2024 Opening Day Lineup

[RZNJ]

23 minutes ago, Camden_yardbird said:

Just having a little fun....

...downvote?

Exactly.  There was nothing rude in my post.   He downvoted me.   I took offense to someone downvoting a post/thread which is just posting a potential (yes, pipedream) lineup for 2024.  No big deal but apparently you, he, and some others were actually offended by it.  Haha.  Too bad.

[interloper]

15 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Odds are against it but it's certainly possible.

CF Vavra

LF Cowser

3B Henderson

C   Rutschman

RF Kjerstad

SS Ortiz

DH Stowers

1B Westburg

2B Norby

 

The goobers on the board won't be able to have any fun with this lol.

But what the OP points out is that a staggering amount of our prospects look to be on track for the ML. Only Kjerstad jumps out as a relative unknown at this point. The rest are absolutely on track as impact guys. They won't all be, probably, but it speaks volumes about our drafting and development that we can even consider the possibility. 

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

The goobers on the board won't be able to have any fun with this lol.

But what the OP points out is that a staggering amount of our prospects look to be on track for the ML. Only Kjerstad jumps out as a relative unknown at this point. The rest are absolutely on track as impact guys. They won't all be, probably, but it speaks volumes about our drafting and development that we can even consider the possibility. 

Thanks.  You nailed it.   It just points out that most of these guys are very close to the majors and all are doing very well in the minors with the possible exception of Kjerstad who I fully expect to be raking at Bowie or Norfolk at this time next year.

To turn that into "this would be a total failure by this regime" is sad and funny.

[Orange]

Ortiz in the six hole?

[Moose Milligan]

I don't think that's a likely OD 2024 lineup.  But I will say that I think by the end of 2024 all of those guys will have been in Baltimore for a good bit and we'll have a good idea of what we've got in them.  Some will be core pieces, others won't be.

The earlier post is correct, these dreams of completely homegrown WS teams is a bit far fetched but that doesn't mean we couldn't be the first.  As far as upside goes, you can make a case for all of those guys being, at least, a regular above-average starter in the majors by the end of 2024.  We can squabble on what positions they will end up at (I think Cowser in CF, Vavra in LF is more likely, myself) but the point is that something similar to that lineup COULD happen if everything breaks right.

It's nice to dream on, for sure. 

[Flash- bd]

Splitting the difference, something more realistic might be:

1. Vavra LF / CF

2. Adley C

3. Santander DH

4. Mountcastle 1B

5. Stowers RF

6. Hays LF / CF

7. Gunnar 3B

8. Urías 2B

9. Mateo SS

 

I think we'll wait on Mountcastle to hit a bit better, as he is capable of, to trade him at a higher value (though I do think ultimately he will be traded, it's clear what the organization thinks of these types of hitters). I don't know what Hays defense projects like in CF...can he be a plus defender there, like Mullins? If he does he probably has a future as our CF, if not I can see him going the way of Mountcastle as he's a bit Mountcastle-lite in terms of pitch selection (lite in the sense that he's not as hacktivist--credit to @Moose Milliganfor this brilliant term --but still not the profile of swing decision that this franchise is clearly looking for under Elias). 

Does Hays project as a better defensive CF or Vavra? Interested to know what @Tony-OHand others more knowledgeable than yours truly think. 

In reality I kinda doubt Gunnar will be up for opening day. I get the feeling he might get a cup of coffee this season but then we'll play the service time game with him next. The club will probably feel that they can survive with Vavra at 2B Urías at 3B and Mateo at SS, with someone like Phillips in CF if we trade Mullins or just plain old Mullins, until the Gunnar service time game has been won. Or perhaps Westburg called up to play 2B, with us less worried about his service time clock. 

Cowser and Westburg (barring the latter scenario) will have to wait for trades next season, I think, to get their chance. Kjerstad is of course a long way off, hopefully he's at AAA and doing well by the end of the season and in with a chance to be a boost for the 2024 team.

 

**ouch, just realized this was a 2024 thread not a 2023 one  . Well, already wrote a long post, so hopefully it's somewhat of interest...Feel free to delete, Tony. 

[Moose Milligan]

@Flash- bd, I'm ready to move on from Mountcastle as soon as one of our prospects steps up and can't be denied a spot.  It's been real, it's been fun but it ain't been real fun with Mountcastle.  Good guy, I like him a lot but it's just increasingly harder and harder to watch his at bats when you've got guys like Adley and Vavra.  

[Flash- bd]

20 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

@Flash- bd, I'm ready to move on from Mountcastle as soon as one of our prospects steps up and can't be denied a spot.  It's been real, it's been fun but it ain't been real fun with Mountcastle.  Good guy, I like him a lot but it's just increasingly harder and harder to watch his at bats when you've got guys like Adley and Vavra.  

Totally agree. I was skeptical about him as a prospect, though I occasionally wavered when he got up based on his hit ability and power (also because just badly needed something to be hopeful about and follow on the MLB team ), precisely for this reason, you gotta be Vladdy level bat to have that kind of walk rate at 1B and be valuable, and he's not that. 

Do think he can get his value higher than it actually is, though. If he doesn't get hot at the end of this season and gets his OPS up around .800 I'm guessing they'll wait for next season (and the no doubt more lively balls that will come with it) and let him get a good run in and restore some value before they sell him off.