Forum
Forum Navigation
Padres vs Blue Jays April 19-21
#11 · April 20, 2024, 2:52 am
Quote from WindsorUK on April 20, 2024, 12:41 amHigashioka= 18 AB/ 9 K's
How long is a 50% K rate allowed at the MLB level?
And since I'm not seeing the games, can anyone shed light on Bogaerts AB's please? Is he hitting the ball hard? Is he swinging at strikes? NEVER considered him a leadoff hitter in my wildest imagination. What is it that Preller and Schildty see in him?
Simply Bogaerts’ AB have been terrible (his words). One of the lowest hard hit rates in ML and one of lowest barrel rates. Padres are walking the line on over reacting to a very bad slump but short sample size vs an 11 year career of 289/354/453 (807 OPS) Guessing the strong OBP and SLG coming from doubles got him the lead-off roles but not sure many fans agree since he was never a lead-off guy in his career. Remember Machado started the season like Bogaerts … really looked bad at the plate then suddenly turned around and was hitting … that’s baseball.
Shildt clearly prefers to give his players a long leash to work things out (especially veterans) relying on their historical track records to be the better indicator of what they will be … note that he clearly allows SP to work through struggles in a game and pushes for them going 5-6 innings. Shildt does like stability … not a line—up juggler / panic type … so will not make a move lightly.
Part of the question on moving him out of the lead-off falls on what that might do to the rest of the line-up and those doing well (especially the one that gets moved). Remember Bogaerts history suggests he would be good so no guarantee that player X who is hitting will continue to hit in lead-off (it is different despite some of the stat guys opinion). Then does Bogaerts … in the midst of a slump move to an RBI position? That is not helpful.
We may want a better alternative but Kim (my first choice) also started the season in a slump (got dropped a spot in the line-up), Profar is hot where he is but history suggests that will not last, Merrill is a raw rookie at 21 and can he handle the extra pressure of hitting lead-off (and will ML pitchers catch up to him even hitting lower sending him into a slump)? Not sure the alternative to Bogaert in the lead-off slot is that clear and Bogaerts hitting down in the line-up while in a slump works. (Not going to bench him which will not get him out of a slump and no upside on any alternative).
——————————-
No real alternative to HIgashioka … Campusano is not going to catch every game (and actually is in a deep slump after his hot start) … Sullivan is that back-up at age 30ish who never could make it after some shots but everyone likes because he has not been fully exposed at the ML level.
No one thinks Higashioka can hit but he is one of the best defensive catchers around (so has value) … seems to mesh well with his NYY teammates King (caught his near no-hitter), Peralta, Brito, and Vasquez … plus looking as though he may be the preferred catcher for Waldron’s knuckleball. May want a better alternative … don’t have a better alternative.
#12 · April 20, 2024, 6:52 am
Quote from WindsorUK on April 20, 2024, 12:41 amHigashioka= 18 AB/ 9 K's
How long is a 50% K rate allowed at the MLB level?
And since I'm not seeing the games, can anyone shed light on Bogaerts AB's please? Is he hitting the ball hard? Is he swinging at strikes? NEVER considered him a leadoff hitter in my wildest imagination. What is it that Preller and Schildty see in him?
While X has been bad to be fair his first fly out last night was nearly gone.
May have been in a day game.
#13 · April 20, 2024, 9:57 am
Bogaerts's start to the season is mirroring Soto's start to the season last year. To summarize some of his own assessments he's not in rhythm, his hips are flying open and he's dropping the barrel. Because of that he's struggling to take balls the other way. He's a guy that has gone to the opposite field over 25% of the time in his career. This year he's down to 7.4%. He says he's getting close to figuring it out. I thought he looked a bit better last night. That first ball was crushed. Unfortunately for him the Blue Jays have one of the best CFs in the game playing LF. He got victimized by a couple of questionable calls in 2 of his other ABs.
I'll also say the same thing about Bogaerts that I said about Soto last year. We shouldn't chalk timing and mechanical problems up to where he's hitting in the lineup. If he hadn't already done so, Soto certainly seems to be destroying the narrative that he can't hit out of the 2 hole to start the year with the Yankees. Bogaerts was really good closing out the year as the leadoff hitter last year. Given his track record I'm confident he's going to get it figured out and turn it around before too long.
lafnboy13 has reacted to this post.
lafnboy13
#14 · April 20, 2024, 10:11 am
Thanks for all your takes on Bogaerts.
Dude has a solid history of production so expect him to get it sorted out before too long( hopefully!)
Still, rather have his production capabilities down the order.
#15 · April 20, 2024, 1:00 pm
Quote from Jeremy Hill on April 20, 2024, 9:57 amBogaerts's start to the season is mirroring Soto's start to the season last year. To summarize some of his own assessments he's not in rhythm, his hips are flying open and he's dropping the barrel. Because of that he's struggling to take balls the other way. He's a guy that has gone to the opposite field over 25% of the time in his career. This year he's down to 7.4%. He says he's getting close to figuring it out. I thought he looked a bit better last night. That first ball was crushed. Unfortunately for him the Blue Jays have one of the best CFs in the game playing LF. He got victimized by a couple of questionable calls in 2 of his other ABs.
I'll also say the same thing about Bogaerts that I said about Soto last year. We shouldn't chalk timing and mechanical problems up to where he's hitting in the lineup. If he hadn't already done so, Soto certainly seems to be destroying the narrative that he can't hit out of the 2 hole to start the year with the Yankees. Bogaerts was really good closing out the year as the leadoff hitter last year. Given his track record I'm confident he's going to get it figured out and turn it around before too long.
Let's also not forget that he started off blazing hot last year and carried the offense. This year the opposite is happening. Let's give him as much slack and Manny, Tatis and Soto got last year.
fenn68 has reacted to this post.
fenn68
#16 · April 20, 2024, 3:23 pm
Vasquez was officially added to the 26 man (and will start tonight) … Gillespie was optioned.
As a surprise bonus move … Pauley was recalled and Batten optioned.
The Pauley call-up timing was a bit of a surprise … does that suggest that Manny may need more time before returning to 3B and they will go with Pauley at 3B over Wade (slumping) and Rosario? Hard to see him being recalled to sit on the bench.
Not sure what that means for the add of Solano … maybe give more time for him to get ready in AZ and maybe a short stop in EP.
#17 · April 20, 2024, 4:16 pm
Pauley starting … batting 9th.
WindsorUK has reacted to this post.
WindsorUK
#19 · April 20, 2024, 6:44 pm
Vasquez has the velocity and the movement to be a dominant Starter…….unfortunately, he also has zero control.
.
.
#20 · April 20, 2024, 8:12 pm
Quote from MrPadre19 on April 20, 2024, 6:44 pmVasquez has the velocity and the movement to be a dominant Starter…….unfortunately, he also has zero control.
.
.
Yep, command will be his issue … the stuff is there.
Actually he would have had a really quality start if it were not for some very shoddy defense leading to the 3 unearned runs and even the one earned run.
On the other hand. Pauley had a tough return … both defensively (key error and some slow releases on throws) and offensively.
BoosterSD has reacted to this post.
BoosterSD