Spenser Watkins 2021

[HowAboutThat]

@Frobby@eddie83@ChosenOne21

I was wondering if he was better than his line. He only had one strike out, and after his last outing, where the umpire seemed both consistent, and willing to give an extra inch on the outside, I was wondering if he might have problems with a tight zoned Ump, but that doesn’t appear to have been the problem? Just mediocre defense?

[Frobby]

13 minutes ago, Philip said:

@Frobby@eddie83@ChosenOne21

I was wondering if he was better than his line. He only had one strike out, and after his last outing, where the umpire seemed both consistent, and willing to give an extra inch on the outside, I was wondering if he might have problems with a tight zoned Ump, but that doesn’t appear to have been the problem? Just mediocre defense?

I didn’t see the anything up to the three run homer in the second inning, so I can’t speak to that.   In the part I saw, he had a lot of bad luck and/or mediocre defense behind him.  

[eddie83]

26 minutes ago, Philip said:

@Frobby@eddie83@ChosenOne21

I was wondering if he was better than his line. He only had one strike out, and after his last outing, where the umpire seemed both consistent, and willing to give an extra inch on the outside, I was wondering if he might have problems with a tight zoned Ump, but that doesn’t appear to have been the problem? Just mediocre defense?

His command was not as good as it was. Early on he wasn’t crisp. After that he let up soft contact. 

[Tony-OH]

11 hours ago, eddie83 said:

Urias could not get to a couple of seeing eye hits. 

Urias' lack of range was highlighted in last night's game. He also didn't dive for a ball up the middle that he may have at least knocked down had he dove.

[Tony-OH]

After seven days off, he threw everything a little harder and with more spin rate but his command was off. As Palmer noted last night, command guys don't do well typically with longer breaks between starts. 

[Il BuonO]

17 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

After seven days off, he threw everything a little harder and with more spin rate but his command was off. As Palmer noted last night, command guys don't do well typically with longer breaks between starts. 

I’m not convinced anyone does. Why you would take a guy out of a routine in which he’s thrived boggles my mind.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, Il BuonO said:

I’m not convinced anyone does. Why you would take a guy out of a routine in which he’s thrived boggles my mind.

It is a bit perplexing, no doubt.

[HowAboutThat]

3 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

It is a bit perplexing, no doubt.

I think you guys are referring to when Watkins was bumped from his Sunday start so that, I think, Harvey could start then?

I always thought that was kind of odd, do we know why it was done? Assuming that I am referring to the correct Internet?

[Il BuonO]

Well, I missed it, but the box score doesn’t look good. Maybe this is who he is? A guy with so-so stuff who has to have superior command to get through a ML lineup. 

[Il BuonO]

On 7/20/2021 at 11:34 AM, interloper said:

He obviously has great command, but he also looks like he pitches with a lot of confidence, something that Wells and Zimmermann also do, and something that Akin and Kremer do not do, IMO. Sometimes that can be a difference maker.

For some reason, that’s what I thought, too, but the reality is his walk rate is above league average (8.9%) at 10.3%.

I think soft tossing guys get the benefit of the doubt even w/ knowledgeable people. The thinking is sort of, “He doesn’t throw very hard, so he must have good command.”

[HowAboutThat]

28 minutes ago, Il BuonO said:

Well, I missed it, but the box score doesn’t look good. Maybe this is who he is? A guy with so-so stuff who has to have superior command to get through a ML lineup. 

I watched a lot of the game. he needs a good defense behind him, which he did not have, and he needs an umpire who’s going to give him the borderline call, which he did not get on at least one incredibly significant pitch, which, if called a strike, would’ve gotten him out of the first inning clean on only 14 pitches.

I don’t even know if it’s possible to go back and look at the pitch location on the walks he gave up, but it would not surprise me a bit if many of those balls could easily have been called strikes.

[Matt Bennett]

Watkins threw the ball well. He had to get 5 outs in the 1st inning. The ump missed a couple of strikes that Grossman looked at and Mancini should have had that bouncer to 1st. Cruised from there. Should have gotten out of the first with no damage. 

Edited August 2, 2021 by Matt Bennett

[Ripken]

Plate ump had $ on Detroit today.

[Il BuonO]

So, look, I get the umpire blew a couple at the top of the zone, but if Mancini makes a play Watkins and the Orioles are out of the inning.

Often times umpires will have a low zone or high zone and both hitters and pitchers need to adjust. Prior to the AB to Grossman, Watkins didn’t have enough information for an adjustment, so that’s not really on him. I only watched the first inning, so I don’t know if he made one or not. 

I remember my college coach telling our team, “You can be right or you can adjust and give yourself a better chance to succeed. Complaining about the strike zone to the decision maker ain’t helping you.”

[HowAboutThat]

Sad face emoji…