* I'm thrilled with the pick. If this guy is truly a generational talent, and most people say he is, you just HAVE to take him. And it's the Pirates' only realistic chance to acquire a legit, big-time No. 1 starter. Thank goodness they pulled the trigger on this and didn't back away from it.
* Now I just have to live in fear of "he was removed from the game with forearm tightness." But, again, the team just HAD to make this pick, IMO.
* I'm not excusing this team because they have been absolutely wretched during this 21-41 stretch (since starting 20-8). So many inexcusable, pathetic losses. But sometimes injuries are REASONS, not just lame excuses. Where would this team be if Cruz was at SS every day, and Choi was available at 1B? Not to mention injuries to Hayes, Reynolds, Cutch and 2 starting pitchers.
* As bad as this team has been, I think if Cruz was the everyday SS they'd probably be at least 45-45 at the break, and still on the fringes of the wild card race.
* Finally, my main concern about the franchise right now, above all else, is that Cruz comes back 100% ... I'm talking about the Cruz with the prolific power, speed, freakish athlete, etc... He suffered a serious injury. Sometimes players come back from serious injuries and are just never quite the same. I am praying that Cruz comes back at 100%. The Pirates desperately need his full power and athleticism and confidence, and not a shell of himself physically.
* I would say right now that Skenes and Cruz are the two most important players in the franchise.
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
Moderators: SammyKhalifa, Doc, Bobster
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ChillinStation
- Posts: 424
- Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2020 2:40 pm
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
I`m saying you better get used to Cruz being hurt every year. Think Byron Buxton.
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
They have a 3 game improvement over last season at the 90 game mark. That's a bit of a disappointment but I think it reflects the injury issue.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
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Bobster21
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
45636471787463757D160 wrote: They have a 3 game improvement over last season at the 90 game mark. That's a bit of a disappointment but I think it reflects the injury issue.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I think the nature of baseball is such that a player or group of players can perform abnormally good or abnormally bad over extended periods but will ultimately settle into their level of talent. Making contact with the ball an inch from the sweet spot on the bat can be the difference between a popup and an extra base hit. Seeing eye singles, bloop hits, errors, bad calls, facing bad pitchers can help a team succeed beyond what they should be able to do. Well-hit balls right at the fielders, bad calls and facing tough pitchers can hurt a player or team.
The Pirates enjoyed a 4-week spurt to open the season before returning to a winning percentage consistent with their performance the past few years. Early in the season even Joe and Underwood were performing well above expectations. As was Velazquez before he got hurt. But looking at the roster, both the rotation and the BP (besides Bednar) were weak. Cutch has done better than expected and Cruz would have helped. But Hedges can't hit. Santana, Suwinski, Castro, Hayes and Joe have their moments but don't hit for average, which means the frequency of their hits leaves much to be desired. Only Reynolds appears to be someone from whom we have a right to expect more production.
So when I review the first half I see a team that lacked both the pitching and hitting to do significantly better than they've done the past few years. The 20-8 start was spectacular but not sustainable. The 21-41 record since then does not seem out of line given the roster. Hopefully in the 2nd half, the roster will be stronger by the addition of Davis, Gonzales, Triolo and maybe Endy and Priester. And maybe Cruz contributes by the end of the season. Maybe the TDL will open spots for more playing time for the prospects. But pitching still looks like a big problem. I'm not sold on anyone in the BP beyond Bednar.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I think the nature of baseball is such that a player or group of players can perform abnormally good or abnormally bad over extended periods but will ultimately settle into their level of talent. Making contact with the ball an inch from the sweet spot on the bat can be the difference between a popup and an extra base hit. Seeing eye singles, bloop hits, errors, bad calls, facing bad pitchers can help a team succeed beyond what they should be able to do. Well-hit balls right at the fielders, bad calls and facing tough pitchers can hurt a player or team.
The Pirates enjoyed a 4-week spurt to open the season before returning to a winning percentage consistent with their performance the past few years. Early in the season even Joe and Underwood were performing well above expectations. As was Velazquez before he got hurt. But looking at the roster, both the rotation and the BP (besides Bednar) were weak. Cutch has done better than expected and Cruz would have helped. But Hedges can't hit. Santana, Suwinski, Castro, Hayes and Joe have their moments but don't hit for average, which means the frequency of their hits leaves much to be desired. Only Reynolds appears to be someone from whom we have a right to expect more production.
So when I review the first half I see a team that lacked both the pitching and hitting to do significantly better than they've done the past few years. The 20-8 start was spectacular but not sustainable. The 21-41 record since then does not seem out of line given the roster. Hopefully in the 2nd half, the roster will be stronger by the addition of Davis, Gonzales, Triolo and maybe Endy and Priester. And maybe Cruz contributes by the end of the season. Maybe the TDL will open spots for more playing time for the prospects. But pitching still looks like a big problem. I'm not sold on anyone in the BP beyond Bednar.
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WildwoodDave2
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
5279787D7D787F42657065787E7F110 wrote: I`m saying you better get used to Cruz being hurt every year. Think Byron Buxton.
Cruz, what about Hayes?
Cruz, what about Hayes?
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Bobster21
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
744A4F47544C4C476742554611230 wrote: I`m saying you better get used to Cruz being hurt every year. Think Byron Buxton.
Cruz, what about Hayes?
How tough can it be to find someone else to hit .250 with 8 or 9 HRs?
Cruz, what about Hayes?
How tough can it be to find someone else to hit .250 with 8 or 9 HRs?
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WildwoodDave2
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
6E434E5F58495E1E1D2C0 wrote: They have a 3 game improvement over last season at the 90 game mark. That's a bit of a disappointment but I think it reflects the injury issue.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I think the nature of baseball is such that a player or group of players can perform abnormally good or abnormally bad over extended periods but will ultimately settle into their level of talent. Making contact with the ball an inch from the sweet spot on the bat can be the difference between a popup and an extra base hit. Seeing eye singles, bloop hits, errors, bad calls, facing bad pitchers can help a team succeed beyond what they should be able to do. Well-hit balls right at the fielders, bad calls and facing tough pitchers can hurt a player or team.
The Pirates enjoyed a 4-week spurt to open the season before returning to a winning percentage consistent with their performance the past few years. Early in the season even Joe and Underwood were performing well above expectations. As was Velazquez before he got hurt. But looking at the roster, both the rotation and the BP (besides Bednar) were weak. Cutch has done better than expected and Cruz would have helped. But Hedges can't hit. Santana, Suwinski, Castro, Hayes and Joe have their moments but don't hit for average, which means the frequency of their hits leaves much to be desired. Only Reynolds appears to be someone from whom we have a right to expect more production.
So when I review the first half I see a team that lacked both the pitching and hitting to do significantly better than they've done the past few years. The 20-8 start was spectacular but not sustainable. The 21-41 record since then does not seem out of line given the roster. Hopefully in the 2nd half, the roster will be stronger by the addition of Davis, Gonzales, Triolo and maybe Endy and Priester. And maybe Cruz contributes by the end of the season. Maybe the TDL will open spots for more playing time for the prospects. But pitching still looks like a big problem. I'm not sold on anyone in the BP beyond Bednar.
I agree with everything you said with the exception of Suwinski. He has only been in the Majors for about a year and although he probably won't hit better than .250, we need him in the lineup. You might remember back in April I said I felt he would be a 30 Home Run guy. You said " I hope you are right." He now has 19 HR's and has driven in 48. He is starting to hit Lefty's better and
plays an adequate CF. I also compared him to a Dick Stuart type of player. Could Strikeout or could hit a Home Run
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I think the nature of baseball is such that a player or group of players can perform abnormally good or abnormally bad over extended periods but will ultimately settle into their level of talent. Making contact with the ball an inch from the sweet spot on the bat can be the difference between a popup and an extra base hit. Seeing eye singles, bloop hits, errors, bad calls, facing bad pitchers can help a team succeed beyond what they should be able to do. Well-hit balls right at the fielders, bad calls and facing tough pitchers can hurt a player or team.
The Pirates enjoyed a 4-week spurt to open the season before returning to a winning percentage consistent with their performance the past few years. Early in the season even Joe and Underwood were performing well above expectations. As was Velazquez before he got hurt. But looking at the roster, both the rotation and the BP (besides Bednar) were weak. Cutch has done better than expected and Cruz would have helped. But Hedges can't hit. Santana, Suwinski, Castro, Hayes and Joe have their moments but don't hit for average, which means the frequency of their hits leaves much to be desired. Only Reynolds appears to be someone from whom we have a right to expect more production.
So when I review the first half I see a team that lacked both the pitching and hitting to do significantly better than they've done the past few years. The 20-8 start was spectacular but not sustainable. The 21-41 record since then does not seem out of line given the roster. Hopefully in the 2nd half, the roster will be stronger by the addition of Davis, Gonzales, Triolo and maybe Endy and Priester. And maybe Cruz contributes by the end of the season. Maybe the TDL will open spots for more playing time for the prospects. But pitching still looks like a big problem. I'm not sold on anyone in the BP beyond Bednar.
I agree with everything you said with the exception of Suwinski. He has only been in the Majors for about a year and although he probably won't hit better than .250, we need him in the lineup. You might remember back in April I said I felt he would be a 30 Home Run guy. You said " I hope you are right." He now has 19 HR's and has driven in 48. He is starting to hit Lefty's better and
plays an adequate CF. I also compared him to a Dick Stuart type of player. Could Strikeout or could hit a Home Run
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Bobster21
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
407E7B73607878735376617225170 wrote: They have a 3 game improvement over last season at the 90 game mark. That's a bit of a disappointment but I think it reflects the injury issue.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I think the nature of baseball is such that a player or group of players can perform abnormally good or abnormally bad over extended periods but will ultimately settle into their level of talent. Making contact with the ball an inch from the sweet spot on the bat can be the difference between a popup and an extra base hit. Seeing eye singles, bloop hits, errors, bad calls, facing bad pitchers can help a team succeed beyond what they should be able to do. Well-hit balls right at the fielders, bad calls and facing tough pitchers can hurt a player or team.
The Pirates enjoyed a 4-week spurt to open the season before returning to a winning percentage consistent with their performance the past few years. Early in the season even Joe and Underwood were performing well above expectations. As was Velazquez before he got hurt. But looking at the roster, both the rotation and the BP (besides Bednar) were weak. Cutch has done better than expected and Cruz would have helped. But Hedges can't hit. Santana, Suwinski, Castro, Hayes and Joe have their moments but don't hit for average, which means the frequency of their hits leaves much to be desired. Only Reynolds appears to be someone from whom we have a right to expect more production.
So when I review the first half I see a team that lacked both the pitching and hitting to do significantly better than they've done the past few years. The 20-8 start was spectacular but not sustainable. The 21-41 record since then does not seem out of line given the roster. Hopefully in the 2nd half, the roster will be stronger by the addition of Davis, Gonzales, Triolo and maybe Endy and Priester. And maybe Cruz contributes by the end of the season. Maybe the TDL will open spots for more playing time for the prospects. But pitching still looks like a big problem. I'm not sold on anyone in the BP beyond Bednar.
I agree with everything you said with the exception of Suwinski. He has only been in the Majors for about a year and although he probably won't hit better than .250, we need him in the lineup. You might remember back in April I said I felt he would be a 30 Home Run guy. You said " I hope you are right." He now has 19 HR's and has driven in 48. He is starting to hit Lefty's better and
plays an adequate CF. I also compared him to a Dick Stuart type of player. Could Strikeout or could hit a Home Run
I'm not saying Suwinski shouldn't be in the lineup. But I include him among those who routinely have a low BA, which indicates a low frequency of hits. The Pirates have too many of that type although the others lack Suwinski's power. We see the result when there are an abundance of games with low scoring because so many players in the lineup don't get hits frequently enough to put a bunch together. As for the Stuart comparison, he had only 1 season as a Pirate hitting below .260 (.228) and had seasons batting .297 and .301. In the minors he was a career .284 hitter.
Suwinski's minor league BA was .239. As a rookie last year he hit .202 and is currently at .235. I'd take .250 from him. HRs are great but the Pirates get too few runners on in front of him. Of his 38 career HRs, 24 were solo. And only 5 came with more than 1 runner on base. And Suwinski doesn't get enough hits overall to produce many runs with singles and doubles. Last year he had only 38 RBIs with those 19 HRs. This year is a little better with 48 RBIs on 19 HRs so far. Ideally, he needs to be in a lineup with players who hit consistently so that his HRs produce more runs and so that the infrequency of his hits is not par for the course with the rest of the lineup.
I can't remember a team as out of synch as this one has been since the 20-8 start. During that nice run they were, the pitching picked up the hitting, the hitting picked up the hitting, the bullpen was always solid, and they were fundamentally sound.
Now, the bullpen blows leads, the offense can't support and when they do, the starters give leads right back.
They still strike out too much. They still put too many runners on.
I think the nature of baseball is such that a player or group of players can perform abnormally good or abnormally bad over extended periods but will ultimately settle into their level of talent. Making contact with the ball an inch from the sweet spot on the bat can be the difference between a popup and an extra base hit. Seeing eye singles, bloop hits, errors, bad calls, facing bad pitchers can help a team succeed beyond what they should be able to do. Well-hit balls right at the fielders, bad calls and facing tough pitchers can hurt a player or team.
The Pirates enjoyed a 4-week spurt to open the season before returning to a winning percentage consistent with their performance the past few years. Early in the season even Joe and Underwood were performing well above expectations. As was Velazquez before he got hurt. But looking at the roster, both the rotation and the BP (besides Bednar) were weak. Cutch has done better than expected and Cruz would have helped. But Hedges can't hit. Santana, Suwinski, Castro, Hayes and Joe have their moments but don't hit for average, which means the frequency of their hits leaves much to be desired. Only Reynolds appears to be someone from whom we have a right to expect more production.
So when I review the first half I see a team that lacked both the pitching and hitting to do significantly better than they've done the past few years. The 20-8 start was spectacular but not sustainable. The 21-41 record since then does not seem out of line given the roster. Hopefully in the 2nd half, the roster will be stronger by the addition of Davis, Gonzales, Triolo and maybe Endy and Priester. And maybe Cruz contributes by the end of the season. Maybe the TDL will open spots for more playing time for the prospects. But pitching still looks like a big problem. I'm not sold on anyone in the BP beyond Bednar.
I agree with everything you said with the exception of Suwinski. He has only been in the Majors for about a year and although he probably won't hit better than .250, we need him in the lineup. You might remember back in April I said I felt he would be a 30 Home Run guy. You said " I hope you are right." He now has 19 HR's and has driven in 48. He is starting to hit Lefty's better and
plays an adequate CF. I also compared him to a Dick Stuart type of player. Could Strikeout or could hit a Home Run
I'm not saying Suwinski shouldn't be in the lineup. But I include him among those who routinely have a low BA, which indicates a low frequency of hits. The Pirates have too many of that type although the others lack Suwinski's power. We see the result when there are an abundance of games with low scoring because so many players in the lineup don't get hits frequently enough to put a bunch together. As for the Stuart comparison, he had only 1 season as a Pirate hitting below .260 (.228) and had seasons batting .297 and .301. In the minors he was a career .284 hitter.
Suwinski's minor league BA was .239. As a rookie last year he hit .202 and is currently at .235. I'd take .250 from him. HRs are great but the Pirates get too few runners on in front of him. Of his 38 career HRs, 24 were solo. And only 5 came with more than 1 runner on base. And Suwinski doesn't get enough hits overall to produce many runs with singles and doubles. Last year he had only 38 RBIs with those 19 HRs. This year is a little better with 48 RBIs on 19 HRs so far. Ideally, he needs to be in a lineup with players who hit consistently so that his HRs produce more runs and so that the infrequency of his hits is not par for the course with the rest of the lineup.
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
I hadn’t been able to watch many games until the last few weeks, and I missed every at-bat of Suwinski’s 0-29 streak. But since the beginning of the July, I have noticed his extreme patience at the plate.
Last season, in 372 plate appearances, Suwinski struck out 114 times. 90 of those were swinging and 24 were looking. In 297 PAs this year, he has 96 Ks – 56 swinging and 40 looking. That is a remarkable shift, and in last 14 games he struck out 18 times – 13 were looking! That is an unusually high ratio for a slugger.
Suwinski’s walk rate was 11% last year and he is up to 15.5% in 2023. He has walked 10 times in his last 14 games. Additionally, Suwinski’s groundball rate was 43% in 2022, and is down to 24% this year.
Again, I missed the hitless streak, but most of his hitting numbers are improving. I don’t know exactly what his plan is, but he obviously has one, and you can readily see signs of progress. My guess is, be selective, hit fastballs, and get the ball in the air.
When he figures it all out, I think there may be quite a bit more ceiling for Suwinski.
Last season, in 372 plate appearances, Suwinski struck out 114 times. 90 of those were swinging and 24 were looking. In 297 PAs this year, he has 96 Ks – 56 swinging and 40 looking. That is a remarkable shift, and in last 14 games he struck out 18 times – 13 were looking! That is an unusually high ratio for a slugger.
Suwinski’s walk rate was 11% last year and he is up to 15.5% in 2023. He has walked 10 times in his last 14 games. Additionally, Suwinski’s groundball rate was 43% in 2022, and is down to 24% this year.
Again, I missed the hitless streak, but most of his hitting numbers are improving. I don’t know exactly what his plan is, but he obviously has one, and you can readily see signs of progress. My guess is, be selective, hit fastballs, and get the ball in the air.
When he figures it all out, I think there may be quite a bit more ceiling for Suwinski.
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ChillinStation
- Posts: 424
- Joined: Fri Aug 21, 2020 2:40 pm
Random thoughts at the A-S Break
Suwinski and Reynolds are the only guys doing anything according to the metric stuff. I don`t understand how Reynolds looks so good on paper ? He is a good piece but not a difference maker.