I, For One, Welcome Our New CF Overlord (The Robles Thread)

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Was the first base coach on a smoke break?

weed is legal now, right? So maybe.

[welch]

It was all Robles. He thinks he is the best of Willie Mays and Ty Cobb.

Can the Nats let Robles learn base-running in the majors? Or is it time to start Stevenson for a few weeks while Robles goes to finishing school with Gerardo Parra at Rochester?

[Slateman]

I think you're high as freak if you think the Nationals were going to have two run scoring events in that game

[Slateman]

It was all Robles. He thinks he is the best of Willie Mays and Ty Cobb.

Can the Nats let Robles learn base-running in the majors? Or is it time to start Stevenson for a few weeks while Robles goes to finishing school with Gerardo Parra at Rochester?

Stevenson sucks. Stop trying to make Stevenson happen.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Stevenson sucks. Stop trying to make Stevenson happen.

are saying sub zero WAR level, below replacement stink, or just not better than a 4th OF on a low level club?

[welch]

Robles is not ready, not mentally ready, to play in the majors.

[Slateman]

are saying sub zero WAR level, below replacement stink, or just not better than a 4th OF on a low level club?

He's actually at 0.0 WAR for the season.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

He's actually at 0.0 WAR for the season.

the definition of a replacement player! but that's what we are paying him, so at least it is efficient. 

I do hope for more.  He did seem to pinch hit well, but his D is less than billed.

[imref]

Baseball reference shows him at 0.9 WAR, he had a decent game yesterday.

[Slateman]

the definition of a replacement player! but that's what we are paying him, so at least it is efficient. 

I do hope for more.  He did seem to pinch hit well, but his D is less than billed.

You and I both drank from the Stevenson kook aid a bit. Maybe he could improve given steady playing time.

His defense is good, but I think we as Nats fans have been spoiled the stellar defenders like Robles, Taylor, and Span. Stevenson is basically what I expect every organization tocm have in their system: Someone who probably cant hit, but can come in, play good defense in CF, and pinch run

[welch]

You and I both drank from the Stevenson kook aid a bit. Maybe he could improve given steady playing time.

His defense is good, but I think we as Nats fans have been spoiled the stellar defenders like Robles, Taylor, and Span. Stevenson is basically what I expect every organization tocm have in their system: Someone who probably cant hit, but can come in, play good defense in CF, and pinch run

And that's pretty much what the Nats need: a fill-in for a week or two while Robles learns some baseball. Robles looks like a ballplayer -- strong, fast. He might be improving his hitting, or, at least, he does not swing and miss so bad as he did in 2019 and 2020.

The base-running, though, is crazy. I was sitting in the stands at Shea II when Robles decided to stretch a double to a triple in a tight game. Ran right toward me and I could see the RF (or CF?) rifle the ball to 3B. Robles looked great until he was tagged out.

Then this last blunder, pretty much a game-loser in extra innings, with the Nats just needing to score the runner from third to tie the game. Argh. Stevenson is not a major-league starter, but Robles seems to have skipped over some years to learning to play. It's tough having him learn it all as a regular for the Nats.

[Natsinpwc]

Robles made lots of baserunning mistakes in 2019.  He just hit better including for power.  17 fingers.  If he was doing that now, the baserunning would be excused.  His lack of hitting is the problem.  Don't think shipping him to Triple A will help that.  Didn't help with MAT.

[varoadking]

Robles made lots of baserunning mistakes in 2019.  He just hit better including for power.  17 fingers.  If he was doing that now, the baserunning would be excused.  His lack of hitting is the problem.  Don't think shipping him to Triple A will help that.  Didn't help with MAT.

The we should ship him to Kansas City...

[Slateman]

And that's pretty much what the Nats need: a fill-in for a week or two while Robles learns some baseball. Robles looks like a ballplayer -- strong, fast. He might be improving his hitting, or, at least, he does not swing and miss so bad as he did in 2019 and 2020.

The base-running, though, is crazy. I was sitting in the stands at Shea II when Robles decided to stretch a double to a triple in a tight game. Ran right toward me and I could see the RF (or CF?) rifle the ball to 3B. Robles looked great until he was tagged out.

Then this last blunder, pretty much a game-loser in extra innings, with the Nats just needing to score the runner from third to tie the game. Argh. Stevenson is not a major-league starter, but Robles seems to have skipped over some years to learning to play. It's tough having him learn it all as a regular for the Nats.

Robles isnt going to learn to run the bases or hit in two weeks.

[Slateman]

Robles made lots of baserunning mistakes in 2019.  He just hit better including for power.  17 fingers.  If he was doing that now, the baserunning would be excused.  His lack of hitting is the problem.  Don't think shipping him to Triple A will help that.  Didn't help with MAT.

He was one of the better baserunners in baseball in 2019

[Natsinpwc]

He was one of the better baserunners in baseball in 2019

I am not sure which data you might be talking about.  I remember this one however which was even worse that the one the other night.
 
https://www.federalbaseball.com/2019/5/13/18616953/victor-robles-picked-off-second-base-washington-nationals-win-los-angeles-dodgers-saturday-night

Also was picked off by Syndegaard,

https://districtondeck.com/2019/03/31/washington-nationals-robles-shows-growing-pains-gains/

[Slateman]

I am not sure which data you might be talking about.  I remember this one however which was even worse that the one the other night.
 
https://www.federalbaseball.com/2019/5/13/18616953/victor-robles-picked-off-second-base-washington-nationals-win-los-angeles-dodgers-saturday-night

Also was picked off by Syndegaard,

https://districtondeck.com/2019/03/31/washington-nationals-robles-shows-growing-pains-gains/

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2019-01-01&enddate=2019-12-31&sort=19,d

[Natsinpwc]

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2019-01-01&enddate=2019-12-31&sort=19,d

Thanks.  We remember the bad and ignore the good.  I'm an auditor so comes naturally. 

[welch]

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2019-01-01&enddate=2019-12-31&sort=19,d

Fangraphs rated Robles as a pretty good runner in 2019. It shows him falling off in 2020, and rates him as a minus this season. I remember that he began 2020 over-muscled and sluggish. This season, we saw him make at least two over-aggressive blunders of the sort that pull down the UBR component of the Fangraphs "BsR", which is a summary of all sort of stats. The failed extra base against the Mets was stupid and, best I remember, against Henley's sign to stop at 2B. Robles would have made it only if the Mets fielders were amateurs. The game-loser against the Giants was the sort of play that works in Little league if an outfielder is asleep...another idiotic play against competent major leaguers.

That's the problem with Robles: he tries game-changing aggressive base-running that doesn't work in MLB. He needs to learn that he's playing against players who are as good as he is, and better.

Here is Fangraphs on Robles:

https://www.fangraphs.com/players/victor-robles/18363/stats?position=OF

[Slateman]

Except those things worked in 2019. So apparently it does work in MLB, at least some of the time.

Sorry, but Robles tool is speed and I expect him to be aggressive with it. He cant go down to the minors and learn to run the bases.

Honestly, y'all are making a mountain out of nothing. He didnt cost us the game. The inability of anyone to freaking hit cost us the game. There are lots of fast, aggressive baserunners that make bone headed mistakes and no one screams for them to be sat down

Ozzie Albies: https://streamable.com/asgjzd
Byron Buxton: https://streamable.com/dz6pli
Trea Turner: https://www.masnsports.com/nationals-pastime/2016/07/trea-turner-explains-his-key-baserunning-blunder.html
Locastro: https://streamable.com/z8phka
Luis Garcia: https://streamable.com/9xyhfg
Tatis: https://streamable.com/g1nimr


This is a struggling offense. If anything, Robles should continue to be aggressive.

[imref]

last ten games: .269   .387   .423, 2 SBs. He isn't going anywhere.

[welch]

I like that Robles has begun to hit.

He has made some profoundly stupid base-running decisions, which shows in his lowered Fangraphs BsR in 2020 and now his minus BsR. Further, he often takes a step in, toward the plate, when a batter hits a drive. We see him recover, but perhaps he is too aggressive in CF, as well. He looked out of place on the Pirates double that eventually tied the game last night. It seemed to fall into a sport he normally covers. The Post article says:

Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings smacked a 103-mph liner to the right-center field gap. Robles broke in the wrong direction, then took an odd route to what ultimately bounced for a double. Lester was hooked a batter later, and Wander Suero yielded a one-out single to Newman. A sacrifice fly for Erik González then knotted the score again.

Again, it looks like he depends on his speed to make up for mistakes. Robles stole 28 bases in 2019, but only four last "season" and only seven so far. Maybe he is not as fast as he was, but hasn't compensated with smarts.

[nfotiu]

I like that Robles has begun to hit.

He has made some profoundly stupid base-running decisions, which shows in his lowered Fangraphs BsR in 2020 and now his minus BsR. Further, he often takes a step in, toward the plate, when a batter hits a drive. We see him recover, but perhaps he is too aggressive in CF, as well. He looked out of place on the Pirates double that eventually tied the game last night. It seemed to fall into a sport he normally covers. The Post article says:

Again, it looks like he depends on his speed to make up for mistakes. Robles stole 28 bases in 2019, but only four last "season" and only seven so far. Maybe he is not as fast as he was, but hasn't compensated with smarts.

I don't think there is anything wrong with his routes in CF.   He's the best I've ever watched regularly in that aspect.   I can't recall many bone headed throws that allowed trail runners to advance like a previous overly aggressive outfielder we used to have.

[rileyn]

Everybody weigh in here: 

Q:  When does Robles hit his first HR?

I will go with June 16, vs. Pittsburgh.

I lose.

[aspenbubba]

I think he maybe a lost cause.