I don’t know what to make of MAT. I think we can all agree he was good in 2017. He seemed to finally put it together. But after that he got a new manager, had the big prospect coming and wasn’t given any vote of confidence or guaranteed playing time. I think I remember that being the year he cobbled together a double digit game hit streak with only pinch hit appearances. Martinez didn’t want to play him. When he played in the 2019 playoffs he was decent again.
I just think he plays well when he knows he’s got the job for a bit. Eaton’s injury, Robles’ injury, Royals signing him to start, etc. and he doesn’t do well when he’s told, “hit now or I’m benching you.”
And not being able to hit in that situation is a definite liability for someone who wants to be a major leaguer.
I’ll be interested to see how this year plays out in KC.
Agreed. He was a streaky player here, there were times where he looked like a solid player, and times where he looked lost. He had a ton of opportunities here, and probably would still be on the team if not for the belief that Robles was a stud, and the emergence of Stevenson.
