.705 OPS = "really figuring out how to handle the bat"
.697 OPS = "his bat just hasn’t been good enough for quite some time"
C'mon man. We should be glad these two can really play defense, but if I had to pick one it wouldn't be the guy who's having his career year at .705 OPS.
C'mon man. Lopez has figured out quite a bit (still probably a utility player long-term) and Merrifield, well, his bat hasn't been good enough for quite some time.
Good exchange and answer. But two months of Lopez does not mean much, even though he does look better. Probably could play everyday for an otherwise stacked offensive team. He should have made the play on the ground ball in the 11th. He inexplicably was down on his knee and when the ball took a high but very playable hop, he could not raise up. Very odd play. MLB SS makes it 95% plus of time.
He absolutely should have made that play. It's why when people talk about who plays shortstop, as adeptly as he's handled it, he's not one of the two discussed. Like I said, he's probably a utility guy regardless, but he's pretty clearly been much better with the bat and seems to have unlocked *something* to make him useful.
Dream time (based on MJ promotion). So how/when best to bring up our big 3 position prospects, and fit MJ, Witt and Pratto into 2022 or 2023? And who will the other starting position pieces be? MJ at DH and catcher every day, with MJ deferring to Salvy to give him 60% of the catcher starts, and carry Rivero or Cam as emergency backup catcher. Witt at 3B if Mondesi gets injury cured, otherwise at short. Nicky or Whit at 2B. Santana and Dozier (and Pratto at 1B) gone with admission of wasted money or salary dump trades or (in Dozier's case) kept as utility player.
I really do wonder if MJ ends up working at a different position to give him some additional versatility. I don't know if he can do it because he never has, but he's athletic enough. I still think there's a decent chance he gets moved. I'm extremely curious how they handle Mondesi after Dayton's comments. I'm guessing he's the mostly every day guy at shortstop when he comes back, but I'm interested how they handle his offseason. Do they give him a center field crash course? It's not like he should be worn down from the season. Or does he become a second baseman? A third baseman? I really don't know and I'm intrigued.
These are generally good problems to have, but of course they need to see the results from the young guys at the big league level for it to actually become a good problem.
And I think that Hernandez's success (let's hope it continues!) is the best possible medicine for Singer to listen and make changes. So, dream time for pitchers, with Carlos fronting or P2, who else will be part of next championship core for 2023 World Series win :) .
I hope you're right about Singer. Lynch too seems to have made some real adjustments. And Kowar too really, in the minors, with the new slider. The possibilities are really exciting, but also like the hitters, they have to actually be able to translate their minor league success to the big leagues.
Agreed! I hope that give Kowar at least bullpen time this year if he is ready. Many great starters started out there. And we could certainly use more good relievers.
I am (temporarily at least) much more optimistic about them keeping MJ. The latest story is about not only his promotion, but about them thinking he can be successful at other positions when his bat is ready. That is good thinking. But I also like that maybe this lets Salvy continue to play every day, but at DH more and more, with him and MJ just switching those positions either 80-20 or 70-30 or 60-40%, so that not only are both big bats in the line up every day, but that we do not need Cam's weak bat when Salvy is DH. As you said, it is all about which of these guys can translate success to the big leagues (including Rivera and Olivares) in that as well. If we have too many good pieces (including for depth) that is fine, we trade them for next wave. But if we have holes, we need to continue to be smart about how to fill them. I would not trade MJ with a 90 score (making up the scores) for a young center fielder with an 80 score, for example. I would rather figure out a way to make MJ work. After all, if the last hole is CF, Taylor played that on a World Series winner :) .
I tend to agree that figuring out a way to make it work with MJ makes a lot of sense, but if he can bring back a legitimate center fielder, maybe that's how they make it work. Maybe he can't, but they should probably be exploring the possibilities.
Carlos Hernandez becoming the team's best starting pitcher with the draft class of 2018 slotting in behind him would be the most "That's baseball!" thing ever.
Like I said on Twitter, it was a loss in the win-loss column, but to me a win in the grand scheme of things with the way Carlos pitched. Only bad start he has had lately I was in attendance so maybe it was me. With the 5 guys that have pitched this year, Bubic, Hernandez, Kowar, Lynch, Singer how would you rank them as far as future career performance 1-5? Obviously Kowar was a very small sample size.
We've talked b4 about Whit's decline and it's very frustrating that he doesn't sit most likely because of the upcoming record. With all the guys we need to look at, it would be beneficial to give Whit and Santana days off these last 50 games to open up spots in lineup. I'll be out there tonight for my 1st in person look at Lynch. Thanks David!
.705 OPS = "really figuring out how to handle the bat"
.697 OPS = "his bat just hasn’t been good enough for quite some time"
C'mon man. We should be glad these two can really play defense, but if I had to pick one it wouldn't be the guy who's having his career year at .705 OPS.
.341/.385/.413 = Lopez since June 15
.271/.307/.378 = Merrifield since June 15
C'mon man. Lopez has figured out quite a bit (still probably a utility player long-term) and Merrifield, well, his bat hasn't been good enough for quite some time.
Good exchange and answer. But two months of Lopez does not mean much, even though he does look better. Probably could play everyday for an otherwise stacked offensive team. He should have made the play on the ground ball in the 11th. He inexplicably was down on his knee and when the ball took a high but very playable hop, he could not raise up. Very odd play. MLB SS makes it 95% plus of time.
He absolutely should have made that play. It's why when people talk about who plays shortstop, as adeptly as he's handled it, he's not one of the two discussed. Like I said, he's probably a utility guy regardless, but he's pretty clearly been much better with the bat and seems to have unlocked *something* to make him useful.
Dream time (based on MJ promotion). So how/when best to bring up our big 3 position prospects, and fit MJ, Witt and Pratto into 2022 or 2023? And who will the other starting position pieces be? MJ at DH and catcher every day, with MJ deferring to Salvy to give him 60% of the catcher starts, and carry Rivero or Cam as emergency backup catcher. Witt at 3B if Mondesi gets injury cured, otherwise at short. Nicky or Whit at 2B. Santana and Dozier (and Pratto at 1B) gone with admission of wasted money or salary dump trades or (in Dozier's case) kept as utility player.
I really do wonder if MJ ends up working at a different position to give him some additional versatility. I don't know if he can do it because he never has, but he's athletic enough. I still think there's a decent chance he gets moved. I'm extremely curious how they handle Mondesi after Dayton's comments. I'm guessing he's the mostly every day guy at shortstop when he comes back, but I'm interested how they handle his offseason. Do they give him a center field crash course? It's not like he should be worn down from the season. Or does he become a second baseman? A third baseman? I really don't know and I'm intrigued.
These are generally good problems to have, but of course they need to see the results from the young guys at the big league level for it to actually become a good problem.
I would be shocked if Moore trades MJ.
And I think that Hernandez's success (let's hope it continues!) is the best possible medicine for Singer to listen and make changes. So, dream time for pitchers, with Carlos fronting or P2, who else will be part of next championship core for 2023 World Series win :) .
I hope you're right about Singer. Lynch too seems to have made some real adjustments. And Kowar too really, in the minors, with the new slider. The possibilities are really exciting, but also like the hitters, they have to actually be able to translate their minor league success to the big leagues.
Agreed! I hope that give Kowar at least bullpen time this year if he is ready. Many great starters started out there. And we could certainly use more good relievers.
I am (temporarily at least) much more optimistic about them keeping MJ. The latest story is about not only his promotion, but about them thinking he can be successful at other positions when his bat is ready. That is good thinking. But I also like that maybe this lets Salvy continue to play every day, but at DH more and more, with him and MJ just switching those positions either 80-20 or 70-30 or 60-40%, so that not only are both big bats in the line up every day, but that we do not need Cam's weak bat when Salvy is DH. As you said, it is all about which of these guys can translate success to the big leagues (including Rivera and Olivares) in that as well. If we have too many good pieces (including for depth) that is fine, we trade them for next wave. But if we have holes, we need to continue to be smart about how to fill them. I would not trade MJ with a 90 score (making up the scores) for a young center fielder with an 80 score, for example. I would rather figure out a way to make MJ work. After all, if the last hole is CF, Taylor played that on a World Series winner :) .
I tend to agree that figuring out a way to make it work with MJ makes a lot of sense, but if he can bring back a legitimate center fielder, maybe that's how they make it work. Maybe he can't, but they should probably be exploring the possibilities.
Can't wait for the offseason, the time for tire kicking, possibility exploring, preliminary discussions and finally, active negotiations.
Don't forget about discussions heating up and a mystery team getting involved.
Carlos Hernandez becoming the team's best starting pitcher with the draft class of 2018 slotting in behind him would be the most "That's baseball!" thing ever.
Like I said on Twitter, it was a loss in the win-loss column, but to me a win in the grand scheme of things with the way Carlos pitched. Only bad start he has had lately I was in attendance so maybe it was me. With the 5 guys that have pitched this year, Bubic, Hernandez, Kowar, Lynch, Singer how would you rank them as far as future career performance 1-5? Obviously Kowar was a very small sample size.
We've talked b4 about Whit's decline and it's very frustrating that he doesn't sit most likely because of the upcoming record. With all the guys we need to look at, it would be beneficial to give Whit and Santana days off these last 50 games to open up spots in lineup. I'll be out there tonight for my 1st in person look at Lynch. Thanks David!
Hey Dave, are you familiar with the name of Dick Tidrow? He played for the Yanks
Sure, didn't he just pass away last month? In town maybe?
yes sir, he married a local girl, me and my buddies used to watch him practice over at Northeast High School..
If I remember correctly, he had an all-time mustache too.