The Mookie Betts Performance Thread

[Jasonbay44]

Greatest right fielder ever and maybe the greatest player, period. 5 tool player with no weaknesses. Worth $40 million a year. You happy now?

Yup, because that’s totally what I implied. How dare I think one of the best players in baseball, a player 29 other teams would lineup to have on their team is great!

[oldtimer]

Actually with several other players hot right now, the Sox can afford to wait on Mookie, maybe when another hitter or two cools down...

 

Once we get into playing the better teams again, we will need Mookie to perform. Thee idea of making up ground on the leaders means we have to come away from series with the better teams even or better. To do that, Mookie has to start to hit. Too many fly balls to center and right. My hope is that he will be more aggressive and stop taking FBs for called strikes early in the count. Last year he was handling the FB better than anyone else in the league.

[Bellhorn04]

Sometimes a man has to know his limitations. It's better to take the money and run rather to bet on yourself if you're not a great player.

 

The Mike Trout and the Tom Brady's of the world are the guys who should be betting on themselves.

 

As far as we know, the offer Mookie turned down was 8 years $200 mill.

 

Manny Machado got 10 years $300 mill.

 

In spite of his current slump, Mookie is clearly better than Machado.

 

End of story, really.

[oldtimer]

As far as we know, the offer Mookie turned down was 8 years $200 mill.

 

Manny Machado got 10 years $300 mill.

 

In spite of his current slump, Mookie is clearly better than Machado.

 

End of story, really.

 

Nothing is clear in Baseball. You would like to think he is better and maybe he is, but at the present time Mookie's game is a mess.

[Jasonbay44]

Nothing is clear in Baseball. You would like to think he is better and maybe he is, but at the present time Mookie's game is a mess.

Imagine being so good, people call your game a “mess” when you have a 2.9 WAR, OBP over .380, OPS over .800 and play gold glove defense.

[notin]

Imagine being so good, people call your game a “mess” when you have a 2.9 WAR, OBP over .380, OPS over .800 and play gold glove defense.

 

 

Exactly.

 

The Sox are getting all that from Betts when he’s playing near his floor...

[DontCallMeUncleRico]

You think Mookie Betts isn't a great player?

 

No but I think he's a very good player but very good shouldn't get you a contract close to mike trout's level.

[Bellhorn04]

No but I think he's a very good player but very good shouldn't get you a contract close to mike trout's level.

 

How about Machado's level?

[Nick]

How about Machado's level?

 

Just because one team is too stupid and overvalue a player doesn't mean we have to......

 

Just look at what Kimbrel was asking and what he ended up settling for.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Nick

[Bellhorn04]

Just because one team is too stupid to overvalue a player doesn't mean we have to......

 

Just look at what Kimbrel was asking and what he ended up settling for.

 

Right, but Don't Call Me Uncle Rico thinks Mookie was wrong to turn down the $200 million.

 

I think he's right to believe someone would pay him $300 million.

[Nick]

Right, but Don't Call Me Uncle Rico thinks Mookie was wrong to turn down the $200 million.

 

I think he's right to believe someone would pay him $300 million.

 

He definitely deserves it more than Machado.

[notin]

He definitely deserves it more than Machado.

 

 

Bear in mind Machado is 2 years younger and reached free agency sooner. The Padres are gambling that Machado has not yet peaches as a player...

[redsoxrules]

Imagine being so good, people call your game a “mess” when you have a 2.9 WAR, OBP over .380, OPS over .800 and play gold glove defense.

 

His WAR is 1.8

 

Listen, mookie is a great player but not a 300 Million dollar player.

 

Just because 2 other teams gave out stupid contracts ( harper and machado) it doesn't mean mookie should get the same.

 

If another team wants to blow the bank and overpay for mookie than power to them.

[Jasonbay44]

Bear in mind Machado is 2 years younger and reached free agency sooner. The Padres are gambling that Machado has not yet peaches as a player...

 

Machado and Mookie are both 26

[Jasonbay44]

His WAR is 1.8

 

Listen, mookie is a great player but not a 300 Million dollar player.

 

Just because 2 other teams gave out stupid contracts ( harper and machado) it doesn't mean mookie should get the same.

 

If another team wants to blow the bank and overpay for mookie than power to them.

 

Baseball reference has his WAR at 2.8, so does ESPN.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/33039/mookie-betts

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bettsmo01.shtml

 

Betts will and should get $300 million. He is one of the best players in the league and is one of the rare guys I've ever seen in a Red Sox uniform that under no circumstance would I want to see in another uniform. He's special, and people are really taking for granted how good he is.

[notin]

Machado and Mookie are both 26

 

 

My mistake . I meant to comment about their age at free agency, which is a huge factor. Machado was 26. Mookie will be 28...

[dgalehouse]

Mookie is one of the best in the game today . How that translates into dollars is anybody's guess. You don't know what the market is going to be . A raggedy old Babe Ruth jersey just sold for six million. Most folks could live comfortably for the rest of their lives on that . Maybe the jabroni who bought the jersey thinks he got his money's worth. Maybe the value of it will go up and he can make a profit. Who knows ? Everything is a gamble . But Mookie is a pretty good bet to have a number of very productive years in him. He may well get 300 million.

[moonslav59]

Mookie is one of the best in the game today . How that translates into dollars is anybody's guess. You don't know what the market is going to be . A raggedy old Babe Ruth jersey just sold for six million. Most folks could live comfortably for the rest of their lives on that . Maybe the jabroni who bought the jersey thinks he got his money's worth. Maybe the value of it will go up and he can make a profit. Who knows ? Everything is a gamble . But Mookie is a pretty good bet to have a number of very productive years in him. He may well get 300 million.

 

Well said.

[devildavid]

Baseball reference has his WAR at 2.8, so does ESPN.

http://www.espn.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/33039/mookie-betts

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/bettsmo01.shtml

 

Betts will and should get $300 million. He is one of the best players in the league and is one of the rare guys I've ever seen in a Red Sox uniform that under no circumstance would I want to see in another uniform. He's special, and people are really taking for granted how good he is.

 

If you want him to both get $300 million and not see him in another uniform there is a very good chance you will be disappointed.

[jung]

Glad to see Mookie pick on his HR pitch last night and drive it. But Mookie still has to learn that you cannot cover the whole plate every pitch of every AB. Nobody can....no hitter has ever been able to unless he is the world's greatest punch and judy hitter.

 

If you want to drive the ball, you have to pick your zones and you have to pick them virtually every pitch of every AB. You have to decide what locations for pitches will prompt a swing from you and which won't with less than two strikes. Mookie too easily gets himself to two strikes this year and he is no X as regards being a two strike hitter. But he is getting there!

[oldtimer]

Glad to see Mookie pick on his HR pitch last night and drive it. But Mookie still has to learn that you cannot cover the whole plate every pitch of every AB. Nobody can....no hitter has ever been able to unless he is the world's greatest punch and judy hitter.

 

If you want to drive the ball, you have to pick your zones and you have to pick them virtually every pitch of every AB. You have to decide what locations for pitches will prompt a swing from you and which won't with less than two strikes. Mookie too easily gets himself to two strikes this year and he is no X as regards being a two strike hitter. But he is getting there!

 

He has been taking fastballs on the inside part of the plate early in the count. Those are pitches he was crushing last year. He just needs to work through this period and start to raise his performance.

[YastrzemskI]

He has been taking fastballs on the inside part of the plate early in the count. Those are pitches he was crushing last year. He just needs to work through this period and start to raise his performance.

 

Betts has been getting struck out on inside breaking pitches a lot this season. Although I have not seen much of it for the last week or so.

Hopefully he's made an adjustment.

Edited June 22, 2019 by YastrzemskI

[oldtimer]

Betts has been getting struck out on inside breaking pitches a lot this season. Although I have not seen it much of it for the last week or so.

Hopefully he's made an adjustment.

 

He has taken a lot of inside fastballs that he would have crushed last year.

[redsoxrules]

I'm pretty sure he would of had an inside the park HR if he busted out of the box last night. Literally jogged to first thinking he hit a HR. Theres been a lot of talk about his lack of hustle this year.

[oldtimer]

I know Mookie's BA is low this year, but I also notice that BA's in the American league are lower in general this year. If you look at the National League, theirs are higher. I don't know what causes the difference but it could just be the quality of the pitching. Anyone have a solid explanation?

[Bellhorn04]

I know Mookie's BA is low this year, but I also notice that BA's in the American league are lower in general this year. If you look at the National League, theirs are higher. I don't know what causes the difference but it could just be the quality of the pitching. Anyone have a solid explanation?

 

The average batting average in both leagues is .250 as of today.

[oldmaninthevegasdesert]

Do we really want to sink 300 mil plus into Betts... he's a great player when he's on and having a great year but when it's the mediocre year like he's having this year is that what we want with that kind of contract. When he get to the 33-34 year old Mookie, will he still be the defensive player in RF or have moved to LF, will there be any SB's. As of right now the guy leading our team outweighs him by almost 60lbs. All I am saying is that 10 year contracts seem to kill teams at times. We all love Mookie but is it worth the financial handcuff down the road? Enlighten me with opinions

 

I totally agree with your assessment of the 10 year contracts. The 2 contracts given away this winter are bad for the game,and the fans are footing the bill,and it is only going to get worse.I believe contracts should be performance driven,not by social media and the press. Sad to say but MLB and it's players are following the course of the NBA. Neither of those two clowns who fleeced 2 cities this past winter, will be a champion anytime soon.It is already clear to me that Betts through negotiating in the press is planning on holding a gun to management's head to extract the same type contract.If I was John Henry,I would trade him this upcoming winter to the N.L.

[oldmaninthevegasdesert]

Just because one team is too stupid and overvalue a player doesn't mean we have to......

 

Just look at what Kimbrel was asking and what he ended up settling for.

 

Thank God some can still think with a clear head,and they actually use their eyes to judge talent,damn internet is ruining the game

[oldmaninthevegasdesert]

Here is what I think we are looking at with Betts. I will compare his 2018 season with the year Yaz had in 67. Not going to get into numbers,but I will talk about the Nation's expectations after the fact. Anyone who goes back that far knows the tremendous pressure that was put on Yaz after that season to repeat it. Although he had some good seasons He never quite approached his magical summer the rest of his career, and in a number of those seasons,the fans and the media let him know it. Yaz had thick skin,not so sure Betts is built the same with regard to his game coming under such scrutiny day after day,year after year. Even though I have been away from Westborough now for almost 50 years,I never got them out of my blood, so I get the passion that is Red Sox Nation. I only wish my older brother Timmy(Cancer took him in August of 01 at 53) had been able to witness the golden age of Boston sports,as I might not ever been a fan or played baseball for that matter. I am at a disadvantage as far as having access to everything written by the Boston media, but I remember how it was when I was a kid, and I do not think it has slacked or changed much since.Takes a mentally tough person to play in both Boston and the Bronx, and is definitely not for everyone. I am not sure Betts has the fortitude for the long haul, SO....do I think Betts is worth a 300 million dollar contract?...nope....do I think he will get that type contract....given the hyper inflated society we live in these days in which bankers are allowed to create 'money' out of thin air, I am sure Betts will have no problem finding his fool....Will that fool own the Red Sox?....I do not believe so,something tells me the fool will have the last name Moreno, along with the pressure less serene comfort of SoCal....sorry I just cannot see him in the pressure cooker year after year, the kid is not wired that way.

[vegasbob]

Here is what I think we are looking at with Betts. I will compare his 2018 season with the year Yaz had in 67. Not going to get into numbers,but I will talk about the Nation's expectations after the fact. Anyone who goes back that far knows the tremendous pressure that was put on Yaz after that season to repeat it. Although he had some good seasons He never quite approached his magical summer the rest of his career, and in a number of those seasons,the fans and the media let him know it. Yaz had thick skin,not so sure Betts is built the same with regard to his game coming under such scrutiny day after day,year after year. Even though I have been away from Westborough now for almost 50 years,I never got them out of my blood, so I get the passion that is Red Sox Nation. I only wish my older brother Timmy(Cancer took him in August of 01 at 53) had been able to witness the golden age of Boston sports,as I might not ever been a fan or played baseball for that matter. I am at a disadvantage as far as having access to everything written by the Boston media, but I remember how it was when I was a kid, and I do not think it has slacked or changed much since.Takes a mentally tough person to play in both Boston and the Bronx, and is definitely not for everyone. I am not sure Betts has the fortitude for the long haul, SO....do I think Betts is worth a 300 million dollar contract?...nope....do I think he will get that type contract....given the hyper inflated society we live in these days in which bankers are allowed to create 'money' out of thin air, I am sure Betts will have no problem finding his fool....Will that fool own the Red Sox?....I do not believe so,something tells me the fool will have the last name Moreno, along with the pressure less serene comfort of SoCal....sorry I just cannot see him in the pressure cooker year after year, the kid is not wired that way.

 

Could not agree with you more, with only the exception that Mike Trout , playing in a pressure free environment, does carry the load year after year and performs well. He is welcome to the money Artie Moreno is paying him. One reason for trading Betts this winter is to get a couple of young, high potential players (OF'er/pitcher) that he might bring from a team that expects to sign him long term. There are only a handful around.