Fun Fact: 80% of the top 30 starting pitchers by career K-BB% are still active.

[Villain]

Major League Leaderboards » 2016 » Starters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball

The 6 who aren't active:

Pedro, 4th overall
Big Unit, 12th
Prior, 13th
Bleeding-sock asshole, 15th
Johan, 18th
Koufax, 24th

I was surprised to see that Strasburg and Sale were tied for 1st while Kershaw was all the way down in 5th. Also surprised that King Felix was way down in 27th.

Three-fifths of the Indians* rotation make up 10% of the players in the top 30.

*Hehe sounds kinda racist. Bet Schilling would like that one.

 

[broncosmitty]

Modern hitters don't have enough respect for themselves.

 

[obxyankeefan]

Of the top fifty strikeout by hitter season only 7 came before 2000. And all 7 of those were 1969 or later.

 

[Villain]

Modern hitters don't have enough respect for themselves.

Or pitchers are better. Better video on hitters. Better pitches and pitch selection. How long have pitchers been throwing sliders and cutters?*

*Legit question, I'm not a historian.

 

[broncosmitty]

Of the top fifty strikeout by hitter season only 7 came before 2000. And all 7 of those were 1969 or later.

Will Justin Upton get enough abs to make it?

I say yes.

 

[broncosmitty]

Or pitchers are better. Better video on hitters. Better pitches and pitch selection. How long have pitchers been throwing sliders and cutters?*

*Legit question, I'm not a historian.

Nah, it's not the pitching.

It's the approach to hitting, imo.

 

[broncosmitty]

*Legit question, I'm not a historian.

I did major in history, but don't know.

Id imagine it was before 69 though. (Looked it up: Chief Bender may have been the first to utilize the slider. Chief Bender - m.bbref.com)

 

[Villain]

Nah, it's not the pitching.

It's the approach to hitting, imo.

I agree that less hitters are taking a pussy contact approach to 2 strike situations. Why weakly hit a dribbler for an out? For the sake of not-striking-out? I think there are hitters who are being coached to keep their same swing to make quality contact instead, with the risk of striking out being more favorable to grounding into a double play.

 

[broncosmitty]

I agree that less hitters are taking a pussy contact approach to 2 strike situations. Why weakly hit a dribbler for an out? For the sake of not-striking-out? I think there are hitters who are being coached to keep their same swing to make quality contact instead, with the risk of striking out being more favorable to grounding into a double play.

View attachment 118214

Yeah, there is solid logic in not changing your swing with less than two outs and a runner on first. And that may have a factor in the K/BB rates today. (I am in the "never waste a swing camp" in general. Although protecting with two strikes is just good baseball. Even if the protecting is with no intent to hit the ball fair.)

But I honestly believe there's more to it from selfish approaches at the plate. Guys who are dead pull hitters or self centered home run artists. Guys like Home Run or Strikeout Rob Deer, Chris Carter, Kelly Shopach, suckwads like Drew Stubbs, or even guys like Adam Dunn who also draw walks but not enough. (Not an accident he never got a playoff ab imo.)

 

[broncosmitty]

Another factor Id assume is at play with so many actives at the top would be lack of regression in their career. Rate stats tend to decline with age.(young actives. Only one over 30 I think. And his is dipping this year.)

How many of the top guys have had Tommy John?

 

[broncosmitty]

Now I'm also curius on where modern DP%'s stand historically.

 

[Villain]

If you take it out of total career context and boil it down to individual seasons, it looks a bit different:

Major League Leaderboards » 2016 » Starters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball

And more like what you might expect.

Koufax is the only homie representing before 1995. Also, those 2016 seasons should be ignored.


Edit: Minus 2016. Dwight Gooden joins the pre-1995 party. Major League Leaderboards » 2015 » Starters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball

 

[broncosmitty]

If you take it out of total career context and boil it down to individual seasons, it looks a bit different:

Major League Leaderboards » 2016 » Starters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball

And more like what you might expect.

Koufax is the only homie representing before 1995. Also, those 2016 seasons should be ignored.


Edit: Minus 2016. Dwight Gooden joins the pre-1995 party. Major League Leaderboards » 2015 » Starters » Advanced Statistics | FanGraphs Baseball

The Left Arm of God is one of the biggest and best examples of why I always go the "regression" route when he's part of the conversation.

He didn't have anything past prime.

Unit being up there really says something about him with pitching on into his 40's. (PEDs)

I'm just gonna ignore that Schil is on the original list, if possible.

Wish I could remember early Gooden better than I do.

 

[Cedrique]

Now I'm also curius on where modern DP%'s stand historically.

That's interesting. Probably increasing because of better fielding in general and may have gotten a little spike this year because of the rule change. I do know that since the beginning, the number of errors per game has steadily decreased for the last 100 years due to better equipment, field conditions, etc. so the homerun has become more valuable. But I guess if we are already at the point where hitters don't care about strikeouts, maybe the dp% has leveled off. If you do the research, post it here.

 

[MilkSpiller22]

Or pitchers are better. Better video on hitters. Better pitches and pitch selection. How long have pitchers been throwing sliders and cutters?*

*Legit question, I'm not a historian.

there is some truth to this... the average speed per pitch has risen a lot... so current players are facing significantly faster pitches...

But most of the this is because modern(1998-current) players aim for the fences more than ever before...

 

[MilkSpiller22]

That's interesting. Probably increasing because of better fielding in general and may have gotten a little spike this year because of the rule change. I do know that since the beginning, the number of errors per game has steadily decreased for the last 100 years due to better equipment, field conditions, etc. so the homerun has become more valuable. But I guess if we are already at the point where hitters don't care about strikeouts, maybe the dp% has leveled off. If you do the research, post it here.

DP% rising is the same reason HR% rises... Players hit the ball harder... that's all...

 

[Cedrique]

DP% rising is the same reason HR% rises... Players hit the ball harder... that's all...

How do they know that players hit the ball harder? I've seen these velocity stats but I'm not sure how long they have been tracking it or how they do it. Do they do that with video, and if so can they do that with old video of former players?

 

[MilkSpiller22]

How do they know that players hit the ball harder? I've seen these velocity stats but I'm not sure how long they have been tracking it or how they do it. Do they do that with video, and if so can they do that with old video of former players?

If the average pitch is faster, which I believe is true, then the average off the bat velocity has to be harder... Laws of physics...

 

[molsaniceman]

Or pitchers are better. Better video on hitters. Better pitches and pitch selection. How long have pitchers been throwing sliders and cutters?*

*Legit question, I'm not a historian.

and dont go as deep into the ball game Koufax threw 137 CG Stras has 1

 

[Cedrique]

If the average pitch is faster, which I believe is true, then the average off the bat velocity has to be harder... Laws of physics...

Yeah, I had thought of that as well and it makes sense.