Author Topic: 800 pound gorilla (Read 2792 times)

aspenbubba · « **Topic Start:** May 18, 2021, 08:10:34 AM »

Is anyone else concerned with Sotos lack of hitting? He has not looked good all season including ST. Zuckerman wrote a piece several days ago with Soto stating that he felt he was starting to come around. I'm not offering any opinions ,remedies or solutions just making an observation.

nfotiu · « **Reply #1:** May 18, 2021, 08:18:52 AM »

I agree. Something is just a little off. His ABs still look good. He's still hitting the ball hard. He has just lost all ability to get it in the air. I trust him to figure it out, but you're right, it's been all year including ST.

rileyn · « **Reply #2:** May 18, 2021, 08:20:22 AM »

I'm guessing missing that time for his shoulder issue set him back a bit. I'm not worried, but would like to see him come around soon if we want to have a season.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #3:** May 18, 2021, 08:21:39 AM »

In his mid thirties now so he was due to tail off.

Smithian · « **Reply #4:** May 18, 2021, 09:01:17 AM »

I’m probably overly optimistic, but I expect him to go on a 25 game tear where he has an OPS of 1.300 and that line will look fine.

He isn’t striking out a lot. He just isn’t getting power. I don’t think he instantly lost his ability to drive the ball. Feels like his timing is off and any night soon he’ll have a two homer game and suddenly it is off to the races. He doesn’t look as lost as Harper did in his cold streaks.

Section214 · « **Reply #5:** May 18, 2021, 09:39:19 AM »

Such a silly thing to be worried about. Soto is going to be completely fine.

nfotiu · « **Reply #6:** May 18, 2021, 09:54:36 AM »

Everything is fine except his 1.2 degree launch angle.
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/juan-soto-665742?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #7:** May 18, 2021, 10:29:50 AM »

I'd be curious if his path to the ball is affected by his shoulder. He does seem to get there, hard, but maybe that could be why no elevation.

imref · « **Reply #8:** May 19, 2021, 09:26:24 PM »

We’re good

nfotiu · « **Reply #9:** May 19, 2021, 10:20:24 PM »

This was about Soto hitting like an 800 lb gorilla, right?

aspenbubba · « **Reply #10:** May 20, 2021, 07:52:05 AM »

Quote from: nfotiu on May 19, 2021, 10:20:24 PM

This was about Soto hitting like an 800 lb gorilla, right?

Nope, it was about no one on the forum was posting about it but I believe most of us noticed his lack of production until last night.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #11:** May 20, 2021, 09:58:37 AM »

Quote from: aspenbubba on May 20, 2021, 07:52:05 AM

Nope, it was about no one on the forum was posting about it but I believe most of us noticed his lack of production until last night.

no thread before on it, but it's been hit on in some of the GDTs and maybe elsewhere, I think. This is a good thread and place to consolidate the discussion. I'll be really curious if, in a month, there's something that comes out through Dougherty or another beat reporter.

Elvir Ovcina · « **Reply #12:** May 20, 2021, 10:03:14 AM »

Quote from: aspenbubba on May 20, 2021, 07:52:05 AM

Nope, it was about no one on the forum was posting about it but I believe most of us noticed his lack of production until last night.

Lack of production is a rough way to characterize a dude who posted a .784 OPS before last night while dealing with an injury to his back shoulder. Notably, he was fine before it became an issue.

imref · « **Reply #13:** May 20, 2021, 10:42:35 AM »

Quote from: Elvir Ovcina on May 20, 2021, 10:03:14 AM

Lack of production is a rough way to characterize a dude who posted a .784 OPS before last night while dealing with an injury to his back shoulder. Notably, he was fine before it became an issue.

it wouldn't be an Internet forum if we weren't speculating like this.

nfotiu · « **Reply #14:** May 20, 2021, 11:41:54 AM »

Quote from: Elvir Ovcina on May 20, 2021, 10:03:14 AM

Lack of production is a rough way to characterize a dude who posted a .784 OPS before last night while dealing with an injury to his back shoulder. Notably, he was fine before it became an issue.

He couldn't get the ball in the air all year, and didn't have a good ST either. His approach stayed good, and he was able to will himself on base throughout the slump, so he stayed somewhat productive, but a far cry from his usual very lofty standard. Hopefully, he's figured it out now.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #15:** May 20, 2021, 03:19:16 PM »

Quote from: Elvir Ovcina on May 20, 2021, 10:03:14 AM

Lack of production is a rough way to characterize a dude who posted a .784 OPS before last night while dealing with an injury to his back shoulder. Notably, he was fine before it became an issue.

yabut reality is, he had a messed up shoulder and he could not elevate balls with it. IF his shoulder issue turned into a Zim-class shoulder problem or even something less that impacted his ability to elevate the ball, then it is a real issue. Nice to see one game that shows it might not be. Soto at .784 OPS is not Ted Williams (well, Ted is dead, so maybe if you pitch to him now, he'd still OPS .784).

Smithian · « **Reply #16:** May 22, 2021, 06:33:17 PM »

He’s back. Lock thread.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #17:** May 22, 2021, 06:47:24 PM »

Quote from: nfotiu on May 19, 2021, 10:20:24 PM

This was about Soto hitting like an 800 lb gorilla, right?

imref · « **Reply #18:** May 24, 2021, 12:36:01 AM »

Whoa:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/nationals-manager-has-juan-soto-apologize-to-teammates-after-embarrassing-play-costs-team-a-run/

Mattionals · « **Reply #19:** May 24, 2021, 09:01:15 AM »

Quote from: imref on May 24, 2021, 12:36:01 AM

Whoa:

https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/nationals-manager-has-juan-soto-apologize-to-teammates-after-embarrassing-play-costs-team-a-run/

I feel like the last time there was a question to a super star's work ethic on this team for not busting it out the box, the player questioned got choked out by Jonathan Papelbon.

Smithian · « **Reply #20:** May 24, 2021, 03:53:12 PM »

That was bad.

Mistakes happen, but that was a bad one.

Duke of Earl · « **Reply #21:** May 24, 2021, 04:14:10 PM »

Quote from: Smithian on May 24, 2021, 03:53:12 PM

That was bad.

Mistakes happen, but that was a bad one.

It was a mistake. A dumb mistake. I would not characterize it as a bad mistake. When a batter doesn't run out a ball because he assumes it will be an out, and then the fielder misplays it but still gets the out because the batter didn't run, that's a bad mistake. That isn't at all what happened. Soto was certain the ball would be foul, it never entered his mind that it would be fair. That's how I saw it. A dumb mistake. There are alot worse mistakes than that. And I guarantee you it'll never happen again.

imref · « **Reply #22:** May 24, 2021, 04:57:44 PM »

Quote from: Duke of Earl on May 24, 2021, 04:14:10 PM

It was a mistake. A dumb mistake. I would not characterize it as a bad mistake. When a batter doesn't run out a ball because he assumes it will be an out, and then the fielder misplays it but still gets the out because the batter didn't run, that's a bad mistake. That isn't at all what happened. Soto was certain the ball would be foul, it never entered his mind that it would be fair. That's how I saw it. A dumb mistake. There are alot worse mistakes than that. And I guarantee you it'll never happen again.

Still not as bad as getting caught up between 2nd and 3rd celebrating his hit in the WC game.

Natsinpwc · « **Reply #23:** May 24, 2021, 05:05:10 PM »

Quote from: imref on May 24, 2021, 04:57:44 PM

Still not as bad as getting caught up between 2nd and 3rd celebrating his hit in the WC game.

That was intentional.

Duke of Earl · « **Reply #24:** May 24, 2021, 06:23:47 PM »

Quote from: imref on May 24, 2021, 04:57:44 PM

Still not as bad as getting caught up between 2nd and 3rd celebrating his hit in the WC game.

I thought they said he did that in order to draw the throw so they wouldn't make a play on the runner coming home. Maybe that's what he was thinking, but it was dumb. It's not like they would have tried to get him out if they had a chance at the guy coming home, and more importantly, if they had tagged him before the run scored the run wouldn't have counted.