Geno has the 23rd-best WAR of any batter in MLB (4.5)

[Wonderful Monds]

People are going overboard on being contrary on Winker. The biggest knock on him is health. Aside from that, he was a 4 win player last year over the course of 162 games.

Being a really really good hitter is the most important thing a position player can do, it turns out.

[M2]

People are going overboard on being contrary on Winker. The biggest knock on him is health. Aside from that, he was a 4 win player last year over the course of 162 games.

Being a really really good hitter is the most important thing a position player can do, it turns out.

I suspect he'll bounce back next year. He'll be more used to Seattle's park and he should be a full-time DH. Take defense off his plate and I'm thinking he'll get the bat sorted out quick enough.

[757690]

People are going overboard on being contrary on Winker. The biggest knock on him is health. Aside from that, he was a 4 win player last year over the course of 162 games.

Being a really really good hitter is the most important thing a position player can do, it turns out.

Winker is elite at hitting RHP, one of the best in the game, however, the biggest knock on Winker is that he’s terrible defensively and on the base paths. His next biggest knock is that he can’t hit lefties. Health is pretty far down the list.

Over his career, he’s averaged 3 wins a season. That’s a tick above average overall. It’s not that he’s not good, it’s that he’s not that great.

[757690]

I suspect he'll bounce back next year. He'll be more used to Seattle's park and he should be a full-time DH. Take defense off his plate and I'm thinking he'll get the bat sorted out quick enough.

Statcast gives us a good picture of what is wrong with Winker this season.

His barrel rate is down from around 12% to 8%. His velocity off the bat is down around 3-4 MPH. His launch angle is up from 10 to 16.

So he’s barreling up far fewer times, hitting the ball softer, and higher. That is what he needs to fix.

[RedTeamGo!]

And the return..

It didn't look great the day it was made, but unlike most wine, it's gotten significantly worse with age.

I liked Dunn, thought he'd be a good addition if healthy. I'm not sure if he's healthy or not, but he's been terrifying.

Fraley? Meh. He's going to be on the team next year. 120 OPS+ in 160 at-bats this season.

Williamson was supposed to be the jewel, and he's been awful this year. He's walking 5.5 batters per 9. 4.21 ERA, 1.54 WHIP. And he's 24 years old - not some green 19/20 year old who flashes but has work to do.

Even with Winker's disappearing act, the Reds lost this trade. They lose most trades, and consequently lose most ballgames.

You forgot Connor Phillips

He was really good at Dayton, moved up to AA Chattanooga as a 21 year old. Struggled to begin but his last month or so was lights out. His season between the two levels:

3.78 ERA, 12.3 K/9, 5.4 BB/9, 150 strikeouts in 109.2 innings. The walks are a little high, but if he gets that under control he looks very interesting to me. Only 21 and reached AA this year and found success after adjusting.

I am not saying the Winker/Suarez trade was a win, but you shouldn't omit Phillips when talking about the return.

Also, Fraley has been worth 0.7 bWAR more than Winker this year. That ain't nothing.

[Wonderful Monds]

Winker is elite at hitting RHP, one of the best in the game, however, the biggest knock on Winker is that he’s terrible defensively and on the base paths. His next biggest knock is that he can’t hit lefties. Health is pretty far down the list.

Over his career, he’s averaged 3 wins a season. That’s a tick above average overall. It’s not that he’s not good, it’s that he’s not that great.

And yet despite all that, if he had managed to stay healthy last year playing the way he was, he would’ve been worth 4 wins. Being an elite hitter against RHP is one of the most valuable skills you can have in all of baseball. And he has it in spades, enough to make him an all star caliber player despite the rest of his faults, when he’s not languishing away in Seattle that is.

[757690]

And yet despite all that, if he had managed to stay healthy last year playing the way he was, he would’ve been worth 4 wins. Being an elite hitter against RHP is one of the most valuable skills you can have in all of baseball. And he has it in spades, enough to make him an all star caliber player despite the rest of his faults, when he’s not languishing away in Seattle that is.

Agree with all of this, and yet despite all that, Jake Fraley is doubling Winker’s production this year in less than half the playing time.

[Kingspoint]

The air has been sucked out of the Mariners since Saurez's injury.

[Kc61]

Statcast gives us a good picture of what is wrong with Winker this season.

His barrel rate is down from around 12% to 8%. His velocity off the bat is down around 3-4 MPH. His launch angle is up from 10 to 16.

So he’s barreling up far fewer times, hitting the ball softer, and higher. That is what he needs to fix.

The launch angle fits my hypothesis that he’s trying too hard for the long ball in the larger stadium.

Possible that this effort is also hampering his contact quality and EV.

But whatever, one would think he could adjust with an off-season of hard work and coaching. Hard to believe Winker just can’t hit anymore.

All that said, for all his abilities, Reds are better off if they have outfielders with an all around game. Hopefully they’ll go in that direction in the future. Fraley isn’t a good defender either, though I thinks he’s acceptable in LF.

[InsaneinthBrame]

The launch angle fits my hypothesis that he’s trying too hard for the long ball in the larger stadium.

Possible that this effort is also hampering his contact quality and EV.

But whatever, one would think he could adjust with an off-season of hard work and coaching. Hard to believe Winker just can’t hit anymore.

All that said, for all his abilities, Reds are better off if they have outfielders with an all around game. Hopefully they’ll go in that direction in the future. Fraley isn’t a good defender either, though I thinks he’s acceptable in LF.

His big drop off is against righties at home which should be a strength. He has had only 3 doubles vs righties at home last year 14 2B 1 3B 11 HRs vs righties. 191/.323/.213 for .536 is awful for hitting against righties at home

[Kingspoint]

The launch angle fits my hypothesis that he’s trying too hard for the long ball in the larger stadium.

Possible that this effort is also hampering his contact quality and EV.

But whatever, one would think he could adjust with an off-season of hard work and coaching. Hard to believe Winker just can’t hit anymore.

All that said, for all his abilities, Reds are better off if they have outfielders with an all around game. Hopefully they’ll go in that direction in the future. Fraley isn’t a good defender either, though I thinks he’s acceptable in LF.

It happened to Junior his first season there in the new park. Because he's Junior, he still led the league in homeruns, but you could see how much he tweeked his swing and it didn't look right anymore. They designed a shorter RF just for him and he tried to pull it too much.

Don't know if anyone remembers when coaches messed with Johnny Bench's swing and had him trying to pull everything. His average plummeted and his strikeouts skyrocketed. He didn't end up hitting any more homeruns, either. It made him a worse hitter. He'd have been better off if they'd left him alone.

[westofyou]

I suspect he'll bounce back next year. He'll be more used to Seattle's park and he should be a full-time DH. Take defense off his plate and I'm thinking he'll get the bat sorted out quick enough.

Mariners’ Jesse Winker opens up about his defensive struggles in left field

Going into Wednesday’s game, Winker had the second-worst DRS (defensive runs saved) for any outfielder in baseball with over 700 innings in the field (negative-15), according to FieldingBible.com, trailing Andrew Vaughn of the White Sox (negative-17). Winker has played in 200 more innings in the field than Vaughn.

Winker posted a negative-5 in DRS last season with the Reds. He was, essentially, a league-average left fielder the previous two seasons. But he’s struggled with routes and plays at or near the wall this season.

“It’s been a struggle for him recently. With where we’re at in the season, we have made defensive replacements late in games when we do have a lead. It was a 0-0 game there late. That’s a play that typically should be made,” Mariners manager Scott Servais said.

“It’s something we’ll continue to look at.”

[Ron Madden]

Ryan Divish
@RyanDivish

Jerry Dipoto said that Suarez will likely be ready to go tomorrow as a DH and Julio will be ready to go when his 10 days are up on the IL

[westofyou]

Jerry Dipoto said that Suarez will likely be ready to go tomorrow as a DH and Julio will be ready to go when his 10 days are up on the IL

Nine games left with the Rangers, Tigers and A's

[Ron Madden]

Nine games left with the Rangers, Tigers and A's

3 with the Rangers, 3 with the A's, 4 with the Tigers

Julio will be eligible to return Oct 3 when they open a 4 game series with Detroit