I was just looking at players who put up similar career numbers, and the list includes people like Norm Cash, Danny Tartabull, Travis Hafner, Mark Teixeira, and if you squint and don't mind including several very young partial seasons, and a three-year decline Harmon Killebrew.
I don't think that should be considered an "early season slump" as it took him 87 career before he got his lifetime AVG up to .200 to stay and in the 64 games since, he has batted .329/.414/.620/1.034. It's more of an adaptation to the majors, especially as he only played two games in the minors in the year he was drafted (2018) and didn't play at all in 2020.
He strikes me as kind of a lefty Mark McGwire. Looking at McGwire's second year (after his insane 1987 rookie year when the ball was juiced (and, probably, so was McGwire)), his line was:
Re: doubles and steals:
Revisiting his early season problems with men on base, it seems like he largely overcame them. Final numbers:
It's funny, ten-fifteen years on, to still be having this discussion about 'clutch stats'. I think we all have to resign ourselves to speculations about small sample noise until the end of time.
I adore him too. It's just too bad the Red Sox are getting screwed by Major League Baseball again. In the origina version of the latest labor agreement, there was a clause where a team would get a bonus if they had a rookie finish in the top three of the Rookie of Year voting. However in the final agreement, they changed it so only the winner's team gets the benefit. Instead the other 2 teams would have gotten a benefit if a World Draft was adopted. However, a World Draft was never adopted so the Red Sox are out of luck. I think they should have gone back to the original version of the agreement. Oh well, nothing they can do about it now.
It’s awesome. I can’t imagine seeing that as a negative.
I think all he did was proclaim to the world that he had a terrific campaign at 23 years old (using factual statements) and he's expecting more of himself at 24. I dont view that tweet as arrogant/grandiose/over the top whatsoever fwiw.
I'm not so sure that "in the absence of much evidence" is accurate. Of course many guys had great rookie campaigns only to get figured out, but what this guy did after his initial adjustment to the majors was remarkable and a pretty reasonable data set. Guy should be proud and confident.
Yeah, I agree. He wrote exactly what he accomplished in '23. '24 was left a completely blank slate, not even a "you ain't seen nothing yet". A very well placed ellipsis....
Outside of your last sentence (I have been jonesing since October), I agree completely. Sports need more good, fun personality, and this kid, from what I have seen so far, has it in spades. He's like a more flamboyant Vinnie Pasquantino (who is also a great personality, and a similarly fun player). I am really excited for his 2024 season.Yeah, I agree. He wrote exactly what he accomplished in '23. '24 was left a completely blank slate, not even a "you ain't seen nothing yet". A very well placed ellipsis....
I freaking love it. Love this kid. I think it's safe to say that I'm officially jonesing for baseball now.
Yes.
I get that you are channeling 120 years of baseball culture but I'm not sure players are so beholden to that anymore. Of course the joyless SHaughnessy readers very much are, but they can generally go fuck themselves. I suspect he will make that message clear at some point if he hasn't already.
Eh, sometimes it's hard to remember in the dead of winter after an ending like last year. I'm gonna cut everybody some slack regardless of their outlook, and I don't think anyone ever actually said those exact words, though I know you will show me if they did
Frustration is a hell of a drug.
More Pedroia, less JD Drew!!!!
Not sure how much evidence you need.
The Joey Bats mega-bat-flip was a turning point, like the Fab 5 and baggy shorts.
Yes, you seem to be a minority of "1", although I get what you're saying - you probably wouldn't say that yourself and you don't want it to blow back on the kid. I know I'd never say that. But I'm never going to be one of the best in world at my profession either, and maybe that level of self-confidence bordering on bravado is what Tristan needs to continue to fuel himself to get better. I can't wait to see how he performs in 2024.
