A Realistic View of 2023: Part II

[moonslav59]

Until Masa actually starts putting good wood on the ball, he can be lower in the lineup. It's just ugly right now. He's just pressing too much and not going the other way. Having him hit leadoff would make it worse.

 

We have 4-5 guys hitting worse than Yoshida, now, and they have lower OBPs.

[Bellhorn04]

It might have nothing to do with "figuring it out," and is just a 14 game slump, where he still managed a .340 OBP.

 

To answer your question, yes, I think the team can handle one or two guys going through 14 game rough stretches, but likely not 5-6 at a time.

 

The spotlight is on Yoshida, due to the contract, but to me, we have bigger worries than him.

 

The thing the scouts questioned was whether his extra-base power would carry over to MLB.

 

It's his .279 SLG that's worrying.

[mvp 78]

I completely disagree, kids don't get paid millions of millions of dollars to play games.

 

There are situations where guys are hit out of position strictly to stroke their ego. You should have the mental competency to be able to handle hitting 2nd one day and hitting 5th next and still be a professional.

 

For the record, this happens. There's just some guys who fight it. They should fight it with their performance otherwise do what's best for the team. If I was paying someone good money, I'd expect them to be a good employee.

 

I'm sure player's manager Alex Cora would completely disagree with this assessment.

[mvp 78]

How would leading off make it worse?

 

The absolute best thing you can do as a lead off hitter is get on base. That's what you want there, an on base machine. Yoshida is 3rd on the team in OBP right now.

 

I'm not advocating for him in the leadoff spot, I don't want him there. I just don't think it's a horrible ideal right now when you consider what the results are and what they have.

 

He needs time to acclimate. Pushing him to leadoff would make him press more IMO. Him batting 6th for now is fine especially since his xwOBA is the bottom 29th percentile.

[mvp 78]

The thing the scouts questioned was whether his extra-base power would carry over to MLB.

 

It's his .279 SLG that's worrying.

 

Av Exit Velo is bottom 7th percentile! He's also bottom third in sprint speed! Seems great for leadoff!

[Hugh2]

I'm sure player's manager Alex Cora would completely disagree with this assessment.

 

Yes because he’s appeasing grown babies. I don’t like it. Man the eff up and do your job.

 

Look at Jensen. How many players with problems with the pitch clock are going to struggle this year and blame it on the pitch clock.? But he made his weakness his strength. That’s a man, that’s a real athlete, that’s a team player right there. That’s the type of work ethic I look for as a business owner.

 

If a guy is going to become a worse hitter because he mentally can’t handle a change in the batting order he doesn’t have the emotions to handle being a pro athlete, and certainly not in this market.

 

Alex Cora, like most other managers, make decisions that statistically are not the most optimal but because they have to manage people’s “feelings”.

 

f*** your feelings batting 7th instead on 4th (or whatever) when you’re getting paid tens of millions of dollars.

 

If I’m wrong here I have zero interest in ever being right. It’s a philosophical aspect of the game that absolutely makes me sick

[a700hitter]

Hardly anyone is hitting, and those that are would be better utilized batting behind a .340 OBP.

 

I know, .340 is not great, but there isn't much better to choose from.

 

If you put Dugo up first, then you are asking the guy who only walks to knock him in.

Yes, the spotlight is on him because of his contract. He was a costly acquisition and when you pay for a luxury car, you don’t expect to get a Jeep.

[mvp 78]

Yes because he’s appeasing grown babies. I don’t like it. Man the eff up and do your job.

 

Look at Jensen. How many players with problems with the pitch clock are going to struggle this year and blame it on the pitch clock.? But he made his weakness his strength. That’s a man, that’s a real athlete, that’s a team player right there. That’s the type of work ethic I look for as a business owner.

 

If a guy is going to become a worse hitter because he mentally can’t handle a change in the batting order he doesn’t have the emotions to handle being a pro athlete, and certainly not in this market.

 

Alex Cora, like most other managers, make decisions that statistically are not the most optimal but because they have to manage people’s “feelings”.

 

f*** your feelings batting 7th instead on 4th (or whatever) when you’re getting paid tens of millions of dollars.

 

If I’m wrong here I have zero interest in ever being right. It’s a philosophical aspect of the game that absolutely makes me sick

 

Yeah, people aren't robots. The game isn't played on a spreadsheet. That's the argument, right?

[a700hitter]

He needs time to acclimate. Pushing him to leadoff would make him press more IMO. Him batting 6th for now is fine especially since his xwOBA is the bottom 29th percentile.

I thought his strength was contact and high OBP, but he seems to be swinging for the fences.

[mvp 78]

Yes, the spotlight is on him because of his contract. He was a costly acquisition and when you pay for a luxury car, you don’t expect to get a Jeep.

 

How much do you think Jeep's are? A new Grand Wagoneer is about 100K. You can spend over 80K on a Wrangler.

[a700hitter]

How much do you think Jeep's are? A new Grand Wagoneer is about 100K. You can spend over 80K on a Wrangler.

The price of cars is ridiculous

[Hugh2]

How much do you think Jeep's are? A new Grand Wagoneer is about 100K. You can spend over 80K on a Wrangler.

 

Also, Yoshida is making $18 million a year. Star players are getting $40 million a year now, so...I'm not sure we can consider Yoshida a "luxury model" But we can hope he turns it around and performs like one.

[mvp 78]

I thought his strength was contact and high OBP, but he seems to be swinging for the fences.

 

He's trying to pull everything and his topped % is over 66% I think. If he goes the other way, he'll see more success. He's making contact, it's just bad contact right now. We'll see if he can adjust.

[mvp 78]

The price of cars is ridiculous

 

Jeep's are expensive and tend to retain their value. It's a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand.

[a700hitter]

Also, Yoshida is making $18 million a year. Star players are getting $40 million a year now, so...I'm not sure we can consider Yoshida a "luxury model" But we can hope he turns it around and performs like one.

He doesn’t look like an $18 million player so far. I think Ortiz topped out at $18 million.

[Hugh2]

He doesn’t look like an $18 million player so far. I think Ortiz topped out at $18 million.

 

And WAde Boggs topped at 4.5 million

[Bellhorn04]

If they wanted a guy to get on base and hit bombs, Schwarber would have filled that bill nicely for a lower total commitment than Yoshida.

 

But it's more exciting to be unconventional!

[a700hitter]

If they wanted a guy to get on base and hit bombs, Schwarber would have filled that bill nicely for a lower total commitment than Yoshida.

 

But it's more exciting to be unconventional!

Does he make $18 million/year?

[Bellhorn04]

Does he make $18 million/year?

 

Schwarber got $79 mill for 4 years, so $19.75. Yoshida got $90 mill for 5, but there was also a posting fee of $15 mill or something like that.

[a700hitter]

Schwarber got $79 mill for 4 years, so $19.75. Yoshida got $90 mill for 5, but there was also a posting fee of $15 mill or something like that.

For equal value, it isn’t even a hard choice. Schwarber has always raked and is a proven quantity.

[mvp 78]

If they wanted a guy to get on base and hit bombs, Schwarber would have filled that bill nicely for a lower total commitment than Yoshida.

 

But it's more exciting to be unconventional!

 

Where would Schwarber have played in 2022? There was no room for him!!!

[mvp 78]

And WAde Boggs topped at 4.5 million

 

RIP. That's so much Miller Lite.

[Hugh2]

Schwarber got $79 mill for 4 years, so $19.75. Yoshida got $90 mill for 5, but there was also a posting fee of $15 mill or something like that.

 

I don't think the posting fee matters. At least when comparing players. Like Shwarber needs help haha

[Hugh2]

RIP. That's so much Miller Lite.

 

How much more miller lite does 18 million get you>?

[mvp 78]

How much more miller lite does 18 million get you>?

 

27M cans or roughly 4 olympic sized pools worth of beer to drink. The chicken man can do it.

[moonslav59]

The thing the scouts questioned was whether his extra-base power would carry over to MLB.

 

It's his .279 SLG that's worrying.

 

I just can't bring myself to worry over anybody's 14 game sample size.

[Hugh2]

I just can't bring myself to worry over anybody's 14 game sample size.

Same, especially with the OBP the 3rd highest in the team. Think how much better his OBP would be if he was just at the Mendoza line, he’d be a .400 guy.

 

Plate discipline is a great predictor of future success. If he can identify strokes and balls it means he has the mental acuity, reaction time, and Intelligence to identify MLB pitching.

 

I think Yoshida will be fine. Probably .750 ops by the end of the year if not +

[Bellhorn04]

I just can't bring myself to worry over anybody's 14 game sample size.

 

Which is commendable. My worry has definitely been fueled by what the other scouts said about his power not carrying over.

[Maxbialystock]

Where would Schwarber have played in 2022? There was no room for him!!!

 

I assume you're joking because Schwarber would have fit nicely in LF, at 1B, or as DH. Verdugo was in LF in 2021, but last year it was clear he was better in RF. And 1b last year was a disaster on offense and defense.

 

In Bloom's defense--and in this case I didn't agree with him--the cost of keeping Schwarber was pretty steep.

[moonslav59]

Which is commendable. My worry has definitely been fueled by what the other scouts said about his power not carrying over.

 

If he can get on base at .390, I'm fine with a 390 SLG.