Justin Orenduff’s Post

How about some love for the MLB Playoffs! The NFL is the number one sports league in America. Its games dominate the airwaves, and NFL related content makes up what feels like 75% of sports television and radio programming during the season. But baseball is still awesome.  Although it has become a regional sport, these playoffs have shown that compelling matchups (Dodgers-Padres, Mets-Phillies), big name/market teams (Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Phillies) and superstars (Shohei Ohtani, Francisco Lindor, Fernando Tatis, Aaron Judge) can still pull in significant national audiences. Pace-of-play rules implemented in 2023 are also being credited with increased attendance and viewership levels. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently stated “The increased enthusiasm baseball fans of all ages have shown the last two seasons is evident in all of the ways we track fan engagement” Viewership for the Wild Card and Divisional Series (DS) rounds is up, and these playoffs could be the most watched in years. Here are some of the great stories we have seen so far. ⚾ The 2024 Wild Card round of the playoffs was the most watched ever. ⚾ The National League Divisional Series (NLDS) averaged more than four million viewers over the nine games, making it the most watched Divisional Series since 2015. ⚾ We are still missing ratings for one game of the ALDS but to date ratings are up +20% over last year. ⚾ The Dodgers (Go Blue!) series-clinching win over the Padres averaged 7.2 million viewers making it the most watched Divisional Series game since 2017. ⚾ Game one of the Mets and Phillies is the second most watched playoff game this year with 4.86 million viewers. ⚾ Mets fans are excited! Six of the ten most watched playoff games to date have included the Mets. ⚾ National League matchups make up eight of the top ten most watched playoff games to date. Two Yankees-Royals ALDS games round out the top ten. ⚾ Not a highlight but interesting to note, the first game of the Wild Card round between Kansas City and Baltimore was the least watched game of the playoffs to date at 1.2 million. Hope everyone is watching, there have been some great games and more to come. I think we all know who our friends at Fox will be cheering for.  

Dodgers last night threw their B-squad out there. In a World Series game. Here's why last nights game plan was the right call and what it says about decision making: First, let's be clear, they played to win and despite the score, they were in it until the 8th. They had runners on, they had opportunities, this was a winnable game. But they're planning a 7-game series, not a single game and I'd bet their approach involved gaming out the scenarios where New York comes back. And here's the most likely: 1. Beat just one of the Dodger's A-squad's arms (Hudson allowed the damage and was definitely an 'A' guy) and take the bullpen game 4. 2. Roll your ace - Cole - out against Flaherty and a depleted bullpen to take game 5. 3. Get a gem or a few inning of good stuff from Rodon before turning over to your rested bullpen and scratch out a close one in game 6. 4. Anything happens in game 7. The job of the Dodgers then is to throw as many obstacles in the way of that plan as well as try and execute your own plan to win one game. If you spend your A-squad in a losing game you open the door. Instead NY has to win 3 straight TOUGH games. As soon as LA's A-guys gave up the lead, they put it on the offense to win it and out slug the Yankee bullpen. They gave themselves the best chance to win 1 of 4 games which is all they have to do. Good businesses understand what they have to do to win. They also understand what scenarios happen in which they do those things and still lose. You can't create a 100% certainty in business or life. You can, however, identify a game plan to win and mitigate your risks. If you have no idea what I'm talking about - you're missing some great baseball. But you're also probably not losing months off your life with unnecessary sports stress. Follow me for more baseball rants and tangents forced into business analogies.

All Star Snubs??? Over the weekend, the reserves and pitchers were named for the 2024 MLB All-Star Game, which will be held July 16 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The starters were named last week.  As is the case every year, it’s disheartening to see deserving players left off the All-Star team, often referred to as ‘snubs.' One snub that stood out to me was the Arizona Diamondbacks First Baseman, Christian Walker, who left off the team. Walker is having an impressive season with 22 home runs and more than 60 RBIs and helped lead the DBacks to the World Series in 2023. Last week, the D-Backs were in LA to play the Dodgers, and Walker put on a clinic, much like he did in the ’23 playoffs, hitting five home runs in the three-game series. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts called him “Babe Ruth against us.” But apparently, the Babe wasn’t good enough. Part of the problem is that every team must have at least one all-star representative, a rule designed to ensure every team is represented, but which can sometimes leave one less slot for other deserving players. Ironically, this year’s NL All-Star manager is the D-Backs manager Torey Lovullo, Walker’s manager. But Lovullo clearly couldn’t pull the strings for one of his guys. As we mentioned earlier, this year’s team includes 19 players under the age of 27, but what about older players like Walker, now 33 and in his 10th MLB season?  A shame. John Boxley Box-seats.com

Tuesday’s opening night doubleheader saw single-digit increases for both games, including a 7% bump relative to last year for the nightcap featuring the historic father-son debut of LeBron James and Bronny James Jr. The NBA’s opening day also benefited from a lack of competition this year, as last season’s opening games aired against Game 7 of MLB’s NLCS. But ESPN’s two-game NBA slate Wednesday and TNT’s follow-up Thursday both saw double-digit declines in viewership. Wednesday’s doubleheader, Bucks at Sixers followed by Suns at Clippers, averaged 1.6 million viewers, down 42% from last year. However, the two-game average is up 5% versus 2022 as last season saw a massive bump in viewership driven by the NBA debut of Victor Wembanyama. A viewership bump for a rookie prodigy’s first game and subsequent drop the following year was also seen in the NHL. ESPN’s three-day slate to open the NHL season on Oct. 8 was down 39% from last year, when one of the games featured was the debut of 2023 No. 1 pick Connor Bedard. Wembanyama and the Spurs opened their 2024 campaign against Luka Dončić and the Mavericks as the first of ESPN’s two-game Thursday slate, drawing 1.45 million viewers, which is down 29% compared to the same window last year. While the NBA’s first three days dodged competition from the World Series, the third day did compete with the NFL. The TNF game between the Vikings and Rams averaged 12.6 million viewers on Amazon Prime Video, up 11% from last year. #DrexelSBIZ #SportBusiness #NBA #ESPN #NBAonTNT #Basketball

Game Situation Score: 0-0 Inning: 3rd Outs: 2 Bases Occupied: 1st and 3rd Hitter: 8 Name: Jake Rogers Data: Batting AVG .197 After working the count to 3-0. Jake Rogers and the Detroit Tigers had the opportunity to pass baton and grind out a walk. Usually that’s what an 8 Hitter will try to do. He’ll try to grind out a walk and pass the baton because he and his team doesn’t believe in his ability to make a positive impact by swinging the bat. Rogers is also followed by Trey Sweeney. Sweeney is a dangerous hitter who in a small sample size has hit Lefties better than Righties. Once again it would have been justifiable to pursue a walk. To their Credit, the Tigers decided to be aggressive and gave Jake Rogers the green light. Rogers obliged and hit a Poorly Located Sinker into Center Field. Valdez then made the same mistake to Trey Sweeney. The Detroit Tigers aren’t by any means an Offensive Juggernaut. They Rank 24th in Batting Average and 19th in Runs. But that Decision/Play is representative of how impactful Managers and Front Offices can be on Outcomes. Overall, I appreciate the Aggressive Approach. An Approach that puts pressure on the Opposition Manager, Pitcher, and Defense. I also like an Approach that puts pressure on your own players to take greater responsibility. One More Thing, the ability to Embed Effective Rules into a Game Model remains a low hanging fruit in baseball.

#30 New York Mets: The Top 3 Pitchers Drafted Since 2013 The Mets have shown improvement in 2024, but since 2013, their performance has been inconsistent. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, they ranked 14th in total wins, 5th in total days lost to pitcher injuries, and have relied on an astonishing 33 pitchers per season since 2021 to cover their workload. With elite talents like Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler, and Steven Matz, the Mets were poised to have one of the most dominant rotations of the past decade. However, injuries shattered that potential, leaving a gap that top pitching prospects struggled to fill. The result? Persistent rotation instability and minimal contributions from their Top 3 draft picks since 2013, exposing deeper issues in player development and sustained pitching success. Injury Rate: 33% Of the 33 pitchers in this study, 11 have undergone surgery on their throwing arms, with an average time to surgery of just 196 innings. Notable surgeries include Anthony Kay (2016), Matt Allan (2019), and Calvin Ziegler (2021). Both Allan and Ziegler, drafted out of high school, required Tommy John surgery after logging fewer than 100 professional innings. MLB Pitchers: 3 Thomas Szapucki, David Peterson, and Eric Orze have each made at least one MLB appearance. Notably, Peterson has accounted for 98% of the 431 MLB innings pitched by the Mets' Top 3 draftees. Cost Efficiency – $/MLB IP: The Mets have spent nearly $70,000 per MLB inning pitched by their Top 3 pitchers, ranking second only to the Houston Astros in this regard. This includes nearly $10 million in signing bonuses for Justin Dunn, Anthony Kay, Simeon Woods Richardson, Josh Wolf, and Matt Allan, none of whom have thrown a single MLB inning for the Mets. While the Mets have actively traded away 12 of their top pitching prospects, the lack of returns on their investments highlights the ongoing struggles in producing and sustaining homegrown pitching talent.

The Indiana Pacers secured an impressive 132-123 victory over the Chicago Bulls in a thrilling matchup on Friday night, showcasing an electrifying display of offensive talent on both sides. The game was packed with back-and-forth scoring, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the final buzzer. Ultimately, it was the Pacers who came out on top, improving their season record to 10-14. As for the Bulls, the loss brought their record to an identical 10-14, demonstrating just how closely matched these teams are. Tyrese Haliburton was the standout star for the Pacers, delivering a stellar performance that fueled his team’s offensive success. His ability to facilitate plays and knock down big shots proved instrumental in securing the win. On the other side, the Bulls fought valiantly, with their own offensive firepower on full display throughout the contest. Despite their efforts, they couldn’t keep pace in the final moments of the game. This high-scoring showdown highlighted the potential of two teams looking to find consistency and climb the standings. Both squads showed resilience and determination, but Friday night belonged to the Pacers, whose cohesive execution and poise down the stretch made the difference. As the NBA season progresses, performances like these remind us why basketball remains one of the most exciting sports to watch. Fans of both teams and basketball lovers alike will have this matchup etched into their memories as a prime example of competitive, entertaining play. #NBA #IndianaPacers #ChicagoBulls #BasketballHighlights #TyreseHaliburton #SportsUpdate #Basketball

I know this really isn't a LinkedIn post, but as a baseball fan, I needed to get it off my chest. If baseball is going to continue with this joke of a playoff format with barely above .500 teams making it and playing one of the division winners off the bat, then we should: 1. Go back to two divisions in each league. This way, there is an actual reward for winning the division. And you don't have teams like Milwaukee and Houston this year, being eliminated by a lucky team, or a team with only one good pitcher. Second year in a row something like this has happened. And: 2. Let the wild cards duke it and have the two winners play the division winners. Or: 1. Keep the current three division format, and 2. Make the wildcards duke it out in one game elimination playoffs, played back to back with no travel days, till one stands in each league, and that team plays in the division series.

#25 The Texas Rangers: Top 3 Pitchers Drafted Since 2013 The Texas Rangers Baseball Club won the World Series in 2023, establishing a foundation of leadership under Chris Young and Bruce Bochy. Although 2024 was a down year, this was expected due to Jacob deGrom and Max Scherzer missing significant time in 2023 and 2024. Their injuries provided opportunities for prospects like Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, and Owen White. However, as this case study shows, 10 pitchers have reached the majors, but over 50% have experienced arm injuries along the way, and as of yet, no pitcher has become a consistent top 3 MLB starter. Injury Rate: 51% 51% of pitchers in this study faced an arm injury or surgery, totaling 19 injuries and 10 surgeries, with an average time to surgery of 205 innings. Chi Chi Gonzalez (2013) and Brett Martin (2014) reached the majors, averaging 662 innings before surgery. However, 12 of the 14 pitchers drafted from 2016-2020 experienced arm injuries, with 8 requiring surgery, and the average time to surgery fell to just 73 innings. This period coincided with the implementation of a progressive throwing program for the Rangers' top pitching prospects. Whether or not this program remains, its injury impact was significant. MLB Pitchers: 10 The 10 pitchers in this study have combined for 639 MLB innings, led by Brett Martin (189 innings) and Cole Ragans (136 innings), who are no longer with the organization. The Rangers still have 17 active pitchers, including Cody Bradford (132 IP), Jack Leiter (35 IP), and Owen White (7 IP), who could contribute more value in the future. Kumar Rocker has also added 11 innings to the total, but this was after the final results were compiled. Cost Efficiency – $/MLB IP: $68,735 The Rangers' investment in signing bonuses equates to roughly $68,735 per MLB inning pitched, placing them 28th in MLB return on investment. The Rangers, like many teams, have yet to develop a homegrown quality starter. However, the future could be different with the potential rise of Jack Leiter, Kumar Rocker, or Brock Porter.