A dozen more strikeouts last night, and most of the lineup is not hitting well

[Moose Milligan]

I’m wondering if Roy didn’t have such close ties with Mayo’s family if he wouldn’t be lobbying so hard for a call-up. 
 

I agree with SG. I’d like to see more patience at the plate. Not sure where it went but sometimes they remind me of the swing happy groups from the Jones/Trumbo eras. Those teams were always boom or bust, capable of putting up double digits one night and double digit strikeouts the next. 

[Sports Guy]

38 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It’s almost bizarre, given the “swing decisions” mantra of the last several years.  The team was steadily getting more patient, and then it wasn’t.  I think it’s a reaction to how they’re being pitched, but perhaps an overreaction.  

They like the homer perhaps a little too much.

[Roy Firestone]

I read and take in all your comments...Yes, it IS a long season with ups and downs...and Yes, I tend to vent after a loss to a crummy team where we got just 3 hits and stuck out 12 times...but NO ONE has commented on bringing Mayo up. This kid is part of our future...Urias isn't. Ramon's a solid glove man, but he is hitting .196. and you can ignore that if Mullins and Santander and Cowser were hitting...but they aren't..and while Gunnar and Mounty are going to contribute...they are scuffling now too..If we brought up Holiday, and it failed(for now) that doesn't mean Mayo will fail...He's not just a power hitter...he is a patient hitter who doesnt have a ridiculous strikeout or chase ratio...I'll ask again. Tell me what is the problem with bringing Mayo up? How much worse could he be than Urias?

[Roy Firestone]

1 hour ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Roy, we love you and your enthusiasm. But if you propose something after a loss its almost by definition a panic move.

Usually that comment would be correct ..this time I think playing Mayo NOW  is a reasonable and smart move...and few on this board seem to agree with me.

[potota_bread]

1 minute ago, Roy Firestone said:

I read and take in all your comments...Yes, it IS a long season with ups and downs...and Yes, I tend to vent after a loss to a crummy team where we got just 3 hits and stuck out 12 times...but NO ONE has commented on bringing Mayo up. This kid is part of our future...Urias isn't. Ramon's a solid glove man, but he is hitting .196. and you can ignore that if Mullins and Santander and Cowser were hitting...but they aren't..and while Gunnar and Mounty are going to contribute...they are scuffling now too..If we brought up Holiday, and it failed(for now) that doesn't mean Mayo will fail...He's not just a power hitter...he is a patient hitter who doesnt have a ridiculous strikeout or chase ratio...I'll ask again. Tell me what is the problem with bringing Mayo up? How much worse could he be than Urias?

Did you really have to repeat this all over again? We know they're struggling, Roy. Maybe they think Mayo isn't ready for 3rd base at MLB level yet. I do think we will eventually see him later this year . So how about just wait?

[sportsfan8703]

We are used to essentially GG level defense at every position except for RF on a nightly basis.  If you think the board panics after every blown bullpen lead, wait till you see us lose games because of errors.  We haven't seen that really in 3 years.  Outside of one game one offs with Mckenna and O'Hearn.  

[Rbiggs2525]

39 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

I read and take in all your comments...Yes, it IS a long season with ups and downs...and Yes, I tend to vent after a loss to a crummy team where we got just 3 hits and stuck out 12 times...but NO ONE has commented on bringing Mayo up. This kid is part of our future...Urias isn't. Ramon's a solid glove man, but he is hitting .196. and you can ignore that if Mullins and Santander and Cowser were hitting...but they aren't..and while Gunnar and Mounty are going to contribute...they are scuffling now too..If we brought up Holiday, and it failed(for now) that doesn't mean Mayo will fail...He's not just a power hitter...he is a patient hitter who doesnt have a ridiculous strikeout or chase ratio...I'll ask again. Tell me what is the problem with bringing Mayo up? How much worse could he be than Urias?

I am not at the point of have to bring up Mayo now. I may be there by the end of the month. Two examples I would use are Jackson Holliday and Austin Hays. Everyone including me were screaming for Holliday over Tony Kemp/Urias. We found out the kid needed more development. Austin Hays goes to Double A last night and reminds us why he’s a big leaguer by hitting a home run first AB. This is the same Austin Hays that looked lost in Baltimore. I can’t wait to see Mayo and a huge supporter since 2020 draft. 

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

It was never about his talent.  The kid could never stay healthy while we had him.  

Very true, but i still think they gave up on him a little too quickly considering the fact that the team was not very good when they DFA'd him. either way, it happens. Glad to see him finally staying healthy for a bit.

[bigdeniski]

I agree with Roy that Mayo's bat would strengthen our starting lineup.  But as long as we are winning and competing for the division title, Elias is not going to bring up Mayo, Holiday or any of our budding stars until he gets another year of control.  Elias is playing to win for both the present and the long term.

[DrungoHazewood]

2 hours ago, Jim'sKid26 said:

https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2024.shtml

Team BA: .254 10th in MLB

Team HRs: 54 1st in MLB

Team RBIs 174 4th in MLB

Team Hit 197 12th in MLB

Team Runs 180 6th in MLB

Team OBP .306 17th in MLB

Team SLG .441 2nd in MLB

Team OPS .747 3rd in MLB

Team OPS+ 117 2nd in MLB

Team Walks 89 one more than last place CWS

 

Roy, I think they are hitting the ball just fine. But this team has a problem with getting on base and specifically taking a walk. Free swinging clubs are streaky.

Are they? Or is that just something people say? Does anyone have any links to studies that show that teams with more walks/fewer Ks are more consistent (i.e. have a lower standard deviation of runs scored) than teams with less walks/more Ks but similar overall runs scored?

I don't know of any such studies, but I'd love to read one. Do we have any aspiring saberists here who'd like to do some data mining?

[jabba72]

27 minutes ago, bigdeniski said:

I agree with Roy that Mayo's bat would strengthen our starting lineup.  But as long as we are winning and competing for the division title, Elias is not going to bring up Mayo, Holiday or any of our budding stars until he gets another year of control.  Elias is playing to win for both the present and the long term.

They all have the extra year now. Holliday has the extra year too. I dont think Elias is playing that game with Mayo. He wants to see some improvement defensively. 

[DrungoHazewood]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

It seems not everyone understands that any more. It's baseball. The Nats pitchers threw well. But dang, it looks like Elias and company gave up on Hunter Harvey a little too early. For all the finds off the DFA or trades, they sure did miss with Hunter Harvey and Evan Phillips. Guess you win some and lose some.

But I'll take Harvey at the back end of our bullpen right now.

Hunter Harvey was in the Orioles system for nine years, and he threw a grand total of 23.2 innings in the majors, and 262.1 innings in the minors. That's 32 innings a year for nine years.

Maybe he becomes the new Rudy Seanez, and pitches 17 years with his arm held together with bailing wire and chewing gum and sometimes has a year like Seanez did with the Padres in '05. But I don't blame the O's at all for moving on after nine years (!) of almost never being healthy.

When Harvey was drafted my oldest kid was in the first grade, and his first 40-inning season in the majors was the year my kid got his driver's license.

Edited May 8 by DrungoHazewood

[The Goob]

It is a bit of an overstatement to say Mayo is a selective hitter.  He has 47 strikeouts and 13 walks in 143 at bats.  OBP is only .365 at AAA.  Holliday by comparison has 17 strikeouts, 23 walks and a .460 OBP in 75 at bats. I am not saying he has not earned a call up but getting him into the lineup on a regular basis will not be all that easy unless the team believe he is a major league ready third baseman which I am not sure they do.   The DH role on this team is clearly for Adley when he is not catching, O'Hearn versus a lefty and resting some guys other days. 

[Malike]

The two most important things in my own opinion are getting on base and slugging. We're 2nd at slugging and 19th at getting on base. They need to get on base at a better clip than .306 as a team. Lots of XBH, 13th in the league in hits overall with 297 with 119 of those being XBH.

[Just Regular]

I think we are about in the baseball calendar where on fingers (or maybe fingers and toes) the number of remaining days in the season is insufficient to give Super 2 status above the historical minimum.

If Coby Mayo is as Pete Alonso good as we hope, a lot of money is at stake there.      Jorge Mateo is in a good spot, the division odds are in a good enough spot, and any of the world's greatest players can practice their skills whether it is a MLB or AAA game.

I do feel like Mayo is a favorite over Holliday right now for a June rookie integration tax appointment.     They haven't quit on Mayo defending 3B in AAA yet this season, and it might be useful to have some MLB performance data including work with the big league staff.     To borrow an Elias phrase,  you do want to discover if he's playable at Yankee Stadium any given night.

The Ryans and Santander look so far ahead of Urias, it does mean something for maximum strength if he can scrape by at 3B with the 2024 roster.