Blue Jays Discussion: Beyond the Braves.
- Thread starter metafour
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zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
- 66,937
- 36,957
iirc one of their head scouts was a recent recruit from our org and pushed hard for molina. pretty sure BA ranked him near the top of both systems before and after the trade too.
metafour
Registered User
- Apr 6, 2008
- 1,795
- 610
It was Marco Paddy who was our Latin American director. Molina was like a fringe top 10 guy for us but did rank higher for Chicago simply because their system was garbage at the time. The point is that it was well known that his raw stuff never matched his video game numbers, which is likely what our own guys saw when they sold high on him.
Eyedea
The Legend Continues
Not sure if this was ever mentioned, but I remember Vlad having some type of leg kick in his swing. Seems like they're going the no stride route and channelling his inner Goldy/Cruz.
Diamond Joe Quimby
A$AP Joffrey
That's when he was at Dunedin. His elbow essentially gave out on him, which you'd expect from a ~6"0, 180 lbs. former 3rd baseman who didn't exactly know how to pitch.
That is a hilarious trade though, as I figure both GM's knew there were red flags in the medicals for both, and decided to give a little middle finger to each other. Kenny Williams of course being the world's best used car salesman.
Diamond Joe Quimby
A$AP Joffrey
Eyedea
The Legend Continues
Bo's weird. I don't think I have ever seen someone alternate from no-stride to leg kick in an at bat. I like the kick though for him, very JD-esque.
dredeye
BJ Elitist/Hipster
- Mar 3, 2008
- 27,115
- 2,805
Suntouchable13
Registered User
Once Tulo and Donaldson get back, I'd roll with this:
Pillar
Travis (he has earned a shot to hit high in the lineup)
Donaldson
Morales
Bautista
Smoak
Tulo
Zeke
Maile
Or
Pillar
Donaldson
Morales
Bautista
Smoak
Tulo
Travis
Zeke
Maile
Pillar
Travis (he has earned a shot to hit high in the lineup)
Donaldson
Morales
Bautista
Smoak
Tulo
Zeke
Maile
Or
Pillar
Donaldson
Morales
Bautista
Smoak
Tulo
Travis
Zeke
Maile
Eyedea
The Legend Continues
sabremike
Friend To All Giraffes And Lindy Ruff
Got my tixs for the 27th via SeatGeek for $9 each. Any tips on visiting the Skydome (yes, I know that's the old name. Rogers can go pound sand, it's the Skydome to me)? Concession prices, things that are worth getting price and quality wise ect? Also any stations where they give out promotional items (several parks feature a prize wheel where you sign up for a card they scan and you get to spin it)?
After the 8th inning today, anyone who says the Blue Jays need to play more "small ball" to win needs to be punched in the mouth... over the Internet.
Travis is swinging a hot bat. Runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. WHY THE **** DO YOU BUNT IN THIS SITUATION?
Travis is swinging a hot bat. Runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. WHY THE **** DO YOU BUNT IN THIS SITUATION?
zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
- 66,937
- 36,957
yeah nestor had a bunch of pitches and decent enough velo to go along with impeccable command. but sometimes pitchers break.
Eyedea
The Legend Continues
Even if you want to use their last three seasons (~800pa each) as a breakdown you'd find out that their offensive contributions are exactly the same.
But okay, take away Smoak from the equation, why has Travis earned a shot to move up? Because he has started hitting doubles in May? (still can't walk)
ShaneFalco
Registered User
At the rear CN Tower side of Skydome up the stairs by gates 1,2,3 there is an outside discounted merchandise area. Do NOT get a Grillicheese they're horrible. Buy the 710ml cans of beer that are only at certain stations as they're only $2 more then the 473ml cans. You can bring in any unopen non alcoholic beverage 600ml and the vendors on Front St charge $1 for water the ones on Bremner and closer charge $2.
Diamond Joe Quimby
A$AP Joffrey
So...I stumbled out of bed this morning in a strange country, and woke up to a text message from my girlfriend that read:
The man she is referring to is Kevin Pillar, who is of course tied for the lead in hits in the AL with the incomparable Corey Dickerson and superstar Starlin Castro. (Yes, its still early). Her winky smiley is of course in reference to my tongue in cheek disdain for Kevin, centered around his adamantium chin and utter disregard for walks.
As I stumbled around my hotel room getting ready for work, I recalled something I had said two off-seasons ago:
Crazy indeed. While Drew Hutchison continues to have a perpetual blank stare on his face, Kevin Pillar might actually be making my ridiculous prediction look somewhat based in reality. At the time, Kevin had just come off his age 26 season where he produced a .278/.314/.399 slash line, with a .310 wOBA, 93 wRC+, .121 ISO, and 16.6 defensive runs saved (good for 4.3 fWAR in '15). In Pollock's age 25/26 season (late birthday), he produced a .269/.322/.409 slash line, with a .321 wOBA, 98 wRC+, .140 ISO, and 18.5 defensive runs saved (good for 3.6 fWAR in '13).
Pollock of course went on to slash .311/.363/.498 from age 27-28, producing a wOBA of .371, wRC+ of 132, ISO of .186, with a 7.5% BB rate, 16.8 defensive runs saved and 9.8 fWAR over 960 PA's. Or otherwise known as all the awesome.
As of this morning, Pillar is slashing .313/.365/.509, with a .374 wOBA, 138 wRC+, .196 ISO, and (perhaps most surprisingly) a 7.3% BB rate. And make no mistake, the main difference in his game is indeed the selectivity manifested in the walk rate. Where he was Arencibia-like (~4% BB) from the ages of 24-27, age 28 has seemed to have brought a higher degree of selectivity. He's stated himself that his approach has changed to incorporate a higher level of patience.
Perhaps most encouraging is the fact that there is no material change in batted ball profile. His LD%, GB%, and FB% are in line with his career averages, and though HR/FB rate and BABIP are both up, the HR/FB% is in line with the 2017 league average, and the BABIP is more similar to the figures he had in his minor league career.
Oh yeah, and he still does ish like this....
Sorry for the long post....this would've been a Blue Jays Hipsters article.
Oh yeah....and still hate you, Kevin.
Did you hear your man is leading the league in hits?
The man she is referring to is Kevin Pillar, who is of course tied for the lead in hits in the AL with the incomparable Corey Dickerson and superstar Starlin Castro. (Yes, its still early). Her winky smiley is of course in reference to my tongue in cheek disdain for Kevin, centered around his adamantium chin and utter disregard for walks.
As I stumbled around my hotel room getting ready for work, I recalled something I had said two off-seasons ago:
Crazy indeed. While Drew Hutchison continues to have a perpetual blank stare on his face, Kevin Pillar might actually be making my ridiculous prediction look somewhat based in reality. At the time, Kevin had just come off his age 26 season where he produced a .278/.314/.399 slash line, with a .310 wOBA, 93 wRC+, .121 ISO, and 16.6 defensive runs saved (good for 4.3 fWAR in '15). In Pollock's age 25/26 season (late birthday), he produced a .269/.322/.409 slash line, with a .321 wOBA, 98 wRC+, .140 ISO, and 18.5 defensive runs saved (good for 3.6 fWAR in '13).
Pollock of course went on to slash .311/.363/.498 from age 27-28, producing a wOBA of .371, wRC+ of 132, ISO of .186, with a 7.5% BB rate, 16.8 defensive runs saved and 9.8 fWAR over 960 PA's. Or otherwise known as all the awesome.
As of this morning, Pillar is slashing .313/.365/.509, with a .374 wOBA, 138 wRC+, .196 ISO, and (perhaps most surprisingly) a 7.3% BB rate. And make no mistake, the main difference in his game is indeed the selectivity manifested in the walk rate. Where he was Arencibia-like (~4% BB) from the ages of 24-27, age 28 has seemed to have brought a higher degree of selectivity. He's stated himself that his approach has changed to incorporate a higher level of patience.
Perhaps most encouraging is the fact that there is no material change in batted ball profile. His LD%, GB%, and FB% are in line with his career averages, and though HR/FB rate and BABIP are both up, the HR/FB% is in line with the 2017 league average, and the BABIP is more similar to the figures he had in his minor league career.
Oh yeah, and he still does ish like this....
Sorry for the long post....this would've been a Blue Jays Hipsters article.
Oh yeah....and still hate you, Kevin.
media and fans have been bugging him to play more small ball, which was probably an influence and if Travis was successful, Gibbons would be praised. Personally I would only bunt if it was a bunt situation with a weak hitter at bat, but the media and fans have been on him for not playing small ball, so they shouldn't be complaining now.
phillipmike
Registered User
- Oct 27, 2009
- 12,522
- 8,331
God i hate Hayhurst... This guy is a complete moron, no idea how he has a job.
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050/hayhurst-blue-jays-turnaround-is-very-unlikely-1.754074
http://www.tsn.ca/radio/toronto-1050/hayhurst-blue-jays-turnaround-is-very-unlikely-1.754074
I wrote sometime in the offseason or late last season about how weird Pillar's plate discipline numbers were... he was one of the most aggressive in the league on balls out of the zone, yet he swung at a well-below-average rate on pitches in the zone. While he had great bat-to-ball skills, it shouldn't have been surprising that he a) never walked, and b) didn't get great results when he made contact.
It's just amazing that he's made such drastic changes in his approach. I wouldn't even say he's been more patient - after all, his Swing% is actually up this year because he's been way more aggressive on pitches in the zone. He's just being way more selective instead of just flailing away.
Were up to 179 plate appearances now. It's still a relatively small sample, but I'm convinced that his changes are 100% sustainable. Maintaining a 138 wRC+ is a lot to ask, but I would be surprised if he doesn't settle into at least a 110 wRC+ going forward.
It's just amazing that he's made such drastic changes in his approach. I wouldn't even say he's been more patient - after all, his Swing% is actually up this year because he's been way more aggressive on pitches in the zone. He's just being way more selective instead of just flailing away.
Were up to 179 plate appearances now. It's still a relatively small sample, but I'm convinced that his changes are 100% sustainable. Maintaining a 138 wRC+ is a lot to ask, but I would be surprised if he doesn't settle into at least a 110 wRC+ going forward.
zeke
The Dube Abides
- Mar 14, 2005
- 66,937
- 36,957
His numbers were so weird, though, that it almost seemed he was just consciously being stubborn about his approach (sorta like JPA), so maybe him maturing and going through a revelation as to his approach was always a bigger possibility with him than most others.
And if you look at his career we might end up seeing last year as just an outlier down year in what was otherwise a steady progression to quality mlb hitter (remembering that while his 14/15 lines look similar overall, the first was built mostly on being a lefty-masher off the bench).
I'm still hedging my bets on him, of course.
And if you look at his career we might end up seeing last year as just an outlier down year in what was otherwise a steady progression to quality mlb hitter (remembering that while his 14/15 lines look similar overall, the first was built mostly on being a lefty-masher off the bench).
I'm still hedging my bets on him, of course.
trellaine201
Registered User
TV dive
He does dive/jump at any ball hit his way. Yesterday was a good example, pretty routine fly ball and for some reason he jumps up as the ball goes into his glove. One of these times its not gonna work. And ball will bounce out
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