Jorge Mateo 2023

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, CaptDbog said:

Mateo's swing looks to be shorter and launch angle looks to be higher.  His HR last night was impressive, effortless. 

I still think the ball is juiced a bit, but he's really gotten into both of his homers.  The two walks to two Ks is a good indicator he's seeing the ball well. If he keeps playing well, Urias will see his playing time dwindle. 

[CaptDbog]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I still think the ball is juiced a bit, but he's really gotten into both of his homers.  The two walks to two Ks is a good indicator he's seeing the ball well. If he keeps playing well, Urias will see his playing time dwindle. 

Palmer said something about the balls being juiced last night.  The ball has been flying as if its in the middle of July.  

[ChuckS]

3 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I still think the ball is juiced a bit, but he's really gotten into both of his homers.  The two walks to two Ks is a good indicator he's seeing the ball well. If he keeps playing well, Urias will see his playing time dwindle. 

Hyde doesn't seem to have much trouble getting both Mateo and Urias in the lineup between the three IF spots and DH.  Appears to be Stowers, who will continue to sit.  Against lefties, Frazier will be sitting more often times than not (you would think). 

[Tony-OH]

23 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

Hyde doesn't seem to have much trouble getting both Mateo and Urias in the lineup between the three IF spots and DH.  Appears to be Stowers, who will continue to sit.  Against lefties, Frazier will be sitting more often times than not (you would think). 

True, the hatred for Stowers as a player by the Orioles should help Urias find PAs.

[jabba72]

58 minutes ago, CaptDbog said:

Palmer said something about the balls being juiced last night.  The ball has been flying as if its in the middle of July.  

Yes, Mountcastle's opposite field HR looked like a ping ball ball floating through the air. The aerodynamics looked funny to me.

[NCRaven]

They hate Stowers so much that they put him on their Major League team, paid him a major league salary, gave him lifetime benefits.  Maybe they don't evaluate him as highly as some, but they don't hate him.  They just like Mullins, Hays, Santander and Vavra more.  Hopefully, Tony's suggestion that they trade him to a team that will use him more comes true.  More hopefully, we get a useful piece back.  With Cowser and Kjerstad behind him, I don't think Stowers has a long-term future here anyway.  If he gets a chance at regular playing time, I hope he proves Tony right, either way.

[Billy F-Face3]

6 hours ago, NCRaven said:

They hate Stowers so much that they put him on their Major League team, paid him a major league salary, gave him lifetime benefits.  Maybe they don't evaluate him as highly as some, but they don't hate him.  They just like Mullins, Hays, Santander and Vavra more.  Hopefully, Tony's suggestion that they trade him to a team that will use him more comes true.  More hopefully, we get a useful piece back.  With Cowser and Kjerstad behind him, I don't think Stowers has a long-term future here anyway.  If he gets a chance at regular playing time, I hope he proves Tony right, either way.

I know this is not real life, but I decided to try Out of The Park Baseball (video game) simulation, and Kyle Stowers has been hitting dingers left and right every time I put him in the simulated lineup.

It's not an easy task for the Manager to find plate appearances for all these guys. They all deserve to get at-bats. And I saw a doccumentary about David Ortiz where he was aweful early in his career playing part time, but Pedro Martinez saw something in him when they faced each other so alot of time later, Pedro pulled some levers with his agent for the Red Sox to get him. The Red Sox did but they weren't playing. This upset Pedro so he made a few threats through his agent, and advocated for David Ortiz to get more plate appearances. Once they started playing Ortiz, he started becoming a hall of fame hitter.

Baseball is a sport that requires repetitions to get good at.

[foxfield]

7 hours ago, interloper said:

I like Mateo, but let's remember that he looked like this for a full month last season. So I'm pumping my own brakes about a few games. 

I get what you are saying but I am not pumping brakes or getting too far ahead and assuming he is something he may not be.  He IS the most athletic guy on the team.  IF he can hit he is tremendously valuable and in spite of many arguing otherwise, he has value even if he reverts back to something else.  He is off to a very nice start, and that really doesn't mean anything except he is taking advantage of the job he has earned and is doing a nice job in the first week or so to show why it was smart to hold on to him and give him a chance to grow.

There is literally no down side here.  IF someone can field as well as he can or close and hit much better he will eventually be replaced.  It's a great "problem" to have.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

6 hours ago, jabba72 said:

Yes, Mountcastle's opposite field HR looked like a ping ball ball floating through the air. The aerodynamics looked funny to me.

Maybe the ball is juiced, but the average home runs per game (per team) is 1.22 so far matching the 2021 average. It's early in the season and I'm curious to see what happens when the weather heats up.

If that average shoots up come summertime then it's going to give credence to the allegations the ball has been juiced.

[Billy F-Face3]

33 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Maybe the ball is juiced, but the average home runs per game (per team) is 1.22 so far matching the 2021 average. It's early in the season and I'm curious to see what happens when the weather heats up.

If that average shoots up come summertime then it's going to give credence to the allegations the ball has been juiced.

 

So if anyone gets a souvenir, are you going to cut the ball open and test to see if it's juiced? LOL

[BohKnowsBmore]

57 minutes ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

 

So if anyone gets a souvenir, are you going to cut the ball open and test to see if it's juiced? LOL

FWIW, recent ball juicing has actually been related to seam height on the ball's exterior.

[sportsfan8703]

Ok I’ll do it… the annual if Mateo would just drop down some Mora-esque bunt hits occasionally he’d really help himself out. Especially against some of the top pitchers. His stolen bases will theoretically lead to less junk pitches. His bunts could help out even further if he’s hitting with a drawn in IF. 

[Pickles]

2 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Ok I’ll do it… the annual if Mateo would just drop down some Mora-esque bunt hits occasionally he’d really help himself out. Especially against some of the top pitchers. His stolen bases will theoretically lead to less junk pitches. His bunts could help out even further if he’s hitting with a drawn in IF. 

He laid one down the other day iirc.

[BohKnowsBmore]

2 minutes ago, Pickles said:

He laid one down the other day iirc.

If he could make that Baltimore Chop he hit the other day repeatable, then he'd be pretty much unstoppable 

[sportsfan8703]

When a lefty pitcher is on the mound he should always lay one down. That’s a tough play for a lefty pitcher to make if it’s down even ok. Also, the Yankees are running out Donaldson at 3rd. He’s lost a few steps.