Who is Sam McWilliams? And why in a slow free-agent market during a pandemic did half the teams in baseball engage in a bidding war for a 25-year-old pitcher with no major league experience and an 8.18 ERA in Triple A in 2019, when he last pitched competitively? And why did the New York Mets hand him a major league roster spot and more money than they paid Pete Alonso after his historic rookie season?
The answers are more than just interesting. They reveal insights about what is going on with analytical data, pitching trends, scouting trends, the reputation of the Tampa Bay Rays and how new Mets owner Steve Cohen and president Sandy Alderson are changing how the team does business.