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

Base stealers are running wild, but catchers have one thing going for them

5 days 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

6 days 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 week 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.
The superhero-like glove that just might save the elbow

1 week ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

TAMPA, Fla. - The device looks like something you'd wear as part of a Wolverine costume for Halloween. I slipped on the FlexPro Grip, which enveloped my right hand. A black box sits on the back, with five rods extending outward, complemented by adjustable straps to secure it to a pitcher's hand and wrist, along with grips for each finger. I visited a new Driveline Baseball training facility in March to learn about this new technology in a place that experiments with everything.
What O's, Jays must do to save their seasons. And 7 other observations

1 week ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Starting Lineup is a collection of reporting, observations, and insights from the baseball beat. Entering the season, the Baltimore Orioles appeared to be on the same path the Houston Astros traveled last decade. The Astros rocketed from incredible depths, going from "Disastros" to mini dynasty, albeit with a tainted 2017 World Series title. Orioles GM Mike Elias was a key lieutenant with those Astros and brought many of their scouting and player development practices to Baltimore.
The Dodgers are strong, but so is their division

3 weeks ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Is there a weak spot in baseball's Death Star? No one in Los Angeles is exactly panicking over the Dodgers' start. After 21 games, they're on pace to win 115 and are still the best team on paper. But they were in third place in the NL West earlier this week, which was not something many envisioned even this early in the season. It's a testament to the strength of the NL West.
Strider aims to redefine what's possible after 2nd elbow surgery

1 month ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

NORTH PORT, Fla. - As Spencer Strider waited in pre-op for his second major elbow operation last April - five years and six weeks after his first - he wasn't entirely sure what surgeons would do to the inside of his right arm. The Atlanta Braves pitcher felt discomfort last spring, so he consulted with several surgeons and radiologists about the best path forward regarding his damaged ulnar collateral ligament. Several recommended a second Tommy John surgery without hesitation.
The opportunity and risk of Jays' all-in deal with Guerrero

1 month ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

In about 20 years, if all goes well, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will have a statue unveiled outside Rogers Centre. By then he could hold every major offensive record in club history, and perhaps even a World Series ring. That's the dream with the 14-year, $500-million deal Guerrero struck with the Toronto Blue Jays, one of the most consequential transactions in club history. The hope is he becomes the signature player in the franchise's history.
A radical incentive to nudge MLB teams to try harder

1 month ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

Major League Baseball has an incentives problem. You're acutely aware of it if you follow a small or medium-sized market club. Even some large-market clubs - hello, Seattle - seem ambivalent about on-field results. As the season began last week, there was again talk of salary caps to restore competitiveness balance - or at least the perception of it.
Damn the torpedos: Limited data won't quell orders for new bats

1 month ago | thescore.com | Travis Sawchik

The biggest takeaway from the opening weekend of the MLB season? The New York Yankees unleashed what appeared to be a secret weapon with their so-called torpedo bats. Given the attention they received, they're not a secret anymore. The bats are unusual in how the mass gets distributed. The barrel looks straight out of candlepin bowling since there's less width at the end of the barrel and more in the bat's center. The idea is that this lowers and lengthens the bat's sweet spot.