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Articles by Brent Blackwell
2018 CFB Week 2 Game Magnitudes
Introduced last week, Game Magnitude is a metric that measures how important the game is to the teams playing. It combines win expectancy for the game with overall win expectancy for the season. I'm still not quite sure what to make of the ranges, but higher numbers mean more important games to the teams involved. Now for the viewing guide.
Week 3 Game Magnitudes
A weekly look at the relative impact of games on team's seasons. It weighs the expected closeness of the game with the expected overall season win totals for the teams involved. 7:00 - Georgia State at Memphis, ESPN/Watch ESPN - 1.79 Memphis is coming off a frustrating loss in a game they mostly dominated, so an already unlikely win for Georgia State seems that much more unlikely. There's not a lot of intrigue to this game.
Johan Camargo Is One of 2020’s Most Interesting Atlanta Braves
For much of the 2019-20 offseason, Braves fans have closely watched the hot corner with anxious anticipation. Like the Fellowship scuttling around a distracted Sauron, the Braves have, on the other hand, addressed nearly every other corner of the roster. Catcher, outfield, the bench, the starting rotation, and the bullpen have all seen significant upgrades. Meanwhile, third base remains un-addressed.
I'm Sorry, Opponents - Luke Jackson's For Real - Outfield Fly Rule
A new relief ace has emerged from the darkness in Atlanta. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) Atlanta’s bullpen woes have been much-discussed, but there have been some bright spots. Jerry Blevins hasn’t given up a hit yet! Josh Tomlin has been more helpful than a scrap-heap pickup typically should. Brightest of all, however, has been Luke Jackson. In 16 innings, Jackson has a 2.25 ERA, as many strikeouts as baserunners (19), and a confident presence on the mound.
Brave Transactions: The Ronald Acuna Extension
Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images The Atlanta Braves just signed what very well might be the best $100M+ deal in baseball history. Reigning NL Rookie of the Year Ronald Acuna has reportedly agreed to an 8 year, $100M extension with Atlanta, a deal which includes two team options tacked onto the end of it. Let’s sort through it. First off, according to Jon Heyman, this will increase Acuna’s salary in 2019. While that’s not really typical, it’s easier to think of the 2019 increase as a signing bonus.
Future Transaction Analysis? The Brantley-Ramos Rumors
MLB.com beat writer Mark Bowman recently reported that, according to a source, Atlanta would be interested in free agents Michael Brantley and Wilson Ramos this offseason. Let’s take a look at what that would mean for the 2019 Atlanta Braves and whether either make sense for the Braves. To begin, let’s go ahead and get this out there – we don’t know exactly how much money the Braves have to spend on player payroll this offseason.
No Upgrade Needed: Why Johan Camargo Deserves Better
It’s fair to say Johan Camargo‘s debut a season ago was one of the more surprising debuts in baseball. After failing to reach any higher than #52 in the Atlanta Braves system, it’s understandable that his performance yielded a heavy degree of skepticism. Atlanta Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos admitted he wasn’t sold on Camargo’s ability as a starter, as shown by the infamous Jose Bautista experiment.
The Continued Re-invention of Kurt Suzuki
Last September, I wrote about Kurt Suzuki’s historical uniqueness. His newfound proclivity for both home runs and being hit by pitches was the result, I theorized, of a more aggressive batting approach. I thought it’d be interesting to see if he has continued that trend in 2018. Suzuki’s slash-line stats this year (.272/.331/.470) aren’t quite as good as last year (.283/.351/.536), but that’s to be expected. Even a change in approach was unlikely to yield 19 HRs in 309 plate appearances.
The Best Brave to Wear #20
As we count down the days to 2018’s opening day, we take a look at the greatest Braves to wear each jersey number that’s been worn. The best Brave to wear #20 was an unlikely star in the 1991 World Series. He hit just .234/.305/.312 during the regular season. He provided reliable defense, but he was possibly Atlanta’s worst regular on the worst-to-first team. He got an extra base hit once every 20.3 plate appearances.
Kurt Suzuki is Historically Unique - Outfield Fly Rule
Atlanta re-signed C Kurt Suzuki to a one year, $3.5M extension over the weekend. It will keep the backup catcher in uniform for the 2018 season, providing the team with some positional certainty while giving Suzuki a $2M raise. After picking up Tyler Flowers’ option in the offseason, Atlanta won’t have to worry about the catcher position during the offseason. A year ago, this seemed unlikely, because Kurt Suzuki was coming off a stretch of really bad seasons.
Hot Stove: Atlanta Braves Week-In-Review, November 13
The baseball GM Meetings – the informal start of the Hot Stove League – took place this week, and as expected the Atlanta Braves came ready to wheel-and-deal. Atlanta Braves GM John Coppolella was not shy about sharing the Braves intentions to acquire two or three starting pitchers and he was true to his word, re-signing right-hander Josh Collmenter to a one-year deal He then turned around and inked righties R.A. Dickey and Bartolo Colon each to a one-year deal.
Podcast To Be Named Later #14: Ender's Back
A Podcast To Be Named Later is a weekly podcast from the authors of OutfieldFlyRule.com covering the Atlanta Braves and other baseball news.
Podcast To Be Named Later #11: Two Weeks In
A Podcast To Be Named Later is a weekly podcast from the authors of OutfieldFlyRule.com covering the Atlanta Braves and other baseball news.
My Favorite John Smoltz Fact
On Hall of Fame weekend, there are dozens of anecdotes about John Smoltz from Braves bloggers, beat writers, and fans alike. It’s what the weekend is for – remember the careers of these standout individuals, particularly our favorite moments in those careers. For John Smoltz, my favorite singular moment is probably watching Greg Olson leap into his arms in the division clinching game in 1991. But the headline here promised you a great fact (or at least my favorite), and that’s what I must turn to.
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