Travis Sawchik

Cleveland

Senior MLB Writer at TheScore

MLB writer for @theScore. Books: The MVP Machine, Big Data Baseball. Ballpark snob. Wanna reach out?: [email protected]

Articles

The O's next moves, Alcantara's value, and 7 more MLB thoughts

1 week ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Starting Lineup is a collection of reporting, observations, and insights from the baseball beat. Colorado may be the worst team in baseball, but the Baltimore Orioles are the most disappointing. Following 192 wins over the last two seasons and consecutive playoff appearances, the Orioles' trajectory seemed to be pointing up still.
Baseball as cinema: Director takes us inside Mets' broadcasts

1 week ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

The New York Mets' TV broadcasts on SNY are regarded as among the best in Major League Baseball. That status is tied to the personalities in the booth: play-by-play voice Gary Cohen, and analysts and former big leaguers Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. But there's another factor behind the scenes that allows the broadcast to stand out: director John DeMarsico. DeMarsico's known for taking big chances in creating broadcasts that look different from the rest.
Yes, the Cubs are for real. But how real? We explore

2 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Not everyone visits ESPN's baseball Relative Power Index (RPI) rankings to begin their mornings. It's an obscure leaderboard, after all. RPI is a measure most typically associated with college basketball tournament selections, as it combines the components of strength of schedule and team records to better evaluate the field. But RPI is relevant to MLB nearly a third of the way through the season because a surprising team sits atop the standings: the Chicago Cubs.
Soto's hustle is missing, and the honeymoon is over

2 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

There is a case to be made that a player should not always hustle. This can be argued especially for a star player. The logic is this: If a player believes he's hit into a routine ground out in a low-leverage game situation, it's not worth the risk of pulling a hamstring. It's a game of probability. Why risk it? Not everyone will agree, of course, but some will make the case. Some teams will even demand hustle of oft-injured players.
The case for trading Skenes now, and 8 more observations

3 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Starting Lineup is a collection of reporting, observations, and insights from the baseball beat. The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to such a poor start, with zero ownership commitment and an incredibly weak supporting cast, that an interesting question is bubbling up: Should the club trade 22-year-old ace Paul Skenes?
Pete Rose and Joe Jackson are out of MLB purgatory. That's a mistake

3 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Pete Rose and Joe Jackson have been removed from Major League Baseball's ineligible list in a stunning and precedent-shifting decision by commissioner Rob Manfred. ESPN's Don Van Natta Jr. reported the story. Van Natta obtained a letter written by Manfred to Jeffrey Lenkov, an attorney for Rose, who petitioned for Rose's removal from the list earlier this year.
It's not Bud Black's fault the Rockies are miles behind

3 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

The Colorado Rockies are bad. Really bad. Each MLB season, a few teams reach or exceed 100 losses - at least three every year since 2018 (minus the pandemic-shortened campaign). Such is the nature of a sport where some franchises are out of contention before the schedule begins because of the game's inherent imbalances. But the Rockies are playing at an even lower level. Their 7-33 record is historically awful baseball.
Base stealers are running wild, but catchers have one thing going for them

4 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Baserunners are attempting their most steals in nearly three decades this season, in this the third year since MLB's rules changes. Teams are averaging more than one steal attempt per game (1.03) for the first time since 1999, and if the frequency holds, it'll mark the greatest rate of attempts since 1997 (1.07 per game).
The Devers dilemma: Selling an unwilling star on the inevitable

4 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

The Red Sox are facing a bizarre in-season case of dealing with a disaffected star player, a development that requires an immediate solution. It's a future crisis management case study playing out in real time. The facts of the case for those unfamiliar:Rafael Devers is Boston's highest-paid player and one of the best hitters in the majors. Devers is also a very poor defender. Devers has posted a negative Defensive Runs Saved value every year at third base, tallying -62 DRS for his career.
Pete Alonso is leaving 29 teams with regrets

1 month ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

The lack of interest in Pete Alonso during the offseason was fascinating. FanGraphs' crowd-source estimate believed Alonso would receive a five-year, $125-million deal in free agency. MLB Trade Rumors predicted the same. FanGraphs' Ben Clemens, meanwhile, forecast a seven-year, $140-million pact. Alonso turned 30 in December, and history suggests he's getting closer to his decline.