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

[7Mo]

2 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Didn't they straight up say it wasn't a position change? Versatility is good, the guy played 226 pro games as a SS, so it's not going to be too much of a shock to try out 2B. 

I was surprised that Moustakas did an adequate job as a second baseman. 

Do you believe Mountcastle moves well enough laterally for a second baseman?

[weams]

7 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Mike Muncy played 70 games at 2B. Mountcastle has to be a better athlete than that guy. 

Steve Pearce played there as well. 

[weams]

3 minutes ago, Philip said:

Oh God we’ve been over this so many times, I’m not going to re-state everything again, you are welcome to disagree, and as always, I am perfectly willing to admit that I was wrong if it turns out I’m wrong, but no I’m not going to rehash everything yet again.

Do you have good info that makes you think his athleticism would be lacking anywhere other than DH? Because if you don't it's really not a valuable opinion. I'd rather hear that you just don't want to trouble him with defense and just let him hit. I have no reason to think he'd be poor anywhere other than shortstop and third which I personally saw him  play at a substandard level. 

[Luke-OH]

Just now, 7Mo said:

I was surprised that Moustakas did an adequate job as a second baseman. 

Do you believe Mountcastle moves well enough laterally for a second baseman?

Yes I do. Not moves well for a 2B, but moves passably. Schoop didn't move well at all after he bulked up. But they protected him a lot with deep shifts, which played to his arm strength. Do I think Mountcastle has a chance to be a playable everyday 2B, no, not really. But I think it's good for him to be able to move around the field and play multiple positions to keep his bat in the lineup. 

[weams]

40 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Even with Mountcastle  at shortstop they weren't catching the Tigers.

You sure?

[7Mo]

1 minute ago, Luke-OH said:

Yes I do. Not moves well for a 2B, but moves passably. Schoop didn't move well at all after he bulked up. But they protected him a lot with deep shifts, which played to his arm strength. Do I think Mountcastle has a chance to be a playable everyday 2B, no, not really. But I think it's good for him to be able to move around the field and play multiple positions to keep his bat in the lineup. 

You've seen him a lot more than I have so that's good enough for me. Thanks.

[Can_of_corn]

16 minutes ago, weams said:

You sure?

Launch angle man, only squares hit the ball on the ground.

[Tony-OH]

3 hours ago, weams said:

 

With all the shifting they do a second baseman needs a better arm than old school second baseman. I'm not a fan of wasting time trying to fit a square peg in a round hole with Mountcastle. He needs experience in left field. I just don't like the the throwing release of Mountcastle and could not see him turning DPs effectively.

Was it worth giving him a look after moving him off SS, perhaps, but I think he needs to stay in left or at first.

 

[SteveA]

30 minutes ago, weams said:

Steve Pearce played there as well. 

So did John Lowenstein I believe.   In the game where Sakata caught.

[Tony-OH]

26 minutes ago, weams said:

Do you have good info that makes you think his athleticism would be lacking anywhere other than DH? Because if you don't it's really not a valuable opinion. I'd rather hear that you just don't want to trouble him with defense and just let him hit. I have no reason to think he'd be poor anywhere other than shortstop and third which I personally saw him  play at a substandard level. 

Sorry weams, gotta seriously-disagree with you. Mountcastle's slow release do to a long arm action and a lack of arm strength are major detractors for him playing effectively anywhere but first base on the infield. Can he play there and make the routine play, sure, but so can a lot of guys. 

[MurphDogg]

If it gets him an extra 50 at-bats next year at the MLB level rather than him being on the bench in 2020, I don't mind seeing him butcher second base a couple times a month.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, MurphDogg said:

If it gets him an extra 50 at-bats next year at the MLB level rather than him being on the bench in 2020, I don't mind seeing him butcher second base a couple times a month.

Planing on avoiding the game threads when he does? 

[weams]

12 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Sorry weams, gotta seriously-disagree with you. Mountcastle's slow release do to a long arm action and a lack of arm strength are major detractors for him playing effectively anywhere but first base on the infield. Can he play there and make the routine play, sure, but so can a lot of guys. 

Well good enough then. I think the idea that he is a Nelson Cruz in the field makes my head explode. 

[Frobby]

Another team’s scout comments on Mountcastle:

“He really does have a feel for hitting. But he is a real aggressive hitter and I’ve seen him get himself out on pitches out of the strike zone. His defense at first was not average, so he’s really going to have to hit. It doesn’t mean he won’t. I really like his bat. He’s a 60 hitter with average-to-plus power. An average corner bat can give you 25 homers, and he might exceed that. I saw him really good in spring training in a game where he had two gorgeous swings for line drives. That is a nice swing. Short to the ball, long through the zone. He’s on time. I’ve heard (Paul) Konerko and (Trey) Mancini comps with him. That’s not bad. I don’t think that is unrealistic.”
 

https://www.masnsports.com/steve-melewski/2019/12/part-two-a-scouts-take-on-os-prospects.html

That’s probably the most specific thing I’ve heard about his defense at 1B.    I like the rest of the evaluation, but didn’t like hearing that Mountcastle is below average at 1B.     Of course, he’s only played one partial season there.    But this is the reason we may see Mountcastle spend more time at AAA in 2020 than most fans would like.    And of course, he’s working on LF too.

[sportsfan8703]

A ghost from Christmas past.