Paul Skenes - Rookie of the Year?

[@highanglelarry]

With your popularity among major league pitchers, maybe you should award one of them Ninja of the Year. Starting Ninja, Relief Ninja, Closer Ninja, and maybe even Rookie Ninja. Definetly would be a great end of the season video with highlights and etc.

[@waxknucklebearingjuice5592]

"Shingaurd , foot , testicles , that's good pitching "

[@Genthar]

Merrill vs Skenes is a tough call. Skenes has been amazing, but he also didn’t get called up until partway through the season, but he’s been incredible since. Merrill made the club out of spring training after only playing like 46 games at AA, on top of switching from Shortstop to CF, and has just been clutch all year. Tough tough call…Being a Padre’s fan I gotta go with Merrill, but you really could make the case either way.

[@918guy]

Surprised they dont have a rookie pitcher award

[@skullcrusher9165]

Idk I’m a padres fan so I’m probably a little biased but seeing what Merrill has brought to the team is insane. Completely turned the team around from last years lackluster season with his great spirit and has delivered some ridiculously clutch plays what seems like every week. I know it’s a team sport but it feels like without Merrill the team wouldn’t be where they are rn with the aspirations they have to make it deep in the playoffs

[@JawaPenguin16]

We gotta hold out hope for our guy Merrill, but I'll admit Skenes is the ONLY person who might deserve it over him. Been a fun baseball season.

[@noahcrouse9789]

.700 is average OPS, merril has .810. League average ERA 4.10, Skenes has 2.10. One of these is obviously more impressive than the other, and even if u wanted to say well Merrill effects every game Skenes has participated in 444 pitcher batter match ups while Merrill has participated in 523 match ups. The difference in match ups doesn't nearly make up for the difference in production

[@shadowlazers]

Well put

[@tie2tight]

This is an easy example and good explanation of ERA+ and OPS+ where Merrills OPS+ is 127 for and Skenes ERA+ is 200... Well ermm I guess Merrills slugging percentage is higher weighted?

[@paultomaszewski1964]

The Dodgers have 19 starters but they are all on IL.

[@jimc.goodfellas]

Well let's consult the respected Baseball Reference and their WAR stat: Skenes 5.2 WAR Merrill 3.8 WAR case closed

[@markharbaugh4445]

I barely opened the book before you closed it on that one. But if we are truly going to embrace WAR as a legit stat, that says it all right there.

[@shadowlazers]

Ninja said it best ..merrils stats are very good..skenes numbers are legendary

[@dankauffman3456]

The Charlie Morton three balls and three strikes bit had me spitting apple onto my laptop. Which is bad for me but really well done by you.

[@evanarey8374]

Morton my goat

[@remnow]

It's a joke if ROY isn't Skenes... There is no chance anyone wouldn't trade Merrill for skenes heads up in a f'ing heartbeat, I mean it's a joke that we're even having a debate about it to me. One of the best rookie seasons EVER vs a very solid season. If pirates brought him up earlier he's in serious Cy Young contention as a ROOKIE. I just can't believe anyone would vote for Merrill over Skenes.

[@lamelosballs5763]

-800 odds all you need to see bub

[@markharbaugh4445]

@@lamelosballs5763 since when does gambling odds truly mean anything? It's an arbitrary number made up by "oddsmakers" to make stupid people put money on dumb things.

[@justinabaya6622]

Could you explain why some fastballs look faster even though they have the same velocity? McGill and Strider for example? I’ve been around baseball my whole life but the new stats, analytics and measurements have to be able to answer to my question. Is this spin rate, an illusion or both? Is this because of the seam shifter wake thing? Need answers Ninja, please help.

[@MfAnt333]

I just wish Chourio got a little more love, youngest 20/20 season in mlb history, one of the best if not the best hitter on a top 5 team. Kinda similar stats to Merrill on less games.

[@ernee100]

How's the weather in Pittsburgh, Pirate fan?

[@evanarey8374]

He’s literally Dwight gooden - the World Series win

[@CoffeeAndSteel]

Charlie Morton AKA The Pinball Wizard

[@Swepy1]

Ngl every batter should wear shin guards when batting against Charlie Morton

[@ivoeenink3860]

SKKKKKKKKENES!

[@sess619]

Pitching channel is going for a pitcher. Merrill went from AA to the pros and balled out. He went from never playing centerfield, to being lock down out there. And the clutch from the young man is crazy. Skenes is definitely a beast, but Merrill is playing both sides of the ball and producing.

[@cyoxin51]

Skenes is one of the most dominant pitchers right now, literally comparable to Skubal and Sale. I have so much respect for Merrill but he's not on the same level as Ohtani or Judge

[@24tommyst]

there should be separate ROTY awards for pitchers.

[@grokeffer6226]

👍👍👍

[@altonT]

What Merrill is doing is amazing, but things like it have been done by other players. What Skenes is doing has only been done a few times and it will be a while until its done again.

[@drcdrdoct9864]

It's crazy how good pitching is this year. Skenes could have been a Cy Young candidate if Sale wasn't so dominant.

[@markharbaugh4445]

Take Sale out of the picture, and look at what Zack Wheeler has done this year as well. 22 Quality starts. That's 22 starts he went at least 6 and gave up less than 3. I am throwing up in my mouth as I say this as a Braves fan. There are plenty of teams who would be happy to get 22 decent starts from any pitcher. But to get 22 quality starts from 1 guy? Plus, Wheeler has an offense hitting for him. Which I am sure Sale is plenty jealous of.

[@timowns2]

I don't think we should even compare Skenes and Merrill. They both deserve ROTY for completely different reasons. The counter argument case for Merrill. He plays almost everyday and has been there all season, his defense is incredible for a position he learned on the fly, he's been one of the most clutch hitters in 8th or later (6 go-ahead or tieing HRs), higher fWAR, and he has the most RBIs ever by a Padre rookie. Skenes is one of one, but so is Merrill, and it's dumb to write him off.

[@Sam-oCole-i5y]

Shinguard, foot, testicles, almost made me choke on my root beer😂, skenes should be roy btw i agree woth you ninja

[@Chance_2018]

Paul Skenes better win the roty

[@landonisbell5552]

Time for co-rookie of the year

[@brostroyer]

He's good no doubt, but what Merril is doing is what kids dream of, bottom of the 9th game winning homeruns.

[@darthbauer5153]

Depends on the kid. My dream growing up was doing what Skenes is doing. My favorite players have always been pitchers. Merrill will win but I think it’s more to do with people always valuing offense over any kind of defense. Baseball is blessed to have this decision to make though, can only be good for the game.

[@zakryan4136]

10-4

[@colbywhitehead4260]

If my eyes don't decisive me Sean Murphy might give that pole vaulter a run for his money if you know what I mean🤣 the Braves are killing me with this no run support bs!

[@HurricaneGregor]

I would say, the only reason anyone wouldn't have Skenes as ROY is because for some reason the Pirates didn't have him pitch the whole year (May 11th was his first start).

[@markharbaugh4445]

Meh... 20 starts and 120 innings is pretty good for a rookie. And then you see he is only 2 K's off leading the Pirates in K's with 8 fewer starts...

[@HurricaneGregor]

@@markharbaugh4445 I'm just saying, that is the only reason I can think of as to why anyone wouldn't pick him over Merrill.

[@markharbaugh4445]

@@HurricaneGregor Merrill is having a solid season. But I don't think he is standing out like Skenes. Sure, Skenes had the hype, but he has exceeded the hype!

[@3up3down.]

I guess Skenes is pretty good…. ;)

[@LukeDwornikComedy]

I hate to be this guy... but is this channel sponsored by draft kings? (I'm not saying this them trying to get money by betting. It's just something they should leave out if they are sponsored by them in my opinion.) Also, lay off Rojos on that ball. That was a hell of an attempt to get that hit. Rojos is (you can look it up) a far above average defender, and that ball was hit very well.

[@teddyj5187]

No rookie pitcher has done what skenes has done. Jackson Merrill has hit in the bottom of the order all year which is less pressure. If a team had to choose a player to start a team it would be skenes 99 percent of the time over Merrill.

[@mostly_baseball]

really? your 5th best pitch of the day was a foot off the plate?

[@jtb572]

Merrill is clutch, he’s hit 6 hrs in the 8th or later and he plays everyday and and skenes every 6 days

[@commanderaxw]

You won’t see Merrill top 5 in MVP. Skenes is top 5 Cy Young and maybe putting up one of the best rookie seasons for a pitcher. Merrill is good but it’s simply got to be Skenes Edit: oh my gosh THE NINJA LIKED IT.

[@jtb572]

@@commanderaxw haha I got ratio’d

[@lamelosballs5763]

@@commanderaxwmerrill is the best CF in the NL skenes is not the best SP in the NL. tired of this rhetoric tbh

[@commanderaxw]

@@lamelosballs5763 there are only 15 NL center fielders instead of 75 😂. Skenes should win. We’ve seen 20/20 before but we haven’t seen a start like Skenes since Strasburg

[@lamelosballs5763]

@@commanderaxw jackson plays meaningful games everyday. skenes is pitching out of playoff contention every five days to the marlins. skenes impact on winning doesn’t equal merrill’s so why would he be the rookie of the year

[@AgnusDeiGloria]

Merrill is the more valuable player to a winning team. End of discussion. Skenes is great

[@markharbaugh4445]

So, do you believe Lindor should get MVP over Ohtani? And if Merrill were having the same kind of season on the Marlins, do you still think he should be ROY?

[@dontknowdocare]

I really hate the disregard that MLB and its award voters hold for pitchers as MVPs and Rookie of the year. Without them they'd have no sport! Yet they get burdened and regulated with each new rule change. How many more TJs will it take for MLB to back off and give pitchers some respect? 😑

[@jacobbenavides6553]

1st

[@Chicagoway37]

Merrill all day, biased SD fan input