Author Topic: Bryce Harper 2018 and beyond (Read 155699 times)

UMDNats · « **Reply #1250 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:07:37 am »

As a 1B his bat is marginalized a little bit. Sure, it plays anywhere, but a LF who can hit like he can is damn valuable, especially if he can improve a little bit. Still just 19.

Greg_SRT · « **Reply #1251 on:** July 10, 2018, 11:09:32 am »

Soto's story is just incredible. Quite frankly it could change baseball moving forward. I know that sounds silly.

But look how baseball works.

1. Guys who hit homers get paid. So Hitters are trying to homers. Guys who can hit with power and crap speed and defense get jobs over guys with speed and good defense but no power.

2. Pitchers who can throw 95+ mph get paid. It's all about heat now. Guys who throw 99 but no command will get more chances when young than guys with 90 and command.

3. Teams winning from building farm systems have caused greater focus on home grown talent.

Soto's 2 strike approach and emphasis on putting the ball in play along with strike zone knowledge has allowed him to progress at outstanding rate. His average and OBP is a result of that. It's allowed him to get to the show and comfortably stay. And he is gonna get paid!

If I am a high school or college player with hopes of getting drafted or just a guy in the minors, I'm changing my approach with 2 strikes. And on the plus side, many of the coaches young players have are from a time when the 2 strike approach was more common in baseball. So they should be able to teach young players who want to do it.

rileyn · « **Reply #1252 on:** July 11, 2018, 03:19:46 pm »

Bryce hit .188 in June. He is hitting .159 in July. He is under .200 since the beginning of May. We wish he was Dave Kingman.

UMDNats · « **Reply #1253 on:** July 11, 2018, 03:24:46 pm »

Quote from: rileyn on July 11, 2018, 03:19:46 pm

Bryce hit .188 in June. He is hitting .159 in July. He is under .200 since the beginning of May. We wish he was Dave Kingman.

He's more like 2011 Adam LaRoche.

LoveAngelos · « **Reply #1254 on:** July 11, 2018, 03:41:37 pm »

You are referring to magazines. Anyone under 40 shoud look in a history book.....I mean site to learn what such things are

Jeff in Gaithersburg · « **Reply #1255 on:** July 11, 2018, 03:45:57 pm »

Davey won't do it but he needs to sit him for a week. His ABs have been horrible and that brain fart throw from CF last night just tells me his head is somewhere other than a baseball field and has been all season. MAT/Goodwin in the lineup give this team a better chance to win right now than Royce does.

Gil1957 · « **Reply #1256 on:** July 11, 2018, 04:10:03 pm »

Maybe the Home Run Derby will restore some of his confidence. I know that many hitters suffer after competing, but Harper is already bottoming out, so maybe hitting some easy pitches will help him. At least he isn't Chris Davis. LOL

Greg_SRT · « **Reply #1257 on:** July 11, 2018, 04:11:59 pm »

Quote from: Gil1957 on July 11, 2018, 04:10:03 pm

Maybe the Home Run Derby will restore some of his confidence. I know that many hitters suffer after competing, but Harper is already bottoming out, so maybe hitting some easy pitches will help him. At least he isn't Chris Davis. LOL

At least we wouldn’t be shut out as often.

Optics · « **Reply #1258 on:** July 11, 2018, 09:34:23 pm »

Make him available at the deadline. All it takes is one sucker...

mdnatsfan · « **Reply #1259 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:02:43 am »

Quote from: Optics on July 11, 2018, 09:34:23 pm

Make him available at the deadline. All it takes is one sucker...

Indeed. Time to move one. This team sucks anyway.

PowerBoater69 · « **Reply #1260 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:13:52 am »

Quote from: Optics on July 11, 2018, 09:34:23 pm

Make him available at the deadline. All it takes is one sucker...

Correct call if the goal is to improve the team, won't happen because playoff invoices and 2019 renewals are coming out in three weeks.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #1261 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:17:18 am »

Cross-posting from the Barves Knights Templar thread:

Quote from: JCA-CrystalCity on July 12, 2018, 09:16:16 am

Sadly, I was watching the Barves / BJs game last night when the Barves scored 6 runs off my fantasy pitcher last night. Key to the inning was Freddie Freeman bunting with runners on 1st and 3d, one run already in. Safety squeeze, squared and bunted up the 1st base line, charging 1B flips with glove to late to home, catcher throws past the 2d baseman covering 1st, so they end up with runners on 1st and 3d again. Inciarte then clubs a double and I think 2 more runs score.

Freddie Freeman bunting isn't a great play normally, there was no shift on with a runner on 3d, and the bunt was not pushed towards 3d, but the strategy here is doing the occasional bunt helps to put the thought in the head of the d that the bunt is possible. It should help Freeman face more honest defense in other situations.

There was a lengthy but great piece on this several years ago by Tangotiger or another saber guy that you can find on Fangraphs website saying that, even before shifting became prevalent, sometimes you should bunt even in situations where 90% of time hitting away is better in terms of run expectancy because you don't want the defense to play you as if you are certain (100%) to hit away. Wish someone would tell Bryce.

varoadking · « **Reply #1262 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:02:52 pm »

http://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/24066780/this-was-supposed-bryce-harper-all-star-game

spidernat · « **Reply #1263 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:34:21 pm »

It's embarrassing that he's even playing in the game. Has anyone posted who the worst All Stars in the history of the game have been (numbers wise for that particular year).

varoadking · « **Reply #1264 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:35:06 pm »

Quote from: spidernat on July 12, 2018, 08:34:21 pm

It's embarrassing that he's even playing in the game. Has anyone posted who the worst All Stars in the history of the game have been (numbers wise for that particular year).

Somebody said there were two guys below the Mendoza line back in the day...

HalfSmokes · « **Reply #1265 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:36:43 pm »

Jeter kept going long after he sucked

varoadking · « **Reply #1266 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:41:00 pm »

Quote from: HalfSmokes on July 12, 2018, 08:36:43 pm

Jeter kept going long after he sucked

Jeter hit .256 in his year 40 season. His worst All Star year other than that was .270. He finished his career a .310 hitter.

Royce is nowhere near that BA wise...this year or career...

hotshot · « **Reply #1267 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:47:50 pm »

Quote from: varoadking on July 12, 2018, 08:35:06 pm

Somebody said there were two guys below the Mendoza line back in the day...

I'm in my 70s and can't recall an AS batting as low as Harper is today. Like to know just who these "below the Mendoza line" guys were?

varoadking · « **Reply #1268 on:** July 12, 2018, 08:55:24 pm »

Quote from: hotshot on July 12, 2018, 08:47:50 pm

I'm in my 70s and can't recall an AS batting as low as Harper is today. Like to know just who these "below the Mendoza line" guys were?

Maybe the guy that posted the names will see this and resurrect the info...

spidernat · « **Reply #1269 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:20:25 pm »

OK, there have been quite a few that hovered around the Espinosa line (which is where Harper currently finds himself) and I found 3 who made it below the Mendoza line.

Eddie Yost, 1952 (.196)
Clyde McCullough 1948 (.180)
Eddie Miller 1946 (.191)

None were starters

varoadking · « **Reply #1270 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:21:58 pm »

Quote from: spidernat on July 12, 2018, 09:20:25 pm

OK, there have been quite a few that hovered around the Espinosa line (which is where Harper currently finds himself) and I found 3 who made it below the Mendoza line.

Eddie Yost, 1952 (.196)
Clyde McCullough 1948 (.180)
Eddie Miller 1946 (.191)

None were starters

Good job...

bluestreak · « **Reply #1271 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:24:12 pm »

Quote from: varoadking on July 12, 2018, 08:41:00 pm

Jeter hit .256 in his year 40 season. His worst All Star year other than that was .270. He finished his career a .310 hitter.

Royce is nowhere near that BA wise...this year or career...

Derek Jeter’s OPS+ in his last *five* seasons was lower than Bryce’s is in 2018. Bryce is having a crap season, and Jeter is a first ballot hall of famed, but let’s not get ridiculous. Jeter sucked at the end.
And Batting average isn’t the only way to measure offensive production.

mitlen · « **Reply #1272 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:24:16 pm »

Quote from: spidernat on July 12, 2018, 09:20:25 pm

OK, there have been quite a few that hovered around the Espinosa line (which is where Harper currently finds himself) and I found 3 who made it below the Mendoza line.

Eddie Yost, 1952 (.196)
Clyde McCullough 1948 (.180)
Eddie Miller 1946 (.191)

None were starters

That's some old cats .... and modern players since the fan vote .... other than Hawpah?

spidernat · « **Reply #1273 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:52:58 pm »

Quote from: mitlen on July 12, 2018, 09:24:16 pm

That's some old cats .... and modern players since the fan vote .... other than Hawpah?

When did fan voting begin. I know Jason Varitek made it one year batting .218, Luis Aparicio made it in 1971 at .206, Willie Mays in 1973 at .214 and there were a few others.

spidernat · « **Reply #1274 on:** July 12, 2018, 09:57:28 pm »

Quote from: bluestreak on July 12, 2018, 09:24:12 pm

And Batting average isn’t the only way to measure offensive production.

Jupiter's freaking Cock dude! give it a freaking rest already. And you have the nerve to talk about the old timers in that article who used the space to show off how much they know about old school baseball. You're just a stat geek version of the same. BA was the stat that was mentioned for Harper so that was we looked up.