Sky Kalkman
@skykalkman.bsky.social
Baseball, limes, data nerdery. I ask a lot of questions.
https://skykalkman.substack.com/
https://skykalkman.substack.com/
Mostly fantasy and sci-fi that I read before bed. Non-fiction has really taken a nosedive as free time decreases and stress increases.
January 1, 2026 at 12:13 AM
Mostly fantasy and sci-fi that I read before bed. Non-fiction has really taken a nosedive as free time decreases and stress increases.
"If I'm going to spend a little more on a bike, I might as well spend even a little bit more than that" gets really dangerous really fast.
December 31, 2025 at 11:12 PM
"If I'm going to spend a little more on a bike, I might as well spend even a little bit more than that" gets really dangerous really fast.
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
Timezones are so weird. Australia is in 2026, Canada is in 2025, and the United States is in 1939.
December 31, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Timezones are so weird. Australia is in 2026, Canada is in 2025, and the United States is in 1939.
Hitters that BatX likes at least 10 pts of wRC+ more than Steamer (most to least):
Will Smith
Cooper Kinney
Manuel Margot
Jared Serna
Ben Cowles
James Triantos
J.T. Realmuto
Jorge Alfaro
Brenton Doyle
Shohei Ohtani
Dominic Keegan
Maximo Acosta
Tanner Murray
Aaron Judge
Tyler O'Neill
Will Smith
Cooper Kinney
Manuel Margot
Jared Serna
Ben Cowles
James Triantos
J.T. Realmuto
Jorge Alfaro
Brenton Doyle
Shohei Ohtani
Dominic Keegan
Maximo Acosta
Tanner Murray
Aaron Judge
Tyler O'Neill
December 31, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Hitters that BatX likes at least 10 pts of wRC+ more than Steamer (most to least):
Will Smith
Cooper Kinney
Manuel Margot
Jared Serna
Ben Cowles
James Triantos
J.T. Realmuto
Jorge Alfaro
Brenton Doyle
Shohei Ohtani
Dominic Keegan
Maximo Acosta
Tanner Murray
Aaron Judge
Tyler O'Neill
Will Smith
Cooper Kinney
Manuel Margot
Jared Serna
Ben Cowles
James Triantos
J.T. Realmuto
Jorge Alfaro
Brenton Doyle
Shohei Ohtani
Dominic Keegan
Maximo Acosta
Tanner Murray
Aaron Judge
Tyler O'Neill
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
THE BAT projections are in. On the pitching side, there aren’t many big deviations from Steamer. Generally slightly more optimistic on rate stats for Orioles starters and slightly less optimistic about innings compared to Depth Charts.
www.fangraphs.com/projections?...
www.fangraphs.com/projections?...
2026 Projections - THE BAT | FanGraphs Baseball
www.fangraphs.com
December 31, 2025 at 5:52 PM
THE BAT projections are in. On the pitching side, there aren’t many big deviations from Steamer. Generally slightly more optimistic on rate stats for Orioles starters and slightly less optimistic about innings compared to Depth Charts.
www.fangraphs.com/projections?...
www.fangraphs.com/projections?...
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
this is the most like a mike tyson's punch out guy i have ever seen anyone look
October 14, 2025 at 3:36 PM
this is the most like a mike tyson's punch out guy i have ever seen anyone look
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
I was just alerted to the perfect joke
January 10, 2025 at 9:45 PM
I was just alerted to the perfect joke
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
Yep, the AI boom is massive, but if you think all recent US economic growth is downstream of data centers, think again—total investment in computers & software contributed roughly 0.3% to the 4.3% GDP growth in Q3
December 23, 2025 at 2:11 PM
Yep, the AI boom is massive, but if you think all recent US economic growth is downstream of data centers, think again—total investment in computers & software contributed roughly 0.3% to the 4.3% GDP growth in Q3
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
Wanna see real-life miracles? Fund scientific research.
A team of US scientists just cured Alzheimer’s in mice — and there is now hope that the disease can be reversed in humans.
futurism.com/health-medic...
A team of US scientists just cured Alzheimer’s in mice — and there is now hope that the disease can be reversed in humans.
futurism.com/health-medic...
Alzheimer's Fully Reversed in Mice, Scientists Say
A new compound has been shown to reverse late stage Alzheimer's disease in lab mice, which gives millions of sufferers new cause for hope.
futurism.com
December 31, 2025 at 2:30 AM
Wanna see real-life miracles? Fund scientific research.
A team of US scientists just cured Alzheimer’s in mice — and there is now hope that the disease can be reversed in humans.
futurism.com/health-medic...
A team of US scientists just cured Alzheimer’s in mice — and there is now hope that the disease can be reversed in humans.
futurism.com/health-medic...
Some amusing parts of my Fangraphs 2025 Walk-Off...
December 30, 2025 at 10:17 PM
Some amusing parts of my Fangraphs 2025 Walk-Off...
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
i’m going to intentionally wait until the new year to sub so i can give BP more of my money, and i’d love to get someone else set up with a subscription as a belated holiday gift.
all you have to do is reply here with your favorite player who never posted a wRC+ over 100 in MLB.
let it rip!
all you have to do is reply here with your favorite player who never posted a wRC+ over 100 in MLB.
let it rip!
you have one more day to do this, and I really think you should
last effort: I run a baseball site with some of my best, smartest, and most talented friends. we do fun and engaging work all year long, and it's about to get more expensive to read that work as of 1/1. I'd much rather you get in the door as cheap as possible. It also makes for a great gift:
December 30, 2025 at 7:06 PM
i’m going to intentionally wait until the new year to sub so i can give BP more of my money, and i’d love to get someone else set up with a subscription as a belated holiday gift.
all you have to do is reply here with your favorite player who never posted a wRC+ over 100 in MLB.
let it rip!
all you have to do is reply here with your favorite player who never posted a wRC+ over 100 in MLB.
let it rip!
I understand wanting a similar number of players from all positions/roles in the Hall of Fame. E.g. "These are the best closers of all time." But then you get lots of non-HoFame players who were better and more valuable than HoFame players and that is pretty weird.
December 30, 2025 at 7:14 PM
I understand wanting a similar number of players from all positions/roles in the Hall of Fame. E.g. "These are the best closers of all time." But then you get lots of non-HoFame players who were better and more valuable than HoFame players and that is pretty weird.
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
This is exactly why I went through the exercise of retconning the four-to-seven Gold Gloves that Utley would have won in the modern player-evaluation environment:
December 30, 2025 at 4:47 PM
This is exactly why I went through the exercise of retconning the four-to-seven Gold Gloves that Utley would have won in the modern player-evaluation environment:
One thing to consider with regards to Pettitte, Buehrle, Hamels and the rest of the "HoF pitchers don't look like they used to" concept is the list of upcoming HoFamers:
Verlander
Scherzer
Kershaw
Greinke
Those guys definitely look like how HoFamers used to.
Verlander
Scherzer
Kershaw
Greinke
Those guys definitely look like how HoFamers used to.
December 30, 2025 at 4:54 PM
One thing to consider with regards to Pettitte, Buehrle, Hamels and the rest of the "HoF pitchers don't look like they used to" concept is the list of upcoming HoFamers:
Verlander
Scherzer
Kershaw
Greinke
Those guys definitely look like how HoFamers used to.
Verlander
Scherzer
Kershaw
Greinke
Those guys definitely look like how HoFamers used to.
It's also why I think narrative-driven awards like MVP are dumb. Then it's no longer a player award, it's a player+team+pennant_race+whatever award. And conflating that with a player award reduces the honor of winning it and value of the award looking back.
This is exactly how I approached lack of GG for Utley, lack of ASG for Abreu, etc
that stuff matters a *little* but if I'm just relying on awards given out for best BA and highest fielding % or whatever, it's just regurgitating decades-old analysis.
that stuff matters a *little* but if I'm just relying on awards given out for best BA and highest fielding % or whatever, it's just regurgitating decades-old analysis.
"Chase Utley wasn't seen a HoFamer during his playing career" is not an indictment of Utley, it's an indictment of the media of the time.
December 30, 2025 at 4:16 PM
It's also why I think narrative-driven awards like MVP are dumb. Then it's no longer a player award, it's a player+team+pennant_race+whatever award. And conflating that with a player award reduces the honor of winning it and value of the award looking back.
"Chase Utley wasn't seen a HoFamer during his playing career" is not an indictment of Utley, it's an indictment of the media of the time.
December 30, 2025 at 4:05 PM
"Chase Utley wasn't seen a HoFamer during his playing career" is not an indictment of Utley, it's an indictment of the media of the time.
There are issues with FIP-based WAR, but Randy Johnson has 5 of the top 13 fWAR seasons for pitchers since 1955. That's absurd.
Pedro has 2/15, Clemens 2/19, Koufax 3/22.
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
Pedro has 2/15, Clemens 2/19, Koufax 3/22.
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
Major League Leaderboards - 1955 to 2025 - Pitching | FanGraphs Baseball
www.fangraphs.com
December 30, 2025 at 4:04 PM
There are issues with FIP-based WAR, but Randy Johnson has 5 of the top 13 fWAR seasons for pitchers since 1955. That's absurd.
Pedro has 2/15, Clemens 2/19, Koufax 3/22.
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
Pedro has 2/15, Clemens 2/19, Koufax 3/22.
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
I find it amusing that the argument against Felix as a HoFamer is lack of career innings, but the argument for Felix (high seasonal WARs) relies on a lot of innings in some seasons.
December 30, 2025 at 3:20 PM
I find it amusing that the argument against Felix as a HoFamer is lack of career innings, but the argument for Felix (high seasonal WARs) relies on a lot of innings in some seasons.
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
If you have a minute or two to waste, take some time and vote for your favorite young starting pitcher for fantasy ... baseball:
all-our-ideas.citizens.is/group/3065
all-our-ideas.citizens.is/group/3065
All Our Ideas
all-our-ideas.citizens.is
December 29, 2025 at 11:54 PM
If you have a minute or two to waste, take some time and vote for your favorite young starting pitcher for fantasy ... baseball:
all-our-ideas.citizens.is/group/3065
all-our-ideas.citizens.is/group/3065
Here's a link to a WAR graph of every hitter on the Hall of Fame ballot this year. It's illegible beyond ARod, but you can click names in the legend above to hide/show individual players. Can also add additional players to compare against.
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
December 29, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Here's a link to a WAR graph of every hitter on the Hall of Fame ballot this year. It's illegible beyond ARod, but you can click names in the legend above to hide/show individual players. Can also add additional players to compare against.
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
If you love Harold Baines, Torii Hunter is a no-brainer. Kings of the 3-4 WAR season, which surely screams "all-time great."
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
December 29, 2025 at 3:28 PM
If you love Harold Baines, Torii Hunter is a no-brainer. Kings of the 3-4 WAR season, which surely screams "all-time great."
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
www.fangraphs.com/graphsw.aspx...
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
The Dodgers have won 8 games since the Raiders last won a game
December 29, 2025 at 12:06 AM
The Dodgers have won 8 games since the Raiders last won a game
Reposted by Sky Kalkman
Nation Can’t Believe It On Harvard’s Side
December 28, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Nation Can’t Believe It On Harvard’s Side
Here's another way to put it. Of their six best seasons combined, David Wright has 5 of them and Jimmy Rollins has one.
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
December 28, 2025 at 5:59 PM
Here's another way to put it. Of their six best seasons combined, David Wright has 5 of them and Jimmy Rollins has one.
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
You can put player IDs in the URL in order to view Leaderboard tables for individual players. E.g. the +Stats like OBP+ which aren't available in the player pages.
There isn't a way on the player pages yet. You would have to do something like this on the leaderboards: www.fangraphs.com/leaders/majo...
Major League Leaderboards - 2012 to 2025 - Batting | FanGraphs Baseball
www.fangraphs.com
December 28, 2025 at 5:36 PM
You can put player IDs in the URL in order to view Leaderboard tables for individual players. E.g. the +Stats like OBP+ which aren't available in the player pages.