Thoughts on Walker Buehler and Masa today?

[Cameron Tran]

Buehler looked impressive after that lead off double from McNeil. Yoshi looked confident and comfortable in the box. Haven't seen that from him in a while. Do yall trust him as a full-time DH this year? Is he playing to increase his trade value by the deadline?

[dgalehouse]

Buehler is a good pitcher who needs to stay healthy. Simple as that, but hard for him to do.  Yoshida was a bad signing, but he is actually a pretty good hitter. He gets more grief than he deserves. If all goes right, they can both be contributors to a winning Red Sox team.

[notin]

3 hours ago, Cameron Tran said:

Buehler looked impressive after that lead off double from McNeil. Yoshi looked confident and comfortable in the box. Haven't seen that from him in a while. Do yall trust him as a full-time DH this year? Is he playing to increase his trade value by the deadline?

I doubt Yoshida cares what his trade value is.  I think he’s just playing so he can get as many starts as possible.

I like him as the DH vs RHP.  Against LHP, I think Refsnyder (if not in the OF) or Romy make more sense…

 

[Thunder]

Assuming both Buehler and Masa stay healthy, it's weird having a surplus of competent big league hitters and pitchers for once. I feel like we have a plethora of options when it comes to putting a lineup card together, and our starting pitching is intriguing for the first time in 7 years or so.

[moonslav59]

It's hard to feel sorry for someone making $18M a year, but Yoshida can't be blamed for signing that deal.

He has not hit, badly. He was a worse defender than we thought, but that's not really his fault we thoguht he could play LF.

He may still have an .800 season in him.

I hope so.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

On 3/2/2025 at 10:14 PM, moonslav59 said:

It's hard to feel sorry for someone making $18M a year, but Yoshida can't be blamed for signing that deal.

He has not hit, badly. He was a worse defender than we thought, but that's not really his fault we thoguht he could play LF.

He may still have an .800 season in him.

I hope so.

His overall hitting stats are not bad, just lacking in power.  The problem is he is just so streaky and when he is cold he stays cold for months.

[mvp 78]

48 minutes ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

His overall hitting stats are not bad, just lacking in power.  The problem is he is just so streaky and when he is cold he stays cold for months.

2023: 4/20-8/18 96 G, 867 OPS

2024: 4/19-8/28 67 G, 867 OPS

I think there were different reasons he fell off in each season, but I think it's really overstated about him being cold "for months." You could say he's started slow for a few weeks and then ended poorly for a month or so each season. If he carried that 867 OPS for the whole season, nobody should complain. 

[moonslav59]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

2023: 4/20-8/18 96 G, 867 OPS

2024: 4/19-8/28 67 G, 867 OPS

I think there were different reasons he fell off in each season, but I think it's really overstated about him being cold "for months." You could say he's started slow for a few weeks and then ended poorly for a month or so each season. If he carried that 867 OPS for the whole season, nobody should complain. 

Not many would complain over .825-.850.

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

2 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

2023: 4/20-8/18 96 G, 867 OPS

2024: 4/19-8/28 67 G, 867 OPS

I think there were different reasons he fell off in each season, but I think it's really overstated about him being cold "for months." You could say he's started slow for a few weeks and then ended poorly for a month or so each season. If he carried that 867 OPS for the whole season, nobody should complain. 

I'd start calling him January or February, but too many syllables -- and I'm both too lazy and aqualunged to bother.

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

17 hours ago, mvp 78 said:

2023: 4/20-8/18 96 G, 867 OPS

2024: 4/19-8/28 67 G, 867 OPS

I think there were different reasons he fell off in each season, but I think it's really overstated about him being cold "for months." You could say he's started slow for a few weeks and then ended poorly for a month or so each season. If he carried that 867 OPS for the whole season, nobody should complain. 

In June of '24 he hit .204 with an OPS of .549.  So it was at least a month and it felt and probably was longer than just those 4 weeks.  And it was not at the start or end of the season.  

[mvp 78]

2 hours ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

In June of '24 he hit .204 with an OPS of .549.  So it was at least a month and it felt and probably was longer than just those 4 weeks.  And it was not at the start or end of the season.  

May '24 DNP

July '24 898 OPS (season high)

🤷‍♀️

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

1 hour ago, mvp 78 said:

May '24 DNP

July '24 898 OPS (season high)

🤷‍♀️

Not sure what we are doing here. Are you really arguing that Yoshida is not inconsistant and does not go through long dry spells? 

 

 

[mvp 78]

6 minutes ago, Yaz Fan Since 67 said:

Not sure what we are doing here. Are you really arguing that Yoshida is not inconsistant and does not go through long dry spells? 

The dry spells may be "long", but not multiple months long.