Recent Articles from this Column
May 16, 2013
Mound Musings: Making the Crystal Ball Less Cloudy
High ceiling, low ceiling or no ceiling. When it comes to pitchers, which is easier to spot? And What does that mean for a pitcher like Derek Holland?
May 9, 2013
Mound Musings: The Days of Whine and Closers
Addison Reed has been one of the reliable closers in a season that has seen seemingly more volatility than most years.
May 2, 2013
Mound Musings: Location, Location, Location
What do restaurants and pitchers have in common? Location, location, location. Matt Cain's recent struggles can be blamed on inconsistent location.
April 25, 2013
Mound Musings: Chicks Dig Strikeouts
Few things in baseball compare to the K, especially these days with so many pitch-to-contact hurlers. Stephen Strasburg might be aiming for too much of the latter.
April 19, 2013
Mound Musings: In the Zone
Does Cliff Lee throw too many strikes? Brad Johnson takes a closer look at the importance of pitch location, and setting up opposing hitters.
April 11, 2013
Mound Musings: Avoid Time Bombs
Josh Collmenter's over-the-top delivery initially fooled hitters. When hitters adjusted, Collmenter imploded. Here's how to avoid those ticking time bombs.
April 4, 2013
Mound Musings: Pitching Insanity
Cleveland "ace" Justin Masterson still lacks an effective pitch to get out lefties, so why should you expect different results?
March 28, 2013
Mound Musings: The Dream Staff
Stephen Strasburg is any easy pick, but who else makes the Dream Team of pitching?
March 22, 2013
Mound Musings: NL West Spotlight
After a nightmare year last season, Tim Lincecum should come at a healthy discount this season.
March 14, 2013
Mound Musings: AL West Spotlight
Like many southpaws at this stage of their careers, Derek Holland is still finding, or at least looking for, consistency.
March 7, 2013
Mound Musings: NL Central Spotlight
Adam Wainwright is high on the list for potential draft-day value this season as he is now healthy.
February 28, 2013
Mound Musings: AL Central Spotlight
It would be hard to imagine Chis Sale having a better year than he had in 2012, but it's not beyond the realm of possibility.
February 21, 2013
Mound Musings: NL East Spotlight
This week's installment of the season-opening pitching series turns to the NL East.
February 14, 2013
Mound Musings: AL East Spotlight
Mounds Musings opens the 2013 season with a new look and with its spotlight on the AL East.
September 27, 2012
Mound Musings: And the Winner is ...
It's time to hand out season-end awards.Tim Lincecum's highly disappointing season leaves him with only a better-luck-next-year.
September 20, 2012
Mound Musings: 3 Third-Year Pitchers for 2013
Jeremy Hellickson looks ready for a breakout season in his third year in the league in 2013.
September 13, 2012
Mound Musings: Starters for the Stretch Run
Shallow leagues that see Marco Estrada on the waiver wire should pounce, as he could be a valuable addition as we head into the home stretch of the season.
September 6, 2012
Mound Musings: The Strasburg Situation
That Nats' mishandling of Steven Strasburg this season stands in stark contrast to the adroit touch the Braves used with Kris Medlen.
August 30, 2012
Mound Musings: Top 50 Keepers for 2013
Will the gloves come off in 2013? If so, Stephen Strasburg could be the top fantasy pitcher entering next season.
August 23, 2012
Mound Musings: Breaking Down Pitcher 'Truths'
Does Jered Weaver's low BABIP mean he's headed for an ugly correction? Or is he an exception to the rule? If so, why?
August 16, 2012
Mound Musings: Projecting 2013 Closers
Where will Carlos Marmol be in 2013? Despite the this year's turmoil, he might end up right back with the Cubs.
August 9, 2012
Mound Musings: Pitchers Targeted, Avoided
Targeting Jeff Samardzija this spring has worked out fairly well, but the same can't be said for every spring target.
August 2, 2012
Mound Musings: A Look at the 30 Rotations
How much longer will the Angels put up with Ervin Santana in the rotation? And who will take his spot once he's dumped?
July 26, 2012
Mound Musings: Hanley Goes Hollywood
Hanley Ramirez's trade to the Dodgers could be just the beginning of an exciting trade deadline week. What other deals can we expect?
July 19, 2012
Mound Musings: Second-Half Observations
Felix Hernandez's velocity might be down, but i hasn't seemed to matter.
July 12, 2012
Mound Musings: Answers for the Second Half
As baseball heads into the second half of the season, is it time to buy or sell Tim Lincecum?
July 5, 2012
Mound Musings: Good Surprises, Bad Surprises
Ervin Santana's been among the surprise pitchers this season - but not on the good side. What can we expect in the second half?
June 21, 2012
Mound Musings: Shallow League Material
For all his flaws, Francisco Liriano misses bats, and he's probably available in shallow formats.
June 14, 2012
Mound Musings: Swing and a Miss
Jeff Samardzija is enjoying the benefit of a making batters miss. What can we learn from swinging-strike rate?
June 7, 2012
Mound Musings: Reaching Into the Mailbag
You've got questions, we've got answers. Such as, should owners trust Francisco Lirano?
May 31, 2012
Mound Musings: A Stroll Around 30 Rotations
Will Roy Halladay's shoulder injury doom the Phillies? Answers to that and more as we stroll around the league's 30 rotations.
May 24, 2012
Mound Musings: 9 Surprises So Far
Johan Santana's re-emergence has been one of the biggest surprises of the year. We've got eight more for you.
May 17, 2012
Mound Musings: Help is on the Way
Dellin Betances projects as a No. 2 starter, but his lack of control this year could easily derail that projection. When should we expect him in the bigs?
May 10, 2012
Mound Musings: Pitching Predictions
Will Stephen Strasburg pitch enough innings to win the NL Cy Young crown this season?
May 3, 2012
Mound Musings: Pitchers to Target & Avoid
For Roy Halladay, strikeouts are way down and walks are up. Is his sub-2.00 ERA set to explode?
April 26, 2012
Mound Musings: Fast Starts, Slow Starts
Adam Wainwright has had a tough start to the year, but what should we expect for the rest of the season?
April 19, 2012
Mound Musings: Closers in Waiting
Matt Thornton isn't the closer yet on the South Side, but he appears next in line. Which relievers should you target now for saves later?
April 12, 2012
Mound Musings: Early Questions, Early Answers
Jeff Samardzija's sparkling season debut makes us ask, where did that come from? The answer to that and more is here.
April 5, 2012
Mound Musings: 30 Teams, 30 Questions
Is the Mariners' Double-A rotation, beaming with three strandout prospects, better than the one in Seattle?
March 29, 2012
Mound Musings: Sleeper Relievers: Finding Saves
Matt Thornton looks to have the edge in a three-way battle for saves on the South Side. Where else can fantasy owners find saves on the cheap?
March 22, 2012
Mound Musings: A Fresh Perspective
Instead of looking at K, BB and GB rates, what if we looked at a pitcher's percentages in those stats? How would that change our view of a pitcher like Tim Lincecum? Let's find out.
March 8, 2012
Mound Musings: Ranking the 30 Closers
Rafael Betancourt is the top-ranked closer? Dave Regan says so. Check out his unqiue rankings formula.
March 1, 2012
Mound Musings: Predictions & Observations
Where does Tim Lincecum rank ... on his own team? Dave Regan offers predictions and observations for 2012.
February 23, 2012
Mound Musings: 30 Rotations Entering Spring
Wade Davis' bid to land a Rays rotation spot is but one of many spring pitching battles around the league. Find out how it's all likely to shake out.
February 16, 2012
Mound Musings: Top 100 Starting Pitchers
Clayton Kershaw could approach 300 strikeouts this season. Does that vault him over Justin Verlander as the league's top starter?
September 29, 2011
Mound Musings: 2012 Breakout Candidates
Ricky Nolasco might not
September 22, 2011
Mound Musings: Top-50 Relievers for 2012
Mariano Rivera is the all-time saves leaders, but where does he rank among closers entering next season?
September 15, 2011
Mound Musings: Top 100 Starters for 2012
Justin Verlander is the top fantasy pitcher heading into next season, but a few others are close behind.
September 8, 2011
Mound Musings: Pitchers for the Stretch Run
Rich Harden's ERA after the break sits at just 4.55, but in 57.1 innings, Harden has 74 strikeouts for a solid 11.6 K/9.
September 1, 2011
Mound Musings: Notes From Around the League
A year after Tommy John surgery, Stephen Strasburg is ready to get back on the mound for the Nationals.
August 25, 2011
Mound Musings: 2012 Breakout Candidates
A maturing and improving Mat Latos is primed for a breakout 2012 campaign in San Diego.
August 18, 2011
Mound Musings: Rotation Watch
A look around the league at the status of each team's rotation, including the drama in New York with A.J. Burnett and the Yankees.
August 11, 2011
Mound Musings: ERA vs. xFIP
Johnny Cueto's xFIP says his ERA should be higher, but an improved groundball rate is helping him overcome a diminishing strikeout rate. Which pitchers are due for a increase or decrease in ERA?
August 4, 2011
Mound Musings: Random Notes From the Hill
Musings examines mound questions from around the league, includingTrevor Cahill's tough second half.
July 27, 2011
Mound Musings: Trade Deadline Fallout
Ubaldo Jimenez is among a number of pitchers whose trade deadline status will impact fantasy rotations and bullpens.
July 21, 2011
Mound Musings: Is Michael Pineda Fading?
Michael Pineda has looked much better than a mere rookie this season, but is he hitting a first-year wall already?
July 7, 2011
Mound Musings: Questions for the Second Half
Will Joe Nathan regain the closer role for the Twins? That's just one of a bevy of questions we tackle, looking ahead to the second half.
June 30, 2011
Mound Musings: All-Stars, Strand Rates, Bullpens
James Shields sports a likely unsustainable strand rate. Does that mean he's due for an ERA correction?
June 23, 2011
Mound Musings: Pitchers on the Fringe
Fausto Carmona was supposed to be the anchor for a young Indians rotation, but he's been anything but. What should we expect from him?
June 16, 2011
Mound Musings: 30 Questions for 30 Rotations
The A's dodged a bullet with Brett Anderson, and hopefully they'll be equally as lucky with Trevor Cahill, who is clearly not himself these days.
June 9, 2011
Mound Musings: Answering the Mailbag
Is Ubaldo Jimenez back? That's but one of the questions in the Mound Musings mailbag that gets answered this week.
June 2, 2011
Mound Musings: The Shaun Marcum Story
How does Toronto's Shaun Marcum do it with a Reganesque Fastball?
May 26, 2011
Mound Musings: The Volstad Burlesque Show
Chris Volstad is more than a tease, but he could be on the verge of respectability or better.
May 19, 2011
Mound Musings: 30 Bullpen Sleepers
Neftali Feliz is back in the saddle for the Rangers, but is Tanner Scheppers a name we should know?
May 12, 2011
Mound Musings: Five Burning Questions
Francisco Liriano just threw a no-hitter, but his velocity is down this year. Does velocity matter?
May 5, 2011
Mound Musings: Top Keeper Pitchers
Felix Hernandez leads the list of top starting-pitcher keepers. Who's the top-ranked reliever?
April 28, 2011
Mound Musings: Learning From xFIP
Wade Davis has had a lot of unsustainable good fortune this season, but not all
April 21, 2011
Mound Musings: Starters, Relievers and Stuff
Ryan Franklin is out as the St. Louis closer. So, who does that mean is in?
April 14, 2011
Mound Musings: Advanced Metrics Analysis
What do advanced pitching metrics like O-Swing% and Z-Contact% tell us about a pitcher like Kyle McClellan?
April 7, 2011
Mound Musings: Opening-Week Reflections
The Dodgers' lifeless bats prevented Clayton Kershaw from notching two wins in the first week, but he still posted a 17:2 K:BB in 13 innings.
March 24, 2011
Mound Musings: Examining the 30 Bullpens
Joe Nathan is back, but how much can you expect from him this season? Those and other bullpen questions from around the league are answered in this week's Musings.
March 17, 2011
Mound Musings: Top 100 Starting Pitchers
Who's better than Mariners ace and reigning American League Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez?
March 3, 2011
Mound Musings: Philly Phantastic
Cole Hamels is almost an afterthought given the state of the Phillies rotation, but he could be in store for huge things this year.
February 24, 2011
Mound Musings: Back of the Rotation Candidates
Derek Holland is one of a handful of candidates vying for a the last couple remaining spots in the Rangers rotation.
January 26, 2011
Mound Musings: Spotting Overvalued and Undervalued Starting Pitchers
Felix Hernandez wasn't a casualty of the Verducci Effect in 2010
September 9, 2010
Mound Musings: 2011 Top 50 Revised
How the 2010 second half has affected next year's pitcher rankings in this look ahead.
