Saturday, 17 May 2014

Nationals 2014 Game 40: Triumphus Pugilis

Highest Leverage PA:     3.4, PA#58, Rendon double vs Ziegler, Nationals' 9th.
Highest LI Win Value:    .224, PA#58, Rendon double vs Ziegler, Nationals' 9th.
QMAX rating:             (2,1) for Fister (Elite Square).
Bullpen Award:           Hero's Palm for Clippard.
Batters' Aggregate LI Win Values:
Werth          0.209
Rendon         0.133
Desmond        0.113
McLouth        0.050
Hairston      -0.003
Frandsen      -0.021
Fister        -0.027
Span          -0.037
Moore         -0.051
Lobaton       -0.097
Espinosa      -0.109
Doug Fister put in the kind of performance that restores one's faith in the notion that he has been a criminally undervalued pitcher. It was unfortunate that he did not get the victory, as the Nationals' hitters could not get going until the Diamondbacks' Brad Ziegler got in the game.

I have returned to Brooks Baseball so that you can compare how Fister located pitches in his two starts so far. Note the smaller percentage of pitches in the middle of the zone, and how he works the edges better. I have also included a chart showing all the pitches that ended right-handed hitters' at-bats, and highlighted two in particular, to show just how baseball is a game of fine distinctions. The red one is Aaron Hill's home run in the Diamondbacks' fourth. The blue one is, one batter later, Cody Ross' ground-out to third. (Remember, these are all from the catcher's perspective. Click on the image to enlarge them.)

2014 Fister's Second Start:


2014 Fister's First Start:

Baseball is a game of Fine Distinctions:

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