I would mostly agree with this assessment, although Mesoraco and Cozart will both have to put up good numbers (better than their career averages) at their respective levels before they could be considered true Top 100 prospects. I do think Mesoraco is closer than Cozart to making that list, but Mesoraco has really only had 150 ABs of success, and almost 800 ABs of mediocrity.
Point is, our #2-#6 prospects on Opening Day have all had incredibly disappointing starts to the year. That said, the debut of Mike Leake probably makes up for all of it.
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I think that is pushing it a little on Mesoraco. He has been a little Drew Stubbs like, with his ups and downs. May and July of 2008, he had an OPS of .801 and .875. June and August were .641 and .573. May-July last year were all over .700 and in the FSL, thats a success for a catcher at age 20/21. However it was bookended by a .494 and .594 April and August.
Its certainly not normal to see month long slumps and month long hot streaks.
What's so odd about Alonso is he's struggling against Right-handers at AAA. He's doing fine against Left-handers.
It's my impression that Alonso is a hard worker and very self directed. With cohorts such as A Rod, and with a list of accolades and accomplishments, he has to be confident. I think that will carry him though this year and he'll find success on the other side.
In the meantime, I wonder about what his coaches are telling him to do, what to work on as far as approach. Organizationally, in the past players have been told to hit with gusto, but that comes and goes. Is he struggling with adapting to an organizational philosophy of some kind? Anybody with some insight on Alonso this year? I know he was promoted, in part, because they felt he was being pitched around in AA. That was supposed to lead to more pitches to hit in AAA...
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He is lacking his power right now. Lets say he hits a a couple warning track shots a little farther and go over the wall, his slugging would rise .80 points.
Honestly I think his hand injury is still a problem and its making some shots not go as far, and making his line drives turn into grounders.
Thats my basic assessment of the situation.
I saw Yonder the other day and he hit a home run and a couple fly balls. How is he over all in terms of LD% and such? Is he not hitting well or is he hitting unlucky? Will he go back to AA when Dorn is back?
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He's got a .299 OBP. That has nothing to do with line drives or power. The injury either messed with him more than any of us know or he really is losing his baseball acumen.
The names he might bring back in trade now would be minimal. Same for Frazier. 2010 is a waste for both of them, with very little signs of improvement.
Looking at the splits I have to wonder about what he is potentially working on at the plate (or possibly how he is now being pitched) because his LD% is way down and his GB% is way up, which is leading to a lower than normal BABIP. This same trend tends to occur but to a much greater degree when he faces LHP's. In other words I don't believe it is luck heavy in his case he is being attacked in such a way that he needs to make an adjustment or he is in the midst of making an adjustment that he is not yet comfortable with. For the record I would think it's the former.
2009
340 PA's
.292/.374/.464 .838 OPS
.318 BABIP
33.1% GB, 27.1% LD, 39.8% FB
K/BB - 46/41
2010
250 PA's
.251/.340/.374 .714 OPS
.282 BABIP
47.7% GB, 14.8% LD, 37.5% FB
K/BB 38/28
He's striking out a smidge more but nothing that isn't farely normal procession as he moves up the ladder, nothing even remotely alarming there. His walks aren't down much either so not any reason for alarm there. So to me it's simple they have found a way to get him to hit it on the ground at a much higher rate. And his numbers reflect a slow to mediocre footed runner hitting the ball on the ground nearly half the time he makes contact.
The only question is what the opposition's approach now is. Well we know that historically Yonder is the type to go the other way so you wouldn't think he has had a spike in trying to pull the outside pitch. So what other reasons would one who is a LD hitter to starts putting the ball on the ground consistently? Tough to say without seeing him myself lately but I'd guess lefties are still keeping the slider down & away on him and he is topping that pitch where he probably needs to lay off of it when he can. But that isn't really new. What I think is happening is both righties and lefties have been keeping the ball in on him early and often and he has yet to really start pulling the ball effectively in that situation. Hard stuff in early and often, breaking stuff away on the rare occasion they go away. And you get those numbers above along with this one last stat '09 7.8 IF/F%, '10 15.2 IF/F%.
Certainly it's just a guess but the numbers tell you the problem which is he can't keep the ball off the ground which is killing him, Sean Casey style.
"You can't let praise or criticism get to you. It's a weakness to get caught up in either one."
--Woody Hayes
Worth noting Yonder's stats have taken a turn for the better over the last four games. Small sample size, of course, but I'd think an increase in ground balls over LD's could be the result of continuing lack of full strength from the injury and more skilled, experienced pitching. He'll adjust.
His .299 OBP has a lot to do with power. Not all of it, but some of it. Hits count for OBP too and power certainly leads to hits. As for the season being a waste of time for both of them, you are incredibly wrong. You can learn something every day whether you are playing well or not. They are getting experience and learning.
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