Kubitza

[TroutField]

Does anyone know why they haven't given him a shot with the big club yet? He seems to be hitting really well with the bee's seems like he could be plugged into the 2 hole and lengthen our lineup so we could put Calhoun back to lead off. Maybe they are trying to get Kubitza some refinement on the defensive side?

1. Calhoun RF

2 Kubitza 3B

3. Trout CF

4. Pujols 1B

5. Freese DH

6. Joyce (or hopefully new left fielder) LF

7. Perez C

8. Aybar SS

9 Giavotella 2B

[nate]

Is Kubitza a lefty?  Seems like Dipoto is obsessed with having a LHH DH.

[mulwin444]

He does bat lefty.  My understanding is his defense is questionable and he K's a lot for a guy with moderate power.  May not be an upgrade for what we currently have on the main squad.

[Sherlock31]

He does bat lefty.  My understanding is his defense is questionable and he K's a lot for a guy with moderate power.  May not be an upgrade for what we currently have on the main squad.

Can't be any worse

[mulwin444]

We use to say the same thing about Brandon Wood

[Jason]

He's young so it may not be wise to rush him.

[jsnpritchett]

He's young so it may not be wise to rush him.

 

He's not that young.  He turns 25 in a month, and this is his 5th year in the minors.

[Angelsjunky]

I think ScottyAllen covered this quite well. The Angels are in a bit of a bind with Kubitza. While his bat could help the big league club at DH or 3B, he needs more defensive work in the minors and isn't quite ready to be an everyday third baseman in the majors. If the Angels brought him up to DH, which would probably help the offense a bit, they'd be messing with his development as a third baseman, which is where they need him long-term. Right now he really just needs innings at 3B.

 

That said, if they don't make any other moves to bring in a bat or two, I wouldn't be surprised to see Kubtiza up after the break at some point.

[Blarg]

Freese is not a defensive wizard at 3rd base and it is an over rated demand for the position. The Angels have had a variety of third basemen over the last 10 seasons, some were just adequate with the glove. Right now replacing Freese doesn't require a player with mad skills with the glove.

 

Platooning Kubitza with Freese at 3rd base should be plenty of on the field time for him to adjust to the level of play at the major league level. Idling the summer away waiting for the perfect rookie to call up is wasting everyone's time. No player walks from the minors and majors and has their game perfectly in order and that included Trout. But no player can adjust to this level sitting in AAA taking reps against lower level talent when they are reaching the point where it is sink or swim for their career.

 

Putting Kubitza on 3rd and DHing Freese takes Cron's woefully impotent bat out of the lineup and needs no shuffling of players to make the change. Although I do believe Calhoun is a fish out of water batting outside of leadoff and could easily go back to that role I wouldn't think of putting Kubitza 2nd in the order until he proves he can hit at this level.  

[Erstad Grit]

We started trumbo at 3rd, I don't want to hear that he can hit but his d is not ready.

[Second Base]

The Angels in general are kind of in a bind.  The team is wagering on Cron being a power bat in the 1B/DH role in the future, but knew going in that because of his approach, he'd have tot take his lumps at the major league level before settling in.  He was pretty decent in his first go-around last year, hitting .250 with power.  That's what you'd expect from a player in his first stint that'll eventually be a .270 25+ HR hitter.  But I seriously doubt any envisioned him struggling as much as he has this year.

 

So that leaves the Angels with a couple alternatives.  One, you keep rolling Cron out there with the idea that it'll eventually click with him, or you find someone else to DH and call the Cron experiment a failure.  I don't think the Angels are prepared for option 2 yet, and so we aren't likely to see Kubitza promoted, and that's for a few different reasons. 

 

The first being his future at 3B, they want to give him as much development time at 3B as possible and he's really made some huge strides since the beginning of the year.  The second, they simply want to delay Kubitza's clock, have as much team control as possible.  And the third, if the Angels did promote Kubitza, it's likely he'd be playing 3B in the majors, so that he'll continue to improve in that aspect, but this would mean Freese at DH, which means Cron in AAA or on the bench. 

 

You also have to figure that Kubitza, who has been solid in AAA likely won't be the impact bat that changes the direction of the Angels offense.  Yeah he's left handed, gets on base and can run a little, but he also likely wouldn't hit for average in his first go-around, has some swing and miss to his game, and wouldn't be a run producer yet.  So while I feel it's likely he'll hit .270/.350 with 35 DB 10 HR and 15 SB on an annual basis, it isn't likely he's that player right off the bat.  It might take a year or two. 

 

Just like it might take a year or two with Cron. 

[Troll Daddy]

Freese is the veteran presence that this team needs at third base. I think the guy has been solid defensively and offensively.

I have no interest in seeing Kabitza at third base this season unless Freese is injured ... ok, get his butt up here. Please no Featherston!

[Hollyw00d]

If kubitza is bad defensively, he has almost no value. He strikes out a ton, has little power, and wont make enough contact to get on base at an above average rate.

It appears his ceiling is Alberto callaspo with a lot more strikeouts and a worse glove

[tdawg87]

If kubitza is bad defensively, he has almost no value. He strikes out a ton, has little power, and wont make enough contact to get on base at an above average rate.

It appears his ceiling is Alberto callaspo with a lot more strikeouts and a worse glove

 

You also said Kris Bryant would be Adam Dunn.

[Hollyw00d]

Give it time. Bryant's been lucky with babip, if that comes back to earth his slash line will look very dunn-like

[QuinlansMinion]

Kubitza and Moncada will be our mid season splashes.

[Second Base]

If kubitza is bad defensively, he has almost no value. He strikes out a ton, has little power, and wont make enough contact to get on base at an above average rate.

It appears his ceiling is Alberto callaspo with a lot more strikeouts and a worse glove

 

He isn't bad defensively, he's simply unrefined.  He could step in and play defense near Freese's level right now.  But his defense isn't where his ability level dictates.  And by that I mean, Kubitza is very likely going to be a good defneisve 3B someday.  He's quick, has great range for a 3B and a good arm.  His footwork is a work in progress and his glove is improving.  But in order to reach this level, he needs development time, proper coaching and MLB experience.  We're giving him the development time and proper coaching.  Next year, he'll begin the MLB experience portion of his journey. 

 

Another area where he's likely to improve, power.  He's leading the PCL in doubles and has generally been near the top of his league the past couple years.  But he's a big, strong, LH kid with a natural uppercut.  With that type of approach, it's possible that one year, things are just going to click for him and he'll go from hitting 40 DB and 10 HR's to 30 DB and 20 HR's.

[Mark68]

Kubitza's marinating in Salt Lake to be the everyday 3B starting 2016.

[Hollyw00d]

so, to the important stuff... What his nickname?

Kubby? Pronounced like cubby or cubey?

Bitty?

Bitzie?

Kylie?

[ELEVEN]

Kubitza was called up while we were all in here kibbitzing.

[OregonLAA]

What were his numbers in AAA? I don't want to look somewhere else

Edited June 10, 2015 by OregonLAA

[tdawg87]

What were his numbers in AAA? I'm don't want to look somewhere else

 

Decent. .287 AVG .814 OPS. Great gap power. Strikes out a ton but also walks a decent amount.

[Hollyw00d]

280ish average, 10%ish walk rate, 25% K rate, 3 home runs, .470ish slugging in over 200 PAs in SLC

[OregonLAA]

Gracias. Im excited to see how he does. Those type of hitters seem to translate to the majors better

[nate]

K rate really worries me.  Still, looking forward to what he can do.  Hopefully his D is at least adequate with Freese injured.