Austin Hays 2023

[glenn__davis]

15 minutes ago, Sanity Check said:

Other than Mullins (or maybe McKenna) do we have any Plus-Rated defenders in they system that should be starting at the major league level right now, all things considered??  Asking for a friend, and because I honestly do not know how our minor league guys are rated defensively.

Cowser is supposed to be a decent defensive OF but he's off to a very rough start offensively.

Hudson Haskin is a guy that should be able to play a decent OF.  I know Tony isn't particularly high on him but he's had decent MiLB success and is off to a good start in Norfolk, obviously very small sample size.  If he puts up a decent half season at Norfolk he might be a surprise callup that no one is really talking about (or a 2nd or 3rd part of a trade).

LTO's mentioned Fabian is supposed to be very good.

TBH though I'm getting to the point where it's difficult to trust MiLB scouting defense for OF.  I don't know if it's the 3rd deck, or just harder hit balls from MLB players or what, but until they get to the MLB level I'm just going to wait and see.  DJ Stewart was supposed to be a passable outfielder and had major trouble tracking flyballs.  Stowers is a guy who played a lot of CF for Norfolk but he didn't seem smooth tracking flyballs either.  

[interloper]

Hays heard me talking that smack yesterday. Credit to him for a nice game. He saw a lot of pitches, too. And Sears isn't some AAA pitcher the A's are running out there, so that's a nice game from Austin. 

[BohKnowsBmore]

4 hours ago, Frobby said:

Hays’ four at bats last night:

- 382 foot fly out, 105.5 mph off the bat, that would have been a homer in 29 of 30 MLB parks.  

- Line shot one-hopper to 2B, 107.6 mph.

- 417 foot homer to LF over the Wall, 107.6 mph.

- Line drive double down the LF line, 101.7 mph.  

Right now he has a prototypical Hays BA (.265) and OBP (.306), but is hitting the ball with authority for a .559 SLG.

Hopefully yesterday was the start of a hot streak.   

 

In the Red Sox series, I remember him tattooing some balls that were right at defenders (thinking of the game where he was the only batter not to reach, in particular).

Looking at his Baseball Savant page, the barrel %, xWOBA, xBA, xSLG, etc. are all consistent with a guy who's hitting the ball really well.

 

[Frobby]

It’s not often a guy goes 4 for 5 with a homer and a double, knocks in the tying and go ahead runs, and isn’t named Player of the Game.   

Hays is now at .333/.362/.692.  
 

[Just Regular]

I'm going to guess he'll stick at leadoff vs. LHP for a minute.

I caught some of Hyde's pregame presser yesterday, and he joked about it "not going great" when he tried Urias at leadoff up in Boston when Mullins was lowered against a lefty.

[Otter]

9 hours ago, Frobby said:

It’s not often a guy goes 4 for 5 with a homer and a double, knocks in the tying and go ahead runs, and isn’t named Player of the Game.   

Hays is now at .333/.362/.692.  
 

Good point.  And imagine his numbers with the old Camden Yards LF wall...

[Flash- bd]

Re: Hays defense, he was supposed to be a plus corner outfielder defensively as a minor leaguer, no?...perhaps his injuries affected his defense as well last season. Too early to make judgments this season. 

[sportsfan8703]

Lots of barrels recently for Hays. He’s on. 

[Just Regular]

Ryan Fuller on the pregame show had the tidbit Hays 110.5 on the double last night was a new career best.

9 barrels in 37 batted balls entering today an astronomical 24.3% rate.

Brown didn't have the EV detail, but framed the question from the angle of Hays flyball percentage being up this year as Orioles bats everywhere continue their training to never ever ever let the infielders in the game.

[seak05]

I wonder if we see a lineup in June with Westburg or Cowser in LF and Hays in RF

[Bemorewins]

57 minutes ago, seak05 said:

I wonder if we see a lineup in June with Westburg or Cowser in LF and Hays in RF

Maybe Cowser in LF if he's the superior defender which I doubt. But why would they move a converted infield in Westburg to LF in the new Camden? That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

[seak05]

Hays has has a very good few weeks offensively, he’s had a very bad few weeks defensively. In terms of OF defensive statistics he’s ranked at or near the bottom in every one, except arm strength. 
https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/austin-hays-669720?stats=statcast-r-fielding-mlb

[Frobby]

At the 16 game mark, Hays is hitting .350/.391/.633.  Over the last 7, it’s .467/.500/.833.  His EV (sorry @RZNJ) is up almost 5 mph from the last couple of years.  His chase rate is also down considerably, though he’s not walking a ton.  

I heard two interviews of Ryan Fuller and he said Hays put in a ton of work this winter trying to improve his swing path, and it’s paying off.  
 

[Just Regular]

Austin Hays 4-year scan of Arm Strength percentile: 94-97-92-93

Justin Turner 4-year scan of Sprint Speed percentile: 19-22-8-12

Big leverage play to help Kremer finish good.

[Frobby]