Major issues with small samples, but it's a slow time. Let's talk about some takeaways we can make. Or not.
1. Joey Votto looks like he'll bat second in the lineup.
That's where he's hit every time his name has been in the lineup so far this spring. And, as Bell is a sabermetric guy, that makes sense. Bat your best overall hitter second. Dusty might then ask where the SS hits. Well, we don't know. Every other spot looks like a crap shoot. Matt Kemp has hit third pretty much all the time, but Bell's also been adamant that Winker will get 500 ABs. And he's not going to get those in place of Puig.
2. Tyler Mahle, c'mon down!
It looks like Mahle will take the place of Alex Wood in the Opening Day rotation. That's good, in that Mahle's been about as good as he can possibly be. It's bad because injuries to good pitchers suck. How much nicer is it to have an actual viable starter stashed in case of injury?
3. Scott Schebler has been productive. Extremely so.
Raise your hand is you thought Schebler would have four times as many BBs as Ks. His current.357/ .583 (!)/ .643/ 1.226 is obviously a small sample, but he's not ceding CF without a fight. And it's not like Senzel has been bad. His line, too, is solid, even after an o-fer in his last game. If Schebler continues to hit like this, a decision to play his hot hand at the start of the season might be valid.
4. That bench, tho. Wow.
The aforementioned Schebler, Conner Joe, Kyle Farmer, Matt Kemp, and Phil Ervin are all OPSing 900+. It's unsustainable, we all know, but nice to see a bench that can actually hit with some pop and some patience. Might be a major factor as the Reds play this season.
5. AAA Louisville-- and by extension, AA-- will be loaded. And fun to watch.
Aristides Aquino is hitting the ball with authority. Jordan Patterson is a proven AAA slugger. Phil Ervin and Mason Williams have little chance to make the MLB roster for Opening Day. Add Kyle Farmer, Juan Graterol, Josh VanMeter, Brian O'Grady, Christian Colon, and perhaps Conner Joe, and Louisville will absolutely mash. Their pitching staff should be really good too, with proven AAA vets who've been through some major league wars. Louisville should be the favorite in the International League. That depth will, in turn, make AA Chattanooga a top team as well. An OF of Jose Siri, Taylor Trammell, and TJ Friedl? Yes, please!
6. The pitching has been... meh.
Tanner Roark looks good early. Mahle looks really good too. Sonny Gray has thrown two innings. DeSclafani's ERA is nice, but his peripherals in limited innings aren't all that good. Wood's been hurt, and Castillo's just sucked eggs. Hopefully, the kid's working in a pitch or three. Still early.
7. The bullpen has had some good moments, but...
Mainstays from season's past have struggled greatly. Finnegan, Garrett, Romano, Iglesias, and Hughes all have ERAs north of 5.00. Recent acquirees Krol, Boshers, Bass, and Wisler have all been relatively effective. Long way to go, of course, but good for them. I do wonder what may happen if some of those vets continue to struggle. It's a new staff. How much rope does, say, Finnegan have with a new crew?
8. Wisler is possibly going to make the team. Stephenson? Doubtful.
Matt Wisler's pitched well enough to keep. Last year, his slider/ change-up combination were good, but his fastball was ineffective. He's been solid so far in a Spring Training he probably needed to be. Out of options, he's likely at least penciled in so far.
9. The D isn't atrocious, but it's not great either.
A DER that ranks tied for 23rd in 18 games isn't as bad as many predicted. And iron glove Conner Joe won't play enough to make an error every 25 chances. In fact, of the guys who will definitely make the squad, only Gennett and Amir Garrett have made errors. That's solid glove play that augers well moving forward. More importantly, Senzel looks capable of manning CF without embarrassing himself-- no small feat for many posters in the board.
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by Kc61
