Can Edouard Julien Overcome His Dire Platoon Weakness?

[Fatbat]

40 minutes ago, RpR said:

If he is that desperate, he should not have left AAA.

Its not desperation, its that psychological brain development that tells people, I’ve succeeded before at this in high stress, this next time its going to be easier with an even better outcome. Rocco simply set that experience building to the side and told the rookie to sit down, let my crappy hitting last guy on the bench take 3 swings at it. I think thats a bad message to send and doesn’t help the team long term. Player development helps the team every time its tried. 

[Woof Bronzer]

10 hours ago, Seth Stohs said:

All anyone has to do is look at the chart and realize that in that instance, the move makes sense (2 outs in the 9th, down a run). . 

If the job is to just read a chart they'd just pay you or me to do it, for much less than they pay Rocco :)

[USAFChief]

5 hours ago, tony&rodney said:

Farmer was not stealing a base. He was going on the belief that Julien would make contact on a strike or take a ball. Thus it is a run and hit.

 

Not to belabor this....ok I'll belabor it.

It's not a hit and run. The count was 3-2. Baldelli put the runner in motion in an attempt to avoid the DP. He trusts the hitter to either swing and make contact, or take ball four. Ot maybe get lucky and get a stolen base on strike 3.

A hit and run is given on counts of less than 2 strikes, often 1-0 or 2-1 where there is a high probability of a strike, because the hitter doesn't have the option of taking the pitch. He's expected to swing to protect the runner, preferably by hitting behind the runner to RF.

The plays are different. A runner in motion on 3-2 is not a hit and run play. Similarly runners in force out situations taking off on a 3-2 pitch with 2 out aren't executing a H&R either. 

 

[Nine of twelve]

It’s the classic dilemma. He can’t face lefties because he doesn’t have experience and he can’t get experience because he doesn’t face lefties. The obvious solution is to get experience in low leverage situations. The ninth inning of the game against Tampa Bay was not that. 

[RpR]

8 hours ago, Nine of twelve said:

It’s the classic dilemma. He can’t face lefties because he doesn’t have experience and he can’t get experience because he doesn’t face lefties. The obvious solution is to get experience in low leverage situations. The ninth inning of the game against Tampa Bay was not that. 

Maybe he can't hit lefties because he simply cannot do it , period.

[LA Vikes Fan]

Guys, it is waaaaay too early to reach any meaningful conclusions about how Julien will hit against LH pitching over his career. He's had the princely sum of 43 Abs against LH pitching in the Bigs.  The kid is all of 24 years old.  Nor is now the time to "give him a chance" against LH pitching given that his slash line in those 43 ABs is .209/.209/.233 (.442).  This team should be in the playoffs with a chance to win a series. Rocco is absolutely correct to play for TODAY. That means swapping out Julien for Solano (or Farmer) when a LH pitcher comes in to improve our chances of winning today. The Vazquez pinch hitting spot was an anomaly because Correa needed a full day off. That won't happen in the playoffs.   

Spring training and the early regular season next year is the time to work on Julien's hitting against LH pitching and, for that matter, the same is true for Kirilloff and Wallner too. They do need experience against major league lefties in game situations; but they don't need it in September or October, 2023.  Early 2024 is just as good if not better - less pressure and facing better pitching before injuries and time take their toll on opposing staffs. Solano is 35 - will he be back next year at age 36 and, if he is, will he be able to repeat the career year he's having in 2023? Gallo will be gone if there is a God. Polanco will be on his last year or two and will be on the IL once or twice in 2024. All of these guys will get a chance against LH pitching next year. It just won't be now. Once they get the next 200 plus ABs against LH pitching over 2024 and 2025 we can get a better handle on whether they can improve against good LH pitching (I think Wallner already is). You're right, we need to give them that opportunity. We just don't need to give it to them now while we're trying to win a division and make some noise in the playoffs.   

[Mike Sixel]

9 minutes ago, LA VIkes Fan said:

Guys, it is waaaaay too early to reach any meaningful conclusions about how Julien will hit against LH pitching over his career. He's had the princely sum of 43 Abs against LH pitching in the Bigs.  The kid is all of 24 years old.  Nor is now the time to "give him a chance" against LH pitching given that his slash line in those 43 ABs is .209/.209/.233 (.442).  This team should be in the playoffs with a chance to win a series. Rocco is absolutely correct to play for TODAY. That means swapping out Julien for Solano (or Farmer) when a LH pitcher comes in to improve our chances of winning today. The Vazquez pinch hitting spot was an anomaly because Correa needed a full day off. That won't happen in the playoffs.   

Spring training and the early regular season next year is the time to work on Julien's hitting against LH pitching and, for that matter, the same is true for Kirilloff and Wallner too. They do need experience against major league lefties in game situations; but they don't need it in September or October, 2023.  Early 2024 is just as good if not better - less pressure and facing better pitching before injuries and time take their toll on opposing staffs. Solano is 35 - will he be back next year at age 36 and, if he is, will he be able to repeat the career year he's having in 2023? Gallo will be gone if there is a God. Polanco will be on his last year or two and will be on the IL once or twice in 2024. All of these guys will get a chance against LH pitching next year. It just won't be now. Once they get the next 200 plus ABs against LH pitching over 2024 and 2025 we can get a better handle on whether they can improve against good LH pitching (I think Wallner already is). You're right, we need to give them that opportunity. We just don't need to give it to them now while we're trying to win a division and make some noise in the playoffs.   

There's less pressure now than next year. They've already won the division this year. 

[LA Vikes Fan]

I have to admit I'm in the fearful Minnesota sports camp of not believing we've "won" anything until it actually happens. Once we clinch, I'm right there with you - give Julien, Kirilloff, and Wallner all the ABs they can handle against LH pitching as long as we can find enough ABs for Solano and Famer to keep them on rhythm for the playoffs. I would shut down Correa once we clinch and play Farmer every day at SS so Correa can refresh, give Lewis a day off here or there with Polanco at 3B, etc. 

The Angels are starting 3 LHs this coming weekend and all 3 of them are average or better - Anderson, Detmers and Sandoval. I hope we can reduce the magic number to 2 or 3 against Concy and then the young LH hitters can hit against those 3 guys. 

[Fatbat]

With a magic # of six and any combination of a twin win or a cleveland loss in 24 games to play between both clubs puts the twins in the playoffs.  We literally would have to lose 12 and Cleveland win 7 of 12 for them to be central camps. No way that would happen same as if they went 12-0 and we went 5-7.  Stick a fork in the season already. Its over.