
David Laurila
Columnist at FanGraphs
Baseball Writer, FanGraphs Q&A and Sunday Notes guy, Everton FC, Red Wings, Packers, Upper Peninsula native.
Articles
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1 week ago |
blogs.fangraphs.com | David Laurila
Ryan O’Hearn has been the best hitter on an underachieving Baltimore Orioles team so far this season. Moreover, he’s been one of the best hitters in the game. The 31-year-old first baseman/outfielder boasts a 185 wRC+, a mark currently topped by only Aaron Judge, and Freddie Freeman. Over 180 plate appearances, O’Hearn has left the yard nine times while slashing .340/.428/.558.
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1 week ago |
blogs.fangraphs.com | David Laurila
Earlier this month, an article titled “Executive’s View: How Have Analytics Impacted a General Manager’s Job?” was published here at FanGraphs. Featured were Ross Atkins, Brian Cashman, Jerry Dipoto, and John Mozeliak, with the foursome sharing their perspectives on this ever-evolving aspect of their shared position. Shortly after the piece ran, two people suggested David Stearns as a followup interview subject. That’s understandable.
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1 week ago |
blogs.fangraphs.com | David Laurila
Spencer Schwellenbach had just two big-league games under his belt when he was featured here at FanGraphs early last June. The most recent of them had come a few days earlier at Fenway Park, where he’d allowed six runs and failed to get out of the fifth inning. Two starts into his career, the Atlanta Braves right-hander was 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA. Those initial speed bumps quickly became a thing of the past.
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2 weeks ago |
blogs.fangraphs.com | David Laurila
Connelly Early has emerged as one of Boston’s best pitching prospects. A fifth-round pick in 2023 out of the University of Virginia — he’d spent his first two collegiate seasons at Army — the 23-year-old left-hander has a 40.4% strikeout rate, a 1.88 ERA, and a 1.73 FIP over six appearances comprising 24 innings with Double-A Portland. Moreover, he’s allowed just 12 hits, none of which have left the yard.
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2 weeks ago |
blogs.fangraphs.com | David Laurila
Austin Riley was relatively raw when our 2017 Atlanta Braves Top Prospects list was published in February of that year. Six weeks short of his 20th birthday, he was coming off of a Low-A season in which he logged 20 home runs and a 124 wRC+, but also fanned 147 times. With lingering concerns about both his contact profile and conditioning, Eric Longenhagen conservatively ranked Riley no. 28 in a then-strong Atlanta system. Riley has obviously gone on to have a highly successful career.
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RT @fangraphs: Marcus Semien Addresses His 2013 Baseball America Scouting Report https://t.co/Oliu1myEQg

RT @BaltSunSports: Orioles top prospect Samuel Basallo is back behind the plate with Triple-A Norfolk and has been on a tear. https://t.co/…

Samuel Basallo has a 138 wRC+ over 83 PAs for Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate at age 20. Baseball’s top-rated catching prospect is currently DHing due to an elbow issue.