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Effects of Sticky Stuff

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It’s been 35 days since Major League Baseball first warned teams of repercussions for pitchers using rule-violating “sticky stuff.” For this analysis, RSNStats compared the games of the last 35 days since the June 3rd warning with the 35 days of games leading up to June 3rd. The results show a clear decline in pitchers’ average spin rate and a clear uptick in opponents’ offensive production. What they do not show is correlation between these two results.

Across baseball

Across the board, when comparing the “before” period to the “after” period, average spin rates dropped for all 30 Major League teams, though the percent of change between the two periods varied widely, from a 7% reduction on the high end for the Tigers pitching staff to just a 0.1% reduction own the low end for Twins hurlers.

The Red Sox staff’s average spin rate fell 4.5 percent in the comparison, which was the fifth biggest drop, by percent, in baseball. Overall, the average spin rate reduction across the 30 big league teams was 3.01 percent.

At the same time, 21 of the 30 Major League teams experienced better offense when comparing the same periods and as measured by weighted on-base average (wOBA), a key measure of offensive production. The Red Sox wOBA moved from .326 in the before period to .346 in the after period, an improvement of 6.14 percent. The average improvement in wOBA for all 30 teams was 3.3 percent.

As shown in this table, for the teams with the six biggest reductions in average spin rate, opponents’ improvements in wOBA far outpaced the average increase. Opponents facing the Tigers, for example, recorded a wOBA that was more than eight percent better in the after period as compared to the before period.

But the data doesn’t always correlate. Opponents against the Yankees, a team with lower than average reduction of average spin rate (down 2.3%) saw opponents’ wOBA climb a remarkable 18.7 percent (from .278 to .330). Data for the Royals tells a similar story. Their average spin rate dropped by less than 1% and yet opponents recorded a 16.8% increase in wOBA (from .322 to .376).

Red Sox pitchers

All five Red Sox starters had a reduction in average spin rate over the comparison periods, but none saw a greater impact than Garrett Richards (down 9.2%). And while opponents’ wOBA against Richards spiked more than 37 percent, it’s worth noting that opponents facing Martín Pérez were more than 42% more effective in the after period, despite Pérez’ relatively small drop in average spin rate (3.65%).

Of the five Red Sox starters only Eduardo Rodriguez held opponents more effectively in the after period, with a 22% reduction in opponents wOBA, from .411 to .320.


5 Red Sox All-Stars

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Think back on the days before the start of the 2021 baseball season and ask yourself, just how many Red Sox did you expect at the All Star Game this summer? Odds are, you may have guessed one or two.

But this year’s Red Sox team has been a revelation all around. So it seems only fitting that Red Sox Nation was pleasantly surprised to find five Boston players heading to Colorado for the 91st Midsummer Classic. The Sox have more All Stars this season than any other Major League team: Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez, Matt Barnes and Nathan Eovaldi.

For Boston, it’s the second time in the last three All-Star Games that they are sending at least five players to the Midsummer Classic. The club record for most selections is eight in 1946. On three occasions since 2000 Boston was limited to just one All-Star, most recently in 2015. In franchise history, Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski had the most selections (18 each).

Breaking down the rosters

There are 34 first-time All-Stars in 2021, including Devers, Barnes, and Eovaldi.

Overall, 22 internationally-born players made the All-Star roster, including seven from the Dominican Republic, more than any other country of the world. The youngest All-Star is first-timer Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. (22 years old). Angels superstar Mike Trout earned is eighth consecutive nod. It’s his ninth career selection, the most of any player in this year’s event.

Former Red Sox Mookie Betts, Craig Kimbrel, and Mark Melancon were also chosen for the National League roster.

Kevin Cash, manager of the 2020 American League Champion Rays, will manage the AL team at this year’s All-Star Game. Cash, who played for the Red Sox in 2007-08, selected his former manager, Terry Francona, for the All-Star coaching staff. Dodgers manager and all-time Red Sox hero Dave Roberts will manage the NL team.

The MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard will be on July 13, and televised live by FOX Sports.


Bogaerts, Devers Tops in Early All-Star Voting

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Among American League voters this year Red Sox stars Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers have received the most All-Star votes so far at their respective positions.

In Monday’s update from Major League Baseball, Bogaerts had over one million votes for top shortstop on the 2021 Google MLB All-Star Ballot. Bogaerts’ nearest competitor was the Blue Jays Bo Bichette, with nearly 599,000 votes.

Among AL third basemen, Devers was tops with 939,174 votes, with the Astros’ Alex Bregman showing second with 457,296 votes.

You can cast a first-phase vote for your favorite players up to five times per day now.

When phase one voting ends on Thursday, June 24 at 4:00 ET, the top three vote getters at each position (and the top nine among outfielders) in both leagues will advance to a second voting round, June 28-July 1.

Martinez & Verdugo in the hunt

Though Angels two-way phenom Shohei Ohtani has a commanding lead among AL designated hitters with 1.1 million votes so far, Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez is second in league votes with 530,660 thus far, and can still advance to the second round if his tally holds.

The same holds true for Red Sox newcomer Alex Verdugo, who had garnered 421,554 votes as of Monday, good for 8th-most among all AL outfielders, though vote counts for outfielders are tight and it’s conceivable a late push for the Rays Randy Arozarena or Astros Kyle Tucker could push Verdugo outside of contention.

On The Bubble

Among American League catchers, Red Sox Christian Vázquez has 210,153 votes, a little more than 100,000 votes shy of the top three, and therefore facing elimination come Thursday. As of Monday’s update Vázquez trailed the Royals’ Salvador Perez (1.3 million votes), the White Sox’ Yasmani Granda (323,794) and the Astros’ Martín Maldonado (312,196).

Astros fans have been diligent in their voting so far this year, getting seven of their players in a position to advance to the second voting phase. In the AL, the Blue Jays and Red Sox have second-most with two players apiece.

Overall, 20 of the 30 MLB teams have players poised to advance to the second voting phase.

The MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard is set for July 13 in Denver.


5 Red Sox All-Stars

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Updated — The online voters have spoken and they’re sending Red Sox star Mookie Betts back to the All-Star game for 2018.  The Sox star slugger received 4,286,994 votes for a third straight All-Star selection. Only Astros infielder José Altuve, who received an MLB-best 4,849,630 votes, had more overall support.

Betts is the fifth Boston outfielder with multiple fan elections, joining Manny Ramírez (7), Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski (5), Hall of Famer Jim Rice (4) and Fred Lynn (3).

Betts is set to become the 14th player in club history with three or more All-Star starts, regardless of position. Ted Williams leads that group with 12 career starts among his 18 total appearances in the game. Yastrzemski also represented the Red Sox in 18 All-Star games.

J.D. Martinez was selected by the fans as the American League starting designated hitter. Martinez was also an All-Star in 2015 and is just the second Red Sox DH to win the fan election joining David Ortiz (2005, 2008, 2011-13, 2016).

In addition to the starters, who were elected by the fans, pitchers and reserve players were named to the All-Star Game rosters by the Player Ballot, a vote of the players, managers and coaches, and by Major League Baseball. Through that process, Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel each earned their seventh career selections and Mitch Moreland, at 32, was named an All-Star for the first time in his nine year career.

Last season Sale was the eighth Red Sox pitcher in club history to start in the All-Star Game, the first since Derek Lowe in 2002.

Fans had the opportunity to get Andrew Benintendi an All-Star nod through a last-chance vote that pitted Benny against four other close calls. In the end, though, the most votes went to  the Mariners’ Jean Segura, with Benintendi registering second place. Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton ranked last of the runners up.

In all, the Red Sox, Astros, and Indians will each send a Major League-high five players to the Midsummer Classic. Boston’s record for All-Star selections is eight in 1946. The club had seven selections in 1978 and 2002.

The MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard takes place at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C. on July 17. The full roster is available on the All-Star web site.


Betts Leads AL All-Star Voting

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Major League Baseball offered a first glimpse into All-Star fan balloting on Tuesday and Red Sox star Mookie Betts is tops.

Betts had already received 748,872 votes, the most of any major league player. Astros star José Altuve was next with 701, 236 votes followed by Angels slugger Mike Trout with 639,822 votes.

An All-Star in his last two seasons, Betts is poised to become the first Boston outfielder since Manny Ramírez to earn multiple fan elections.

New Sox slugger J.D. Martinez collected 513,415 votes to date, good for 4th-most among American League voting. Mitch Moreland has amassed 241,889 votes (9th-most).

The Red Sox and Yankees were the only clubs with the potential of multiple players starting in this year’s All-Star Game: Betts and Martinez leading for outfield and designated hitter spots, Gary Sánchez and Aaron Judge leading for New York at catcher and in the outfield, respectively.

You can cast your own All-Star ballot up to 35 times until Thursday, July 5 at 11:59 ET. Voting is limited to more than five ballots per day.

All-Star festivities begin July 13th with the GEICO All-Star FanFest at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. The Home Run Derby (July 16) and the 89th All-Star Game presented by Mastercard (July 17) will be at Nationals Park.