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Most Valuable Intel (7/3/20): Joey Bart, Lamar/Mahomes and MORE!
Hot topics include Catcher outlooks for all 32 clubs, a film study on the Rockets' trending defense, and more!
Randy Vazquez/Bay Area News Group
Today’s hottest sports content presents impactful insights and interesting takeaways about popular topics in the sports community, such as five-year outlooks for each MLB franchise at the Catcher position and must-read evaluations regarding all 32 starting QB’s for the 2020 season. Here’s the Most Valuable Intel to know from the best articles in sports.
FULL ARTICLE: MLB State of the Position 2020: Every Team’s 5-Year Plan at Catcher by Joel Reuter, Bleacher Report
HOT: Every MLB Team’s 5-Year Plan at Catcher by @JoelReuterBR
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MOST VALUABLE INTEL: SFG Joey Bart is the clear-cut heir to Buster Posey’s thrown behind the dish
Franchise cornerstones at the Catcher position have become increasingly scarce in today’s modern MLB. With the regular season just a few weeks away, all 30 clubs have a better understanding of their five-year plans regarding their 2020 Catcher committees. In San Francisco, 6x All-Star Buster Posey is no longer among the game’s best backstops. Possibly as soon as this upcoming season, baseball fans may witness Posey be delegated to a secondary role with the Giants.
Selected second overall in the 2018 draft, Joey Bart races onto the scene as one of the best C prospects entering the 2020 season. Last year, Bart played in just 79 games in the minors due to recurring hand injuries, but still managed to bat .278/.328/.495 with 16 HRs and 48 RBIs. As showcased by his strong performance in the Arizona Fall League (10-30 with 4 HRs and 10 RBIs in first 10 games), Bart has the chops to eventually replace Posey as a future offensive force in the heart of San Francisco’s lineup.
FULL ARTICLE: Hartitz: 32 Fantasy Football Questions for All 32 NFL Quarterbacks Entering the 2020 NFL Season by Ian Hartitz, Pro Football Focus
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are neck-and-neck for the fantasy football QB1
With the NFL’s softer rules, teams’ heavy passing-attacks, and the explosion of dual threats, QB productivity has never been higher. However, fanbases still question where their franchise signal-callers stand among the league’s best. Regarding fantasy football, everyone wants to know who should be targeted as the No. 1 QB off the draft board.
Over the last two seasons, football fans have tuned in to watch 2018 MVP Patrick Mahomes carve up defenses with his arm and 2019 MVP Lamar Jackson with his legs. Those who are looking for the safe bet for top-five QB production should pick Mahomes in the high-octane KC offense. On the other hand, Jackson’s ceiling is slightly higher as an extremely effective dual-threat talent who can add over 1,000 rushing yards to his fantasy owner’s team, but presents more risk with the injury potential that comes with that. Therefore, Jackson is the high-risk/high-reward candidate while the reigning Super Bowl Champ is a near-lock for elite fantasy production this year.
FULL ARTICLE: Film Study: A Look at the Rockets’ Switch-Happy Defense by John Schuhmann, NBA.com
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: Rockets’ small-ball defense dares teams to beat them in the paint
Led by SG James Harden and PG Russell Westbrook, the Houston Rockets represent one of the more potent offenses that will be competing in Orlando this summer. Topping the NBA in three-point attempts for the fourth consecutive season, the Rockets complemented their eccentric offense with an unconventional defense; playing without a true Center. To maintain their identity as an elite, title-contending franchise, Harden and company continue to implement switch screens to reduce confusion on the defensive side of the floor.
Most NBA teams fear mismatches, as they tend to leave defenses vulnerable to easy drives or series’ of open passes. However, the Rockets simply eradicated the possibility of a mismatch by starting forwards (Robert Covington and P.J. Tucker) who can capably lockdown almost any player at any position. The system may not be fool-proof as the lineup can still be beaten down low, but the Rockets welcome big-men to take the ineffective shots from the post on their shorter guards. NBA.com’s John Schuhmann further breaks down the many advantages and disadvantages of Houston’s switch-happy defense.
FULL ARTICLE: Re-Grading Top 2019 Free-Agent Signings 1 Year Later by Grant Hughes, Bleacher Report
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: The Bucks were forced to max out Middleton for the sake of the 2021 Giannis Sweepstakes
This time last year, basketball fans were anxiously waiting for the latest news on the dramatic, league-altering free agency period. Fast-forward to today, the same fans await to watch what could potentially be the most unique and entertaining postseason in NBA history. With the Association’s return on the horizon, Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report re-grades the top free agents who were signed this time a year ago.
It’s difficult not to zero in on the acquisitions of Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving, but there’s one secondary superstar who deserves recognition; SF Khris Middleton. He may not stack up to the future HOF statuses of the three players previously mentioned, but his 5y/$178M contract could become the most influential FA signing of the class. The Bucks offered the deal partly because Middleton has been playing the best ball of his career (21.1 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 4.1 APG on close to 50/40/90 shooting), but mostly with the hope that MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo re-signs with Milwaukee next summer.
FULL ARTICLE: Does Ohtani Have Game’s Most Unhittable Pitch? by David Adler, MLB.com
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: Shohei Ohtani has all the makings of the best two-way stud in MLB history
MLB franchises across the nation are preparing to release their 2020 player pools over the coming week. However, only one ballclub has a proven, two-way stud that can throw near 100 MPH and slug 20+ HRs in a single season; the Los Angeles Angels. MLB.com’s David Adler reminds baseball fans about what makes phenom Shohei Ohtani so special and why they should be amped for the return of his starts in the Angels’ rotation.
In addition to throwing three of the ten fastest pitches by a SP since the beginning of the 2018 campaign, Ohtani’s devastating splitter ranks among the most unhittable off-speed balls heading into 2020. Shohei’s splitter in his rookie season allowed a microscopic .036 BA and an absurd whiff rate of 56.4 percent, which were each the lowest (BA allowed) and highest (whiff rate) in the league among starters, respectively. Combining his lethal pitching arsenal with his All-Star caliber hitting (.286 BA with 18 HRs and 62 RBIs in 106 GPs last year) will unveil why Ohtani is already one of the best two-way players in the history of the game.
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