On the non-Hamilton news front, Angels still sucking

[Michifan]

How is it they go from being a hot, exciting spring training offense to so pathetic?

[bloodbrother]

Because they aren't facing minor leaguers and career journeymen arms anymore.

[shellback]

weaver had zero fastball command. its one game.

[Ohtaniland]

F'n Billy Beane has out-Dipoto'd us again.

[Glen]

It's still early.

The April mating call of Angels fans, that is.

[jsnpritchett]

Hey, Pujols is over .200 now. 

 

[Blarg]

I don't think any of you have been paying much attention, since stats are cumulative and move at a slower rate up or down depending on how weighted the first games of the season went. I say this because Mike Trout has been hitting .188 over the last 11 games. His .300 batting average really isn't supported by over half the season hitting under .200.

 

Meanwhile Giavotella started off at .300 and pretty much has maintained that same level since day one. Kinda boring, he gets one hit and then gets a walk now and then. Nothing too flashy outside of his one home run, just pretty average play on an everyday basis.

 

Freese keeps teasing us with big hits (remember, that's what the Angels got him for) and yet his batting average won't budge from the low .200's. He is good for one good hit every 5 at bats and then he screws that up by trying to take second base and kills his own rally.

 

CJ Crone, our DH that hits mostly 6th and 7th, had a .256 batting average last season and has improved to .259 but that is all dependent on his 4 hit game, otherwise he is hitting .200. Before anyone says batting average is not relevant to a power hitter, Crone's slugging percentage is .389.

 

Joyce... yeah, nuff said.

 

The only guy that really has his game in place is Calhoun. He started out the season hitting well, had a leg cramp for 2 games then  hit better. He is on a tear (I say that word with trepidation) and spends many games watching the third out from 2nd base as Trout, Pujols, Joyce or Freese does something terribly wrong in the batters box on a pitch a foot off the plate.

 

Collectively they are crap but remove Calhoun and they suddenly become completely worthless. I doubt the Angels win anything with Johnny G and his one hit a game and going to the bench is like adding water to a sinking boat. Something needs to change.

[Glen]

I doubt the Angels win anything with Pujols and Aybar and their 0.5 hits per game. Why are you focusing on Giavotella, who at least for the moment you can count on for one hit?

[fan_since79]

What bothers me is we really don't have much offensive depth in the minors. An abundance of pitching, but very little offense in waiting. And whatever happened to Kaleb Cowart? He fell off the deep end, it appears.

[Blarg]

I doubt the Angels win anything with Pujols and Aybar and their 0.5 hits per game. Why are you focusing on Giavotella, who at least for the moment you can count on for one hit?

 

You missed the point, remove Calhoun and Gia and his one hit is not winning any games by itself. So far those two guys are the only consistent players.

[sneaky_flute]

The Angels won't be this bad, but I think we're seeing a temporary paradigm shift in offense. Most lineups seem to be a mix of aging hitters and struggling prospects. There are also quite a few players in the league who are "overachieving." I'd be surprised if there were more than two above-average lineups in the AL by the end of the season. 

[Second Base]

That's the thing though, there IS offensive depth in AAA right now, the Angels just aren't using it.

Green just got promoted and has been effectively relegated to bench duty, which will kill the momentum he has.

Carlos Perez and Jett Bandy, still hitting and playing great defense. Chris Iannetta and Drew Butera, still not.

Kyle Kubitza is still hitting quite well, and Alex Yarbrough is beginning to heat up. Even Navarro is hitting the ball with consistent at bats.

So you see, there are lots of ways the Angeks could infuse some offense into their game, they're just unwilling.

[Blarg]

If you look closely at Bandy's career minor league stats he is a .260 hitter with a little pop. Perez is a .280 hitter with no pop. I have zero confidence that either would end up being an improvement over what we have unless they sub for Butera.

 

Navarro is a 4A player, nothing more than just bench filler until you find a better bench filler.

 

Yarborough is struggling in AAA to get a bat on the ball but even his minor league cumulative says a guy that strikes out a lot, walks seldom and has no real power.

 

Kyle Kubitkza is the only real prospect that could be an improvement on the roster. He is no Kris Bryant but may match David Freese in productivity but then again we already have David Freese in the lineup so Kyle would be fighting Grant Green and CJ Cron for playing time.

[Glen]

You missed the point, remove Calhoun and Gia and his one hit is not winning any games by itself. So far those two guys are the only consistent players.

 

 

There it is again.  You obtusely criticize Gia for getting "his one hit" and in this lineup that's literally his job - to get on base for the top of the order.  Of course "his one hit" is not winning any games.  He's the table-setter at the bottom of the order and one of the few guys who is doing his job at the plate.  Remove Gia and this offense is a lot worse.  It works both ways.

Edited April 29, 2015 by Glen

[nando714]

I'm surprised no one said

"It's April! "

[Lou]

F'n Billy Beane has out-Dipoto'd us again.

The A'th are 1/2 a game behind us in the standings

[Glen]

The A'th are 1/2 a game behind us in the standings

Good point. I hope it's still that way Friday.

[Chris]

apparently none of us are paying any attention

[Second Base]

If you look closely at Bandy's career minor league stats he is a .260 hitter with a little pop. Perez is a .280 hitter with no pop. I have zero confidence that either would end up being an improvement over what we have unless they sub for Butera.

 

Navarro is a 4A player, nothing more than just bench filler until you find a better bench filler.

 

Yarborough is struggling in AAA to get a bat on the ball but even his minor league cumulative says a guy that strikes out a lot, walks seldom and has no real power.

 

Kyle Kubitkza is the only real prospect that could be an improvement on the roster. He is no Kris Bryant but may match David Freese in productivity but then again we already have David Freese in the lineup so Kyle would be fighting Grant Green and CJ Cron for playing time.

 

And Eric, I think if you looked closely you'd relize the majority of what you said was either glass half empty or stats picked out to support your argument without ever painting the entire picture. We'll start with the first.

 

1. Bandy has always had "plus" raw power and athleticism.  But he could never get it to fully transfer over to the game.  He was too raw.  Sure, he might hit .250 but he wasn't reaching base or making hard contact.  Last year however, Bandy hit 13 home runs in only 93 games and reached base at a .348 clip. By comparison, Mike Trout hit 11 homers there in 91 games.  Dickey Stephens Park is one of the hardest parks to hit a dinger in, in all of minor league baseball.  Bandy showed that in AA last year for the first that time he can transfer that power into the game.  So how does this transfer to the majors? 

 

Bandy likely won't hit higher than .250 in the majors.  But we've seen a more refined approach that could lead to him reaching base more often, and also run into a few more homers.  The real prize here is his defense though.  He'd be among the best backstops in the majors already. Cat quick behind the plate, very intelligent, handles a staff well, good arm. So not only would he save runs in the field, he'd create more with his bat than Iannetta and Butera right now.  His likeliest of outcomes is probably similar to Iannetta, a patient, powerful platoon catcher.  Except Bandy's just a better defender. 

 

2. Carlos Perez has always been about a .280 hitter in the minors, you're right about that.  But what you leave out is that he annually posts some of the highest contact rates in the minor leagues and is a walks machine.  Sure, his career average is .280, but his career OBP is .360.  Perez's approach at the plate is the overused term "tries not to do too much".  He's great at that.  So how does it translate?

 

Quite well actually.  Perez may not hit any higher than .260 in the majors with weak contact.  But he will get on base quite frequently.  But as it is with Bandy, the real prize here is his defense.  He isn't as athletic as Bandy, but he has the same instincts and an even better arm.  The result is, he prevents runs more so than Iannetta or Butera, makes more contact than both and walks just as much as Iannetta. 

 

3. Navarro, yeah, you're actually right.  He's a AAAA player.  But the offense is scuffling, might as well give him a try if you can. 

 

4. Alex Yarbrough strikes out a ton?  That's weird, his contact rates actually fall in right around average at every level. Seldom walks, yeah, I'll give you that.  No real power?  I guess 53 extra base hits his first full year in the minors and 47 in the most pitcher friendly park in the minors means nothing.   Because you know Giavotella is an XBH machine. Yarbrough's power should match Kendrick's fairly well, with a few less HR's and a few more doubles, but I don't remember you complaining about Howie's lack of power.  You also make no mention that Yarbrough is a career .290 hitter coming from solely pitcher friendly home fields and is the reigning Texas League MVP.  But he is off to a slow start this year, and needs a full year in AAA before promotion.  But on the bright side he is hitting .270 across his last 10 games.  He'll be fine. 

 

5. Yes, Kyle Kubitza is good at hitting.  But he's mostly in AAA to improve his fielding at 3B. It's still a work in progress and they'll need his glove to be ready next year when Freese is no longer here. 

[Ohtaniland]

The A'th are 1/2 a game behind us in the standings

At 1/2 the salary.

[Lou]

who cares?

you don't get extra wins at the end of the season if your payroll is lower.

the owners have the money. it's on them

[Jay]

"obtusely"

 

are you really qualified to use that word around here?

[Blarg]

Scotty it is not a matter of the glass being half full or empty. It's what is in that glass that matters and you seem to be drunk on near beer.

[Ohtaniland]

who cares?

you don't get extra wins at the end of the season if your payroll is lower.

the owners have the money. it's on them

true

[tomsred]

The only thing I care about as a fan salary wise is do we have the opportunity to invest when opportunity knocks.