Dariel Alvarez is warming up

[Babypowder]

4 walks, 206 plate appearances.

1.9 percent walk rate.

Yes, please call that up.

[CA-ORIOLE]

OK, you've made your point. I'm pretty amazed about Clemente. DRS still has him +13 for that year.

DRS cannot be calculated retroactively as it employs BIS hit data. Clemente's defensive numbers in this case would have been calculated/reconstructed utilizing Total Zone Rating. DRS (as far as Bref/rWAR is concerned) came into effect in 2003.

[DrungoHazewood]

4 walks, 206 plate appearances.

1.9 percent walk rate.

Yes, please call that up.

Remember last year when he walked, like, once the first half of the year? Second half he walked more like 10 times. He's just not a spring walker. Splits are always meaningful, I learned that from MASN graphics. By the time he's called up he'll settle in at 3%.

[mdbdotcom]

Young guys (I know he's 26) who have cannon arms tend to pick up some errors, usually on being overly aggressive with the arm.

With that being said, some have called Alvarez a "great" defensive outfielder. From previous reports and from watching him a few times, my impression is that he's an average outfielder with a great arm. Maybe the arm tips the scales into him being above average overall. He's not particularly fast (probably average at best).

How would you contrast him to Delmon Young?

[Rene88]

How would you contrast him to Delmon Young?

I can answer that just from watching him on MILB.TV. He is much better than Delmon Young.

[Ohfan67]

He looks more natural going after the ball than Delmon. He looks better. How much better he actually is, don't know.

Yes, Delmon always seems to look very awkward. Like he's never played the outfield in his life. Delmon has a slightly weird look when he runs and he always looks like he's surprised the ball is in his general area. And that's even when he makes a good play.

[DrungoHazewood]

He looks more natural going after the ball than Delmon. He looks better. How much better he actually is, don't know.

I trust metrics as much as anyone, but the idea that Delmon is an average defender seems kind of ridiculous. Just based on scouting reports and prior knowledge I'd assume Alvarez is significantly better. But using those same assumptions I'd say Delmon is a much better hitter, and Delmon is far from a very good hitter.

[DrungoHazewood]

Yes, Delmon always seems to look very awkward. Like he's never played the outfield in his life. Delmon has a slightly weird look when he runs and he always looks like he's surprised the ball is in his general area. And that's even when he makes a good play.

Delmon runs like someone pulled him out of a silent newsreel from the 20s.

[Ohfan67]

Delmon runs like someone pulled him out of a silent newsreel from the 20s.

Yes! Excellent description.

I always imagine that Delmon thinks, "Wow, look at that! There's a baseball over there!" every time the ball is hit in his direction.

[Babypowder]

Delmon runs like someone pulled him out of a silent newsreel from the 20s.

No stride, it's like his feet never get further forward than the rest of his body. It's so strange.

[Enjoy Terror]

Alvarez would replace Snider, not Lough IMO.

Boneheaded as he is, Snider is one of the few Orioles getting on base consistently.

[Crazysilver03]

Boneheaded as he is, Snider is one of the few Orioles getting on base consistently.

I think someone posted his most recent numbers and his overall numbers are being propped up by the beginning of the year. He has been pretty bad recently. More than I had realized.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Ok. So what does this mean. His career numbers in RF look to be about average. His numbers this year seem to be at least average. Prior to this year, I've seen people attribute Nick's below average numbers to some quirk about playing RF or some quirk about playing RF in Camden Yards. So the numbers don't match your eye test? Isn't that when you tell everyone else not to believe their own eyes?

Well, both metrics (UZR/DRS) have his range below average in RF. It's the arm numbers that are propping him up at this point.

[SteveO]

4 walks, 206 plate appearances.

1.9 percent walk rate.

Yes, please call that up.

I have a hard time getting all that excited about a guy who is hitting .248 with a .280 obp and a ops of .657. Yes I think Alvarez could have a role in the organization but I tend to think he is a role player at best till he proves otherwise.

When Buck said "Who?" when asked about shaking thing up, he was not kidding. There are no real longterm solutions at AAA no matter how much we talk up the likes of Alvarez, Parmelee and Reimold etc..

[Enjoy Terror]

I think someone posted his most recent numbers and his overall numbers are being propped up by the beginning of the year. He has been pretty bad recently. More than I had realized.

His numbers from the last two weeks don't support your claim here. His OBP is north of .350 and has a walk rate of 12%.

If you want to dock him for anything, it's 1 run and 1 RBI and a low slugging % over that time, but the former can easily be contributed to all the other garbage on the lineup. Runners dying on the bases when they get there, on the rare occasion they do.