btdart20

Good post. Lyles' value to the Orioles eating innings/resting the BP (especially as the young guys get promoted and eventually shutdown when they start hitting their season IP limits) could be greater than the value other teams would be willing to trade for. I still think we'll trade him, but that's an extra layer Elias should consider.

103 and 105 OPS+ is disappointing. They are core hitters in the line-up. If our best hitters are slightly above average, that's not a good sign. Mounty seems to be a tough luck case a bit for his power numbers. His xBA is .324 vs. actual BA of .258. xSLG is .565 vs. actual SLG of .403. But those expected stats are really out of line from his prior to years. Average EV is 91.4 (3 MPH higher than league average) and HH% sits at 47.8 vs. league average of 35.6. His BB% is anemic. But he'll get his counting stats. Mullins' pull rate has gone up 18% (from 32% to 38%). And IF/FB ratio is jumped nearly 100% (from 14% to 25%). All while his BB% has dropped by nearly 33% (from 8.7 to 5.7). Feels very similar to Westburg and Cowser. He's gotten power hungry and needs to get back to going with the pitch. Not sure Mullins will get back to 2021 numbers, but there's upside in there as well.

We should know much more about Prieto and Westburg by 2024. BPA on the draft. Especially at 1.1. Xander and Correa probably opt out. And I bet the LAD don’t resign Trea. He’s currently blocking someone. But they are the Dodgers so who knows? So hopefully we have those 3 dance with. Not really interested in what the rest add offensively. Tim A is good but aging and can’t take a walk.

"O! contraire, hon."@wildcardspeaks Balmerese!

Watkins on the 15 day... GR!

Totally agreed. Not sure there's a rule book on retiring numbers. On field greatness is one threshold, absolutely. But there's some type of sliding scale with intangibles too. The numbers currently retired represent much more to Baltimore than just playing talent. When does Clemens' have his # retired in Boston? Definitely different circumstance (and not HOFers per the OP), but the public mojo rhymes to some degree.

Don't really care either way too. I hate the fact that he signed with the NYY of all teams... I revel in the fact that he never won the WS and wasn't an All-Star with the Yankees! But completely understand that it was a business decision. Moose is in the Adam Jones tier in my mind O's career-wise. But Jonesy was the face of the franchise and meant more to the team during his time than Moose did. Mike was on Cal's team.

My comment was a bit tongue in cheek because we have trouble seeing the positive and easily focus on the critiques. Leadership is easy to second guess all day long.

Like streaming relievers to get some fresher arms?

So you’re saying the GM gets more credit since those types of things are broader than a field manager level?

Prieto? Stock up right?

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=5&season=2022&month=1000&season1=2022&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2022-05-01&enddate=2022-05-20&sort=3,d Looks like they are swinging at a lot of strikes too.

Thanks for compiling and posting these btw! Awesome one-stop recap!

That Delmarva line up…. Wow. 8 guys at/below .231!

He started the homer chain. Which is great team building leadership. Even the sun shines on a dog’s butt every now and then!

My novice take: Not a good angle of the swing itself, but looks like the ball drifted in a bit and he was able to get drop the barrel nicely. But the swing itself looks disconnected from his lower half and is a little long but with good bat-to-ball skills he gets around the barrel around it to hit it hard. The Aberdeen HR in the link looks more 'top arm' driven. Again, not the side angle, but alas... Top arm is getting behind the ball (inside/out swing). It looks like a different swing to me, but the swing in the Sam Houston video could have been an opportunistic swing instead of staying tight. (Caveat emptor as you get what you pay for with my free analysis!) Also wanted to drop this in as a reminder. Using the 'top arm' is more legs/back hip driven mentioned in the article. A Conversation With Baltimore Orioles Prospect Colton Cowser | FanGraphs Baseball David Laurila: When Baseball America wrote you up for their 2022 Prospect Handbook, they cited your impressive walk-to-strikeout ratio. They also wrote that your swing path is “presently more geared toward contact versus power.” Do you feel that’s accurate? Colton Cowser: “I think so. But I’m not necessarily focused on my swing path resulting in more contact or power; I mostly just try to go up there with the same swing. Home runs come from timing. Even so, I have started to understand some of those things a little bit more. The Orioles have kind of brought that to my eyes with some of the developmental stuff they have.” Laurila: I was planning to ask you about that. Hitting analytics have presumably become a bigger part of your baseball life since you signed. Cowser: “For sure. We broke down some of the things they were looking at. They relayed it to me, kind of putting it into simpler terms, I guess you could say. I’d never really looked at the analytical side of baseball — I’d just gone out there and played — and they were showing me the next thing I could do to really boost my game.” Laurila: What most stood out in the line I quoted was the word “presently.” Do you anticipate your swing path changing at all? Cowser: “Not necessarily ‘change.’ I definitely think there are certain movements. For instance, I could tap into my legs a little bit more. That’s something I’ve been working on this offseason, and I feel it’s changed the ball flight for me. I’m more consistent. It’s not as many low line drives, it’s more… ‘launched,’ I guess you could say.” Laurila: Hitters often talk about getting into their legs more. What exactly does that mean? What are you doing differently? Cowser: “I’m thinking about my back hip, pretty much. When I’m loading, I’m kind of getting over the baseball. I’m more sitting into my back leg and keeping my back heel into the ground. Then, when I’m swinging, I’m kind of not coming out of my back heel but instead driving through it. I’m using the ground kind of like a board and then pushing off of it. That’s what I’ve been working on.”

And other carrion will circle the carcass too... We would need to eat the contract and maybe have another piece (maybe an RP?) to get anything beyond a lottery ticket or smurfy prospect.

Surely. 1.1 pick is important and hope we nail it. But think there will be some top talent for the next 2 picks we have as well. Those could really reload the org depth from this year’s graduates! Seems like the year to overslot/BPA the first few rounds of the talking heads are to be believed! Lots of HS talent and maybe (hurt) college arms may be on the board still for our top 3-5 picks.

It could. Jones/Green’s speed plays in the Canyon too. Covering OF ground and taking the extra base on the base path. I’m still cautious of helium behind Holliday’s late rise. Passing on the high upside HS SS is always tough though.

https://www.prepbaseballreport.com/profiles/GA/Jonathan-Cannon-4857160932-0871394526 Here’s the quote that piqued my interest: His main weapon was a sinker that averaged 93-94 and tickled 96. He lived down in the zone with the pitch that also showed above average run. It was explosive to his armside at times, diving under bats for empty swings. Its horizontal movement (17" average, 20" maximum) from a higher release point is more rare for a sinkerballer since a 6-foot release height typically produces more back spin than the side spin needed for sink. What is scary is that his sinker could add more depth by reducing the spin (current 2310 avg rpm). This quote made me a fan: He is the only 2022 draft-eligible prospect that appears on both the Heat Sheet and Control Artists.

Same here. It also makes him more valuable in a trade. Hat tip to Elias on Lyles (so far). His aggressiveness pursuing Lyles makes him Elias’ guy.

Extend them or keep stacking talent. Worst case is letting time go by doing nothing. Let’s not go down looking! Again…

Interesting. I haven't seen video on him. But your description sounds like Nestor Cortes.

Potentially good movement on his pitches. But still some things to work on too. Sounds like a good base to work from at least.

Agree. Banking on a higher HH% supporting a higher babip. BB% gains offsetting K% loses.