Not to rub salt into the Bauers wound, but, https://www.mlb.com/player/yandy-diaz-650490

nothing exciting for Yandy this season his brief run as a homerun hitter is behind him; but compared with Bauers he's a satar

Monday Morning Blather

Can't watch.

15 games

That's all they've played.

Stats after 15 games mean nothing. Anybody quoting those stats as a reason for personnel changes is not being realistic.

Armchair managers and GMs.

Guess people need something to talk about other than "this guy stinks" or "Joe Blow should be playing everyday".

The game itself is becoming unwatchable so people are coming up with stats to justify their happiness or unhappiness with the way baseball is played nowadays.

Strikeouts and HRs.

That's what we're being asked to watch.

Not me.

I believe Luplow has more extra base hits against right handed pitchers than he did all last year and the full previous year. Statistical fluke? Could be.
Should Gamel be brought back when they add a bench guy since he only had 15 at bats?

Got to have something to comment on; the current performances are all there is.

Just me but I think Gamel comes back for emergency only - otherwise he is waiting for a gig on another team.

Honestly, it isn't discussed that often but this is where spring training does count for something.

For example you can say Bauers has only had so and so at bats, but he didn't hit in March either. That does count for something and Tito watched it.

and there was some reason he never left Eastlake last summer; and he didn't hit in 2019 or 2018. He has a well established track record.

civ - when Tampa first called him up he binged pretty hugely. Nothing after that though.

Stats with runners in scoring position for the first few weeks of this season. Note that the middle of the order guys have been quite unproductive.


Jordan Luplow 3-8 with 2 RBI a double 2 HR 1 walk 5K 375/444/1250 1694 OPS
Roberto Perez 3-6 with 5 RBI a home run 2 walks 3K 500/625/1000 1625 OPS
Jose Ramirez 1-9 with 3 RBI a home run 3 walks 1 K 111/308/444 752 OPS
C. Hernandez 3-11 with 2 RBI no extra base hits 3BB 2K 273/429.273 702 OPS
Amed Rosario 1-9 with 1 RBI a double 3 walks 2 K 111/333/222 555 OPS
Josh Naylor 2-12 with 1 RBI a double 1 walk 3 K 167/231/250 481 OPS
Franmil Reyes 3-14 with 3 RBI no extra base hits 1 walk 5 K 214/250/214 464 OPS
Yu Chang 1-5 with 2 RBI no xb hits no walks 2K 200/200/200 400 OPS
Eddie Rosario 1-15 with 4 RBI no extra base hits 2 walks 3 K 067/167/067 234 OPS
Austin Hedges 0-4 with no RBI a walk 1 K 000/200/000 200 OPS
Jake Bauers 0-6 no RBI a walk 3K 000/143/000 143 OPS
Andres Giminez 0-5 with 1 RBI no walks 3K 000/000/000 000 OPS

Total 18 hits in 106 AB 24 RBI 3 doubles 4 homers 18 walks 33 K all those walks crowd the bases further for the next guy which doesn't seem to get us anywhere The team line RISP is: 170/290/311 601 OPS

Hoynes today suggests Johnson should be coming up to fill the roster spot formerly held by Gamel to add another body to the bench

In a PD story Francona was asked how Mercado is doing at Columbus. "Mixed results" is the reply. That does not resound with optiimism.

I'm being to think that this team just isn't very good. The only strength is the starting pitching and it is not as strong and certainly not as deep as we hoped. The division is overall not playing very well except KC. I certainly can see Plesac getting back on course. Quantrill has done pretty well in the bullpen and could find himself back in the rotation.
As for the offense, only Hernandez and I guess E. Rosario are hitting below expectations. The other guys who aren't hitting much [A Rosario, Giminez, Bauers Chang ] probably are right at their predictable levels.
I don't know how to teach the guys, especially Eddy R to hit with men on base, but unless they do they'll lose quite regularly.

Yep it's early. Twins will probably win more than 37% of their games. Royals will probably win fewer than 63%
But it's hard to conceive of a convincing argument that even if Plesac and one more among Allen, McKenzie and Quantrill start pitching regular quality starts this can be any more than a 500 club.

They certainly are amazingly unentertaining.

So yes it's April 25 and anything we say could look ridiculous later. And yes Tito's teams, even in the good times, often started quite slowly and looked poor early.

One of the reasons for that is his patience. The guy will run guys out there over and over til he's (and Antonetti) sure that they are not the answer. Then he eventually moves on. He's far more patient than any fan.

All of that said, our win total predictions made it clear NONE of us expects anything more than .500. Nor does the front office. This is clearly a season where they take a look at options.

And if you look at the White Sox (and the Twins will kick it in) - their lineups are far, far deeper with hitter after hitter being dangerous. THEN the White Sox dealt for Lance Lynn to beef up their pitching as well.

Anyone looking for contention this season is very likely kidding themselves and doomed to a frustrating experience. It's frustrating because watching a .500 team that can't hit is a boring thing to put up with.

But back to the White Sox and Twins, they both (add in KC and Detroit) sucked for year after year to get to where they are.

This year aside, I think our curve will be much less.

It's hard to say. We have a few solid prospects at the top of the farm system: Jones for LF or 1B or 3B; Miller for 2b or ss; Arias SS; Freeman 2B or SS. Maybe they'll all convert to the Outfield. We have no serious OF prospects any farther along than George Valera and he'll still be playing in Low A.
Front office has not traditionally been aggressive in promoting position players although pitchers often skim quickly through AAA if stop in Columbus at all. I think it's time to rush some of these guys up ready or not to see what they can do; can't do much less than some of what's here now.
The 2 acquired in the Lindor deal may work out; Rosario is OK but hard to imagine him rated among the top 20 in baseball; he's already on his 2nd chance.
How long until the team is a contender again without doing a full rebuild like Chicago did? Can they do they it without cleaning house: remember several of the Sox young stars came over in trains, e.g. Moncada.

so what's the reason for the mammoth number of guys who can't hit a bit?
Just picked one box score to look at:
Nationals cleanup hitter and No. 5 hitter batting 119 and 192'; Lindor is just above the line at 210 but the Mets CF is hitting 143
Try another at random:
Atlanta lineup includes a 188 hitter and a 114 hitter [pitcher is in between batting 143] the "heart of the order for Dbacks hitting 192, 169, 178; and their catcher at 067