Lorenzen as a Position Player?

[TheBigLebowski]

Sorry if this is old discussion.

Can't we find somewhere to play this guy in the field? Backup 1B? Maybe a LF? I know he didn't play a lot of positional baseball in college, but those are the 2 easiest positions on the field to learn.

The guy can freaking mash and it seems logical to find a way to get him more AB's.

[WrongVerb]

Sorry if this is old discussion.

Can't we find somewhere to play this guy in the field? Backup 1B? Maybe a LF? I know he didn't play a lot of positional baseball in college, but those are the 2 easiest positions on the field to learn.

The guy can freaking mash and it seems logical to find a way to get him more AB's.

The problem with switching him to a player getting semi-regular playing time is that he'll come under the eye of advance scouting. Pitchers will start pitching him as a hitter instead of as a pitcher. Any weaknesses he might have (like picking up the spin on breaking pitches) is going to be magnified if he's playing the field on a regular basis. No, the best for him is to remain a secret weapon off the bench. Let pitchers continue to throw him meatballs so he can continue to mash them.

[TheBigLebowski]

The problem with switching him to a player getting semi-regular playing time is that he'll come under the eye of advance scouting. Pitchers will start pitching him as a hitter instead of as a pitcher. Any weaknesses he might have (like picking up the spin on breaking pitches) is going to be magnified if he's playing the field on a regular basis. No, the best for him is to remain a secret weapon off the bench. Let pitchers continue to throw him meatballs so he can continue to mash them.

I do understand that aspect, but I think at this point the secret's out. He's the best hitting pitcher since Owings.

[JaxRed]

Would love to see him get a waiver to play in Arizona Fall League as an outfielder as a test.

[klw]

Sorry if this is old discussion.

Can't we find somewhere to play this guy in the field? Backup 1B? Maybe a LF? I know he didn't play a lot of positional baseball in college, but those are the 2 easiest positions on the field to learn.

The guy can freaking mash and it seems logical to find a way to get him more AB's.

He was a CF in college.
https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2013-m...f-rp-cal-state

Michael Lorenzen is one of the most interesting prospects in the 2013 Draft Class. The 6'3", 195-pound Junior is a two-way player for Cal State Fullerton. He acts as the the team's closer, center fielder and clean-up hitter. The first thing that jumps out, when you watch Lorenzen, is his cannon for a right arm, which plays both in the outfield, as well as the pitcher's mound. His arm, along with his above average defensive instincts and athleticism, make him a plus-defender in center field, with plenty of arm to move to right if necessary.

The question teams must answer before spending an early-round pick on Lorenzen is whether or not he'll be drafted as a pitcher, or a hitter. Although he has a plus-fastball and potentially plus-slider, a pure relief pitcher, without starter upside, isn't an asset many teams will spend a early pick on. As a hitter, scouts question whether Lorenzen will ever hit enough to showcase his defensive ability on an everyday basis.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...8-overall-pick

Lorenzen was already highly regarded coming out of high school three years ago, so much so that the Tampa Bay Rays drafted him in the seventh round. Opting to go to Cal State Fullerton, which has a very good baseball program, hoping to improve his stock, the outfielder and occasional pitcher made a wise choice.

Not only is Lorenzen's skill set a bit more polished today than it was in 2010, but he also made a lot more money as a potential first-day selection. One of the better athletes in the class, the 21-year-old has all the makings of a solid-average center fielder in professional baseball. ...
Defense: 60/65

Already a big league quality defensive player; has speed in the outfield and better-than-normal instincts; reaction is very good off the bat and always takes clean, precise routes to make easiest play; strong glove with the ability to win a Gold Glove or two.

https://www.sbnation.com/mlb/2013/6/...couting-report

Michael Lorenzen is one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft because of his viability as an outfielder as well as a pitcher. Teams are split on where they think he projects best, although Lorenzen has always insisted that he is an outfielder first at Cal St. Fullerton.

As an outfielder, Lorenzen is as good as one can get defensively. He has good speed, excellent instincts and a cannon for an arm, but there are concerns about his bat. His pitch recognition is an issue and he swings through too many pitches, which has led some to wonder whether or not he can make it as a position player.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/prospects/wat...13/#list=draft see #45

With a Ryan Braun like body type, Lorenzen can flat out play center field, covering gap-to-gap extremely well with a plus arm. He does have some gap power at the plate and he runs well, though he’s better underway. The question is if he’ll hit enough at the next level.

He does throw mid-to-upper 90s fastballs as Fullerton’s closer and that could be an “if all else fails” backup plan.

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/...-lorenzen.html

After the draft, Lorenzen told MLB.com's Mark Sheldon that the Reds plan on allowing him to work as both a pitcher and an outfielder:

"They'll allow me to swing the bat and try to prove to them that I can hit. So I'm just going to continue to do both," Lorenzen said. "I think that with my work ethic and athleticism that I have that I have the ability to continue that in professional ball, and we'll just see where that takes me from there. "

Law opined that Lorenzen was a supplemental or early second-round talent as a pitcher, but he wouldn't take him nearly that high as an outfielder. Reds senior director of amateur scouting Chris Buckley told Sheldon that Lorenzen could reach the Majors very quickly as a reliever but added that Lorenzen is a very good prospect as an outfielder as well. Said Buckley: "…we're going to kind have a unique plan with him and we're going to try to let him do a little bit of both."

"Unique plan" did not last long:
https://www.foxsports.com/ohio/story...astball-022114

The Reds saw something, too, and it wasn’t Lorenzen’s bat or glove. It was that right arm that could spin the dial on a radar gun at 100. So they took a chance and drafted him last June in the Competitive Lottery Round A, the 38th pick overall. Lorenzen went back to Cal State-Fullerton during the offseason, knowing he was now a pitcher only, "Because Bill Bavasi (Reds vice president of scouting) called me and told me they wanted me to just be a pitcher."

[cumberlandreds]

Would love to see him get a waiver to play in Arizona Fall League as an outfielder as a test.

That would be a good area to explore. I suspect though once he started seeing a steady diet of breaking balls this good hitting would cease. But I wouldn't mind if they tried him some at being a super sub type player.

[Big Klu]

Sorry if this is old discussion.

Can't we find somewhere to play this guy in the field? Backup 1B? Maybe a LF? I know he didn't play a lot of positional baseball in college, but those are the 2 easiest positions on the field to learn.

The guy can freaking mash and it seems logical to find a way to get him more AB's.

Actually, he was the regular CF for Cal State Fullerton.

['69]

That would be a good area to explore. I suspect though once he started seeing a steady diet of breaking balls this good hitting would cease. But I wouldn't mind if they tried him some at being a super sub type player.

I'm guessing that is the concern. Would still very much like to see this experiment.

[klw]

That would be a good area to explore. I suspect though once he started seeing a steady diet of breaking balls this good hitting would cease. But I wouldn't mind if they tried him some at being a super sub type player.

Seems like this is being tried:
https://www.cincinnati.com/story/spo...lb/1141096002/

"He threw me all sliders," Lorenzen said. "Once (third-base coach Billy Hatcher) told me I was hitting, I knew I was going to get another slider most likely. I stayed up in the box like I was when I was bunting, just not giving anything away, and he gave me a slider and I was able to hit it."

[Big Klu]

I do understand that aspect, but I think at this point the secret's out. He's the best hitting pitcher since Owings.

He's better than Owings. Comparable power, but Owings would just "grip it and rip it." Lorenzen has actual hitting skills--they are raw, but real.

[klw]

He's better than Owings. Comparable power, but Owings would just "grip it and rip it." Lorenzen has actual hitting skills--they are raw, but real.

Ohtani may be better than both of them.

[TheBigLebowski]

Sources are telling me he was actually the regular CF for Cal State Fullerton.

[goreds2]

Make him a starting pitcher which would have him available to pinch hit on his off days.

[cumberlandreds]

He's better than Owings. Comparable power, but Owings would just "grip it and rip it." Lorenzen has actual hitting skills--they are raw, but real.

Lorenzen has a really good swing. One that Hamilton, among other,should be jealous.

[Cooper]

He is probably worth 1 WAR win on a good year if he is a reliever only... and that's if things go well. Teams like the Reds should be the kind of team that attempts to get more value from a guy like him. I think where the value comes is the ability to have another bat off the bench - essentially his value might be in someone else getting to play more often and in a better match up (platoon). They are trying to make 5 guys multi-position players and the one that could probably handle it -they fall back on old thinking. Even having him bunt is silly - but that's Riggs -he grew up playing in the 70/80s and there's one way to do something and "there's other guys on the bench that deserve a chance". The reason why it's stupid ...... he can't bunt. Rigs does that alot -asking guys to do things they can't do -it's a nice set up for the manager - he can point towards the player and say "everyone should be able to bunt" or "everyone should know how to run from 3rd on the contact play" - he's going to get someone hurt over asking players to do things they cannot do. SMH. Lorenzan can field, hit, and run- those are things he CAN do. Let him do it.