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I don't think Erik Johnson comes to mind for anyone, let alone immediately.

For anyone who wants to read the article, I posted it today on my site: Here is a the link. Thanks to Soxtalk for allowing the sharing of links: https://www.ecopolibbling.com/post/launch-engel-to-the-rescue 2018: 2020: So yesterday when I was watching the game, and saw Engel raking, I decided I wanted to take a deep dive into the changes Engel has obviously made. I completely disregarded 2019. Why? Great question! I disregarded 2019 because as you can see from the picture below, Engel implemented a large leg kick before his swing. He actually started to make some of the good changes to his hands last year, but he didn't see much benefit because of the leg kick. BUT at the end of 2019, when Engel was recalled, he had kept the changes he made to his hands from 2018, but he ditched the leg kick. This led to a 778 OPS in September of last year: What does that mean? The big change, besides the fact that Engel no longer dips his bat head parallel to the ground as he did in the 3rd still above of 2018, his hand position at contact and after is another change. While these weren't identical pitches, you'll notice Engel's bat is less parallel to the ground at contact than it was in 2018, in addition at the point of contact and after Engel's hands lift towards the sky, as opposed to a the flatter follow through in 2018. This has led to a big change in Engel's launch angle this year: Engel's launch angle is up 6% from last year - to 17.1% - and 3% over his career average. In addition, Engel is has a career low GB rate at 30.4% (11% below his career average). Additionally, he's pulling the ball much more frequently - 54% vs 44% in career - as he has opened his stance a bit and stopped straightening his front leg on impact as much. By eliminating the leg kick and opening his stance, Engel has found a way to make more contact in general (up 3% over last year) a, but especially in the zone (up 10% from his career average to 91%) and that has led to a dramatic decline in Engel's strike out rate which is down to 21% from a career average hovering around 30. This has led to good numbers, as Engel has maximized his skill set to generate power to the pull side. While Engel still isn't crushing the baseball (exit velocity is actually down over last year), nor is he barreling everything up (only 1 barrel this season), the changes he has made is helping him maximize his skill set. While he has had some luck, his xBA is 285, his xSLG is .463 and his wxOBA is .343 which means even if things regress to his contact profile, he's still a better than league average hitter with elite defense. Publishing the full post/version of this on my Blog tomorrow likely if anyone does care to read it.

The abbreviated spring training clearly didn't prepare his body for all the mound visits

There is a massive difference between .500 and winning 100 games, total strawman. Furthermore, I could actually accept .500 if it looked like it was building towards something more. This season has, largely, been an embarrassment so far, and the moderately ok record does not redeem how piss poor they have played for looooong stretches. This is a team that is lucky to even be sniffing .500 right now, and that is unacceptable this far into the rebuild.

Agreed, up 4-1 on Tampa

Ozzie is lucky to be in some good graces with the organization. His last season was something else, a new level ego trip he was on. Completely sabotaged his team. Him, Olney and their instigator Joe Cowley can all fuck off for their bullshit parts they played in that drama they created. Having said all that I don’t mind him doing post game, but it doesn’t exactly add any motivation in watching that show with Chuck now. Meh. Renteria, my Latino brother, still needs to get fucking lost. The Sox are either too incompetent or cheap(probably more this) to replace him before. Sandy was their first choice before Renteria to be Robin’s bench coach and successor. But Alomar didn’t want to disrespect Robin like that, which I don’t blame him. Should have just handed the keys back then. But maybe getting some more experience under Francona’s would serve him well, certainly couldn’t have hurt. He would be my choice 100%. AJ has a great baseball mind. But I don’t think he would come back to be a bench coach, I believe I heard him say he would only come back to be a manager. I would think hard about it, just how would the players like playing for him with his abrasive personality at times. Jirschele is too young for my liking

It’s not a good sign when one of the big free agent signings is saying this

I just got a big time pity BJ so thanks

Maybe throw something other than fastball? God knows other teams wouldn’t do that to the Sox.

Same shit every year no matter who hitting coach is

He’s hit one ball hard all year.

Mazara automatic out

We got Mazara literally to hit homeruns...has yet to hit 1...

The talent is there and I refuse to believe that every one of them has the fundamental flaw of straight up terrible batter IQ...These young hitters can’t be left with this coaching for too much longer

It’s a cruel joke to get stuck with Iassogna for most of the season

Should be fine

For anyone who was interested in the entire piece: https://www.ecopolibbling.com/post/launch-engel-to-the-rescue Thanks for the kind words.

He once stayed at a Holiday Inn Express ?

Agreed. Lots of adversity and have mostly played two of the better teams in the AL.

10 to 1 on the screwed up training schedule.

Preach Dallas. The role players - Medick, Leury, Engle, these are the ones who have been taking professional at bats. The stars right now look like they bought into the hype and think they can just hit first pitch home runs every at bat. How did Ricky go from benching people for not running it out to first to this?

I love Dallas Keuchel. Buying his jersey. This team has lacked THIS type of leadership for awhile.

Amazed by the Keuchel comments. He went off, which is great to see.

Hope they wore masks

Still would've rather seen Collins hit and subbed in Goins after that but yea injuries suck.

.199 hitter 4-4

All pitching will look good if they can throw sliders that are never in the zone and get easy outs. One of the reasons Mendick is having success is he actually works the count

He's going to flop because of the short season. Encarnacion is a notorious slow starter. Unfortunately for him, it's going to be magnified with a 60 game season.

Eloy breaks the 0-22!

Leury and Mendick have some very slow turns

This offense is unwatchable

Astros are 6-9, Mets are 7-9. Sox 8-8. Astros definitely underperforming the most so far. And a lot of the Sox struggles are due to young players being inconsistent - they're right about where I expect them to be right now.

Yeah, I think Engel's issue is he gets a ton of value from his glove and Robert plays the more valuable position in CF. Engel loses a little playing right, as he still doesn't have big power and his arm is good but not great for RF. He's still a + on the bases too, but his batted ball profile still isn't great and he has a history of falling into bad habits. I hope he has figured it out because he really is a great athlete, but he's always been kind of robotic as a hitter.

Take away a potential trade partner (but also have a better FA reduced contract chance) as Stroman opts out for season. This one surprises me on a contract year and wanting to show he is healthy. This really could be a great pickup for Sox to get TOR potential without a 5+ year deal. No one is giving him more than 3 years after this and honestly he may want to do just a one year prove it deal, which could be amazing for the Sox.

Good stuff. This is the kind of content I like to read here, along with the FutureSox breakdowns. I think Engel is a 3+ WAR player if he's a league average-hitting CF

Thank you Ray Ray.

Robert definitely needed a day. 3 hits and a walk in his last 20 at bats, while racking up 9 Ks in that time (ouch)

As you put it, how horrible the Tigers will end up is irrelevant. This is a small sample size series and they have been playing well. In fact, they may feel disappointed if they lose to us. Respect is earned, and so far, they have more of it. This is a good time to show MLB we have in fact arrived.

This is true, but the problem is how just unbelievably awful the communication on different types of risk has been. For an individual trying to avoid getting covid but committed to either a) going to the beach where there is a large gathering of unmasked people or b) going to an enclosed restaurant with 6 ft apart tables and they asked which is better to avoid getting COVID, I would tell them a so long as they themselves committed to keeping at a 6 ft distance and wore a mask themselves. The benefit to the city is if there is a super spread event at a restaurant now it is just a small number of people with reservations to track, vs 500 people that will be incredibly different to track. But they aren't tracking for shit anyways right now, they have not done anything to communicate the benefits of open air flow and just act like if you wash your hands and are 6 feet apart you will be safe. We are 6 months in, test and trace is only implemented in a handful of states. The benefit of open airflow is mostly well known in the general populace but the political leaders don't explicitly state it probably because it would affect businesses who are operating "safely" by their guidelines, so why should they then say "hey don't go out to restaurants". There is hope around this saliva testing in large samples. But everything is so slow to roll-out, and no guidelines ever get updated. We are now at daily case levels that make it impossible to contain and track, and our solution is just double down on saying "please wear a mask"? gmafb. The politicians obsess over the beach stuff because it is so photogenic and embarrassing, but go inside any restaurant right now and see something just as dangerous and sanctioned.

May the power of Christ compel them (Exorcist).

Engel doesn't even have to "figure it out". He can be a 40 to 45 hitter, and still be a guy who has value to a team because of his ability to play a 65-70 CF and play all 3 OF positions well when called on. He also has at least plus speed and skills on the basepaths when needed. With guys like Jose Abreu and Eloy Jimenez on the roster he has a valuable skillset even if he isn't starting.

All I know is that I miss the daily minor league reports from FutureSox.

Maybe the real Nomar Mazaras are the friends we made along the way? 🤔

Please be wrong

Thanks for the memories Timmy

And Fangraphs has us at 78%

Yeah, I thought this would be a good role for Ozzie with is gift for gab, but I think I have seen more of his weaknesses as a manager, versus some kind of insight he had as a manager. He primarily just throws other people under the bus. It might have made for some teambuilding to have a common enemy in the lockerroom, but it makes for a crappy post game show. From someone like that, I want to hear a perspective that the ordinary person doesn't have. I want to hear something that only a player/coach/manager is going to arrive at, and not someone who isn't intimately involved in the game. These are the kinds of things that both Stone and Hawk did really well. They could peel back the curtain just a little bit, and tease you with something you wouldn't have thought of as a regular fan at home. Ozzie just comes off as a twitter troll smacktalking the manager or someone else. I want in the moment insight, not in the moment pettiness.

Im sick of Ozzie thinking he is relevant. You quit on the team, go away.