Gunnar Henderson 2023

[IPlayGM]

3 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

OPS up to .804. 

I just messaged friends last night about how this stat is insanity. For the way he has struggled, this is pretty impressive and I would say indicative of his high end potential.

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, IPlayGM said:

I just messaged friends last night about how this stat is insanity. For the way he has struggled, this is pretty impressive and I would say indicative of his high end potential.

It just goes to show you how quickly the stats can flip when you’re in the first half of the season.  Let’s hope Gunnar stays on this heater.  

[wildcard]

7 hours ago, vab said:

The bottom line is they just don't believe in putting these everyday player prospects (Cowser, Westburg, Norby, Ortiz)  into backup roles if they don't have to. At least not on a team that's in contention like this one. You can agree or disagree but that should be clear by now. I think Cowser would have gotten the call when Mullins went down but he was just coming off the IL and Hicks has worked out so far.  With what he started with and where this team is now, Elias gets the benefit of the doubt from me. 

While I agree that was true I don't know that it is true now.  Two things have changed:

1) Cowser, Westburg and Ortiz have all mastered AAA.   They have 200 PA or more and are hitting and playing well.   Elias is just waiting for the best spots to promote them.

Mountcastle's slump means O'Hearn moves out of the DH spot and into 1B at least vs righties.  The DH at bat should be divided  between Adley, Santander and Cowser.   RF shared between Santander and Cowser.   There are a significant number of at bats to be had for Cowser especially if McKenna is optioned.

Matos slump means Gunnar gets more playing time at SS.   That gives Urias playing time at 3B instead  of 2B.   Which opens up playing time vs lefties for Ortiz at 2B.  

2)  The O's are losing series vs good teams now.   Elias needs to improve the talent level of the team.  Cowser and Ortiz do that.   Winning is important to the O's this year and they can't just do nothing while thet are losing series.

Edited June 12, 2023 by wildcard

[Baltimorecuse]

You can't coach Gunnar's power.  I know there is all kinds of stats.  I'll take good old slugging per centage.  

This is a big series this week.  We haven't had many of those in the past 20 years.

[wildcard]

4 minutes ago, Baltimorecuse said:

You can't coach Gunnar's power.  I know there is all kinds of stats.  I'll take good old slugging per centage.  

This is a big series this week.  We haven't had many of those in the past 20 years.

Seem like the O's have had a lot of big series this year.   And will have many more to come.

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

The O's are losing series vs good teams now.   Elias needs to improve the talent level of the team and Cowser and Ortiz do that.   Winning is important to the O's this year and they can't just do nothing while thet are losing series.

The O’s have won two of their last three series.   They’ve lost consecutive series only once all year (Texas/Cleveland on the last homestand).  I don’t think Elias will move that quickly on one minor hiccup.  

 I think we’d see a bit more urgency if Hicks and O’Hearn weren’t playing well.
 

[Baltimorecuse]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Seem like the O's have had a lot of big series this year.   And will have many more to come.

I think we're ahead of our rebuilding schedule.  

[Bemorewins]

10 minutes ago, Baltimorecuse said:

You can't coach Gunnar's power.  I know there is all kinds of stats.  I'll take good old slugging per centage.  

This is a big series this week.  We haven't had many of those in the past 20 years.

I know that this thread is about Gunnar, but I'm trying to understand these last 2 sentences. What makes this a "big" series?

I thought it was a regular season, middle of June series, against a team in our division that is in 4th place that we lead by 5 games (6 in the lost column)? What am I missing?

[Moose Milligan]

15 minutes ago, Baltimorecuse said:

You can't coach Gunnar's power. 

What

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

 

I thought it was a regular season, middle of June series, against a team in our division that is in 4th place that we lead by 5 games (6 in the lost column)? What am I missing?

Everything, apparently.

[wildcard]

15 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The O’s have won two of their last three series.   They’ve lost consecutive series only once all year (Texas/Cleveland on the last homestand).  I don’t think Elias will move that quickly on one minor hiccup.  

 I think we’d see a bit more urgency if Hicks and O’Hearn weren’t playing well.
 

The O's lost series to the Rangers, Guardians and the Brewers in the last couple of weeks.   Now they will be playing the Blue Jays and Rays.     Elias needs to improve the talent of the O's if they want to be a playoff team.      Losing while waiting for Cedric is not a good strategy for a playoff team.

Edited June 12, 2023 by wildcard

[Baltimorecuse]

8 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I know that this thread is about Gunnar, but I'm trying to understand these last 2 sentences. What makes this a "big" series?

I thought it was a regular season, middle of June series, against a team in our division that is in 4th place that we lead by 5 games (6 in the lost column)? What am I missing?

It's a test of where we are, against a very good team, in our own division, that is trying to run us down.  Other than that it doesn't matter.  I'm into measuring how we play the good teams.  

Edited June 12, 2023 by Baltimorecuse
add info

[wildcard]

9 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I know that this thread is about Gunnar, but I'm trying to understand these last 2 sentences. What makes this a "big" series?

I thought it was a regular season, middle of June series, against a team in our division that is in 4th place that we lead by 5 games (6 in the lost column)? What am I missing?

You are missing that the O's have lost three series in the passed few weeks and the Blue Jays are a dangerous team that would like to pay the O's back for sweeping them in their park.

Edited June 12, 2023 by wildcard

[Bemorewins]

1 minute ago, Baltimorecuse said:

It's a test of where we are, against a very good team, in our own division, that is trying to run us down.  Other than that it doesn't matter.  

I'm not trying to rain on your excitement/enthusiasm parade. But we've played 65 games so far this season, which means we have at least 97 games to go. Usually in baseball, "big series" are played in the later part of the season, more towards September and October.

Football can have "big" early and midseason games because there are so few of them, IMO baseball not so much. 

Even if we were to get swept for some strange reason by the Blue Jays, we would still be in front of them in the standings (and still in 2nd place) with 94 games to go.

[wildcard]

5 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I'm not trying to rain on your excitement/enthusiasm parade. But we've played 65 games so far this season, which means we have at least 97 games to go. Usually in baseball, "big series" are played in the later part of the season, more towards September and October.

Football can have "big" early and midseason games because there are so few of them, IMO baseball not so much. 

Even if we were to get swept for some strange reason by the Blue Jays, we would still be in front of them in the standings (and still in 2nd place) with 94 games to go.

Sounds like you are a little too comfortable.    The O's don't want to look back in October and say if only we had not gone through losing series in late May and June we would have made the playoffs.   All the games count no matter when they are played.   There should be some urgency to getting back to winning series.

Edited June 12, 2023 by wildcard