I think Mateo has superstar potential

[Sports Guy]

I think we need to stop talking about his trade value.  He has very little.

[survivedc]

11 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

 

Is Javy Baez a superstar? I think he comps wel as Javy Baez-lite. He can definitely be a “starter as a utility infielder” on a contending Orioles team IMO. 

He’s a better fielder than Baez I think, definitely better range. I would be surprised to see Mateo moved off SS unless Henderson can’t handle 3B or 2B.

[RZNJ]

16 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I think we need to stop talking about his trade value.  He has very little.

Ok.  You can stop talking about his trade value.    I think he has trade value and I think it is increasing as his OPS goes up.   Mateo with a .650 OPS has got solid trade value.   Into the .700 range and above and he's got a lot of trade value.

[panick]

I don't think Mateo helps himself with the home plate umpires by the way he reacts to called strikes he doesn't agree with. Because of that, the umpires might not give him any consideration on close pitches.

[Sports Guy]

15 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Ok.  You can stop talking about his trade value.    I think he has trade value and I think it is increasing as his OPS goes up.   Mateo with a .650 OPS has got solid trade value.   Into the .700 range and above and he's got a lot of trade value.

I’ll talk about what I choose.  
 

He had a sub 600 OPS a few weeks ago.  While the defense has been there all year and he has speed, he has no bat and no history of one.

Until he shows the ability to hit for a long period of time, he has no value outside of a second or third piece in  a deal.  He won’t fetch you much of anything on his own.

Edited July 30, 2022 by Sports Guy

[RZNJ]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

I’ll talk about what I choose.  

So will the rest of us.   You sad "WE" need to stop talking about his trade value.   Don't tell us what to talk about and we won't tell you what to talk about.  Got it?

[RZNJ]

His history is 524 ML AB's with a .638 OPS.    That's not a very long history.   At the beginning of this year I'm sure you would have said his history shows that he's not more than an average SS defensively.

I'd bet you can find most ML players are actually better after their first 500 ML AB's.

[Sports Guy]

Just now, RZNJ said:

His history is 524 ML AB's with a .638 OPS.    That's not a very long history.   At the beginning of this year I'm sure you would have said his history shows that he's not more than an average SS defensively.

I'd bet you can find most ML players are actually better after their first 500 ML AB's.

His MiL numbers aren’t great either.  

[Just Regular]

Mateo 2022 is maybe nearing the Mullins 2021 ballpark.      A consolidation year 2 that is 85% as good...the quantity of good play probably holds trade value mostly steady.     You can't sell high on Mullins after a few good months, nor Mateo, but maybe you just keep him in the lineup.

[Jammer7]

2 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

I don't think Mateo has superstar potential striking out 30% of the time.

Obviously his defense makes him a useful piece, but let's not go nuts.

Yeah, potential is a dangerous thing to dream on. But man, is he exciting to watch. He is the kind of guy who puts butts in seats. He obviously strikes out way too much. The slider, especially the one off the outer half, is his arch enemy. If he can reign that in, and it’s a big if, then he might unlock something more special. If he’s .240/.300/.420/.720, I think that’s reasonable as a goal for him. He is capable of much more, I think.

Maybe the best thing about him is that he has stayed pretty healthy, except the freak collision on the West coast. That tells me his preparation is very good and he has become a solid professional. Athleticism like his is difficult to keep healthy for an everyday player. 

[RarityFlaherty]

49 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Ok.  You can stop talking about his trade value.    I think he has trade value and I think it is increasing as his OPS goes up.   Mateo with a .650 OPS has got solid trade value.   Into the .700 range and above and he's got a lot of trade value.

What do you think they could get for him right now though? I could see him being worth a lot more at the end of the season, if he can keep hitting pretty well. But, right now, it feels like too much of a risk for a contending team to give up enough value for it to be worth it. 

[Aristotelian]

I love Mateo. He is my favorite player to watch. We've known he can make the spectacular play but what has really surprised me is his consistency. I think his offense likely is what it is, but if he sustains 78 OPS+ with his speed he can still be a valuable player. I don't think we should trade him any time soon as he is still building value by the day and our infield prospects are by no means a sure thing. 

[RZNJ]

57 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

His MiL numbers aren’t great either.  

What counts is where is numbers are now and where they are at the end of the year.

[waroriole]

2 hours ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

 

Is Javy Baez a superstar? I think he comps wel as Javy Baez-lite. He can definitely be a “starter as a utility infielder” on a contending Orioles team IMO. 

No Baez is not a star, but he is a good player who’s hit 150+ HR and is only 2 years older than Mateo. Mateo has hit 12 career HR. I think folks oughta pump the brakes on Mateo. He’s having a nice season. If a team in the offseason wants to trade us a SP with a couple seasons of team control, with league average results, we should jump at it. 

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, Aristotelian said:

I love Mateo. He is my favorite player to watch. We've known he can make the spectacular play but what has really surprised me is his consistency. I think his offense likely is what it is, but if he sustains 78 OPS+ with his speed he can still be a valuable player. I don't think we should trade him any time soon as he is still building value by the day and our infield prospects are by no means a sure thing. 

If everyone else hits, sure.  There are many ways to build a team.  But limited offense from the premier athletic position in the sport is starting behind the curve.  We have legit bats in the minors, so a) I’m not married to Mateo at SS and b) he’s got value in his defense.  There’s a role for him in the ML.  Either as a utility player on a competitive team or an SS on another team.

I do think he plays out the season and probably is here next year as well as a utility after Gunnar is promoted.  I’m just not sure how much value he’s building though.  This feels like peak Mateo.