Measuring Wieters' impact on Orioles isn't easy - Kevin Van Valkenburg, The Baltimore Sun

[NattieO'sHon]

Great article on Matt. I have been debating with several of you that you need to look beyond the stats to determine the true value of Matt Wieters. We are very lucky to have him on our team. This quote sums it up for me.

"I think people's expectations were a little bit high on him," one major league scout said of Wieters. "I think he's been outstanding, but people maybe look at Mauer and think [Wieters] should be like Mauer. Well, Mauer is an anomaly. How many catchers in the history of the game are going to hit .360? That's pretty special. It's unfair, I think, to make that comparison. But if you were a club looking at the Orioles, and you could take any player on the club, I don't think there is a question that you'd take Matt Wieters over any other player, even Nick Markakis. If Andy MacPhail ever put him on the market, [the Orioles] could get whatever they wanted. Twenty-five clubs would be lining up, dying to get him."

http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/157902944

[Sports Guy]

And none of this addresses his poor offense.

I agree you can't measure certain things about him.

But again, we didn't draft him to be Brad Ausmus.

[SrMeowMeow]

And none of this addresses his poor offense.

I agree you can't measure certain things about him.

But again, we didn't draft him to be Brad Ausmus.

Well, this comparison is ludicrous. Matt Wieters through his age 24 season (years away from physical prime, still making adjustments, etc.) has a .714 OPS. Ausmus, for his career, has a .685.

I mean, ludicrous doesn't do it justice. Wieters is a better hitter now than Ausmus ever was. And when Ausmus was 24, he was seeing his first major league action.

[NattieO'sHon]

And none of this addresses his poor offense.

I agree you can't measure certain things about him.

But again, we didn't draft him to be Brad Ausmus.

That is just absurd. Did you draft him on your fantasy baseball team?

[BaltimoreTerp]

Well, this comparison is ludicrous. Matt Wieters through his age 24 season (years away from physical prime, still making adjustments, etc.) has a .714 OPS. Ausmus, for his career, has a .685.

I mean, ludicrous doesn't do it justice. Wieters is a better hitter now than Ausmus ever was. And when Ausmus was 24, he was seeing his first major league action.

In their age-24 seasons, Ausmus had a .696 OPS. Wieters had a .695.

Ausmus also had five years very close to or better than Wieters' .712 career OPS, two of them over 50 points better.

While I agree with your opinion that Wieters is better, you didn't prove it there.

Also, it's good to get continued confirmation that Van Valkenburg reads the board

[BaltimoreTerp]

That is just absurd. Did you draft him on your fantasy baseball team?

What he said is exactly right.

[SrMeowMeow]

In their age-24 seasons, Ausmus had a .696 OPS. Wieters had a .695.

Ausmus also had five years very close to or better than Wieters' .712 career OPS, two of them over 50 points better.

While I agree with your opinion that Wieters is better, you didn't prove it there.

Also, it's good to get continued confirmation that Van Valkenburg reads the board

I was just too aghast to do good research.

Regardless, it's an insane comparison.

[NattieO'sHon]

What he said is exactly right.

I know he is correct. Just do not think he is the next Ausmus.

[Bosibus]

Wieters has been a huge disappointment from a fan perspective and I am sure Orioles management. He was supposed to be that once in a decade player that changes a franchise and while he has been great defensively, he is not at all what fans were expecting offensively. I would not say he is a bust but rather just say he has been a huge disappointment.

[NattieO'sHon]

Wieters has been a huge disappointment from a fan perspective and I am sure Orioles management. He was supposed to be that once in a decade player that changes a franchise and while he has been great defensively, he is not at all what fans were expecting offensively. I would not say he is a bust but rather just say he has been a huge disappointment.

I will be happy to say that but not for a couple more years. The kid is 24. I hope he proves everyone wrong.

[Sports Guy]

Well, this comparison is ludicrous. Matt Wieters through his age 24 season (years away from physical prime, still making adjustments, etc.) has a .714 OPS. Ausmus, for his career, has a .685.

I mean, ludicrous doesn't do it justice. Wieters is a better hitter now than Ausmus ever was. And when Ausmus was 24, he was seeing his first major league action.

The ludicrous thing is that you don't actually get what I mean when I say Ausmus.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I know he is correct. Just do not think he is the next Ausmus.

I don't think SG does, either.

But when you start focusing solely on the defense and "intangibles" and discounting the offensive contribution, well, that's what was said about Ausmus for most of his career.

[Sports Guy]

I don't think SG does, either.

But when you start focusing solely on the defense and "intangibles" and discounting the offensive contribution, well, that's what was said about Ausmus for most of his career.

Wow....someone gets it.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I will be happy to say that but not for a couple more years. The kid is 24. I hope he proves everyone wrong.

You can say disappointment, because after the numbers he put up through the minors and everything the scouts said, he is. That doesn't mean he doesn't provide a lot of value, just that he isn't doing what was expected.

"Bust" means something completely different, and cannot be brought into the discussion. I don't think some people understand that part of it.

[Sports Guy]

I will be happy to say that but not for a couple more years. The kid is 24. I hope he proves everyone wrong.

I don't think many people on here, if any, are declaring Wieters as a bust or someone who can't turn things around.

What people are saying, which you continue to completely ignore, is that the signs just aren't there.

You can't deny that...at least with any knowledge and intelligence behind it.