Ramon Urias gets his chance?

[Aristotelian]

2 hours ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

Digging under the hood a little bit, it looks like some of his success against LHP is by dint of facing some truly god awful LH relief pitching. The math doesn't quite seem to add up to where it makes complete sense, but...

• Against starting pitchers, the splits look a lot more normal (.663 OPS against RH starters / .620 OPS OPS against LH starters)
• Of his 6 HR against LHP, only 3 occurred with a LH starter (to start the game), with the other 3 against lefty relievers when the starter was RH 
• That success against lefties seems to be driven by very high BABIP: .341 against LHP; .236 against RHP

I tried to see if he possibly faced a bunch of position players as lefty relievers or something, but having trouble locating that level of detail. Seems like it truly is just SSS weirdness.

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=ruizri01&year=Career&t=b

I am not predicting he will have persistent reverse split if he were facing lefties full time, just making the point that he is not better against RHP. If he is the best defensive option he should play vs LHP. If he is the worse defensive option, he should be off the team because he can't hit RHP. 

[DrungoHazewood]

13 hours ago, wildcard said:

Those career numbers are misleading.  The big difference between Ruiz and Valaika is that Ruiz has gotten opportunity.   Valaika has had very little opportunity.

Ruiz has had 413 PA, 204 PA, 173 PA in three difference years in the majors.  He has never had higher than a 713 OPS in any of those years.

Valaika had a 195 PA in 2017 and had a 817 OPS.  He had 150 PA last year and had a 791 OPS.  Other than that he was blocked in Colorado by Story and LeMahieu.    

So far, given the opportunity Valaika hits.    Ruiz does not.

Yes, if you would like to make up a narrative to fit your selected facts that's your prerogative.  The reason Valaika didn't get more extended opportunities in 2017-18 is that he hit worse than Chris Davis while in Colorado.  In '18 he started the year playing almost every game for the Rockies and went 5-for-52 in April.  Never believe April, but realistically how long can you keep playing someone nearly every day who is hitting .100?

[sportsfan8703]

I’d rather Valaika be getting these ABs. It’s a shame we have a 9 man bullpen but none of them have options except for Fry and Tate. 

[DrungoHazewood]

10 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I’d rather Valaika be getting these ABs. It’s a shame we have a 9 man bullpen but none of them have options except for Fry and Tate. 

That's how baseball works because pitching is more effective that way.  I would like MLB to tell teams they can't do that, that by 2025 you can't have more than eight or nine pitchers, total.  But they don't listen to me.

[wildcard]

2 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Yes, if you would like to make up a narrative to fit your selected facts that's your prerogative.  The reason Valaika didn't get more extended opportunities in 2017-18 is that he hit worse than Chris Davis while in Colorado.  In '18 he started the year playing almost every game for the Rockies and went 5-for-52 in April.  Never believe April, but realistically how long can you keep playing someone nearly every day who is hitting .100?

Yes, Valaika slumped in April of 2018.  But he was mostly playing as a backup.  He only started 7 games all month.  In 13 of those games he only had one at bat.   I agree that as a backup throughout  his career he is around a 660 OPS guy.   But when he starts and plays regularly he hits.

[Tony-OH]

I don't think Ruiz or Valaika are anything for the future, and Urias may not either, but of the three, Urias is the one that I don't have enough major league data to know yet whether he's a just a AAAA second baseman or whether he can hit enough to be something of value.

Saying that, I doubt any of these three are a significant part, or can be traded for a significant part of a future winning Orioles team. 

So with that, I shrug my shoulder and say if Hyde/Elias have some kind of love for Ruiz and want to keep playing him at 2B, it's not like they are blocking a real prospect. But, if they want to give Urias an extended look, I'd be ok with that as well. As for Valaika, he had a nice little year with the bat last year. but he's so shaky defensively every where but 1B and 2B that it's tough to get too much behind him.

[eddie83]

2 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

That's how baseball works because pitching is more effective that way.  I would like MLB to tell teams they can't do that, that by 2025 you can't have more than eight or nine pitchers, total.  But they don't listen to me.

Last year was suppose to be a limit of 13 pitchers. Hopefully next year they will go back to that rule. 

[Jammer7]

I would like to see Urias get an extended shot at 2B. Hard to make much of his game when he gets an inning and an at bat every other game or so. Urias’ swing works. He is balanced and stays inside the ball well. Ruiz has an option and should have gone down to AAA/alternate site, but Jones and Bannon are there. I still think he can hit much better than he has, but his clock is ticking. His swing decisions are still poor, seems like he is pressing. Still a confidence issue with him, I think. Maybe that is why Hyde is showing confidence in him, for now.

[Philip]

The only way this season will be at meaningful advance is if we give meaningful opportunities to the guys who have not yet already shown that they suck. Urias sucks. Jones may also suck, but I’d be happy to give him a shot, I’m not sure who else is primed for second base, Nevin perhaps?

Whoever is next on the depth chart, bring them up and throw them into the fray.

[Aristotelian]

40 minutes ago, Philip said:

The only way this season will be at meaningful advance is if we give meaningful opportunities to the guys who have not yet already shown that they suck. Urias sucks. Jones may also suck, but I’d be happy to give him a shot, I’m not sure who else is primed for second base, Nevin perhaps?

Whoever is next on the depth chart, bring them up and throw them into the fray.

I don't think Rio or Urias is holding anyone back. Only question is whether we have anyone ready, especially with little or no baseball last year. (I am more excited to see our pitching prospects than anyone we have for infield). I also think the season could be a success from acquiring more talent regardless of who is given opportunities at the big league level. 

[LA2]

7 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Yes, if you would like to make up a narrative to fit your selected facts that's your prerogative.  The reason Valaika didn't get more extended opportunities in 2017-18 is that he hit worse than Chris Davis while in Colorado.  In '18 he started the year playing almost every game for the Rockies and went 5-for-52 in April.  Never believe April, but realistically how long can you keep playing someone nearly every day who is hitting .100?

I hope we don't find out with Freddy Galvis.

[interloper]

23 minutes ago, LA2 said:

I hope we don't find out with Freddy Galvis.

Maybe it's just me, but I find it hard to care about whether or not Galvis hits when guys like Mountcastle are leading the league in Ks, or Sisco has done absolutely nothing, or Ruiz, etc. Galvis is here to be a guy at SS who makes the routine plays. I want the guys who are SUPPOSED to hit to actually hit. Then maybe I'll worry about Freddy.

[wildcard]

5 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

I don't think Ruiz or Valaika are anything for the future, and Urias may not either, but of the three, Urias is the one that I don't have enough major league data to know yet whether he's a just a AAAA second baseman or whether he can hit enough to be something of value.

Saying that, I doubt any of these three are a significant part, or can be traded for a significant part of a future winning Orioles team. 

So with that, I shrug my shoulder and say if Hyde/Elias have some kind of love for Ruiz and want to keep playing him at 2B, it's not like they are blocking a real prospect. But, if they want to give Urias an extended look, I'd be ok with that as well. As for Valaika, he had a nice little year with the bat last year. but he's so shaky defensively every where but 1B and 2B that it's tough to get too much behind him.

So play Valaika as the everyday 2B.   Last year he hit well with a 791 OPS and his fielding pct at 2B in his career is among the best 2B.   

[interloper]

34 minutes ago, wildcard said:

So play Valaika as the everyday 2B.   Last year he hit well with a 791 OPS and his fielding pct at 2B in his career is among the best 2B.   

I don't really understand not just doing something like at least platooning Valaika and Ruiz. I know Ruiz is kinda reverse splitty, but whatever. I expect Pat will be back at some point, but the squad could use more offense and that's what he does. And he's completely fine at 2B defensively. 

[Philip]

“Never believe April.”

That is a very poetic line. It applies to a whole lot of things.