Jordan Westburg 2022

[sportsfan8703]

In any other year he’s our MILB POY. Crazier things have happened. The media split the award between Adley and Stowers last year. Gunnar, Westburg, and Cowser, could all get votes. 

[pdiddy]

On 8/25/2022 at 10:00 AM, LookinUp said:

But then you have Ortiz, Prieto and Norby in AAA, and guys coming behind them. You could argue all 3 will be "ready" by mid 2023. You basically have one half season to figure out who will be on the ML team, and if there are several starters in the bunch, you then have to figure out who stays and who goes for other needs.

That seems ideal for a trade deadline move if they are in contention next season.

I hope they spend $ not prospects in the offseason. There’s room to grow payroll and improve the team  without giving up players until there’s more data to go on.

[LookinUp]

49 minutes ago, pdiddy said:

That seems ideal for a trade deadline move if they are in contention next season.

I hope they spend $ not prospects in the offseason. There’s room to grow payroll and improve the team  without giving up players until there’s more data to go on.

I think it gives us the option to do it when the best opportunity arises, be it in the offseason or next deadline.

Considerations...what is selling high, now or later? We want to sell when value is high. Also, are we able to sign pitching this offseason or as FA in general? If not, a trade sooner than later might be appropriate.

Either way, we have assets that provide options.

[Frobby]

14 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

In any other year he’s our MILB POY. Crazier things have happened. The media split the award between Adley and Stowers last year. Gunnar, Westburg, and Cowser, could all get votes. 

Does the media choose our MiL POY?   I had the impression that the organization decided this itself.  

[IPlayGM]

19 hours ago, pdiddy said:

That seems ideal for a trade deadline move if they are in contention next season.

I hope they spend $ not prospects in the offseason. There’s room to grow payroll and improve the team  without giving up players until there’s more data to go on.

I hope they spend both…Now is the time to fill out the roster with upgrades, and this is why you 1) bottom out payroll and 2) grow the farm. We finally have the resource flexibility to do business.

[emmett16]

Westburg hit an absolute bomb 400+ for his 22nd HR of the year.  Added a couple walks as well and has the ops up to .840

His arm was exposed a little bit on a really tough high hopper to his left where he needed to rotate body quick and make a very strong through and you could see a little lack of zip.  Incredibly tough play and only an elite arm would have made the play, but you start to think about how they value a 2b with a very strong arm and how they might view him.  

Regardless, would be awesome to see him finish season on fire and forcing the issue.  Will be fun to see how he finishes out the season. 

[waroriole]

A Westburg call up makes a lot more sense than Aguilar. 

[nvpacchi]

A man's HR tonight.  took 94 at the letters and just swatted it. def a swing that plays in the current MLB environment

 

[emmett16]

Mark Appel is pitching now for Lehigh against the Tides. Got Westburg to bounce out to third.  Appel is actually putting together a pretty solid little season as a reliever after not playing for 4 years.  Cool story.  

[emmett16]

3 hours ago, nvpacchi said:

A man's HR tonight.  took 94 at the letters and just swatted it. def a swing that plays in the current MLB environment

 

Rewatching that, that is a heck of an impressive swing getting on top of a 94 mph FB that had to be 1-2'' above the zone.  I know they focus and practice hitting the high fastball, looks like that skill is coming along nicely.  Cowser, Stowers, and Beavers (the few games I've watched) struggle with that high fastball.  

[Alasdaire]

Just now, emmett16 said:

Rewatching that, that is a heck of an impressive swing getting on top of a 94 mph FB that had to be 1-2'' above the zone.  I know they focus and practice hitting the high fastball, looks like that skill is coming along nicely.  Cowser, Stowers, and Beavers (the few games I've watched) struggle with that high fastball.  

The book on Fabian is that his poison pitch is high heat.

I think hitters are being instructed on how to hit that pitch because pitchers are increasingly targeting that part of the zone.

In DL Hall’s debut, he was consistently missing high. I think he was trying to locate up top. If you have good stuff and any kind of rise, those pitches are deadly.

[emmett16]

5 minutes ago, Alasdaire said:

The book on Fabian is that his poison pitch is high heat.

I think hitters are being instructed on how to hit that pitch because pitchers are increasingly targeting that part of the zone.

In DL Hall’s debut, he was consistently missing high. I think he was trying to locate up top. If you have good stuff and any kind of rise, those pitches are deadly.

Oh yea.  Big time, they work all kinds of drills to focus on that pitch.  Will be interesting to see when that goes out of vogue.  It's interesting we are starting to see a few more sinkers as hitters are looking and working on that high 'rising' fastball.  

[IPlayGM]

9 hours ago, waroriole said:

A Westburg call up makes a lot more sense than Aguilar. 

I disagree, we’ll kind of. Not that I don’t want this, but by looking at the lineups in Baltimore, and Hyde’s continued insistence on playing Odor, it would be silly to bring him up just to sit and play 1-2 games per week. 
 

Maybe Elias can pull a Billy Beane ala Moneyball and trade Odor to get the right guys in the lineup!

[Just Regular]

6 hours ago, emmett16 said:

Oh yea.  Big time, they work all kinds of drills to focus on that pitch.  Will be interesting to see when that goes out of vogue.  It's interesting we are starting to see a few more sinkers as hitters are looking and working on that high 'rising' fastball.  

I thought it was notable last night that Cionel Perez got a whiff to finish off a Jose Ramirez strikeout with a sinker.   Elite contact skills are a good chunk of what makes Ramirez a regular MVP candidate.

Savant has Cionel's 2022 distribution 61% fastball, 38% slider, and it was a nicely executed 3rd pitch vs. someone you might need something a little special for.

[emmett16]

Just now, Just Regular said:

I thought it was notable last night that Cionel Perez got a whiff to finish off a Jose Ramirez strikeout with a sinker.   Elite contact skills are a good chunk of what makes Ramirez a regular MVP candidate.

Savant has Cionel's 2022 distribution 61% fastball, 38% slider, and it was a nicely executed 3rd pitch vs. someone you might need something a little special for.

Palmer loved that pitch, too!  That pitch was absolutely nasty.  95 and darting down and in to the RHH.  If you can get Jose Ramirez to whiff and have him make that facial expression, you know you just threw a good pitch.