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I like a bat control guy like Donovan over a hot and cold all or nothing guy like O’Neill or a dead pull platoon guy like Gorman. We need to see what kind of hitter Burleson would look like in the bigs.
It all depends on the situation. Man on second and third for the Cardinals with either 1 or 2 outs in the 9th. Cards are behind by a run. Do you want a .300+ BA player at the plate who doesn’t strike out much, or a guy who swings for the fences every time and strikes out a third of the time? There will always be a place in baseball for a contact hitter who uses the whole field. No matter what the analytics
geeks say.Can’t speak for others, but I didn’t say that any hitters don’t have a place in the game. I do take exception when folks use selected stats and slanted situations to try to assert that one kind is better than the other, though.
No reason to take exception, Brian. It was just a simple example. It’s different points of view. Some want guys who can get on base and drive in runs whether it’s a single, double, triple or home run.
A higher batting average and higher on base percentage. Analytics guys can prove that home runs are more important. Less important to them are stolen bases, sacrifice bunts, squeeze plays, etc. So it’s swing from the heels and K 30+% of the time that is now prevalent. As many Ks as hits. Some guys say chicks like the long ball. Others say more continuous action keeps fans in the game more. One thing that’s interesting to see, though, is how fans have taken to Donovan. On different fan discussion forums, they seem to say “he plays the game the right way”.Does he get the call now with O’Neill injury?
Dickerson went on rehab assignment Thursday and went 1-3 as the DH, but Deluzio PH for him and Dickerson hasn’t played since. I’m not sure why. Nootbaar has continued to struggle. The thing working against Burleson is the 40 man is full and he’s not on it.Does Yepez deserve another chance for semi-regular playing time? I would put him ahead of any of the potential callups. If so, and the callup becomes a infrequently used reserve, it doesn’t matter all that much who it is.
The exception is DeJong because of his service time issue. I wouldn’t call him up until there is an infield opening. He wouldn’t be a good replacement for O’Neill, IMO.
If O’Neill goes on the IL then Yepez should get most of the starts in LF. As for who is called up I would only bring up Burleson if there is room for him to play regularly, which I doubt there would be.
Seems to me that Burleson is the kind of player you might want to bring up for a look at major league pitching. Some DH opportunities against right handed pitching and a pinch hitting opportunity or two.
If he struggles, it would be a good lesson on what what he needs work on.I don’t think he gets the call either. Just there seems to be a chance to possibly get a look, especially with the unknown of Dickerson right now. But I’d guess Nootbaar comes back or maybe they just activate Dickerson if he’s healthy. And probably see a combination of Yepez and Donovan in LF. I think Donovan in LF, Gorman at 2B, Yepez at DH is probably what we see most.
“I think Donovan in LF, Gorman at 2B, Yepez at DH is probably what we see most.” — 9:51 AM
And that’s exactly what Marmol has penciled in tonight. Well done Cards 667. I’ve noticed your lineup construction is frequently spot on.
Thanks, I think. It might mean I spend too much time watching and reading and looking at stats. In middle school I started playing a game with myself where every morning I’d look at the pitching match up and try to guess LaRussa’s lineup. Every day was worth “18 points”, a point for each correct player in the correct spot on the lineup and 1 point for each correct player in the defensive position. I did this for years, even into adulthood, and was just a fun little game I played. It was harder there for awhile when Tony would randomly hit the pitcher 8th. So maybe it’s just years of repetition.
Burleson was 3 out of 4 last night. Also walked once. Drove in 2 (now has 53 RBI in 266 plate appearances with 14 HRs). Hitting .335 with an OBP of .384. OPS of .950.
BC, he definitely allows them to be “opportunistic” when it comes to trading from the depth in the majors to get pitching. A LH bat that gets on base and hits with power is a luxury in this day and age.
For me, Yepez is going to be the odd man out. With 6 years of control left, and a somewhat proven bat in MLB I would think he would be drawing some interest?
If he (and maybe other pieces) can be moved for a quality SP with several years left, I’d be all for it. I just don’t know what’s out there. Burleson, because of the OBP with power, should be nearly untradeable.
Right crany, at least as to O’Neill. I think Mo will want a look at Burly in MLB before deciding how to approach the O’Neill arbitration thing this winter.
Not coming to a resolution before the arbiter had to chose and being represented by Boras don’t bode well for TO.
If I’m Dylan Carlson, I’m a bit worried about my starting position with the St. Louis Cardinals. A true blue chipper will keep that door closed to other eager contestants. Carlson has not been a major disappointment just yet ……. but he hasn’t exactly taken the bull by the horns either. He’s becoming vulnerable to demotion.
Carlson’s OPS+ is 103 which is not really what you want to see in a corner outfielder. Bader’s 97+ is maybe barely OK for a center fielder. Tyler O’Neill was in the 80s when he went down. So there is ample opportunity for Burleson to elbow his way in somehow if he gets a chance.
“Carlson’s OPS+ is 103 which is not really what you want to see in a corner outfielder.”
Agreed, for sure. But since being removed from the unfamiliar and uncomfortable leadoff role, Carlson has been fine with a 115-120 OPS+. And he was reeeal good over the second half of the 2021 season.
Now I don’t expect Dylan to be a star per se, but I do think he’ll put up 3-4 WAR seasons going forward. He’s younger than Yepez & Donovan, and only a month older than Burleson. So there’s unquestionably 5-WAR upside if he can reclaim his 130 OPS+ or so from last year’s second half.
“Bader’s 97+ is maybe barely OK for a center fielder.”
Bader since the start of 2018 (his first full season) has an OPS+ of exactly 100, and per both Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference had been worth about 12 WAR in just over 1,600 plate appearances. Which of course is outstanding production on a per-AB basis. (Bader’s trouble has been [1]staying healthy, and [2]receiving maximum playing time from Mike Shildt. Mostly the former, of course.)
It actually shocked me when I looked this up, Bling, but of the top 15 CF defenders over the past 5 MLB seasons, Bader has the second-highest OPS+ during that stretch! The only good-glove CF who hit really well was Byron Buxton.
Here’s a Fangraphs link: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=cf&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2022&month=0&season1=2018&ind=0&team=0&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2018-01-01&enddate=2022-12-31&sort=21,d&page=1_50
Basically, if you want a centerfielder who can hit, you gotta be prepared to give up some glovework. And vice-versa, obviously.
If I’m Dylan Carlson, I’m a bit worried about my starting position with the St. Louis Cardinals. A true blue chipper will keep that door closed to other eager contestants. Carlson has not been a major disappointment just yet ……. but he hasn’t exactly taken the bull by the horns either. He’s becoming vulnerable to demotion.
Well said Pugs. I jumped off the Carlson hype machine awhile ago. He is Piscotty 2.0.
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