Early results show tremendous signs from the Rendon effect

[Chuck]

 

I will also add that if Fletcher continues his awesomeness, La Stella proves that his 2019 season was no fluke & Ohtani continues to hit the way he has recently and the way we know he can this is going to be one hell of an offensive force.

I mean, Castro and Stassi have what 6 home runs between them already. That would be a pace of nearly 40 HR in a regular season from the two.

Goodwin seems to have also shown that like La Stella his 2019 was no fluke as well.

Now if we can just get production out of one of Adell or Upton, this may become the best lineup in baseball. Even Pujols hasn't been too shabby! 

[Warfarin]

Great post.  Yeah - the way I see it, we have above average to elite offense at 6 lineup positions - SS, 2B, CF, 3B, DH, and C.  1B will likely always be below average.  The questionable spots are RF and LF.  A Goodwin/Upton LF platoon seems like it could be average.  RF is the great unknown, but I am guessing it'll be below average for now, as Adell has shown he takes time to adjust to every level, and obviously, the leap from AAA to MLB is the hardest leap of all.

Still - I'll happily take what we have now.  Our lineup has some weaknesses, but not many, and we have some elite producing spots too to balance it out.  Our SP looks to be better than we imagined, even without Ohtani.  The bullpen will be the key thing moving forward.

[PattyD22]

36 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

 

I will also add that if Fletcher co continues to Fletch, La Stella proves that his 2019 season was no fluke & Ohtani continues to hit the way he has recently and the way we know he can this is going to be one hell of an offensive force.

I mean, Castro and Stassi have what 6 home runs between them already. That would be a pace of nearly 40 HR in a regular season from the two.

Goodwin seems to have also shown that like La Stella his 2019 was no fluke as well.

Now if we can just get production out of one of Adell or Upton, this may become the best lineup in baseball. Even Pujols hasn't been too shabby! 

The question to be asked in the next week or so is this?  What happens when Simmons comes back?  It will appear that LaStella would be the odd man out, and from what we’ve seen the last 2 weeks, LaStella is a guy who needs regular at bats to stay in a rhythm.

Obviously Simmons will be inserted back into the starting line up, but as we’ve seen the last 2 games, this line up (except for Upton) can potentially be an ass kicker.

I hope Simmons can revert back to his early 2019 ways and stop trying to be a dead pull hitter like Pujols.  When he uses all fields, he can be an amazing hitter.

[Chuck]

3 minutes ago, PattyD22 said:

The question to be asked in the next week or so is this?  What happens when Simmons comes back?  It will appear that LaStella would be the odd man out, and from what we’ve seen the last 2 weeks, LaStella is a guy who needs regular at bats to stay in a rhythm.

Obviously Simmons will be inserted back into the starting line up, but as we’ve seen the last 2 games, this line up (except for Upton) can potentially be an ass kicker.

I hope Simmons can revert back to his early 2019 ways and stop trying to be a dead pull hitter like Pujols.  When he uses all fields, he can be an amazing hitter.

I've wondered about that as well @PattyD22.

I hope that we see a strict yet favorable platoon of La Stella and Pujols at 1B with some off days for Simmons at SS, having Fletcher play the position, La Stella at 2B and Pujols at 1B. 

Simmons approach at the plate and his swing has looked ugly since the time you noted last season through this year. 

[Warfarin]

4 minutes ago, Chuckster70 said:

I've wondered about that as well @PattyD22.

I hope that we see a strict yet favorable platoon of La Stella and Pujols at 1B with some off days for Simmons at SS, having Fletcher play the position, La Stella at 2B and Pujols at 1B. 

Simmons approach at the plate and his swing has looked ugly since the time you noted last season through this year. 

This is what I think/hope as well.  LaStella should still get the majority of the starts.  He serve as the strong-side of the platoon at 1B, then kick over to 2B when Simba needs a day off (with Fletch at SS).  LaStella should be starting 5-6 games per week at least, while sitting against a tough lefty matchup.

Simba's offensive approach is tough to watch, but he does provide elite SS defense which holds a lot of value.  I would not re-sign him after this year is over, but since he's here for now, we might as well utilize what he brings.

[Warfarin]

I'll add the following - once Simba returns, and IF Adell can adjust enough such that he can perhaps produce a ~800-850 OPS, a more ideal lineup for us would be:

Fletcher 2B, LaStella 1B, Trout CF, Rendon 3B, Ohtani DH, Adell RF, Castro C, Simba SS, Goodwin LF.

Obviously Pujols will still play and get a significant amount of starts, but if I were to just construct a "playoff" lineup based off of who we have, that's probably what I'd roll with, assuming the above conditions (re: Simba/Adell).

[Angel Oracle]

1 hour ago, PattyD22 said:

The question to be asked in the next week or so is this?  What happens when Simmons comes back?  It will appear that LaStella would be the odd man out, and from what we’ve seen the last 2 weeks, LaStella is a guy who needs regular at bats to stay in a rhythm.

Obviously Simmons will be inserted back into the starting line up, but as we’ve seen the last 2 games, this line up (except for Upton) can potentially be an ass kicker.

I hope Simmons can revert back to his early 2019 ways and stop trying to be a dead pull hitter like Pujols.  When he uses all fields, he can be an amazing hitter.

I would keep LaStella at 2B when Simba returns, and move Fletcher to LF?   Upton can't field, and his hitting is very spotty since 2019.  When a tougher LHP starts, put Fletcher at 2B and have Upton instead of Ohtani as DH or Upton in LF?    

LaStella just doesn't seem to have a feel for 1B, beyond giving Pujols days off here and there. 

Edited August 12, 2020 by Angel Oracle

[Chuck]

1 hour ago, Angel Oracle said:

I would keep LaStella at 2B when Simba returns, and move Fletcher to LF?   Upton can't field, and his hitting is very spotty since 2019.  When a tougher LHP starts, put Fletcher at 2B and have Upton instead of Ohtani as DH or Upton in LF?    

LaStella just doesn't seem to have a feel for 1B, beyond giving Pujols days off here and there. 

Fletcher to LF or RF (wherever he feels more comfortable) makes a lot of sense @Angel Oracle, but I'd really like to go with Goodwin in a full-time scenario because he mashes lefties as well as righties and if anything split time with Adell and Upton in the outfield. Adell should be getting the bulk of the at bats if he can build off of his 2-hit game on Monday that saw him not chasing sliders outside of the zone and taking the ball up the middle. 

[Chuck]

Another game, another home run by Rendon and Trout! 

[ukyah]

while i understand the desire to put fletcher in the OF. i think it weakens the infield defense a lot, which is a greater concern imo.

[kevinb]

I don’t know this answer so I’m asking. What is Adell supposed to be batting wise? Lead off hitter? Middle of the order slugger? Back of the line up second lead off hitter? 

[Angel Oracle]

8 hours ago, Kevinb said:

I don’t know this answer so I’m asking. What is Adell supposed to be batting wise? Lead off hitter? Middle of the order slugger? Back of the line up second lead off hitter? 

At this point, the latter; hopefully in a year or two, one of the other two options.

[mmc]

Boy I hope Arte plans on spending big on one of the elite shortstops available in 2021-22 free agency.  Could you imagine an infield of Rendon, Fletcher, Story/Baez/Seager/Lindor, and whoever the hell replaces Pujols (automatically an upgrade) at 1B? 

[Stradling]

I think you’ll be able to sign Seaver for less than $100 million.  Just hurt too often.  Correa May be in the same group. 

[Blarg]

After his equally bad start at the plate as Rendon, Ohtani over the last 7 games has hit .280/.400/.600/1.000. It coindices with him being relieved of his pitching duties. Maybe his future is to don a first basebamn glove and learn the craft from Pujols over this and the next season. 

 

[Blarg]

Over the last 7 games Rendon is hitting .217/.419/.609/1.028. His batting average has sucked but maybe if they slide him into the #2 spot and Ohtani after Trout in the #4 he might get more pitches to hit while Trout still has someone behind him that can whack the ball. I have to say I do like Trout hitting 3rd in the lineup provided those ahead of him can get on base. Rendon does have a history of both getting on baseband putting the ball in play. 

[GrittyVeterans]

48 minutes ago, Stradling said:

I think you’ll be able to sign Seaver for less than $100 million.  Just hurt too often.  Correa May be in the same group. 

I’d be stunned by that, particularly with Correa. 
I think he’ll get at least what Rendon got but maybe I’m crazy

[oldguy]

On 8/12/2020 at 8:44 AM, Warfarin said:

Great post.  Yeah - the way I see it, we have above average to elite offense at 6 lineup positions - SS, 2B, CF, 3B, DH, and C.  1B will likely always be below average.  The questionable spots are RF and LF.  A Goodwin/Upton LF platoon seems like it could be average.  RF is the great unknown, but I am guessing it'll be below average for now, as Adell has shown he takes time to adjust to every level, and obviously, the leap from AAA to MLB is the hardest leap of all.

Still - I'll happily take what we have now.  Our lineup has some weaknesses, but not many, and we have some elite producing spots too to balance it out.  Our SP looks to be better than we imagined, even without Ohtani.  The bullpen will be the key thing moving forward.

Why would Upton EVER play is Goodwin is healthy??

[Angel Oracle]

2 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

I’d be stunned by that, particularly with Correa. 
I think he’ll get at least what Rendon got but maybe I’m crazy

Correa has back issues, not a good thing for an INF.

He averaged only 98 games over the previous 3 seasons.  Rendon has averaged 143 games in that time. 

Based on that, any owner would be crazy to pay him more than 5-6 years/$22 million per year 

Edited August 13, 2020 by Angel Oracle

[Stradling]

3 hours ago, GrittyVeterans said:

I’d be stunned by that, particularly with Correa. 
I think he’ll get at least what Rendon got but maybe I’m crazy

Well he plays about 105-110 games a year. 

[Angelsjunky]

5 hours ago, Stradling said:

I think you’ll be able to sign Seaver for less than $100 million.  Just hurt too often.  Correa May be in the same group. 

I think Seaver could be signed for quite a bit less than that, given that he's 75 years old. Not sure he still has what it takes to be a major league starter, though.

[Angelsjunky]

14 hours ago, Kevinb said:

I don’t know this answer so I’m asking. What is Adell supposed to be batting wise? Lead off hitter? Middle of the order slugger? Back of the line up second lead off hitter? 

Adell has big time power and speed, so could be a 30-30 guy, or at least 30-20, as he may still bulk up a bit. A floor projection would be something like Marcell Ozuna, but he has greater upside. Best-case scenario and hits something like .290/.350/.550 with 40 HR and 25 SB in his prime. The big question mark is whether he can develop plate discipline - I think he can, it just might take a bit of time. 

[Angelsjunky]

Rendon has such a weird line right now: .180/.406/.440. That .152 BABIP points to a lot of bad luck. He's still 20th in the majors in WAR.

[failos]

Rendong will be fine.

[kevinb]

8 hours ago, Angelsjunky said:

Adell has big time power and speed, so could be a 30-30 guy, or at least 30-20, as he may still bulk up a bit. A floor projection would be something like Marcell Ozuna, but he has greater upside. Best-case scenario and hits something like .290/.350/.550 with 40 HR and 25 SB in his prime. The big question mark is whether he can develop plate discipline - I think he can, it just might take a bit of time. 

I think Adell is a super star in the making. I just don’t know what that means in the line up projection. Is that a number two hitter kind of guy to bat in front of trout or someone to clean up when trout gets on base. I just don’t know. Here’s hoping he’s that middle of the order. Fletcher Adell Trout Rendon Ohtani LaStella would be an incredible middle of the order.