Rubbing Mud

Rubbing Mud: What Happened to the High Strike?

by Matthew Trueblood 9/29

Are umpires gradually calling more high strikes and does it even matter?

Rubbing Mud: Can a Team Be Too Reliant on Home Runs?

by Matthew Trueblood 9/25

Has a lack of quality contact kept the Rays, and possibly the Brewers, from reaching the postseason?

Rubbing Mud: Half-Truths and Collision Courses

by Matthew Trueblood 9/22

The walls are closing in for hitters and catchers as they share more physical space than ever.

Rubbing Mud: The Sinker Doesn’t Play Well With Others

by Matthew Trueblood 9/19

Alternative ideas about the disappearance of the sinker.

Rubbing Mud: The Arrival of Kyle Gibson

by Matthew Trueblood 9/15

Image credit: USA Today Sports

Better late than never, right?

Rubbing Mud: Carl Edwards Jr.’s Filthy Fast Thing

by Matthew Trueblood 9/12

He calls it a fastball, it acts more like a cutter, and very few hitters can do anything with it regardless of the name.

Rubbing Mud: Third Base and The People Who Play There (Part 2)

by Matthew Trueblood 9/08

Ranking every starting third baseman defensively, from worse to best.

Rubbing Mud: Third Base and The People Who Play There (Part 1)

by Matthew Trueblood 9/07

Ranking every starting third baseman defensively, from worse to best.

Rubbing Mud: Kris Bryant’s Funhouse Mirror Encore

by Matthew Trueblood 9/06

On the surface Kris Bryant's season looks a lot like his MVP-winning 2016, but there are some subtle differences.

Rubbing Mud: Drew Pomeranz In Three Phases

by Matthew Trueblood 8/31

Mechanics, adjustments, and tidy graphs.

Rubbing Mud: Which Stripes Do You Switch?

by Matthew Trueblood 8/30

Will the Tigers' struggles lead to another regime change? And if so, which type will it be?

Rubbing Mud: Are You Ready for the Fallout?

by Matthew Trueblood 8/25

Suspensions are coming and the Yankees may be very short-handed in their playoff push.

Rubbing Mud: The Mental Side of Shifting

by Matthew Trueblood 8/23

From Ted Williams and Lou Boudreau to Anthony Rizzo and Brandon Moss, there's more to the shift than meets the eye.

Rubbing Mud: They Might Be Rebuilding

by Matthew Trueblood 8/22

The Statue Got Me High, but Don't Let's Start the Spiraling Shape.

Rubbing Mud: Lineups Are Just a Social Construct

by Matthew Trueblood 8/17

Are managers too afraid to make in-game bench moves?

Rubbing Mud: How the Pendulum Swings

by Matthew Trueblood 8/16

Milwaukee and St. Louis had two very different outcomes Tuesday night, but it wasn't all just luck.