Its my perception, and that should be taken with a shaker of salt since I have no inside sources in the clubhouse or organization, that Mondesi is a very sensitive young man who perhaps lacks some of the self confidence that a player with his immense physical gifts should have. I remember watching him at the beginning of the last Covid shortened season, wearing his mask everywhere on the field while nobody else was. He looked freaked out by the whole situation, and was clearly uncomfortable. Its an interesting comparison to make to compare him to Bobby Witt, Jr. Both had fathers who were highly successful MLB players. Both have freakish athletic ability for baseball players. Both play SS. Witt has an obvious swagger to him, Mondesi does not. Hopefully Witt won't have a .500 OPS after his age 21 season in 200 PA like Mondesi did. That can't do anything for your confidence. On the flipside, he is still in his age 25 season. He has the floor of Alcides Escobar with more speed and highlight reel defensive ability and more power, and the ceiling of Lindor with fewer walks, and probably less power. Anything in between wouldn't surprise me at this point. I'd be happy with a 105 OPS+, great defense, 140+ games played, and a lot of steals.
That's a really good point Kerry and one I thought but couldn't quite verbalize as well as you did. The kid looks like he's wound quite tight and when he's tight, he is rough to watch.
It's like the good friend or family member who everyone seems to have who is a rockstar sometimes and homeless other times. He has a problem, knows he has a problem, but still can't seem to kick it. When he's off, you can just see it all over him. But when he gets himself loose he looks like an MVP candidate, man is he fun to watch.
To have all of those tools for a day - what a day it would be. I'd run everywhere I went; out of the bed to the dresser, to the fridge for a beer, there'd be no walking lol.
Its my perception, and that should be taken with a shaker of salt since I have no inside sources in the clubhouse or organization, that Mondesi is a very sensitive young man who perhaps lacks some of the self confidence that a player with his immense physical gifts should have. I remember watching him at the beginning of the last Covid shortened season, wearing his mask everywhere on the field while nobody else was. He looked freaked out by the whole situation, and was clearly uncomfortable. Its an interesting comparison to make to compare him to Bobby Witt, Jr. Both had fathers who were highly successful MLB players. Both have freakish athletic ability for baseball players. Both play SS. Witt has an obvious swagger to him, Mondesi does not. Hopefully Witt won't have a .500 OPS after his age 21 season in 200 PA like Mondesi did. That can't do anything for your confidence. On the flipside, he is still in his age 25 season. He has the floor of Alcides Escobar with more speed and highlight reel defensive ability and more power, and the ceiling of Lindor with fewer walks, and probably less power. Anything in between wouldn't surprise me at this point. I'd be happy with a 105 OPS+, great defense, 140+ games played, and a lot of steals.
That's a really good point Kerry and one I thought but couldn't quite verbalize as well as you did. The kid looks like he's wound quite tight and when he's tight, he is rough to watch.
It's like the good friend or family member who everyone seems to have who is a rockstar sometimes and homeless other times. He has a problem, knows he has a problem, but still can't seem to kick it. When he's off, you can just see it all over him. But when he gets himself loose he looks like an MVP candidate, man is he fun to watch.
To have all of those tools for a day - what a day it would be. I'd run everywhere I went; out of the bed to the dresser, to the fridge for a beer, there'd be no walking lol.