Predict Hays’ OPS for the remainder of 2024 once he returns

[Pickles]

I went with .750-.800.

If I had to pick a target it would be .750, so well done to Frobby on picking an excellent "line" in the poll.

He's been above .750 two of the last three years, so I think it's reasonable to expect it again this year (going forward.)

He's been dragged down in the past by absolutely long stretches of poor performance, but he shouldn't have that long of a leash this year and if he's scuffling for weeks on end, he's going to lost at-bats in ways he hasn't the last few years.

Now, that said, I think a lot of people are going to  be upset at how much he plays.  He will not be used solely as a short side platoon.  He's going to play against righties, and I would expect him to start 4-5 games a week.  He will take some at-bats from Cowser and Mullins, and others.  How he and others perform will dictate just how many, but just as with Hays, Cowser will not play every single day and OPS 400 for weeks on end.

[Filmstudy]

You can put me down for .715 including a bump for more strict platoon play than previously in has career and what I believe is real decline in his game since last AS break.

It looked like he is finding the ball again from his few games at Bowie, so let's hope that's not a mirage.

[Roy Firestone]

I think Hays may surprise us....so much of this game is confidence...it looks like he got it back in Bowie which is a long way from MLB, but if he can hit well, we know he can play the field well too..so thats a plus...

[DrungoHazewood]

16 hours ago, Jagwar said:

I'll just take the politician's path.... I misspoke. 

Perhaps a better question would have been... Is Stowers likely to do better against LHs than Mullins? Perhaps a 700 OPS or better?

I don't think anyone can definitively answer that question. But at Stowers' age Mullins was having a breakthrough season in the majors, while Stowers is still in AAA with a MLB OPS in 130 PAs under .600. I certainly wouldn't bet on Stowers being better against lefties in the next few years, and even if he is I don't know that it matters since he can't really play CF and he's unlikely to be a really effective hitter against lefties.

My guess is they'll both have OPSes in the 700 range against LHP, +/- 100 odd points in smaller samples.

[sportsfan8703]

Hopefully over .750 versus LHP. 

[DrungoHazewood]

15 hours ago, Roy Firestone said:

I think Hays may surprise us....so much of this game is confidence...

I think that much of what is perceived as player confidence is actually confidence (or lack thereof) from fans, managers, coaches, announcers, etc. The players have been playing baseball since they were in elementary school, they've all had slumps, all had to adjust to higher levels on multiple occasions, and they've all had runs where the hits all fall in. They'll just keep going out there trying, and adjusting, hoping the successes continue.

It's the other people around them who come up with narratives that the player themself has no confidence, or is on some kind of superhuman hot streak where nothing can go wrong. And that's what gets someone benched or demoted or put in the lineup in situations that may not make logical sense.

[AlbNYfan]

So much of this game is MAKING ADJUSTMENTS. I don't see that in Hays. He is a ball hits that bat player IMO and he has just been very poor at having quality AB's...sac flies, moving the runner, etc when needed.

I don't dislike him. It just seems he is in more than a rut. He is still a plus player when compared to McKenna. Who went in again as a D replacement for Santander last night and still looked terrible fumbling around RF trying to coral the double.

Off topic, but Mullins looks so poor against lefties. It might be fun to see him go back to batting right when opposing managers try to match up late in the game. I'm not saying to go back to being a permanent switch hitter, but if he is going to be in an overmatch like he was last night in his last AB, why not do something different?

[waroriole]

Looks like the poll is closed now but if vote in the .700-.749 range, provided Hyde doesn’t over expose him to RHP. 

[Safelykept]

21 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

No one has reverse splits. Or so few do that it's helpful to just act like no one does, because by the time they've piled up enough PAs to figure out if someone really is the exception (instead of random variation) that proves the rule they're 35 and nobody cares anymore.

Looking at a month or two of L/R splits from a single batter is about as meaningful as using a Ouija Board.

Or Triple A splits for that matter

[Pat Kelly]

.700-.725 with good defense.  Platoons with CC.    Would love it if  LF could develop into the Lowenstein/Roenicke 1979 platoon.