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Prospectus Hit List for September 24



by Matt Sussman

Hit List for September 22 Hit List for September 26
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.

The final Sussman Hit List of the year :(

RkTmWLW1W2W3HLFAHLFWin Div%Win WC%Playoff%1-Day7-Day
1

97

61

94.5

97.3

96.1

.609

.628

100.0%

0.0%

100.0%

0.0%

0.0%

To be safe, it's probably best that Kole Calhoun be shut down for the rest of the regular season so he can produce four days worth of grit for playoff application.
2

86

71

95.5

94.5

94.4

.590

.609

0.0%

99.4%

99.4%

0.1%

2.4%

It looks like their epic collapse will be avoided, so if you weren't alive when the Colossus of Rhodes fell, then I don't know what to tell you.
3

94

63

91.1

88.8

88.6

.577

.597

100.0%

0.0%

100.0%

0.0%

0.0%

With a week to set up their playoff rotation, the Orioles can also use the time to learn the names of their starting pitchers.
4

92

64

93.1

93.6

92.3

.595

.575

100.0%

0.0%

100.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Here are the Nationals to have 20-home run, 20-stolen base seasons: Ian Desmond, Ian Desmond, Ian Desmond, Alfonso Soriano.
5

87

70

84.5

85.9

84.9

.545

.565

82.6%

17.4%

100.0%

0.8%

2.8%

So that fans and ballplayers stop dreading it, the ninth inning in Detroit will now be referred to as the ice cream inning.
6

83

74

87.4

83.2

83.5

.537

.557

0.0%

1.6%

1.6%

-6.1%

-34.7%

In a game they need badly, Felix Hernandez allowed eight runs, or as many runs he allowed in July.
7

90

68

88.4

92.8

91.0

.573

.553

99.8%

0.2%

100.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Perhaps it's time to hose down and shave this "Brian Wilson" person and see who he really is.
8

76

81

79.6

85.8

85.7

.521

.541

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

A versatile person wears many hats. So by definition Ben Zobrist is not versatile since, despite being able to play five different positions, he wears the same hat.
9

80

77

82.2

81.5

81.0

.517

.537

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.6%

A winning record is like a "playoff spot" that you hold in your own mind and cannot possibly lose, so Toronto's got the right idea.
10

86

71

84.2

87.5

87.7

.550

.530

9.5%

90.5%

100.0%

0.4%

25.7%

Starting to think the second Wild Card playoff spot was created just for Pittsburgh, initiated in a dream by a young Pirates fan in a wish given to a fortune-telling machine. Or was that a movie?
11

82

76

80.1

80.6

79.1

.509

.529

0.0%

0.5%

0.5%

-5.5%

-3.6%

Not so easy to win ballgames when they don't begin in the 10th with a lead, is it?
12

86

71

81.1

75.9

76.1

.508

.528

17.4%

81.2%

98.6%

11.1%

33.8%

If you're wondering when most Royals beat writers write their game stories, they wait until Billy Butler scores from first.
13

85

72

84.6

86.7

85.8

.545

.525

0.2%

99.7%

99.9%

0.1%

1.2%

Madison Bumgarner is going to win the pitcher's Silver Slugger, but should the award be renamed to the MadBum? My column:
14

88

70

81.2

83.7

83.2

.532

.512

90.5%

9.5%

100.0%

0.0%

2.1%

Here's one for you, rules committee: you don't make the playoffs if you're the Cardinals and still lose to the Cubs in September.
15

81

76

75.4

74.1

75.0

.487

.507

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.4%

-0.1%

Masahiro Tanaka avoided Tommy John surgery for this?
16

80

77

77.8

78.0

77.7

.499

.479

0.0%

0.1%

0.1%

-0.5%

-28.3%

Would it be overstepping our bounds to ask the Brewers what their playoff rotation would be regardless?
17

69

89

69.6

71.4

73.3

.448

.468

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Jose Altuve actually jumped during a recent swing. It's a fastball, Jose, not a jar of cookies, and if you ask nicely one of us will get it.
18

72

85

69.3

69.3

69.1

.445

.465

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Commercial pitch: "You know what? I'll get out and walk from here." Paul Konerko steps out of the car and eventually arrives at the stadium. Total running time of the commercial: four hours, 37 minutes.
19

76

81

79.3

74.2

74.0

.483

.463

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Imagine the scene in "Airplane" where the plane skids past every gate, with terminal visitors in tow. Now replace the plane with the Wilpons, the gate numbers with years and the visitors with Mets fans.
20

67

90

70.9

70.0

70.0

.443

.462

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Twins season ended two weeks ago and their results are being reported by an online Strat-O-Matic league. Someone disprove this.
21

76

81

75.9

74.7

74.6

.480

.460

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

-0.8%

Frank Wren could invent a cancer vaccine in 20 years and the headline will read "Disease Eradicated By The Guy Who Signed Dan Uggla To A Long-Term Contract."
22

68

89

67.4

69.5

70.8

.439

.459

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Daniel Nava started at first base for them, because defensive positions are society's way of dividing us, man.
23

75

81

74.8

74.4

73.8

.478

.458

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Casey McGehee has struck out 50 times looking and 47 times swinging. He's really into non-violent resistance these days.
24

73

84

76.2

71.5

72.4

.467

.447

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Johnny Cueto won his 19th game, and could win a 20th if the Reds let him vulture a win in relief, because it's Cincinnati in September and laws of decorum no longer exist.
25

75

82

73.8

69.3

70.2

.459

.439

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The Padres have lost seven home games since the All-Star break. Seven! If only they played baseball in an RV.
26

70

88

68.0

74.6

75.4

.456

.436

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Wrigley Field is beautiful and historic, but I'm just saying maybe it's bad luck. If they truly want to rebuild, refurbish an abandoned Bass Pro Shops or something.
27

66

92

73.8

75.4

70.7

.452

.433

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The team leader in intentional walks is DJ LeMahieu, in case you needed an easy way to know which Rockie normally bats eighth.
28

71

86

71.2

69.3

70.8

.450

.430

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

Be sure to keep this tab open on your browser all offseason for up-to-the-minute Ryan Howard trade rumors.
29

64

93

64.4

61.3

64.0

.404

.423

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

The best feel-good story of the Rangers season has to be career minor Guilder Rodriguez's base hit, but it's too bad Rangers fans lost the ability to feel emotion.
30

63

95

65.2

65.1

65.2

.409

.390

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

0.0%

When looking at bad teams in September, see what they're doing well. And they're among the league leaders this month in "average start time temperature."