2019 #4 Prospect: Ryan Mountcastle - LF/1B

[Legend_Of_Joey]

51 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

What is the sense of him getting any time at third? 

Same reason it makes sense for David to get at bats.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

Because we are loaded with 1B/LF/DH types and we need to clear that up as well as delay Mountcastle's service time, which might not matter at all, and let him continue to improve his plate discipline,  which he actually was showing progress with towards the end of the year.

And he could have built upon that with at bats in September.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Could have. Didn't. He's not a future HOF. I am not concerned about him being held back. He gets more AAA time and then his chance in MLB.  In the long run what they are doing will not hurt him at all.  Might help him 

Now if I thought he was a future HoF I'd be fine with them holding him back.

As for the bolded, we don't know.  It is a possibility that him not being up in September will impede his development.  Means learned a lot from his time in the majors in 2018.  Same might have been true for Mountcastle.  I think it is very poor logic to just assume that he wasn't damaged while simultaneously suggesting it might be helpful.

 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

What is the sense of him getting any time at third? 

Good to have him as an option there in case of emergency.   He’s not a major league starting 3B, but he’s a guy you could put there for a few innings if you needed.   

[Tony-OH]

On 11/11/2019 at 1:13 PM, LookinUp said:

There's no doubt in my mind that Kremer can be every bit as good as Means assuming he too suddenly gains the feel for a ML+ change-up and gains a couple of ticks of velocity out of nowhere. It can happen, it's just not likely to happen. 

The prospect rankings weren't wrong on Means. Means just broke the rules. 

The one difference between Means and Kremer is that Means has a plus-plus pitch that hitters can't hit even when they know it's coming. Kremer's best pitch is his curveball, but I'm not sure it's in the same category as Means' change. 

I have some concern that major league hitters will be able to differentiate the breaking ball from the fastball and lay off his curve, particularly when he throws the slow one. His curveball reminded me of Dylan's Bundy's curve in the minors. It worked well there but it never was the same pitch at the major league level.

Kremer has some talent, but he really needs that slider and change to come around and be consistent pitches for him if he's to stay a starter. If not, I could see him moving to relief, getting a few ticks on the fastball and be a piece out of the pen.

[weams]

10 hours ago, Frobby said:

Good to have him as an option there in case of emergency.   He’s not a major league starting 3B, but he’s a guy you could put there for a few innings if you needed.   

Elias talked about him as a third baseman yesterday. I never liked him there. I almost liked him better a short. 

[weams]

12 hours ago, RZNJ said:

None. Just gets him AB's. We all know he's not making the team out of ST.  Moving him around makes it easier to bring him on every road game and play him somewhere.  From all reports, RF is a waste of time as well.  He's either going to be a LF, 1B, or DH.

Elias discussed him as a potential corner outfielder yesterday. I assume that does not mean that he feels that Ryan is stuck to those positions. 

[Pickles]

I know this is going back a few pages but I want to repeat my stance.

I don't think it is fair to call me a Mountcastle "hater."  I think it is very likely he has a long major league career.

I claim the label Mountcastle "doubter."  In the sense that I don't ever think he is going to be a consistent "all-star" player.  And I believe that because when looking at the power tool, the hit tool, and the on-base tool, it just doesn't add up for a first basemen.

I hope very much I'm wrong.  And I feel in a year about Mountcastle the way I feel about Lamar Jackson right now.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, Pickles said:

I know this is going back a few pages but I want to repeat my stance.

I don't think it is fair to call me a Mountcastle "hater."  I think it is very likely he has a long major league career.

I claim the label Mountcastle "doubter."  In the sense that I don't ever think he is going to be a consistent "all-star" player.  And I believe that because when looking at the power tool, the hit tool, and the on-base tool, it just doesn't add up for a first basemen.

I hope very much I'm wrong.  And I feel in a year about Mountcastle the way I feel about Lamar Jackson right now.

Seems to me there’s a lot of room in between “consistent ‘all star’ player” and “doesn’t add up for a first baseman.”    

I think Mountcastle will be roughly the quality of player that Mancini is.   Probably a higher BA but a lower OBP, similar power numbers.   Possibly a better defensive corner OF, but it’s too soon to know that.   Enough bat to start at 1B/DH.    Not an all star, but a solid ballplayer.
 

[NCRaven]

And, every team needs solid ballplayers, they don't all have to be all-stars.

[weams]

 

[RVAOsFan]

I like the idea of giving Mountcastle a shot at second base but wouldn’t this have been the logical place to try him out when they moved him off of SS because he didn’t have the arm for it? Instead he has been moved around to 3rd, 1st and LF.

I know it’s a different regime but still frustrating. 

[HowAboutThat]

43 minutes ago, weams said:

 

Badly...

[7Mo]

9 minutes ago, Philip said:

Badly...

Maybe, probably, but I'm glad they're not taking the easy route and just sticking him at first. 

I think he eventually winds up in left and is at least adequate. 

[HowAboutThat]

1 minute ago, 7Mo said:

Maybe, probably, but I'm glad they're not taking the easy route and just sticking him at first. 

I think he eventually winds up in left and is at least adequate. 

Smith set a very low bar in left, as did Stewart, so I’m not completely worried about him being an improvement in left.