Mountcastle is heating up (August edition)

[Frobby]

Ryan Mountcastle appears to be heating up, hitting .359/.405/.744 over his last ten games.   He’s had four consecutive multi-hit games, going 10 for 17 in that stretch.   Overall, his OPS is back up to .775 after slipping as low as .724 on July 20.

I’m hoping he can finish the season strong and give us something to look forward to in 2022.

[emmett16]

I fully expect him to hit like Markakis did the last two months of his rookie season.   At least, that was my hope for him going into year.   Take some knocks first half of year or so then go off the last couple months showing that he is a legit middle of the order MLB bat.  

[LTO's]

I believe he leads the team in RBIs now. Antiquated stat I know, but I do wonder how many rookies have ever lead an O's team.

[Frobby]

24 minutes ago, LTO's said:

I believe he leads the team in RBIs now. Antiquated stat I know, but I do wonder how many rookies have ever lead an O's team.

Good question.  Eddie didn’t.  Cal didn’t.  Not sure who else would even be a candidate.   

Edit: Jim Gentile did it in 1960, leading the team with 98 RBI and finishing second in the rookie of the year voting.   His teammate, Ron Hansen, won Rookie of the Year and finished third on the Orioles with 86 RBI, behind Gentile and Brooks Robinson.  
 

[Aristotelian]

Let's see him have a 10% walk rate for a month. 

[Finisher]

Seems incredible his OPS is closing in on .800 despite the putrid start.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Let's see him have a 10% walk rate for a month. 

He almost did that last month (9.5%), when he had a .656 OPS for the month.   I’d prefer he just hit well.  

[Frobby]

5 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Seems incredible his OPS is closing in on .800 despite the putrid start.

And a .656 July.   

[emmett16]

Went back to check out Markakis’ first year stats.  Mountcastle will end up doing better due to the power.  Markakis ended year with .799 OPS.  Think it’s safe to say Mountcastle bests that.  He has already out homered Nick and is 2 doubles away from Nicks freshman year tally.
 

Interesting note: Markakis walked 43 times rookie year for a 7.9% of PA.  

edit

Markakis Walk rates:

2006 - 7.9%

2007 - 8.6%

2008 - 14.2%

2009 - 7.9%

2010 - 10.3%

2011 - 8.7%
 

 

 

[Moose Milligan]

It's good to see him hitting well.  IIRC this is around the same time last year that he was brought up and started mashing, maybe he performs well in August and September.

I would like to see an increased walk rate, though.  

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

Went back to check out Markakis’ first year stats.  Mountcastle will end up doing better due to the power.  Markakis ended year with .799 OPS.  Think it’s safe to say Mountcastle bests that.  He has already out homered Nick and is 2 doubles away from Nicks freshman year tally.
 

Interesting note: Markakis walked 43 times rookie year for a 7.9% of PA.  

I don’t know why you’d say it’s safe to say Mountcastle will beat .799.   Players have their ups and downs and there’s no telling where Mountcastle will land.  He’d need to put up almost an .850 OPS the rest of the way to end up over .799 on the year.   I’m not saying he can’t do it, but I sure wouldn’t say it’s “safe” that he will.   

To my point,Nick had an .860 OPS at the end of August of his rookie year, had been scorching hot for 2.5 months (1.140 OPS in August) and then OPS’d .599 in September/October to get to his .799 overall number.  
 

[emmett16]

8 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t know why you’d say it’s safe to say Mountcastle will beat .799.   Players have their ups and downs and there’s no telling where Mountcastle will land.  He’d need to put up almost an .850 OPS the rest of the way to end up over .799 on the year.   I’m not saying he can’t do it, but I sure wouldn’t say it’s “safe” that he will.   

To my point,Nick had an .860 OPS at the end of August of his rookie year, had been scorching hot for 2.5 months (1.140 OPS in August) and then OPS’d .599 in September/October to get to his .799 overall number.  
 

When he puts ball in play it results in doubles and homers.  I think he will be putting the ball in play consistently over the next two months.  He's hit at all levels and I believe he will continue to hit.  

 

I mis-remembered.  Just went back to look.  You're correct, his scorcher was August and then slowed off.  In my head it was the very end of the season.   

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

It's good to see him hitting well.  IIRC this is around the same time last year that he was brought up and started mashing, maybe he performs well in August and September.

I would like to see an increased walk rate, though.  

He cooled off a lot the last two weeks of last year (.627 OPS over the final 13 games).   So, hard to know if he’ll finish strong or not.   But I hope so.  

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

When he puts ball in play it results in doubles and homers.  I think he will be putting the ball in play consistently over the next two months.  He's hit at all levels and I believe he will continue to hit.  

Well, I still don’t think it’s safe to say he’ll end up over .800 OPS, but I certainly hope so.   

[emmett16]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Well, I still don’t think it’s safe to say he’ll end up over .800 OPS, but I certainly hope so.   

Got me thinking more about Markakis' rookie year - what else is there to do in 2021 as an O's fan. 

 

After 99 games in 2006 Markakis had 86 hits / 14 doubles / 4 home runs /27BB  & a .746 OPS.    In his last 48 games he hit 11 dobules and 12 homers / OPS .879 and He finished the year @ .799. 

 

After 99 games in 2021 Mountcastle has 95 hits / 18 doubles / 18 Hr/23BB & a .775 OPS.  He has some work to do, but he has put himself in position to finish season above .800.  I don't he has 11 doubles and 12 homers in the tank.  As you said, .850 down stretch is what he will need to play to.  Safe was an overstatement, but I believe he has a very good shot to finish better than Markakis did his rookie year.