the Miami Marlins' likely unsuccessful quest to earn a Wild Card berth in October's National League Playoffs, as they look to qualify for the postseason for the first time since ...

Drew Pomeranz Quietly Putting Together a Stellar Season for the Boston Red Sox

Varun Tekur

Aug 8, 2017

Boston Red Sox, Features

By giving up highly regarded minor league pitcher Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres, the Boston Red Sox seemingly paid a steep price for Drew Pomeranz in mid-July of the 2016 season. So, when Pomeranz s...

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