BFirebird

He just needs to learn to be selectively aggressive. That will help him get deeper into counts, more walks, in better position. It will also stop pitchers from throwing him so many first pitch fastballs right done the middle that he doesn't want to swing at normally.

Abreu is pretty much doing the same thing...both are pulling off.

Most definitely. Right before he got hurt when he was on fire was the ONLY time all year he was hitting to the opposite field for power. He hit 2-3 homeruns to LCF/CF and then poof injury and hasn't been the same. I think if he get's his head right and starts spraying the ball more, the light bulb will turn on for him.

I agree with this. Something in his approach seems off to me and he doesn't have a plan. I think that if we drop him a bit in the order and have a real aggressive approach for a few weeks that maybe he can get back on track with his OBP. His lack of walks is what is killing his OPS.

Anderson is a completely different guy out there...great attitude IMO. Every game I have been to this year he has had tons of energy and has been very happy to be out there. I also agree with the fact he should be higher in the lineup, makes no sense batting 8th or 9th with this group. Yoan also seemed to labor a bit during his triple (despite the fact he looked like he was gliding in real time). I noticed it on the video replay board when it was easier to see, but I agree definitely not 100% with legs.

First game I was at this year that I got to see him pitch and he looked very comfortable out there and was throwing easy heat. Very encouraging and he set up his pitches well to keep his pitch count down. Fun game to watch and it was a good crowd...albeit a lot of Redbird fans.

This is a great stat that really shows how not every guy is going to take the league by storm like Soto & Gleybor. More often than not guys struggle like Moncada is...albeit a modest struggle, he is 3rd in WAR on the team and will catch Yolmer soon I am sure. The fact that this is Moncada's first full year, I think we (myself included) don't give him enough slack for his ups and downs considering he is still learning to hit in MLB. All that being said, his strikeout rate is my biggest concern because is it something he can correct? Is it a vision issue? Is it a coordination issue? Does he just guess up there? Those questions will take time to answer. When he makes contact, he hits it hard more often than most. The only guy on that list that is close to his K rate is Baez, both Ramirez and Altuve came up as contact guys that developed more power. I still trust he will continue to get better and if he can just even bring that K rate down to low 30% and bring his walk rate up to 12-15% (which would nearly double current rate) he will be much more effective. He probably is better suited for a 2-5 batting position than leadoff with his ability to drive in runs.

This is post of the year material right here. Pretty much my thoughts exactly. Well said.

In Riggleman’s defense it did look like Engel was too far inside the baseline on the bunt. But Sox are due some breaks with the Yoan strike zone.

I noticed the same thing. I wasn’t sure if it was because of his helmet, the way he finishes his swing or he just thinks he yanks it foul.

Lol. I do like some of their offensive pieces but yeah they have some pitching woes just like the Sox.

Crushed that thing. Good job keeping that ball fair.

I am a big Yoan fan, but this is too many.

Yeesh.

Walk off walk? Seems like it has been awhile since Moncada walked.

Triple down on you guys with this. I don't know if Coop needs to say something to Rickey about this, or if he actually agrees with leaving these guys in too long, but someone needs to figure this out. The point of this season and at least part of next year is to gain confidence and taking guys out in good situations is part of that.

Shouldn't he be looking at a monitor?

Fathom or Kopech? ?

Interesting. That would kind of be like Covey no?

Thanks for the good updates. Looks like I will need to go back and rewatch this one.

Interesting if this is trade rumor has legs. While he is limited defensively...Yordan Alvarez can rake. I can see JD Davis being involved with being blocked. Where does Abreu hit in that lineup? 5th? 6th?

Looks like I didn’t miss much in this one. East coast start times kill my ability to watch. Was Covey that bad or did defense do him no service today?

That might help. Seems like he is starting to get some better contact lately.

Lol. This is true! More good managing with Minaya still out there.

How did he make it in the NL where he actually had to make double switches and more strategy?