Mark Reynolds vs. Garrett Atkins

[Bradysburns]

During their vaunted time with the Orioles, who gets the prize for worst performance:

AVERAGE:

Atkins: .214

Reynolds: .194

Edge: Reynolds

wOBA:

Atkins: .256

Reynolds: .284 (projected)

Edge: Atkins

OBP:

Atkins: .276

Reynolds: .277

Edge: Atkins (Ohh! Close one!)

OPS:

Atkins: .562

Reynolds: .634

Edge: Atkins

Fielding Percentage:

Atkins: .996

Reynolds: .928

Edge: Reynolds

UZR:

Atkins: -4.1

Reynolds: -4.6

Edge: Reynolds

(The UZR-150 projections are too ridiculous to even repeat here.)

Overall, I would say they have enjoyed equally lame performances as Orioles, give or take.

I realize one should consider context when judging a player's performance. In Reynolds' case, our entire lineup has been struggling (although there are signs the sleeping bear is waking). But you could also argue that he would look even more ridiculous out there if our lineup were performing well around him.

Clearly, the guy has potential, offensively. (I watched him jack a homer, live, and it was damn impressive.) And I wouldn't be surprised to see him reach .730-plus OPS this season. (His BABIP would suggest a pending surge, although I am not a stat guy, per se.)

But he appears to be sub-standard defensively, especially with the glove. IMO, it's too early to call the Reynolds experiment a failure. But the part of his game that bugs me the most is not the strikeouts or the sub-Mendoza BA; it's the defense.

Is that power potential worth the defensive liability on a team like the Orioles, which relies heavily on young pitching? I'm starting to doubt it. So regardless of Mark's $5 million salary, I wonder how long we stick with him before considering replacing him with a guy like Bell?

[UpstateNYfan]

The name Atkins should be banned from this site. Yes, Reynolds is not a good hitter...but he does have some quality AB's and he seems to care. He isn't pretty in the field, but makes some tough plays look easy and easy plays look difficult. Pitchers pitch him with respect. He certainly does not appear to be a long term answer at 3rd...but he is entertaining, unlike the other guy.

[Bradysburns]

I will give you entertaining - but is he helping or hurting this team overall? My point is that he's only marginally better than Atkins, and his defense appears to be worse. So if you put a premium on defense, at what point do you cut and run on Reynolds? I should add that a pitcher throwing a 52-foot curveball to Reynolds might not be respect - it might be a swinging strike. (See? There I go again, sounding like I'm bashing the guy. That's not my intention.)

[Farmboy]

How about the important stats given their role I'n the lineup....barisp, and RBI.

[waroriole]

What a stupid time to make this thread---after Reynolds goes 3-3 with a walk.

[Phantom]

Albert Pujols is batting .233. Players are judged within the context of their careers. Reynolds is slumping. There is a chance he is done, but a far greater chance he will revert to his career line.

[Dipper9]

I will give you entertaining - but is he helping or hurting this team overall? My point is that he's only marginally better than Atkins, and his defense appears to be worse. So if you put a premium on defense, at what point do you cut and run on Reynolds? I should add that a pitcher throwing a 52-foot curveball to Reynolds might not be respect - it might be a swinging strike. (See? There I go again, sounding like I'm bashing the guy. That's not my intention.)

Reynolds defense has been superb! Are you kidding me? Then you compare Atkins fielding percentage? Seriously? Atkins played frist base for us...pretty hard to make many errors over there unless you really suck, and Atkins didn't help the infielders with scoops like Lee does.

Like so many recent threads, this is another stinker!

[DrungoHazewood]

Comparing someone to Atkins is the equivalent of calling your political opponent a Nazi. Maybe there's some kind of very distant connection there, but you're almost certainly grasping at straws. The Reynolds-Atkins comp might be a little more relevant if it was 2014 and Reynolds had been slumping for the last four years.

It would also hold more water if 98% of the balls Reynolds hit this year were 240-ft lazy fly outs.

[Frobby]

Reynolds defense has been superb! Are you kidding me? Then you compare Atkins fielding percentage? Seriously? Atkins played frist base for us...pretty hard to make many errors over there unless you really suck, and Atkins didn't help the infielders with scoops like Lee does.

Like so many recent threads, this is another stinker!

I agree it makes no sense to compare the fielding percentage of a 1B to a 3B, but do you really think Reynolds' defense has been "superb?" I think the adjective I'd use is "uneven." I've seen him handle some tough smashes with aplomb, but I've also seen him make some mistakes I wouldn't expect from a guy who is in this 5th year at the position. I wouldn't say he's a butcher (as Keith Law did), but overall I'd rate him as somewhat below average defensively, based on performance to date.

I think the OP did a disservice by throwing in the Atkins comparison, which just distracts us from analyzing how Reynolds has performed so far. Overall, he has been a bit of a disappointment to date, but with a guy like him, you know he could get hot and make up a lot of ground in a hurry.

[Bradysburns]

What a stupid time to make this thread---after Reynolds goes 3-3 with a walk.

I'm sorry - but that's an even smaller sample size than what I was working with.

[waroriole]

I'm sorry - but that's an even smaller sample size than what I was working with.

OK. The thing is, I didn't imply that we could expect a 1.000 BA from Reynolds from here on out, like you did with your numbers.

Also, you might want to check who you gave the edge to in your OP, b/c you are wrong in every one of them.

[Hank Scorpio]

OK. The thing is, I didn't imply that we could expect a 1.000 BA from Reynolds from here on out, like you did with your numbers.

Also, you might want to check who you gave the edge to in your OP, b/c you are wrong in every one of them.

He meant the "edge" on the worse side.

[Bradysburns]

How about the important stats given their role I'n the lineup....barisp, and RBI.

Actually, that's a very good point. Reynolds has been solid with RISP. Again, I'm not trying to just bash the guy. My point is, does he meet your standard for a third baseman on this team? If the answer is yes, then that's cool. I am going to say no, because his defense is so shaky, IMO. That and his offensive production is so weirdly hit-or-miss.

[Hank Scorpio]

Actually, that's a very good point. Reynolds has been solid with RISP. Again, I'm not trying to just bash the guy. My point is, does he meet your standard for a third baseman on this team? If the answer is yes, then that's cool. I am going to say no, because his defense is so shaky, IMO. That and his offensive production is so weirdly hit-or-miss.

I think you'll see his offensive production increase.

Defensively, he's probably what he's gonna be.

[Bradysburns]

Reynolds defense has been superb! Are you kidding me? Then you compare Atkins fielding percentage? Seriously? Atkins played frist base for us...pretty hard to make many errors over there unless you really suck, and Atkins didn't help the infielders with scoops like Lee does.

Like so many recent threads, this is another stinker!

I'm sorry - but I have a hard time taking you seriously here. You cite no statistics, you give no back-up. You simply come out and claim that his defense is SUPERB? Have you been watching the games? Aside from a UZR-150 of -27.7... I've seen countless routine bouncers - not even hard ones - thud off his glove! He's barely recovered from a ton of routine plays, and he's miffed his share altogether. I don't think he's horrible - he almost makes up for it with what looks to me like a rifle arm. But his glove work just plain scares me.

(Also, the positional comparison is fair - first versus third. But I believe UZR takes this into account by only comparing first basemen to first basemen, etc. Otherwise you're implying that comparing the defense of two players at different positions is an impossibility, which I don't accept.)