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8/23/23

Tom Brennan - Vogelbach vs. Stewart - Go Ahead, Pick One

DJ STEWART: A METS FIND SINCE TAKING OFF HIS SYRACUSE CAP

Lefty power hitter DJ Stewart has been a revelation since his call up a few weeks ago, hitting 5 homers in 6 games and also flat-out robbed of a 6th homer on a great above-the-wall leaping catch.  Before he was called up, he hit 14 HRs in 40 games in May and June in AAA, a prodigious pace.

Career-wise, he is .216/.329/.418, and in 588 at bats, 32 HRs, and 85 RBIs.  What's wrong with that?

His competitor, Daniel Vogelbach, went 1 for 5 Monday night, with his RBI single coming off an exhausted and limited-in-talent Allan Winans.  That makes Vogey 1 for 15 against lefties this year.  

So, besides being the slowest offensive player in baseball and almost exclusively a DH for that reason, his career batting average against lefties is .130.  Yep, .130.  Only .130.

So, as has been noted many times over the past year on this website, Vogie can't run (in his 555 game career, he has zero steals in zero attempts), can't hit lefties, and can't play the field (125 Mets career games, none in the field).

Left DJ Stewart, meanwhile, hits .234 vs. lefties - career.  

So, if the other team switches out a righty and brings in a lefty, you don't have to pinch hit for Vogey if you have DJS instead.

If I had to pick one and release the other right now, I keep DJS.  

Without a scintilla of a doubt.

Good fielder, faster, power, not a liability when hitting vs. lefties.

Me?  If I was the GM? 

I'd release Vogelbach immediately, in point of fact, and call up Ronny Mauricio(triple and 2 walks last night in the Syracuse game). 

Or the hot Baty (see more below).

Start the future.  Now.

Unless, of course, you intend to trade Ronny this off season for pitching, and think a failed Mauricio call up would impair his trade value.  Otherwise, the Mauricio wait should be over.

Call him up.  Let Vogie go.  Even though Vogie hit another HR last night. His WAR this year is now positive - at a scant 0.1. He has been solid the last two months, hitting around .250 with 18 RBIs in 96 plate appearances over that span…and 4 HRs and 11 RBIs in the last 10 games, but one was a 3 run HR in an 18 run loss and another was a grand slam in a game the Mets won by 11, two pretty window-dressing at bats which accounted for 40% of his RBIs in July and August.

If he is good enough, another team will quickly pick him up.

But I am not the GM. The GM is the GM.

AUSTIN TROESSER:

Mets’ 4th round pick, and 135th overall, made his pro debut in the FCL. One inning, no runs, 3 Ks. Can’t argue with that debut, huh? In the 7 inning one hitter, the FCL METS used 6 pitchers, while the opposing team used 7 in the 2-0 Mets win. Like the first game of spring training, lots of newly drafted guys pitched an inning each. One guy showed off out of the 13 hurlers and threw 2 innings.

BOOMING BRETT BATY:

In 10 games inAAA exile is .325/.378/.675 since his demotion.

RUSTY:

After 3 weeks on the IL, Kevin Parada is 1 for 17 so far.

DREW GILBERT

.333/.397/.550 in 16 AA games as a Met. Sweet.

TIDY TIDWELL:

Blade Tidwell has adjusted to AA. Last night, 5 shutout innings, 6 Ks.

MENDOZA LIVES IN A CROWDED NEIGHBORHOOD IN BINGHAMTON:

Last 4 guys in the Binghamton RP team’s box score last night sported averages of .188, .197, .130, and .132. I hope their resumes are up to date. 

In fact there are 7 sub .200 guys on the BRP roster right now who, combined, are 189 for 1,060 (.178) with 336 Ks. Yet, somehow, Binghamton is a .500 team.  

But it is the key reason why the team is hitting .223, while the second lowest team is hitting .234. Besides those 7 Mendoozies, the rest of the BRP team has hit an OK .242 this year.


I’m stopping here, as I am turning into a Ramble Pony.


21 comments:

  1. Morning Tom

    The DJ VOGEY decision is a no brain.decision not because of DJs hitting but his + fielding

    ReplyDelete
  2. As for Tidwell

    His.problems this season have been lack of control

    This game

    0 walks

    ReplyDelete
  3. Tidwell could come fast if the control is fixed. Syracuse season ends in 5 weeks, so he still has time for a one or two outing promotion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Everyone in the Mets organization know that this guy is the only front end prospect in the system

      A steal in the draft

      Let him finish at AA

      Start him at AAA next season on opening day

      Delete
    2. It wouldhurt to give him a taste of AAA in September.

      Delete
  4. Mack, I wonder if any other non-pitcher in MLB history has played as long as Vogelcah without even attempting a steal.

    Pete Alonso, not considered a gazelle, is 14 for 16 career. Even slow Eddie Kranepool was 15 of 42..

    And super slow Wilson Ramos was 1 of 4.

    Kiner always talked about how glacially slow Ernie Lombardi was - he was 8 of 17, the same as ponderous Frank Howard.

    Prince Fielder stole 18.

    Rickey stole 1406, but shame on him - he was caught stealing 335 more times than Vogelbach.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Maybe the Bums catcher Rube Walker the all time slowest runner in baseball

      Delete
    2. I remember watching a game at Ebbetts in which Walker hit TWO TRIPLES!

      And almost collapsed onto 3B after the 2nd one.

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  5. Still hoping Vasil is a # 3 eventually. Probably wishful thinking.

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    Replies
    1. No

      He could be

      And so could Hamel or Stuart

      I think among those 3 two of them will develop into better starters than Megill or Peterson

      Delete
  6. Megill and Peterson having a poor 2023, far below my pre-season expectations.

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  7. Michael Wacha sucked with Mets. This year and last, though, he is 21-4. Unreal.

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  8. JB or Vogel? It’s simple,Homer, you use the what have you done lately test?

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  9. Mauricio is having a rare 20-20-21 season, the 21 being combined Errors at 3 positions.

    And his BA is lower than Tomas Nido's.

    I hear the "not ready" chimes tolling.

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  10. Mauricio first 2 months hit .355. Last 3 months, about .235. Question in, why? .250 the last 2 months after a bad June.

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  11. Does anybody remember the inside the park Homer from Joe Pignatato. The piggy ran all the way home . Rube would beat him in a foot race.

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  12. Wild card weirdness…Seattle traded Paul Sewald at the deadline, and have gone 17-5 since. No doubt they’d love to have him back.

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  13. I think Mauricio is legit. Make him a third baseman, put Baty at 1B, DH Alonso.

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  14. Gus, when they expand the roster, Ronny really should be called up. The break-in time for him is 2023.

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  15. Gus, Mendick and Ortega are blocking the future. Should be Mark and Ronnyinstead.

    ReplyDelete