I LOVE AGGRESSION
I love hitters who are booked for aggravated assault against pitches.
I will gladly bail them out, and tell them to be repeat offenders.
Back in November, I wrote:
…to Clifford, I would say:
”OK, you’ve proved you can walk a lot, now ATTACK!” Be aggressive.
Less walks, higher average, more HRs. Essentially:
From here on out, please be the next Nick Kurtz. Attack.
So I was THRILLED to read Clifford say THIS a few days ago:
"I think I made a little jump last year with my aggressiveness," Clifford said. "The power's always kind of going to be there for me, so just trying to get my best swing off earlier in counts -- just not get to two strikes -- I think is a big part. So, just getting my swing off early and hunting the middle of the zone."
YES! Fewer walks = more power. Walks can “take a walk”, for all I care.
SO WHAT?
Jonah Tong gave up a 3 run HR, and Devin Williams gave up a HR on the first pitch he threw.
SO WHAT?
Both dingers happened in FEBRUARY spring outings, totally meaningless.
Both were on pitches they are working on. Tong’s pitch? Not bad, Gorman just jacked it. And…
Cristian Pache is hitting .700.
So what? It was in February ball.
Remember Jose Siri on a power tear last February? How did that work out?
Check back with me in mid-March. Then, we’ll figure out what’s what.
DOES AGE IN BASEBALL ALWAYS MATTER?
Aaron Judge hit a scintillating .355 in the first half of last year, but “only” .286 in the second half of last year. The slugger arguably had the best total season of hitting in all of baseball in 2025 (Big Cal may disagree, and who would I be to disagree with? Big Cal).
But Judge Dredd did drop 70 points from the first half to the second half. I’m sure there were a variety of reasons.
Could one those reasons perhaps be the first brief glimpses of aging and age-related decline?
The “All Rise Judge Man” will be 34 this year. I guess we’ll find out.
One guy who has aged really well is a guy no one ever expected to make it to the majors.
Why? He was a Mets’ 34th rounder. His name?
Seth Lugo
The righty is now 36, and he remarkably dug himself out of that deep 34th rounder pit to become a Mets reliever for several years. He then went free agent, and in 3 years thereafter, he is 32-23, 3.60 as a starter. Career, 360 outings, 64-47, 3.49 ERA.
Second in AL Cy Young award voting in 2024 for KCR.
And he survived two other headwinds. He sported an ugly 5.73 ERA in 103 AAA Las Vegas innings, allowing a whopping 134 hits and a 1.57 WHIP, only to excel at the major league level.
And he has survived and thrived with a partially torn UCL without surgery. I wonder how many pitchers prior to Tommy John surgery’s advent pitched for a long time without an elbow blowing out. We will of course never know. What I do know is before Tommy John himself got Tommy John surgery, no other pitcher did, but probably thousands since.
Anyway, one can only admire a guy like Seth Lugo, entering his 11th MLB season despite his lowly draft lineage. Never say never.
8 comments:
“So what, it’s only Feb games so far”, but notable:
Ryan Clifford is 0 for 8 with 4 Ks…and a walk.
Ewing starts out strong, with 3 hits in 6 official ABs, including an HR and double, 2 sacks flies, and a walk.
Carson Benge almost as strong, on base 5 times with 4 hits and an HBP.
Reimer just 1 for 6, but 3 walks, and just missed a double.
Jose Ramos wins the early goat horns for his 0-8, 6 K performance so far.
Swaggy V is a murky 1 for 13…where’s Pete? Come back home.
Piazza was a 62nd round pick; you can never measure the heart.
It seems like Clifford is growing as a hitter. Great to hear.
Many Mets are departing for WBC games today. Looking forward to seeing more of the guys that need to show something: Melendez, Tauchman, Mauricio (more reps in at SS), Barnes/Senger/etc, Reimer/Clifford, and Benge/Robert.
You guys know Acuna is batting .429 this spring? I knew it!
Alonso was at .306, now down to .250 with a .294 OBP, where he belongs…
Nimmo hasn’t played yet, I guess. Can’t find stats for him.
Ventos with some loud outs. He is going to kill it in WBC.
Clifford got hit once, too. Well, people wanted Kyle Schwarber… here he is.
Mauricio… doing nicely on offense and defense.
Acuna will become baseball’s best all time hitter at .429.
Vientos to his credit is not fanning much.
Ronny Mo wants to not be forgotten. Keep hitting. Avoid lefties.
Clifford the next Schwarber? One can hope.
If the Mets had to start the season with both Benge at point guard and Ewing at Center, I think they’d both hold their own.
Melendez v. Tauchman…that one could go 15 rounds. The Doozie in St Lucie.
Luis Robert’s first planned spring game is Wednesday, I read. Slow, easy, and healthy wins the race.
Gus, Bryce Montes de Oca has retired 5 batters, 4 by K, and 3 walks and no hits for the Internationals. I wish the Mets still had him. Don’t ask me why.
Gus, both Vientos and Baty still feel like kids…but both are 26…they are entering their prime 5 years. Who will do better? Will either ever be an All Star?
Both Baty and Vientos hit the ball hard yesterday. That was an encouraging sign. Those hard hit balls did not show up in the box score because they were caught, but soon enough they will end up in the right place. Clifford didn't hit it, but he had the best fan support of the day. Loud chants of "Big Red Dog" during his at-bat.
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