A Very Darrelly Dynasty League

[Dr. Dinger]

Ohhhhhhh s***, they unleashed the Moya!

 

I have considered cutting Moya many times in LOD. He's sort of like Chris Carter, except he never walks. I don't think he'll ever hit MLB pitching well enough to justify being a regular, plus he won't get many ABs since the Tigers already have 2 full-time DHs.

[TheHurl]

Do pitchers hit in college? Just curious. Or do they jump right from facing HS pitching to MLB pitching..

 

I think NCAA adopted the DH in 2004

[Boxcar]

.199/.227/.223 career slash line might explain it.

If the guy can't handle it, he should have stayed in the American League.

He's like an immigrant that moves to Canada and then demands Sharia law be implemented.

Sorry you suck at batting Max, but no need to ruin it for the pitchers that can hit.

 

 

Watching Bartolo Colon hit his first HR last week is a reminder of why the NL rules are so awesome.

Absolutely no reason to put a DH in the National League.

 

Now I definitely believe that you are 105.

[Boxcar]

Yeah, letting the pitcher hit is more for the cerebral fans., that enjoy strategy, as opposed to the ADD millenials that need five home runs a game.

Bunts may not be as exciting, but for the thinking man, speculating as to what the manager will do in certain situations is an enjoyable part of the baseball experience.

If the manager's directions is always 'hit away', it takes a lot of the fun out of the game.

 

Yes.

 

Runners on, less than 2 outs? Bunt. Otherwise? Don't bunt.

 

So much stratujee

[TheHurl]

Yes.

 

Runners on, less than 2 outs? Bunt. Otherwise? Don't bunt.

 

So much stratujee

 

I think he means the strategies around double switches. I honestly have zero issue with the two leagues having different rules.

[Dr. Dinger]

I think he means the strategies around double switches. I honestly have zero issue with the two leagues having different rules.

 

I don't have a problem with the two leagues having different rules, I just have a problem with one of those rules being really antiquated and stupid.

[Cyborg]

Scherzer is a stud, meanwhile Corey Dickerson is god awful.

 

Dickerson has 5 2B, 8 HR, and somehow just 5 1B. BABIP!

[Dr. Dinger]

Dickerson has 5 2B, 8 HR, and somehow just 5 1B. BABIP!

 

Have you actually watched any of his ABs? He's taking HR cuts at everything. Not sure why he has changed his approach, but it's not working. His LD% is down to 7.4% after 29.8% last year, and his FB% is up from 32.1% to 54.4%. Maybe he's trying to compensate for the change in parks, I dunno. He should go back to being a good hitter and stop trying to be a home run hitter.

[AdamGreenwood]

Yes.

 

Runners on, less than 2 outs? Bunt. Otherwise? Don't bunt.

 

So much stratujee

 

Fail.

 

Bases loaded is not a great time to bunt. Also, runners on third, or (second and third) is not a great time to bunt.

Then of course you have the suicide squeeze to consider.

 

And then there's other factors:

How good of a hitter is the pitcher? How good of a bunter?

How late in the game is it? Should you put in a pinch hitter or leave him in?

Should he fake a bunt to draw the infield in?

How fast is the runner at 1st base?

Should he try to get to 1st, or just maximize the chance of advancing the runner?

[The Cats Ass]

Fail.

 

Bases loaded is not a great time to bunt. Also, runners on third, or (second and third) is not a great time to bunt.

Then of course you have the suicide squeeze to consider.

 

And then there's other factors:

How good of a hitter is the pitcher? How good of a bunter?

How late in the game is it? Should you put in a pinch hitter or leave him in?

Should he fake a bunt to draw the infield in?

How fast is the runner at 1st base?

Should he try to get to 1st, or just maximize the chance of advancing the runner?

 

They all f***ing suck

[Boxcar]

Fail.

 

Bases loaded is not a great time to bunt. Also, runners on third, or (second and third) is not a great time to bunt.

Then of course you have the suicide squeeze to consider.

 

And then there's other factors:

How good of a hitter is the pitcher? How good of a bunter?

How late in the game is it? Should you put in a pinch hitter or leave him in?

Should he fake a bunt to draw the infield in?

How fast is the runner at 1st base?

Should he try to get to 1st, or just maximize the chance of advancing the runner?

 

Well there's the injury risk, too. Pitchers have a lot to deal with as is.

 

How about teams have to put a Ryan Goins type at DH? Win-win. Pitchers reduce risk of injury, and you still get to watch a spectacularly s***** hitter bunt at the first opportunity.

[SpeedyGose]

If anyone has spare picks in the top 60, let me know. Looking to add one or two more

[TRM]

Guys, I legitimately had a dream (nightmare?) last night that I made a mistake when trading with Hurl, and that his first round MiLB pick I traded for was not 1st overall but actually 5th overall. I woke up in a cold sweat mumbling Victor's name.

Not sure what this means, but I think I may need to layoff fantasy baseball a bit.

[Dr. Dinger]

Guys, I legitimately had a dream (nightmare?) last night that I made a mistake when trading with Hurl, and that his first round MiLB pick I traded for was not 1st overall but actually 5th overall. I woke up in a cold sweat mumbling Victor's name.

Not sure what this means, but I think I may need to layoff fantasy baseball a bit.

 

It's probably your subconscious realizing that Victor Robles is not nearly as good as you're making him out to be.

[TRM]

It's probably your subconscious realizing that Victor Robles is not nearly as good as you're making him out to be.

 

Victor Robles is the new Zach Lee.

[Dr. Dinger]

Victor Robles is the new Zach Lee.

 

Nah he's more like Cameron Maybin for me.

[TRM]

Nah he's more like Cameron Maybin for me.

 

Delmon Young?

[Boxcar]

Investing heavily in an 18 year old is always a good idea.

[Captain Adama]

Victor Robles is the new Zach Lee.

 

That's not a good thing BTW.

[Dr. Dinger]

Investing heavily in an 18 year old is always a good idea.

 

Speaking of 18 year olds, Almora's ISO is 45 points higher than Winker's, same age and level. Higher avrige too.

[TRM]

That's not a good thing BTW.

 

Says you.

[Boxcar]

And Winker is striking out less often, walking far more often than he's striking out, has a much higher wRC+ and one fewer homer. What's your point?

[Dr. Dinger]

And Winker is striking out less often, walking far more often than he's striking out, has a much higher wRC+ and one fewer homer. What's your point?

 

Overarching point is that Winker is a slap-hitting no-glove LF who will wash out of baseball at an early age and generally be a black mark on your dynasty resume for several years. I'm sure he'll carry that nice BB rate against MLB pitching with his sub-.100 ISO, tho.

[SpeedyGose]

Overarching point is that Winker is a slap-hitting no-glove LF who will wash out of baseball at an early age and generally be a black mark on your dynasty resume for several years. I'm sure he'll carry that nice BB rate against MLB pitching with his sub-.100 ISO, tho.

 

In fairness, projections have his big league ISO at .141 right now

[Dr. Dinger]

In fairness, projections have his big league ISO at .141 right now

 

suxxxxxxx

[TRM]

In fairness, projections have his big league ISO at .141 right now

 

Robles is .089

[Boxcar]

Overarching point is that Winker is a slap-hitting no-glove LF who will wash out of baseball at an early age and generally be a black mark on your dynasty resume for several years. I'm sure he'll carry that nice BB rate against MLB pitching with his sub-.100 ISO, tho.

 

Maybe try not stat scouting so hard.

[Dr. Dinger]

Maybe try not stat scouting so hard.

 

It's not stat-scouting, I told you like two years ago his sub-standard batspeed would struggle against advanced pitching. Probably why his ISO keeps tumbling. But I'm sure that will change at the highest level.

[TheHurl]

just an article on some fast or slow starts that might not reflect true talent...somehow TRM will make this about Robles of course.

 

 

Last week we featured standout numbers from the first month-plus of the Minor League season and how we're beginning to get out of small-sample-size territory. We also posed the question, "Are any early-season numbers definitive? Of course not." Let's expound on that.

 

There are a couple of MLB.com's top 100 overall prospects who have gotten off to incredibly good or incredibly poor starts based on traditional stats such as batting average and ERA. But dig a little deeper into the peripherals and you'll realize that things may get much better -- or worse -- as the season progresses and "luck" turns around. We've talked about prospects like Rafael Devers and Dan Vogelbach's unsustainable starts in recent daily roundups. Below is a closer look at five others.

 

(Note: All stats are through Monday's games, unless otherwise noted.)

 

Rockies RHP Jeff Hoffman, No. 48 overall, Triple-A Albuquerque: By usual standards, Hoffman's first full season in the Rockies system is off to a great start as he's gone 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA. Go a little deeper, and that's when things start to look a little less rosy. Hoffman's put up a fairly average 7.4 K/9 over his six starts (36 2/3 innings) with the Isotopes, and that, combined with a relatively high 1.0 HR/9, leads to a rough 4.53 FIP. No pitcher in the PCL has a bigger gulf between his ERA and FIP than Hoffman's 2.56. A big part of that is Hoffman is fairly contact-reliant as a groundball pitcher, and if his defense can help keep his batting average on balls in play (BABIP) low, then the ERA should follow. Hoffman's .228 BABIP is second-lowest in the PCL, and while Hoffman's ability to limit extremely hard contact in the early going is laudable, until he starts missing bats at impressive levels, don't get too caught up in thinking he's been especially dominant based on ERA alone just yet.

 

Cardinals RHP Jack Flaherty, No. 76 overall, Class A Advanced Palm Beach: It's the opposite issue for Flaherty, who hasn't taken kindly to the Florida State League so far. The 20-year-old right-hander is 0-3 with a 6.08 ERA and 1.61 WHIP through six starts (26 2/3 innings) with Palm Beach, and that could be potentially worrisome if it were over a larger sample. However, there are still reasons for optimism when it comes to the 2014 first-rounder. First, let's set aside but acknowledge that seven of his 18 earned runs came in one disastrous April 19 outing that lasted just 1/3 of an inning, Second, consider that he's still striking out 9.1 batters per nine innings and has posted a fairly solid 3.48 FIP. If you took those two numbers alone, you'd think Flaherty was off to an OK start. Instead, he's hurt by a .372 BABIP and a low 59.7 percent left-on-base percentage. Those stats were at much more normal levels at .331 and 72.3 last season at Class A Peoria, where he had a 2.84 ERA and 2.83 FIP. If there is anything worrisome with Flaherty, it's that his control is hurting him as his BB/9 has jumped from 2.9 in 2015 to 4.1 in 2016, but expect better numbers from St. Louis' No. 2 overall prospect going forward.

 

A's 1B Matt Olson, No. 96 overall, Triple-A Nashville: Turning our attention to hitters, Olson hasn't exactly hit the ground running in his first season at the Triple-A level with a .167 average and .591 OPS through 28 games. But it gets better from there. He's still the same Olson of years past in that he's taking plenty of walks, namely one in every 14 plate appearances. That's led to a .280 OBP that seems palatable next to his average. What's more, even that stat should improve going forward as the A's prospect's .211 BABIP is third-lowest among all PCL batters. Consider this: when Olson hit .249 last season at Double-A Midland, he had a .311 BABIP. So that average should rise significantly, even if it never gets all that high, and his OBP should look even more impressive as it makes the turn for the mid-.300s. The next thing that'll need to come is his plus power, typically seen as his best tool. The 22-year-old has gone deep just three times and owns a fairly pedestrian .144 ISO, down from .189 in the Texas League. If he can't provide some pop, it may not matter how much of an excuse he has for his lower average.

 

Astros 1B A.J. Reed, No. 36 overall, Triple-A Fresno: Reed is in a similar situation to Olson, albeit not as extreme a case. The Astros' No. 2 prospect is hitting just .223 over his first 27 games in the PCL, one year after he hit .340 at two levels in his breakout first full season in the Houston system. The peripherals, however, are much rosier. His 20.8 strikeout rate is almost identical to his numbers at Double-A (20.7) in 2015, while his walk rate has jumped from 11.4 to 13.3, leading to a more respectable .325 OBP. What's more, he's still bringing some decent power with six homers and a .233 ISO. The whole package has resulted in an above-average 111 wRC+, despite the low average that is hurt by a .233 BABIP, a number that should rebound as the summer progresses. If you need more convincing: Reed hit just .208 during the first month of the 2015 campaign with Class A Advanced Lancaster, and that was with a much more helpful .261 BABIP. You know how that ended, so Reed should be fine.

 

Pirates C Reese McGuire, No. 94 overall, Double-A Altoona: McGuire has always been considered a defense-first catcher, so whatever offense he can bring in the Pittsburgh system is generally a bonus. The problem is there hasn't been that much of it in the early going in the Eastern League. The 21-year-old backstop is hitting just .222 through 21 games, and even with the 16 hits he has collected, only two have gone for extra bases (one homer, one double). He's run into same bad luck at least in the first department, though, with just a .234 BABIP. The news gets even better from there as McGuire's walk total (14) is double his strikeout total (seven) through 86 plate appearances. That knowledge of the strike zone -- perhaps unsurprising for someone who makes a living behind the plate -- has led to a salvageable 92 wRC+, and that number should rise as BABIP normalizes.[/b]

[TheHurl]

Addy Russell up to a 115 wRC+. Some comparables to the age:

 

Hanley 116 wRC...next season 144

Ripken 116 wRC...next season 146

Trammell 115 wRC...next season 97, but a 142 age 25 season.

Tulo 109 wRC...next season 83, but then 138 the following.

 

I'm going to go ahead and say it! For the first time ever in a dynasty pool I will have an elite SS.

 

 

Now I'll go back to talking about how s*** my team is.