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Prospectus Hit List for August 24



by Matt Sussman

Hit List for August 21 Hit List for August 26
Teams are ordered based on Adjusted Hit List Factor, a computer generated number, and the author isn't responsible for the order of the teams.

There is a Hit List, never leave unread.

RkTmWLW1W2W3HLFAHLFWin Div%Win WC%Playoff%1-Day7-Day
1

69

55

78.2

73.7

73.5

.593

.613

60.2%

37.3%

97.5%

2.6%

6.1%

I'm not sure where they're finding all these runs, since they don't grow on trees. But then again, nothing grows on artificial grass. So it could just be home runs.
2

69

56

71.8

73.1

73.6

.575

.594

85.6%

9.4%

94.9%

1.9%

6.9%

Mike Fiers' no-hitter in 134 pitches is the fourth game with as many pitches since 2011; naturally all others were no-hitters, including Johan Santana and Tim Lincecum. Mike Fiers was a rental, right?
3

75

48

70.1

66.1

66.7

.565

.585

99.9%

0.1%

100.0%

0.0%

-0.0%

If the American League race is the 2016 Republican convention, then the Royals are Donald Trump. Team motto: "Screw you, I'm very successful and you're not."
4

68

55

68.5

69.9

69.7

.561

.581

38.2%

55.4%

93.5%

-1.3%

2.3%

If CC Sabathia can't stay healthy, they'll never retire his number! (Spoiler: they will retire his number.)
5

78

45

75.9

70.2

69.9

.598

.578

74.6%

25.4%

100.0%

0.1%

0.3%

Carlos Martinez was a triple and homer shy of the cycle as a hitter, and a homer shy of giving up the cycle as a pitcher. In your everyday life, explain things relative to how they are shy of the cycle.
6

67

56

67.4

75.0

73.4

.575

.555

73.3%

1.9%

75.2%

-0.7%

-11.7%

If they can't hold their division lead late in the season, this would be emblematic as hell.
7

74

48

69.8

68.3

67.7

.573

.554

20.7%

78.5%

99.2%

1.0%

6.2%

Just write in a DH, and make it Pedro Alvarez. Nobody will fault you. The league will understand.
8

62

61

67.4

63.1

63.1

.520

.539

0.6%

12.3%

12.9%

-4.2%

-20.1%

If Henry Urrutia finally starts hitting, that will be a bet that will finally pay off for the Orioles, although they vaguely remember making the bet in the first place.
9

58

65

58.8

68.3

69.4

.517

.537

0.0%

4.4%

4.5%

1.2%

0.3%

Francisco Lindor has as many home runs as Omar Vizquel did through his first six seasons, so I think the comparison is dead.
10

71

51

65.4

67.7

66.8

.555

.535

4.7%

89.0%

93.7%

2.6%

7.4%

Their four-game sweep of the Braves admirably nullifies their two-game sweep loss by the Tigers. Now for the ultimate test: an eight-game series against themselves.
11

62

62

60.3

64.3

64.9

.507

.527

1.0%

19.6%

20.6%

-4.0%

4.5%

Steve Geltz went 1/3 inning, giving up four runs. The out recorded was someone getting thrown out at home. Steve Geltz should delegate less.
12

66

58

69.0

68.3

67.8

.547

.527

23.9%

3.4%

27.3%

-4.3%

-5.5%

Matt Duffy's Rookie of the Year case is pretty solid. He's a guy you never heard of on the Giants and he's doing well.
13

54

71

63.7

66.0

67.4

.502

.522

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Sean Doolittle is back from the disabled list again. Both of his appearances have been three months apart, so I wonder who he'll face in late November.
14

67

56

65.9

65.3

64.9

.535

.515

85.6%

0.2%

85.8%

-0.4%

5.0%

After 11 relief apperances, Logan Verett made his first start and of course went eight innings, giving up just one run. The Mets: They Get Every Break™.
15

63

61

61.8

59.9

60.6

.494

.514

5.7%

17.5%

23.2%

-4.1%

-14.7%

After allowing 36 runs in three days, Mike Scioscia is reading off his pitching staff's ERA from the weekend like John Vernon in Animal House, with the "zero point zero" line omitted.
16

59

64

56.9

60.2

60.8

.481

.501

0.0%

3.6%

3.6%

-1.0%

-0.5%

We're at the point in the Tigers season where it's time to analyze Randy Wolf appearances, hang our heads, and weep softly.
17

64

59

59.1

56.3

56.8

.480

.500

8.6%

27.6%

36.2%

6.6%

14.4%

Having this team be in the playoff race is probably karmic retribution from last year, when they did not have a baseball team, although the reason for that was never explained either, so we could be making it all up.
18

62

61

65.7

64.0

63.1

.518

.498

2.2%

0.3%

2.5%

1.4%

2.2%

The Diamondbacks are just five games out of the division lead, which is not something you say often of teams who demote their Opening Day starter to the bullpen.
19

62

61

63.8

65.3

63.7

.518

.498

14.4%

1.0%

15.4%

0.4%

-4.4%

Jayson Werth is struggling, and the leadoff man is also struggling, so Matt Williams having Jayson Werth bat leadoff in the last six games is putting the double negative baseball theory to the ultimate test.
20

56

68

57.6

58.9

58.6

.466

.486

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

-0.1%

-0.0%

It's pretty clear they blew a two-run lead in the ninth inning Sunday just to make Dave Dombrowski feel like at home. It's also pretty clear it worked.
21

63

61

60.5

52.9

53.3

.463

.483

0.0%

10.7%

10.7%

3.1%

3.7%

Two-thirds of all home runs this year have been with nobody on base, or six of Joe Mauer's eight home runs. Or one of Miguel Sano's 11 home runs.
22

58

64

54.8

54.1

55.4

.456

.476

0.0%

1.7%

1.7%

-0.9%

-1.2%

How can you call this the "Year Of The Triple" when the White Sox have zero triples in August? It's not even the "Month of the Triple."
23

57

67

52.0

56.7

58.0

.451

.471

0.1%

0.4%

0.5%

0.1%

-1.7%

Fernando Rodney was designated for assignment. His assignment: pick up all the arrows in the parking lot. Fans were complaining.
24

61

63

57.8

55.6

55.7

.464

.444

0.6%

0.2%

0.8%

-0.0%

0.7%

Alexi Amarista is the first Padre since Oscar Azocar in 1991 to pinch hit, then bat around and pinch hit again and record two hits.
25

51

71

54.1

57.8

57.8

.452

.432

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

If the season's over and they're just not telling Raisel Iglesias, then that's (a) cruel and (b) seems to be working.
26

50

74

55.7

57.4

56.5

.443

.423

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

If they ever publish the list of Marlins season ticket holders, the hackers who got into the Ashley Madison website are gonne be all, "whoa not cool."
27

53

72

55.3

53.2

53.5

.430

.410

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

There are a couple bright spots on this team ... never mind, those are electrical fires. Not again!
28

53

71

50.5

48.9

48.8

.405

.386

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.0%

The answer to your question, "are they still in the league?" is either "no" or "he's with the Braves, so no."
29

49

73

50.2

49.4

48.4

.404

.385

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Does anyone need a 40-year-old reliever who just hit the market? Rafael Betancourt is ready to make your dreams come true (and your baseball games substantially longer.)
30

50

74

46.7

45.9

45.5

.379

.361

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Phillies have the best second-half record of any NL East team, so if this was a split season, you're looking at a playoff contender. Instead, you're looking at the #30 Hit List team just trying to claw their way to #29.