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858, no, I am not on the Keuchel bandwagon. I expect one of the young pitchers to step up. I’d like to see Hudson grab it, like Flaherty did last year.
Reyes in some trouble in his first outing here. Bases loaded with none out on two walks and a single. The sac fly then unties it.
Fastball reportedly topped out at 98.
Reyes stuff is electric. Fastball has life, movement. Slider is sharp. Change was 91 with sharp sink. Flipped an 82 MPH curve up there for a strike (barely) that got a K.
Command is a problem though. Not totally unexpected given lack of game action, probable adrenaline.
— Kevin Wheeler (@KevinWheeler94) March 5, 2019
Phils win 2-1 on a walkoff double against Cabrera that shot over Hurst’s head in RF. Cards are 3-6-2 this spring.
Fair point, but I am neither surprised nor concerned that young guys like Cabrera and Helsley may not be immediately ready.
Fair point, but I am neither surprised nor concerned that young guys like Cabrera and Helsley may not be immediately ready.
Brian, are you concerned at all about the hitters thus far? Outside of Goldy and maybe Carp, the guys who are projected to be part of our regular lineup all have abysmal batting averages right now. On the radio today Brad Thompson was concerned with Fowler’s bat speed and Ozuna doesn’t even have a hit yet and may be out of shape. The one guy who has been a pleasant surprise is O’Neil, who is striking out less and walking more. I think it’s fair to say Tyler has shown improved plate discipline, though his batting average could be higher. Really, outside of Goldy, I think the only hitters batting .300 are all going to start the year at Memphis.
While one could make the argument that it’s too early to be worried, I would argue the season starts at the end of this month and guys need to start showing signs of progress.
I don’t think spring averages are something that should normally concern a team. though with fowler, I would be paying attention. to be honest, the cardinals really don’t have guys outside of goldy and maybe carpenter that you would consider really good average hitters. to counter this they need to learn more patience at plate and not chasing bad pitches plus using good situational hitting. I do think oneill has looked a lot better this spring. in the end, our pitching is gonna have to be stand out, in my opinion anyway. that goes for a lot of teams but I think some other teams have some lee way and I think Milwaukee is one of them. cubs im not sure totally about but we will see.
O’Neill has a non-sustainable slash line of .176/.364/.706/1.070.
22 plate appearances
0 singles, doubles and triples
3 homers
5 walks
6 strikeoutsdac, on your question as to whether I am concerned about the hitters, I covered my view on the previous page of this thread. The quick answer is “no”.
Reminder that today is another non-Cards network TV game. John Gant gets the start against a pretty good lineup.
You should take your lunch today at 1:05 ET with us and @YESNetwork 👍 pic.twitter.com/J8V49AhWkb
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) March 6, 2019
Given what happened last time he pitched, Reyes performance could have been predicted. It is how he feels today that matters. Hopefully, he feels well, and pitches a couple innings over the weekend. He has 4 plus pitches, and a couple are plus plus. I do not recall any pitcher in recent memory having this kind of arsenal.
It looks like Helsley is being steered to being in the bullpen. This seems a shame, until proven he can’t start, and/or stay healthy. Or maybe he is being brought along slowly until minor league action starts.
Fowler so far hasn’t inspired me yet to think 2019 will be any different. I hope I am wrong. I am sure hoping O’Neill could push him to the bench.
C27, I understand the Helsley perception, but let’s see what assignment he gets with Memphis. If he continues to start, which I think he should, his performance could change any minds already set. He needs to log innings, IMO, as he hasn’t pitched regularly in nine months. It is a lot to expect for him to be sharp in MLB games right off the bat.
Cardinals vs. Yankees. Today's going to be fun! 🌴
Game info: https://t.co/afzGC5Ipgr pic.twitter.com/VMZQQDuSAb
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 6, 2019
I don’t put much emphasis on these early ST games. I know many fans like to dwell on some of the early stats but shouldn’t read too much into them. The better pitchers are starting games with 2 or 3 IPs and then followed by a wide variety of MLB and MiLB relievers who are facing the replacements in the field. Its the defensive play that should be watched more closely.
Players on the cusp of the 25-man have more to prove as opposed to the guys that already have a spot nailed down. Some shoddy ST play could cost them dearly. The two errors on one play by Edman will stand out negatively down the line.
When starters begin going 5.0 innings and many players are being moved down to the back fields, that’s when the stats become more valid for predicting who has a better chance of going North with the Cards.
March is similar to any month during the season with guys having good stretches followed by poorer ones. A productive ST doesn’t always equal quality months ahead. It happens every year…. that’s where the Memphis roster comes into play. Its the nature of the industry.
Woodford has looked pretty good in spring. FB sitting 96, with a good slider & change. Seems ready for Memphis, with MLB not far away.
I guess the big question is who will be the starters when the season begins in Memphis…
Hudson, Gomber, Ponce, Woodford, Helsley, Cabrera…? maybe one goes to the pen. or Dakota may make a roster spot out of spring…CMart on DL..?I just watched Connor Jones throw against Judge, and even though the AB ended in a walk, Jones’ stuff exceeded my expectations derived from reading scouting reports. He looks like he could eventually contribute in the bullpen (my observation is based on a very small sample size, but I was not expecting him to be touching 96)
C27, here is the Thomas update.
OF Lane Thomas suffered an intercostal (rib) injury on a check swing and has not appeared since the second game of the spring. He is expected to return within a week.
GACard, good point on Jones. Perhaps being a full-time reliever now is enabling him to cut loose more.
With the bases loaded, Wong dropped down a beautiful drag bunt toward first base to score the sixth run. That needs to be a part of his game. Cards up 6-3 in B6th.
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