Is Steve Wilkerson the next JD Martinez?

[bobmc]

1 hour ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I haven’t watched a game since Wilkerson’s call up. I was shocked he was playing CF. How’s he looking?

It’s cool that he is playing OF, but does he look like he could be a decent stop gap at 2nd base if/when Villar is traded. 

The bat is playing and he laid down a beautiful bunt from the left side last night down the third base line for a single with the IF shifted.  

[jamalshw]

I'm still not sold on Wilkerson. I think he's a fine utility, 25th man type player depending on roster makeup, but he's a fringe 40-man guy for me. He's hit pretty well since his promotion, but hasn't taken a walk yet in 40 at bats and is sporting a .385 BABIP. He's also 30% strikeout rate. He does seem to be making better contact than his brief appearance last year which accounts for some of the BABIP improvement from .267, but would feel much better about the sustainability if it were closer to .300 instead of .400.

[Frobby]

55 minutes ago, jamalshw said:

I'm still not sold on Wilkerson. I think he's a fine utility, 25th man type player depending on roster makeup, but he's a fringe 40-man guy for me. He's hit pretty well since his promotion, but hasn't taken a walk yet in 40 at bats and is sporting a .385 BABIP. He's also 30% strikeout rate. He does seem to be making better contact than his brief appearance last year which accounts for some of the BABIP improvement from .267, but would feel much better about the sustainability if it were closer to .300 instead of .400.

Not too worried about the walk rate, his MiL track record shows he’ll take a free pass at a relatively normal rate.    I’m not expecting anything great from him; if he could produce a .700 OPS and play decent defense I’d be very happy.   

[Camden_yardbird]

3 hours ago, jamalshw said:

I'm still not sold on Wilkerson. I think he's a fine utility, 25th man type player depending on roster makeup, but he's a fringe 40-man guy for me. He's hit pretty well since his promotion, but hasn't taken a walk yet in 40 at bats and is sporting a .385 BABIP. He's also 30% strikeout rate. He does seem to be making better contact than his brief appearance last year which accounts for some of the BABIP improvement from .267, but would feel much better about the sustainability if it were closer to .300 instead of .400.

Statcast showing he is also blistering LDs everywhere at a 30% clip (high), without an elite exit velocity (85mph - low), and with a average launch angle of 6.6 degrees (really oddly low). His batted ball profile suggests his BABip is due for regression unless he can raise that EV but for now he is hitting hittable pitches well. 

Given that, regression will come from them pitching him differently (he is not being pitched up in the zone and is also not chasing up in the zone) and shifting better on him (at 6.6 degrees he is certainly not elevating over infielders)

It's still super early to draw any conclusions though.  Let's see him get through about 500 more pitches or so and watch how he deals with high pitches.

[Can_of_corn]

9 minutes ago, Camden_yardbird said:

Statcast showing he is also blistering LDs everywhere at a 30% clip (high), without an elite exit velocity (85mph - low), and with a average launch angle of 6.6 degrees (really oddly low). His batted ball profile suggests his BABip is due for regression unless he can raise that EV but for now he is hitting hittable pitches well. 

Given that, regression will come from them pitching him differently (he is not being pitched up in the zone and is also not chasing up in the zone) and shifting better on him (at 6.6 degrees he is certainly not elevating over infielders)

It's still super early to draw any conclusions though.  Let's see him get through about 500 more pitches or so and watch how he deals with high pitches.

The low launch angle reminds me of Kim.

[OFFNY]

o

 

 

(vs. ANGELS, 5/12)

 

NUMBER 3

 

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

 

o

[weams]

On 2/22/2019 at 11:07 AM, DrungoHazewood said:

As far as I can tell Jose Bautista is the only player who both played in the majors and was worth less than two wins through 28 who had a better career than Melvin Mora.

There are a number of players who didn't play in the majors at all until very late for reasons like the color line, and ended up with better careers than Mora.

Looking at all players in history from age 29-on, Mora is about the 200th best position player of all time.  With a career value from that age about the same as Robin Yount, Elston Howard, Goose Goslin, Joe Cronin, Ivan Rodriguez, Ernie Banks, Jimmie Foxx, Tim Raines, Kirby Puckett, Lance Berkman.  From 29-on Mora was waaay better than Duke Snider, Home Run Baker, Willie Keeler, Ken Griffey, Pie Traynor, Johnny Bench...

Pay the Man

[Camden_yardbird]

And in showing the limitations of small sample sizes, since I posted a week ago his launch angle has risen to 12.2 degrees.  Makes sense for a guy who has hit a HR in the last week and highlights how little we should trust two weeks of data.

For now, he is hitting the ball.  Let's look at the data again when hes accumulated about twice the number of pitches seen (253 right now) if not more.  

[OFFNY]

o

 

 

(vs. INDIANS, 5/17)

 

NUMBER 4

 

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

 

o

[bobmc]

1 hour ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

 

(vs. INDIANS, 5/17)

 

NUMBER 4

 

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

STEPHEN BEATY WILKERSON

 

o

The next Paul Blair?

 

[baltfan]

8 minutes ago, bobmc said:

The next Paul Blair?

 

Looks like a guy that hasn’t played much CF

[bobmc]

4 minutes ago, baltfan said:

Looks like a guy that hasn’t played much CF

His interview post game said as much - he said it shouldn't have been so hard - he stuck up his glove and snagged it.  Pretty comical but he is hitting and sparking the offense!

[Frobby]

I’m digging Stevie.    Not as a starting CF, but as a super-utility guy.   He’s not as good a glove as Flaherty in the infield, but he’s adequate there, can play all three OF spots, and he’s got a much better approach at the plate than Flash ever had.    I can see this guy carving out a decent major league career.

[bpilktree]

It kinda reminded me of another former outfielder though he was an actual outfielder but he looks lotlike Steve Finley.

[LA2]

On 5/8/2019 at 4:29 AM, Can_of_corn said:

The low launch angle reminds me of Kim.

Yes, but Kim, if I remember correctly, had a high EV, at least during that good first season.