OnlyBucs

3C3D2637216166520 wrote: The statisticians are now looking at exit velocity, elevation angles and throwing away batting average.  Polanco is having his best season stat wise. 



Even though he has been in the league for four plus years, he is still pretty young.  He is only a year older than Bell, Moran, Osuna, and Moroff.  He is younger than Diaz and same age as Frazier, Taillon, Williams, Kingham, Crick, and Kuhl.  Most of us are giving those guys time to grow, but is done with Polanco.



This is why, in my opinion, it is a tough decision on what to do with Polanco.  He has shown signs of being an All Star type player.  Does he deserve more time? 
No he doesn't deserve more time. He is what he is. I don't see much room for improvement. When Meadows is really ready he needs to replace Polanco.




It is maddening that Dog comes up with this he is having the best year of his career stat wise. He is hitting in the 220s, the vast majority of his power came in the first 10 games ... he still isn't a consistent hitter (streaky as hell) and his defense sucks. I was enamored with his potential after the 22-homer, 86-RBI season. Heck, I was earlier with all the hype. He looks the part no doubt. To me, Polanco is the single most frustrating player for me to watch since, well, Pedro or Kris Benson. Someone I bet would salivate over him as far as a trade and deal something better than he is worth our way. I would go that route. He is what he is ...

35372D2B3D580 wrote: I don't see his defense improving and, given that he's an extreme pull hitter, I doubt his hitting improves enough to make up for it.


.800 OPS with 30 HRs wouldn't make up for his bad defense?



Polanco's defense has always been bad. For some reason, if you have a strong arm people label you as a good defensive player. Look at Dickerson. He gets great reads/jumps, catches everything, but has a weak arm. People doubt his defense because of his arm. Someone even suggested to move him to 1B!

Because of the injury history, I would trade him too. The power and upside potential still exists, so we should get something decent back for him.

0A1A1B2C3A3A36590 wrote:



It is maddening that Dog comes up with this he is having the best year of his career stat wise.  He is hitting in the 220s, the vast majority of his power came in the first 10 games ... he still isn't a consistent hitter (streaky as hell) and his defense sucks.  I was enamored with his potential after the 22-homer, 86-RBI season.  Heck, I was earlier with all the hype.  He looks the part no doubt.  To me, Polanco is the single most frustrating player for me to watch since, well, Pedro or Kris Benson.  Someone I bet would salivate over him as far as a trade and deal something better than he is worth our way.  I would go that route.  He is what he is ...


I didn't come up with it. It is a fact according to stats. If you look at one stat, batting average, of course you will think that. I even mentioned earlier how the statisticians don't even care about batting average anymore.



Tell us, why is he not having his best season so far stat wise?

3F343C3035342F6A6C1B223A3334347538345B0 wrote: The statisticians are now looking at exit velocity, elevation angles and throwing away batting average.  Polanco is having his best season stat wise. 



Even though he has been in the league for four plus years, he is still pretty young.  He is only a year older than Bell, Moran, Osuna, and Moroff.  He is younger than Diaz and same age as Frazier, Taillon, Williams, Kingham, Crick, and Kuhl.  Most of us are giving those guys time to grow, but is done with Polanco.



This is why, in my opinion, it is a tough decision on what to do with Polanco.  He has shown signs of being an All Star type player.  Does he deserve more time? 
Yes, Polanco's OBP, SLG and OPS suggest he's having his best season stat wise. But a closer look reveals how misleading stats can be. He got off to an incredible start in his first 11 games at a pace no one could maintain. But he's now played a total of 41 games with the subsequent 30 largely in the opposite direction. In the 30 games since that great 11-game start, his BA is .211, OBP is .316, SLG is .368 and OPS is .684. At that rate, he's trending more toward a career worst season rather than his best.

545F575B5E5F440107704951585F5F1E535F300 wrote: I don't see his defense improving and, given that he's an extreme pull hitter, I doubt his hitting improves enough to make up for it.


.800 OPS with 30 HRs wouldn't make up for his bad defense? 



Polanco's defense has always been bad.  For some reason, if you have a strong arm people label you as a good defensive player.  Look at Dickerson.  He gets great reads/jumps, catches everything, but has a weak arm.  People doubt his defense because of his arm.  Someone even suggested to move him to 1B! 




the thing about Polanco (and really a lot of players) is that we are told that they are good or even great defensively in the minors. I don't know if standards are different or grading is different but it happens quite often.

7E757D7174756E2B2D5A637B7275753479751A0 wrote: I don't see his defense improving and, given that he's an extreme pull hitter, I doubt his hitting improves enough to make up for it.


.800 OPS with 30 HRs wouldn't make up for his bad defense? 



Polanco's defense has always been bad.  For some reason, if you have a strong arm people label you as a good defensive player.  Look at Dickerson.  He gets great reads/jumps, catches everything, but has a weak arm.  People doubt his defense because of his arm.  Someone even suggested to move him to 1B! 


Sure if Polanco were to sustain an .800 .OPS and actually hit 30 HR's. That is projected, and as stated before he has gone into one of his prolonged funks again. I would bail if someone were willing to give up something decent for him once Meadows is up full time. No doubt in my mind he will match or exceed Polanco immediately.

60617A6B7D3D3A0E0 wrote: I don't see his defense improving and, given that he's an extreme pull hitter, I doubt his hitting improves enough to make up for it.


.800 OPS with 30 HRs wouldn't make up for his bad defense? 



Polanco's defense has always been bad.  For some reason, if you have a strong arm people label you as a good defensive player.  Look at Dickerson.  He gets great reads/jumps, catches everything, but has a weak arm.  People doubt his defense because of his arm.  Someone even suggested to move him to 1B! 


Sure if Polanco were to sustain an .800 .OPS and actually hit 30 HR's. That is projected, and as stated before he has gone into one of his prolonged funks again. I would bail if someone were willing to give up something decent for him once Meadows is up full time. No doubt in my mind he will match or exceed Polanco immediately.


We said similar things when Polanco first came up.

Granted, I haven't been able to watch a ton of games this year. And when I do, I almost never get to see a full game (only watched one full game all year actually). I also only see on TV, which doesn't really tell the whole story. But to my eye test, Polanco actually looks much, much BETTER in the outfield than I'm used to. Maybe that's not saying much, and I don't know what the stats actually say. But again, to my eye and solely to my eye, he actually looks much improved. I see him taking better routes to balls, playing balls off the wall better, and particularly going back and to his left into the right field corner better. Which, for him, as a left-hander with his glove on his right hand, is actually a backhand over the shoulder catch. Polanco will never be confused with Marte, or even with McCutchen for that matter. He's never going to win a Gold Glove. But, I don't find myself holding my breath anymore when a ball is hit to right field.



All that said, Polanco's seat is getting much hotter with Meadows' good start to his MLB career.

3B30383431302B6E681F263E373030713C305F0 wrote:



It is maddening that Dog comes up with this he is having the best year of his career stat wise.  He is hitting in the 220s, the vast majority of his power came in the first 10 games ... he still isn't a consistent hitter (streaky as hell) and his defense sucks.  I was enamored with his potential after the 22-homer, 86-RBI season.  Heck, I was earlier with all the hype.  He looks the part no doubt.  To me, Polanco is the single most frustrating player for me to watch since, well, Pedro or Kris Benson.  Someone I bet would salivate over him as far as a trade and deal something better than he is worth our way.  I would go that route.  He is what he is ...


I didn't come up with it.  It is a fact according to stats.  If you look at one stat, batting average, of course you will think that.  I even mentioned earlier how the statisticians don't even care about batting average anymore. 



Tell us, why is he not having his best season so far stat wise?   
So just because this is statistically his best season (so far) that doesn't mean it's good! A .335 OBP still isn't great. The slugging is fine at .462. Just because as you always point out "he is the best option on the roster", doesn't mean the Pirates should be satisfied with his production. I cannot understand your infatuation with mediocre players.