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How was Delmon Young ever considered one of the best prospects in baseball?

Tcfba_tiny by strums on

For starters he is a brutal fielder, he has a good arm but unfortunately you need to get the ball first to show off arm strength.  He's semi-bobbled every other ball this year, not counting when he completely missed it.  So as far as fielding I can't see how anyone rated him high on those skills.

As far as hitting - he can make some occasional contact with the ball but his approach is not MLB material.  He has had quite a few games where he has gone something like 1-4 facing a total 5 or 6 pitches for the game.  His swing is somewhat feeble, loaded on his front side too early and swinging all wrists.  Hence the zero home runs. 

So my question is, what did all the so-called experts see in this guy?

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I get the point

Maybe it is still too early to judge, but from what I’ve seen I don’t know what would make anyone project him as the #1 prospect if he looked anything like he does now at an earlier point in his career.

There is nothing in his game that would make me say, “ya know, he’s hitting .270 with no power right now but you can tell he’s gonna be a superstar someday.”

"Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."

by strums on Jun 29, 2008 2:09 PM EDT   0 recs

what i saw in him, having actually seen him play many times

was a guy with solid average speed, a plus arm and a completely electric bat. Tons of bat speed, the ball just flew off it and the reason his K/BBs were SABR-approved was because in the minors there wasn’t a whole lot of reason for him to take pitches. He could usually line the first pitch or two for a hit

by nms on Jun 29, 2008 2:22 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

What did they see?

First off he doesn’t have zero homeruns, he has one. Personally I think it is way too early to give up on a player as talented as Delmon considering he is only 22 years old and has a .290 career average to date. If you want to know what scouts see in him just go take a look at his minor league numbers. As a 19 year old he hit .315, with 26 homers and 32 steals between AA and AAA. Not all hitters burst on the scene and become stars at an age where most of their peers are still in the minors. Perhaps people should wait till he at least turns 25 before labeling him a bust.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Jun 29, 2008 2:15 PM EDT   0 recs

+1

If the Twins don’t want him, my Tigers will be happy to take him. Same with about 28 other teams in the league.

by demondeaconsbaseball on Jun 29, 2008 6:06 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

BA/OBP/SLG

have all gone up eacy month this season, so maybe he is starting to find his groove a little more. His ability to take pitches has always been the point of contention between fans and naysayers of his. With a lot of players, that is something that improves in time. If he can start to take more pitches, and wait for a ball he can drive easier, that should help him a lot. He may be able to take a ball that’s low and away and poke it through for a single now, but if he learns to let that pitch go, and wait for a better pitch that he can drive, then I can see his numbers getting even better. We’ll have to see if he can learn to do that though.

I never thought that he was the top prospect in baseball, but I think he can still be an above average player.

"My mom always taught me it's better to laugh at yourself than to laugh at others. She was so wrong. ;)" -Pedrophile

by Boxkutter on Jun 29, 2008 2:52 PM EDT   0 recs

typical doomsday twins fan

there’s such an influx of them in the twin cities….heck, there were many who were pissed when garza was moved for young in the first place, with young coming off a very good 2007 season….

he’s 22 years old! the kid is showing speed that he’d never shown anywhere else, and if he’s even a 20-30 steal guy, alongside gomez, that’s one speedy outfield….add in the very real possibility that denard span makes a play for left field next year, and you may have one of the best baserunning outfields in the game….the twins aren’t built for sitting back for the home run….especially until they move into their new stadium….i would wager that new stadium will do a lot for young as well as the M & M boys….

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 2:57 PM EDT   0 recs

Gomez should be demoted

A 12/81 BB/K is dreadful and can’t hit the ball out of the infield.

by Bravesin07 on Jun 29, 2008 3:02 PM EDT   0 recs

lol

thank you for posting….i always enjoy the laugh….

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 3:14 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

LOL

I guess those 20 extra base hits were all in the infield.

"When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him."
-Jonathan Swift

by King Billy Royal on Jun 29, 2008 11:16 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I still am finding it very great.

That my Rays traded him for Garza. As of now it looks it very good into our favor, but hey, Delmon Young could develop. But at the moment, King Felix and CC Sabathia have the same amount of HR’s as Young does this season. (1). Ahaha.

by Cory Alexander on Jun 29, 2008 3:25 PM EDT   0 recs

short term

garza > young
bartlett = harris
morlan < pridie

which is exactly opposite of how i thought it would work out….but we’re six months removed from the deal….no reason to jump to conclusions already

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 3:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Harris

Bartlett is way better than Harris, fieling and hitting, along with running the bases.

"And we'll see you tomoorrow night!" Jack Buck

by Love Twins on Jul 8, 2008 12:03 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Oh the irony!

you owned that OP!!!

Accidentally not thedude925 anymore. I do hate this new name.

by wildthang on Jun 29, 2008 3:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Easy fella

Just a discussion, it’s not my life goal to defame your man lover.

However, I don’t think Delmon passing Adam Everett on June 29 for 9th place in team HR’s was what the Twins had in mind when they traded for him.

"Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."

by strums on Jun 29, 2008 9:12 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

twins hopes

the twins hoped to bat him 6th or 7th this year and to have him in the middle of the order by the time they moved to their new stadium….his home runs have not been 6th slot worthy, but he has been a smart baserunner this year on a number of occasions that caught my eye, and keeping yourself from dumb outs when the top of the lineup is coming up is pretty valuable, as well….

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 9:18 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

The asshole wasn't directed at you

Battlekow is a Brewers fan and was sarcastically bemoaning Delmon for taking his ace deep

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 2:10 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Young could be Albert Belle still

Albert Belle first year at age 22: .225 .269 .394 7 HR’s in 218 AB’s 12/55 BB/K. Belle didn’t breakout until 91 when he was 24.

by Bravesin07 on Jun 29, 2008 3:45 PM EDT   0 recs

how do you get that?!

LOL! where do you see a belle comp at all in the players? there’s very little to suggest any sort of comparable between the two….

hank steinbrenner strikes again

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 3:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

2006

was two years ago….once again…where do you see a comp between the two players?!

the BA comments i ever remember comparing him to Belle had to do with his fiery attitude alongside his skillset….nothing about being comparable players or hitters….

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 4:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

what does

two years ago have to do with it. The reason you make scouting comparisons is to attempt to forecast the future. The fact that the comp was thrown out there two years ago doesn’t make it bunk now.

by nms on Jun 29, 2008 4:41 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

2 years ago

we all thought homer bailey was arguably the best pitcher in his draft class…two years later, he’s a quickly fading star….certainly passed by four members of just the first round of that class, and probably passed by 3-4 more as far as prospect status….

how a guy looks when he’s drafted vs. how he performs once hitting in upper levels are two very different things…..all you need to do is look at the failed prospects that were touted as high or higher than young to know that comps that early are seldom based on performance, rather than opinion

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 6:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Sure

..but Buccholz “passed” Chamberlain and than Joba “passed” him again and Bailey probably will “pass” some of the guys who have “passed” him again.

Delmon’s season he had LAST YEAR as a 21 year old actually compares favorably to some really. really good players. NMS’s point is valid and Bravey JUST gave you a clear reason for the comparison to Belle…season stats and age.

Personally I think that Delmon was overhyped (I myself compared him to Jaun Gonzalez here) AND will still become a real good big leaguer. Prudence and vision are called for here. As well as the ability to spot talent even when it isn’t performing well. Of course, some people neither have that ability or are built for prudence.

I still think he’ll have a career something along the lines of, say, Jermaine Dye. Wanna take a look at some of the struggles that guy had as a kid?

No offense to you man, reeally, but you really DO NOT understand how rare it is to be a decent big league regular at The age of 21, regardless of Delmons struggles this year he remains a special talent.

by casejud on Jun 30, 2008 12:13 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Response

I’m not sure if he was ever in my eyes the best prospect in the game . . .but he was certainly one of the top few. Dude was putting up big numbers and had the raw tools to do it at any level of competition. Strike zone judgment was the lone thing that I didn’t like about him, and while it certainly hasn’t doomed him (for all his “struggles” he’s hitting .280 in the majors at a very young age), it hasn’t come around quite as fast as his optimistic backers would have hoped for.

I see no reason not to believe that he’s going to have anything less than a very fine career. He’s probably never going to be a walk machine and power projections for him were probably a little too rosy, but I don’t think he’s lost anything of what made him such a good prospect.

Keep in mind what I mentioned in the Madison Bumgarner post a few days ago. Prospects in the minors tend to be evaluated on what they can do. Prospects in the majors tend to be evaluated on what they CAN’T do.

by mrkupe on Jun 30, 2008 12:32 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

It's a good point

Also, I think sometimes something that is considered something they can do…like HIT…is something that they really aren’t great at. Delomon, Rasmus, Gordon are all guys, maybin too who when looking at them closely weren’t hitting GREAT in the minors. Good, very good even but if uyou look you can see flaws. It’s interesting that when you look at a great big league hitter (like Albert Balle, for instance) and look at what they did in the minors it usually stands out like a sore thumb.

Some were loking for “reasons” why Colby Rasmus couldn’t hit .280 or whatever in the minors instead of the obvious reason….he isn’t a great hitter. I think he’s still a good prospect but its just a point.

Your point is valid though. Judged by what the expectations were for Delmon were as a prospect some say he’s failing. If he was just another kid he’d be considered a sucess to a degree. Thats the thing about prospects… and why in my little baseball league/ slash scouting expiriment I LOVE trading them. Even the ones I LIKE still aren’t worth a solid big leaguer. This is a tough, tough game.

by casejud on Jun 30, 2008 1:14 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

case

tons of respect to you, and i addressed the rest in another comment….but joba and buccholz don’t even enter the convo….they weren’t first rounders in homer’s draft year….guys like verlander, weaver, eric hurley, etc. is who i was discussing…

by biggentleben on Jun 30, 2008 11:06 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Oka,y man...

...tons back to you Big, he has fallen behind many from his draft class true. I guess my point is he is young enough and good enough that he can easily go back ahead of some of them again. Thats why its often worse than ointless to evaluate to much on a guys’s first taste or two in the big leagues. Does everybody really think Hurley is “hands down” a better talent than Homer Bailey now?

by casejud on Jun 30, 2008 12:37 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

hurley

better talent, no….but right now, i’d bet if you polled most baseball pundits, they’d say that hurley has surpassed bailey as a pitcher right now…..and i’m nowhere near sold that bailey’s done (i just traded edward cegarra for him in a dynasty league straight up, and i’m hoping i have a big steal), but he’s fallen out of the incredible loft he once occupied in the eyes of those who expect a perfect graduation from high draftee to minor league success to major league success and see any bump in the road as complete failure and loss of prospect status….

by biggentleben on Jul 1, 2008 12:41 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Yeah, that's a pretty big steal

I like Cegarra alot (have him in a dynasty league myself), but Bailey’s certainly much better

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Jul 1, 2008 10:04 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

a quickly fading star?

He is what, 22?

We don’t know all that much yet really. Just because a guy has a bad year or two doesn’t mean you throw out everything you thought about him and start over.
As Braves pointed out, by your logic we wouldn’t be able to compare a young Albert Belle to his future self becasue – gasp – he had a bad year

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 2:04 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

reading is FUNdamental

or at least reading comprehension….

for those of you who apparently have issues reading…including casejud, which surprises me as we’ve had numerous discussions before, but he’s never misunderstood me this badly….

1. Belle and Young are not a good comp other than attitude because Young was about 3 steps ahead of Belle on the age curve at every step….this is much like those comparing Chris Davis and Matt LaPorta by level when Davis is two years younger at the same level….the development curve is just not on a comparable level….

2. i completely understand how rare young’s ascent and minor league production was/is….that’s why i said that it’s hard to find a comp for him because it is so rare to find someone who did what he did at the young ages that he did them at….nevermind that he brings a speed element so dissimilar from anyone else who typically makes this sort of ascent….

3. fadng star did not mean he’ll never be anything….just that he’s being re-evaluated as a possible all-star talent now, not possible best player in baseball for a few years….he’s just 22, so he’s still got plenty of room to grow, but those who thought he’d be starting in the AL All-Star outfield by 22-23 are seeing that there’s still more development to his game that needs to happen…nothing at all wrong with that….

by biggentleben on Jun 30, 2008 10:49 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

My Bad

I DID actually kind of misunderstand ya. I agree with that assesment and that Young shouldn’t have really ever been compared to Belle as a prospect as he approached the majors. He simply wasn’t THAT good. Maybe he could be compared to him when he was drafted which is a “scouting” comparison and not the same thing as comparing thier minor league performance obviously

I essentially agree with everything you are saying really.

by casejud on Jun 30, 2008 12:42 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Jesus Christ you are being dense

does Player A have to be the same age as Player B at every point for a scout to be allowed to say that Player A resembles and could match Player Bs MLB career?
This is idiotic. No one is asking for carbon copy careers here.
Player A signing out of HS doesn’t make his game any less similar to Player Bs even if they played at different levels at diff ages

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 1:20 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Well, Bill James wrote a piece a long time ago

I don’t know if it’s true or not, but he argued that if you compare 2 players with identical stats, except one is 20 years old and the other is 21, the 20 year old could be expected to hit 61% more homeruns over the course of his career. This article was written more than two decades ago, and so I’m not sure if more recent examinations would agree or not, but it seemed pretty persuasive at the time. Certainly, though, if a player does as well as another at the same level but 2 or so years younger, that is a rather notable difference

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Jun 30, 2008 3:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

the point though

had nothing to do with a Pecota-type of statistical similarity. The comp was based on the fact that Young and Belle’s offensive styles, builds, athleticism and future potential were similar. It was an observation based comparison of similarites and potential

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 4:07 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

neyer

didn’t neyer update that article about three years ago with research on current players? i may be mistaken, but he restated an old article about james about development of players and their resulting major league numbers….

by biggentleben on Jul 1, 2008 12:47 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

lol...

you’re reading so incredibly literal….you want to consider belle a good comp because of body type….wonderful….but the skillsets the two players bring to the table are very different, and they were developed very different….it is nearly impossible to compare two players who are that different in skillset and development….you want to say they look alike, okay….i get it….denard span’s body style reminds me very much of a young shannon stewart, but there is not a good comp between the two players at all….

by biggentleben on Jul 1, 2008 12:46 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Jesus Christ

The skillsets ARE similar. How do you not get this. It doesn’t matter where they came from.
They ARE similar. Players don’t need to be the same age at the same levels to resemble other players! I’m not talking about putting up carbon copy stat lines. I’m just saying his game and upside resembles Belle’s.

I don’t know why I keep trying to get it through your skull. You seem adamant on reading past everything I am saying and saying something completely offbase. I really don’t get you

by nms on Jul 1, 2008 1:44 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

last on this

i completely see what you’re trying to say, but you’re not understanding my angle…so i’ll say this as the last response to this post…..where was belle’s defensive and speed upside when he was coming up? that is all

by biggentleben on Jul 1, 2008 6:40 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Jesus Christ??

my parents would be so proud of me visiting a nice Christian site like this….. grow up. get used to other people having different opinions than yourself.

by kershaw_equals_stud on Jul 1, 2008 6:56 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I know sometimes the comps are a little much

but that doesn’t mean you gotta mock ‘em before thinking about em. In this case it is a fair comparison
They have similar builds, skills and upsides… aaaand attitude problems : )

The Belle comp have been tossed at Delmon since he was drafted

by nms on Jun 29, 2008 4:02 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

once again

i’ve never seen a comp with Belle referring to anything more than their attitude….

regardless, a comp or eval from the particular poster without any stats to back it up carry about as much weight as an olsen twin….

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 4:05 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Ok

who cares what you’ve seen.
If you’ve seen it, then there wouldn’t be any need to talk about it here. That is the whole point of this, to share opinions and information.

And since when are stats necessary for EVERYTHING! No one said Delmons minor league stats were dead ringer for Belle’s. That isn’t being discussed.

They have similar builds, they have similar levels of athletic ability, they have similar batspeed, similar power potential, similar free-swinging approaches at the plate

by nms on Jun 29, 2008 4:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

comps

stats are needed for that poster….as they actually will lend some credence to a poster who typically carries none in his commentary….refferd to as the “hank steinbrenner of minorleagueball.com”....

the facts are that young was in the majors at 20, while belle was still swinging for LSU for most of his age 20 season….belle’s only double digit steals seasons ever were at the major league level (and never more than 23), while young has hit double digits every season of his major and minor league career…young’s never hit for over a .538 slg in a season, while belle topped that mark every minor league season and in his first full major league season….their career paths are just impossible to strike a comp on…age-wise, skill-wise, or results-wise…..

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 6:40 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Jesus

No one said their career paths to this point were identical (college vs HS, ect). Are you trying to be obtuse?
The comparison was in their style of play and potential upside.

I mean, I’m on your side. I still think Delmon will be a damn good player. And being compared to Albert Belle is a GOOD thing (from a talent standpoint)

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 2:07 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

okay

to end this…..

we’re both on the same page that he will be a good player…..i think belle would be a good comp as well….

i just think that young’s element of speed and defense that he brings (though just his arm is showing this year – his RF defense last year when i saw him in tampa was quite good) make belle not really a good comp to his skillset….i’m not sure who would be a good comp, to be honest….someone young with a ton of power potential and average to above average speed and defense that is showing the latter before the former early in his career…..much like nba analysts continue to look for the next jordan, kobe bryant’s response might suit our eval of young best, “i just want to be the first kobe bryant”....perhaps we should more evaluate how he’s growing than try to find people to compare that growth to….

by biggentleben on Jun 30, 2008 11:04 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Jermaine Dye

Is one that sort of works for me but sometimes there really IS no good comparison and it can be misleading anyways. Just because Dye developed doesn’t meen Delmon will. I think comparisons actaully speak more to the skill of the person MAKING them sometimes.

BTW, not adressed to you but I do NOT LIKE the concept of comparing Belle and Delmons “style of play”. I get it…they are angry and black. It is so dumb and should just not be said anymore. It is a failure of a group of white folks to see a couple of DISTICTLY different people as…that. Delmon Young does NOT have an attitude problem! Belle was actually partially insane but he was extremely focused and thats a large part of what made him a HOF level player. He played the game very well and very hard.

by casejud on Jun 30, 2008 12:50 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I didn't mean

style of play as in “demeanor”. I meant their style of play was similar because both were solidly built power-hitting corner OFs who were pretty free swinging, esp in Belle’s younger days, and both were fairly athletic when they entered the league.

But honestly though, considering that neither of us hangs out with Belle or Young, I don’t see why you can’t say someone who CHUCK A BAT at an ump has an attitude problem. He does. That is wrong and reflects some severe immaturity. Plus Delmon was suspended previously for mouthing off to a manager or teammate or something

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 1:24 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

I hate pissing you off...

...because i enjoy your baseball stuff but WHO GIVES A SHIT! I wish people would stop acting like masters of morality on here. Sure…FINE…yes, I am against…throwing …bats …at umpires.

It’s in the past… he was a very young dude….lost his cool and has been pretty good since from what I can tell. Thats not even the point to me. I just don’t care about stuff like that. As long as he is generally a good person and can grow up a little…enough to be a good citizen and ballplayer… it just doesnt interest me to talk about.

I get your point about them being similar as athletes though NMS. That at least has a tenous, logical basis. I just hate the lazy, dumb, white guy comparison of two COMPLETELY different people who’s similarity is that they got pissed off a few times or a lot or whatever.

by casejud on Jun 30, 2008 2:58 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

just clarifying

the comments i’m referring to are the 2005-2006 BA comments that Braves was referencing….i believe young has grown out of his past, especially based on every interview i’ve heard with him since his trade to minnesota….

by biggentleben on Jul 1, 2008 12:48 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

2005 BA Prospect Handbook

An intimidating presence from the right side of the plate who elicits Albert Belle comparisons, Young has a powerful, consistent stroke”

There, now you’ve seen one. =)

"I hate the people that love me, and they hate me!"

by Brett Keith on Jun 29, 2008 11:43 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

wonderful

so intimidating presence….and attitude…..still wondering where the comparisons on their actual production are….

by biggentleben on Jun 30, 2008 10:51 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

You are trying to be dense

and doing a fine job

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 1:25 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Young

Doubled his HR totals today

by Rupert Pupkin on Jun 29, 2008 5:30 PM EDT   0 recs

Haven't seen a lot of the Twins this year, but ...

When Delmon came up, and played the White Sox as a rookie, the announcers were just amazed at him, to the point of Hawk Harrelson suggesting that you’d never say, “don’t let this guy beat you” about a rookie, but you’d have to think about it with this guy… sure, it was only 13 plate appearances, but he was 8-for-11 with 2 doubles and a homer. Clearly, it’s a meaningless sample size, but for the people who know baseball first-hand, everything screamed “future star” about him.

Personally, I was less enthused than many, and suggested that his career looked like it would start out the way Ruben Sierra’s did, which was very good, but less than many thought he would do. I don’t understand why his power hasn’t developed yet, but it’s far too early to assume it won’t, IMO.

by BobbyMac on Jun 29, 2008 6:52 PM EDT   0 recs

Stats tell the story

The guy has over a thousand career at bats. His career isolated slugging is .105 and he only has 47 total walks. His value is supposed to be as a slugger, but he just absolutely hasn’t produced.

by aap212 on Jun 29, 2008 7:35 PM EDT   0 recs

If a guy had an ISOP of .246 and .162 in AA and AAA at age 19

Don’t you find it odd that it’s below .100 now in the majors? There seem to be a few points to be made; first of all, the OP asked how could Delmon Young ever have been considered a top prospect. That is, of course, ridiculous – he was an exceptional prospect. The second is, knowing what we know now, should he still be considered a potential superstar. It seems to me that he retains that outstanding potential that he always had. That he hasn’t fulfilled that potential by the age of 22 is, as others have noted, not especially worrisome – that he has fulfilled so little of that potential is more of a concern.

www.loftylantern.com

by OldProspects on Jun 29, 2008 7:49 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Hitting the nail...

...on the head! Well said!

by almantle on Jun 29, 2008 8:59 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Good Post

I’m not trying to say that Young is so bad he should never have been a prospect, I just watch him play and wonder how he got to be the TOP prospect, a concensus top prospect, with so many glaring flaws. Maybe because he was drafted #1 overall he got more hype than was deserved?

"Ninety percent I'll spend on good times, women and Irish Whiskey. The other ten percent I'll probably waste."

by strums on Jun 29, 2008 9:06 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

good reason

he was #1 for very good reason….he was the #1 pick, and in the minors showed every bit of his potential….that he didn’t make any strides in his batting eye just meant that he didn’t improve something everyone thought was questionable anyway, but he was excelling at everything that he was so good at that he was an easy top choice….

in young’s defense, he has had one of his better BA/OBP deltas of his career this year, so perhaps that eye isn’t as bad as you’ve seen….i’ve been to a number of twins games this year as well, and i thought he chased a few pitches early in counts that led to easy bounce outs or bloop singles instead of waiting for a pitch he could drive, but i also saw at bats where he sat on a pitch and then drove it off the baggy….

as far as his defense, he leads the league in assists…he also leads in outfield errors, but dan gladden will be the first one to tell you that left in the metrodome is a horrible place to play defensively….most of the infamous “lost in the dome” dropped hits occur to left field for a reason….luckily, he won’t be playing there long….and if bill smith gets his desire as has been reported, either kubel will grab the dh role or be moved this offseason and young or cuddyer will switch between rf and dh….i truly think young is a much more natural right fielder, especially with his arm….

by biggentleben on Jun 29, 2008 9:15 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Cuddyer is a good example..

Never before have I seen a player’s struggles in the field (learning a new position, just like Young has to now) effect his at bats. If Young’s problems in the field continue all throughout the year, I think moving him to right field next year may go a long way towards his development and his confidence.

"I couldn't do that. Could you do that? Why can they do it? Who are those guys?"

by maxisagod on Jun 29, 2008 11:26 PM EDT to parent up   0 recs

cuddyer

and the sad part there is that if the twins wouldn’t have had guys like kielty and mohr at the mlb level and michael ryan in the outfield with similar power production to cuddyer, he’d have been in right field much, much sooner….then when they did get rid of kielty and mohr, they brought in shannon stewart and moved jacque jones to right field….cuddyer for years was an obvious right field choice, but they kept putting lesser bats in the position for some reason….

by biggentleben on Jun 30, 2008 11:09 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

Lack of walks

This might be a sign of poor pitch recognition possibly. His great preformances in certain areas may have overshadowed some other areas where Young could have developed slower in. Hypothetically, he might be having difficulty handling advanced breaking pitches and resorted to becoming more of a fastball hitter. After his he was promoted from AA, his OBP never was more than around .30 that his BA, excluding this year where it has raised slightly. To get to the point, maybe he lacks the ability to hit advanced breaking balls well so he would swing at fastballs early in the count, which would reduce his walks. Perhaps the increase in OBP and weak contact suggested by his XB hits numbers is indicative of a change in his approach at the plate towards breaking pitches.

by tdot mariner fan on Jun 30, 2008 1:53 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

i think his lack of walks

stem from the fact that all his life – until recently – he has been able to tattoo any pitch he wanted. He was so talented there was no need for him to bother doing that in HS and the minors. Just like how a HS pitcher that can throw 95 with a hard slider doesn’t need a change up because at that level it wouldn’t make him any better

by nms on Jun 30, 2008 2:09 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

It's true he doesn't walk alot

(Though he is walking a bit more this year), but he doesn’t struck out very much either. The problem this year seems to come (to an uneducated observer at least), not from his pitch recognition but what he does with them once he hits them. After having a 21% LD last year, and doing similarly well in the minors, he has hit only 15% line drives this year. His isolated power is significantly lower than what he did in the minors and majors and is now a rather tepid .097. In the short term this isn’t especially encouraging, but considering his readily apparent talent and youth, I can’t say I’m too concerned about the long term. Even in this slump/off-year, he is basically a major league average hitter at the age of 22, after being a marginally above average major league hitter at 21. From a fantasy baseball perspective, I’ve got to say I think both him and Ryan Zimmerman are interesting buy-low candidates

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by OldProspects on Jun 30, 2008 10:30 AM EDT to parent up   0 recs

The two points are connected...

If you have bad pitch recognition and are swinging at pitcher’s pitches, then you’re not going to hit those pitches very well. You can cruise through the minors pretty easily without having to worry about that as much. On the elite of the elite minor league pitchers can pinpoint their control with the effectiveness of a major leaguer. But once you get to the majors you have to learn to lay off the crap.

We often refer to a hitter’s patience as his ability to lay off bad pitches, and in that sense, we associate patience, or lack thereof, with negative externalities (i.e. less patience translates into more outs, more k’s, and less solid contact or lower LD%). But the inverse is also true in that more patience can often lead to improvements across all areas including batting average, and particularly power

by okteds on Jun 30, 2008 12:47 PM EDT to parent up   1 recs