Now that the 2023 Pitching Grade Challenge balloting is over and we’re all waiting to see who won, I thought I would post my ballot for you to peruse. The official word is that the APBA GO set will be released the weekend after Thanksgiving so we won’t have long to wait!
This is an unofficial ballot, of course as I am not eligible to win. But it is my way to keep up with up the winners out there.
…and for the first five years, I have done okay. I at least rank above average. Here is how I have done since the beginning of the Pitching Grade Challenge…
Like I have done other years, I took this year’s Challenge before it was announced to the public not to be swayed by other voters’ ballots.
Let me reiterate, these are my guesses and NOT the official grades of the 2023 APBA baseball season set.
Tom’s ballot
Let’s all take a look at my 2023 Pitching Grade Challenge ballot.
| Pitcher | Team | Tom’s Guess |
|---|---|---|
| Graham Ashcraft | CIN | C |
| Gerrit Cole | NYY | A |
| Patrick Corbin | WSN | C |
| Dane Dunning | TEX | C |
| Bryce Elder | ATL | C |
| Nathan Eovaldi | TEX | B |
| Kyle Gibson | BAL | C |
| Tyler Glasnow | TBR | B |
| Sonny Gray | MIN | B |
| Seth Lugo | SDP | B |
| Lance Lynn | 2 Tms | C |
| Bobby Miller | LAD | C |
| Charlie Morton | ATL | C |
| Emmet Sheehan | LAD | C |
| Brady Singer | KCR | D |
| Tarik Skubal | DET | B |
| Drew Smyly | CHC | C |
| Spencer Strider | ATL | B |
| Jameson Taillon | CHC | C |
| Zack Wheeler | PHI | B |
My process in voting
My process is this; I start with the ERA. The issue with that is each year, the dividing line for each grade is different. Back in the 1980s, an NL pitcher with an ERA in the low 4.00s was in danger of getting a D. Not so anymore. It seems to getting higher each year.
In past years, it mattered if the pitcher was in the DH-laden American League rather than the National League. Now that the MLB rules have standardized things among both leagues, that is not an issue.
Wins play a factor too. It used to be a rule of thumb that 14 wins would guarantee a grade C no matter his ERA. At some point, that unofficial mark was lowered to 13. With the unconventional way pitching is being used now, who knows if that will change.
It also seems that the ERA range for a grade C these days is so much larger especially compared to a B. A pitcher in the high 3.00s could get grade C but so could a pitcher in the low 5.00s.
Does walk control or lack thereof, play a factor in grades? Yes, indirectly. Some say that a pitcher on the fence who also receives a ‘W’ will get the benefit of the doubt. The same can be said for those who receive a ‘Z’.
Finally, I will mention that a pitcher who is on the fence may get a boost if their team does well, especially if they go on to win the league championship.
Thoughts looking back
It’s been over a month since I filled out my ballot.
I will say this without giving away too much. After seeing ballots come in, they justified my votes for some of the pitchers and made me question some of the others (I’m looking at you, Graham Ashcraft). There were others that I know I am pretty sure I was overly-optimistic on. Drew Smyly a C? I dunno.
It’s worth mentioning that out of the 245 entrants (that ties last year’s record for entrants, by the way!), no one voted exactly like I did. That could make make me out to be a genius or perhaps a doofus. Time will tell. According to the APBA Company, the APBA GO set will come out this weekend.
I found it interesting that those voters who were closest to my ballot were from the Illowa APBA League which I am in. All that league table talk about how pitching grades are formulated by APBA might come in handy.
We will see the results of 2023 APBA season set (and the 2023 Pitching Grade Challenge!) soon. Stay tuned! I have a feeling this time around it will be a photo finish.
