FanGraphs 2017 Year in Review

Plus, a closer look at the Scott Mathieson story. Plus, a closer look at the Scott Mathieson story. [View this email in your browser]( FanGraphs 2017 Year in Review FanGraphs does good content. You know this. I know this. That’s why we’re here. Here are 14 bright lights from the FanGraphs site in 2017: - [Buster Posey and Public Displays of Disaffection]( by Travis Sawchik — Before the Giants season fell completely into the drain, there was hope. Where there is hope, there is more room for disappointment. Let Buster’s face explain. - [Would Chris Hayes Get a Hit in a Full Season of Play?]( by Eno Sarris — Look, we’ve all asked the question before. - [The Physics of Choking Up]( [The Physics of a Rising Fastball]( and [The Physics of the Bunt]( by David Kagan — This series done by David was immensely fun, and these are only a few of the topics he touched on. - [I Find Your Lack Of Faith Disturbing]( by Andrew Perpetua — I’ve been told fantasy baseball is serious business, but c’mon people, keep the faith. - [Eric Thames and the Transformative Power of Boredom]( by Travis Sawchik — One of the happiest storylines of 2017 was Thames’ return to MLB and absolutely raking. This is a story about that, but also not about that. - [Clayton Kershaw Had Something Else Up His Sleeve]( by Jeff Sullivan — Talk of angles dominated last season. The only angle Jeff has eyes for though, is the one Kershaw’s arm makes. - [The Political Nature of Baseball Jargon]( by Mary Craig — Words matter. Wow! But how are they used in baseball and what do they mean? #grit. - [The Greatest Game José Fernández Ever Pitched]( by Evan Davis — To remember him is to honor him. Evan did so by determining José’s greatest game. - [A Spring Training Stat That Matters (I Swear)]( by Alex Chamberlain — As we count down the months, weeks and days (and minutes. I’m desperate.) to Spring Training, this one might get even more useful. - [What if The King Wanted to be The Kid?]( by Eli Ben-Porat — We’re already lucky to have athletic freaks like Mike Trout gracing our presence. But what if we got greedy? What if we got LeBron James to convert? - [The Disappearance of David Wright: A Murder Mystery]( by Kate Feldman — Is [Louis Coleman]( a suspect? Maybe. Please. Just click on this. It is good. - [Wade Boggs, Rickey Henderson and the Fly Ball that Disappeared]( by Tim Hagery — The fly ball is with David Wright now. - [Miguel Cabrera’s Short- and, Perhaps, Longer-Term Con]( by Travis Sawchik — What’s up with Miggy and the inside pitch? - [The CB Bucknor Experience]( by Nick Stellini — Ketchup on hotdogs. People caring about how you eat your hot dogs. These are both bad things. But CB Bucknor is so bad that you can call it an experience. [FanGraphs produces over 400 articles each month, in addition to our ever-growing database of stats and graphs. Support our efforts today!]( Throwback Thursday: [How Mike Trout Could Legally Become a Free Agent]( With a few offseason additions, things are looking up for the Angels. That wasn't always the case, and it is always tough to see the game's best talent hidden on a non-contending team. Keeping with the 2017 theme, this article was an important part of the #FreeMikeTrout movement. [Subscribe to our Podcasts!]( Catch up on past newsletters or pass along to a friend [here](. Data Visualization of the Day: [MLB Teams Have Learned to Wait on Free Agents]( Without the addition of Shohei Ohtani to Major League Baseball, the free agency period would have been just about entirely lifeless. What gives? Excerpt from "[A Dream Deferred and Rerouted]( by Timothy Malcolm "'You were one of those fans who wasn’t happy with me back then, weren’t you?' asked Mathieson when I told him I’m a lifelong Phillies fan. It’s easy to say the Scott Mathieson story is one of missed opportunity, of a former top prospect who lacked a certain something to carve out a solid major league career. That’s the easy narrative, one told plenty of times, especially about guys who turn around and take a job in Japan. But Mathieson, like his peers, isn’t that easy to peg." [FORWARD]( [SUBSCRIBE]( Copyright © 2018 FanGraphs Inc, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you subscribed to the FanGraphs Newsletter. Our mailing address is: FanGraphs Inc 1200 N Hartford St. Apt 312Arlington, Va 22201 [Add us to your address book](//fangraphs.us7.list-manage.com/vcard?u=72096bce9a69ba4cbdebbf487&id=0c7da3c69f) Want to change how you receive these emails? You can [update your preferences]( or [unsubscribe from this list](