The poker world is one of excitement, suspense and constant change. Players from across the globe vie for supremacy in high-stakes matches again and again, each determined to claim the top spot.

It’s not easy. And it’s a challenge only the very best players can rise to. But who are these skilled players? 

Here are the 10 best poker stars from around the world in 2019 (all information and stats are based on the Global Poker Index, correct as of October 2019).

1. Stephen Chidwick

Score: 3,660.03 points

Brit Stephen Chidwick has accrued more than $5.1m in online earnings and has held his number-one spot in the GPI rankings for almost three months at the time of writing. His all-time winnings exceed $30.8m.

2. William Alex Foxen

Score: 3,533.91 points

William Alex Foxen, who hails from New York, USA, has earned over $5m online during his career. His all-time winnings total more than $12.7m. 

3. Rainer Kempe 

Score: 3,402.97 points

German Rainer Kempe’s poker skills have earned him all-time winnings of more than $18.8m throughout his career. 

4. Bryn Kenney

Score: 3,401.29 points

Bryn Kenney, another American based in New York, has claimed over $430K in online winnings and over $54m in all-time money.

5. Manig Loeser

Score: 3,372.84 points

Manig Loeser, who resides in Bad Homburg, Germany, has all-time earnings of over $10.9m to his name. 

6. Sean Winter 

Score: 3,220.73 points

Sean Winter, a US native based in Jacksonville, Florida, has all-time earnings exceeding $13.6m. He ranked second in the No Limit Hold’em tournament in Las Vegas 2019, claiming $60,000. How to short sell Bitcoin on NAGA naga.com While there’s always a chance the bull run continues, it’s worth knowing how you may profit also when the market is going down.

7. Timothy “Tim0thee” Adams

Score: 3,214.40 points

Timothy “Tim0thee” Adams is a Canadian with over $18.1m in all-time money under his belt. He finished 5th in the No Limit Hold’em – Platinum High Roller (Even #8) tournament, with over $128K in winnings.

8. Jeremy “TheTaker” Ausmus

Score: 3,196.95 points

US-born Jeremy “TheTaker” Ausmus has earned over $580K in online winnings and all-time money of more than $7.7m. In July 2019, he finished second in the No Limit Hold’em – Millions Vegas tournament, with $650K in earnings.

9. Michael Addamo

Score: 3,194.74 points

Michael Addamo, an Australian residing in Melbourne, has all-time money earnings of more than $6.1m and finished third in the No Limit Hold-em (Event #24) at Casino Barcelona, in August 2019. 

10. Nick Pupillo

Score: 3,192.66 points

Last but by no means least is Nick Pupillo. Based in Gilbert, Arizona, this American poker player has all-time money earnings of over $2.9m. He finished fourth in the No Limit Hold’em – Main Event at the Horseshoe Southern Indiana, with more than $38K in earnings.

Want to try your hand at poker? It’s a thrilling game for players of all ages and experience levels, with several exciting variations (Texas Hold’em, 5-Card Stud, 5-Card Draw to name just a few). And, as you can see, there’s big money to be won.

How can you get started? Mena Casino has all the online casino reviews and details you need to find the best poker sites available. Check out our list of reliable online casinos now!

It has been over a year now since sports betting was legalised at a national level and we can already see some trends emerging. Americans, prefer to bet via their mobile and betting on the NFL appears to be the nations favorite gambling pastime – no surprises there!

There is one unexpected gambling habit that sportsbooks have been quick to notice and that is in-play betting. This form of betting means that you can bet on an event as it is happening. The amount of in-play bets placed per American customers is higher than in other places in the world.

So, why would the Americans be more prone to an in-play bet than other nationalities? The answer lies in how this form of betting has developed over the years. In-play betting or live betting as it is known in Europe has existed for a number of years, but no-where near as long as other forms of betting. This meant that online gambling habits were formed long before the advent of live betting. In America on the other hand, the only way to legally bet on sports has been as a physical sportsbook, which would mean betting on a game whilst watching it live. This has meant that Americans have developed their sports betting habits which are more in line with in-play betting.

This has not gone unnoticed. If you look a list of all the best US sportsbooks you will find that every single one of them offers in-play bets in some capacity. Bettingscanner.com recently looked at the sportsbooks offering the most in-play bets and found that there is a significant discrepancy between the number of in-plays offered but also the value in the in-play odds offered by sportsbooks in the US.

The sportsbook comparison site found that Draftkings were the best sportsbook choice for the in-play punter. The sportsbook may have been given a helping hand by the fact that it is also a fantasy sports operator. To be able to provide in-play bets, sportsbook needs a massive amount of live-data, which you also need in fantasy sports. This data is used to provide the customer with the correct information but also to be able to set the odds. This means that Fanduel also performed well in their ranking, as it also began its life as a fantasy sports operator. 

As it stands, your choice of sportsbooks is still limited to where you are based geographically. It is New Jersey that is the real trailblazer in the US when it comes to sports betting. It is also the state that prefers betting on basketball over football. If you are based in New Jersey, then we suggest you check what sportsbooks in NJ are currently active and offering in-play betting.

In a year or two, we expect that all sportsbooks in the US will offer a large selection of in-play bets for all sports. However, until then, sportsbooks rushing to launch in the US will not be able to ace everything – that means certain sportsbooks will place more emphasis on in-play compared to others.

I am not sure how many of you here know what is a softball? It is a very classic sport that is a modified version of baseball. As I said, modified version, there are modifications and these bring the difference between the two. Softball is being played with a comparatively larger ball than baseball. When it was first invented in 1887, it was named softball as it was played with a softball. But later the balls became hard with the usage. 

The game explained

This game actually has a pace that is faster than a baseball game. As a softball player, there are certain things that one should know. It is the basic technique that is important as a softball one should know. The batting and bowling have many forms. Each of these forms is unique and mastering these is all that would take to win a match. These are the tricks that every player should know. 

This game consists of two teams. There are 9 players in each team. They line up in positions namely, pitcher, catcher, 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd baseman, shortstop, left fielder, centerfielder, and the right fielder. A batter can stand on either side on the batter’s box. The choice of the side of the batter’s box lies with the player. Their job is to score runs by hitting the ball when it is pitched to them. A batter continues to play for either 3 strikes or 4 balls.

The umpire calls for play ball. This is when the game starts. There are three groups of players. The pitchers, the batsman, and the fielders. The fielders stand in their fair territory. Once they are ready in their place, the batsman also is ready in his place and then the pitcher throws the ball from the pitching plate.

The pitcher should pitch the ball in the underarm motion only. His aim should be to pitch the ball over the batsman to the gloves of the catcher. The catcher stands behind the batsman. The throw by the catcher also should in underarm motion. The pitching styles are of three kinds. It is medium pitch, soft pitch, and fastpitch. 

Practice brings it all

In order to a successful player, one must practice a lot. When it comes to softball, any number of hours of practice is not sufficient. All three skills should be given equal importance. The art of fielding, throwing, catching and hitting, all are important. For a hitter, the most important thing would be the choice of a bat. Throwing can be practiced by using a bigger ball than the actual ball. In this case, gloves play a major role. 

Now going into the choice of a bat, let us see some popular choices of best slowpitch softball bats this year. 

Miken DC-41 SuperMax

This Miken DC-41 SuperMax is a two-piece bat. It is one of the best softball bats. This bat provides a wonderful swing that enables the ball to go the distance. It is also a full complex bat and it is made in the US. It is made in the state-of-the-art and radical formula. It is called the 100 comp formula. This bat is durable even after the season because of the carbon fibersthat are comprised of this. These carbon fibers are used for aerospace technology. This bat provides end load and thus ensures maximum power. Also, it has a F2P technology that gives a good speed to the bat.  

DeMarini Flipper OG ASA

This is one of the best slowpitch softball bats. This is the right choice for those who are looking for a balanced slowpitch bat. This is because of the two-piece equal construction pattern. It has got an alloy handle that allows increased stiffness which in turn provides durability and also the outcome of results is maximum.

Easton Ghost Double Barrel 

This is also a two-piece composite bat like the other bats. It is approved for play in ASA. The double-barrel design of this bat provides a classy feel.  It has also got all the features of a good bat. This would be chosen by a good player for the outcome it may give. It has also got a swing weight that is balanced. 

Miken Freak 23 Maxload

This bad comes in a very attractive color. It is a combination of neon yellow and blue. This makes the bat attractive. It also has got an amazing power that will stick on to you from the moment you look at his bat. This bat is preferred by players who want more power behind their swing. It is made from the 100 Comp technology as well.

Worth Legit XXL

This is a very well-known bat. This company makes signature bats and are known for their best softball bats. This bat has a larger hit surface that makes it stand out. This also comes in the popular neon yellow and blue combination. Players with heavy swing are recommended to choose this bat. It is got an ultra-thin handle. 

DeMariniJuggy OVL ASA

This is a complete composite bat that is approved for play in the ASA only. While most bats are approved for both ASA and ISA, this bat is allowed in the former alone. This bat has a swingthat is loaded at the end of the bat. This bat has a special quality of transforming negative energy. This is transferred into extra power and all this is because of the fusion handle of this bat. It has got a barrel length of 12 inches.

Miken Vicious ASA

This bat is a unique piece. It approved for ASA, USSSA, NSA, and ISA. This is an alloy bat and it has got a balanced swing. This bat is unique for its durability. This is achieved by the e-flex 700 aluminium construction. 

Take a look at all these bats, also go for reviews and choose the best bat that will suit you and your style. 

If you want to stay up on the latest and greatest, get all the hot takes, and make sure that you’re in the know for all things sports then we’ve got your back.

Every week we’re inundated with articles, news releases, conference updates and the like. This data dump of information helps us stay on top of the sports world and gives us unique insight into the stories that matter most to our readers and to the people who come to us for the inside take on sportsbooks, like the deals being offered right now at Indiana gambling. We combine all this info, package it up, and here… we’re passing it off to you. Enjoy!!!

Large Alfred saw Kemba Walker average 30.3 points on 49.4% shooting against the Celts last season — but go 4 for 18 (1-6 on 3’s) on the way to just 12 points in this one.

“Obviously that wasn’t his best night tonight,” said Horford. “He’ll be better. They all will.”

…

For Hayward, it wasn’t good to see his team shoot 36.7% from the floor (7-26, 26.9% on treys).

“Well we got good looks,” he said. “We got a lot of good looks, so you’ll take that every day of the week and bank on us making more of those. Sometimes you just miss some of those.”

Added coach Brad Stevens, looking at Walker and Tatum in particular, “I’m not worried about that. (Walker)’s a great offensive player, so some of those shots will go down.

Boston Herald

Last season the Celtics opened against the Sixers at home and beat them 105-87.

And we all know how the rest of the season went for the Celtics.

So I’m just going to throw that out there for context.

The Celtics are going to be alright.

Meanwhile, Chris Forsberg’s got reactions to the reactions from Wednesday’s game:

Gordon Hayward is back!

Judgment: Not an overreaction

When Hayward struggled a bit in the opening minutes, it was fair to wonder if the summer hype train had been a mirage. But by the second half he was playing with a swagger we haven’t often seen in his Boston days. The NBA’s tracking data credited him with 18 drives — tied for the eighth-highest total in the league after the NBA’s opening slate of games. What’s more, Hayward generated nine field goal attempts off those drives and six of his 11 free throws were a direct result of drives.

NBC Sports

Coming off the All-Star break in 2019, Hayward’s points in the paint, as a percentage of overall points went from 35.1% to 47.4%. That’s a significant shift over a fairly meaningful slice of games (19 of 82), and if it holds through this season, we’re going to see a very different Gordon Hayward than we saw last year.

The NBA should get rid of coaches’ challenges and find a way to speed up video reviews

Judgment: Indisputably not an overreaction

Sixty-three fouls were bad enough. Players, coaches, and fans alike would prefer to get an occasional call wrong over these interminable, energy-killing reviews.

NBC Sports

The NBA does not want to fix the ‘problems’ with its officiating, because it does not view them as problems. They seem to like having crews that are whistle-happy and crews that ‘let ’em play’. They still have this rule on the books:

A player who is dribbling may not put any part of his hand under the ball and (1) carry it from one point to another or (2) bring it to a pause and then continue to dribble again.

But have you ever seen it enforced?

The issues with the NBA’s rulebook and its officiating cannot be solved by applying patches like the risible ‘two minute report’, which is about as useful as hip pockets on a shirt, or these ‘challenges’. All they do is remind everyone that the system is busted.

Page 2: Where there’s another game tonight

Over at MassLive, John’s got a preview of tonight’s home opener against Toronto:

2. Will the ball move more?

As good as the attacking was at some points, there still wasn’t enough of the side-to-side ball movement that Brad Stevens preaches.

Part of the issue, if you can call it an issue, is that Boston has guys who can handle the ball and get by defenders. Still, getting past one guy doesn’t mean another won’t rotate over to help. Tatum was guilty of forcing what might be considered “make-able” shots in situations where a kick-out might have been more appropriate.

The value of collapsing the defense by driving comes primarily from two distinct (but not mutually exclusive) circumstances:

• When you get past your primary defender, another defender will have to rotate over to cover you. This leaves someone on the court unguarded.
• You will likely have an advantage of some sort over the help defender. He may be taller, but you’re quicker. He can’t establish position fast enough to contest the shot without fouling, etc.

A good player can read the situation and decide which advantage gives the team the best chance to score. And often the choice comes down to giving up a good shot for a better one. Tatum and Brown are both still young guys who are learning the game, and learning how to recognize when to shoot and when to pass.

Finally: College Game Day comes to Brookings

The College Gameday crew will be setup on the college green at South Dakota State University. I spent a lot of time walking across that green–and most of the time it wasn’t:

The rest of the links:

MassLive: Boston Celtics center Enes Kanter out Friday night vs. Toronto Raptors with knee contusion | Jaylen Brown contract extension: Boston Celtics ‘improved their offer significantly at the end’ (report) | Boston Celtics rookie Javonte Green’s family drove more than five hours to his first game: ‘It’s better than everything’

NBC Sports: Kemba’s history of rebounding from bad games | Ainge: Brown deal is a ‘bet on his future’ | Hayward’s aggressive approach encouraging | Amid whistles & bricks, Stevens sees positives | Here’s what caused Tacko Fall’s concussion | C’s injury report: Kanter ruled out for Friday

As Australia’s most famous annual Thoroughbred horse race, and one of the country’s biggest sporting events in general, it’s little surprise that national spotlight shines on the Melbourne Cup on the first Tuesday of November every year. This may be the epicentre of Australian and Melbourne horse racing, but if you think it’s just all about the horses, think again. It’s known as the Race that Stops a Nation for a reason – and in 2019 it’s set to be as big as ever. If you have any interest in the event or plan to visit yourself, it’s best to prepare by brushing up on the basics.

Get in the Holiday Spirit

Australia doesn’t just ‘stop’ metaphorically for this racing event; it’s an actual public holiday (for everyone working in Melbourne at least). This is worth bearing in mind because it can affect transport links in the area, and it’s therefore recommended to plan your route in advance. Don’t expect to arrive in Melbourne on the day and have to explain what you’re there for. Chances are everyone is either going to the race or working to accommodate those who are. At least you won’t be short of assistance with directions if you’re at risk of getting lost.

Have Fun with Sweepstake’s and Betting

Unsurprisingly, the race represents a great opportunity for spectators to have a punt. Most workplaces and bars will run their own sweepstake in which practically everyone likes to take part because you never know when you might get lucky. For individual bets, some of the less trained eyes, shall we say, may prefer to just pick a random number or name of a horse and see what happens. Others really put their minds to it in an effort to win big.

If interested you can keep one eye on the Melbourne Cup form guide to see how horses have been performing, but simple geography can’t be underestimated either. Typically horses that have to travel far to get here, such as British thoroughbreds, won’t do so well, whereas Australian and Asian horses have the advantage of less exhausting travel time. Australia stakes for the home-bred horses may, therefore, be lower but also represent your best chance of winning. Who doesn’t love a hometown hero, after all? Well, probably you, if you end up betting against them.

Know Your History

The Melbourne Cup 2019 is set to join a long history of Melbourne horse racing, dating back to 1861 when just seventeen horses contested this event. To think it rose from such humble beginnings to become one of the biggest, most internationally renowned horse races in the world is fascinating. Those who are interested may want to dig deeper to find some great stories from the event’s history, including that of 1930 New Zealand-born winner Phar Lap, nicknamed “Australia’s Wonder Horse”. He had an unusually large heart for a horse of 6.2kg, which can be seen on display at the National Museum of Australia if you’re into that kind of thing.

Summary

If the Melbourne Cup seems a little overwhelming at first, rest assured it’s an experience that lasts a lifetime in memory. With attendances averaging over 100,000 since its record attendance of 122,736 in 2003, the event has endured in popularity in recent years and the Melbourne Cup 2019 would surprise no one if it were the best yet. So get set to add this one to the bucket list if you’re not already planning your trip as we speak.

The term anomaly is vague enough that it allows me get away with picking almost anyone for each respective team. The rules are simple though: no first or second-year players, and no touching of the hair or face. And that’s it. So without further ado, here are your Eastern Conference anomalies, the players to keep an eye on for one reason or another that will tilt their respective teams in a positive or negative direction depending on their individual development. As usual, the projected lottery clubs receive more consideration, while the projected playoff squads are limited to a couple lines.

New York Knicks

Dennis Smith is essentially where Elfrid Payton was last year in NOLA. Whether Smith knows it or not, this could be his last chance to prove he’s a starting-caliber point guard in the NBA and may be fans last time, for a while, to take advantage of New York state’s betting sites. Payton bounced from Orlando to Phoenix to New Orleans and now New York, and he’s still yet to prove he can exist in a complementary role offensively, thanks in large part to his shortcomings as a shooter. (For those of you saying: “but what about Frank Ntilikina? He’s from the same draft class as Dennis. Don’t you know that?” Yes, I’m fully aware of Frankie Smokes, but Ntilikina’s combination of size, defensive versatility and offensive potential mean he’ll keep getting chances to prove himself even if he has another poor campaign. Sorry, that’s neither here nor there.) Unlike Payton in his previous stops, Smith cashed in catch-and-shoot threes at a solid clip in Dallas, but he’ll be put to the test again in that regard playing next to rookie R.J. Barrett. While not to the same extent as Luka Doncic, Barrett is a prized prospect with the size of a forward and skillset of a guard. The expectation is almost certainly that R.J. is the future of the franchise, so DSJ will need to fall line; but that didn’t happen in Dallas.  If Smith wasn’t willing to cede the spotlight to Doncic, why would he step aside for Barrett? Regardless, the clock is ticking for the former lottery pick.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Larry Nance Jr. isn’t just the son of his Hall-of-Fame father. The 26-year-old big man is a player in his own right. In his first full season with the Cavaliers last year, Nance notched career-high per-game averages in scoring (9.4), rebounding (8.2), assists (3.2), steals (1.5), made threes (0.5 per on 33.7 percent shooting) and minutes (26.8). He made 33 threes after making 13 through his first four seasons, but more impressively he more than doubled his previous career high in dimes (1.5 per game in 2016-17). Kevin Love could end up being traded and Tristan Thompson turns 29 in March. Like Alex Len, Nance probably isn’t meant to man the five full-time on a team built around a weak defensive guard (or two), but he’s locked into his current contract through the 2022-23 season, so it’ll be interesting to see if he builds on last year’s strong showing and takes another step forward in 2020.

Charlotte Hornets

Malik Monk is the guy to keep an eye on in Charlotte this season. Through two years he hasn’t done much of anything to inspire confidence. But those memories of Monk making shot after shot at Kentucky still linger. On a team as bad as the Hornets, it is not surprising that Monk will crack the regular rotation this season, this despite averaging just 7.9 points (on 37.6 percent shooting) in 15.5 minutes across 136 career appearances. Giving up on a former lottery pick (11th in 2017) who showcased the ability to put the ball in the basket from anywhere, at least at the college level, isn’t something CHA can get away with. It’s safe to say at this specific point and time that Monk is lucky he’s a Hornet. There aren’t a lot of other squads where he’d still be in the mix for consistent minutes. Will he make the most of them?

Chicago Bulls

The Bulls are being hyped as a potential playoff team, including by yours truly. It’s a deep, talented club with the potential to be better than the sum of its parts. And it all starts with Zach LaVine. LaVine exploded last season, posting career-high averages of 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 0.4 blocks per game. His scoring surge was accompanied by a rare improvement in efficiency as well, as he sank a career-best 46.7 percent from the field. The uptick in assists was almost as impressive, though LaVine did commit 3.4 turnovers per night. That ratio improved with Otto Porter aboard. In the 15 games that Porter and LaVine shared the floor prior to being shutdown in mid-March, LaVine upped his assist average to 5.3 while (ever-so-slightly) decreasing his turnovers to 3.3. The 24-year-old combo guard still has time and room to improve offensively, particularly his passing and shot selection. The main question for LaVine is whether he’ll address his clear weakness: the defensive side of the ball. Even pretending to give a flying f*** would be a great start, and enough to catapult him into his first All-Star appearance.

Detroit Pistons 

Luke Kennard is coming off a modest sophomore season that saw him up his averages across most counting stats while more or less maintaining his efficiency (less, but barely). However, Detroit needs him to make a more sizable leap here in year three. Points per game is rarely the ideal standard for measuring improvement, but in this case that’s exactly what I’m looking for. Kennard needs to not just break through the double-digit barrier (9.7 ppg in 2018-19), he should try to shatter it. If Blake Griffin can’t stay healthy it’s going to be a depressing year in Detroit, but if he can Kennard needs to become that super reliable three-point shooting threat that Griffin or Andre Drummond can kick the ball out to off of drives or offensive rebounds. If Kennard is going to make a name for himself beyond being the guy that was drafted before Donovan Mitchell, the sweet-shooting lefty will probably need to step up and score 15+ points per game in 2019-20. Is he up to the task?

Washington Wizards 

I remember watching Thomas Bryant when he was an Indiana Hoosier. Thomas the Tank Engine scratched the Myles Turner itch for me then, and he still does. After transforming his body last summer, Turner was arguably the most overlooked defensive player in the league last season. Not since 2013-14 had the league leader in blocks been omitted from both All-Defensive teams. In all likelihood that isn’t in the cards for Bryant, but at least it proves it’s entirely possible for a big man with somewhat awkward footwork to improve. Bryant is already Washington’s second-best player behind Bradley Beal, though considering the rest of the roster that isn’t saying much. He held his own against Joel Embiid in last Friday’s preseason finale, and his instincts defensively have always been pretty decent in my opinion. If Bryant builds on his breakout performance in the second half of last season, Beal will have $72,000,001 reasons to feel good about his recent contract extension.

Orlando Magic 

Markelle Fultz remains a mystery box for the Magic and an enigma to everyone else. After drafting injured Auburn forward Chuma Okeke instead of reaching for Carsen Edwards in the 2019 draft, the Magic are still accepting applications for their point guard of the future.

Philadelphia 76ers 

There’s no way around it. With J.J. Redick no longer around, the Sixers need as much shooting as they can get to complement the likes of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, and Furkan Korkmaz has been patiently waiting his turn. Can he rise to the occasion?

Toronto Raptors 

Norman Powell reappeared seemingly out of nowhere during last year’s playoff run and didn’t disappoint. He was a bench warmer for the majority of the last couple years, but perhaps he’s the most likely Raptor to step in and fill the void along the wing.

The time has come to look at the year in review and so, to cap off a brilliant regular season, here is a shortlist of the best and the worst pitchers from 2019.

Best Pitchers – 2019

It seems like pitchers are always evaluated by the same traditional metrics, such as win-loss record, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine innings, and walks allowed per nine innings, a fact taken advantage of by those who had bet365 bonus code for NJ. We typically use SIERA to rank hurlers but opted for fWAR as a way to get a sense of a player’s overall value here.

Here’s the group that distinguished themselves on the bump this year.

Once the playoffs are complete, Gerrit Cole will become a very rich dude and may also have an AL Cy Young award to put up on his mantle. Of the four pitches he threw at least 200 times in 2019 (four-seamer, slider, curveball, changeup), none led to an opponent wRC+ higher than 75 and three of them (four-seamer, slider, curveball) produced a strikeout rate of at least 36.0%.

Speaking of Cy Young awards, Jacob deGrom may end up with those honors for a second straight year thanks to a ridiculous second-half surge. Entering the All-Star break, he owned a 3.27 ERA but finished the latter portion of the year with a 1.44 mark. This was accomplished by leaning heavily on his slider, which he threw 37.2% of the time. Over the course of the entire year, opposing hitters managed just a 39 wRC+ with a 33.7% strikeout rate and 18.7% swinging-strike rate against that offering.

If there’s anyone on this list that’s a surprise, it’d be Lance Lynn. The 6.8 fWAR he produced in 208.1 innings for the Texas Rangers is nearly as much as what he did in the three years prior (7.0 fWAR in 518.1 frames). After struggling to a 5.45 ERA through his first 34.2 innings in March/April, he stayed very consistent — he never finished another month with an ERA higher than 3.82 or lower than 2.90.

Max Scherzer gets some extra distinction here because he’s the only hurler in the above list to not crack the 200-inning mark, and he didn’t come close. This actually broke a streak of six straight years where he hit that particular mark, too. Scherzer has been with the Washington Nationals for five years now and has never finished a season with a strikeout rate below 30.0%. He’s also improved that number each year he’s been with the club, culminating with a single-season career-high 35.1% mark in 2019.

Gerrit Cole’s main Cy Young competition in the American League? That’d be his teammate, the age-less Justin Verlander. Outside of seeing a spike in homers allowed, his last two full season’s with the Astros have look awfully identical, and they’ve both been dominant. The righty had his own second-half surge that’s worth noting. After posting a 2.98 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, and 5.6% walk rate prior to the All-Star break, he came back and finished the year with a 2.06 ERA, 40.7% strikeout rate, and 4.2% walk rate over his final 96.1 innings.

Worst Pitchers – 2019

It seems like pitchers are always evaluated by the same traditional metrics, such as win-loss record, ERA, WHIP, strikeouts per nine innings, and walks allowed per nine innings. We typically use SIERA to rank hurlers but opted for fWAR as a way to get a sense of a player’s overall value here.

Here are the five hurlers who struggled the most this year.

Mike Leake was putting together a solid, albeit unspectacular, season for the Seattle Mariners (4.27 ERA, 1.3 fWAR in 137 innings). Then he got traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks and the wheels fell off. His performance was worth -0.3 fWAR in 60 innings, which included nearly identical walk rates (3.3% to 3.1%) but a dramatic drop in strikeout rate (17.4% to 10.4%) and an equally dramatic rise in homers allowed per nine innings (1.71 to 2.25).

It’s not every day you see a pitcher with a 16-7 record end up on the “worst pitchers of the year” list, but that’s why we’re here with Dakota Hudson. There’s a huge discrepancy between his ERA (3.36) and SIERA (5.08), which is largely due to an elevated walk rate. It also wasn’t much different from the 15.3% mark he posted in ’18 through 27 innings pitched. His .274 BABIP allowed seems low given the 40.5% hard-hit rate allowed, but he balanced that out by leading qualified starters with a 56.9% ground-ball rate.

When compared to last year, the San Francisco Giants have to be ecstatic over the production they received from Jeff Samardzija in 2019. His performance was higher than replacement level, he stayed healthy for most of the year, and produced an impressive 3.52 ERA despite his peripherals saying otherwise. His home (3.55 ERA) and road (3.50 ERA) splits weren’t that different from a run prevention standpoint, either. The usage of his cutter went up significantly to 23.1% in 2019, which is the first time it’s reached that level since 2016. The 56 wRC+ and .581 OPs that offering produced are both new single-season career highs.

Jakob Junis managed a slight increase in fWAR (1.4 to 1.5) compared to last year despite a handful of fewer innings pitched. Unfortunately, his ERA didn’t have the same experience, as it jumped from 4.37 to the 5.24 mark seen above. Since making his big-league debut in 2017, Junis has watched his line-drive rate and hard-hit rate allowed increase each year, while his soft-hit rate allowed has decreased. They’re not overly drastic, but those aren’t the kinds of trends a pitching coach wants to see from a 27-year-old hurler.

This was the seventh straight year of Julio Teheran making at least 30 starts in a year, and the 33 he made in 2019 tied a career high. However, the 174.2 innings he tossed are the fewest of any year during the streak. His season-long walk rate settled in at 11.0%, which was the second straight year of it being that high. He only enjoyed one month where his walk rate came in below 10.7% (it was 5.7% in July). Teheran did see a significant improvement in the performance of his sinker — compared to 2018, the opponent wRC+ went from 61 to 48 while the strikeout rate went from 16.3% to 24.3%.

It took 86 long years, but the celebrating is on in the nation’s capital, as the World Series-starved fan base saw their team punch its ticket to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1933.

And not only did the Nats become the first team to qualify for a World Series berth this season, but they also managed to sweep the Cardinals, getting revenge for what happened roughly seven years ago and setting up fans with GambleRock World Series Odds to Win. In fact, the series often felt more like exhibition than postseason play, with the Nationals pitching setting the tone from Game 1 — beginning with Anibal Sanchez nearly completing a no-hitter. Veteran flamethrowers Max Scherzer and Stephen Strasburg simply kept the train moving in the right direction throughout the series, which gave the Nats a 3-0 cushion heading into Tuesday night’s game.

The Nats jumped out to a massive lead and coasted into the World Series with a 7-4 win. Fans at Nationals Park went nuts once the team clinched the NLCS title, and here’s how the final out sounded.

Scherzer and his teammates shared some special moments — both on the field and in the locker room — over the franchise tasting the sweet smell of success for the first time in nearly a century.

The celebration then spread to the locker room, where the team’s first overall pick in franchise history, Ryan Zimmerman, was getting it in with his teammates.

It’s been a crazy year for DC sports fans, with the Capitals having hoisted the Stanley Cup trophy just over a year ago, and the Nationals now just four wins away from matching that level of accomplishment. The Nats hope to bring another title to a city that had long been starved for one, but for now, they’ll await either the Yankees or Astros.

Time to Troll Harper

Nationals fans have been trolling the hell out of Bryce Harper since the team began postseason play, while his Phillies saw their disappointing campaign end after 162 games.

But that doesn’t necessarily mean he harbors any ill will toward them.

Harbor was asked about how he feels with the Nationals reaching the World Series for the first time in franchise history — a mere months after he elected to leave them in free agency, in favor of the Phillies. But he’s happy for them, or at least that’s what he told Jayston Stark of The Athletic.

“No,” Harper said, when asked if he was jealous of the team winning the NLCS. “You know, jealousy isn’t good. For me, it’s about having the gratitude to go out and do what I do each day and not having an attitude towards anybody else.

“I think it’s about being able to be the person that I am,” the six-time All-Star added. “And not saying to myself, ‘Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I’m not a National.’ Or, ‘Oh my gosh, those guys are doing what they’re doing. I can’t believe it. I’m so jealous.’ No. I’m so happy for them.”

He also went on to say that he’s been watching the team closely during their playoff run.

“I’ve been watching a lot of it,” he said. “Those are the guys I played with and came through the organization with … I wish them nothing but the best. And that’s real. I have no hard feelings toward them, or (general manager) Mike Rizzo, or anything like that.

“You know, they’re a great team. And that’s why they are where they are.”

It’s great to see Harper saying all the right things, as it probably is a bit difficult to watch, given that the superstar slugger could’ve been there for their run, had he elected to re-sign withthe team.