Austin Hays 2023

[Pickles]

6 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

4tH?  More like a 5th outfielder.

Should he even be blocking prospects?

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, Pickles said:

The shift didn't help either.

The league is hitting .247 this year.

That's the highest since....2019.

The last 10 years:

247/243/244/245/252/248/255/254/254/251

Some of us said that getting rid of the shift wasn't going to make much of a difference.  So far we haven't been proven wrong.

 

[Big Mac]

He's also now 5th in the AL in OPS at .875.  He has certainly earned an all-star appearance, I hope he gets that recognition. 

[Pickles]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

The league is hitting .247 this year.

That's the highest since....2019.

The last 10 years:

247/243/244/245/252/248/255/254/254/251

Some of us said that getting rid of the shift wasn't going to make much of a difference.  So far we haven't been proven wrong.

 

It's probably had less effect on BA than I anticipated tbh.

[Bemorewins]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

The league is hitting .247 this year.

That's the highest since....2019.

The last 10 years:

247/243/244/245/252/248/255/254/254/251

Some of us said that getting rid of the shift wasn't going to make much of a difference.  So far we haven't been proven wrong.

 

It’s helped a little in that 4 point increase. I believe that the goal of MLB should be to have the median BA at .250 which (pre-shift and pre analytics weighing on-base more heavily) was considered an average hitter.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Bemorewins said:

It’s helped a little in that 4 point increase. I believe that the goal of MLB should be to have the median BA at .250 which (pre-shift and pre analytics weighing on-base more heavily) was considered an average hitter.

I showed the last 10 seasons, 247 falls right in line with the average over that time period.

All it did was take a bit of strategy out of the game.

[Bemorewins]

15 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I showed the last 10 seasons, 247 falls right in line with the average over that time period.

All it did was take a bit of strategy out of the game.

I appreciate the stats that you gave during that time that gave great context to what you were saying. 

My hope is that hitters will learn or at least attempt to not be as homer obsessed and learn that they can get knocks by hitting the ball on the ground. It feels like I have seen more ground ball singles and bloops this year than in the last several. 

Not everyone needs to swing from the heels every AB or be obsessed with launch angles and exit velo. In the history of the game (pre-shift) there was always a place for guys who could place the ball and hit to contact even if they weren’t much of a power threat.

[Bemorewins]

Btw, I also love the fact that they have tried to re-emphasize athleticism back into the game and the stolen base.

[OriolesMagic83]

5 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

Btw, I also love the fact that they have tried to re-emphasize athleticism back into the game and the stolen base.

I think rhe changes have made the game more exciting.  Who really misses a dozen throws to first.

[Can_of_corn]

19 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I appreciate the stats that you gave during that time that gave great context to what you were saying. 

My hope is that hitters will learn or at least attempt to not be as homer obsessed and learn that they can get knocks by hitting the ball on the ground. It feels like I have seen more ground ball singles and bloops this year than in the last several. 

Not everyone needs to swing from the heels every AB or be obsessed with launch angles and exit velo. In the history of the game (pre-shift) there was always a place for guys who could place the ball and hit to contact even if they weren’t much of a power threat.

I think they need to deaden the ball so it doesn't benefit hitters with marginal power to try and elevate everything.

But MLB doesn't want to do that.

[banks703]

2 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Can you explain why, in this scenario, his OBP is only 40 points higher than his batting average?  That's actually lower than his career numbers.

He’s walking less? How else could his higher BA be explained if his OBP is not significantly increasing? Is he being HBP less? I would have to look more into his stats. 
 

I can’t tell if you’re genuinely asking or if you’re asking simply to have an opportunity to disagree with whatever explanation I provide. 

[Billy F-Face3]

47 minutes ago, banks703 said:

I can’t tell if you’re genuinely asking or if you’re asking simply to have an opportunity to disagree with whatever explanation I provide. 

People like that are best put on ignore.

[OriolesMagic83]

57 minutes ago, banks703 said:

He’s walking less? How else could his higher BA be explained if his OBP is not significantly increasing? Is he being HBP less? I would have to look more into his stats. 
 

I can’t tell if you’re genuinely asking or if you’re asking simply to have an opportunity to disagree with whatever explanation I provide. 

You're catching on.

[Can_of_corn]

57 minutes ago, banks703 said:

He’s walking less? How else could his higher BA be explained if his OBP is not significantly increasing? Is he being HBP less? I would have to look more into his stats. 
 

I can’t tell if you’re genuinely asking or if you’re asking simply to have an opportunity to disagree with whatever explanation I provide. 

I think that if the team was telling him to sacrifice power for getting on base that the gap between his BA and OBP would not be smaller.

I don't think the O's ever told Hays he had to be a 30-40 home run guy and I think if the current regime is giving him any guidance at all it would lead to more of a gap between BA and OBP not a smaller one.

I think Hays is just having the season he's having and you are reading too much into things.

[Moose Milligan]

I don’t miss the shift. 
 

And I don’t know if I think that Hays is this good.