How much longer can we endure Mountcastle's and Mateo's OBP?

[Mr-splash]

I understand that they both provide value outside of reaching base. Mateo is excellent with the glove and running the bases. And Mounty hits a lot of home runs.

 

The thing is our lineup cannot possibly continue to endure the outs they make. Especially Mountcastle being right in the heart of the order. Adley walks a lot and then right afterwards we have to watch Mounty make an out constantly. 

 

Can Westburg play first base? No doubt he can. 

 

Not saying we should bench them both for the foreseeable future, but I kind of am saying all options should considered now. At some point you just have to say to them, hey this is a contending team and we only get 27 outs. You're just not getting on base.

[Billy F-Face3]

Something most people don't think about is Mateo adds value on defense besides just using a glove. He's an interpreter for Adley and everyone else when Cano and Bautista (and maybe Perez) are on the mound. If you can't communicate, you can't be on the same page defensively. Mateo helps communication.

The reason we endure and keep puting them in the lineup is because any day they could heat up and go off like we've seen at the start of the season, and beyond that, they both provide value with their glove. Mountcastle doesn't really get enough credit for how many bad throws he saves, including a lot coming from Mateo. He saved a bad one from Frazier against the Yankees in game 1 when Frazier was in a hurry to make the play, and they ended up getting the out.

Now with all this said, it's frustrating for me to see them strike out in many situations too. I especially don't like when they chase bad pitches.

But with baseball, I've learned to be patient. It's a 162 game season and it's a game of failure. At any moment they could pop off some big hits and carry the team on their backs. We've already seen that this season.

[Jagwar]

Mountcastle stung the ball twice last night. The first was a long fly out to the LF chasm. The other was a shot off the RF wall that was hit so hard it ended up as a single. 

Mateo I agree with. He has reverted back to a player with plus defense and plus-plus speed but offers no value with his bat. I think if there is any place on the diamond that gets a makeover, he may be the one who gets swapped out of a starter role.  

[Bemorewins]

1 hour ago, Mr-splash said:

I understand that they both provide value outside of reaching base. Mateo is excellent with the glove and running the bases. And Mounty hits a lot of home runs.

 

The thing is our lineup cannot possibly continue to endure the outs they make. Especially Mountcastle being right in the heart of the order. Adley walks a lot and then right afterwards we have to watch Mounty make an out constantly. 

 

Can Westburg play first base? No doubt he can. 

 

Not saying we should bench them both for the foreseeable future, but I kind of am saying all options should considered now. At some point you just have to say to them, hey this is a contending team and we only get 27 outs. You're just not getting on base.

I know that you love Westburg. But is there any reason to believe that he won’t have an initial adjustment period that will probably give us much worse production than what Mountcastle is currently giving us? 

All most all young guys struggle when coming to the Big Leagues. Just look at Gunnar and Grayson, Adley before them and many others (including last year JRod, Witt Jr., etc.) 

The odds are very low in today’s game for instant success from young players making the jump to the Majors. I’m not sure what it is about Westburg that makes you feel that he is the exception to that.

[Roll Tide]

1 hour ago, Mr-splash said:

I understand that they both provide value outside of reaching base. Mateo is excellent with the glove and running the bases. And Mounty hits a lot of home runs.

 

The thing is our lineup cannot possibly continue to endure the outs they make. Especially Mountcastle being right in the heart of the order. Adley walks a lot and then right afterwards we have to watch Mounty make an out constantly. 

 

Can Westburg play first base? No doubt he can. 

 

Not saying we should bench them both for the foreseeable future, but I kind of am saying all options should considered now. At some point you just have to say to them, hey this is a contending team and we only get 27 outs. You're just not getting on base.

We scored 5 runs last night …. We should’ve won with a better pitching effort

[glenn__davis]

Mateo has already started losing some ABs to Ortiz.  I suspect that will continue if Mateo doesn't show something more soon.

[IPlayGM]

My issue with Mountcastle is 2-fold.

1. Too many non competitive at bats. Everybody and their brother knew late in the game last night he was going to get low and away sliders and had no chance.

2. These at bats are happening in the 3 and 4 hole.

I messaged friends last night saying our 3-4-5 is just not good enough long term. I think best case down the road some of the AAA will fill that role, but not initially and not for awhile. Think we are stuck with what we have in those spots for now.

[ChuckS]

I would call up Colton Cowser once healthy and play Santander predominantly at first base.

Mountcastle just doesn’t get on base enough to warrant every day at bats at an offense first position. At a minimum, he should be moved down in the order.

I think with Mateo, Ortiz’s performance will dictate how much he plays. But when Urias gets back, it gets crowded again. 

 

Edited May 24, 2023 by ChuckS

[Tbone83]

I love Mounty but he seems like a throwback to the 2012-2016 Orioles approach at the plate. Hack at everything, have lots of horrible ABs, but sort of make up for it with power. I get the concept but it is extremely frustrating to watch.

[Aristotelian]

Problem is overall they bring value despite obvious weaknesses. It is frustrating because you would think they have the intelligence and willpower to adjust. Unfortunately it is not that simple. Mountcastle is particularly frustrating. What kind of 1B with his power carries a .270 OBP?  I think we will see prospects called up but they will probably struggle as well. They will need to force their way into the lineup and then you will see the veterans phases out. 

 

[waroriole]

What I’ve been saying about Mountcastle is that Hyde doesn’t use him properly. When he’s hot, he should be playing every day. When his OPS starts dipping back to the low 700s, he’s not an every day player. OHearn should be getting some starts against RH. 
 

As far as where he hits in the order, I don’t know why you wouldn’t switch him and Hays. 

[Sports Guy]

Mateo is another bad game away from a sub 700 OPS.  Crazy that he has fallen this fast.

[Sports Guy]

We just have several guys that should have at bats taken away from them. It’s that simple imo.

[btdart20]

One of the best pitchers in the game started for NYY and we still "endured" to score 4 runs off him.  That same type of TOR SP that we're itching to unload prospects for. 

Mountcastle needs to be lower in the order until things turn for him (after Frazier and Hays).

[SemperFi]

It's not just OBP, its the little things too.  The game changes with the extra inning rules, you have to advance runners.  As always the Yankees execute better with the game on the line and the Orioles simply break our heart.

I got to know Ryan at the ST facility, I really like him personally but he simply has to be more productive.  His inability to advance runners is infuriating.  If you strip him of two games his numbers look even worse.  Mateo brings a lot of intangibles (speed, defense) that Ryan doesn't.