caulfield12

468 feet to RCF...only 18 ft. off the longest in MLB this year, Ian Desmond in Colorado. Longest by a non-outfielder in Padres’ Statcast history.

The problem, like Palka or Collins...is Engel doesn’t have the type of swing where he can be successful only playing once or twice a week. Defensive replacement and PR, great. But he’s just replicating Leury in many ways without the positional flexibility. Of course, his one huge advantage is defense, where he can run circles around our current roster of OFers.

The problem is that he’s not a good outfielder and he doesn’t have the arm of Hunter Renfroe or Avi to make up for it. He’s actually more like a cross between Franmil Reyes and a younger Nelson Cruz with the Rangers.

It’s not about 3B or 2B. It’s about having six above-average major league hitters (at least) out of 9.

That 1990 team was far and away my favorite until 2005...

Vaughn is ahead of Rutschman, Bleday, Bishop, etc. They’ll move him to Winston-Salem to finish the year if he lights up Kanny. This is like Issue #24 of things to legitimately be concerned about. since the Vaughn at Kanny thread disappeared...

That’s what professional talents scouts/evaluators go on...because if you phrase it that way, you’re never going to consider a hitter or pitcher below AA. Of course, we all remember Kevin Maitan getting similar accolades to Franco and he might be out of baseball in five years. http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=670867#/career/R/hitting/2019/ALL Granted, Franco now has much more of a pedigree and certainly a less controversial background...

Why? Tatis, Jr., is just 20 and had only 1/2 season of AA and then winter ball. Robert had significantly more international experience before he signed...and played in the Cuban League. He’s also now striking out 30.6% of the time, after being close to 25-27% for most of the year. All that considered...Robert definitely has a weakness with breaking stuff down and off the plate, especially behind in the count. Learning how to foul off those pitches or drive them up the middle or into RF will be the differentiator...between a very good hitter to great/superstar level.

It’s always about potential. And age. And SS getting a slight preference over CF. That said, potential and performance have collided in a big way for Robert this year. It is difficult to claim anti-Sox bias, because guys like Buxton (Twins), Guerrero (Jays), Tatis (Padres)...and Moncada with the White Sox, have all been #1 recently. If they go with Mize, nobody cares about the Tigers, either. I would go with Robert, personally, but I haven’t seen Franco play enough.

This was the same argument with Jerry Manuel and Torborg as well...we desperately need a “finisher.”

By my count, the Padres have now brought up SEVEN (Morejon for the first time and Urias again) milb Top 100 prospects this season, irrespective of service time/extensions or whether they could realistically compete for a wild card. They’re also pursuing Syndergaard, Bauer and Stroman...

They now expect Burger not to play until the fall or winter ball...

Well yeah, 342-370 have been his minor league numbers in that category. We’ve said all along he was closer to an 875-900 ops level than the 975-1025 of the last month. That’s pretty much exactly where Moncada is now as a 24 year old. They both hit the ball extremely hard when they do hit it...and Tatis has a knack for beating out almost every infield hit with his speed (like Avi did a couple of seasons ago, or Eaton.) https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/padres/story/2019-07-19/padres-cubs-eric-lauer-anthony-rizzo-grand-slam Basically, he’s play too fast defensively and trying to do too much...believing he can make every single play...double plays when he should just take the sure out, etc. Have seen it intermittently with Anderson...or he waits too long to make a throw and gets behind the ball. Almost all of his mistakes are throwing and not fielding the ball cleanly. Two were wild throws to second base on plays he thought they could turn two (but manager disagreed.) Pressing...that’s what happens when you lose 6/7 coming out of the break, very similar to White Sox, although most of the games have been close ones that turned on one or two plays.

It’s almost always a SS...or starting pitcher like Mize. This time, Wander Franco of the Rays. That said, at this exact moment in time, at least half the baseball community would surely pick Robert with how he’s rocketed up the charts after AFL and into this year.

At the same time, we weren’t that loyal to LaRussa, Leyland, Dombrowski, Kim Ng, Terry Francona...

I think you mean Sanchez. Robert, Madrigal and Vaughn will be studs. But It always comes down to the pitching, in the end. That’s the biggest question mark.

This is what two of my friends wrote as we were discussing it... “I don’t think the intent of destroying black music was there. Dahl had a bone to pick for being fired over station format change. And he had the perfect following. Young impressionable minds whose parents probably took disco lessons ?. Dahl’s an idiot for thinking Chicago is this simplified midwestern town. Chicago has a long history of famous Blues clubs and out of the ashes of Disco Demolition Night, House music emerged. “ “In the end, I think disco is more important (and better) than "classic" rock. Way more influential on the music I like, that's for sure.”

There’s game speed and track sprinting speed...or time to first, vs. first to home or that extra gear between second and third on a triple. Robert’s got the kind of effortless stride it hardly looks like he’s flying by at the rate of speed he’s at. I don’t think either (including Beard) are faster than Buxton, Hamilton, Dyson in his prime or Gore, but they’re right up there. Fwiw, read an article recently that claimed Trevor Story by statcast was one of the three fastest players in baseball.

John McDonough, for example, would never say or even think some of the dumb things the likes of KW, Cooper and Stone have uttered. They better hope Luis Robert turns out to be the best thing since sliced bread or Mike Trout. You just get the feeling those core prospects are going to have to carry the water and outperform...because expecting ownership and the front office to outperform other organizations is highly unlikely. If they do go out and sign Cole, then I’ll actually believe they are capable of real change.

Very quietly, the Indians will be just three games back if the Twins lose and they go on to win tonight...

Selling spring rolls for Asian Fusion Night? Buy ten or more, you get a Yolmer Gatorade Bath Selfie?

Not sure Dick Vitale and the remaining local fans would agree with you...

Rangers? Maybe you’re confusing him with Avi...? It was so tempting to start McKay tonight in fantasy ball that I benched him, knowing the 1983 Winnin’ Ugly White Sox were due to show up.

I’d rather see McEwing and KW in the lineup than Tilson...Capra can come off the bench.

Every year, there’s a gritty/heady and surprisingly productive minor leaguer with limited tools everyone falls in love with ... Mendick and Mercedes this year.