Samuel Basallo 2024

[sportsfan8703]

3 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

This is more likely the case for 2026, not 2025.

I agree with those who think Basallo will get the Mayo treatment next year. He'll only be called up early if he's setting the AAA world on fire, which is possible I guess. Still, he has defense to work on just like Mayo does.

I hear you, but the big difference is that Mayo is the least valuable position in the lineup, and Basallo is the most valuable position in the lineup.  DH and Catcher.  I think Mayo will play the corners, and he can develop some feel, it just looks like the odds are against him starting a playoff game.  Even at 1B.  

And that's why I would have Basallo ranked above Mayo.  Elias is telling us that Mayo definitely ain't a 3B by not calling him up.  But Mayo can still have a great career.  

Edited August 1 by sportsfan8703

[e16bball]

 

[emmett16]

Norfolk soon. 

[Sports Guy]

 

[sportsfan8703]

OPS is at .809. Doesn’t turn 20 till 8/13. He just hit two no doubters. 

[bpilktree67]

I can’t figure out who a good comp is to him.  Not lot of big switch hitting catchers.  

[Sports Guy]

30 minutes ago, bpilktree67 said:

I can’t figure out who a good comp is to him.  Not lot of big switch hitting catchers.  

He doesn’t switch hit

 

[sportsfan8703]

33 minutes ago, bpilktree67 said:

I can’t figure out who a good comp is to him.  Not lot of big switch hitting catchers.  

Yordan Alvarez or Carlos Delgado have been thrown around on here. He’s a special player. Hope we dont trade him. 

[e16bball]

52 minutes ago, bpilktree67 said:

I can’t figure out who a good comp is to him.  Not lot of big switch hitting catchers.  

He isn’t a switch hitter, although I’m not sure that makes the quest for comps a whole lot easier. 

I’ve seen left-handed Gary Sanchez a couple times, although that could easily have just been the same person repeating himself on multiple occasions.

Just from a pure stature standpoint, he reminds me of Salvador Perez. I assume that comps like Sanchez are intended to convey skepticism about his catching ability — which I’m not sure was ever the case with Salvy. 

From the standpoint of age/level/production, he’s sort of unprecedented among catchers over the last 15 years or so. Jesus Montero was similarly young and precociously productive in the 2008ish time period — but he was also pretty famously using PEDs, which Sammy hopefully is not.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, e16bball said:

He isn’t a switch hitter, although I’m not sure that makes the quest for comps a whole lot easier. 

I’ve seen left-handed Gary Sanchez a couple times, although that could easily have just been the same person repeating himself on multiple occasions.

Just from a pure stature standpoint, he reminds me of Salvador Perez. I assume that comps like Sanchez are intended to convey skepticism about his catching ability — which I’m not sure was ever the case with Salvy. 

From the standpoint of age/level/production, he’s sort of unprecedented among catchers over the last 15 years or so. Jesus Montero was similarly young and precociously productive in the 2008ish time period — but he was also pretty famously using PEDs, which Sammy hopefully is not.

With Basallo's potential impact on offense and his size I've thought about Mike Piazza as a potential comp. Piazza hit for a very high average and Basallo might not hit over .300, but power wise he could be a 30 to 40 home run hitter in his prime like Piazza.

[Just Regular]

Four hits as he works on those AA finishing touches.

[Tony-OH]

13 hours ago, Just Regular said:

Four hits as he works on those AA finishing touches.

He's starting to get on a heater again. It will be interesting if they decide to keep him at Bowie or give him a taste of AAA. I imagine they will give him a taste of AAA if he stays on this heater. 

[RZNJ]

43 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

He's starting to get on a heater again. It will be interesting if they decide to keep him at Bowie or give him a taste of AAA. I imagine they will give him a taste of AAA if he stays on this heater. 

He’s having a fine season but he really hasn’t had an extended heater like he had at Aberdeen last year.

[MurphDogg]

47 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

He's starting to get on a heater again. It will be interesting if they decide to keep him at Bowie or give him a taste of AAA. I imagine they will give him a taste of AAA if he stays on this heater. 

AAA season runs a week longer, so hopefully he ends up in Norfolk after the Baysox season ends if he doesn't get there before.

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

AAA season runs a week longer, so hopefully he ends up in Norfolk after the Baysox season ends if he doesn't get there before.

That’s exactly what happened with his Bowie promotion last year.  

I know Basallo got a late start this year playing catcher due to some elbow issues, but he’s really played a lot less at C this year and has done a lot of DHing, which he never did last year.  

2023: 95 starts, 67 at C, 28 at 1B.

2024: 86 starts, 37 at C, 26 at DH, 23 at 1B.

Even if you look a just July and August, only 11 of his 22 games have been at C.