Have no fear, BttP ottoneu fans, last week was a fluke and I’m back with yet another recap. It’s been a rough 2 weeks since I last posted (getting “old” sucks) but I’m thrilled to report that I managed to pull into first place by the time of writing this recap. Also, in order to allow readers to check my math, I’m going to make weekly spreadsheets available going forward. Maybe someone will read this [rimshot] and maybe one of those readers will help me learn something or catch a mistake.

Click here for the a spreadsheet of stats from 4/20-4/3.

Standings

(Click images for full size)

It’s hardly time to celebrate, with just a couple hundred points separating the middle of the pack from the teams fighting for the league lead, but a few teams do appear to be falling behind. As mentioned in previous posts, efficiency matters. North Sound Hounds’ 3.58 points per IP is a rate that’s going to drive them further and further behind. You could trace the efficiency issues to mediocrity from the team aces, like Jeff Samardzija’s pedestrian 3.3 points per innings pitched over the last two weeks, but it also may have to do with a lack of saves. While North Sound Hounds boasts several solid relievers, the lack of players who receive regular save opportunities significantly limits how many points per inning their pitchers can deliver.

North Sound Hounds need more pitching points and need them faster

Victorious, on the other hand, boasts the most efficient pitching staff in the league so far. Victorious carries 6 strong starting pitchers at the moment, along with a bullpen that doesn’t carry one of the best closers in the game, but does feature closers like Glen Perkins and Addison Reed who can deliver saves. The staff gets even scarier when you consider the upside of the young players on this roster. Carlos Rodon is currently being broken in as a reliever until the White Sox are ready to turn a rotation spot over to him and his nasty nasty slider. Jonathan Gray, another potential top of the rotation starter, could be called up to join the Rockies after the super-2 deadline passes, and Julio Urias could be a staff ace in the future. This is a scary pitching staff for the ottoneu SABR points format now and for years to come.

There’s nothing like having a 70 grade slider waiting to slot into a pitching rotation.

Pitcher of the Week

As it turns out, I don’t know how to pick my battles that well. Michael Pineda produced 6.6 points per IP over the last two weeks. As I wasn’t convinced he was worthy of starting during every game in that stretch, I wasn’t able to pick up all 87 points Pineda could have contributed. Clay Bucholz also could have contributed an extremely efficient week to his team, Wookie Betts, but he also did not make appearances for Wookie Betts in all of his starts. That leaves Felix Hernandez as the best combination of efficiency and total points for pitchers who made at least 2 starts over the last 2 weeks. Ryan Webb’s Save Chances received 99 points from King Felix. Stephen Strasburg actually clocked in with slightly more better efficiency for Victorious but, at a couple tenths of a point per inning pitched, the 17 point difference in total points for Hernandez versus Strasburg is just too large to neglect.

Hitter of the Week

Jake Marisnick, Jose Altuve, and Josh Reddick were the most valuable offensive players over the last two weeks according to Fangraphs WAR, and they also battled for the most valuable offensive players in the BttP ottoneu league. Altuve led all hitters with 129 points over the last couple weeks but he played 1 more game than Josh Reddick, who contributed 10,75 points per games played. Marisnick finished in a virtual dead-heat with Altuve in terms of efficiency, both coming in at just over 9.9 points per game, but Marisnick also only cost a dollar, leaving Wookie Betts with lots of money to spread around to other positions.

Thoughts and Commentary for Week 4

Jonathan Lucroy cost $33 in the BttP league, which is either the highest amount or tied for the highest amount paid to him in this format, and he’s produced just 9 points. After breaking his toe two weeks ago, Lucroy doesn’t have a set date to return to the Brewers. Even one month into the season, you have to wonder when it could be time to either cut ties with Lucroy, and free up $16 in the process, or try to dump him and try to get something in return.

LOTS OF STATS AND CHARTS IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THANKS TO FANGRAPHS.COM.