How do you view Wieters now?

[Oriolidae85]

How do you view Wieters now vs when he first came up?(offensively speaking only)

Said this to a co-worker about a year ago. Wieters is going to be a great player, but his ceiling is going to slowly progress. He could break out with the bat this year (at least be a .800 OPS hitter), but I think the best you'll see in Wieters comes 2-3 years from now and he'll be consistently productive.

[Bradysburns]

I no longer think he's Jesus. More like John the Baptist.

I am starting to see him more as the Switch-Hitting Anshar. Yeah. I just went there.

[btownoriole]

We're coming up on 3 years since he tore up the minors. For most of '09 and '10 he was fairly mediocre (he needed a strong finish in '09 to have a respectable year). I just don't see the bat speed needed to be a star.

[murrayfan420]

I find the average player choice amusing, since despite falling short of pretty much all offensive predictions last season, he was still an above average catcher.

I voted for that, because fairly or not I don't view him just in comparison to other catchers. He was hyped to be a superstar, at any position, like Joe Mauer. He didn't even have an OPS over .700 last year so I remain skeptic. Hopefully I'm wrong.

[Sports Guy]

I view Wieters as a developing player who needs more rest to reach his potential.

This would have a tiny bit of validity if he started off great and faded down the stretch but that's not what has happened..In fact, his best month in his career was September of his rookie year.

[Hooded Viper]

I like that Buck has pushed him to be more of a take-charge leader type rather than just sit back and let the veteran pitches dictate things to him. I think we saw a huge surge in his defense last season and I believe we see the same surge in his offensive prowess this year.

[wildcard]

This would have a tiny bit of validity if he started off great and faded down the stretch but that's not what has happened..In fact, his best month in his career was September of his rookie year.

I have no clue what this has to do with anything. Do You?

[DrungoHazewood]

I view him as an enigma soon to be clarified.

Since that wasn't an option, I voted the most optimistic view, though he doesn't need to put up a .900 OPS to be a franchise player.

Yea, this is how I feel. I think we've narrowed down his likely career path to the point where we can be pretty sure he's not going to be the Best Catcher Ever, but also excluding anything below an average starting catcher.

If he continues to be a very good defensive catcher and stays relatively healthy he could be a multi-year All Star with an .800 OPS.

If I had to guess I'd say he ends up somewhere in the Varitek, Freehan, Darrell Porter range. And remember, the scale for catchers is much different from the rest of baseball - Freehan and Porter, while not HOFers, are among the top 20 catchers of all time in terms of WAR.

[DrungoHazewood]

I have no clue what this has to do with anything. Do You?

Isn't it obvious? We're about to, yet again, take a Weiters discussion into the bizarro world of how he's going to be a disappointment unless he's not catching for about 1/3 of the schedule.

[ShaneDawg85]

Between the added offensive help, a new hitting coach, experience gained, and any other factors you can think of, I see no reason to why Wieters can't raise his OPS by 100-125 points this season, at minimum.

[Hooded Viper]

Yea, this is how I feel. I think we've narrowed down his likely career path to the point where we can be pretty sure he's not going to be the Best Catcher Ever, but also excluding anything below an average starting catcher.

If he continues to be a very good defensive catcher and stays relatively healthy he could be a multi-year All Star with an .800 OPS.

If I had to guess I'd say he ends up somewhere in the Varitek, Freehan, Darrell Porter range. And remember, the scale for catchers is much different from the rest of baseball - Freehan and Porter, while not HOFers, are among the top 20 catchers of all time in terms of WAR.

I fully expect Wieters to be the best catcher the O's have every had when it is all said and done. IMO, he is already well on his way to being the best defensive catcher we have had and once his offense comes together, mid

.800 ops annually, he will be far and away the best we have ever had in Baltimore.

[DrungoHazewood]

I fully expect Wieters to be the best catcher the O's have every had when it is all said and done. IMO, he is already well on his way to being the best defensive catcher we have had and once his offense comes together, mid

.800 ops annually, he will be far and away the best we have ever had in Baltimore.

Rick Dempsey and Chris Hoiles are currently vying for that title. One couldn't hit, the other couldn't field, and neither got much over 20 WAR. The O's have been historically weak at catcher, so Wieters has an excellent chance.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I was really hoping Wieters would be in that Piazza, Bench level.

Oh well...

[wildcard]

Isn't it obvious? We're about to, yet again, take a Weiters discussion into the bizarro world of how he's going to be a disappointment unless he's not catching for about 1/3 of the schedule.

Thanks, didn't catch that. Should have but didn't.

[Sports Guy]

I have no clue what this has to do with anything. Do You?

Well, I am shocked by this one!

What it means is that you are dead wrong on your assertion about him needing more rest.