Comment (0)
NewsMike Petriello is an analyst for MLB.com and the host of the Statcast podcast. He has previously written for ESPN Insider and FanGraphs.
 | Teoscar Hernandez didn't even make the Opening Day roster for the Blue Jays, but in just a month, he's established himself not only as a middle-of-the-order hitter, but one of baseball's more notable sluggers. How is he doing it?
More» Hernandez smokes a 2-run homer to left |
 | Ozzie Albies and Ronald Acuna are a big part of the great 2018 start for Atlanta, but are we seeing something more than that? It's rare for a team to have two hitters so you and so productive at the same time.
More» Acuna Jr., Albies power Braves past Reds |
 | What impact does the shift have on hitters? It's a lot more than just grounding into outs on the right side of the infield. Here are the nine things you need to know about how the shift works.
More» Mariners use drastic infield shift for Gallo |
 | Didi Gregorius has turned himself into one of baseball's better sluggers, and it's not just about Yankee Stadium -- nor is it about more exit velocity. Didi is hitting harder and softer, and it's working well for him.
More» Gregorius hammers a grand slam to right |
 | Sean Doolittle may not get the notice that Josh Hader, Adam Ottavino or Aroldis Chapman do, but he should. In addition to being elite at strikeouts, he's the best in baseball at preventing hard contact. Doolittle might just be baseball's best reliever.
More» Doolittle gets fly out to end the inning |
 | We put importance on 3,000 hits, but is a marker that Babe Ruth, Barry Bonds and Lou Gehrig didn't reach really the best way to judge a hitter? The better measure is to account for power and walks, and look for overall bases.
More» Pujols singles to record hit No. 3,000 |
 | It's not too soon to take a look at outfield defense and see which groups have improved the most. You won't be surprised at all to find that the top of the list is inhabited by teams who have added more talent -- or health -- since last season.
More» Pollock makes a great diving grab in center |
 | It's barely a month into the 2018 season, but it's not too early to see if the new humidor has made an impact in Arizona's Chase Field. It certainly looks like it has, and will, and that could change the way you think about the ballpark in the desert.
More» Pollock laces an opposite-field homer |
 | What's behind Yu Darvish's slow start? The good news is that it's not a velocity problem. The bad news is that hitters aren't chasing his putaway pitches, leading to fewer strikeouts and more walks.
More» |
 | Giancarlo Stanton's slow start has been a huge worry for Yankees fans, but should it be? The Statcast podcast digs into the early season struggles of the reigning National League MVP Award winner to find out what's really going on.
More» |
 | Franchy Cordero has hit 2018's longest home run (489 feet), but he's been a big name in scouting circles for years. Thanks to his elite speed and exit velocity on his hits, along with strong defense, Cordero is the most interesting rookie you don't know enough about.
More» Cordero crushes 489-ft. HR at 116.3 mph |
 | Matt Kemp claimed he'd lost 40 pounds prior to camp this year, but plenty of players claim that they're in much-improved shape. It usually doesn't matter, but does it for Kemp? No one has increased his Statcast speed more than Kemp has.
More» Statcast measures Kemp's sprint speed |
 | Last year's Red Sox famously had the fewest home runs in baseball, and the addition of J.D. Martinez was expected to help. He has, but Boston's best-in-baseball lineup has benefited from a lot more than just that. They've improved from within.
More» Betts his slam, collects four hits vs. Yanks |
 | When we first introduced "Sprint Speed" last year, it was the first time directly measured data on the top speed of runners was available. Byron Buxton and Billy Hamilton were at the top, well ahead of the league average. The main surprise was that Trea Turner wasn't at the top with Buxton and Hamilton.
More» Statcast measures Turner's sprint to first |
 | It's true that there are a lot of unexpected early-season numbers that won't last, because they simply can't. That doesn't mean they don't hold some interest, however.
More» |
 | Shohei Ohtani and the Angels welcome the Red Sox to town on Tuesday night in Anaheim, giving Ohtani what will clearly be his most difficult test on the mound. How can Boston's hitters plan? Let's help.
More»Justice previews Ohtani, Puerto Rico series |
 | Carlos Santana is hitting only .150 so far in his first season in Philadelphia, but the underlying metrics show that much better things are coming. Despite the poor average, Santana is fourth in the Majors in hard-hit rate.
More» Carlos Santana grounds out to Ozzie Albies |
 | The Astros had a good pitching staff in 2017, obviously -- they won the World Series. But now they have a full year of Justin Verlander, and they've added Gerrit Cole. Just how good could this staff be? Better than last year's World Series champs.
More» Verlander K's nine over seven scoreless |
 | In Robert Gsellman and Seth Lugo, the Mets may have found two above-average relievers in the most modern way possible: they took a pair of talented-yet-inconsistent young starters, stopped asking them to go deep into games, and asked them to throw fewer four-seam fastballs.
More» Lugo strikes out a pair with bases loaded |
 | It's still early, but the way the White Sox are smashing baseballs to begin the 2018 season is unlike almost anything we've seen since hit tracking technology came online in 2015. It's a young, talented team -- and suddenly, a very interesting one.
More» Statcast analyzes Davidson's three homers |
