Mountcastle

[sevastras]

Mountcastle is fine. He isn’t hitting as well as anyone wants him to, but it isn’t post adderall Chris Davis out there.  If you want to replace someone, Nevin and Odor could go. Or keep Odor for a cheerleader/defensive replacement/pinch hitter late for someone like Chirinos. 

[Satyr3206]

8 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Mountcastle has trended the wrong way since arriving on the scene in 2020. He still has very good statcast numbers for hitting the ball hard, but his swing decisions have not improved and the scouting report is out on his hole low and away.

He also has not improved his plans at the plate when facing a pitcher. In fact, it's almost regressed a bit. He should know that pitchers are going to pitch him low and away and probably off the plate so I can't be swinging at those pitches with less than two strikes. With two strikes, he needs to have a going to RF mentality until he forces pitchers to move the ball back inside where he's more comfortable and does more damage.

 

I really wonder if players do that anymore. Everyone is so concerned about exit velocity and all that other nonsense.

[owknows]

This thread gives me a headache

[ScGO's]

I feel like he's pulling off the ball. I would look to drive the ball hard to RCF early in the count based on the way they have been pitching to him.

[Ripken]

7 minutes ago, Satyr3206 said:

I really wonder if players do that anymore. Everyone is so concerned about exit velocity and all that other nonsense.

If he keeps trying to pull outside pitches his career will be over soon.  The approach is to work away, Freddie Freeman preaches it.

[Moose Milligan]

If they traded him this offseason I don't think I'd really mind (even though I agree it would be a sell-low move), but I can also see an argument for keeping him to see if they can tease out a better performance.  Per @DrungoHazewood's post, there's some reasoning to think he's not as bad as he's been.

And it's not as if he's not a talented guy, there's a lot of raw skill and ability to like there.  He has a giant offseason ahead of him.  I wouldn't write him off just yet but I certainly understand the frustration with him.

[Satyr3206]

5 minutes ago, Ripken said:

If he keeps trying to pull outside pitches his career will be over soon.  The approach is to work away, Freddie Freeman preaches it.

In other words to become a complete hitter. There's a lot of green grass in the outfield. Doesn't matter how hard you hit it. Find a space.

[RZNJ]

Has Mountcastle been in the majors too long to be optioned?   Just asking?    You keep waiting and hoping for the hot streak that makes up for this horrid stretch he's in right now.   One thing he always had was the bat speed but it doesn't look like it's there right now.   He squared one up to CF in Houston in game 1 or 2 and it died on the warning track.    He's now getting beat on fastballs regularly.

[Just Regular]

I wonder if an in-season swing decisions project could be part of it.    I peeked at the August numbers with month end nearing and for the first time in memory, Mountcastle was NOT on the last page of laggards in Chase rate (aka, percentage of pitches outside the strike zone the batter swings at).    There can be trade offs if you put the reins on a wild horse.

I believe Mountcastle is a talented enough hitter Elias-Sig, etc. are thinking hard about what they should or should not try to do, and along with the poor production lately, he has for better or worse improved that metric.

Edited August 29, 2022 by Just Regular

[Satyr3206]

Strike zone awareness is the key to being a good hitter. That's damn hard to teach. It's a form of spacial recognition.

[sportsfan8703]

Mountcastle's struggles make Jesus Aguilar an even more interesting potential pick up.  Gunnar comes up by Weds.  Aguilar signs and is our hitter Sept Call up.  No need for Nevin in that situation.  

[LA2]

16 minutes ago, owknows said:

This thread gives me a headache

Your "Ow" knows.

[Satyr3206]

Talking hitting never gives me a headache.

[LA2]

9 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

I wonder if an in-season swing decisions project could be part of it.    I peeked at the August numbers with month end nearing and for the first time in memory, Mountcastle was NOT on the last page of laggards in Chase rate (aka, percentage of pitches outside the strike zone the batter swings at).    There can be trade offs if you put the reins on a wild horse.

I believe Mountcastle is a talented enough hitter Elias-Sig, etc. are thinking hard about what they should or should not try to do, and along with the poor production lately, he has for better or worse improved that metric.

That's interesting in light of what looks like recent flailing at pitches above the strike zone (altho I don't want to do the research to confirm!).

Edited August 29, 2022 by LA2

[jamalshw]

Fortunately for Mountcastle, there are still 9 more games against the Jays. He also has a career 1.227 OPS against the Guardians (albeit in 9 games played) so maybe he gets hot this week.