Wander Franco Card Sells for $200K

Author: Spencer Reyes

Editor: Brian Symons

Since the first set of baseball cards were made in 1886 by Goodwin Tobacco, sports fans have lined up to be a part of history. The idea of selling trading cards wasn’t exactly what it is today. Tobacco, cigarette, and chewing gum companies decided to include the top baseball players as a plus to buying their product. The card didn’t really mean too much, it was more like the toy a kid gets when his parents buy a box of cereal.

In today’s world, sports cards are a hot commodity, especially during the COVID pandemic. The sports card industry boomed during 2020 and now in 2021. Every store across the country had to keep buying more supplies to fulfill the consumer’s needs. Big names like Target, Walmart, Walgreen’s, and even small card shops had to adjust.

Many cards this past year have sold for a lot of money. The latest of the trading card buzz was this past week when a PSA graded 10 1st Bowman card of Wander Franco was autographed and bought for nearly $200,000.

He is the number one prospect according to MLB Pipeline for 2021. Franco hasn’t stepped foot on the MLB playing field but is already expected to be the next big thing. Last year he played at the single-A level, but this season he was already called up to AAA. At the age of 20, he already has multiple accolades from his minor league career and is batting .275 in 19 games this season. He has 14 total RBI’s and is continuing his 4-season streak of a 1.000 fielding percentage.

The Rays traded away his competitor, Willy Adames Jr., so Franco has a clear shot to the show, and you can definitely expect him to be called up this season, either within the next couple months or for September callups. Stay tuned to the Sport Universe for daily content and the next moves for Wander Franco!

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

The Battle of Aces in the Big Apple

Author: Steven Chase

Editor: Fran Attie

One of the hardest questions to answer in all of baseball is, who is the best pitcher? Due to Chris Sale coming off a major injury, you can narrow this down to two people: Jacob deGrom and Gerrit Cole. Even though pitchers such as Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, Walker Buehler, Stephen Strasburg, etc. have been elite, deGrom and Cole have created a large gap from the rest. Many presume that it is deGrom because he has a lower ERA, but the topic is much deeper than that. Let’s get into it.

In order to obtain a large sample size, we will look at their stats from 2018-2020. During this span, deGrom has put up a 2.10 ERA, 2.98 SIERA, 2.80 xFIP, 2.31 FIP, 26.50 K-BB%, 32.00 K%, 5.50 BB%, and a 16.0 fWAR. Moving to the Bronx, Cole has put up a 2.71 ERA, 2.82 SIERA, 2.85 FIP, 2.84 xFIP, 29.80 K-BB%, 36.60 K%, 6.80 BB%, and a 13.4 fWAR. After examining these stats, the major takeaways are that deGrom is better at both limiting baserunners and limiting runs, while Cole is the more prolific strikeout pitcher. Personally, I value limiting runs as a pitcher more than anything else, which is why I lean towards deGrom. But, the reason why it is so close in my eyes is how Cole leads in SIERA by .16. According to Fangraphs, “Skill-Interactive ERA (SIERA) is the newest in a long line of ERA estimators. Like it’s predecessors FIP and xFIP, SIERA attempts to answer the question: what is the underlying skill level of this pitcher? How well did they actually pitch over the past year? Should their ERA have been higher, lower, or was it about right? But while FIP and xFIP largely ignore balls in play — they focus on strikeouts, walks, and homeruns instead — SIERA adds complexity in an attempt to more accurately model what makes a pitcher successful. SIERA doesn’t ignore balls in play, but attempts to explain why certain pitchers are more successful at limiting hits and preventing runs. This is the strength of SIERA; while it is only slightly more predictive than xFIP, SIERA tells us more about the how and why of pitching.” Many statisticians regard SIERA as the most accurate representation of a pitcher’s performance. Even with this taken into account, I still take deGrom over Cole due to his lead in both FIP and xFIP, along with his better walk numbers. I see the argument for Cole, and it can go either way.

Now that we have seen how close these two are in a larger sample size, let’s explore how they have both performed in 2021. In 2021, Cole has put up 1.81 ERA, 1.71 FIP, 2.23 xFIP, 2.12 SIERA, 35.1 K-BB%, 38.5 K%, and 3.3 BB%. These numbers are absolutely phenomenal, but are not quite as good as his competitor. deGrom has a 0.80 ERA, 1.18 FIP, 1.58 xFIP, 1.59 SIERA, 42.1 K-BB%, 46.5 K%, and 4.4 BB%. Evidently, deGrom has put up a stronger campaign to start 2021, as he leads in almost every major category. On the contrary, a notable takeaway is that Cole is walking hitters at a slightly lower rate than deGrom so far. But, even with that included, deGrom is the better pitcher right now. Both players are incredible, and if Cole has a better end to the season than deGrom he might take the cake. But unless that happens, I am taking Jacob deGrom over Gerrit Cole right now.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE

Aaron Rodgers to Denver

Author: Jack Casabonne

Editor: Mark Awadallah

With one of the most well-balanced rosters in the entire NFL, the Broncos are looking to compete for a playoff spot in 2021, and thus hope to improve upon their abysmal 2020 record of 5-11. To help with that, Denver will be getting star receiver Courtland Sutton back from his knee injury last season. On the other side, Von Miller will also be returning to action after missing the entire season due to an ankle injury. The Broncos are entering the season with a loaded roster, sporting talent on both sides of the ball. However, their biggest need happens to be at the most important position in the game.

In a division that consists of quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert, and Derek Carr, a talented player at the position is a must have. For the Broncos, however, they’re stuck in quarterback purgatory. Drew Lock is returning, following a disappointing sophomore season in which he failed to deliver on a promising rookie year. Throwing for 2,933 yards at a porous 57.3% completion percentage, Lock has yet to show that he should be a starting quarterback in this league. Combined with the fact that he only threw for one more touchdown than interception in 2020, it’s no wonder the Broncos made a move by acquiring journeyman Teddy Bridgewater. The 28 year old isn’t a long term answer at quarterback, or even an answer in the first place. Bridgewater threw for only 15 touchdowns in 2020, a season in which he disappointed Carolina enough to trade significant draft capital for Sam Darnold - another quarterback who’s failed to live up to expectations. With neither Lock nor Bridgewater being capable of leading a team towards the playoffs, what can new general manager George Paton do?

Not often does a player generate trade buzz following an MVP season. However, Aaron Rodgers is not your typical player, and his situation is anything but regular. The 37 year old has been at odds with his team since they elected to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2019 draft, without even talking to him about the situation. Tensions have escalated so much so that at the end of April, he let members of the organization know that he did not want to return to Green Bay. If Rodgers truly won’t suit up for the Packers this season, then they need to find a way to generate as much value as possible for him. They also won’t deal him to an NFC team, which makes the Broncos a perfect trade partner.

Sending Rodgers out West would be a best case scenario for Green Bay and Denver alike. Green Bay would be able to hold out for a haul, which likely will include multiple first rounders, as well as young ascending players. On the other hand, Rodgers will instantly make Denver not only a playoff contender, but a true competitor to hoist the Lombardi. A trade involving three 1st round picks, Bradley Chubb, and a few mid round picks could convince Green Bay to move their MVP signal caller, all while bolstering the Broncos offense and improving their odds to return to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2016.

Including significant draft capital alongside a 25 year old Pro Bowl pass rusher may seem like an overtrade to some. However, this league is dominated by stellar quarterback play, which puts a heavy emphasis on the position. A team like Denver can be solid on both sides of the ball, but without a top quarterback they have no real shot at competing. Furthermore, after seeing a 43 year old Tom Brady win a Super Bowl, there’s no reason Rodgers can’t compete for another 5 seasons. Coming off an MVP season, trading for Rodgers is Denver’s best bet to win another ring, rather than settling for mediocrity.

SPORTS ARE OUR UNIVERSE