Twins 6, Guardians 3: Matt Wallner Conquers Apple TV+

[USAFChief]

Just now, Brock Beauchamp said:

To be clear, I would not pinch-hit quite as aggressively as Baldelli. But I agree with him maybe… 80% of the time? And at that point, I’m splitting hairs. 

242 PAs of .640 OPS.

That's not splitting hairs. That's actively damaging the offense.

And don't even get me started on the defense. 

[bean5302]

10 hours ago, Schmoeman5 said:

OK. Whatever you say. His OPS. 1.059 now but where was that in April? One of the top hitters in all of baseball over his past 2 seasons. Top what? 50, 100, Where was that last Sept and Oct? He's doing well. Enjoy it. Lewis and Wallner just may become stars. Wallner is questionable because as long as Rocco is the coach, his opportunities will be limited to hitting right handers. Even after his homer. He still got ph for.

Sure. Of the 376 hitters in MLB with 350+ PA in the past 2 years, Matt Wallner ranks 8th (top 2%). 350 PA, all connected together, including hot streaks and slumps, is not a small sample size. It's not ideally large, but it's getting pretty significant.

Where was Wallner in his 33 plate appearances out of the gate this year? He was getting called 3rd strikes on pitches 3" out of the strike zone. He was slumping. Where was Aaron Judge in his 35 plate appearances between 7/3-711? .129/.229/.129 OPS .358 wRC+ 12. Slumps happen. Wallner is 26.

Where was Wallner in Sept/Oct last year? Just hitting .284/.411/.514 OPS .925 wRC+ 157.

Just 1 position player qualified last year. Carlos Correa.

Just 2 position players may qualify this year. Only switch hitters Castro and Santana need apply. If you're a RHB or LHB and you aren't on a contract for $15MM+ per year with the Twins, do not expect to play every day. 
 

[joefish]

I thought Lewis had a bad day. He looked bad all over the field. In every phase.

[CCHOF5yearstoolate]

3 hours ago, jorgenswest said:

I listened to postgame. Rocco said it was a good play and wasn’t close. Still wonder if they were told to pay attention to that positioning and be aggressive as Vazquez and  Castro were. That would still make it something they did in their own rather than called from the dugout. That is more about preparation.

Wait a second, I thought Rocco teams were horribly coached? 

[USAFChief]

5 minutes ago, joefish said:

I though Lewis had a bad day. He looked bad all over the field. In every phase.

Being at both ends of the doubleheader, I'm pretty positive Lewis isn't 100 percent healthy. He doesn't run anywhere near full speed. 

[Schmoeman5]

4 hours ago, Brock Beauchamp said:

 

Manuel Margot is better against left-handed pitching than a first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the best pure hitters of the past 30 years.

 

Total nonsense.  2 outs bottom of the 9th scenario. Left hander on the mound  You, Brock Beauchamp have all this info. Who are you going to hit? You want to go with that precious data that's right in front of you. 100.00 to a donut you go with Mauer.  

[Schmoeman5]

38 minutes ago, CCHOF5yearstoolate said:

Wait a second, I thought Rocco teams were horribly coached? 

Even a blind Squirrel...

[Schmoeman5]

1 hour ago, bean5302 said:

Varland allowed 8 hits in 4.2 innings. If the plays were so egregiously bad, they would have been ruled an error. I didn't see any "plays that should have been made."

Are you talking about the very difficult play where Ramirez singled off the glove of Castro, just multiplying that one play x4? Castro managed to get a glove on it with a 100% effort dive running the opposite way. He got a lot of glove on the ball, it should have been caught. That said, Ramirez is a pretty fast runner. Even if Castro manages to grab that medium speed grounder, to then get up, spin, and make a 110 foot throw and still nab Ramirez? Most players without Carlos Correa's arm have little chance at that. Castro had already made a heck of a nice play fielding a hopper that bounced over Varland's head which could have been a hit earlier in the game.

I disagree. You'd make a great official scorer.

[yeahyabetcha]

13 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Total nonsense.  2 outs bottom of the 9th scenario.  You, Brock Beauchamp have all this info. Who are you going to hit? You want to go with that precious data that's right in front of you. 100.00 to a donut you go with Mauer.  

Not for Joe Mayer, but for Randy Bush, yes.  It is ok to have Margot and Wallner both on the active roster.  They both have value.

[Schmoeman5]

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Sure. Of the 376 hitters in MLB with 350+ PA in the past 2 years, Matt Wallner ranks 8th (top 2%). 350 PA, all connected together, including hot streaks and slumps, is not a small sample size. It's not ideally large, but it's getting pretty significant.

Where was Wallner in his 33 plate appearances out of the gate this year? He was getting called 3rd strikes on pitches 3" out of the strike zone. He was slumping. Where was Aaron Judge in his 35 plate appearances between 7/3-711? .129/.229/.129 OPS .358 wRC+ 12. Slumps happen. Wallner is 26.

Where was Wallner in Sept/Oct last year? Just hitting .284/.411/.514 OPS .925 wRC+ 157.

Just 1 position player qualified last year. Carlos Correa.

Just 2 position players may qualify this year. Only switch hitters Castro and Santana need apply. If you're a RHB or LHB and you aren't on a contract for $15MM+ per year with the Twins, do not expect to play every day. 
 

350 PA spread over 2 years. 350 PA equals 1/2 a season. STOP with all your statistical mumbo jumbo. When he can do what Betts or Freeman or Judge or Soto or Seager or Ohtani or Harper do year after year after year. I acknowledged he's done well. Is it SUSTAINABLE? Until then. Bull. And let's blame the umps for that start. He was still struggling for a month at AAA where they have robo umps. 

[Schmoeman5]

7 minutes ago, yeahyabetcha said:

Not for Joe Mayer, but for Randy Bush, yes.  It is ok to have Margot and Wallner both on the active roster.  They both have value.

He explicitly said Margot was better than Mauer. 

[HarmonK03]

16 minutes ago, yeahyabetcha said:

 It is ok to have Margot and Wallner both on the active roster.  They both have value.

Only if they are used correctly.  Margot should be playing once or twice a week, Wallner should be playing every day.

[bean5302]

11 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

...You'd make a great official scorer...

Thanks! Only the highly dedicated professionals are good enough to be paid employees of MLB and keep their positions despite their calls being reviewed and open to official complaints. Official scorers are required to have in depth knowledge of MLB rules, and every city has to have at least 1 official scorer attend meetings to review controversial calls and discuss plays. It seems like an underpaid and under appreciated profession. I don't think I'm up to that level of commitment, though.

[bean5302]

17 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

...STOP with all you statistical mumbo jumbo...

You're right. Sorry I brought stats into the equation. Your personal opinion of players you like or dislike is a far more acceptable basis of evaluating player value.

[Schmoeman5]

2 hours ago, bean5302 said:

Varland allowed 8 hits in 4.2 innings. If the plays were so egregiously bad, they would have been ruled an error. I didn't see any "plays that should have been made."

Are you talking about the very difficult play where Ramirez singled off the glove of Castro, just multiplying that one play x4? Castro managed to get a glove on it with a 100% effort dive running the opposite way. He got a lot of glove on the ball, it should have been caught. That said, Ramirez is a pretty fast runner. Even if Castro manages to grab that medium speed grounder, to then get up, spin, and make a 110 foot throw and still nab Ramirez? Most players without Carlos Correa's arm have little chance at that. Castro had already made a heck of a nice play fielding a hopper that bounced over Varland's head which could have been a hit earlier in the game.

Castro 1 error Lewis 2 errors Kepler 1 error. And when you come back with that Keplers play was difficult. I ask you this. Was that play more difficult than the play he made in game 1? E9 sorry. That was Kwan. 3 outs in the 5th No scoring

[Schmoeman5]

2 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

You're right. Sorry I brought stats into the equation. Your personal opinion of players you like or dislike is a far more acceptable basis of evaluating player value.

I don't dislike anyone. I'm also not enamored by the home town boy.

[Schmoeman5]

6 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

Thanks! Only the highly dedicated professionals are good enough to be paid employees of MLB and keep their positions despite their calls being reviewed and open to official complaints. Official scorers are required to have in depth knowledge of MLB rules, and every city has to have at least 1 official scorer attend meetings to review controversial calls and discuss plays. It seems like an underpaid and under appreciated profession. I don't think I'm up to that level of commitment, though.

It also used to be unbiased. Errors are not given to the home team so as to not hurt their defensive metrics. They're also not given so freely to opponents so as to help the home teams offensive stats. 🙄 

[Schmoeman5]

11 minutes ago, bean5302 said:

You're right. Sorry I brought stats into the equation. Your personal opinion of players you like or dislike is a far more acceptable basis of evaluating player value.

And you have a habit of chopping quotes. Leave in all text that relates. I said mumbo jumbo stats because you're using 350 PA to make your claims relevant. I responded with let's see him do it year after year before I make the claim you made.

[yeahyabetcha]

44 minutes ago, Schmoeman5 said:

He explicitly said Margot was better than Mauer. 

I think you misunderstand his point.

[yeahyabetcha]

37 minutes ago, karcherd said:

Only if they are used correctly.  Margot should be playing once or twice a week, Wallner should be playing every day.

Every day, as in never takes a day off?  Or should he get a day off against a lefty starter?   Or if he is a massive slump like he started the season?

[gbg]

I'd hate to see how angry this board would be if we'd been swept instead of doing the sweeping...

[HarmonK03]

46 minutes ago, yeahyabetcha said:

Every day, as in never takes a day off?  Or should he get a day off against a lefty starter?   Or if he is a massive slump like he started the season?

Certain lefty starters, not every one you give them a day off.  Give your every day players an occasional day off and let them play the whole game.  This obsession with lefty pitching is getting over the top.  You can't play for every match up that is why you play your best players and Margot is not one of them.

[yeahyabetcha]

13 minutes ago, karcherd said:

Certain lefty starters, not every one you give them a day off.  Give your every day players an occasional day off and let them play the whole game.  This obsession with lefty pitching is getting over the top.  You can't play for every match up that is why you play your best players and Margot is not one of them.

Margot is likely one of the three top outfielder options against a left handed starter.  I do agree that pitch hitting so early in a game doesn’t make alot of sense.

[HarmonK03]

59 minutes ago, yeahyabetcha said:

Margot is likely one of the three top outfielder options against a left handed starter.  I do agree that pitch hitting so early in a game doesn’t make alot of sense.

Actually our top three top outfield options are Buxton, Kepler and Wallner and they should be starting regardless of who is on the mound on a regular basis.

[yeahyabetcha]

51 minutes ago, karcherd said:

Actually our top three top outfield options are Buxton, Kepler and Wallner and they should be starting regardless of who is on the mound on a regular basis.

Not against a lefty starter 

[JD-TWINS]

10 hours ago, Riverbrian said:

Dear JD-Twins

I’m Happy about the sweep. My comment is about Wallner who is ****ing hot. 
 

Manual Margot has a .726 OPS against left handers. I think Wallner can beat that if given the chance. 
 

What is your definition of crushes? 

 

 

Since June he’s hitting well over .320 v. LH pitchers. Going into the game he was hitting .319 v. LH pitching when leading off.

I get the enthusiasm about Wallner - exciting to watch him in the box. His K rate since coming back is 36+ % …….this is while essentially only having him face RH pitching. The curiosity for what Wallner “might do” and suggesting you’ll wager on the OPS points is all great but it’s just supposition - it will remain supposition because try aren’t going to push Wallner out in front of LH pitching regularly. From memory, in his first 68 AB’s v. LH pitching over first 3 years he’s hit around .115. Wish thinking stuff or offering to bet on it doesn’t do anything for me personally.

[JD-TWINS]

3 hours ago, karcherd said:

Actually our top three top outfield options are Buxton, Kepler and Wallner and they should be starting regardless of who is on the mound on a regular basis.

On what basis?

[tony&rodney]

13 hours ago, arby58 said:

The bats haven't been the problem - Twins are 4th in the AL in runs scored. Pitching is the problem - 10th in the AL in ERA.

Are you watching the same team as I am or just looking at stats?

[Brock Beauchamp]

9 hours ago, Schmoeman5 said:

Total nonsense.  2 outs bottom of the 9th scenario. Left hander on the mound  You, Brock Beauchamp have all this info. Who are you going to hit? You want to go with that precious data that's right in front of you. 100.00 to a donut you go with Mauer.  

That's not what I was saying and you know it. Listen, I'll say this once. You've made it clear you dislike me immensely. Just go ahead and ignore me and I will do the same for you, everyone will be the better for it.

[HarmonK03]

10 hours ago, JD-TWINS said:

On what basis?

On an everyday basis, quit being obsessed with who is pitching and what arm they throw with.