Early Season Stats: How I Learned to Stop Caring and Love Small Sample Sizes

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Apr 28, 2008 2:26 PM PDT

Since the 2008 season is almost a month old now, I thought I'd take a stroll through Baseball Reference's 2008 leader boards to see if I could find some interesting things.

1. Albert Pujols has 27 walks (7 IBB) to only 7 strikeouts this year. He's putting up a Bonds-like .376/.535/.635 line right now.

2. Nate McLouth? Really? .333/.414/.627?

3. Kevin Kouzmanoff sure isn't making use of his majors-leading 113 at bats. .257/.286/.327.

4. How the frick does Paul Bako already have 2 triples? Hell, he's having a great year so far hitting .328/.411/.547. At the start of the 2007 season he was the worst offensive player in Yahoo Fantasy Baseball's estimation. You've come a long way, baby.

5. Manny Ramirez looks to be back in a big way. Last year he hit a disappointing .296/.388/.493. That was the first year his slugging had been below .550 since 1997. This year he's hitting .347/.413/.643. Though his BB/K ratio is looking pretty bad (10 walks to 26 strikeouts).

6. Emil Brown has 22 RBI already? WTF?

7. Ryan Howard is on pace for 237 strikeouts this year. Ruh rohs.

8. Michael Bourn's last 32 stolen base attempts: 31 steals, 1 time caught.

9. Jacoby Ellsbury career: 17 steals, 0 times caught.

10. Jose Lopez is tied for the lead in sacrifice hits with 4. The other players at the top of the list? Ryan Dempster, Braden Looper, Jeff Suppan, and David Eckstein. Uhh...

11. Kouzmanoff is having a bad year, but Tulowitzki is off to a worse start. He has made 93 outs in 112 plate appearances.

12. Cliff Lee. Huh? 31.2 innings, 11 hits surrendered, 2 RA, 1 ER, 2 BB, 29 K, 0.28 ERA, 1527 ERA+.

13. Tim Lincecum is good.

14. So is Ben Sheets.

15. John Smoltz, age 41, is striking out 12 batters per 9 innings. Too bad his shoulder is sore and he's going to see Dr. James Andrews.

16. Frankie Rodriguez is leading the league in saves. #2? Mr. George Sherrill.

17. Felix is leading the majors in strikeouts. Cool.

18. Roy Halladay already has 3 complete games. Is this guy's arm ever going to explode?

19. What happened to Fausto Carmona's control? Last year he walked 61 guys in 215 innings. This year he has walked 22 in 28 innings. However, his ERA is 17 points lower than last year.

20. Similarly, Tom Gorzelanny's control has disappeared. 68 walks in 207 innings last year. 22 walks in 22 innings this year. However, his era is 458 points higher than last year.

21. Barry Zito is not good.

22. Even though this is Felix's 4th year in the majors, he's still the 4th youngest player currently playing.

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Comments

1. Albert Pujols has 27 walks (7 IBB) to only 7 strikeouts this year. He’s putting up a Bonds-like .376/.535/.635 line right now.

Me likey.

by JI on Apr 28, 2008 2:40 PM PDT reply actions

This is awesom.e

Also to add: Our three biggest fears coming into this season offensively (Sexson, Vidro and Wilkerson) have all done exactly what we thought they would. I love small sample sizes when they validate our opinions.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Apr 28, 2008 3:14 PM PDT reply actions

Roy Halladay already has 3 complete games. Is this guy's arm ever going to explode?

Unfortunately for Ricciardi, at least one of those is a loss. The Jays can’t hit at all – look at the series they just dropped to the Royals. If you think they hit better in the third game, remember those last two runs required three consecutive horrific misplays by the KC defenders.

by Llewdor on Apr 28, 2008 3:15 PM PDT reply actions

Scott Rolen will save them.

by JI on Apr 28, 2008 3:20 PM PDT up reply actions

Halladay "pitches to contact"

low strikeouts mean low pitch counts… means more 100 pitch complete games.

by johnbai on Apr 29, 2008 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions

And he came within one out of another complete game yesterday.

The Jays lost 1-0.

by Llewdor on Apr 30, 2008 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions

Technically, it was a complete game.

The Sox won the game with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth. Roy Halladay gave up the walk-off run.

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Apr 30, 2008 10:55 AM PDT up reply actions

0.28 ERA??!!?!? WTH?!?!?!?

Cheeseburgers are delicious.

by Coach Owens on Apr 28, 2008 4:29 PM PDT reply actions

Also, Felix had 10

Ks last night. That’s 2/3 of how many Carlos Silva has this year!

Cheeseburgers are delicious.

by Coach Owens on Apr 28, 2008 4:33 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

You're aging well, Coach.

//our subtle(?) brainwashings ARE WORKING!!!!

Ill Ligitamus Non Carberendum

by PositivePaul on Apr 29, 2008 10:18 AM PDT up reply actions

Can't deny though

Wilkerson, Vidro, WFB, etc. still suck.

by Fin on Apr 28, 2008 9:24 PM PDT reply actions

I'm gonna laugh if it's somehow the M's offense that destroys Cliff Lee's 1527 ERA+

by seattlebruin on Apr 29, 2008 12:05 PM PDT reply actions

McLouth and Cliff Lee

are pwning for me in Fantasy Baseball… let’s hope the good times continue.

Another oddity I’ve uncovered from fantasy… Ryan Doumit is a complete stud hitter that doesn’t play everyday because of splitting time at catcher.

by johnbai on Apr 29, 2008 12:08 PM PDT reply actions

A suggestion for the main title of your post: Dr. StrangeVORP

by Gomez on Apr 29, 2008 12:33 PM PDT reply actions

Haha, I thought about doing something like that.

But decided to be a little more obscure with the title. If people could figure out the reference based on the second part of the title, then well on them. If they couldn’t, well then there’s no hope for them anyway.

I reject your reality and substitute my own!

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Apr 29, 2008 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions