Who's on Second?

[Y2Jimmy0]

I think it was Johnson's job to lose, and he really hasn't done anything to lose it. Sanchez has nice offensive numbers but according to BR, he is facing AA quality pitching while Micah is facing AAA. I think they ket Micah fail in Chicago before turning it over to Sanchez.

 

 

I completely agree with Dick here. The White Sox want MIcah Johnson to be their 2B. He will be.

[LDF]

i thought in the beginning of spring training, the job was Sanchez who was to suppose to keep it warm for MJ, who was pegged to be the future 2b.

 

MJ performance was the factor that may have change that idea.

[bmags]

I still wouldn't mind if sox came out and gave to Sanchez. I would appreciate having strong D up the middle when we have horrendous D on the corners.

[Bob Sacamano]

I still wouldn't mind if sox came out and gave to Sanchez. I would appreciate having strong D up the middle when we have horrendous D on the corners.

 

With Micah's stats declining a bit, I'm kind of leaning this way too. And he's already on the 40.

[chitownsportsfan]

I'm glad to see that people are coming around to the fact that Sanchez isn't just a little better defensively than Micah, he's a lot better. Sanchez isn't going to hit, but you know he'll provide very good defense up the middle. With the shakey corners I don't really want yet another shakey guy at 2B. Not with Noesi and Danks pitching two days a week especially. They need all the help they can get.

[Whisox05]

Micah is doing pretty good defense sofar today. 8 ground balls to him sofar and showing good range. Plus 2-3 batting again a left hander

[ShandyMan]

Micah is doing pretty good defense sofar today. 8 ground balls to him sofar and showing good range. Plus 2-3 batting again a left hander

 

 

He had a nice game. The out he made was a nicely driven ball too.

[southsider2k5]

southsidesox.com brought up a good point; where do we stand with the 2B battle?

 

Micah Johnson and Carlos Sanchez's numbers up to this point:

 

Johnson- .333/.388/.467 1 HR, 6 RBI, 3/4 SB, 3 errors

 

Sanchez- .355/.429/.355 0 HR, 4 RBI, 1/1 SB, 1 error

 

One thing in Sanchez's favor is that he's already on the 40-man roster while room would have to be created for Johnson.

 

Johnson brings game changing speed and more of an impact with his bat, though his defense can be shaky at times. Sanchez provides good defense and is solid all-around, though he doesn't stand out in any area.

 

If their slash lines are even considered close, Johnson win the tiebreaker on his 80 speed.

[southsider2k5]

Are you saying their slash lines are in consideration for who should get the job?

 

Quoting the original post with the stats in them, I don't consider them close, but if the front office did, I think Johnson's speed is a huge tiebreaker. I think their skills and line up construction are bigger factors then any non-awful stats.

[bmags]

First week of Spring Training I was annoyed by all of the posters coming in and saying "Spring Training stats don't matter." Now I am wondering where these people went...

 

The Sox know where both of these guys were coming into the season. Everyone's gushing over Sanchez line all of a sudden (where his average = his slugging) but it's not like it changes his offensive profile in the MLB. I am still where I was prior to ST, Sanchez should get it and they Micah can hit his way into at AAA. Selfishly, I'd rather watch Micah out there but being objective Sanchez has a case. Something else to consider is that Sox can effectively ruin Sanchez's value by brin

ging him up and having him sport a Darwin Barney-esque line. Sure he's a defense first guy but he can probably go down to Charlotte and put together another good offensive season.

 

TBH, I don't have huge preference. But I got very nervous after seeing some awkward defensive plays last 2 games I watched, especially when A Garcia and Cabrera and Soto have looked awful. It's scary to have another position be terrible defensively when we are looking at that.

[Señor Ding-Dong]

Quoting the original post with the stats in them, I don't consider them close, but if the front office did, I think Johnson's speed is a huge tiebreaker. I think their skills and line up construction are bigger factors then any non-awful stats.

I definitely agree, I was just basing my post off of an article on SSS to use as a talking point about something important (2B competition).

 

Johnson has the advantage with his speed and his bat, but what about defense? Sanchez has the advantage there, and an argument could be made that we need Sanchez's defense more than Johnson's bat/speed at this current time.

[LDF]

First week of Spring Training I was annoyed by all of the posters coming in and saying "Spring Training stats don't matter." Now I am wondering where these people went...

 

The Sox know where both of these guys were coming into the season. Everyone's gushing over Sanchez line all of a sudden (where his average = his slugging) but it's not like it changes his offensive profile in the MLB. I am still where I was prior to ST, Sanchez should get it and they Micah can hit his way into at AAA. Selfishly, I'd rather watch Micah out there but being objective Sanchez has a case. Something else to consider is that Sox can effectively ruin Sanchez's value by bringing him up and having him sport a Darwin Barney-esque line. Sure he's a defense first guy but he can probably go down to Charlotte and put together another good offensive season.

 

call out posters who said things.... i like and i will bite. i can't remember if i was one of those posters you mention, but i still haven't change my mind, based on my own reasoning. now that reasoning and 2 cents is worth well 2 cents.

 

i like Sanchez and still believe he should go north. my problem is MJ has done nothing but a great job and is making a name for himself. now, his defense, is it good enuf to bring north??? only the coaches know that for sure.

 

if MJ goes north, i can't say much, i will be howling at the moon kinda of protest. don't get me wrong, MJ is a very exciting player but my concerns is are the sox rushing him, due to lack of players, vet players, we or the coaches can not judge it properly.

 

but i can see Sanchez be a part of this team and a vital part maybe as next yr. but that will be a another day.

[GreenSox]

Something else to consider is that Sox can effectively ruin Sanchez's value by bringing him up and having him sport a Darwin Barney-esque line. Sure he's a defense first guy but he can probably go down to Charlotte and put together another good offensive season.

The bigger risk is ruining Johnson's value by rushing him.

[southsider2k5]

The Sox value Micah Johnson as the 2B of the future. His value is best served in this organization. Sanchez on the other hand...

 

I would be more worried if Johnson had a bad spring. At this point I think it is fair to say he has won the job fair and square. If he flops, we have other options in Sanchez, Beckham, Saladino, and Bonifacio.

[royoung]

http://www.southsidesox.com/2015/5/13/8596...e-sox-one-to-go

 

This post pretty much highlighted all my concerns with going with Micah Johnson over Sanchez. While Johnson is a special talent, dude is just raw.

[Eminor3rd]

http://www.southsidesox.com/2015/5/13/8596...e-sox-one-to-go

 

This post pretty much highlighted all my concerns with going with Micah Johnson over Sanchez. While Johnson is a special talent, dude is just raw.

 

I just don't think he'll ever have the hands to play an adequate infield position. The more I see him, the more I see Ben Revere as a ceiling.

[NorthSideSox72]

I think SSS is far, far too early in calling for this. Johnson's ceiling is much higher. Obviously the glove needs work, but I think he needs to the time to make it work now that he's in Chicago. Just my opinion. I think he's done very well at the plate so far.

 

[royoung]

I think SSS is far, far too early in calling for this. Johnson's ceiling is much higher. Obviously the glove needs work, but I think he needs to the time to make it work now that he's in Chicago. Just my opinion. I think he's done very well at the plate so far.

 

I'm not questioning the ceiling, he's incredibly talented. I question the decision to throw him into the fire when he obviously needed refinement on defense and on the base paths. Not sure what the best course of action is now.

[fathom]

I'm not questioning the ceiling, he's incredibly talented. I question the decision to throw him into the fire when he obviously needed refinement on defense and on the base paths. Not sure what the best course of action is now.

 

Especially with his track record suggesting he needed a year to get comfortable at a level, and then he would dominate that level. He never got the chance to dominate in AAA. With his defense being so poor, his offense doesn't do enough to offset it. I think he'll be a very good big league player in time, but it's looking like they rushed him to the big league level.

[chitownsportsfan]

I was widely panned for arguing Sanchez would be 20 runs better than Micah over the course of the season defensively. Turns out I lowballed it: Micah is on pace for one of the worst defensive seasons at 2B in history: -47 runs below average.

 

It's well past time to make the change. Micah needs to be Ray Durham in his prime with the bat to offset his defense and he's not even close. How this decision was made continues to boggle the mind. Every warning sign was on full display in spring training wrt to his defense -- the game is simply too fast for him.

 

That play at 2B last night was simply inexcusable and it's not the sort of thing you can teach IMO. He simply needs more experience and he shouldn't be learning on the job in a year the team expects to contend.

 

Just to pile on: Micah has an ISO of .029. He's been on base 25 times and has erased himself with a pickoff or CS 6 of those times. His wOBA is .289. He's hitting like Carlos Sanchez and fielding like Micah Johnson.

 

As a fan, it's just frustrating to see the Sox continue to push the Micah's through the org instead of the Sanchez' and for that matter the Semians.

 

Can you run? You might want to go to open tryouts next spring the Sox will probably sign you. Maybe bring a glove if you think it will help, but it probably won't matter, just stretch your hamstrings well before you show up.

Edited May 13, 2015 by chitownsportsfan

[Eminor3rd]

I was widely panned for arguing Sanchez would be 20 runs better than Micah over the course of the season defensively. Turns out I lowballed it: Micah is on pace for one of the worst defensive seasons at 2B in history: -47 runs below average.

 

It's well past time to make the change. Micah needs to be Ray Durham in his prime with the bat to offset his defense and he's not even close. How this decision was made continues to boggle the mind. Every warning sign was on full display in spring training wrt to his defense -- the game is simply too fast for him.

 

That play at 2B last night was simply inexcusable and it's not the sort of thing you can teach IMO. He simply needs more experience and he shouldn't be learning on the job in a year the team expects to contend.

 

Just to pile on: Micah has an ISO of .029. He's been on base 25 times and has erased himself with a pickoff or CS 6 of those times. His wOBA is .289. He's hitting like Carlos Sanchez and fielding like Micah Johnson.

 

As a fan, it's just frustrating to see the Sox continue to push the Micah's through the org instead of the Sanchez' and for that matter the Semians.

 

Can you run? You might want to go to open tryouts next spring the Sox will probably sign you. Maybe bring a glove if you think it will help, but it probably won't matter, just stretch your hamstrings well before you show up.

 

or he could be Marcus Semien so far. Holy s***balls he is raking: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...;position=3B/SS

 

[Balta1701]

or he could be Marcus Semien so far. Holy s***balls he is raking: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playe...;position=3B/SS

I just had to check this to make sure...Marcus Semien has a higher OPS than anyone on the 2015 White Sox with more than 3 PA.

[Dick Allen]

I just had to check this to make sure...Marcus Semien has a higher OPS than anyone on the 2015 White Sox with more than 3 PA.

He has also committed more errors than Alexei Ramirez and Conor Gillaspie combined.

[Balta1701]

He has also committed more errors than Alexei Ramirez and Conor Gillaspie combined.

To look at how those are impacting in balance, Alexei has -0.3 fWAR while Semien has 1.2 fWAR.

[chitownsportsfan]

To look at how those are impacting in balance, Alexei has -0.3 fWAR while Semien has 1.2 fWAR.

 

Semien is doing what Micah's boosters thought Micah would do: hit enough to offset the defense. Semien has been brutal in the field but when you put up a wRC+ of 143 at SS it papers over a lot of bad defense.

 

IMO Semien will never stick at SS but if he hits this well he's a solid starter anywhere.