Are they joking? ESPN ranks Xander Bogaerts above JJ Hardy

[Stotle]

Very overhyped. He has a bright future but lets see him do something first.

He was pretty impressive in the small-sample-sized World Series. That has helped to fuel the hype amongst sportswriters, for sure.

[tntoriole]

We shall see by season's end. This is why they play the games. Boston's cauldron of hyped expectations have also been known to impact a few young performers in their past.

[Frobby]

He's really good. I think it's reasonable to think he'll out perform Hardy offensively, but will not be as sharp defensively. Might require a built-in assumption that Hardy regresses.

I don't mean to diss the kid, at all. His resume to date is very impressive. I can't rule out that he'll be better than Hardy as a rookie, I just think that's not the most likely case. Just like I wouldn't have said last year that Manny Machado was likely to be better than Ryan Zimmerman in 2013, even though, as it turned out, he was.

[skanar]

It's not nuts; Bogaerts is statistically very impressive. He's only about a half-season behind Manny Machado's age-level curve, and he's hit better than Manny did in the minors.

Ranking Bogaerts ahead of Hardy for this season is pretty aggressive, even so. Manny wasn't a better hitter than Hardy last season (they were about the same), and even though Bogaerts has every chance to turn into a spectacular player, it's not guaranteed that he'll succeed right away.

[Stotle]

I don't mean to diss the kid, at all. His resume to date is very impressive. I can't rule out that he'll be better than Hardy as a rookie, I just think that's not the most likely case. Just like I wouldn't have said last year that Manny Machado was likely to be better than Ryan Zimmerman in 2013, even though, as it turned out, he was.

No doubt. Vegas would put Hardy ahead. I am admittedly biased, as in conversations I rated Bogaerts ahead of Machado two years ago, and said he had the best single at bat of anyone in the World Series last October. I'm a fanboy.

[Stotle]

I agree.

As an aside, it would be fun to put together an actual Small Sample Size World Series, with the greatest small sample size takeouts of all time.

Actually, it would be fun if someone else went through that trouble and then presented it in an entertaining way for me to read.

[Il BuonO]

As an aside, it would be fun to put together an actual Small Sample Size World Series, with the greatest small sample size takeouts of all time.

Actually, it would be fun if someone else went through that trouble and then presented it in an entertaining way for me to read.

I'm sure someone is on it at this very moment.

[Orioles4Life21]

I don't have my list in front of me so I don't remember the specifics, but JJ is my sixth rated shortstop. And I am a much more credible source than ESPN.

[El Gordo]

JJ is ranked 4th in UZR and 5th in wOBA among SS, so it's pretty hard to figure out how how he could be 9th. except it's ESPN and they are clueless. Just shocked they didn't rank Derek Jesus #1.

[ConnO'sFan]

Wait, I thought the O's controlled all the Dutch baseball prospects. :scratchchinhmm:

Seriously, he does look like a real prospect. BUT, no where close to JJ yet.

[joedogg9999]

Jj is better than almost every petson ahead of him on that except troy

[Can_of_corn]

Jj is better than almost every petson ahead of him on that except troy

He isn't better then Simmons.

[El Gordo]

If Hardy were the SUX SS and Bogaerts were the O's prospect, Bogaerts wouldn't get a mention

[Can_of_corn]

If Hardy were the SUX SS and Bogaerts were the O's prospect, Bogaerts wouldn't get a mention

Really? BA has him at #2 overall this year and when the O's have had top 5 prospects (Wieters/Manny/Bundy) they have received plenty of press.

Is the hype intensified with him being in Boston? Yes. Is he a really good young player? Yes.

[El Gordo]

Really? BA has him at #2 overall this year and when the O's have had top 5 prospects (Wieters/Manny/Bundy) they have received plenty of press.

Is the hype intensified with him being in Boston? Yes. Is he a really good young player? Yes.

Not saying Bogaerts isn't very promising, just that he's the only SS on that list who hasn't played at least one full season and putting Reyes and Ramerez on the list totally invalidates it. But yeah, it's just s coincidence that Bogaerts plays for BOS, it's just that he's so good.