Where is Ryan Zimmerman helping/hurting us more? (2017)

[mdnatsfan]

I love RZ. Was mine and son's favorite player for 10 miserable/hopeful years of this franchise's existence. Of course, the excitement of Harper, Turner, Stasburg and Max kind of makes you forget about how awesome and clutch 11 was for this team. And what a good 3B he was for a long time.

But I'm very suspicious of his newfound power. Guys at 32 usually increase their power by doing one thing and one thing alone. Juice.

[DPMOmaha]

I love RZ. Was mine and son's favorite player for 10 miserable/hopeful years of this franchise's existence. Of course, the excitement of Harper, Turner, Stasburg and Max kind of makes you forget about how awesome and clutch 11 was for this team. And what a good 3B he was for a long time.

But I'm very suspicious of his newfound power. Guys at 32 usually increase their power by doing one thing and one thing alone. Juice.

Except he's not hitting the ball harder. His exit velocity is actually down about 6 mph so far this year.

[dcpatti]

Zimmerman juicing is a running, uncomfortable joke in our household this season. I'd be absolutely heartbroken if it were ever shown to be true.
 

[More of #34]

I don't believe that about him at all.  He's having a great beginning to the season.  Good for him!

[GburgNatsFan]

I can understand that, but the visuals don't support it. If anything, he looks less bulky than in previous years.

I think he's just healthy, and maybe paid a little attention to Murphy's success.

Zimmerman juicing is a running, uncomfortable joke in our household this season. I'd be absolutely heartbroken if it were ever shown to be true.

[Natsinpwc]

I can understand that, but the visuals don't support it. If anything, he looks less bulky than in previous years.

I think he's just healthy, and maybe paid a little attention to Murphy's success.

Uppers.

[aspenbubba]

I thought the first few comments were funny. But the thought of Zim juicing is not funny. He is probably the player with the most integrity on the team. 

[nfotiu]

It's a disservice to him to say that this power has come out of nowhere.
So far this April, he is:

.379/.431/.788 - 7 HR

He's had similar hot-hitting, power months in 4 of his last 5 seasons.  2014 was a write off.

May 2016 - .262/.316/.544 - 7 HR
Aug 2015 - .277/.357/.585 - 7 HR
Sept 2013 - .273/.322/.591 - 11 HR
July 2012 - .366/.434/.752 - 10 HR

If he can stay healthy, I suspect he'll settle into his typical .280-.300 avg/25-30 HR. 

[Optics]

If it leads to a ring I don't care if he's juicing. Most guys do. Weren't the 04 Red Sox infested with guys that juiced?

I want a WS ring and I'll sell my soul for one.

[GuyFromCO]

That exit velo was sounding nice all game. Face was laying the hammer.

[rbw5t]

He and Bryce still suck.  That Brewer from Korea has almost 50% more homers than both of them.  We need to get some guys from the Korean league.

[dcpatti]

in his column yesterday, Boswell writes:

If it makes Zimmerman comfortable, I have found the closest thing to launch-angle data as exists before 2015. It proves, to me, that his swing, excellent from 2006 to 2010, with a groundball-flyball ratio of 1.1, changed about the time of his shoulder injuries, and his groundballs increased dramatically. From 2011 to 2016, his ratio was above 1.4. This year, that ratio is his best ever: 0.9.

So maybe really all it comes down to is finally babying the shoulder enough to properly heal and spending time with Murph Dawg?

[stealyerbase]

Face apparently likes to say, "Fwaah!"

[nats2playoffs]

What a goofy troll you are.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/nationals/a-t-32-nats-veteran-ryan-zimmerman-knows-its-a-matter-of-adapt-or-die/2017/02/19/a47265fc-f571-11e6-b9c9-e83fce42fb61_story.html?utm_term=.dd6c986266ed

He has discussed and worked with Daniel Murphy and hitting coach Rick Schu on how to radically alter the launch angle of his swing from a horrific, worm-killing 7.9 degrees over the past two years to something like 15 degrees or higher.

PETA is liable to get an injunction against the Washington Nationals, prohibiting ground balls and requiring all games to be stopped when worms are spotted, so that they can be liberated and moved to worm-friendly environments.

[PowerBoater69]

On pace to match his previous HR mark by the ASG. Last guy I know of to do that at 32 years old was Brady Anderson.

[DCFan]

On pace to match his previous HR mark by the ASG. Last guy I know of to do that at 32 years old was Brady Anderson.

You're not suggesting.........................

[JCA-CrystalCity]

You're not suggesting.........................

he should bat leadoff?

[DCFan]

he should bat leadoff?

Maybe he and Gio got a group discount? 

[Mathguy]

Definitely not !  The Nats need RZ as an RBI producer

he should bat leadoff?

[DCFan]

Definitely not !  The Nats need RZ as an RBI producer

Eaton, Turner, Harper, Zim, and Murphy are the modern day version of murderers row. 

[Slateman]

https://streamable.com/vkapf

[sph274]

On pace to match his previous HR mark by the ASG. Last guy I know of to do that at 32 years old was Brady Anderson.

Remember last season when our 2B hit 17 HR in the first half, when he had never hit more than 14? Remember 2016?

[imref]

he definitely is standing closer to the plate.

Remember, when Zimm was healthy in the past (2009-13) he put up some pretty stellar numbers, and that was when he was the focus of the offense. Now he's just a cog who's having fun.   Obviously he's going to regress, but if he regresses to .290 / .350 / .500 with 25 home runs, who's going to complain?

[imref]

interesting stat, among hitters only Joe Mauer, and David Wright have been with their teams for a longer stretch of time than Zimmerman.

[DCFan]

Obviously he's going to regress, but if he regresses to .290 / .350 / .500 with 25 home runs, who's going to complain?

What are you dense?  Plenty of people in this forum will.