Does the usefulness of stats obey the double negative rule?Of course, Leon without an RBI in ST so far, hits 2 HR's today. Can't complain. Just still can't believe it. I saw him play live in 2015 and honestly thought it was the worst pro swing I'd ever seen.
It might make sense to start Vazquez in Porcello's games, since he's right handed and more likely to have runners try to steal on him (or at least LHP typically hold runners better). Wright might be a different story. Would Vaz's arm make up enough of the lost time of the knuckler, or is it mostly a lost cause?Curious to see how this shakes out this week. I could see CV being the starter in a 60/40 situation getting Sale/Eddie/Wright to start the season. I haven't seen much of the ST games, but from the sounds of yesterday's game, CV and the cannon are back.
Probably a lost cause. The value of Vaz catching Wright would be more about framing, and about athleticism reducing the damage on wild pitches.It might make sense to start Vazquez in Porcello's games, since he's right handed and more likely to have runners try to steal on him (or at least LHP typically hold runners better). Wright might be a different story. Would Vaz's arm make up enough of the lost time of the knuckler, or is it mostly a lost cause?
Leon is Porcello's personal catcher. That battery is set. I agree with SH's assessment of Vaz getting Wright. So if that happens, it would make sense. Regardless of who gets the most starts, I think you can pencil in Porcello-Leon and Rodriguez-Vazquez. Those two combinations appear to be set based on past metrics.It might make sense to start Vazquez in Porcello's games, since he's right handed and more likely to have runners try to steal on him (or at least LHP typically hold runners better). Wright might be a different story. Would Vaz's arm make up enough of the lost time of the knuckler, or is it mostly a lost cause?
Yea I saw him too and I still couldn't believe it. I'll need a few more months of Schwarber-like production before I'm a believer. I'm hoping we get it, but I'm not sold on the body of work to date.We all saw him last Summer and for a while he looked like Kyle Schwarber
Yep - there should be 0 reasons for doing this, especially in the chilly early season. I would imagine he gets a day off today...hopefully Vaz will give everyone reason to remember why this is a debate.I just hope they don't change plans to play him 3 of 5 games and Vazquez the other 2 and overwork Leon and tucker him out.
I expect everyone will get the day off today.Yep - there should be 0 reasons for doing this, especially in the chilly early season. I would imagine he gets a day off today...hopefully Vaz will give everyone reason to remember why this is a debate.
I'm with this guy. Vaz may unquestionably be better defensively, but that doesn't mean Leon is bad by any stretch, and the difference in offense is significant. Unless we start to see the pitchers talk about throwing to Leon versus Vaz, he should see 3 out of every 5 starts, at least.Is there really a controversy at all right now? For the time being, Leon is the primary starting catching. He's defensively solid (which is what he was known for in the minors) and has seemingly improved significantly with the bat. Until proved otherwise, he's the guy.
Just to be clear, it's not "market timing," unless you think that Leon's ability to improve/sustain is random out into the future. He is guaranteed to decline. You're not looking at an asset that might improve or decline.The thing with Leon is... it's not like he just got hot... he made significant mechanical adjustments with Chilly and it allowed him to get hot. Was his hot streak sustainable? Hell no, they never are. But not everyone has the ability to just start hitting the shit out of the ball.
This is a player that's head is almost a foot taller at the plate than it previously was - with a stance that's about a foot narrower than it was. He's got 28 extra base hits in his last 260 at bats - that's elite stuff - that takes legitimate talent. I think, at the very least, he'll be okay with the bat. And that's valuable as hell. Trying to "market time" his streaks and slumps seems really really ill advised.
Looking at Sale's splits on baseball-reference, the vast majority of his innings were in a battery with either Tyler Flowers or AJ Pierzynski. I don't know what Flowers rep is a receiver, but liking to throw to Sandy may have something to do with AJ setting the bar low.Folks eager to jettison Sandy for Blake ought to ask Chris Sale about it. It may just be new guy trying to make nice, but his remarks last night indicated he really really really likes throwing to Leon.
Hard to measure Flowers' defense. He has 26 career dWAR, but is all over the map in pitch framing from year to year (2nd in 2015, but middle of the pack or worse in other seasons). He also threw out 6% of runners last year. . . so I think Sale is pretty happy with whomever the Sox trot out.Looking at Sale's splits on baseball-reference, the vast majority of his innings were in a battery with either Tyler Flowers or AJ Pierzynski. I don't know what Flowers rep is a receiver, but liking to throw to Sandy may have something to do with AJ setting the bar low.
You put everything together in this thread -- the tangible adjustments Leon made that directly preceded an unprecedented stretch of hitting, the 167 games he played (astonishing for a catcher) -- and it's very hard for me to think that Leon shouldn't get a lot of rope. Comparing the Leon of pre-adjustment also feels unfair: he's a different hitter now, just in terms of qualitative approach at the plate. He's already got as many extra base hits this year as he collected in 40 games in 2015. I think we'll need to see a whole 'nother season to establish some kind of baseline for him.Southern BoSox said: "The thing with Leon is... it's not like he just got hot... he made significant mechanical adjustments with Chilly and it allowed him to get hot. Was his hot streak sustainable? Hell no, they never are. But not everyone has the ability to just start hitting the shit out of the ball.
This is a player that's head is almost a foot taller at the plate than it previously was - with a stance that's about a foot narrower than it was."
Also, I am pretty sure they said his head was moving way too much before he made his adjustments. His new stance/swing keeps his head still, which you'd have to think helps.
This works for me. I'd like to see the Sox rebuild a strong farm system and this would be the chance. If Leon has a good first half, trade him for a quality prospect since we have two other decent catchers to step in. And Swihart's upside intrigues us all. The same goes for Pomeranz for that matter. Hope he pitches well and if the abundance of starters are healthy, trade Pomeranz for another quality prospect. I just don't know if Dombrowski thinks this way based on what he's been doing - trading rather than obtaining prospectsBest case scenario is Leon starts great in Boston and Swihart does well in Pawtucket and the Sox can trade one of them (hopefully Leon) for something useful.
Regarding BABIP, I mentioned this last season, but even after Leon cooled off a bit it seemed like every game he'd have an AB where he would hit the ball right on the screws. That didn't all fall in for hits, but I agree the 2016 Leon is a different hitter than his previous seasons.You put everything together in this thread -- the tangible adjustments Leon made that directly preceded an unprecedented stretch of hitting, the 167 games he played (astonishing for a catcher) -- and it's very hard for me to think that Leon shouldn't get a lot of rope. Comparing the Leon of pre-adjustment also feels unfair: he's a different hitter now, just in terms of qualitative approach at the plate. He's already got as many extra base hits this year as he collected in 40 games in 2015. I think we'll need to see a whole 'nother season to establish some kind of baseline for him.
That said, the BABIP from last year was ludicrously high even after his drop-off, so those who've speculated a a line that clocks him in for an OPS around .700 are probably going to be right. Keeping in mind that Blake hasn't put up a line like Leon did in the majors last year since AA in 2014, the job is Leon's to lose.
And Swihart OPSing .909 in AAA.The early returns are looking good.
Leon with an OPS of 1.000, and CV with an OPS of 2.800.
Of course, you know what happened next.And just to add even more sss and fun to the thread, CV is currently 5 for 5, BA of 1.000, SLG of 1.800, and OPS of 2.800. No doubt he won't keep this for long, but it is fun right now to have three catchers who are hitting.
A poster above said he hope CV would perform well enough to warrant the thread's title. So far so good.
He threw out the tying run with an incredible throw. Go SoxOf course, you know what happened next.
Anyone have a gif of the throw?He threw out the tying run with an incredible throw. Go Sox
If this is hurting people's page load times, lemme knowAnyone have a gif of the throw?
I guess we can argue about excellence, but Pedey doesn't have a chance without that ridiculously quick release by Vazquez.That caught stealing was about 40% Vazquez and 60% Pedroia slapping down the tag lightning fast.
No doubt, especially on a breaking ball. But while quick, it wasn't a great throw and I thought Pedroia bailed him out with the tag. I'd be willing to amend to 50/50.I guess we can argue about excellence, but Pedey doesn't have a chance without that ridiculously quick release by Vazquez.
Even in .gif that's fast. .... Compressed video is better, but I'm not sure you could embed gfycat.If this is hurting people's page load times, lemme know
Oh, that's good mathing. Here's some science that puts Swihart's pitch framing atop the minor league leaderboards (while positing that still he'd be a quantum step down from Vázquez).Including ST 2017 and the Minors, since 2016 Blake Swihart has 34bb/46k in 262 PA. That is a walk rate of 13.0% and a K rate of 17.6%.
Thanks for this. Had not seen.If this is hurting people's page load times, lemme know
The breaking ball may actually have helped. The pitch was up allowing CV to get out of his crouch and behind the throw quickly.No doubt, especially on a breaking ball. But while quick, it wasn't a great throw and I thought Pedroia bailed him out with the tag. I'd be willing to amend to 50/50.
I'm a bigger Swihart fan than most but I'm coming around on the idea of Swihart being the trade bait around the ASB if Leon's bat is anything near what it looks like (.750 - .850 ops range) and Vazquez can live anywhere above .600.Sandy León looks like the real tradebait here, 'cause I was looking for more reasons to root for that guy.