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The Astros are striking out hitters and missing bats at record-setting rates. How?

Discussion in 'Houston Astros' started by jim1961, May 28, 2017.

  1. jim1961

    jim1961 Member

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    The Houston Astros are onto something

    http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/20...en-relievers-strikeouts-whiff-slider-fastball

    It is the stuff that the Houston Astros have done at an extraordinary rate in 2017. As a bullpen, the Astros have the highest swinging-strike rate (14.9 percent) since recording of that type of thing began. To this point in the season, they also have the highest bullpen strikeout rate (31.1 percent) in recorded history — and by a healthy margin. If you consider the MLB average strikeout rate for relievers, 23.2 percent, only one Astros reliever currently in the bullpen doesn’t reach this mark — Tony Sipp

    In one way, the Astros bullpen is a microcosm of a trend we’re seeing among all relievers. Fastballs are on the decline, and sliders are on the rise.

    I found this particularly interesting, especially in the context of how hitters have evolved to sit on the fastball.
     
    #1 jim1961, May 28, 2017
  2. Major

    Major Member

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    While interesting, I'm not sure how meaningful it is - given that the top 5 teams in that list all happen to be 2017 teams (and 6 of the top 8, 5 of those in the AL). That means 5 out of the 15 teams in the AL have the best strike-out bullpens in all of baseball history? Seems unlikely to sustain itself. That said, the Astros and Yankees of 2016 were the other 2 teams on that top-8 list too.

    Also amusing - and an impressive remodel - given that our big complaint about the 2015 bullpen was that they simply couldn't miss any bats.
     
    #2 Major, May 28, 2017
    Joe Joe likes this.
  3. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    Funny how Giles/Devo/Hoyt/Feliz (Peacock too!) changed that.

    eta: poor Tony Sipp, he used to be one of those guys too.
     
    #3 Buck Turgidson, May 28, 2017
    Last edited: May 28, 2017
  4. Joe Joe

    Joe Joe Go Stros!
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    While I expect some of those teams to drop off, 5 of the top 15 pens before this year were in 2016.
     
    #4 Joe Joe, May 28, 2017
  5. Buck Turgidson

    Buck Turgidson Member

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    It's the new craze, all the cool kids are doing it.
     
    #5 Buck Turgidson, May 28, 2017
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