Valaika makes a bid to become an everyday player

[wildcard]

6 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

In 2019 he was playing his fourth season in AAA, as a 26 year old, on a 60-80 team that had a .852 team OPS.  In the '19 PCL there were twenty-nine players with 100 or more PAs who OPS'd 1.000.  Valaika was 48th in the league in OPS as a guy repeating the level a third time.  Albuquerque is like playing in Colorado, just against teams where Joe Gunkel is the other team's ace.

He's never been given a chance as a regular because his teams who evaluated him every day for years didn't see him as a regular.

How many qualified for the PCL batting title and had at least a 952 OPS. Were 26 or younger?  And could play major league defense at any position? 

Answer: Maybe 3 besides Valaika.   Taylor Ward of the Angels. Yonathan Daza of the Rockies and Isan Diaz of the Marlins.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?y=2019&t=l_bat&lid=112&sid=l112

[wildcard]

Valaika was blocked with the Rockies.  Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu  who went  FA and now  2nd rounder Ryan McMahon

[DrungoHazewood]

8 minutes ago, wildcard said:

How many qualified for the PCL batting title and had at least a 952 OPS. Were 26 or younger?  And could play major league defense at any position? 

Answer: Maybe 3 besides Valaika.   Taylor Ward of the Angels. Yonathan Daza of the Rockies and Isan Diaz of the Marlins.

http://www.milb.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?y=2019&t=l_bat&lid=112&sid=l112

I'm not sure what your point is.  That Taylor Ward and Yonathan Daza probably aren't going to hit in the majors? Jace Peterson had a .930 something OPS last year.  It means nothing.  Pat Valaika is a guy who's going to OPS .700 if things go right. He's a decent utility infielder, maybe he could be someone's second baseman if they didn't have other good options. 

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I'm not sure what your point is.  That Taylor Ward and Yonathan Daza probably aren't going to hit in the majors? Jace Peterson had a .930 something OPS last year.  It means nothing.  Pat Valaika is a guy who's going to OPS .700 if things go right. He's a decent utility infielder, maybe he could be someone's second baseman if they didn't have other good options. 

I am glad you have already mapped out his future.  Maybe you should tell him because he may not agree with you.

I was just pointing out the your 29 players; with OPS of 1000 in the PCL in 2019 is not comparable to what Valaika did.

 

[Roll Tide]

10 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Valaika was blocked with the Rockies.  Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu  who went  FA and now  2nd rounder Ryan McMahon

Wildcard .... I dont think his low minor league OPS has anything to do with being blocked. My thought is its hard to imagine him being much more than what he did in the minors. As Yaz has proved its possible to out perform the minor league number but its unusual.

[DrungoHazewood]

12 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Valaika was blocked with the Rockies.  Trevor Story and DJ LeMahieu  who went  FA and now  2nd rounder Ryan McMahon

He was also blocked by the fact that in '19 he hit .190 with a .572 OPS for the Rockies.  And in '18 he had a .683 OPS in a hitter's paradise in Albuquerque, and a .460 in Colorado.  And in '17 he had a .749 in Albuquerque, although he hit okay for the Rockies (.817 OPS, a few points higher than the team average).

[DrungoHazewood]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

I am glad you have already mapped out his future.  Maybe you should tell him because he may not agree with you,

I'm sure Pat Valaika thinks that if he puts in another 10 minutes a day in the cage he's going to win the Triple Crown.  Baseball players aren't paid to be realistic.  But 26-year-olds with .759 minor league OPSes in ridiculously good environments rarely become major league regulars.

Look at the Albuquerque Isotopes, pick some random years.  You'll almost always find a journeyman player like Matt McBride or Tim Federowicz or Alex Guerrero or Nick Buss, or Jerry Sands or Elian Herrera, or Justin Sellers, or Trayvon Robinson OPSing .888 or .930 or something on their way to a .649 OPS in the majors.

[wildcard]

24 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I'm sure Pat Valaika thinks that if he puts in another 10 minutes a day in the cage he's going to win the Triple Crown.  Baseball players aren't paid to be realistic.  But 26-year-olds with .759 minor league OPSes in ridiculously good environments rarely become major league regulars.

Look at the Albuquerque Isotopes, pick some random years.  You'll almost always find a journeyman player like Matt McBride or Tim Federowicz or Alex Guerrero or Nick Buss, or Jerry Sands or Elian Herrera, or Justin Sellers, or Trayvon Robinson OPSing .888 or .930 or something on their way to a .649 OPS in the majors.

That is always possible.  But so is him doing better in the majors because he is being give a chance he did not get with the Rockies and he is ready to take advantage of it.

I have pointed out what he did at AAA last season, what he did is the last month in the majors, how he was blocked with the Rockies and therefore never had a month with 60 at bats in the majors before joining the O's.  All which open the door to think about what might be happening.

You have generalize about 26 year old players with minor league histories like his.  

Neither of us know what will happen.   I want to see what he can do as an everyday player. I hope he gets the chance.

[wildcard]

41 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I'm sure Pat Valaika thinks that if he puts in another 10 minutes a day in the cage he's going to win the Triple Crown.  Baseball players aren't paid to be realistic.  But 26-year-olds with .759 minor league OPSes in ridiculously good environments rarely become major league regulars.

Look at the Albuquerque Isotopes, pick some random years.  You'll almost always find a journeyman player like Matt McBride or Tim Federowicz or Alex Guerrero or Nick Buss, or Jerry Sands or Elian Herrera, or Justin Sellers, or Trayvon Robinson OPSing .888 or .930 or something on their way to a .649 OPS in the majors.

Valaika was not a journeyman last season.  He was drafted by the Rockies and still with the Rockies last year at AAA and some in the majors.   

[DrungoHazewood]

5 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Valaika was not a journeyman last season.  He was drafted by the Rockies and still with the Rockies last year at AAA and some in the majors.   

You mean the guy who was selected off waivers three times in four months?

[DrungoHazewood]

11 minutes ago, wildcard said:

That is always possible.  But so is him doing better in the majors because he is being give a chance he did not get with the Rockies and he is ready to take advantage of it.

I have pointed out what he did at AAA last season, what he did is the last month in the majors, how he was blocked with the Rockies and therefore never had a month with 60 at bats in the majors before joining the O's.  All which open the door to think about what might be happening.

You have generalize about 26 year old players with minor league histories like his.  

Neither of us know what will happen.   I want to see what he can do as an everyday player. I hope he gets the chance.

I hope he's the new Rogers Hornsby.  I just don't put outsized faith in 100 at bat samples and seasons at 6000 ft altitude with superballs.

[wildcard]

9 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

You mean the guy who was selected off waivers three times in four months?

You were talking about when he was at AAA last year.  He was not a journeyman then.

[wildcard]

15 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I hope he's the new Rogers Hornsby.  I just don't put outsized faith in 100 at bat samples and seasons at 6000 ft altitude with superballs.

Well, the superball is still being used.

[jjnono]

5 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

If you're a utility guy you're probably lacking somewhere.  Usually it's the bat. But it doesn't have to be.  He could be a Ty Wigginton type utility guy.

All I can really be confident in saying about his defense is I don't think he's a starting shortstop in the majors.

This.  Valaika isn't going to crack the starting lineup on a long-term basis, but his value as a utility player / pinch hitter could keep him on the 25-man roster for a little while, enough time to make some decent quid...

[Frobby]

3 hours ago, wildcard said:

I am glad you have already mapped out his future.  Maybe you should tell him because he may not agree with you.

I was just pointing out the your 29 players; with OPS of 1000 in the PCL in 2019 is not comparable to what Valaika did.

 

First paragraph is just rhetoric.   You could say it of any player.   Second paragraph is not a bad argument.  Still, I think you’re cherry-picking.    You’ve got guys in that league OPSing 300 points above Valaika.   Hitting .950 OPS at age 26 is above average for that league but it’s certainly not outstanding.   

I hope his performance continues to justify your optimism.