The Opener: Recent Episodes
Jeff Sackmann
A brief look at insightful stats, trends, and trivia around the game of baseball. A daily podcast with Jeff Sackmann from @collegesplits.
Josh Hader is dominating high-leverage innings, Didi Gregorius returns to the lineup with a familiar flourish, and Eric Haase is one of the few guys to take an extra base on the Chicago White Sox.
The Blue Jays and their division rivals dominate the American League All-Star voting, Cleveland gets the best of a bad year for injuries, and Double-A hitters don’t stand a chance against Reid Detmers.
Adam Wainwright gets a little help (but not a lot) from his teammates, Mississippi State bests Kumar Rocker and Vanderbilt for the national title, and Trevor Bauer is accused of something a lot more serious than cheating for RPMs.
Musgrove continues to add RPMs, Lucas Giolito holds off a pair of familiar foes, and the Reds get the most out of instant replay.
Chapman seizes on the wrong part of the fly-ball revolution, Willy Adames thrives in his new home, and Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker gets a well-earned promotion.
Schwarber is on a tear for the ages, everybody except Shohei Ohtani has forgotten how to bunt, and the final round of the College World Series will feature a whole lot of strikeouts.
Maeda’s four-seamer is the stuff of batters’ dreams, the Red Sox grapple with a gaping hole where leadoff production should be, and a study shows the bright side of the beer concessions closing early.
Sanchez has gone on a tear since getting a vote of no-confidence, Mickey Jannis reminds us that throwing knuckleballs is hard, and Vanderbilt pulls off a comeback for the ages to stay alive in Omaha.
Realmuto is walking more than ever, the Cubs and mixing-and-matching all over the diamond, and David Bell should consider a permanent red light.
Tyler O’Neill is connecting like never before, uber-prospect Wander Franco is set to graduate, and the Dodgers sit at the top of a couple of leaderboards they’d rather avoid.
As the Mets get healthier, their schedule will get busier; Bryan Reynolds shows off a new weapon for the Pirates; and the premier collegiate wood bat league finally returns to action.
Kelly keeps up the offense through a painful losing streak, James Karinchak changes up his pitch mix but maintains his results, and the Arizona Wildcats hope for a high-scoring College World Series.
Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has gotten even better, Cishek uses slow pitches to induce slow contact, and Matt Manning will try to avoid the longball in his major league debut.
Greinke goes for his first win of the year on five days’ rest, Lamonte Wade is one of the role players driving San Francisco’s success, and Bullet Joe Rogan is one of the thousands of players we can learn more about thanks to baseball-reference.com’s fully integrated Negro League stats.
Gibson is one of the most attractive mid-season trade targets, the Rays don’t let hitters get comfortable, and two underdogs punch their ticket to the College World Series in Omaha.
Gilbert’s height makes the Mariners rookie particularly tough to hit, Mookie Betts is a unique two-sport star, and a man born 129 years ago today started us down the road to the annual Coney Island hot-dog-eating contest.
Acuna is one swing away from a variety of milestones, Yasmani Grandal is history’s greatest .160 hitter, and Mississippi State couldn’t be more evenly matched with Notre Dame, their opponent in this weekend’s NCAA super-regional.
Tampa tries out a merry-go-round of leadoff hitters, the Brewers are getting outs the old-fashioned way, and Reds farmhand Carson Spiers is out-pitching the typical non-drafted free agent.
Nelson reboots his career in the Dodgers bullpen, Starling Marte is on track for a career year, and Jarred Kelenic’s time with the Mariners looks even worse in the context of his stint in Triple-A.
The Royals debut their latest prize from the 2018 draft, Machado keeps double plays to a minimum, and minor league pitch counts finally creep into triple digits.
Raimel Tapia is one of several players burning up the Colorado basepaths, Andrew Chafin’s sinker is a groundball machine, and we share a neat trick contributed by the great Bill James that will make your favorite player look a whole lot better.
Houston is hitting to all fields, Olson is digging out of 0-2 counts, and Notre Dame is set up to dominate the second half of this weekend’s regionals.
Adams makes life easy on the San Diego defense, Kyle Seager goes for distance, and the Burlington Bees find new life in a college wood bat league.
The A’s remain in first place despite below-replacement production at a key position, Yan Gomes keeps the Nats at the bottom of the wild-pitch leaderboard, and this week is the anniversary of two of the longest home runs ever struck.
Cesar Valdez’s changeup makes him the most unusual closer in baseball, the Arkansas Razorbacks are likely to overcome a tricky regional assignment, and it’s the anniversary of Rip Sewell’s first eephus pitch.
Gonzalez fails to do damage in the heart of the zone, two seniors power the Duke Blue Devils to new heights, and on the last day of Mental Health Awareness Month, we acknowledge an oft-ignored side of the game.
The NCAA sends the nation’s two best D3 teams to the same regional, the countdown to MLB’s two-millionth run heats up, and new research suggests that pitchers should try grunting.
Willians studiously avoids the three true outcomes, the Phillies have a very valuable injured list, and the Atlantic League debuts the “double hook” rule, with full-on mound-moving coming soon.
Wrigley’s radar guns are registering a lot of speeds that start with 7, Aaron Judge is swinging but not missing, and Alek Manoah brings his elite CSW% to the big leagues.
Ramirez flies under the radar as one of the best players in the game, Cardinals pitchers need to throw more strikes, and Andrew Kittredge is impervious to the inning number.
Freddy Peralta outgrows his nickname, the Astros are playing like a first-place club, and draft prospect Spencer Schwellenbach owns the ninth inning.
Hernandez is powering the Blue Jays’ hot streak, Jacob deGrom dominates some minor leaguers, and Luis Barrera’s Oakland debut gets MLB within three players of the 20,000 mark.
The Mets have become one of the shiftiest teams in MLB, Gonzaga is firmly atop the NCAA regional hosting bubble, and it’s been 28 years since America said goodbye to Sam Malone.
Mike Trout’s injury raises uncomfortable parallels with 2017, Kevin Gausman has two of the best pitches in baseball, and it’s a swing-and-a-miss for Javier Baez.
Madison Bumgarner’s impressive month-long run is in limbo, Trent Grisham is quietly driving San Diego’s success, and somehow, the Oakland A’s got old.
Jackie Bradley Jr. makes his best catch since 2018, Boston pitchers aim high, and a forgotten Yankees farmhand hits some of the hardest balls in the low minors.
The Cincinnati outfielder is hitting especially well when it matters, Jose Iglesias is a shell of his former slick-fielding self, and 2022 draft prospect Landon Sims is the Aroldis Chapman of Starkville.
The Nationals shortstop is one of the best players in baseball, the Braves suffer another rough night against a lefty, and the next wave of Rays prospects post a huge opening week in Durham.
Buehler is somehow getting it done with weaker stuff, two conferences are dominating the college baseball season, and 18 years ago, Larry David’s trip to Dodger Stadium proved decisive in a murder case.
Garcia earns analytical comparisons with the best in the game, robot umpires are redefining the strike zone in the low minors, and it’s 44 years since Ted Turner took over in the Atlanta dugout.
Muncy takes his pitch-selection skills to a new level, no one’s bothering to shift on Wilmer Difo, and MLB.com’s Jim Callis explains how Jud Fabian has resuscitated his draft prospects.
Jared Walsh has a lot to offer the Angels, the Twins can’t win the close ones, and Michigan’s Steven Hajjar could use some fly ball luck.
John Means goes the distance in style, Anderson’s numbers head in the wrong direction, and minor league starters keep things brief.
Navas misses a whole lot of calls behind the plate, Cincinnati hitters struggle away from home, and draft prospect Henry Davis is doing everything right.
The Yankees closer adds new weapons to his already-deadly repertoire, Ramon Laureano makes the most of his foot speed, and from SoxProspects.com: Tanner Houck heads to Worcester to develop a third pitch.
The Colorado humidor might be doing its job a little too well, the Dodgers cycle through an entire roster worth of players in three days, and the three true outcomes are creeping up in Korea.
Mullins is keeping pace with the best outfielders in baseball, Colorado Mesa is scoring runs regardless of the altitude, and it’s 50 years since a very big reliever started saving ballgames.
Solak’s extra-base hits have a lot in common, Mike Matheny gets creative with the Royals bullpen, and Jacob deGrom tries to augment his own run support.
Kyle Higashioka is forcing the Yankees to make room, the Mendoza line is increasingly normal, and it’s been 16 years since the birth of Fire Joe Morgan.
Shohei Ohtani hides a solid start behind more two-way exploits, the Red Sox and Brewers take different routes to first place, and Jalen Battles is working defensive magic for the Razorbacks.
The Dodgers and Padres post a scoreless 10th, Nick Madrigal takes the “launch” out of launch angle, and Yoshi Tsutsugo spends the weekend as a very expensive benchwarmer.
The Padres are the first team to 20 pitchers, the Florida Gators are prospect-packed, and the original “Giant Killer” turns 135.
Salvador Perez is swinging hard and hitting hard, the Yankees bullpen is ready to protect some leads, and J.T. Realmuto got the memo about pinch-hitting with patience.
Devers is producing almost entirely on the road, the A’s pitching staff has been key to a 10-game winning streak, and Zach McKinstry is the latest in a long line of outstanding Dodgers rookies.
Brandon Woodruff is missing all the barrels, Tony LaRussa stretches the definition of a pitching staff, and it’s the perfect day to sit back, relax, and watch some blazing high fastballs.
Mitch Haniger and the Mariners are riding a wave of batted-ball luck, the Padres are following sabermetric advice against righthanded batters, and there’s no doubting the power of Memphis draft prospect Hunter Goodman.
Acuna’s 2021 level is so high that even he can’t sustain it, Tyler Rogers’s arm slot is so low that even he’s inching back up, and Jed Lowrie is back in the long-ball business.
Carpenter’s results are a poor reflection of his quality contact, Alex Bregman has slowed down to a complete stop, and this year’s Jackie Robinson Day comes with more stats than ever.
Shohei Ohtani keeps barreling up, Corbin Burnes achieves some otherworldly RPMs, and the Montreal Expos live on in our hearts.
A big day for Garrett Cooper, a big year for 95 mile-per-hour fastballs, and a big move for Rangers third basemen.
Trout races to an early lead in the familiar uber-stat, Ryan Yarbrough gets the job done at his own speed, and Fairfield breaks the RPI.
JD Martinez is barreling up like it’s 2019, Omar Narvaez is a pitch-framing star, and Oakland is still waiting for something to go their way.
MLB’s strikeout rate has risen even further from it’s already high 2019-20 levels, Nick Castellanos is defying the trend to make very good contact, and the Home Run Derby is headed to Denver for the first time since 1998.
Five games are plenty to move the needle on postseason probabilities for many clubs, the save stat celebrates a birthday, and MLB’s 2021 season on YouTube starts today.
Billy Hamilton celebrates his roster spot by doing what he does best, Yu Darvish throws every pitch in the book, and the new season brings a new amateur draft format.
Byron Buxton takes a walk—twice, Julian Merryweather overpowers the middle of the Yankee lineup, and a pair of Rule 5 picks solidify their claims for a roster spot.
Glasnow shows off a new weapon almost as devastating as his others, Miguel Cabrera makes solid contact, and the Oakland A’s are the new kid on the blockchain.
Lindor gets the extension he wanted, the Rangers scoff at social distancing, and the “best shape of his life” isn’t always a best-case scenario.
The latest season forecast projects a tight NL Central race of probable playoff losers, a Padres farmhand can (occasionally) hit the ball really hard, and the Orioles make a major investment in international scouting and development.
Newman is a game away from a spring without strikeouts, Adam Wainwright is a veteran in a sport filled with young men, and it’s 11 years since Pat Venditte made it a whole lot more complicated to calculate platoon splits.
Pederson likes the fit of his new uniform this spring, Jack Leiter is literally unhittable, and it’s been 48 years since MLB experimented with orange balls in Spring Training.
The Tigers offense is set to regress to a very modest mean, Tomoyuki Sugano will keep dealing in Japan, and a pair of NCAA coaches wear out the path between the mound and the dugout.
Dylan Bundy sits near the top of a new leaderboard, Pablo Sandoval is mashing like it’s 2012, and baseball players are dipping their toes into the wild new world of NFTs.
The radar gun says Jacob deGrom is ready for the season to begin, a recent investment suggests Fenway Sports Group is outrageously valuable, and Kumar Rocker keeps looking more and more like the #1 overall draft pick.
Welcome to the pilot episode of our short, daily baseball podcast! Today we talk about a flash of power from Giancarlo Stanton, the history of Mets baseball in Flushing, and the countdown to April 1st. Check back next week when we begin daily episodes of The Opener.