Why is Mullins starting games at this point?

[wildcard]

54 minutes ago, OnlyOneOriole said:

I still think Cowser is going to be really really good.  He flashes. 

He can go to jail for that.  Especially if he wears a rain coat.

[LGOrioles]

42 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

Because Cowser hasn't really performed up to a full-time starter level either. Cowser was great in April after that, not so much.

Mullins is starting because we don't have anyone better.

PS - there is no such thing as a "bunt specialist" in 2024 MLB. Rarely do teams even bunt anymore for several reasons.

This is the perspective I don’t get. Cowser is at 2.2 WAR for the season, which is 16th among OF’ers in the MLB with more than 200 PA’s. Mullins has 1 less PA than Cowser on the season and is at 0.2 WAR. Cowser has not hit great since May but has certainly performed like a full time starter as a whole. And even since May (when people have wanted to pile on Cowser), he’s been worth 0.7 WAR. Mullins has been worth -0.2 WAR in the same time frame. 

They have both struggled very badly at times but Cowser’s good stretches are better than Mullins good stretches and his bad stretches are better than his bad stretches. 

Edited July 20 by LGOrioles

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, LGOrioles said:

This is the perspective I don’t get. Cowser is at 2.2 WAR for the season, which is 16th among OF’ers in the MLB with more than 200 PA’s. Mullins has 1 less PA than Cowser on the season and is at 0.2 WAR. Cowser has not hit great since May but has certainly performed like a full time starter as a whole. And even since May (when people have wanted to pile on Cowser), he’s been worth 0.7 WAR. Mullins has been worth -0.2 WAR in the same time frame. 

They have both struggled very badly at times but Cowser’s good stretches are better than Mullins good stretches and his bad stretches are better than his bad stretches. 

Because people can’t see the forest through the trees.  That’s really what this all boils down to. 
 

It’s the idea of concentrating on what they are bad at vs looking at what they are good at and seeing how they could progress through advanced stats.

Cowser has not earned the right to play everyday as of yet. He has earned the right to play most of the time vs righties and half or so of the time vs lefties. 

[Rbiggs2525]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

Because people can’t see the forest through the trees.  That’s really what this all boils down to. 
 

It’s the idea of concentrating on what they are bad at vs looking at what they are good at and seeing how they could progress through advanced stats.

Cowser has not earned the right to play everyday as of yet. He has earned the right to play most of the time vs righties and half or so of the time vs lefties. 

I also have patience with a first year player that has a track record as a prospect. Look at what Texas is doing with Langford. 

[Bemorewins]

1 hour ago, LGOrioles said:

This is the perspective I don’t get. Cowser is at 2.2 WAR for the season, which is 16th among OF’ers in the MLB with more than 200 PA’s. Mullins has 1 less PA than Cowser on the season and is at 0.2 WAR. Cowser has not hit great since May but has certainly performed like a full time starter as a whole. And even since May (when people have wanted to pile on Cowser), he’s been worth 0.7 WAR. Mullins has been worth -0.2 WAR in the same time frame. 

They have both struggled very badly at times but Cowser’s good stretches are better than Mullins good stretches and his bad stretches are better than his bad stretches. 

Is the argument my bad is better than your worse?

Neither has been very good for most of the season, which I am fine with as long as they give you surplus defensive value.

Some of you need to long around the game of baseball a little. What team has 9, no make that 8, no make that 7 regular hitters who have a .750> OPS?

[LGOrioles]

10 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

Is the argument my bad is better than your worse?

Neither has been very good for most of the season, which I am fine with as long as they give you surplus defensive value.

Some of you need to long around the game of baseball a little. What team has 9, no make that 8, no make that 7 regular hitters who have a .750> OPS?

Again, Cowser is top 20 among MLB OF’ers in WAR. How is that not very good? Sure he has struggled the last 2 months but his season as a whole has been very good. But yes, Cowser’s bad the last 2 months has still been better than Mullins the last calendar year. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, LGOrioles said:

This is the perspective I don’t get. Cowser is at 2.2 WAR for the season, which is 16th among OF’ers in the MLB with more than 200 PA’s. Mullins has 1 less PA than Cowser on the season and is at 0.2 WAR. Cowser has not hit great since May but has certainly performed like a full time starter as a whole. And even since May (when people have wanted to pile on Cowser), he’s been worth 0.7 WAR. Mullins has been worth -0.2 WAR in the same time frame. 

They have both struggled very badly at times but Cowser’s good stretches are better than Mullins good stretches and his bad stretches are better than his bad stretches. 

Defensively Mullins isn't what he was in past seasons. I've been down on Cowser with his uneven performance, but I think he gives you more than Mullins. Plus Cowser is getting starts in CF over Mullins when the starting pitcher is a southpaw.

Mullins is probably a 4th outfielder at this point of his career. He's going on a full baseball season of not hitting.

Mullins:

Cowser:

[Say O!]

25 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Defensively Mullins isn't what he was in past seasons. I've been down on Cowser with his uneven performance, but I think he gives you more than Mullins. Plus Cowser is getting starts in CF over Mullins when the starting pitcher is a southpaw.

Mullins is probably a 4th outfielder at this point of his career. He's going on a full baseball season of not hitting.

Mullins:

Cowser:

Re the statcast percentiles, keep in mind that Cowser has logged 406 innings as LF, 68 innings as RF and 175 innings as CF.  That’s about 75% of the time in the COF and that’s where most of his OAA has been accumulated.  Fangraphs pegs full season adjustment for CF as +2.5 runs and LF/RF as -7.5 runs (so a net 10 runs differential from CF to COF).

I do agree though that Cowser has looked very comfortable (if not darn near impressive) in CF this season.  
 

[Gurgi]

I wonder if we should find an injury for Mullins.  Let his rest for a month and then rehab him in Norfolk and hope he gets his second wind.  I wonder if he is playing injured.  The Orioles are real closed mouthed about injuries.  

[Frobby]

I think the simple reason is that his presence/absence from the lineup hasn’t affected winning and losing much, and he’s a respected veteran who’s being paid $6 mm to be our CF.  When he starts the team is 45-28 (.616), when he doesn’t the team is 14-10 (.583).  I’m not saying Mullins’ play is the reason we’ve played a little better in the games he’s started, but his presence hasn’t really hurt the bottom line, and so long as that’s true, he’ll continue to get starts.  

[Gurgi]

You cant say the Orioles are not giving the vets every freaking chance to right the ship.  

[Aristotelian]

Because Cowser hasn't outplayed him enough to win the CF job outright.

[LGOrioles]

23 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Because Cowser hasn't outplayed him enough to win the CF job outright.

The difference between Cowser and Mullins in WAR is larger than the difference between Westburg and Mateo in WAR. 

Edited July 20 by LGOrioles

[OriolesUpAndDowns]

Why did Frazier play and Odor always play

[Aristotelian]

1 minute ago, LGOrioles said:

The difference between Cowser and Mullins in WAR is bigger than the difference between Westburg and Mateo’s WAR. 

a) That's not true. Cowser > Mullins 0.9 WAR. Westburg > Mateo 1.4 WAR.

b) Mullins has much higher upside than Mateo. 

c) Virtually all of Cowser's production was in April. 

d) Westburg can hit RHP, Mateo can't. That is why Mateo is often on the bench.