Ryan Mountcastle 2019

[Il BuonO]

4 hours ago, DirtyBird said:

Why?

Because not everyone on the team is going to be at an AS level. Above replacement players are useful, too. 

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

There's some truth to that. Would I like to see Mountcastle get into more deeper counts and take more walks when the pitchers are pitching around him? Sure. Do I see him getting himself out often? Not really. Sure he chases like any player, but honestly I see him swinging through more pitches because he'd trying to hit for power early in counts. He has such good plate coverage that he's able to barrel balls that are on the edge of the zone and even off the zone occasionally like he did when he hit the 420+ ft homer off the low changeup.

Mountcastle may got through an adjustment period when he first hits the majors like he has at most level changes, but once he settles in I think he's going to be an impact major league bat. Outside of Rutschman, he's the clear best hitting prospect in the system for me.

Hard to argue with that.    He’s going to hit at least OK in the majors.    The question is merely whether he’ll be better than OK, and if so, how much better?

[Legend_Of_Joey]

@Tony-OH Do you foresee Mountcastle having any of the same "growing pains" at the plate in the MLB that Sisco has had, or is Mountcastle just a better hitter?

[MurphDogg]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Hard to argue with that.    He’s going to hit at least OK in the majors.    The question is merely whether he’ll be better than OK, and if so, how much better?

Should they call him up to find out? Or let him spend more time in Norfolk, allowing the mystery to build into a Schrodinger's Cat situation, where he neither is nor is not a solid Major Leaguer?

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

@Tony-OH Do you foresee Mountcastle having any of the same "growing pains" at the plate in the MLB that Sisco has had, or is Mountcastle just a better hitter?

I am not Tony, but I think it just varies greatly from hitter to hitter and you never know.    For example, look at how Hays struggled in the majors after absolutely destroying the Carolina and Eastern Leagues and being in the top 5 for MiL player of the year.   And then you get Mancini whose transition was almost seamless.    (Granted, Mancini had played a full year of AAA while Hays was jumping straight from AA.)

Overall, I think Mountcastle will have a decent transition.    But we’ll see.

[Frobby]

17 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Should they call him up to find out? Or let him spend more time in Norfolk, allowing the mystery to build into a Schrodinger's Cat situation, where he neither is nor is not a solid Major Leaguer?

I’m of the opinion that he does not need more time in AAA to polish his offense.    If he needs any more time there (which is debatable), it’s to get more reps at his new defensive positions.    But really, I think the call-up decision rests on whether we want to hold back his service time.    If not, I say there’s no harm in getting a preview of what he can do.   

[MurphDogg]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m of the opinion that he does not need more time in AAA to polish his offense.    If he needs any more time there (which is debatable), it’s to get more reps at his new defensive positions.    But really, I think the call-up decision rests on whether we want to hold back his service time.    If not, I say there’s no harm in getting a preview of what he can do.   

I think they should call him up for September, and if the defense isn't there coming next April (or they want to act like it isn't for service time reasons) send him down then to work on it. Let him get a taste and figure out what he has to work on.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I am not Tony, but I think it just varies greatly from hitter to hitter and you never know.    For example, look at how Hays struggled in the majors after absolutely destroying the Carolina and Eastern Leagues and being in the top 5 for MiL player of the year.   And then you get Mancini whose transition was almost seamless.    (Granted, Mancini had played a full year of AAA while Hays was jumping straight from AA.)

Overall, I think Mountcastle will have a decent transition.    But we’ll see.

I expect a struggle initially, which is what Hays had. But he never got consistent playing time or at bats.

[Tony-OH]

3 hours ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

@Tony-OH Do you foresee Mountcastle having any of the same "growing pains" at the plate in the MLB that Sisco has had, or is Mountcastle just a better hitter?

Mountcastle has more tools to work with hitting wise that Sisco. He has better power and bat speed than Sisco and better plate coverage.

[MurphDogg]

Mountcastle with two doubles tonight, up to 35 on the year, second in the IL.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Mountcastle with two doubles tonight, up to 35 on the year, second in the IL.

So he stopped walking?  Geez, once I started to get my hopes up.

[LA2]

We have awakened a slumbering beast.

[LookinUp]

21 hours ago, Frobby said:

I’m of the opinion that he does not need more time in AAA to polish his offense.    If he needs any more time there (which is debatable), it’s to get more reps at his new defensive positions.    But really, I think the call-up decision rests on whether we want to hold back his service time.    If not, I say there’s no harm in getting a preview of what he can do.   

Not disagreeing with anything in this post, but I think there's a difference between "need" and "could use." By pretty much all accounts, Mountcastle's bat would play at the major league level today, and probably would have months ago. On the other hand, I think pretty much anyone could use developmental space to focus on particular areas of his game without worrying about hurting the team, and that's even true for Mountcastle as a hitter. 

I only say this because I can see a rationale put forth by the O's that they don't want to promote him for a developmental purpose. It would likely be cover for delaying his service clock, but it could at least give them some plausible deniability.

[Frobby]

18 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Not disagreeing with anything in this post, but I think there's a difference between "need" and "could use." By pretty much all accounts, Mountcastle's bat would play at the major league level today, and probably would have months ago. On the other hand, I think pretty much anyone could use developmental space to focus on particular areas of his game without worrying about hurting the team, and that's even true for Mountcastle as a hitter. 

I only say this because I can see a rationale put forth by the O's that they don't want to promote him for a developmental purpose. It would likely be cover for delaying his service clock, but it could at least give them some plausible deniability.

I think there are some things you can only learn by competing at a higher level.   I think Mountcastle has reached that point offensively. But the O’s may think otherwise, and as you suggest, they certainly may say it, whether or not they really think it.  

[jabba72]

23 minutes ago, birdwatcher55 said:

I think Ryan is going to get the Vlad  Jr. Treatment.

Delay his service clock? Probably. He hasn't played much OF in Norfolk.