IST: Cubs vs. Brewers

[Jorgeramos]

Almora doesn't look at enough pitches to be a leadoff hitter.

That's debatable. What isn't debatable is his career OPS of .700. Let's give him a consistent chance just like we've given Schwarber and Zobrist. Not to mention Almora's D is vastly superior to either one of those clowns.

 

[DanTown]

Almora should be leading off and should be the starting CF every day. And ask beckdawg about that, guarantee you he agrees with me 1000%. He's excellent defensively and can handle himself at the plate. Much better option than Jay or Zobrist (dude went down the drain fast).

As for Russell and Schwarber being shells of themselves, that kind of proves my point. The team was built to win, the players just haven't performed.

Almora has a .266 OBP against right handed pitching. Excuse me while I don't beg the guy to leadoff. He has an OPS+ of 61 against RHP which is basically Heyward last year. Against lefties I would imagine he'll bat either 1 or 2 if he continues to show prowess in that split and with Contreras back as a right handed hitting middle of the order bat, you can afford to go Almora 1 and then say Bryant/Rizzo/Contreras/Zobrist as your 2-5.

And Almora has a great scouting report of defense, it hasn't been there this year. I don't know if it's just a weird year for him or what but the numbers don't suggest what you're saying they should.

 

[DanTown]

That's debatable. What isn't debatable is his career OPS of .700. Let's give him a consistent chance just like we've given Schwarber and Zobrist. Not to mention Almora's D is vastly superior to either one of those clowns.

Career against RHP

.255/.283/.357
OPS+ of 73

Career against LHP

.322/.381/.514
OPS+ of 142

Hell, platoon Jay and Almora. This isn't hard.

Jay vs RHP career

.287/.353/.391
OPS+ of 102

 

[Parade_Rain]

That's debatable. What isn't debatable is his career OPS of .700.

LOL. Everybody who is a career OPS of .700 should be a leadoff hitter. FYI, Almora got a lot of that career OPS from facing only LHP. He's certainly proven himself to get more opportunities at the dish though.

Let's give him a consistent chance just like we've given Schwarber and Zobrist. Not to mention Almora's D is vastly superior to either one of those clowns.

Zobrist isn't a CF, nor was he signed to be a CF. Schwarber is not a CF. Almora is neither a S or L. He bats R. These aren't comparative pieces. And you call them clowns.

 

[anotheridiot]

Almora doesn't look at enough pitches to be a leadoff hitter.

why are walks worth so much more than hits to some people?

 

[beckdawg]

why are walks worth so much more than hits to some people?

I'd argue singles and walks are roughly equivalent. Singles are probably better from a run scored stand point but walks tend to elevate pitch counts allowing you to get into a teams bullpen. The important distinction when talking hits however is extra base hits as they disproportionally lead to runs.

To answer your question, I can't speak for everyone but I imagine most people value walks because it says that someone has a good command of the strike zone. That tends to mean you also are good at selecting which pitches to swing at. Ultimately putting the ball in play doesn't mean much if it's a weak contact. Ideally you want your swings to be on pitches you can barrel.

In reference to Almora, I think he'll eventually get there vs RHP. And vs LHP he can lead off to be honest as he's destroying them. He doesn't strike me as a guy who should be as platoon heavy as he appears though he has been better the past couple of months vs RHP. My guess is they are just working him with a game plan he's not yet able to combat.

 

[DanTown]

In reference to Almora, I think he'll eventually get there vs RHP. And vs LHP he can lead off to be honest as he's destroying them. He doesn't strike me as a guy who should be as platoon heavy as he appears though he has been better the past couple of months vs RHP. My guess is they are just working him with a game plan he's not yet able to combat.

I think a lot of that has to do with how exaggerated that open to closed stance is hard for him to pick up and adjust to breaking pitches against righties where as against lefties, he's wide open and able to pick up spin so much better. I mean, he has seven more walks in 58 less PA against lefties than righties. I hope he can work on it in the winter to the point where he's simply able to see it as well from both sides but I wonder if it's something more for him.

Watching him struggle from the right side is just another question if John Mallee is the right guy to work these guys going forward. I can never speak to hitting coaches and what they do and how well they do it but the big projects you've seen from him (Heyward, Schwarber this year, etc) have just been disappointing.

 

[Diehardfan]

I'm wondering if he's an alt of a previous poster. Way too negative and combative as a new poster to actually be a new poster.

I know where you're going with this but Omy was so full of himself that he wouldn't do this without some sort of hint telling us who it really is....like using the word "regale" or using the moniker of Taco/dicklicker or something. I'm betting on Cubsmann.....this guy is the same sniveling type of brain dead punk poster. I'm so convinced that he has joined Cubsmann as only the 2nd goof I've ever blocked here in 7 years. That takes some doing with some of the morons that have passed through here over the years.

 

[Diehardfan]

I think a lot of that has to do with how exaggerated that open to closed stance is hard for him to pick up and adjust to breaking pitches against righties where as against lefties, he's wide open and able to pick up spin so much better. I mean, he has seven more walks in 58 less PA against lefties than righties. I hope he can work on it in the winter to the point where he's simply able to see it as well from both sides but I wonder if it's something more for him.

Watching him struggle from the right side is just another question if John Mallee is the right guy to work these guys going forward. I can never speak to hitting coaches and what they do and how well they do it but the big projects you've seen from him (Heyward, Schwarber this year, etc) have just been disappointing.

I have to agree with you on Mallee. We were going back n forth on him all the way back in 2015. The approach they take doesn't really seem to change. I mean going deep into counts is not a bad thing but you can't use that on all pitchers. A lot pitchers try to get ahead early and sometimes the best strike you'll see is the first one you see.

 

[CSF77]

I tend to believe that selective hitters should hit higher in the order and agressive hitters lower.

This is due to putting the ball into play with higher % walk guys ahead of them. It just improves the odds of a big inning.

Ideal line up:

Lead off? Happ is close as it gets right now.
Bryant
Rizzo
Contreras
Schwarber
Baez
Heyward
Almora
Pitcher

 

[Parade_Rain]

I know where you're going with this but Omy was so full of himself that he wouldn't do this without some sort of hint telling us who it really is....like using the word "regale" or using the moniker of Taco/dicklicker or something. I'm betting on Cubsmann.....this guy is the same sniveling type of brain dead punk poster. I'm so convinced that he has joined Cubsmann as only the 2nd goof I've ever blocked here in 7 years. That takes some doing with some of the morons that have passed through here over the years.

Oh I wasn't thinking it was Ommy or his buddy, Taco. I'm more thinking of Salami or KB with a newly discovered shtick. But you're right. He's likely going on my ignore list very quickly.

 

[Parade_Rain]

I think a lot of that has to do with how exaggerated that open to closed stance is hard for him to pick up and adjust to breaking pitches against righties where as against lefties, he's wide open and able to pick up spin so much better. I mean, he has seven more walks in 58 less PA against lefties than righties. I hope he can work on it in the winter to the point where he's simply able to see it as well from both sides but I wonder if it's something more for him.

Watching him struggle from the right side is just another question if John Mallee is the right guy to work these guys going forward. I can never speak to hitting coaches and what they do and how well they do it but the big projects you've seen from him (Heyward, Schwarber this year, etc) have just been disappointing.

Knowing John's teachings from his days in the Miami organization, he's made some changes to how he sees the swing. I'm not sure if he has the techniques/drills to change Heyward, but he does know what needs to change. Maybe Heyward can't fix it. It's easy to blame the instructor, but players play the game.

 

[beckdawg]

Gotta love baseball.... Brewers sweep the cubs at home then get 3 hit by Steven Brault who I've never even heard of at their home.

 

[Parade_Rain]

why are walks worth so much more than hits to some people?

That's what you got out of my post? LOL. Nowhere did my post say a walk is worth more than a hit. Specifically regarding the leadoff position, you want a person who is patient and has high OBP. An aggressive hitter tends to have OBP closer to their BA than a player who looks for a good pitch to hit. An aggressive hitter also gets themselves in self-made holes. A hitter who is too aggressive also has a lower slugging percentage than they could have if they were not as interested in covering the whole plate with less than two strikes. A leadoff hitter specifically needs to be able to work the first AB to set the tone of the first inning. They are a catalyst whenever the order flips back to the top. They need to have the ability to grind out AB. Anyone who has observed 1st innings of games where 3 up/3 down also took few pitches should be able to realize that inning accomplished nothing against the starting pitcher.

Now as to a walk being as good as a hit, I don't always believe that. If I have a runner at 3B with 1 out and the other bases are empty, I would rather have a sac fly or a base hit than a walk.

 

[anotheridiot]

That's what you got out of my post? LOL. Nowhere did my post say a walk is worth more than a hit. Specifically regarding the leadoff position, you want a person who is patient and has high OBP. An aggressive hitter tends to have OBP closer to their BA than a player who looks for a good pitch to hit. An aggressive hitter also gets themselves in self-made holes. A hitter who is too aggressive also has a lower slugging percentage than they could have if they were not as interested in covering the whole plate with less than two strikes. A leadoff hitter specifically needs to be able to work the first AB to set the tone of the first inning. They are a catalyst whenever the order flips back to the top. They need to have the ability to grind out AB. Anyone who has observed 1st innings of games where 3 up/3 down also took few pitches should be able to realize that inning accomplished nothing against the starting pitcher.

Now as to a walk being as good as a hit, I don't always believe that. If I have a runner at 3B with 1 out and the other bases are empty, I would rather have a sac fly or a base hit than a walk.

Not all I got from the post, just that it sure seems like its a priority. Young hitters get no benefit of the doubt, so looking at pitches can get you in a 2 strike hole just as fast as "seeing pitches" can wear out a starter. 10 pitch at bats can end in an 0-2 count too. Sometimes that one you want him to look at is the best pitch he is going to see in an at bat. Look at Rizzo lately, seems determined to watch the first pitch and he is right in the hole. We have not seen too many consistent umps this year to trust the pitch 2 inches off or down is still going to be called a strike.

As far as the best leadoff option, I still think its contrares, but they dont want him to push running to first base.

 

[brett05]

Statistically speaking the overall value of the walk is like .01 more valuable than the hit. I don't recall where I read that, but that was the stat. I am guessing it's the ability to see more pitches, wearing the pitcher out, getting to the pen faster.

 

[fatbeard]

I think a lot of that has to do with how exaggerated that open to closed stance is hard for him to pick up and adjust to breaking pitches against righties where as against lefties, he's wide open and able to pick up spin so much better. I mean, he has seven more walks in 58 less PA against lefties than righties. I hope he can work on it in the winter to the point where he's simply able to see it as well from both sides but I wonder if it's something more for him.

Watching him struggle from the right side is just another question if John Mallee is the right guy to work these guys going forward. I can never speak to hitting coaches and what they do and how well they do it but the big projects you've seen from him (Heyward, Schwarber this year, etc) have just been disappointing.

What "big project" did Mallee work with Schwarber on?

 

[TC in Mississippi]

I have to agree with you on Mallee. We were going back n forth on him all the way back in 2015. The approach they take doesn't really seem to change. I mean going deep into counts is not a bad thing but you can't use that on all pitchers. A lot pitchers try to get ahead early and sometimes the best strike you'll see is the first one you see.

I think it's fair to look at Mallee. It would be seen a scapegoat move but that's probably both untrue and unavoidable. I think what people have to remember though is that the Cubs sought Mallee out because his approach to hitting dovetailed with what they already believed and the metrics were telling them, so any potential replacement would be unlikely to come in with a radically different approach. They would likely have a different type of personality, maybe some different angles in teaching the approach, and I wouldn't be surprised if they would have a new approach to reading the metrics, but the basic idea of working the counts, wearing the pitcher out and using launch angles and other metrics to increase slugging are almost certain to remain.

 

[Diehardfan]

Statistically speaking the overall value of the walk is like .01 more valuable than the hit. I don't recall where I read that, but that was the stat. I am guessing it's the ability to see more pitches, wearing the pitcher out, getting to the pen faster.

I'm not saying you didn't read that somewhere, I'm sure you did....just wondering what the chances are of someone scoring from second on a two out walk.

 

[Diehardfan]

I think it's fair to look at Mallee. It would be seen a scapegoat move but that's probably both untrue and unavoidable. I think what people have to remember though is that the Cubs sought Mallee out because his approach to hitting dovetailed with what they already believed and the metrics were telling them, so any potential replacement would be unlikely to come in with a radically different approach. They would likely have a different type of personality, maybe some different angles in teaching the approach, and I wouldn't be surprised if they would have a new approach to reading the metrics, but the basic idea of working the counts, wearing the pitcher out and using launch angles and other metrics to increase slugging are almost certain to remain.

No doubt. But there has to be exceptions or your hitters will be 0-1 or 0-2 against pitchers that generally throw strikes and we've seen quite a bit of that as of late.