Will Mullins start in the All Star Game?

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

Non-Orioles fans definitely know who he is.  I see him posted on the MLB IG account all the time.  He’s on pace for an 8 WAR season.  Every baseball fan should know who he is.

Well, he did come in 6th in the voting.   That’s a lot of people.   And, there’s a ton of people who vote but don’t follow baseball very closely.   

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

You also probably didn't care to finish the thread.  

I didn't follow it or anything but I did read the whole thing.  It wasn't overly long past the initial post.

Spoiler alert, they don't really have anyone healthy that is legitimately worthy of selection.

[scOtt]

On 7/2/2021 at 11:15 AM, Moose Milligan said:

I mean, if you're not an Orioles fan do you really know who Cedric Mullins is?

Trout is the most popular player in baseball.  Of course he gets voted in, even if he's injured.

Fans of other teams, especially in the AL East know who Mullins is.

[Just Regular]

Considering the acreage in Coors OF, the choice of Brantley v. Mullins for CF might tilt his way.   It isn't hard to imagine Judge, Teoscar and Brantley....not doing well out there.

I kind of want to say Mullins could be the only AL'er to play almost the entire game.

[ArtVanDelay]

2 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Should...but they don't.

I think we're sipping our own kool-aid a bit too much here, but that's expected since it's a board made for and supported by die-hards.  

You're assuming that every MLB fan is looking at the MLB IG account all the time.  In a similar vein, do I know or care about whoever's having a breakout season for the Diamondbacks?  Do you?  I sure don't, I'd be surprised if you said yes.  And even if you DID say yes, are you that adamant about following that player and getting him to the ASG?

We all love Cedric, we're all proud of him and we want him to be able to shine in the spotlight.  But not everyone feels the same way.  

 

If someone on the Diamondbacks was on pace for an 8 WAR season, I would know about it.  They don’t have anyone nearly as good as Mullins.  It’s not like Cedric is just having a run-of-the-mill breakout season.  He’s playing at an MVP level, although he obviously has no chance to win the award. 

[Can_of_corn]

12 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

If someone on the Diamondbacks was on pace for an 8 WAR season, I would know about it.  They don’t have anyone nearly as good as Mullins.  It’s not like Cedric is just having a run-of-the-mill breakout season.  He’s playing at an MVP level, although he obviously has no chance to win the award. 

Honest question.  How familiar are you with Brandon Woodruff?

[ArtVanDelay]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Honest question.  How familiar are you with Brandon Woodruff?

I’m familiar with him.  Probably deGrom’s biggest threat in the NL Cy Young race along with his teammate Corbin Burnes. Oh and Gausman .

[DrungoHazewood]

On 7/2/2021 at 1:40 PM, sportsfan8703 said:

@DrungoHazewoodif Mullins ends up 30/30, ASG, GG CF, top 10 MVP voting, then where would you rank that all time amongst position players in franchise history?  

You'd have to infer quite a bit from what you're saying.  GG and MVP could go to the guy who's unbelievable, or the guy with the best story.  30/30 is a good thing.  Mullins is on pace for a nearly 8-win season.  There have only been six of those in team history.  But he's nowhere near Cal's best seasons.

I'd guess there have been 20 or more where someone played at Mullins' rate for 81 games. Chris Davis had multiple 81-game spans in 2012-13 where he hit .330 or .340 with over 30 home runs.  Jim Gentile did that in '61.  Frank had runs in '66-67 where ht hit .340/.445/.700.

First half of '05 Brian Roberts had a 1.000 OPS and 18 steals.  First half of '71 Don Buford hit .314/.441/.525 with 12 steals.  In '92 Brady had 15 homers and 28 steals at the break, then in '96 30 and 12.

He had a good half a season.  I would be cautious in projecting 16 homers the second half when his current 14 are 2/3rds of his career total.

[HowAboutThat]

I was wondering about Steve Pearce in 2014, and was surprised that he only earned 4.5 WAR. I thought his season was much more significant then that.

Regarding Mullins, the key question is whether this is real. Remember Joe Charbenneau? And hordes of other one-year wonders.

The one thing we can’t know is whether this is just a one-year flyer(or even a three month flyer) or releasing the parking brake by giving up switchhitting, and this is the new normal.

Fascinating question, and we won’t know the answer until after we decide what to do.

[Frobby]

33 minutes ago, Philip said:

I was wondering about Steve Pearce in 2014, and was surprised that he only earned 4.5 WAR. I thought his season was much more significant then that.

BB-ref had him at 5.8 rWAR.   Honestly while I tend to like rWAR better, to me fWAR seems a better measure of Pearce in 2014.   The guy only played 102 games.   

[DrungoHazewood]

On 7/4/2021 at 12:20 PM, Frobby said:

BB-ref had him at 5.8 rWAR.   Honestly while I tend to like rWAR better, to me fWAR seems a better measure of Pearce in 2014.   The guy only played 102 games.   

Pearce had a great season, but it was 102 games and the defensive metrics have him almost 15 runs better than any other season.  I don't think he was a slightly below average defender for the rest of his career and a plus-plus defender that one year.  So I'd discount any of his WAR estimates by about a win.