https://legendsdeck.com/blog Tips, guides, and deep dives on Legends Deck — the free browser baseball card game powered by real MLB Statcast data. en-us Sun, 31 May 2026 08:02:43 GMT Legends Deck https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-passed-ball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-passed-ball Sun, 31 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A passed ball is a pitch that the catcher should have caught or controlled with ordinary effort but fails to, allowing a baserunner to advance — charged to the catcher, not the pitcher. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-perfect-game https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-perfect-game Sun, 31 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A perfect game is a complete game in which a single pitcher (or pitchers) retires all 27 batters faced, allowing no hits, no walks, no hit-by-pitches, and no baserunners of any kind. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-dra https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-dra Sun, 31 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT DRA (Deserved Run Average) is Baseball Prospectus's run-prevention metric that estimates how many runs a pitcher deserved to allow per nine innings after stripping out the influence of defense, framing, park, and opponent quality. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-wild-pitch https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-wild-pitch Sat, 30 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A wild pitch is a pitch so high, wide, or low that the catcher cannot control it with ordinary effort, allowing a baserunner to advance, charged to the pitcher rather than the catcher. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-fielding-percentage https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-fielding-percentage Sat, 30 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Fielding percentage measures the rate at which a fielder successfully handles the chances he reaches, calculated as putouts plus assists divided by total chances. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryfielding https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-rbi https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-rbi Sat, 30 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT RBI (runs batted in) credits a batter for each runner who scores as a direct result of his plate appearance, excluding runs that score on errors or grounded-into double plays. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryhitting https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-fielders-choice https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-fielders-choice Fri, 29 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A fielder's choice is when a batter reaches base only because the defense chose to put out a different baserunner instead of throwing him out, crediting no hit. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-deferred-money https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-deferred-money Fri, 29 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Deferred money is salary a player agrees to be paid in future years — often long after the contract ends — lowering the deal's present-day cost and luxury-tax hit. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarycontracts https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-designated-hitter https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-designated-hitter Fri, 29 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT The designated hitter (DH) is a player who bats in place of the pitcher every time the pitcher's spot comes up, without ever playing the field. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/spotlight-ketel-marte-2026-05-28 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/spotlight-ketel-marte-2026-05-28 Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Ketel Marte just clubbed Oracle Park's longest home run since Shohei Ohtani — 452 feet — capping a .536, 1.563 OPS Player of the Week stretch and a 10-game hitting streak. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) player-spotlightstatcastARI https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-club-option https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-club-option Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A club option is a contract provision that gives a team the unilateral right to extend a player's contract for one or more additional years at a pre-specified salary, in exchange for paying a smaller buyout if the team declines. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarycontracts https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-walk-off https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-walk-off Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A walk-off is a play in which the home team scores the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning or later, ending the game instantly because the visiting team has no further at-bat. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-forkball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-forkball Thu, 28 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A forkball is an off-speed pitch thrown with the index and middle fingers spread wide around the ball, producing low spin and a sharp downward tumble that mimics a fastball before falling out of the strike zone. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitches https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-arm-strength https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-arm-strength Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Arm strength is the Statcast metric measuring a fielder's maximum throwing velocity in miles per hour, used to grade outfield arms and infielder throwing tools. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarystatcastdefense https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-fly-ball-rate https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-fly-ball-rate Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Fly ball rate (FB%) is the percentage of a hitter's or pitcher's batted balls that are classified as fly balls, a core component of every batted-ball profile. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarybatted-ball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-immaculate-inning https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-immaculate-inning Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT An immaculate inning is a half-inning in which one pitcher strikes out all three batters on exactly nine pitches — every pitch a strike, no contact, no balls. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching https://legendsdeck.com/blog/average-exit-velocity-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/average-exit-velocity-mlb-2026 Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT The MLB league-average exit velocity in 2026 is roughly 88-89 mph across all qualified hitters, while the hardest hitters in baseball average above 95 mph. Here's what counts as a good average exit velocity, the league baseline, how 'exit velo' is measured, and who's at the top right now. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) statcastexit-velocityleaders-2026explainer https://legendsdeck.com/blog/good-whiff-rate-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/good-whiff-rate-mlb-2026 Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT The MLB league-average whiff rate in 2026 is roughly 25%, an elite pitcher clears 30%, and the best swing-and-miss arms in baseball top 40%. Here's what counts as a good whiff rate, the league baseline, how whiff rate differs from swinging-strike rate, and who leads MLB right now. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) statcastwhiff-ratepitchingexplainerleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-bsr https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-bsr Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT BsR (Base Running Runs) is FanGraphs' all-in-one baserunning metric that measures how many runs a player adds or costs his team on the bases — including stolen bases, extra-base advancement on hits, and double-play avoidance — relative to a league-average runner. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarysabermetrics https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-hr-per-9 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-hr-per-9 Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT HR/9 (home runs allowed per nine innings) is a rate stat that measures how often a pitcher gives up home runs, normalized to a full game's workload — calculated as (HR ÷ IP) × 9. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-screwball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-screwball Mon, 25 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A screwball is a rare breaking pitch that moves opposite of a curveball — fading and dropping toward the pitcher's arm side — created by pronating the wrist outward at release rather than supinating it. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitch-types https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-does-6-4-3-2-mean-in-baseball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-does-6-4-3-2-mean-in-baseball Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT 6-4-3-2 in baseball is scorekeeping notation: a 6-4-3 double play (shortstop to second baseman to first baseman) extended by a throw home to the catcher to try to retire a runner scoring from third. It is not automatically a triple play. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-does-fc-mean-in-baseball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-does-fc-mean-in-baseball Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT FC in baseball stands for fielder's choice — when a batter reaches base only because the defense chose to put out a different runner instead of him. It is not a hit, does not count toward on-base percentage, but does count as an at-bat. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-does-go-yard-mean https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-does-go-yard-mean Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT \"Go yard\" is baseball slang for hitting a home run — the \"yard\" refers to the ballyard, so to go yard is to hit the ball out of the playing field. The phrase was in print by 1988, well before Camden Yards opened. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-swing-off-in-baseball https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-a-swing-off-in-baseball Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A swing-off in baseball is the All-Star Game tiebreaker that replaces extra innings with a Home Run Derby-style mini-contest: each side picks three hitters who take three swings apiece, and the team that hits the most home runs wins. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-k-per-9 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-k-per-9 Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT K/9 is a rate stat that expresses how many batters a pitcher strikes out per nine innings of work, providing a workload-normalized view of swing-and-miss production. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-swinging-strike-rate https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-swinging-strike-rate Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Swinging strike rate (SwStr%) is the percentage of a pitcher's total pitches that result in a swing-and-miss, measuring raw bat-missing ability across every pitch thrown. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-three-true-outcomes https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-three-true-outcomes Sun, 24 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT The three true outcomes are strikeouts, walks, and home runs — plate appearances whose outcomes are decided entirely by the pitcher and hitter with no involvement from fielders. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryhitting https://legendsdeck.com/blog/mlb-statcast-leaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/mlb-statcast-leaders-2026 Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Who leads MLB in barrel rate, hard-hit rate, and exit velocity in 2026 — and why the three Statcast leaderboards rank hitters differently. José Tena tops average exit velocity (98.3 mph) and hard-hit rate (75.8%), while Luke Raley leads barrel rate (28.9%). James Wood is the only hitter in the top 5 of all three. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) statcastbarrel-ratehard-hit-rateexit-velocityleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-clutch https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-clutch Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Clutch is a FanGraphs metric that measures how much better or worse a player performed in high-leverage situations compared to his own context-neutral production. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarysabermetrics https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-knuckle-curve https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-knuckle-curve Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT A knuckle-curve is a curveball thrown with one or two fingers spiked (knuckled) against the ball, producing tight, late vertical break with curveball-level spin rates. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-zips https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-zips Sat, 23 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT ZiPS is a player projection system created by Dan Szymborski that forecasts MLB hitter and pitcher performance using weighted historical data, similarity scores, and empirical aging curves. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarysabermetrics https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-era https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-era Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT ERA (Earned Run Average) is the number of earned runs a pitcher allows per nine innings, calculated as (Earned Runs × 9) ÷ Innings Pitched. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossarypitching-stats https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-on-base-percentage https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-on-base-percentage Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT On-Base Percentage (OBP) is the rate at which a hitter reaches base via hit, walk, or hit-by-pitch, calculated as (H + BB + HBP) ÷ (AB + BB + HBP + SF). noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryhitting-stats https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-strike-zone https://legendsdeck.com/blog/what-is-the-strike-zone Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT The strike zone is the rulebook three-dimensional space over home plate, from the midpoint between the batter's shoulders and waist down to the hollow beneath the kneecap, in which a pitch that is not swung at is called a strike. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Legends Deck Team) glossaryrules https://legendsdeck.com/blog/aaron-judge-vs-juan-soto-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/aaron-judge-vs-juan-soto-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Aaron Judge has the loudest power profile in MLB. Juan Soto has the best plate discipline in baseball. They were Yankees teammates in 2024, and they're still the two best right fielders in MLB in 2026. Here's the Statcast-driven comparison between two MVP-tier hitters who win with completely different approaches. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) comparisonright-fieldersstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/aaron-judge-vs-shohei-ohtani-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/aaron-judge-vs-shohei-ohtani-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Aaron Judge is MLB's most consistent power hitter; Shohei Ohtani is the only two-way star in baseball history. Here's a side-by-side Statcast-driven comparison — exit velocity, barrel rate, pitching velocity, and the underlying numbers that decide the 'best player in baseball' debate in 2026. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) comparisonstatcastleaders-2026head-to-head https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-catchers-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-catchers-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Drake Baldwin leads MLB catchers in 2026 by Statcast-derived overall rating, with Iván Herrera, Shea Langeliers, Will Smith, and William Contreras rounding out the top five. Here's the ranked best catchers in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the position's framing, pop time, and arm strength alongside hitting, and which backstops pair the best bat with elite defensive coverage. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionscatchersstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-center-fielders-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-center-fielders-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Michael Harris II leads MLB center fielders in 2026, narrowly ahead of Byron Buxton, Trent Grisham, Oneil Cruz, and Brandon Marsh. Here's the ranked best center fielders in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the position's unique blend of sprint speed and outfield range, and which players pair elite contact with the coverage range that defines a true center fielder. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionscenter-fieldersstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-closers-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-closers-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Mason Miller leads MLB's closer corps in 2026 — paired triple-digit velocity, a 42.8% whiff rate, and the cleanest swing-and-miss stuff in the league. Edwin Díaz, Josh Hader, Cade Smith, and Aroldis Chapman round out the elite tier. Here are the best closers in baseball this year, how Statcast measures relief dominance beyond saves, and why the modern closer is graded on stuff, not finishing speeches. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionscloserspitchingstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-first-basemen-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-first-basemen-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Ben Rice leads MLB first basemen in 2026 by Statcast-derived overall rating, narrowly ahead of Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper, Matt Olson, and Willson Contreras. Here's the ranked best first basemen in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the position's power-first profile, and which corner-infielders pair the loudest contact with the discipline to sustain it across a 162-game season. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionsfirst-basemenstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-left-fielders-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-left-fielders-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Yordan Alvarez leads MLB left fielders in 2026 — top-tier exit velocity, elite barrel rate, and the cleanest power-first profile at the position. Kyle Schwarber, James Wood, Cody Bellinger, and Riley Greene round out the top five. Here are the ranked best left fielders in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the corner-outfield power-first profile, and which sluggers project to sustain elite production. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionsleft-fieldersstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-right-fielders-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-right-fielders-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Aaron Judge leads MLB right fielders in 2026 — the consensus best position-player in baseball, top-tier across every Statcast input. Juan Soto, Mike Trout (now right field), Corbin Carroll, Ronald Acuña Jr., and Fernando Tatis Jr. round out the top six. Here are the ranked best right fielders in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the position's unique demand for arm strength alongside power and the modern bar for elite right field production. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionsright-fieldersstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-second-basemen-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-second-basemen-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Ketel Marte leads MLB second basemen in 2026 by Statcast-derived overall rating, followed by Otto Lopez, Brice Turang, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Brendan Donovan. Here's the ranked best second basemen in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the position's modern dual demand on offense and range, and which keystoners pair the best contact quality with elite defensive coverage. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionssecond-basemenstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-shortstops-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-shortstops-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Bobby Witt Jr. leads the 2026 MLB shortstop class — elite sprint speed, top-tier exit velocity, and Gold Glove–caliber range. Kevin McGonigle, Elly De La Cruz, Corey Seager, and Gunnar Henderson round out the early top-five by Statcast-derived overall rating. Here's the ranked best shortstops in baseball this year, how they stack up across hitting and defense, and what makes the modern shortstop a different player than the position ever was. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionsshortstopsstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-starting-pitchers-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-starting-pitchers-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Shohei Ohtani, Paul Skenes, and Tarik Skubal lead MLB starting pitchers in 2026 by Statcast-derived overall rating, with Drew Rasmussen, Cole Ragans, Tyler Glasnow, Garrett Crochet, and Hunter Brown rounding out the elite tier. Here are the best starting pitchers in baseball this year, how Statcast measures starter dominance beyond ERA, and which arms pair the rare combination of stuff and stamina that defines a true ace. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionsstarting-pitcherspitchingstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-third-basemen-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/best-third-basemen-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT José Ramírez leads MLB third basemen in 2026 by Statcast-derived overall rating, with Munetaka Murakami, Max Muncy, Sal Stewart, and Miguel Vargas rounding out the early top five. Here's the ranked best third basemen in baseball this year, how Statcast measures the hot corner's unique blend of power, reaction time, and arm strength, and which corner-infielders best pair elite contact with cross-diamond throwing accuracy. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) positionsthird-basemenstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/bobby-witt-jr-vs-elly-de-la-cruz-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/bobby-witt-jr-vs-elly-de-la-cruz-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Bobby Witt Jr. is MLB's most balanced superstar. Elly De La Cruz is MLB's highest-ceiling phenom. Both are top-five shortstops by Statcast-derived rating and top-five MLB sprint speed leaders. Here's the side-by-side Statcast comparison — power, speed, contact, and which shortstop projects as the safer long-term bet. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) comparisonshortstopsstatcastleaders-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/fastest-mlb-players-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/fastest-mlb-players-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Bobby Witt Jr. leads MLB in 2026 sprint speed at 30.4 ft/sec — measured on his fastest competitive runs as tracked by Statcast. He's tied at the top with Eli White and Gabriel Rincones Jr. Here are the fastest players in baseball this year, how sprint speed is measured, and why it predicts more than just stolen bases. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) statcastsprint-speedleaders-2026speed https://legendsdeck.com/blog/hardest-hit-balls-mlb-2026 https://legendsdeck.com/blog/hardest-hit-balls-mlb-2026 Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMT Jarred Kelenic leads MLB in 2026 with a 96.7 mph average exit velocity — meaning every ball he puts in play comes off the bat at nearly 100 mph on average. Here's who hits the ball the hardest in baseball this year, how Statcast measures it, and why exit velocity matters more than home runs for projecting the rest of the season. noreply@legendsdeck.com (Zac Nicholson) statcastexit-velocitybarrel-rateleaders-2026