Jump to content

Ryan McKenna 2022

RZNJ

By RZNJ
in Orioles Talk

 Share

Recommended Posts

RZNJ Hangout Grand Counsel

RZNJ

Posted
Posted

I like the guy.  I root for him.   I even picked him for breakout player of the year.   What can I say?   I took a shot.   He's got some power.  He's fast.  He has a strong arm.  BUT when I watch McKenna hit I gotta say I feel embarassed for him.   He misses pitches by a foot.    Two sliders 6 inches off the plate.  Swing and miss.  Not even close.   Takes the 3rd one because even he's not dumb enough to think he'll get something different.  Unfortunately, he gets a 4th and swings and misses that one by a foot also.   Can't catch up with the fastball.   Fishes for the breaking ball out of the zone.   The question is how does he do enough to survive?   He is one the worst and hate to say it but one of the dumbest hitters I've ever seen.   He has no clue how pitchers are working him.    I've said this before.   He actually has a nice stroke to RF but he tries to pull almost everything.    He's very fast and he did go 1st to 3rd the other night and it turned out great.  One problem.   There were two outs and if the throw had been on the bag at 3B he would have been dead to rights.   There are unwritten rules in baseball.    Trying to take 3rd base with 2 outs is a bad risk.   Of course, he made it so the announcers praised the fact that he did it.    I like Ryan.  He's talented.   I just wish we had an outfielder who could field and give you a professional AB off the bench.   Despite his game winning homer and some decent moments I just don't feel he's a ML hitter.   Some of his AB's are just embarrassingly bad.   Ok.  Too mean?   Am I on an island?   Does anyone agree?

  • Upvote 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Pickles Hangout Grand Counsel

Pickles

Posted
Posted

For me, he's kind of the inverse D.J. Stewart.  He's a fringe MLer, and he's seen so much time up here because of the unusual circumstances of our franchise the last few years, and you know we'll be truly in a position to compete when he's not on the roster.

That said, his speed and defense provide him some value, so I could see a role for him on a better team that I simply can't envision for D.J.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
NCRaven Hangout Grand Counsel

NCRaven

Posted
Posted

I am becoming convinced that Ryan isn't a bad 4th or 5th outfielder.  I don't mean that to sound like damning with faint praise.  He can play any of the outfield positions, has speed, and isn't downright embarrassing at the plate this year.  You can use him as a late inning defensive replacement, pinch runner and give him an occassional start to rest another outfielder.  Don't think he'd ever be good enough to be a regular starter, but I'm not in a hurry to DFA him anymore either.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Frobby Hangout Grand Counsel

Frobby

Posted
Posted

His numbers are improved from last year, and by rWAR he’s been worth more than Santander.   Now, I don’t believe that, but it shows he has some value.  

I do agree that he really struggles with fastballs.    I doubt that problem goes away.   I don’t think his hitting will improve much from here, but at 91 OPS+ (compared to 56 last year), he’s a viable 4th OF.
 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Just Regular Hangout Grand Counsel

Just Regular

Posted
Posted

For some time I've felt the best thing McKenna has going for him is @MurphDogg is I think still in his corner.

I agree he was lucky not good on the 1st to 3rd in the Texas series.

Hyde in the postgame presser after the big game was effusive with the normal cliches about learning to become a pro, etc.

I hope in the offseason we purchase one good Bat, Mateo-Urias-Vavra are the 2023 bench, almost anyone is a lightly used backup C and virtually no one else gets many of the 7000 PA.    Until Cowser/Kjerstad start looking like they can outplay the weaker of Santander/Stowers.

If we trade Santander, boy is the Joey Gallo pillow contract coming to town.    I hope our internal evaluation is Santander promising enough to hold.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
owknows All-Star

owknows

Posted
Posted
34 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I like the guy.  I root for him.   I even picked him for breakout player of the year.   What can I say?   I took a shot.   He's got some power.  He's fast.  He has a strong arm.  BUT when I watch McKenna hit I gotta say I feel embarassed for him.   He misses pitches by a foot.    Two sliders 6 inches off the plate.  Swing and miss.  Not even close.   Takes the 3rd one because even he's not dumb enough to think he'll get something different.  Unfortunately, he gets a 4th and swings and misses that one by a foot also.   Can't catch up with the fastball.   Fishes for the breaking ball out of the zone.   The question is how does he do enough to survive?   He is one the worst and hate to say it but one of the dumbest hitters I've ever seen.   He has no clue how pitchers are working him.    I've said this before.   He actually has a nice stroke to RF but he tries to pull almost everything.    He's very fast and he did go 1st to 3rd the other night and it turned out great.  One problem.   There were two outs and if the throw had been on the bag at 3B he would have been dead to rights.   There are unwritten rules in baseball.    Trying to take 3rd base with 2 outs is a bad risk.   Of course, he made it so the announcers praised the fact that he did it.    I like Ryan.  He's talented.   I just wish we had an outfielder who could field and give you a professional AB off the bench.   Despite his game winning homer and some decent moments I just don't feel he's a ML hitter.   Some of his AB's are just embarrassingly bad.   Ok.  Too mean?   Am I on an island?   Does anyone agree?

For all of his bad AB's and his rough start, he still has the 5th best Batting Average on the team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
wildcard Hangout Grand Counsel

wildcard

Posted
Posted

McKenna is a good outfielder defensively at all three positions.   As a hitter he plays about 25 % of the time and sits the rest.   No consistency of playing time.    His .256 avg is pretty good when his playing time is considered.  He runs well.  He has proven at AAA when he get playing time he hits well. 299/404/649/1053 at AAA in 134 at bats.  And he is young (25 years old).

If he every gets playing time he might be pretty good.

McKenna has one option left that makes him valuable to be sent up and down when needed.   Some far he has spent 13 days at AAA.  His  time in AAA will not count  as using up the option for this year  until he reaches 20 days.

If next year he does not have the option then maybe he is not as valuable to the team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
sportsfan8703 Hangout Grand Counsel

sportsfan8703

Posted
Posted

Damn. This guy can’t catch a break. He just had a big hit last night. I see a guy that has the same OPS that our AS CF had 2 weeks ago. You can win with McKenna as a 4th OF. 
 

Why does this dude catch flack?  He never really got to play in AAA, and when he got sent back down he’s mashed. He is a really good OF at three spots. I know we all want a Steave Pearce type that can play CF. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Flash- bd Veteran All-Star

Flash- bd

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Pickles said:

For me, he's kind of the inverse D.J. Stewart.  He's a fringe MLer, and he's seen so much time up here because of the unusual circumstances of our franchise the last few years, and you know we'll be truly in a position to compete when he's not on the roster.

That said, his speed and defense provide him some value, so I could see a role for him on a better team that I simply can't envision for D.J.

Just feel that DJ has the bat to be a starter somewhere if given the chance, but if people much more knowledgeable than me about baseball (which is mostly everybody) have seen enough of his bat at the MLB level to say he's outmatched there, I'll be happy to concede I am wrong. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
interloper Hangout Grand Counsel

interloper

Posted
Posted

I literally do not understand in what world he is batting .256 with an OPS approaching .700. Because every time I watch a Ryan McKenna AB he is striking out and like OP said, missing the ball by a hilarious degree. Just embarrassing ABs all the time. 

He strikes out 100% of the time but manages to be worth 0.8 WAR lol. 

It's like a magic trick, I don't get it. I guess credit to him though, he keeps finding a way to stick around and impact games. Hyde loves him. I don't particularly enjoy him as a player, but he does try hard. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


  • Posts

    • EddeeEddee
      The New Guys

      By EddeeEddee · Posted

      I'm not disregarding his past performance, but in general recent performance is more relevant if it's a decent sample size.  140 PAs is a pretty high number.  It's been pretty clear for awhile now that what he was once good at he's not good at right now.  I'd rather see Kjerstad bat against lefties than Slater at this point.    
    • Sports Guy
      Os vs NL

      By Sports Guy · Posted

      Today was, thankfully, the last games vs the NL this year…barring a WS run of course. The Os finish 19-26 (that’s a sub 70 win% seasons) vs the NL and were outscored by 42 runs.     That means vs the AL he has outscored them by about 115 runs and are 24 games over 500.  
    • baltfan
      Hyde Hot Seat

      By baltfan · Posted

      It’s the quietest 879 in the history of baseball. 
    • EddeeEddee
      Hyde Hot Seat

      By EddeeEddee · Posted

      I disagree Mayo is one of the reasons the Orioles have not hit well.  Emmanuel Rivera, who has hit well with an .879 OPS since he joined the O's, has gotten the playing time over Mayo.  
    • DrinkinWithFermi
      Anthony Santander 2024

      By DrinkinWithFermi · Posted

      I was sort taking that as a fait accompli. Signing expensive long-term free agent deals for one dimensional sluggers heading into their 30s definitely does not seem like Elias's style, especially when an extra high draft pick (and accompanying extra bonus pool money) is the reward for not doing so.
    • Frobby
      The Defense Thread, 2024

      By Frobby · Posted

      Game 153, Sept. 19 Lots of notable defensive plays today.   Kjerstad made two excellent catches, one going back and towards the RCF alley that (per Kevin Brown) was a 50% probability catch, and another going back to the wall near the corner and making the catch at close to full speed.   Holliday snared a line drive at the top of his leap, and also made a nice backhand running catch of a soft fly into medium RF. Mullins made a diving catch in the 7th on a sinking liner that he got a great jump on.   In the 9th, with runners on 1st and 2nd, Heliot hit a liner in the RCF gap that carried much further than it first appeared it would.   Mullins and Slater dove for it simultaneously and Slater actually gloved it for a second before it popped out while Slater landed on Mullins.  Luckily, the two base runners totally misread the play, and after Slater quickly scrambled to his feet and threw the ball in, the runner originally on 2B scored but the runner on 1st only advanced to 2B, and the batter had to stop at first.  The O’s were able to keep any further runs from scoring. One thing I’ve noticed about Manny Rivera is that he’s very slow charging bunts and slow rollers/choppers. He handled one bunt and one chopper in front of him today and both times the runner beat his throw rather easily, something that has happened a lot when Rivera has manned 3B.   I’m more than ready to have Urias -and/or Westburg back at the hot corner.    
    • jmi1960
      Lord I needed that

      By jmi1960 · Posted

      Don’t know what happened to him on here but I did meet him and some others from The Sun forums at the park on Matt Wieters first game as an Oriole. If I recall correctly his name was Patrick.  He seemed like a good dude but he did have his face painted and was wearing those big hulk hands…which did strike me as a little odd for a grown man but to each his own. 

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...