Fangraphs makes some remarkable claims about Gunnar Henderson. Say he is better than Adley.

[Just Regular]

Fun read.

He's no Jim Palmer, but Dan Szymborski is another guy where some of the enjoyment of this year is the tone they at last get to have again talking about Orioles baseball.      Szymborski's made it in the baseball interwebs and exhibits appropriate decorum, but one thing I appreciate about him is candor about growing up in Towson, Camden opening, pretty much all the same stuff of Mike Elias' adolescence.    I believe its more fun for him to write this piece about Gunnar than it will be next year about Volpe, or whoever's the next hot thing for some other Club.

In Palmer's case I was genuinely concerned as he battled some issues in recent years he wouldn't make it to these moments.    The capstone will be getting to listen for his tone in Grayson's MLB debut and rookie year whenever it gets here.

 

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

The strikeouts really bother me about Cowser but that swing, that power.  I don’t know.  I think he’s got a chance of being something special with the bat.  

I don’t mean to denigrate Cowser at all.  I could see him being a slightly better version of Nick Markakis.  That’s pretty damned good.  I just think Rutschman and Henderson are likely to be a level above that. 

[DrungoHazewood]

37 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t mean to denigrate Cowser at all.  I could see him being a slightly better version of Nick Markakis.  That’s pretty damned good.  I just think Rutschman and Henderson are likely to be a level above that. 

I don't know what to make of Cowser, except that he's a very different player than Nick.  If you compare Nick's 2005 season in the minors to Cowser's '22 they had fairly similar OPS, BA, etc.  But Nick struck out in 17.8% of PAs and had about a .363 BABIP. Cowser strikes out in 28.6% of his and has a .404 BABIP.

Used to be if you struck out 150, 170 times in a full year you'd hit like .220.  But some guys just hit the ball really hard.  Everyone strikes out 150 times now, I guess that's why the league hits .240.

[LookinUp]

I think people see a good outfielder, patient approach at the plate, good walk rates and good hit tool without prodigious power. Sure, he k's more than Nick but guys are also throwing 100 more often. Maybe it's not a 1:1 comparison, but I think it makes a lot of sense to use Markakis as a comp.

 

[Gurgi]

If Cowser is a Nick Markakis I would be very pleased.  Nick was maybe 90% of a Hall of Fame player.   

[Frobby]

On 9/2/2022 at 5:54 PM, Gurgi said:

If Cowser is a Nick Markakis I would be very pleased.  Nick was maybe 90% of a Hall of Fame player.   

If you mean 90% of Harold Baines, then I agree.