2017 BREAKOUT ALERT.. Kevin Pillar

[43211234]

Did you post a 2016 breakout thread last spring when the story was he had worked with Donaldson's hitting coach Bobby Tewkbary?

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/pillar-putting-in-work-to-prove-he-isnt-just-a-defender/

 

 

Pillar is probably going to be the same old guy. Hopefully he's past the thumb issue that seemed to really hamper him in the second half last season.

[Pendleton]

If you get all the nachos stuck together, then it's one nacho.

[gruber92]

Did you post a 2016 breakout thread last spring when the story was he had worked with Donaldson's hitting coach Bobby Tewkbary?

 

http://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/mlb/pillar-putting-in-work-to-prove-he-isnt-just-a-defender/

 

 

Pillar is probably going to be the same old guy. Hopefully he's past the thumb issue that seemed to really hamper him in the second half last season.

 

Nah, wasn't me.

 

It's just a simple observation based on what from what i saw in Sunday's game, that's it. Yes making predictions without years worth of relevant data is suicide here. I respect the way that most here view the game, but that's just not the way i prefer enjoying it. Don't get me wrong, i love stats, but there is a bigger human element to the game that people just refuse to recognize.

[Boxcar]

Nah, wasn't me.

 

It's just a simple observation based on what from what i saw in Sunday's game, that's it. Yes making predictions without years worth of relevant data is suicide here. I respect the way that most here view the game, but that's just not the way i prefer enjoying it. Don't get me wrong, i love stats, but there is a bigger human element to the game that people just refuse to recognize.

 

Probably because it leads to really stupid predictions that are destined to fail. Like, say, Kevin Pillar is going to break out because I saw him in one ST game and he looked good.

 

You can enjoy the game however you want, but if you share it with everyone you open yourself up to ridicule.

[John_Havok]

There's at least one.

 

2. Are you for geting the politics thread?

[John_Havok]

Nah, wasn't me.

 

It's just a simple observation based on what from what i saw in Sunday's game, that's it. Yes making predictions without years worth of relevant data is suicide here. I respect the way that most here view the game, but that's just not the way i prefer enjoying it. Don't get me wrong, i love stats, but there is a bigger human element to the game that people just refuse to recognize.

 

Making predictions on anyone based on 1 game is stupid everywhere, not just here.

[Jimcanuck]

Gruber, the most likely scenario is Pillar gets worse every year and is a 4th OF by 2019.... he's past his prime

[Krylian]

Everyone has all the optimism in the world every spring and every team has a shot. Pillar will be what he always is. Slap the ball around, hit 10 or so HR's and not walk at all. He'll still be great in the field though.

[Gary]

Did you ever stop and THINK that there may literally be people reading this board that are truly child molestors?

We still need to make King feel welcome here.

[John_Havok]

Everyone has all the optimism in the world every spring and every team has a shot. Pillar will be what he always is. Slap the ball around, hit 10 or so HR's and not walk at all. He'll still be great in the field though.

 

For maybe about 2 or 3 more seasons, then his legs start to go, defense takes a nosedive and he loses the CF gig and cant play the corner OF because his below average bat wouldn't play there. 4th OF at best by 2019/2020.

[Dick_Pole]

Pillar is going to OPS .900 in 2017 after this thread.

 

You guys all said Goins would never stick. Gruber said he would. He has hung around for 900+ PA and counting. He's put up 3.6 bWAR in that time while earning the league minimum salary. This includes a very valuable 2.7 bWAR in two-thirds of a season in 2015 when the Jays desperately needed him for the playoff run. He's even pitched a shutout inning. You all hate on Gruber so much because deep down, you know he was right.

[Boxcar]

Pillar is going to OPS .900 in 2017 after this thread.

 

You guys all said Goins would never stick. Gruber said he would. He has hung around for 900+ PA and counting. He's put up 3.6 bWAR in that time while earning the league minimum salary. This includes a very valuable 2.7 bWAR in two-thirds of a season in 2015 when the Jays desperately needed him for the playoff run. He's even pitched a shutout inning. You all hate on Gruber so much because deep down, you know he was right.

 

bWAR is for jabronis

[Spanky99]

For maybe about 2 or 3 more seasons, then his legs start to go, defense takes a nosedive and he loses the CF gig and cant play the corner OF because his below average bat wouldn't play there. 4th OF at best by 2019/2020.

 

That's fine... we then cut him loose. This thread was quite the read, though. lulz

[JFD]

oh good, so why don't they fix Smoak too if it's so easy.

[gruber92]

oh good, so why don't they fix Smoak too if it's so easy.

 

Because Smoak's only offensive value comes from power, which he would never sacrifice. He's probably just too dumb to make any necessary adjustments anyway. Pillar plays the position and possesses the natural ability to go short.

[Brownie19]

Pillar tried leg kicking last spring to add power and it didn't work. This year - shorten up and slap it around!

[Stangstag]

bWAR is for jabronis

 

Gave me a hearty chuckle

[Stangstag]

Gruber continues his excellence as the worst poster on this forum. Another great thread dude.

 

If you're going to make a thread based on such a controversial opinion/projection/whatever, at least be willing to put your money where your mouth is.

[Sammy225]

His new short and quick approach will do wonders. His HR total will be most likely be in the single digits, but his new approach will no doubt increase his numbers everywhere else. He sure looks a lot more comfortable at the plate in the few AB's he's had so far and it appears Jacoby may have found what he needed.

 

He's hit well at every level of pro ball except at the MLB level. He has a natural born ability in getting the barrel to the ball but big league stuff (especially secondaries) are recognized too late. His new shorter approach will allow him to let the ball travel a bit longer before committing. Just the way he's taking pitches now would indicate he's seeing the ball a lot better.

 

The talent is there, but his approach needed something to adjust to the superior MLB pitching. He seems like he may have found something, so look for his offensive numbers to be much better.

 

.285 / .330 / .440

 

When the f*** did he learn how to take a f***ing walk

[Krylian]

When the f*** did he learn how to take a f***ing walk

 

He didn't, and he won't.

[Laika]

The K f***ING P leadoff experiment/audition continues today against the Phillies

[KingKat]

The K f***ING P leadoff experiment/audition continues today against the Phillies

 

Do you really think that spring training lineup card means something or are you just poking the bear?

[jays1]

Why do you guys have to ruin this thread by jumping all over Gruber so bad? All he did is make a prediction. Nothing wrong with being hopeful and Bold in spring training. I personally havent seen Pillars new approach at the plate, but if he shortens it up, maybe he will walk some more

[Spanky99]

When the f*** did he learn how to take a f***ing walk

 

When the f*** did he ever slug? lol

[Laika]

Do you really think that spring training lineup card means something or are you just poking the bear?

 

me dunno

[KingKat]

Why do you guys have to ruin this thread by jumping all over Gruber so bad? All he did is make a prediction. Nothing wrong with being hopeful and Bold in spring training. I personally havent seen Pillars new approach at the plate, but if he shortens it up, maybe he will walk some more

 

Gruber just makes an easy target because he's a) wrong, stubborn and c) very thin skinned. Nothing wrong with expressing some wishful thinking/optimism about Pillar but to a) make bold predictions based on next to nothing and then only want to wager on those predictions if they are significantly lowered exposes you to ridicule. Do I like the form that ridicule takes? No, I don't but in spite of that my sympathy for him is quite low. This is a guy who a) has hurled plenty of abuse of his own in the past and should operate under no illusions about how his baseless predictions would be received.

[gruber92]

When the f*** did he learn how to take a f***ing walk

 

Being short and quick will allow a bit longer to recognize before committing, his OBP will go up. Kevin Pillar is committed in being a top of the order type bat. I believe he has the talent to do it, but we'll see.

[Sammy225]

Being short and quick will allow a bit longer to recognize before committing, his OBP will go up. Kevin Pillar is committed in being a top of the order type bat. I believe he has the talent to do it, but we'll see.

 

In roughly 5 years of pro ball he has shown very poor walk rates/discipline to say he is automatically going to find it because he changed is swing is just foolish.

[gruber92]

In roughly 5 years of pro ball he has shown very poor walk rates/discipline to say he is automatically going to find it because he changed is swing is just foolish.

 

He's has shown the ability to get on base his whole life until he got to the show. He never made the necessary adjustments to combat the superior pitching, but he's seems committed in doing that now.

[gruber92]

Gruber just makes an easy target because he's a) wrong, stubborn and c) very thin skinned. Nothing wrong with expressing some wishful thinking/optimism about Pillar but to a) make bold predictions based on next to nothing and then only want to wager on those predictions if they are significantly lowered exposes you to ridicule. Do I like the form that ridicule takes? No, I don't but in spite of that my sympathy for him is quite low. This is a guy who a) has hurled plenty of abuse of his own in the past and should operate under no illusions about how his baseless predictions would be received.

 

Ryan Goins says hey.