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Prospectus Hit List for August 4



by Matt Sussman

Hit List for August 1 Hit List for August 6
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.

Do you want to know a secret? Do you promise not to tell? Whooooa, closer. Let me whisper in your ear, say the words you long to hear: DBacks suck real bad.

RkTmWLW1 W2W3HLFAHLFWin Div%Win WC%Playoff%1-Day7-Day
1

67

43

72.5

69.9

69.2

.633

.652

52.3%

47.6%

99.9%

0.0%

-0.0%

I never thought I'd have to break out this word because he looked so comfortable in green and gold ... but Oakland is finally Cespedesless.
2

66

44

64.1

68.6

68.0

.606

.625

47.6%

52.1%

99.7%

-0.0%

0.0%

Huston Street has only given up runs this year on homers by the Cubs and Giants. So in a hypothetical Angels-Cubs World Series I don't like the Angels chances.
3

63

49

62.1

63.6

61.8

.559

.539

75.5%

20.7%

96.2%

-1.3%

2.6%

You'd think the bubbles machine is to celebrate walkoffs, but it's actually so Andre Ethier doesn't try escape the clubhouse a la "The Prisoner."
4

60

49

63.8

62.9

62.1

.571

.551

85.8%

4.9%

90.7%

2.7%

0.6%

Stephen Strasburg now has as many 10+ strikeout games as Walter Johnson, according to Play Index, which only goes back to 1914 and Johnson's career predates that so where was I going with this again?
5

57

54

62.2

61.3

60.9

.544

.563

0.1%

19.3%

19.4%

-5.2%

-3.7%

Seattle will continue to trade for new outfielders until they find one secretly named Ken Griffey III.
6

54

57

55.4

61.1

61.2

.522

.542

3.9%

5.2%

9.2%

-3.0%

-1.7%

Cost-wise, they'll save money not only on Drew Smyly's salary over David Price, but now they won't have to pick up all those dog-grooming charges..
7

61

47

59.2

60.4

59.4

.555

.575

87.2%

4.6%

91.9%

1.4%

1.0%

David Price is wearing Austin Jackson's old number 14. Heck, just wear the Jackson jersey and see who gets confused.
8

60

51

59.8

60.2

59.5

.536

.516

24.4%

51.0%

75.5%

7.1%

5.5%

It sounds like Dan Uggla cleared waivers so he is available to trade to a contender.
9

60

53

59.8

59.7

59.3

.528

.548

23.9%

17.5%

41.5%

-7.5%

0.2%

Like your mother always said, get Munenori Kawasaki into the lineup any way you can.
10

61

51

59.2

58.3

57.8

.528

.508

30.7%

33.0%

63.6%

-4.1%

-1.8%

Francisco Rodriguez has a very real chance to reach 500 career saves, provided they don't bring back Prohibition.
11

59

52

56.5

58.2

58.9

.524

.504

22.8%

28.4%

51.2%

-6.8%

11.5%

It's still legal one game a year for the Pirates to be bamboozled by the umpires in the outcome of a game. Look it up. MLB rule 7.v.56.
12

59

51

55.2

58.0

57.9

.523

.503

40.3%

23.0%

63.3%

5.6%

-1.0%

New Cardinal Justin Masterson has as many total bases (1) as departed Cardinal Allen Craig did.
13

56

55

57.3

57.0

56.7

.511

.531

5.2%

10.7%

15.9%

2.3%

-1.6%

Most teams in the wild card hunt don't peddle a front-line starter and a starting shortstop, but then again most teams don't let fans bring in giant drums.
14

62

48

58.3

56.9

57.5

.533

.553

61.4%

17.3%

78.7%

6.0%

8.1%

Now *this* is a rotation that can win the AL East! Related: what is FIP?
15

58

54

57.1

55.3

54.5

.502

.482

12.5%

18.1%

30.6%

-6.0%

-24.4%

Craig Kimbrel lost an extra-inning game on the road, setting two movements back 50 years: using the closer in a tie game on the road, and using a rosy-cheeked young man as a closer.
16

56

55

57.5

55.0

55.4

.504

.484

6.3%

16.3%

22.6%

4.8%

6.3%

The Reds have the fewest wild pitches in baseball, usually because pitches in the dirt just stick into the pile of chili mac behind home plate.
17

47

63

50.6

54.5

54.3

.469

.449

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

0.0%

0.1%

Edwin Jackson is last among qualified pitchers in ERA, but went 2-for-2 with a double by visualizing himself hitting against Edwin Jackson.
18

54

58

53.4

52.8

52.8

.476

.496

0.3%

1.1%

1.4%

-1.4%

-1.6%

If we're comparing natural disasters to bad bullpen performances, the nine-run inning in the eighth for the White Sox would be MTV.
19

53

58

55.9

52.6

51.9

.480

.461

0.9%

1.8%

2.7%

-1.6%

0.1%

Over one-fifth of pitches Mets batters saw yesterday were thrown to Curtis Granderson. Learn to share, old man.
20

54

57

52.6

52.1

51.7

.474

.454

0.7%

2.4%

3.2%

-0.5%

0.3%

A team can only do so much to stay in a playoff hunt until Giancarlo Stanton realizes he is hitting between Jordany Valdespin and Casey McGehee.
21

50

60

51.6

52.0

51.9

.467

.487

0.1%

0.2%

0.3%

0.1%

-0.1%

The Twins had a nine-run inning on Sunday. In their previous three-game series they scored seven total runs.
22

57

53

51.9

51.6

52.2

.484

.504

10.7%

10.7%

21.3%

2.6%

-3.8%

The question on everyone's minds: do you think Derek Jeter retires at the end of the year? I say yes.
23

49

62

49.2

50.9

51.4

.451

.471

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

-0.1%

-1.4%

Here are some possible names for pitchers they could try to get next year: Jon Lester of the A's, the Cubs Felix Doubront, and John Lackey would also look good in Boston red. What about Jake Peavy out in San Francisco?
24

44

67

49.5

50.6

49.0

.432

.413

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.0%

0.0%

It didn't feel right to watch Colorado play a series in Detroit, so they're just gonna go and pretend they weren't swept.
25

57

53

55.0

50.6

52.4

.489

.509

7.1%

13.6%

20.7%

4.8%

4.6%

Billy Butler went 3-for-4 yesterday after a slight but noticeable adjustment in his swing: he's no longer holding the bat upside down.
26

51

60

52.8

49.1

49.2

.455

.435

0.0%

0.3%

0.4%

0.1%

0.3%

The Padres have won seven straight games against the Braves at home, because there is no fake-Iroquois remedy for fake camouflage.
27

49

63

47.7

48.4

49.0

.433

.414

0.0%

0.0%

0.1%

0.0%

-0.0%

Ruben Amaro is calling in some favors from college and asking some old roommates to help push Ryan Howard through waivers.
28

49

63

47.7

48.1

48.0

.430

.411

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.0%

-0.1%

With Paul Goldschmidt likely out for the year, the next greatest reason to watch Diamondbacks games remains seeing whether Kirk Gibson will arm wrestle an umpire during a game.
29

47

65

46.7

46.4

49.0

.422

.442

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Where were you when Jon Singleton hit his inside-the-park home run, and, if you were on the field in a Blue Jays uniform, why didn't you throw him out at the plate?
30

43

68

42.3

40.6

42.5

.379

.398

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Please update your trade deadline winners/losers column to reflect the Rangers picking up Mike Carp for the August run.