I'm Ready for Mountcastle and Diaz: Mountcastle Up, Diaz Still Waiting

[Frobby]

40 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm curious if other teams pitch to him the same way Boston did and what he does in response if they do. 

I think it will do a lot more for his development than glorified BP in Bowie.

First of all, I don’t think anyone doubts that Mountcastle had done all the development he needed to do offensively.    The guy has over 2200 MiL PA including 552 in AAA.    I know Elias and Hyde referred to him needing to be more selective, but that was a makeweight argument and perhaps just a bit of message-sending to Mountcastle. The issue about his defensive development is much more debatable.     

Second of all, I haven’t really discerned a pattern yet in how Mountcastle is being pitched.    The first two at bats I saw (one on Friday night and his second AB yesterday) both were 3-pitch strikeouts and he got beat with some pretty garden variety fastballs in good spots in the strike zone, but I doubt he’s going to get beat that way often.   The liner Pillar robbed yesterday was an offspeed pitch just below the zone on the outside corner and he did a good job of driving that pitch.    Overall he looks as advertised, a little unselective but I haven’t seen him swing at a pitch that was a real headscratcher yet.     
 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

First of all, I don’t think anyone doubts that Mountcastle had done all the development he needed to do offensively.    The guy has over 2200 MiL PA including 552 in AAA.    I know Elias and Hyde referred to him needing to be more selective, but that was a makeweight argument and perhaps just a bit of message-sending to Mountcastle. The issue about his defensive development is much more debatable.     

Second of all, I haven’t really discerned a pattern yet in how Mountcastle is being pitched.    The first two at bats I saw (one on Friday night and his second AB yesterday) both were 3-pitch strikeouts and he got beat with some pretty garden variety fastballs in good spots in the strike zone, but I doubt he’s going to get beat that way often.   The liner Pillar robbed yesterday was an offspeed pitch just below the zone on the outside corner and he did a good job of driving that pitch.    Overall he looks as advertised, a little unselective but I haven’t seen him swing at a pitch that was a real headscratcher yet.     
 

I didn't see a first pitch fastball to him.  Most of the strikes I saw barely clipped the zone and a lot of the pitches were not in the zone at all.  When he was up with runners on last last night it was a first pitch change.

So it looks, to me at least, like they are trying to get him to chase breaking balls that are either not strikes, or not strikes you can drive.  After the two walk game they did start throwing more strikes but no idea if that was intentional or if the guys in game 1 just missed their spots.

[Roll Tide]

Quote

Outfielder Yusniel Diaz hasn’t played above the Double-A level and it’s going to be harder for him to leave the Bowie camp. He was supposed to start out with Norfolk and arrive later this summer.

“He looks really good, both offensively and defensively down there at the alternate site,” Elias said. “He’s got a great work ethic, the attitude and energy have been really good every day. Just like Mountcastle did, he’s seeing a lot of really tough pitching, but the performance has been there.

“He’s really close. He’d be a guy who would be in Triple-A for the first time right now. He would have been there last year had he not strained his leg at the end of the season and it’s a shame that he’s not getting that experience, but he’s really close.

“He’s not on our 40-man roster yet, so that is something of a consideration when you look at a guy like him, but this guy is really close. And I continue to be excited about him and I kind of feel he’s flying under the radar right now, which is kind of a good thing.”

 

 

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2020/08/elias-impressed-with-akin-kremer-and-diaz.html

[wildcard]

44 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

 

 

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2020/08/elias-impressed-with-akin-kremer-and-diaz.html

I doubt we see Diaz this year.  There is no space in the outfield for him.  I will probably take an injury to get him promoted. There is no reason to start his clock.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, wildcard said:

I doubt we see Diaz this year.  There is no space in the outfield for him.  There is no reason to start his clock.

The reason to start his clock is that he can develop better playing actual games against ML opposition than he could taking glorified batting practice against a small group of pitchers.

[Roll Tide]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

The reason to start his clock is that he can develop better playing actual games against ML opposition than he could taking glorified batting practice against a small group of pitchers.

I’m not opposed .... i think it will take a Mullins slump or a Valaika trade or nose dive. We know Hayes is definitely coming back.

[Can_of_corn]

23 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

I’m not opposed .... i think it will take a Mullins slump or a Valaika trade or nose dive. We know Hayes is definitely coming back.

I'm not lighting torches about it now that Smith is off the roster.  I was saying there is a valid reason to bring Diaz up.  I'm not at all sure you can get a lot out of three months of what they are doing at Bowie.  It must be pretty difficult for those guys to keep their intensity level up.

[Roll Tide]

15 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm not lighting torches about it now that Smith is off the roster.  I was saying there is a valid reason to bring Diaz up.  I'm not at all sure you can get a lot of three months of what they are doing at Bowie.  It must be pretty difficult for those guys to keep their intensity level up.

I agree ... it a bad year for developmental prospects. At least the guys in Bowie have that advantage over the kids sitting home.

[joelala]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm not lighting torches about it now that Smith is off the roster.  I was saying there is a valid reason to bring Diaz up.  I'm not at all sure you can get a lot out of three months of what they are doing at Bowie.  It must be pretty difficult for those guys to keep their intensity level up.

Smith gone and Mountcastle up. Do you feel empty inside without your two favorite drums to beat?  

[Can_of_corn]

Think maybe we can get Mountcastle to work with some on the younger players to help them up their walk rate some?  Maybe if it's someone they view as a peer they will be more inclined to listen?

[OriolesMagic83]

“He looks really good, both offensively and defensively down there at the alternate site,” Elias said. “He’s got a great work ethic, the attitude and energy have been really good every day. Just like Mountcastle did, he’s seeing a lot of really tough pitching, but the performance has been there.

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2020/08/elias-impressed-with-akin-kremer-and-diaz.html

Any word on who this "really tough pitchers" are?  Would like to see more of the young arms up. 

 

[OFFNY]

o

 

(vs. YANKEES, 9/04) )))))) [GAME TWO]

 

Mountcastle hit a 2-run home run to give the Orioles an early lead.

Late in the game, his RBI-single with 2 outs gave the Orioles the desperately-needed tying run which they were seeking.

He reached base safely in all 3 of his plate appearances.

 

o