Austin Hays 2023

[maybenxtyr]

1 minute ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

This might be the defensive play of the year for the Orioles and it's definitely Hays' best catch of the season.

Beautiful catch! Game saver for sure.

[Billy F-Face3]

59 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

This might be the defensive play of the year for the Orioles and it's definitely Hays' best catch of the season.

 

SportsCenter on ESPN made Austin's catch their #1 top play tonight!

[yark14]

23 minutes ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

SportsCenter on ESPN made Austin's catch their #1 top play tonight!

I think that is a catch that we will remember many years from now.

[Billy F-Face3]

Nice to see Hays get his 10th home run tonight.  That was one of the bright spots in a game that looked like it was lacking and needing bright spots.

[sportsfan8703]

Big Homer and big catch. I expect to see Hays’ bat pickup away from the wall. 

[btdart20]

In case you missed the catch.

[Alasdaire]

The homer that Altuve hit today showed the range required by a center fielder that even good corner outfielders don't have. It was dead center, so you need to not only read the ball instantaneously, but also be able to get on your horse and then have the hops to high point the ball. It's difficult to tell from the broadcast angle whether it could have been caught, but regardless, Hays was late and had to dive at it rather than jumping straight up. Natural CFers get there with enough time that it looks like a routine play, but it's really a speed and vertical check that not many guys can pass. You can see why they've toyed with Mateo there.

We're fortunate that we have three guys in Mullins, Fabian, and Bradfield who should be able to man the position for quite awhile.

[Frobby]

10 hours ago, Alasdaire said:

The homer that Altuve hit today showed the range required by a center fielder that even good corner outfielders don't have. It was dead center, so you need to not only read the ball instantaneously, but also be able to get on your horse and then have the hops to high point the ball. It's difficult to tell from the broadcast angle whether it could have been caught, but regardless, Hays was late and had to dive at it rather than jumping straight up. Natural CFers get there with enough time that it looks like a routine play, but it's really a speed and vertical check that not many guys can pass. 

I don’t really agree with this at all. Hays made a very good effort at catching that, was there in time and timed his leap well, but the ball was about a foot over his glove.  He could have been waiting all day and he still wouldn’t have caught that.  

https://www.mlb.com/video/jose-altuve-homers-9-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-d9omr2

[AdamK]

Few CFs make this play, IMO. With Hayes speed and tracking the flight path he gets to a spot before the wall with just enough time to make it close, but IDK if getting there earlier does anything to help.

He would've had to have hoisted his upper body up on top to have the reach beyond the wall to make it possible.  Or better yet, have been Devon White.

 

[Alasdaire]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

I don’t really agree with this at all. Hays made a very good effort at catching that, was there in time and timed his leap well, but the ball was about a foot over his glove.  He could have been waiting all day and he still wouldn’t have caught that.  

https://www.mlb.com/video/jose-altuve-homers-9-on-a-fly-ball-to-center-field-d9omr2

 

3 hours ago, AdamK said:

Few CFs make this play, IMO. With Hayes speed and tracking the flight path he gets to a spot before the wall with just enough time to make it close, but IDK if getting there earlier does anything to help.

He would've had to have hoisted his upper body up on top to have the reach beyond the wall to make it possible.  Or better yet, have been Devon White.

 

I don't at all disagree with you guys that the ball could have been beyond reach. I appreciate the link/stills, but wasn't sure if you could definitively say either way from the vantage point/quality of the broadcast, although if I had to bet I would say it was too far.

My point was that I think top-tier CFers like Buxton, Trout and JRod take a better first step off the bat, track in the ball in a less circuitous way, and cover ground more quickly than Hays such that they're jumping vertically rather than horizontally. Mullins doesn't have that kind of raw speed anymore, but he makes up for it with his tracking, so I'm not sure how he would have fared.

I remember in another thread, someone was saying that the catch Mateo made the other day to rob a homer out of center wasn't all that impressive even though it was a good play. I think that's the mark of a good play in center on a ball that's over the player's head: they get there so quickly that it looks like a routine play. Hays was kind of the opposite of that.

No shade at him at Austin whatsoever, just thinking about why they tried Jorge out there recently and what the future looks like between Mullins/Cowser/Bradfield/Fabian.

[Frobby]

Not a lot of bright spots last night, but it was good to see Hays have a double and a homer, even if they came during garbage time.  We need much better hitting from him down the stretch than we’ve gotten the last 6 weeks or so.   

One thing I’m seeing from him too much these days is trying to pull pitches that are six inches inside.  He inevitably chops those foul, or worse, grounds them to SS or 3B.  He really needs to lay off those and look for pitches he can drive up the middle.  

[Frobby]

Hays seems to have fully snapped out of his slump now, back up to .284/.332/.463.  The last 9 games he’s hit .344/.462/.813.   Lots of balls hit with authority to RCF including the HR and 2B last night, but he’s pulling some, too.   Hopefully he can finish the season the way he played in the first half.  

[banks703]

21 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Hays seems to have fully snapped out of his slump now, back up to .284/.332/.463.  The last 9 games he’s hit .344/.462/.813.   Lots of balls hit with authority to RCF including the HR and 2B last night, but he’s pulling some, too.   Hopefully he can finish the season the way he played in the first half.  

These guys are all banged up in some way during these dog days. He’s had to sit a few games this half for various things. The O’s are so much better when he’s healthy. I wish that they would just sit him down for ten days when he has something nagging him rather than let him play through it. That always seems to be his crux. 

[IPlayGM]

23 hours ago, banks703 said:

These guys are all banged up in some way during these dog days. He’s had to sit a few games this half for various things. The O’s are so much better when he’s healthy. I wish that they would just sit him down for ten days when he has something nagging him rather than let him play through it. That always seems to be his crux. 

I was at the game last night sitting on the left field line. Hays is not right, not even close. I’m not sure if it is a foot issue, but he cannot move right now. No idea how/if it is affecting him at the plate, but it doesn’t look good.

[ChuckS]

11 minutes ago, IPlayGM said:

I was at the game last night sitting on the left field line. Hays is not right, not even close. I’m not sure if it is a foot issue, but he cannot move right now. No idea how/if it is affecting him at the plate, but it doesn’t look good.

I hope he’s given a few days off.  We don’t need a hobbled Hays, because we know he doesn’t perform well when he’s not at 100 percent.  His running looked painful last night.