A Natural Hitter, Mercedes had to learn to hustle

[caulfield12]

“A natural hitter, Yermín had to learn to hustle”

https://www.mlb.com/news/yermin-mercedes-long-journey-to-mlb-stardom

[Harold's Leg Lift]

Mercedes story shows how important makeup is in baseball.  His bad makeup almost kept him out of the game.  It's a great lesson for young players and good on Mercedes for maturing the way he has though he's not all the way there as we recently saw.  

[southsider2k5]

If he had a truly "bad make up", he wouldn't have stuck this out until age 28 to finally get his window.

[mqr]

5 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

Mercedes story shows how important makeup is in baseball.  His bad makeup almost kept him out of the game.  It's a great lesson for young players and good on Mercedes for maturing the way he has though he's not all the way there as we recently saw.  

It’s the bad body and the non existent defense that kept him out. Teams woulda put up with just about anything if he could catch well too. 

[chitownsportsfan]

Makeup is one thing but not having a position hurt him more.  The DH spot is only one of what 16 in the world?

[wegner]

There are a decent number of normally good hitters who are not good at DH.  That does not affect Yermin clearly.  He knows he has to hit to stay in the Show so as long as he keeps working at plate discipline, etc that is all I care about.  It is pretty clear by this time that we will not find a defensive position for him.  Just keep hitting Yermin...we have a DH for a reason.

[ChiSox59]

Yermin's last 28 days: .263/.317/.388 for a .706 OPS.  

The dude can hit, and is fun AF to watch. But this probably much more realistic of the Yermin we see moving forward.  

[southsider2k5]

2 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Yermin's last 28 days: .263/.317/.388 for a .706 OPS.  

The dude can hit, and is fun AF to watch. But this probably much more realistic of the Yermin we see moving forward.  

It seems weird to see how many people are actively rooting for him to fail after his run in with TLR, but Yermin was never an 1.100 OPS guy even in the minors.  That was never going to be him.  But looking at his MiLB numbers there is no reason he can't eventually settle in as an .800 to .850 guy.

[ChiSox59]

Just now, southsider2k5 said:

It seems weird to see how many people are actively rooting for him to fail after his run in with TLR, but Yermin was never an 1.100 OPS guy even in the minors.  That was never going to be him.  But looking at his MiLB numbers there is no reason he can't eventually settle in as an .800 to .850 guy.

If that is referring to me, I am not nor have I ever rooted for Yermin to fail.  I think he's one of the best stories of the year so far in the MLB, should be a frontrunner for AL ROY and should be an All Star if the game was this weekend.  I am 100% on Yermin's side on the TLR debacle.

I also just don't think he's an elite MLB hitter.  He has very good bat to ball contact and his 2 strike approach is a thing of beauty.  But at least a quarter of his hits are squibbers and texas-leaguers and I just don't see that as all that sustainable in the big leagues, especially a below average runner.  His hot start was amazing - I just think we've already seen the correction.  His last month of production is pretty meh for a DH - there is no denying that. 

I hope like hell he turns into the next Jose Bautista, but I just don't really see it.  Super fun story, and I hope he continue to prove everyone wrong.  I am in no way rooting against him - but I am also not writing him into the DH spot for the next half decade with a Sharpie.  

[southsider2k5]

4 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

If that is referring to me, I am not nor have I ever rooted for Yermin to fail.  I think he's one of the best stories of the year so far in the MLB, should be a frontrunner for AL ROY and should be an All Star if the game was this weekend.  I am 100% on Yermin's side on the TLR debacle.

I also just don't think he's an elite MLB hitter.  He has very good bat to ball contact and his 2 strike approach is a thing of beauty.  But at least a quarter of his hits are squibbers and texas-leaguers and I just don't see that as all that sustainable in the big leagues, especially a below average runner.  His hot start was amazing - I just think we've already seen the correction.  His last month of production is pretty meh for a DH - there is no denying that. 

I hope like hell he turns into the next Jose Bautista, but I just don't really see it.  Super fun story, and I hope he continue to prove everyone wrong.  I am in no way rooting against him - but I am also not writing him into the DH spot for the next half decade with a Sharpie.  

Its not.  I think yours was a relatively well rationed take.  But there seems to be a small group of posters gunning for Yermin ever since the TLR incident.

[South Side Fireworks Man]

I like Yermin.  He's already the best DH the Sox have had in many years and he may still be improving.  He looks like a professional hitter with a great approach.  

[DirtySox]

I like Yermin's new chain.

 

[2Deep]

30 minutes ago, South Side Fireworks Man said:

I like Yermin.  He's already the best DH the Sox have had in many years and he may still be improving.  He looks like a professional hitter with a great approach.  

His approach is fantastic and welcome change to watching others flail away and strike out 

[Vulture]

1 hour ago, ChiSox59 said:

Yermin's last 28 days: .263/.317/.388 for a .706 OPS.  

The dude can hit, and is fun AF to watch. But this probably much more realistic of the Yermin we see moving forward.  

I think that’s Yermin when he’s cold. He’s still getting some hits because he makes contact, but he’s going to heat up again and hard contact will return. I’d be willing to bet his numbers from here to end of season are well north of that

[fathom]

2 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

Its not.  I think yours was a relatively well rationed take.  But there seems to be a small group of posters gunning for Yermin ever since the TLR incident.

You know I’m anti-Tony, but I do wonder if Yermin’s future role in the majors is a LHP platoon guy.  Fantastic story this year who carried this team in April.  His hit tool is underrated and power tool is overrated.

[southsider2k5]

Just now, fathom said:

You know I’m anti-Tony, but I do wonder if Yermin’s future role in the majors is a LHP platoon guy.  Fantastic story this year who carried this team in April.  His hit tool is underrated and power tool is overrated.

I don't think it is his power TOOL that is overrated, I think because he gives himself up routinely with two strikes, he won't hit as many homers as he would if he used the same swing no matter what the count was.

[beautox]

3 hours ago, ChiSox59 said:

Yermin's last 28 days: .263/.317/.388 for a .706 OPS.  

The dude can hit, and is fun AF to watch. But this probably much more realistic of the Yermin we see moving forward.  

Based on what? there is no mean to regress to as the sample size isn't large enough, more likely he falls in line with his minor league numbers if not even a slight bump as he no longer has to be behind the dish or worry about defense. 

[caulfield12]

5 minutes ago, beautox said:

Based on what? there is no mean to regress to as the sample size isn't large enough, more likely he falls in line with his minor league numbers if not even a slight bump as he no longer has to be behind the dish or worry about defense. 

775-825 seems perfectly realistic, based on the approach we’ve seen in the majority of his plate appearances.

[YourWhatHurts]

The closest thing I've had to a baseball religion lately has been watching the Yerminator hit.  His ABs are must-see TV.

His power is absolutely not overrated.  He's just figuring out his approach / in his own head a little bit / learning the MLB game.  He's swung through a lot of meatballs or fouled off a lot of meatballs lately, and he still has a habit of chasing a bad pitch early in the count.  This has resulted in him going to his 2-strike approach in almost every AB because he's missing meatballs he should crush for power and also he's still putting himself into 2-strike counts too early.  

When Yerminator figures it out... mercy!

I will also amend this to say that there is a possibility he is always like he is and won't change much.  Maybe he's a bit like an exaggerated version of Juan Uribe with so much talent at the plate  but he just can't let go of some bad habits.  But I don't see that with the Yerminator.  I think he's very capable of crushing a lot of these meatballs he has been missing once he makes the mental adjustments.  Add a few more 2Bs and HRs to his game in May and suddenly it's no longer a low power month.

Edited May 26, 2021 by YourWhatHurts

[Bob Sacamano]

1 hour ago, fathom said:

You know I’m anti-Tony, but I do wonder if Yermin’s future role in the majors is a LHP platoon guy.  Fantastic story this year who carried this team in April.  His hit tool is underrated and power tool is overrated.

I thought the same looking at his platoon stats the other day. When Robert and Eloy are back, Vs RHP: Vaughn LF, Eloy DH, Eaton RF (or another lefty OF as this could apply to next year). Vs LHP: Eloy LF, Vaughn RF, Mercedes DH.

[YourWhatHurts]

I also think a lot of people are watching Yermin expecting him to fail and some are even hoping he will fail.  But I do know one thing, and it's that if I am a pitcher, Yerminator is on a short list of players in the league I least want to face in any important situation.  Play him in, he'll hit it over your head.  Play him deep, he'll drop something in front of you.  He can go up the middle and line to line.  He can hit the ball inside off the plate and way off the plate.  He can take it off the ground or hit it almost in his eyes.  He can muscle a pitcher's pitch for a hit or crush a meatball also when he's right.  He can hit just about anything.  I always hate ti when our team has to face players like that, and thankfully there aren't that many like him around the league who our guys do have to face.

Edited May 26, 2021 by YourWhatHurts

[ChiSox59]

1 hour ago, beautox said:

Based on what? there is no mean to regress to as the sample size isn't large enough, more likely he falls in line with his minor league numbers if not even a slight bump as he no longer has to be behind the dish or worry about defense. 

Based on the fact that he was hotter than a pistol the first 2 weeks of the season and hasn’t really been that great of hitter going on a solid month now. Just watching him he hasn’t been squaring up pitches for awhile now and most of his hits are little dinks.

I hate that being realistic makes people think I’m rooting against Yermin or have something abainst him. I don’t. I just don’t think he’s a .300+ hitter or that his start was even remotely sustainable. 

Two big bases loaded at bats for him again today 3 innings in and nothing to show for it. 

[wegner]

In Case Yermin needs some help....

 

 

[Chisoxfn]

7 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

If he had a truly "bad make up", he wouldn't have stuck this out until age 28 to finally get his window.

I don't think this is true.  He could be committed to playing the show and unwilling to give up and still be a bad teammate, etc.  

[tray]

Sometimes if something appears to be too good to be true, it is or maybe it isn't. Mercedes has proven he is a major league level hitter and that he has power to this point.  My frame of Sox reference is Ron Kittle who had 35 home runs in his rookie season. If Mercedes hits 35+ HR, he will be worth a lot. No matter what the hitting coach says about HR v BA, HRs sell tickets and win a lot of games.

As Mercedes continues to get exposed to the top pitchers in the league and scouting reports on him get refined, we will see if he can sustain his success. I kind of feel the same way with Vaughn.  Hopefully, both Mercedes and Vaughn continue to prove themselves this season.  Personally, I have more confidence in Vaughn's eventual ceiling because of his age, so for me, Mercedes has more on the line this season than Vaughn does.

 Mercedes future with the White Sox and in MLB are in his own hands.  His decision to hit that home run and defy his manager and third base coach won't matter.  He has already been given a  pass on that and on arriving late for a game.

Mercedes  has to hit to keep his spot as DH.  Nobody cares about  his attitude or his personal life or the Yermin burgur.  We just want to win.