Tom Brennan - TOUGH TO EVALUATE PLAYERS ON THE MARGIN IN THE SPRING

Usually, you officially hear little about what goes on with players assigned to minor league camp.  Making it a bit puzzling to evaluate.

Monday, to avoid the Nats seeing Jake and Thor this close to the start of the season, the extraordinary duo faced off against one another in a minor league intrasquad game.  

The superior results were not surprising.

Jake and Thor were deadly, combining to fan 24 in 12 1/3 innings pitched.  ("Fellas, you have to listen for the sizzle and swing, even if you can't see it" would be my advice, but no one listens to me).

But those numbers do not show up in officially published spring stats, as they did not occur in an official minor league game.  

Andres Gimenez (I'll nickname him Andy G) homered off Thor - but it does not get into the official stats.  Big, bad Wilson Ramos homered off Thor, too - FYI.

OF Tim Tebow was sent to the minor league camp after a solid, but brief, stint in major league camp: 4 for 15, a walk, and just 3 Ks.  What he's done since?  Hard to tell without a lot of digging.  Sorry, I left my shovel home.

Anecdotally, I read that Travis d'Arnaud played in two unofficial games in one day recently to boost his at bats - those results don't get included in official stats (although I am sure the braintrust is watching the unofficial ones as it tries to decide d'Arnaud's fate this spring.  He also played in Monday's unofficial game at catcher.  He's playing a lot for a guy with limited official stats.  Queens is calling.

Getting back to the outfield, what we do know is what Juan Lagares has done in official games in 2018 and 2019 when not injured: 

Not much.

Through Monday this spring, Juan had gone 8 for 44 (.182) with a triple, no RBIs and a walk.

Last spring, Lagares had similar anemic numbers: .200/.259/.220, in roughly 55 plate appearances, with 1 RBI.

During the regular, highly truncated 2018 season, in about 65 plate appearances, Juan was clearly better at .339/.375/.390, but with just 6 RBIs.

Two lousy springs, one solid but brief regular season, and VERY few RBIs.  Collectively, officially not good.

Especially considering he will be earning $9 big ones this year.

Has he played in non-official games where stats are not reported?  I don't know.   He's not telling me.  No one talks to me.

OF Keon Broxton looks very much like a guy on the cusp of securing a 25 man roster spot, with his .259/.429/.296 split, to go along with his stellar D and speedy speed, the best kind of speed a speedy guy can have.  But any additional playing time in unofficial games? Dunno.

With the just-arrived speedy guy OF Carlos Gomez (0 for 2 in official games, unclear what he may have done in unofficial ones as he tunes up) and speedy guy OF Rahai Davis (a solid .310/.353/.552), Juan better hope he picks up the pace soon.  Or Juan's demise just might come speedily.

But wait, there are even more outfielders.

Left Fielders.

Center Fielders.

Right Fielders.

But no heavy duty Prince Fielders or Cecil Fielders.

At least in official games, OFs Alcantara and Blanco have done ZERO to contend for a 25 man roster spot (5 for 46 combined).  And OF Rymer Liriano's 6 for 28 isn't exactly making me want to run out and purchase ducats - but for all I know, he has 10 homers in unofficial games (somehow, I doubt that).

Official results help me figure out what's going on.   Hidden ones don't.

I can't wait for the official season, when all stats are tracked - and when they all count.