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Baseball is a fickle sport. 

Year in and year out, players scratch their heads as their performances fluctuate from exhilarating highs to frustrating lows. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at some players in the current offseason market who are poised to bounce back in 2016. 

By digging deep into the numbers, there are trends that bode well for future production. ERA and batting average tell part of the story, but there are more telling numbers when looking at a player’s stat sheet. 

Take Jeff Samardzija, for example. How can his near-5.00 ERA and decline in strikeouts be explained? Usage rates, velocity and the effectiveness of his pitches all played into that ugly number.

The good news? Those are factors that require just small mechanical tweaks to fix. Samardzija, Ian Kennedy, Chase Utley and others have the numbers in their favor. 

Let us know what you think about our selections in the comment section below. Would you be OK with your favorite team signing one of these players? Should teams be wary of these players?

It’s easy to write off a player after a poor performance, but the quality organizations are able to identify the ones that won’t make it two seasons in a row. Here are a few names that fit that mold. 

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While the majority of the baseball world is focused on the stars of today and where they will be playing next season, the stars of tomorrow are honing their crafts in various offseason leagues. 

Over the next few slides, we’ll rank the most eye-opening individual performances taking place in the Arizona Fall League. 

It may only be a month’s worth of games, but the AFL is often a jumping point for prospects to take that next step. In the 2014 AFL season, New York Yankees slugger Greg Bird used a standout performance to prepare for a call-up to “The Show” the very next season. 

There are numerous prospects following in Bird’s footsteps this fall. Fellow Yankee Gary Sanchez, Minnesota Twins outfielder Adam Brett Walker II, Atlanta Braves hurler Lucas Sims and Boston Red Sox first baseman Sam Travis are just a few of the players we’ll look at it in the coming slides. 

We’ll obviously take statistical information into account, but we’ll also take a look at how each prospect’s game is progressing. In this case, a player’s development is just as important as a small sample size of numbers. 

Let us know what you think about our selections in the comments section below. Which prospects have impressed you this fall? What is a realistic timeline for the following names to reach the major leagues? 

2015 will go down in MLB history as the year of the prospect, so it’s fitting that various young players are jockeying for position in the AFL. Let’s rank the most impressive of those performances. 

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Sometimes the grass is in fact greener on the other side.

That could be the case for a handful of MLB‘s top trade targets, at least. Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at players who can turn into stars by swapping uniforms.

Young talent, while a blessing, can also be a curse. When a player captivates the baseball world with an impressive debut, the only way to go is down. Because of that, promising youngsters are scrutinized at the first sign of adversity and pushed onto the trade bubble.

Sometimes those players never pan out. But in most cases, genuine ability always shine through. That’s why any team that can acquire the likes of Yasiel Puig or Drew Storen could be in for a treat down the road.

We’ll take a look at each of those players, as well as a few others who could use a change of scenery. Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Would you want to trade away any of these players, knowing what they could blossom into?

A breath of fresh air can do wonders for a young player trying to find a consistent foothold in today’s MLB. Here are a few players who would benefit from a fresh start.

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The 2015 season may be in the books, but that doesn’t mean the baseball headlines are going to fade. There’s not a more exciting offseason in sports than MLB‘s, mainly because you never what to expect. 

It’s those risky, unexpected moves that happen during the winter that end up defining the next season. Teams take chances in the offseason, with the hope that those moves pay off in a playoff appearance come October. Over the next few slides, we’ll identify a risky move that all 30 MLB teams should consider.

Teams make risky moves for a variety of different reasons because every organization is different.

Some squads may overpay in free agency if they think a certain player can get them over the hump or help them maintain their current spot. Teams like the Cleveland Indians and Tampa Bay Rays need offense to become legitimate contenders, while the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals can’t let Jason Heyward or Alex Gordon leave if they want to  remain atop their respective divisions. 

Other squads are faced with tough decisions regarding top players entering the final year of their contracts. Stephen Strasburg, Aroldis Chapman, Mitch Moreland, Neil Walker and others are useful players, but could, and arguably should, be wearing a different jersey before the start of 2016. 

We’ll touch on those scenarios and try to identify an area where each MLB team should take a chance this winter. These ideas will be controversial, so let us know what you think in the comment section below. What’s a risky move you could see your team making over the coming months? 

“Fortune favors the bold” as they say. Let’s see how your team can benefit from taking a chance this offseason. 

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Bust—it’s a word with a negative connotation.

That’s even truer in sports, as the term “bust” sticks with a player throughout his career. Over the next few slides, we’ll identify our all-bust team filled with free agents that could potentially flop next season. 

By sifting through stats, we can see trends that are developing during a player’s career. Home runs, RBI and ERA are nice, but they don’t always tell the entire story. 

Take Matt Wieters for example. He may be the only viable free-agent catcher available, but can a team really justify signing a player with such an eye-opening injury history? Yoenis Cespedes can be a difference-maker too, but is he really worth upward of $150 million? 

Those are just a few of the players we’ll touch on over the course of this slideshow. Be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section below. Would you be content with your team signing any of these players for next season?

Teams that get it right in free agency are already one step ahead for the upcoming season. Let’s dive into some names that teams with desperate needs should stay away from. 

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While you’re scanning a list of potential free agents that will be available this winter, don’t forget there should be a handful of impact players available via trade over the coming months.

Over the next few slides, we’ll identify a few major leaguers entering the final year of their contracts who could be trade candidates during the offseason. 

No organization wants to trade quality players. But in some cases, teams just don’t have many options. Attractive players become expendable when teams realize they won’t be able to match the asking price the player will be looking for when they hit free agency. 

That could be the case with Stephen Strasburg and Aroldis Chapman. Both flamethrowers have elite arm talent but look to be heading toward paydays that their respective teams won’t be able to afford. Instead of watching them walk after one final season, doesn’t it make sense for the Washington Nationals and Cincinnati Reds to flip their stars for a prospect package before they leave next winter?

In other cases, certain players may become tradable because they just don’t fit in with their current teams. Mitch Moreland, Andrew Cashner and Jay Bruce are names that may have just outstayed their welcome in their current cities. 

Let us know what you think about these rental ideas. Would you be OK with your team parting ways with one of these guys, knowing they could be crucial to its success in 2016? On the flip side, how would you feel if your team parted ways with multiple prospects in exchange for one year of a rental player? 

The MLB offseason is always filled with moving parts and surprising plot twists. Let’s dive into some players and organizations that could make headlines over the coming months. 

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The 2015 MLB season has come to a close, but that doesn’t mean baseball is done for the year. In fact, many 2016 storylines will be molded over the next few months during free agency. 

Over the next few slides, we’ll take a look at a handful of the hottest questions that need to be answered this winter. 

What constitutes a hot storyline? Each question on this list will be a hotly discussed topic over the coming months. When you turn on the TV or pick up a newspaper, the following scenarios will be a theme leading up to spring training. To put it simply, the questions on each slide will directly affect the outcome of the 2016 season. 

We’ll dive into the Boston Red Sox and their strategy to acquire an ace this offseason. We’ll discuss Zack Greinke’s impending free agency and how it can alter the landscape of the NL West. We’ll talk about how the Kansas City Royals and New York Mets face decisions this winter in order to return to the World Series. 

Let us know what you think about our selections in the comment section below. What storylines are you most excited to see play out this offseason? How do you see your favorite team handling the madness this winter?

MLB’s offseason can be as exciting as the regular season. Let’s figure out where you can expect the news and notes to come from this winter. 

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The New York Mets pounded the Kansas City Royals in Game 3 of the World Series Friday night and will look to even the series at 2-2 Saturday night. In an interesting pitching matchup, 36-year-old Chris Young will face off against 24-year-old Steven Matz.

We’ll identify three keys to Saturday night’s game in the article below. Will Matz follow Noah Syndergaard‘s blueprint of pitching the Royals tough inside? How do the Mets match up with against Young and his lack of ground-ball contact? Will the Mets be able to make good use of their bench advantage? 

Make sure to stir up the conversation in the comment section below. What do you think is important for each team to be successful in Game 4? Mets and Royals fans: What’s your confidence level heading into the pivotal game? 

Let’s dive in!

Can Steven Matz Pitch Inside Effectively? 

In Game 3, Noah Syndergaard established himself on the inner half of the plate early in the contest. The ethics of his strategy have been questioned, but its effectiveness can not. 

“My first words to Travis (d’Arnaud) when we walked in the clubhouse today were, ‘How do you feel about high and tight for the first pitch and then a curveball for the second one,'” Syndergaard told Jerry Crasnick of ESPN. “So I feel like it really made a statement to start the game off — that you guys can’t dig in and get too aggressive because I’ll come in there.”

Syndergaard‘s plan of being the aggressor worked in Game 3, and it’s a blueprint that Matz must follow in Game 4. It’s particularly important against left-handed hitters, as Matz was great at limiting contact on the inner half to same-sided hitters this year. 

Matz, while arguably just as nasty, isn’t as reliant on velocity as his fellow rotation-mates. He normally sits in the mid-90s and throws his nasty curve ball whether he’s ahead or behind in the count. The Royals have feasted on high velocity in this series but will have to readjust their strategy in Game 4.

What Can We Expect From Chris Young? 

The Mets are a patient team by nature, ranking 25th in chase rate this past season. That willingness to lay off bad pitches resulted in the lowest first-pitch strike percentage in baseball. 

That will come in handy against Young. The right-hander’s entire game is predicated on generating soft contact because he doesn’t have the strikeout stuff he once did. 

Young had success in 2015 being predominately just a two-pitch pitcher. He throws his fastball the majority of the time, never breaking 90 mph this season. His slider has a 13 mph range to it, so he’s going to try to keep Mets hitters guessing throughout the night. 

A surprising note on Young is his lack of ground-ball outs. The 36-year-old ranked dead last in MLB in ground-ball rate among pitchers with at least 120 innings. New York ranked fifth in fly-ball rate, so there could be plenty of opportunities for the Mets to drive the ball against Young. 

Will the Mets Take Advantage of Their Bench Advantage? 

It makes sense that the National League team would have the better of the two benches in this series. With the series shifting to Citi Field and NL rules, the Mets can take advantage of that. 

The Royals are already behind the eight ball, having to sit out Kendrys Morales and his 106 RBI due to the lack of the designated hitter. Morales gives the Royals a solid pinch-hitting option, but the light-hitting Raul Mondesi Jr. and Jarrod Dyson won’t scare Mets pitchers late in games. 

The Mets, on the other hand, are loaded with proven veterans who can help off the bench. Kelly Johnson and Juan Uribe have experience entering games in the later innings, and will present tough at-bats depending on the matchup. Despite his recent struggles, Michael Cuddyer is also capable of putting together a quality at-bat. 

Kansas City doesn’t need an elite bench playing in the AL, but more decisions have to be made playing under NL rules. The Mets have a clear advantage in that aspect, and it will only improve if they can knock Young out of the game early on. 

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The World Series may be in full swing, but it’s never too early to look ahead to the offseason. Over the next few slides, we’ll identify a handful of teams that need significant makeovers to contend in 2016. 

The teams highlighted in this slideshow aren’t cellar-dwellers with slim chances at a playoff push next season. We chose teams that entered the 2015 season with high expectations only to falter and miss the postseason after disappointing campaigns. 

Now, all of those teams face crucial decisions this winter if they want to erase the painful memories of 2015.

The Baltimore Orioles must find a way to replace several key players leaving for free agency. The Chicago White Sox can’t win without an upgraded offense, and the Detroit Tigers need to bolster their starting rotation. The Cincinnati Reds have already started the rebuilding process, and the San Diego Padres probably should. 

Let us know what you think in the comments section below. Which teams do you think have the most work to do to get back into contention next season? What are some moves you’d like to see your team make this winter? 

The offseason is right around the corner. Consider this a primer identifying the teams that need to hit it out of the park this winter.

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The Kansas City Royals took a 2-0 lead over the New York Mets with a 7-1 victory Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium. 

After a Lucas Duda single gave the Mets the lead in the fourth inning, Kansas City’s contact-driven lineup broke through against Jacob deGrom in the fifth inning. The Royals scored four runs behind singles from Alcides Escobar, Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas. 

Johnny Cueto out-pitched deGrom, allowing just two hits in the complete game effort. Cueto became the fifth pitcher since 2000 to log nine innings with one run or fewer in a World Series game. 

The series will move to Queens for Game 3 Friday night. 

SCORE UPDATE: Royals 7 – Mets 1, FINAL

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