Rob Manfred is already gaslighting CBA negotiations & a masterclass on pitch sequencing
The Mayday Report - July 11th, 2025
ANNOUNCEMENTS
I will be joining Kevin Brown & Mike Petriello once again on Sunday Night Baseball’s Nerdcast on ESPN 2 on July 20th!
NEW STUFF
🎧 LISTEN 🎧
Mayday! the Podcast
Blue Jays reach 8 straight wins, Aaron Judge hits his 33rd HR, Guardians losing streak hits double digits
Clayton Kershaw’s career NEEDS to be celebrated - Here are dozens of numbers that need to be seen to be believed.
“Will teams ever prioritize command over velocity?” & other questions
Listen to all the new episodes here!
📺 WATCH 📺
Yep, Skubal again. This time though, it's all about how he has found the perfec strategy for pitch sequencing that has completely changed his career trajectory. Let me explain... (12 mins)
You won't have to watch many of my videos to know that I am not the biggest fan of MLB's commissioner Rob Manfred. To be clear, this is less about him as a person and more about how he operates. That is to say, the way he approaches his job, disingenuous and in bad-faith. He seems to believe that thats just the way it's supposed to be to get the best deal for his ownership group. That, of course, is silly. Recently, he joined the Atlanta Brave's investment call and laid out his plan, 18 months early, for how he will approach the next CBA negotiation. Let's discuss... (14 mins)
For some reason, the average fastball speed for right handed pitchers has always been higher than lefties for as long as velocity has been tracked. Even ambidextrous pitcher tend to throw harder from the right side. BUT WHY?! I think I finally have an answer. Let's discuss... (9 mins)
STAT OF THE WEEK - Bat Path Tracking
Check out the new Baseball Savant Visualizations for bat path tracking! I think this will be an awesome new way for the game to continue to evolve and I can wait to see how teams, players, and media use all of the new information to tell stories.
I also have a YouTube video coming very soon that explains some of these metrics more in depth. It might already be up at this newsletter’s release.
THINGS YOU MISSED
For the first time in MLB history there was a game with a lead off inside-the-park home run (Lawrence Butler - A’s) and a walk off inside-the-park home run (Patrick Bailey - Giants) on the same day.
If you were wondering what Luke Voit has been up to these days… he’s hitting absolute TANKS in Japan.
A feel good story. When this LSU fan caught a home run , he found the player’s parent and gave them the ball.
I hate it when you’re wearing the wrong helmet and no one tells you.
More Shows to Check Out
Foul Territory: live on YouTube - Everyday @ 11am PST
Sunday Sliders w/ Trevor & Dani Wexelman on SiriusXM Radio - Sundays at 10am PST on channel 89
Next Live Mayday - Monday, July 14th @ 1pm pst
Watch on: Twitch | YouTube (Hour One on Foul Territory) | YouTube (Hour Two)
How likely is a lockout at this point?