Jose Tabata / Matt Laporta - Busts or Stars??

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 1:55 PM EST Comment 27 comments

A lot can be said about the 2007 first round pick. He hits for power, average, gets on base, can hit to all fields, and can play good d. But once he was traded to Cleveland, he seemed to slump when adjusting to a new league.Hitting around .200 and not getting much power at all, Jose Tabata who at 19 - played better for Pitts, after being traded. I believe Tabata will be better off in the long run for his career then Laporta. Tabata has had more time in AA, and is younger and still can develop and grow into his frame at his age. Does this mean Tabata will be the better of the two? Is this sign for caution for Laporta? Or do you think he will rebound and be the 1b/DH , .260-.280, 20-30 HR, 75-100 RBI peak around 40HR - guy we think he could be when he was drafted???

I believe Laporta will struggle and put up simliar to jay bruce-like rookie numbers , nothing amazing, but solid above average player, although at 24, he is about hit his peak. And that Tabata will be Rocco Baldelli-like in his years, .270-.300, 10-15 HR, 60-80 RBI's but for a longer period.

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did you just use 64 PAs to analyze laporta's future?

seriously?

by larry on Jan 2, 2009 2:19 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

No

But i think he will continue to have a hard time adjusting to the new parks and pitchers.

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 2:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

you're right. i'd forgotten about how he'd had trouble adjusting to the new parks and pitchers at all of his other spots.

silly me. carry on. makes perfect sense now.

by larry on Jan 2, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

he still

has holes in the swing and strikes out a bit. theres no telling to if he’ll be a star or not.

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 2:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

that makes far more sense.

by larry on Jan 2, 2009 2:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

but it just surprizes me

a guy who is 19 adjusts better then a guy who mashed out of college and right up the ladder with the Brewers.

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 2:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

97 PAs borders on the meaningless.

64 PAs probably is meaningless.

and, since you believe that league is so important, tabata didn’t change leagues, did he.

by larry on Jan 2, 2009 3:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

i never said

league is so import, or age for that matter,
it’s the fact he adjusted better and faster then the latter player did.
I also think Laporta played too many games last year and was crazy exhausted, that might have something to do with it, but I am just not as high on him as i am some other people.

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 3:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

uh huh. well, considering you spent most of your fanpost talking about league and age i can't imagine how i could have gotten confused.

and, again, small sample sizes.

by larry on Jan 2, 2009 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

eh true.

its just matter of preference of who you believe is going to be better.

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 8:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

adjusted?

you mean had a few weeks of a hot stretch? what was he “adjusting” to, laporta was adjusting to having to play on Mondays. I mean that makes as much sense as what you said.

by IHateMitchMustain on Jan 2, 2009 10:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

tabata

hes got alot of talent. watching him in the yanks minor league system. He just always seemed so young. Give him time. I don’t think hes a bust. Wouldn’t be surprised if hes a solid major league out fielder someday.

by sdhman11 on Jan 2, 2009 2:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

the knock on him

isn’t the knock on himthat he doesnt look like he going to grow to be as big as people thought(maybe 6 feet)? Also were the rumors true about him putting on weight and it not being muscle true?

note: these are actual questions, not questions posed to produce some answer I already believe

I agree - Noonan is as valuable as a dead horse… and he too should be beaten by some dude in a top hat who looks like he’s holding his junk.

by cool hand Charlie on Jan 2, 2009 2:59 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

are you saying

Tabata will go the way of Angel Villalona? LOL

by Dray1996 on Jan 2, 2009 8:08 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The thing to remember with LaPorta is his PAs with Akron were quite split up. He came to the team, left for the Futures Game. He left the team when his grandfather died. He came back, then went to the Olympics and was hit in the head by a pitch. He came back and then left the team when his mother was diagnosed with MS. Then, he came back one more time and mashed in the Eastern League playoffs. With all of that going on, you’re putting weight in those 64 PAs? Perhaps I’m biased as an Indians fan, but I put next to no weight on those stats at all. We’ll see how he does at Columbus this year, but I’m still quite optimistic about him.

by Fundamentals on Jan 2, 2009 7:18 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Agreed!

Hello Fundamentals,

I agree with you – you mentioned virtually all of the trials and tribulations that he had to go through; if I recall correctly, his girlfriend (fiancee?) and him had to also deal with a mortgage issue as well.

Combine all those factors and it’s not that surprisingly that LaPorta didn’t fare as well after being traded to Cleveland; it would be hard for anyone to excel dealing with all that. I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt and see how he does in his first full, uninterrupted (hopefully) season in the Indians’ system. That’s also why I’d leave LaPorta down at AAA Columbus for half-a-season (three months, or so), unless LaPorta destroys the International League in the first month or two – just to make sure he catches his breath and can tighten up the holes he does have in that swing, along with reestablishing the solid plate discipline he showed up until he entered the Indians’ system.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care and have a great weekend!

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Jan 2, 2009 10:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

+2

There is enough to avoid a tag of absurd but Dray has not been able to articulate the reasoning well enough to convince me there is much to consider.

by sdtribefan on Jan 3, 2009 2:29 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hello sdtribefan,

It’s important to keep in mind the length and quality of work LaPorta put in for the Brewers’ system as compared to what he has put in for the Indians’ system, along with the circumstances he played for under the Indians.

Case in point, I’m not overly concerned at this point; if LaPorta falters this season under more opportune conditions (such as fewer family matters to deal with and fewer interruptions, hopefully), then I’ll be more concerned, but as for right now, his main body of work suggests he should still develop into a very good player, if not a star. Only time will tell.

Just my 2 cents.

Take care and have a great Sunday!

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Jan 3, 2009 9:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hey indiansfan!

Glad to see you back! I hadn’t seen you around in a while and we all missed your insight, especially on the Indians system.

The 2008 Rogelio Moret League Fantasy Baseball Champions!

by The Congo Hammer on Jan 3, 2009 5:27 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hello Congo Hammer,

Thanks for the welcome-back – greatly appreciated! :-)

2008 has been a trying year for my family (2 deaths and my grandmother was placed in a nursing home), and I’ve been busy with many things as well (related to business and family matters), but I try to check in when I can. I’ll try to provide more input, especially when it comes to the Indians, whenever possible – stay tuned! :-)

Again, thanks for the welcome-back.

Take care and have a great Sunday!

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Jan 3, 2009 9:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just wanted

to echo Congo’s sentiment. Good to see you back here indiansfan!

"So's your mom"-David Sloane

by gatling on Jan 3, 2009 9:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hello gatling,

Thanks to you as well – it’s good to be back! :-)

Please take care and have a great Sunday!

The "cream of the crop" doesn't always rise to the top.

by indiansfan on Jan 3, 2009 9:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This is one of the most absurd posts I've ever read

Did you honestly just call Matt LaPorta, a year and a half out of college, who is probably a lock for a top-15 overall prospect spot this year, a bust?

Seriously? I mean, are you honestly completely 100% serious? I want to think you’re joking, and for your own sake I hope you are.

by RedSoxFaithful on Jan 2, 2009 10:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Let's let the greenhorns float.

We have one raw young player and another with a limited minors track record. I think it’s way too soon for “busts or stars.”

by Knothole on Jan 3, 2009 2:56 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

LaPorta traded for Clay Buchholz

Not that its “on point”, but LaPorta was just traded straight up for Clay Buchholz in my 16 team, Mixed 5×5 Dynasty League.

So that’s a “proxy” for his prospect value vs another prospect in Buchholz who was ranked very high at this time last year and much like Phil Hughes has seen his stock drop.

Buch still has a very high ceiling. I see LaPorta like a Pat Burrell type, pehaps with less walks but a higher average (~ 280)

Fat man is no more,
Bursting on through Heaven's Door
Come on in, says Bill

by Wilbur Wood on Jan 3, 2009 8:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

well, there you go...

looks like bust city to me. Traded for a fellow bust who had a 6.75 era and a whip of nearly 2. They both stink.

by journeymen on Jan 5, 2009 5:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

re: joking right?

I don’t think any player or prospect can be properly evaluated until he a) never gets to the majors and was considered a hot prospect b) gets to the majors and has more than 35+ games pitched (in one season) or 200 PAs d) has given it many tries in high levels of Pro Ball and never fulfilled his expectations.

don’t forget some players can adjust over time.

so after this lengthy response, are Tabata and LaPorta busts? NO, Not yet.

can they be highly overrated? that’s a different topic all together.

and…sorry for your rough year, indiansfan hopefully 2009 will be better!

"Fantasy, reality, science Fiction. Which is which? Who can tell?"

by feslenraster on Jan 4, 2009 5:00 PM EST reply actions 0 recs