AI Summary
5 min readThe Nerd Turd: Manny Machado vs. Baseball's Analytics Overload
The San Diego Padres had just gone 2-11 over their last 13 games, and Manny Machado was hitting .169 — a career low that made him the lowest qualified hitter in the National League. So when Machado unloaded on baseball's analytics culture in a weekend media session, Ben Maller gave him two thumbs up. "A baseball did not get smarter," Maller said. "It got addicted to the spreadsheet."
The Core Argument: Baseball Didn't Get Smarter
Maller's central thesis is that the analytics revolution in baseball has been a net negative for the sport, and Machado's frustration is a symptom of a deeper problem. The Padres are the perfect case study: a "classically overengineered product" with "beautiful design, terrible performance." They are dead last in runs, batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage. Machado himself is hitting .169, and Fernando Tatis Jr., a $350 million player, has one home run. Yet Maller claims there are "nerds that are convinced he's doing well because the analytics say he's doing very well."
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What you'll learn
- 1 (00:32) **Show Open & Host Introduction** - Ben Maller kicks off Hour 3, setting up the main topics: Manny Machado's anti-analytics rant, Dansby Swanson's benching, and the Diamondbacks' puzzling Max Kepler signing.
- 2 (05:30) **Manny Machado's Anti-Analytics Rant** - Ben introduces Machado's frustration with advanced stats as the Padres free-fall, going 2-11 in their last 13 games.
- 3 (08:45) **Thumbs Up on Machado's Pushback** - Ben gives a "two thumbs up" to Machado, arguing baseball has become addicted to spreadsheets and "snake oil" analytics.
- 4 (11:50) **The Over-Engineering of Baseball** - Ben contrasts old-school "see the ball, hit the ball" with the modern obsession with launch angles and tablets.
- 5 (15:10) **Dansby Swanson's Benching in Chicago** - The Cubs benched shortstop Dansby Swanson, who is hitting .180, for a "mental reset."
- 6 (17:50) **Cubs' Roster of Underachievers** - Ben expands the critique to the entire Cubs roster, including Alex Bregman and Seiya Suzuki.
- 7 (19:00) **Diamondbacks Sign Max Kepler (PED Suspension)** - Arizona signed outfielder Max Kepler, who is currently serving an 80-game PED suspension and is ineligible until June 25th.
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Guests on this episode
Show Notes
Ben Maller talks about Padres star Manny Machado pushing back against analytics, how big of a problem Dansby Swanson is for the Cubs, why the D-Backs would even bother signing Max Kepler when he's on PED suspension, Insta-Advice Line, and more!
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