Question on Castro hitting philosophy

[dabynsky]

Other than the alleged pillow fighting, between the drinking buddies, Deer, Bosio, and Dale.
Yes I have looked at the evidence.
I am accurate as usual.

Really you've looked at the evidence. Evidence like increasing ISO every year which points to increased power. A dramatic increase in BB% and decrease in K% after Rowson took over. I'm guessing that numbers like that aren't really what you have ever looked at before, and so how about these nice simple numbers 3, 10, 14. That is the number of HRs has hit each year and definitely proves the increase in power that I and others have talked about.

Yes. I watched the worst team in baseball, like you did.
We can split hairs if you'd like.

Really you watched the Houston Astros last year because I was watching the Cubs.

Ultimately the situation is this we can look at the evidence in front of us or we can take what we watch to fit into a narrative that has been created around players. I choose to look at the empirical evidence.

I also watched alot of rocket shots off the opposing players bats that Castro didn't have a play on.

Really that explains why only JJ Hardy made more plays out of his zone according to fangraphs. Seriously I get questioning the kid's focus and decision making, but range and arm strength are two things that aren't.

 

[dabynsky]

cmon now. mike trout, cabrera, pujols, hamilton etc are "special" players.

how do you define a special player? is an avg player special?

Seriously we are going to get into this. I've broken down in the past that if he maintains the power and paitence in the second half with his previous rate of singles that he would be an 850 OPS player. .850 OPS out of SS is special however you want to slice it.

 

[MRubio52]

Far from a troll.
I just don't like the direction of this team.
1. If power corners are so much easier to find, then why don't we have any ?
2. Rizzo hasn't played a full season yet, so it's not fair to suggest that he's some sort of monolith.
Iham BeefStew-Shart is the best they can come up with for this "rewarding journey" Epstein has preached to his lemmings.
Castro's talent is magnified on a bad team. I wouldn't call him anything but slightly above average overall.
But obviously, this team isn't built for the playoffs in mind.

1. Rizzo, Soriano. On the farm? Vogelbach, Baez might move to a corner, off the top of my head.
2. I think there's a disconnect on what "power corner guy" means. I think of it as a guy that can slug around .500, and I think Rizzo will be around that for his career. Also using the "hasn't played a full season yet" to completely disregard a future MLB contributor isn't the best way to evaluate talent on any team.

As for the direction of this team, it's a direction that is building up on the foundation of drafted players. I wrote about this. I don't want to spam this. It's under the "Fun Cubs Graphs" thread (tl;dr, drafting is important).

Castro being merely above average at 23 is fucking crazy amazing especially considering his position. Castro has a lot of potential and a lot of obvious developed skills already.

He isn't a magical dick sucking unicorn that will lead the Cubs to the promised land.

He is, however, an immensely talented MIFer with a lot of upside, still.

But whatevs. Ricketts Cheap.

(Full disclosure, I totes have a MIF fetish. It's really easy to set off).

(Also, it's only been a year and they've been completely open with their plan. I find the direction refreshing).

 

[DewsSox79]

the rowson arguement has no substance in this debate. that is PURE sample size and way too much credit given to a hitting coach.

 

[dabynsky]

the rowson arguement has no substance in this debate. that is PURE sample size and way too much credit given to a hitting coach.

And you completely neglect where I give that cavaet. Point to one time where I said that this would happen. I've always said if those things happen he would be special.

 

[mountsalami]

It's really too bad the Cubs can't do BOTH....
Build the farm AND field a competitive team at the same time.
Especially with this great scouting we have assembled.
I guess since the teams that spend some money to field a potential playoff contender don't get to draft and build the farm also.
It's just ignored.

 

[dabynsky]

It's really too bad the Cubs can't do BOTH....
Build the farm AND field a competitive team at the same time.
Especially with this great scouting we have assembled.
I guess since the teams that spend some money to field a potential playoff contender don't get to draft and build the farm also.
It's just ignored.

It's too bad that this post has nothing to do with the topic of the thread.

 

[mountsalami]

As far as Rizzo goes....
I guess there is no historical evidence that would suggest opposing pitchers catch up to young players and the batter has to adjust.
I have no idea why Rizzo's power numbers declined after his hot start.

 

[mountsalami]

As for the direction of this team, it's a direction that is building up on the foundation of drafted players. I wrote about this. I don't want to spam this. It's under the "Fun Cubs Graphs" thread (tl;dr, drafting is important).

It's too bad that this post has nothing to do with the topic of the thread.

My mistake for giving my opinion.

 

[dabynsky]

My mistake for giving my opinion.

The discussion you started is interesting but it has nothing to do with Castro. And even a koolaid drinker like myself can see that.

 

[mountsalami]

Please forgive me.

Now my asshole smells like burning rubber for I have been punished.

 

[dabynsky]

Please forgive me.

Now my asshole smells like burning rubber for I have been punished.

And this amounts to the substance you've added to the discussion.

 

[Rice Cube]

 

[dabynsky]

 

[DewsSox79]

Seriously we are going to get into this. I've broken down in the past that if he maintains the power and paitence in the second half with his previous rate of singles that he would be an 850 OPS player. .850 OPS out of SS is special however you want to slice it.

thats some coulda woulda shit right there.

 

[dabynsky]

thats some coulda woulda shit right there.

And you are just now debating that point. That has been the entire argument I've laid out for months now. It is debatable, but this is hardly the first time I've used it. The increase in power is not debatable with ISO and HR totals increase every year. If he continues to increase his power on the same path that he has followed with the same rate of walks and strikeouts and the rate that he hit singles earlier in his career, he would be special. We all concede that he has yet to do that, but we've seen the pieces at the big league level by age 22.

 

[mountsalami]

We all concede that he has yet to do that,

And this amounts to the substance you've added to the discussion.

Glad I could help.

 

[dabynsky]

Glad I could help.

And what was the point of including that out of context quote from myself?

 

[mountsalami]

It basically shows that there is no point.
Castro has to STOP swinging at pitches well outside the strike zone whether he makes contact or not.
That's the problem with his OBP.
The Cubs last year dropped him down in the order to have him try and hit for more power because they are too cheap to hire a bat that can hit for power in the five slot.
Thus his power numbers went up a tad.
Big friggin deal. Had little to do with Rowson and more to do with where he was batting in the order and what was expected of him.
Let's not forget the fact that he was caught stealing like a blind man in a jewelery store.
Castro has tons of talent, but his stupidity is his own worst enemy.
Let's hope he grows out of it now that he's got a wad of cash in his pocket for what he has done right.

 

[dabynsky]

It basically shows that there is no point.
Castro has to STOP swinging at pitches well outside the strike zone whether he makes contact or not.
That's the problem with his OBP.
The Cubs last year dropped him down in the order to have him try and hit for more power because they are too cheap to hire a bat that can hit for power in the five slot.
Thus his power numbers went up a tad.
Big friggin deal. Had little to do with Rowson and more to do with where he was batting in the order and what was expected of him.
Let's not forget the fact that he was caught stealing like a blind man in a jewelery store.
Castro has tons of talent, but his stupidity is his own worst enemy.
Let's hope he grows out of it now that he's got a wad of cash in his pocket for what he has done right.

Castro was horrible last year is your argument correct?