Austin Hays called up, Ryan Mountcastle not called up

[LA2]

4 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Could be, but I think access to the ML coaching and players would do him good, certainly compared to him sitting on the coach at home.

I would also expect him to get at least a bit of playing time even if was up.

So he already doesn't get along with Flores too?

[LA2]

13 hours ago, wildcard said:

No, that was for you.  I think if Martin hits .274 and plays the kind of defense he has been playing he is the O's everyday SS.   But he has not proven he can hit like that yet.

The point is that there is no way that Martin hits .274, especially a .274 that isn't devoid of XBHs. Here are his BA's by month: .164; .157; .204; .233; .205 (44 PAs); .455 (11 PAs). He's cut back on the number of Ks, but at the cost of his XBHs (5 doubles, 2 triples, 4 HRs first 172 ABs; 1/1/1 last 93 ABs). We all hope he improves greatly at the plate next year at Norfolk and earns a call-up, but I'd be very surprised if Elias is even considering the possibility of him being the starting SS when the 2020 season starts.

[LA2]

16 hours ago, bobmc said:

But Buck chews and Kim does not - back pocket flapping.

You must be saying that chaw-in-cheek because I don't remember Buck ever chewing.

I think Blefary was the best back-pocket flapper, although that was actually probably his batting glove, displayed like a rooster's tail and always on the verge of falling out.

But yes, Kim was very popular with the fans and Palmer, who constantly called him a magician or master with the bat, but not with Buck. I'm grateful for the great moments he provided, such as the 9th-inning PH home run vs. Toronto after a tenaciously long at-bat, the model of patience and selectiveness in an otherwise swing-happy lineup (Wasn't that what DD said we were searching so hard for after losing Markakis?), and his infinitely humble good humor despite Buck's stinginess with the praise and encouragement.

Buck didn't like the way Kim played the OF. He was admittedly antsy out there sometimes, but his throwing was much better than some people claimed, and look at the OF's we've fielded since, well, jeesh.

Here's the clip of the Toronto homer--Look at how utterly happy Manny is for him upon his return to the dugout. I also loved the way Adam always respected Kim and stood up for him, especially during the bottle-throwing incident in the WC game vs. the Jays. Enjoy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEQMdrZIjFo

[Frobby]

Hays saw what Mountcastle did often this year while playing alongside him at Norfolk.

“Every level I’ve played with him, the guy can hit a fastball, he can hit breaking balls. He is a complete hitter,” Hays said. “He’s really fun to watch. What he did this year was unbelievable. And for a small amount of reps, he hasn’t had a whole lot of work in the outfield, but he looked good out there. He threw out a couple of runners. Seems like his arm played better in the outfield. I’m excited for him.”

Now Hays can envision a day when he and Mountcastle are in the same O’s lineup.

“Yeah, it would be exciting,” Hays said. “There are some guys that I’ve played with that people said we were prospects that would be here in the future. Me, (Anthony) Santander, DJ (Stewart) - we’re all here now. So looking forward to more guys coming up.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2019/09/austin-hays-on-finishing-strong-and-playing-with-ryan-mountcastle.html

[El Gordo]

Nice catch kid.

Edited September 20, 2019 by El Gordo

[Ruzious]

14 hours ago, Frobby said:

Hays saw what Mountcastle did often this year while playing alongside him at Norfolk.

“Every level I’ve played with him, the guy can hit a fastball, he can hit breaking balls. He is a complete hitter,” Hays said. “He’s really fun to watch. What he did this year was unbelievable. And for a small amount of reps, he hasn’t had a whole lot of work in the outfield, but he looked good out there. He threw out a couple of runners. Seems like his arm played better in the outfield. I’m excited for him.”

Now Hays can envision a day when he and Mountcastle are in the same O’s lineup.

“Yeah, it would be exciting,” Hays said. “There are some guys that I’ve played with that people said we were prospects that would be here in the future. Me, (Anthony) Santander, DJ (Stewart) - we’re all here now. So looking forward to more guys coming up.”

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2019/09/austin-hays-on-finishing-strong-and-playing-with-ryan-mountcastle.html

There's a lot of positives, yet it bugs the bleep out of me that we're watching Trumbo play now and not Mountcastle. 

[hoosiers]

I thought last year that the players at Aberdeen really enjoyed having Hays there on re-hab.  I noticed him communicating several things to younger teammates such as after his at-bats.  This year, Andrew Daschbach's father said the team really liked having Hays on the team for that re-hab.  The father said Hays had provided some advice to Toby Welk while at Aberdeen. 

I think Hays is going to be an excellent teammate and, in time, mentor for the organization for many years as I expect the production to be solid to strong as well.  

[Frobby]

Comment on Mountcastle from a BA chat today (bonus coverage: Akin):

Karl of Delaware (Georgetown, Delaware): 

• Your best guesses on where they end up...Mountcastle and Akin? For Akin - the bullpen, a number 4 starter... For Mountcastle - DH, 1b...

Kyle Glaser: Mountcastle is trending more and more toward DH, but give him another year to improve at 1B. He only just started playing the position. Akin is more a No. 5, but we'll see. Lefties have a way of extending their shelf life and having peaks where they exceed expectations.

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2019-triple-a-top-mlb-prospects-chat-92419/

So, there’s one evaluator who thinks Mountcastle’s not done learning to play 1B at an acceptable level, and I assume he’d say the same about LF.