(CUE UP THE SOUNDTRACK “WHEN YOU WHIFF UPON A STAR…”)
Or…“THEY SAY THAT CHOKING UP IS…HARD TO DO…”
A little play on words on an old popular pop song.
Sung By Neil Sedaka. He was a real “hit”.
With strikeouts ultra-abundant in baseball, I wonder if choking up is passé.
Mark Vientos with any count of two strikes, through Sunday June 21?
.098/.143/.161 in 108 two strike plate appearances.
Two strikes, Career? .138/.201/.236.
May I put it gently? Preposterously terrible.
Has anyone ever seen him choking up?
I am sure he must, except that I must have repeatedly missed it myself.
Jeff McNeil, meanwhile, a classic choker-upper, in his career?
.218/.297/.311 with 2 strikes.
Far superior. A serious hitter.
Pitchers at 2 strikes have an advantage. McNeil has always neutralized it.
My admonitions to Mets hierarchical types are two-fold:
1) Have your lads do everything possible to not get to 2 strikes. SWING!
And…
2) When your lads do get to 2 strikes, get them to protect the dish as if they were defending their homes against an armed intruder.
TOO MANY STRIKEOUTS.
Down on the farm, the epidemic rages:
Syracuse? 638 Ks in 75 games. 8.5 per game.
Binghamton? 689 Ks in 69 games. 10.0 per game.
Brooklyn? 714 Ks in 68 games. 10.5 per game.
St Lucie? 677 Ks in 68 games. 10.0 per game.
Terrible.
In those 2,718 K at bats for those 4 teams, I ran a quick calculation.
They are batting .000.
Brennan Advice?
Go OLD SCHOOL…
Choke up. Protect the dish.
After all, it’s YOUR DISH, and the pitcher is trying to bust up your china.
And pitchers? They can REALLY bust up “two strike china”.
Maybe Vientos, if he choked up, rather than simply choked, would be a still bad .160/.200./.230 this year on 2 strikes, rather than his unreal .098/.143/.161.
Do that .160 on 2 strikes over over a full season, and Vientos might even have a positive WAR, rather than a very-career-threatening negative 0.8 WAR.
He’ll be choking up if his career prematurely ends because he didn’t choke up.
ANOTHER DSL BEAUTY(?)
The two Mets’ DSL teams faced off against one another on Saturday, in a 7 inning game that featured just 9 hits, and ended 8-7.
15 runs on 9 hits seems like a lot, but in the 7 inning contest, they still managed to combine to have 21 runners left on base.
How?
Well, there were 10 walks, for each team, as well as 9 hit batsmen, and 7 wild pitches. Wow.
That’s a LOT of wild and wooly action in 7 innings.
29 walks and hit batsmen in 7 innings? SMH.
Semi-pro ball caliber, maybe. Or, maybe less.
After all, the Braves’ DSL team has walked an astonishing 193 batters in 138 innings.
The Mets’ 2 DSL teams’ pitchers, combined?
“Just” 273 walks in 306 innings (8 per 9 innings).
ON A POSITIVE NOTE…
Exclude Benge’s fairly brief deep early season struggles, and he and AJ Ewing have simply been terrific. They combined for 4 hits last night.
Mark Vientos (0 for 3, .217) is probably hoping he gets traded to the Cubs.
20 comments:
From 6-18 to 6-23 Vientos produced a .933 OPS
A broken clock is correct twice a day. I don’t need a player who takes half the season to (possibly) start hitting, stinks in the clutch, stinks with two strikes, who can’t run, and also can’t field. By then, the season is in the toilet. He has had a negative WAR in 4 of his 5 seasons. That does not spell “winner”. The only reason he is still here is the failures of Clifford and Reimer.
OK
Let Jared Young finish the season at first
DFA Vientos and hope for an offer
Look around
Buy Juan a first baseman's mit
Quite possible Vientos has been exposed? He seems to do better with lesser at bats. I don’t know how good his focus is, but on the field I’ve seen him make some great plays and some real flubs.
I'm all in on Soto as a 1B, but I don't see it happening as early as next year and that is why I am in favor of Contreras trade. Contrares might then serve as a quality DH if extended or signed as FA after next year while also playing some first base. Wasn't that the idea with Polanco though the splits were to be different. The Soto transition can take a year and a period of playing both positions plus dHing. And Contreras shows up to play. Next year, Morabito is 4th OF and Taylor 5th. Advantage of both is they are RH bats while starting 3 are LH bats. Hopefully when Soto is comfortable with switch, Morabito shows he is ML ready for full time work. Right now we have to be honest and point out he has a lot of work to do against righties.
Vientos was interviewed last week and said he's happy with his performance and thought he had improved... WHAT! well right there is the problem another player with his head in the clouds loving the MLB life but needs a real reality check and it should be right around the corner. Still scared that DS is still making decisions and the trade deadline is fast approaching God help us. Hey am I allowed to use "God" in a post?
I know I'm not going to get my way here but I really don’t want to trade for established (nice word for old) ballplayers.
First, there is a good chance there will be health complications
Second, there is only a small pool of players that the Mets could afford to trade
And third, I really think the Mets aren't that far off.
Their outfield and catcher position are set. The rotation will develop internally. Short is covered.
Here's when the 40 man roster is not your friend. Yonny Hernandez has done everything he can to show he deserves a chance to see what he can do at 3B on the Mets, but there are two guys who've shown enough to let you know they aren't deserving. Problem is they have no options left.
Thornton throws a really nice game, and then is stashed in the minors because Senga, while relegated to the bullpen has no options and the Mets are trying to increase his trade value. That's just stupid. Nothing he could bring back in a trade will increase the quality of your team more than showing confidence in Thornton and having him settle in and develop.
Both are more urgent than raising trade value of players. Frankly, I would DFA Vientos and Senga, and see if anyone picks them up and see if you can make a trade. Or you can see if teams have interest in either by making it know to some of them you suspect might that you are going to DFA them and see if that incentivizes the team to make a trade for either.
I will continue to press for Chapman trade, but I understand those who would say that we should at least see what Hernandez and Houck have. Setting Houck aside as his body of work is spotty and inconsistent, Hernandez has played ML ball and is doing very well at Syracuse. Wouldn't you want to see him for a month in the majors before seeing whether you should make a trade for Chapman. Hasn't he earned that opportunity.
Frankly, I would try to move Baty and Manaea and a lesser prospect to Boston paying off a third of Manaea's salary -- say the difference between his and Contreras' for next year (about 7m) for Contreras. I'd put Semien on longer IL if possible, move Bichette to 2B and see what Hernandez can do at 3B.
Red Sox need infielders, and like everyone, pitchers.
I saw that interview and took note. Also, Peteraon has said he’s happy with his performance. I would get rid of every player that is satisfied with losing.
I’d put Semien on the 60 day IL and cut him after the lockout. Too, Taylor is a free agent after this year
Tom -
Good thing they don't have to face pitcher Jhosmer Alverez. (He of the claim of once striking out five batters in one inning).
I would expect the average number of strike outs to be, on average, to be higher in the lower levels. What is the average strike outs per game in the MLB? Answer 8.4 or a strike out rate approaching 22 percent of the at bats. Syracuse is close to that number of strike outs per game. Again, I would expect it to be higher because it is still the MiLB. (And Clifford).
All that said, Vientos numbers are not acceptable and I agree with you.
Sure sounds like Mauricio, too.
Morabito is getting closer to being MLB ready.
What! is right. Take that self-satisfied nonsense elsewhere. Only in one of 5 seasons did Vientos have a positive WAR. AND that one year wasn’t 2025 or 2026.
I am in favor of ddi g 2 roster slots for hitters only, and adding no more than $2 million in salary for those 2 contracts annually. There used to be 15 per team, now just 13. That is unfair.
Steve, the inability of so many minor leaguers striking out so much, when it is a fatal disease, baffles me. They need to figure it out. All I can suggest is cut down on called strikes, swing to hit line drives vs. long drives, and aggressively choke up on 2 strikes. Or…fail.
I am for giving Young a full opportunity. Vientos is a .265 career hitter vs. lefties, .220 v. righties. His usage should be limited to mostly lefties.
Notice Peterson had a very nice game yesterday for the Cubs.
Peterson has escaped from Alcatraz
Or maybe Alvarez.
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