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Lucas Giolito Reddit AMA


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Some great insight in there, highly recommend reading. Someone even asked him about an extension, to which he just said:

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I hear ya! The southside is exactly where I want to be but at the same time I'm not going to undervalue myself. We'll see what happens

 

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5 hours ago, SoxAce said:

I like Gio saying Vaughn and Madrigal do the best against him in batting practice cause it's hard to strike them out.

Which is why I think trading Madrigal, as so many have suggested, would be one of the biggest mistakes this org makes in the 2020s, if it happens.

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14 minutes ago, ScooterMcGee said:

Which is why I think trading Madrigal, as so many have suggested, would be one of the biggest mistakes this org makes in the 2020s, if it happens.

So many positive and valuable factors in Madrigal's approach alone that appear to be massively overlooked.

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3 hours ago, RagahRagah said:

So many positive and valuable factors in Madrigal's approach alone that appear to be massively overlooked.

I strongly disagree with almost everything you post here.  And this take is no different.

I think in the history of this sub, the fanbase has never been more aware of a young players "approach" and "intangibles" than we have of Madrigal's.

If Nick were Latin our fanbase would be 5X more critical of the small sample size baserunning & defense we saw in 2020.  He is getting a major benefit of the doubt because of his college resume and grindy scouting reports.  His ceiling is only so high with limited power and zero walk rate.  If Madrigal ends up with anything less than elite intangibles and great defense he just can't be an above average second baseman.  

 

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2 minutes ago, GREEDY said:

 

I strongly disagree with almost everything you post here.  And this take is no different.

I think in the history of this sub, the fanbase has never been more aware of a young players "approach" and "intangibles" than we have of Madrigal's.

If Nick were Latin our fanbase would be 5X more critical of the small sample size baserunning & defense we saw in 2020.  He is getting a major benefit of the doubt because of his college resume and grindy scouting reports.  His ceiling is only so high with limited power and zero walk rate.  If Madrigal ends up with anything less than elite intangibles and great defense he just can't be an above average second baseman.  

 

I think it is the exact opposite.  i think because they all got to see Nick play for years before he was drafted, everyone has already decided what he is going to be.  If he was coming in from Latin America he would still be unknown and exotic, so people would be projecting a lot more optimism towards growth and advancement being possible.

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3 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I think it is the exact opposite.  i think because they all got to see Nick play for years before he was drafted, everyone has already decided what he is going to be.  If he was coming in from Latin America he would still be unknown and exotic, so people would be projecting a lot more optimism towards growth and advancement being possible.

Absolutely. Whatever your thoughts on nick, I think it's worth remembering that some of the people most critical started voicing this stuff when he was in the minors. There was stuff that the bullish scouting reports said would translate that didn't right away. OTOH he was moved very aggressively and his best tool has been resilient. But for me some of the all-around stuff I expected has been missing at each level. 

At this point the number one thing I'd like isn't even power which I've given up on it's him being able to recreate his 9% walk rate in AAA. If he pairs up his hit tool with better selectivity its possible it ends up in some more power, we'll see.

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1 minute ago, southsider2k5 said:

I think it is the exact opposite.  i think because they all got to see Nick play for years before he was drafted, everyone has already decided what he is going to be.  If he was coming in from Latin America he would still be unknown and exotic, so people would be projecting a lot more optimism towards growth and advancement being possible.

I can see this train of thought but in this case we'd 100% be calling for Hahn to sign a 2B and for that exotic prospect to start the season in Charlotte.  

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20 minutes ago, bmags said:

Absolutely. Whatever your thoughts on nick, I think it's worth remembering that some of the people most critical started voicing this stuff when he was in the minors. There was stuff that the bullish scouting reports said would translate that didn't right away. OTOH he was moved very aggressively and his best tool has been resilient. But for me some of the all-around stuff I expected has been missing at each level. 

At this point the number one thing I'd like isn't even power which I've given up on it's him being able to recreate his 9% walk rate in AAA. If he pairs up his hit tool with better selectivity its possible it ends up in some more power, we'll see.

I don't know how he's going to improve his walk rate without showing at least some power. I'm pretty sure he saw the highest percentage of first pitch strikes because big league pitchers are not afraid of him.  Throw him a fastball on the outer half.  Worst case scenario is he slaps it the other way for a single.  Oh well.  He has to show he can do at least some damage or pitchers will continue to attack him with strikes he can't do anything with.  

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14 minutes ago, Harold's Leg Lift said:

I don't know how he's going to improve his walk rate without showing at least some power. I'm pretty sure he saw the highest percentage of first pitch strikes because big league pitchers are not afraid of him.  Throw him a fastball on the outer half.  Worst case scenario is he slaps it the other way for a single.  Oh well.  He has to show he can do at least some damage or pitchers will continue to attack him with strikes he can't do anything with.  

In 2016 and 2017 Omar Narvaez had a 13% walk rate with a .069 (nice) iso. Narvaez eventually developed power but he was extremely weird doing that but it's what madrigal will need to figure out.

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1 hour ago, GREEDY said:

 

I strongly disagree with almost everything you post here.  And this take is no different.

I think in the history of this sub, the fanbase has never been more aware of a young players "approach" and "intangibles" than we have of Madrigal's.

If Nick were Latin our fanbase would be 5X more critical of the small sample size baserunning & defense we saw in 2020.  He is getting a major benefit of the doubt because of his college resume and grindy scouting reports.  His ceiling is only so high with limited power and zero walk rate.  If Madrigal ends up with anything less than elite intangibles and great defense he just can't be an above average second baseman.  

 

If you disagree with "everything" I post I would probably surmise you aren't particularly reasonable. But you'd have to give me more examples. Anyway, the fact is a lot of his traits and their usefulness are being ignored and most of the logic used against him, especially by Balta, is bogus as hell. You talk about bad takes? We can't afford for a guy to take "years" to develop? Said after only 29 games? Absurd.

You really can't see the usefulness of being a tough out AND getting hits consistently? This isn't JUST some grindy guy who scratches and claws, he gets hits and gets on base a lot. And we know he can run and play defense because he did it in college. He's a perfect 9-hole hitter. 

I don't think his walk rate needs to he that high if he will consistently hit .300+ (just the fact he did this shuts down many arguments made against him already) but...

You (like many on his doubters) are also missing the biggest point here: the sample size so far is 29 games. To assume he can't improve on certain things, even when we have seen him do them before coming to the major league level, is silly. 

Also, even being a "mediocre" MLB player has a lot of value. No team needs or realistically has a superstar at every single position. I agree his ceiling is likely only so high, but why does it need to be superstar level? A LOT of star prospects don't work out at all.

Like I said before, the perception that every draft has Harpers/Trouts sitting at the top and anything below is a failure is a delusion.

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5 minutes ago, RagahRagah said:

Ig you disagree with "everything" I post I would probably surmised you aren't particularly reasonable. But you'd have to give me more example. Anyway, the fact is a lot of his traits and their usefulness are being ignored and most of the logic used against him, especially by Balta, is bogus as hell. 

You really can't see the usefulness of being a tough out AND getting hits consistently? This isn't JUST some grindy guy who scratches and claws, he gets hits and gets on base a lot. And we know he can run and play defense because he did it in college.

I don't think his walk rate needs to he that high if he will consistently hit .300+

 

You (like many on his doubters) are also missing the biggest point here: the sample size so far is 29 games. To assume he can't improve on certain things, even when we have seen him do them before coming to the major league level, is silly. 

Also, even being a "mediocre" MLB player has a lot of value. No team needs or realistically has a superstar at every single position. I agree his ceiling is likely only so high, but why does it need to be superstar level? A LOT of star prospects don't work out at all.

Like I said before, the perception that every draft has Harpers/Trouts sitting at the top is a delusion.

People are upset about Madrigal because they want there to be a higher ceiling associated with the 4th overall pick in the draft.  However, I'm with you on this discussion. They took a guy who was almost guaranteed to be a major leaguer, and I am completely fine with that.

I also have no doubt that Madrigal will improve his defense and base running.  He'll never have elite speed, but I can't believe people are worried about his base running. Good base running requires good instincts and a high baseball IQ.  It's tough to teach those things, and I have no doubt Nick has them, not just because of a scouting report, but because of things I have already seen him do (for example, tagging up from first on a fly ball to CF when the center fielder is catching it on his heels). Good base running also requires being aggressive at times, and because of that, you are going to get thrown out every once in a while. Things you could get away with in high school and maybe even college aren't going to fly in the major leagues, and he will learn that. It's absolutely crazy to be worried about his baserunning at this point in time.

As for his defense, he got eaten up by the lip a couple times. Once again, he will learn. He's not an idiot.  I'd be more worried if he were booting routine grounders.

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37 minutes ago, RagahRagah said:

 

You really can't see the usefulness of being a tough out AND getting hits consistently?

I'm saying EVERYONE knows the "usefulness of being a tough out AND getting hits consistently". We are properly valuing that skill set, maybe overvaluing it when it comes to Madrigal.

39 minutes ago, RagahRagah said:

 

I don't think his walk rate needs to he that high if he will consistently hit .300+ (just the fact he did this shuts down many arguments made against him already) but...

 

To be above average as I stated it (walks) does, or he has to hit .350+..... or the power needs to increase.  

 

42 minutes ago, RagahRagah said:

 

You (like many on his doubters)

 

I am not a doubter.  In fact quite the opposite.   I am a realist who pointed out that if the small sample size (my words which I guess you missed) of dumb baserunning and poor defense perpetuates over a full season then Madrigal's offensive production would need an unrealistic improvement to allow for him to be an above average 2nd basemen.  

 

43 minutes ago, RagahRagah said:

 

Also, even being a "mediocre" MLB player has a lot of value. No team needs or realistically has a superstar at every single position. I agree his ceiling is likely only so high, but why does it need to be superstar level?

 

There is a difference between mediocre, above average and superstar. Never did I (or anyone) claim Madrigal needed to be a superstar.  I sometimes wonder if you even read what you are responding to?  It is like you create a pretend narrative,  and then argue against that.  I won't fall for it again. 

 

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