Rylan Bannon 2019

[LookinUp]

Whatever guys. I really like your takes, @Luke-OH, but I was just trying to continue the player comp discussion that I didn't even raise. If all I have to do every time I post about something two other people are talking about in the same thread without any problem is go back and see 3 old articles and do a message board search for the last 6 months then I guess that's not too much to ask.

[Ruzious]

Bannon's a good bet to make Luke look good.  After hitting his 4th homer today to go along with 10 doubles, he's got his OPS up to about .900, and he's got a lifetime OPS of .920.  Yeah, he doesn't necessarily pass the eye test, but he keeps producing at every level they put him at - getting on base and getting xbh's.  Alternating between 2B and 3B, he looks more like a 2nd baseman, and his fielding percentage is much better there.     

[Spl51]

1 hour ago, Ruzious said:

Bannon's a good bet to make Luke look good.  After hitting his 4th homer today to go along with 10 doubles, he's got his OPS up to about .900, and he's got a lifetime OPS of .920.  Yeah, he doesn't necessarily pass the eye test, but he keeps producing at every level they put him at - getting on base and getting xbh's.  Alternating between 2B and 3B, he looks more like a 2nd baseman, and his fielding percentage is much better there.     

We are desperately in need of infield prospects.

[Frobby]

.936 OPS after a 4 for 5 night.  

[Moose Milligan]

3 hours ago, Ruzious said:

Bannon's a good bet to make Luke look good.  After hitting his 4th homer today to go along with 10 doubles, he's got his OPS up to about .900, and he's got a lifetime OPS of .920.  Yeah, he doesn't necessarily pass the eye test, but he keeps producing at every level they put him at - getting on base and getting xbh's.  Alternating between 2B and 3B, he looks more like a 2nd baseman, and his fielding percentage is much better there.     

This is what I don't get, I looked at his stats after we got him and couldn't figure out why he's ranked so low.  He's produced everywhere, what gives?

[Legend_Of_Joey]

45 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is what I don't get, I looked at his stats after we got him and couldn't figure out why he's ranked so low.  He's produced everywhere, what gives?

He's on the shorter side of things and profiles more as a utility guy, instead of someone with a set position on the field.

[ChuckS]

53 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is what I don't get, I looked at his stats after we got him and couldn't figure out why he's ranked so low.  He's produced everywhere, what gives?

He was also an eighth round draft pick and it is only his second full season in professional ball.  If the bat keeps playing as he moves up the ladder I don't see why he doesn't have a chance to be an everyday player.  He wouldn't make a great utility player since he doesn't have the skills for SS.  

[Luke-OH]

2 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is what I don't get, I looked at his stats after we got him and couldn't figure out why he's ranked so low.  He's produced everywhere, what gives?

Most people don’t believe the power, the first two leagues he played in were big time hitter’s leagues. He’s listed at 5”10” but is more like 5’ 7” but not even an average runner home to first and the arm is just ok. The swing has been improved this year, but it was a big oversized thing with an big leg kick and length that was just waiting to be taken advantage of.

Yet I’m pretty sure I had him ranked higher than anyone and the reason for this is because I watched him in college and I knew that his power was real and not just a product of the leagues he played in. It’s probably game power over raw power due to the amount of balls he puts in the air pull side, but it’s still real pop and he has the plate discipline to hide some of the hit tool concerns. I know that although the tools don’t really scream good defender, but he’s a polished glove with a good first step and quick transfer who throws well on the move.

Why don’t I have him ranked higher, well the big swing and leg kick was one reason which I’ll have to rethink but mostly because it’s bad process to evaluate someone’s profile of tools and skills and just say “well he hasn’t failed so I feel like he’ll be good”. I do have that gut feeling about him and I used to go more on gut than I do now, but I realized that’s not a good process even if your gut is right from time to time. It’s hard for me not to be overly enthusiastic about Bannon because I’ve been the high man on him since before he was drafted. I wanted the Orioles to draft him and I wanted the Orioles to trade for him. But if I let myself rank guys based on emotional attachment to being right about a guy in the past, my analysis would lose some of its value.

[ReclaimTheCrown]

7 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

Most people don’t believe the power, the first two leagues he played in were big time hitter’s leagues. He’s listed at 5”10” but is more like 5’ 7” but not even an average runner home to first and the arm is just ok. The swing has been improved this year, but it was a big oversized thing with an big leg kick and length that was just waiting to be taken advantage of.

Yet I’m pretty sure I had him ranked higher than anyone and the reason for this is because I watched him in college and I knew that his power was real and not just a product of the leagues he played in. It’s probably game power over raw power due to the amount of balls he puts in the air pull side, but it’s still real pop and he has the plate discipline to hide some of the hit tool concerns. I know that although the tools don’t really scream good defender, but he’s a polished glove with a good first step and quick transfer who throws well on the move.

Why don’t I have him ranked higher, well the big swing and leg kick was one reason which I’ll have to rethink but mostly because it’s bad process to evaluate someone’s profile of tools and skills and just say “well he hasn’t failed so I feel like he’ll be good”. I do have that gut feeling about him and I used to go more on gut than I do now, but I realized that’s not a good process even if your gut is right from time to time. It’s hard for me not to be overly enthusiastic about Bannon because I’ve been the high man on him since before he was drafted. I wanted the Orioles to draft him and I wanted the Orioles to trade for him. But if I let myself rank guys based on emotional attachment to being right about a guy in the past, my analysis would lose some of its value.

Just tremendous insights. Thanks man.

[WalkWithElias]

11 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

This is what I don't get, I looked at his stats after we got him and couldn't figure out why he's ranked so low.  He's produced everywhere, what gives?

Different position and different profile, but we saw the same thing with Mancini. Even a lot of posters here didn't want to believe that an 8th round pick right handed college first basemen with poor foot speed could actually be anything but a 3-season hot streak in the minors. Now we know the dude can just flat out hit. 

Here's to Bannon being a second base Mancini, proving the skeptics wrong. 

[panick]

11 hours ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

He's on the shorter side of things and profiles more as a utility guy, instead of someone with a set position on the field.

How tall is the "midget" who plays 2B for the Astros?

[LookinUp]

I was at the game the other day and he was really the only Bowie bat that made a good impression. He lined a double down the left field line his first at bat. Later he lined a double down the right field line. He also walked and generally looked like nothing they threw at him was particularly troubling.

I hate to note that it was night and day compared to McKenna. Even when McKenna got his single, it was after he looked over matched swinging through two pretty average fastballs. For some reason the pitcher decided to speed his bat up, hung a slurvy type of pitch and McKenna served it to CF for a single. A confident hitter would have done damage with that pitch. He also flew out to the warning track later in the game and grounded meekly to SS the other two times. Everything he did at the plate looked like a struggle. 

[Legend_Of_Joey]

42 minutes ago, panick said:

How tall is the "midget" who plays 2B for the Astros?

Not quite tall enough to lead the Lollipop Guild.

[Just Regular]

Just with the size, bat and Dodger pedigree, would I be over or under selling to start looking at him as "our Willie Calhoun"?  I guess I'll be curious to learn more if the bouncing between 2B and 3B is based on real hope he can field utility, or if he's just being hidden.

Reviewing his fielding games, I see the Dodgers had him 54 at 3B to just 22 at 2B before the trade.  Then at Bowie he went almost exclusively to 2B (30-2).  Inasmuch as our 3B position was wide open after Machado, that hints to me Duquette's team's evaluation was 3B is iffy.  This year with the new regime he's back to an about even mix.

He's probably the #1 fan for a Villar trade this July.

 

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, OrioleDog said:

Just with the size, bat and Dodger pedigree, would I be over or under selling to start looking at him as "our Willie Calhoun"?  I guess I'll be curious to learn more if the bouncing between 2B and 3B is based on real hope he can field utility, or if he's just being hidden.

Reviewing his fielding games, I see the Dodgers had him 54 at 3B to just 22 at 2B before the trade.  Then at Bowie he went almost exclusively to 2B (30-2).  Inasmuch as our 3B position was wide open after Machado, that hints to me Duquette's team's evaluation was 3B is iffy.  This year with the new regime he's back to an about even mix.

He's probably the #1 fan for a Villar trade this July.

 

Overselling the bat and underselling the glove big time. Bannon is at least average at either third or second IMO. It's not a typical 3B arm or typical 2B range, but the hands, transfer, and instincts are good. And it's not like the arm or range are terrible, just not ideal.