In preparation of the 2012 season I decided to round-up our writers and ask them some hard hitting preseason questions.
David: There are plenty of obvious answers, but the one that jumps to mind first is Jordan Lyles. How will he respond to another season in the majors? Will he start making progress or backslide with a bit of a sophomore slump? We all want Lyles to be more than a third or fourth starter, but he's going to need to show some more strikeout potential to get there.
AstroBrit: Brian Bogusevic. He's going to bust a move and be the player he always wanted to be out of Tulane, powering the club to an improbable 70 wins. Seriously? I just think he's come on an unusual path to the majors and I want him to succeed against the odds. And he has a cannon in right field.
CRPerry13: Justin Upton...he's been on my fantasy keeper teams since age 20 and he's a generational talent. I want to see if he can really turn physical tools into an MVP-level performance. By association, I'm also watching his brother BJ to see if HE can use his physical tools to turn around a disappointing career. I like 5-tool players, and these guys fit. I'm watching Jose Altuve because if he fixes his plate discipline I think he can be unique and also have a very good career. Also Eric Hosmer, because his approach and skills make him look like a young Albert Pujols. There aren't any pitchers that are grabbing my attention right now, but it's fun to watch Lincecum because of the things he can do that he probably shouldn't be able to. I'm not buying Strasburg-mania. Let's see if he turns into Mark Prior first.
Clack: Lowrie. (Runner up answer---Fernando Martinez, but I don’t know if he will be in the majors or minors)
Native_Astro: I'm a huge Matt Kemp fan. I enjoy watching Kemp because he to me is the ceiling that George Springer could have for the Astros.
David: There are plenty of candidates for this. I'm tempted to say Vincent Velasquez, but I'm really going to be watching George Springer the most. He's possibly the safest prospect Houston has and the potential to be a real star for the Astros. But, with very limited minor league data, we'll need to watch this season to see just where he stands.
AstroBrit: Jonathan Villar. As David wrote last week for SB Nation Houston, attention is going to be shifted to him in light of the Roy Oswalt trade. His power arrived at Corpus Christi last year, but we are still waiting for defensive reliability and other things to materialise. I could live with us having a shortstop with fantastic range, 20 home runs, 30 steals, and good on-base skills. Also keep a close eye on Jarred Cosart's K/9, which seems to be a cause celebre in Astros minor league circles.
CRPerry13: Springer and Singleton for obviously selfish reasons, since I'm an Astros fan. Mike Trout and Bryce Harper, again because I think they're generational talents. I'm not seeing any pitchers that are exciting me. I guess Jamison Taillon for the local interest (I live in the Woodlands). That's all I got.
Clack: Springer. (Lots of runner up answers.)
Native_Astro: Oddly enough the player in the minors that I'm keeping an eye on is our own George Springer. Five tool players don't come along very often and George Springer is truly a five tool type player. I asked this question about Springer's ceiling to Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus in his top 101 prospect chat. Here is his response about Springer:
Sean (San Francisco): Can George Springer make a jump to the top 25 with a strong year in 2012? Does he have that type of ceiling?Kevin Goldstein: He does have that kind of ceiling.
David: Bud Norris, easily. None of the position players have upside more than as bench players, but Norris has strikeout potential and could still take a step forward. He'd be a bargain later on in many drafts.
AstroBrit: I would say Bud Norris because of his strikeouts, but the staff's win total could be disappointing this year. Maybe Carlos Lee, because at least he's guaranteed to play most of the season. Who else is at this point?
CRPerry13: I usually avoid picking Astros because it causes mental anguish on two fronts when they stink. When they're good, I can applaud them regardless if they're on my fantasy teams. But if you are forcing me to choose, I'd take Lowrie in the middle rounds if I didn't get one of the top 5 shortstops, grab Lee if he fell to me in late rounds because of his dual position eligibility, or I'd take Snyder with a Last-Round pick. Those probably are the only three Astros that would sniff my roster, unless I got Wandy cheaply or Norris to fill my fourth or fifth starting pitcher spot.
Clack: Bud Norris (Runner up answer, Wandy Rodriguez)
Native_Astro: If I had to take a player for fantasy, it would probably be Bud Norris due to his K rate. I tend to stay set from Astros players in fantasy drafts, but I would probably take a chance on Norris followed by Wandy Rodriguez.
David: Seeing how the young players progress. Jose Altuve, Jimmy Paredes, J.D. Martinez...heck, even Jed Lowrie could be counted in that mix. We've been waiting to see a rebuilding process for years and now that it's here, it's pretty exciting.
AstroBrit: I'm looking forward to the draft, and our number one pick, seeing whether Jim Crane can bring back fans to the ballpark, and whether Jeff Luhnow can flip Wandy Rodriguez at the trade deadline.
CRPerry13: I think rebuilding projects are fascinating, so I'm looking forward to seeing who will boom, who will bust, and most of all, who we acquire in trades. If we don't make the playoffs, I'm ok with a 100 loss season because it speeds the rebuilding process with more high draft picks.
Clack: Whining by opposing team bloggers whenever the Astros beat their teams ("Ew! We just got beat by the Astros.")
Native_Astro: I'm looking forward to the Astros continuing to rebuild in 2012. The Astros hold the #1 pick for the first time since 1992 when the Astros picked Phil Nevin over Derek Jeter. This will be the first draft for new owner Jim Crane and new GM Jeff Luhnow. The Astros can't afford to miss on their top picks. Wether that means the Astros go with the early consensus top pick in Mark Appel or go with the high ceiling high school guys Lucas Giolito or the electric Byron Buxton.
David: Let's say 150 games, which is missing a game a month, plus taking into account non-TV games. I may not be able to watch the games live, but that's what they invented DVRs for, right?
AstroBrit: In person? Maybe 1. I'm hoping to make a sneaky trip to Austin for my cousin's graduation from UT, so maybe I can arrange a lay-over in Houston. Quite a few in the middle of the night on mlb.tv for my sins.
David: I'm a bit of a traditionalist, so I'm going with a hot dog. Although, I will say that at Olsen Field in College Station, they make a sausage wrap from a local sausage-making company, which is infinitely better than a plain hot dog.
AstroBrit: Monkey nuts and a soda usually keeps me occupied while filling in the old scorecard, peering down at the game from the upper levels.
CRPerry13: My wife made Kobe Beef sliders and fries for one of my fantasy baseball draft parties. I wouldn't complain if she did the same for games.
Clack: Nachos or freeto pie.
Native_Astro: At home, I'm a chicken wings and Blue Moon with an Orange type guy. At the game, I stick with the classics in hot dogs, cracker jacks, and a Dr.Pepper.
0 recs | 64 comments
Interesting article. I agree that Lowrie has sneaky fantasy potential if he stays healthy. Also, it will be interesting to see if Bogusevic can take over the starting right field role.
jmike - February 17, 2012
I'm a bad person
Clack: 100 games.
Native Astros: All games.
David: 150 games
Chris: 20 games
Next time, I’m gonna lie. I live through the box scores though. I WISH I could watch that many games!
CRPerry13 - February 17, 2012
That's how I did it in the 90's
With highlights on MLB.com you get all the good stuff in a few minutes anyways.
Timothy De Block - February 17, 2012
Fantasy Picks
Does no one believe JD Martinez has a chance at a .280/25/100 type season? All he has done has hit in the minors, although he skipped AAA ball of course.
Just because of his situation and age, playing in the 3 hole probably, I can easily see 80-100 RBI’s if not more, and 15-25 dingers. I would definitely take Norris first, but JD Martinez could be an excellent 11th or 12th round sleeper pick with a medium risk and super high reward.
Trantice99 - February 17, 2012
Good point
Martinez is a great late-round sleeper type. Only reason I didn’t think about him is that there are lots of potential 25 HR 90 RBI type players that will be available in the same rounds, so he didn’t really stand out. But yeah, he’s a guy I’d grab with later picks if everybody else passes him by.
CRPerry13 - February 17, 2012
Even if Martinez hits well in the 3 slot, I don’t know how the Astros will get enough OBP in front of him to drive in 100 RBIs. I doubt that the 1 or 2 slot in the batting order will post an OBP as high as Bourn’s OBP last year.
clack - February 17, 2012
I dont know
A 1/2 of Bourgeois/Altuve (or the other way around) could be really good. It could also be disasterous, but hey, there’s a chance!
Its Gonna Happen - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Bourgeois OBP was .323 last season, Altuve’s was .297. Those are not the OBP’s of players a major league team wants batting 1 and 2.
I’m not saying they can’t improve, but I’m with clack. The Astros’ inability to take a walk or hit for a high average is going to crimp the style of their RBI guys.
CRPerry13 - February 17, 2012
Yeah
Bourgeois was below average at getting on base and Altuve was unimaginably horrible… not a lot of RBI ops there without significant improvement.
Crzycjunx76 - February 17, 2012
Im excited about the first round in the draft
But I’m more looking forward to the supplemental round and 2nd round (hoping for three first round talents). Hoping for a Appel, Trey Williams, Nick Williams 123. That makes me excited!
Nobody burst my bubble!!!!
Its Gonna Happen - February 17, 2012 via mobile
It's not Gonna Happen
Simply because of the new capped draft system.
Patrick Harrel - February 17, 2012
I'm still not an Appel fan
But I agree with your premise. It’s gonna happen!
CRPerry13 - February 17, 2012
Im a fan of his pitches
Not as much a fan of his results yet, but last year was his sophomore season, correct?
Its Gonna Happen - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Should have said potential, not pitches.
Its Gonna Happen - February 17, 2012 via mobile
Appel watch begins
Stanford beat Vanderbilt last night with M.A. starting.
AstroB - February 18, 2012
Pretty good performance, considering that Vandy is ranked No. 10. Ks still fall below 1 per inning, but 4 no hit innings, and retiring 17 in a row isn’t bad.
clack - February 18, 2012
I agree with you, it was a good outing.
But if the strikeouts don’t increase, I doubt he will be the first pick. However retiring 117 in a row is impressive.
kdm59 - February 18, 2012
Do we have a supplemental round pick
This year?
littlevisigoth - February 18, 2012 via mobile
I think Clint Barmes was a type B.
jmike - February 18, 2012
Yep
You’re welcome!
McCutchenIsTheTruth - February 18, 2012
Astros get draft pick 41 as compensation for Barmes.
clack - February 18, 2012
Just So I feel a part of the partaay, I'm gonna answer the Q's also....
In order:
1. Jason Castro. I have a feeling he migh fail badly, but I just wanna see how he responds to all the adversity and if he can play the majority of the season.
2. Jonathan Singleton. I want to see how he hits in Corpus, the talent level is much higher, plus the wind blowing across the field from right to left.
3. Wandy. Usually has I’aight K-rate, eats innings(I think) and usually doesn’t implode.
4. I’m looking forward to the younger guys in the lineup, Schafer, Rhiner Cruz, Jason Castro, shortened days, game threads, Hooks, the draft (couple local kids expected top talent, of course our draft) and the trade deadline.
5. Probably about 150-160 games. Gonna let my head explode after all the losing…
6. I eat hot-cheetos, drink soda, get some popcorn ready and occasionally buy me some fast-food for the early innings.
Thaaaaat’s about it.
ccislanders - February 17, 2012
I like that
Timothy De Block - February 17, 2012
freeto pie - hell yeah
Off topic, but I haven’t paid much attention to the Astros for a few weeks and apparently in that time, brett Wallace somehow became the favorite at 3rd base and Jordan Lyles is behind Sosa, Weiland, and Happ for the 5th starters spot. The Wallace news tells me the Astros are determined to use Downs in a utility role. I’m hoping Hernandez does not win a spot, I would rather try out some of the young fringe guys like Weiland, Sosa, and Harrell. Happ is dead to me. He should be in the pen to spot start if he beats Duke in spring training.
Brad E - February 18, 2012 via mobile
I'm not giving up on Happ
He was a BABIP baby for a couple seasons, but he only pitched 87 innings in 2010 (due to injury?). So I’m betting at least a part of his performance was just rust, and he didn’t get it back until the damage had been done.
August 2011 ERA: 3.71
Septermber 2011 ERA: 3.38
I still think he’s at best a good 4th Starter or mediocre 3rd starter, but I am anticipating a healthy bounce-back this season.
CRPerry13 - February 18, 2012
Happ's ERA will usually border his FIP
which has been around 4.4 for his career.
The difference later in the season seemed to be the horizontal movement on his fastball. He was able to hit the outside corner to RHP without it tailing back over the middle of the pitch.
Whether that’s enough to get out major league hitters on a constant basis is debatable. Also when I really looked at his starts I thought that he was approaching hitters in a different way, how he approached counts etc. All of this may be Burt Hooton’s influence or I may be over-analysing.
AstroB - February 18, 2012
Happ
To me, the fundamental issue with Happ has been, and continues to be, walks. He doesn’t have adequate velocity to be a wild thrower. He had 4.8 BB/9 in 2010, and my view was that Happ would eventually have a bad season if he continues to walk that many batters. He walked 4.78 batters per 9 last season, and it did finally bite him. The NL average BB/9 is 3.1. It’s certainly not unheard of for a pitcher to improve his control with age (it’s more likely than improvement in K rates). But I think that is what has to happen.
clack - February 18, 2012
his BB/9 in 2009 with Philly was 3.0
What happened?
If we look at the last 6 starts of 2011 after Happ’s recall and his ‘renaissance’,
his BB/9 was 4.9, higher than it was before he was sent down.
The other strange statistic from those six starts was Happ’s k/9 of 8.3, which is a notch higher than what he’s shown at majors so far.
AstroB - February 18, 2012
That’s one reason I am skeptical of calling those last 6 starts a renaissance. It’s a small sample. I hope it is a turning point, but his control continued to be poor.
clack - February 18, 2012
I don’t think it’s a renaissance. I just think he’s much better than his overall performance last season. The injury recovery thing.
CRPerry13 - February 19, 2012
I think he is better than his ERA last season. Both SIERA and x-FIP indicate a 4.59 performance last year. Bill James projects him at 4.61 ERA next season. Given that he throws a lot of pitches and allows so many base runners, he doesn’t pitch deep into games. I just think he will be a bottom rotation pitcher, at best, unless he improves his control.
As I wrote this comment, I looked at his pitch types last year. He had a slight uptick in his fastball velocity (89.8 to 90.0) which may account for a higher K rate last season. However, he threw the FB a lot more last year, at the expense of using his slider less. It would be interesting to know why he scaled back his use of the slider and how it affected his performance.
clack - February 19, 2012
I'll go ahead and answer these as well.
1. I’ll go with Jimmy Paredes. Some people, for some reason, think CJ’s going to win the job back, but I don’t see it. JP’s defensive potential alone should land him the job, along with his plus speed and decent power. He just brings a lot more to the table compared to CJ.
2. Jonathan Villar. He’s got all of the abilites that you can’t teach, so if he could improve his approach at the plate and improve his fundamentals on defense, he could in fact become a star at SS.
3. J.D. Martinez. I think his power is real, and his eye at the plate was phenomenal last year. Has good knowledge of the strike zone. Should put up good numbers.
4. Seeing how Altuve, Paredes, J.D., Lyles, and others develop. Really hope that they get consistent playing time, unlike last year when J-Mike and Sanchez got a ton of playing time.
5. 120.
6. Hotdog with some ketchup and mustard. Some nachos as well.
bone31crusher - February 18, 2012
With Paredes, I think the reason people are down on him is because he carried the same inflated BABIP that Johnson did. The difference is that Johnson was a good offensive player when his babip was unsustainable while Paredes was still below average. He’s not a polished third baseman and he was a below average AA player. I don’t want the desperation of Ed Wade to screw up a player.
MadMartygan - February 18, 2012
Yeah, I think Paredes might benefit from some time in AAA. He’s still relatively new to third base.
jmike - February 18, 2012
Yeah not even a full season at the position. I really do like him, because his tools are just fantastic.
MadMartygan - February 18, 2012
Below average AA player?
Huh?
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
.270/.300/.426 triple slash. That’s a scary bad AA OBP. Checking on the Texas League stat page, there are 45 listed players, if you sort by ops he’s at 31. 3.7 BB% 20.7 K%.
The advanced stats aren’t kind to him either, as he’s at .314 in wOBA and 87 at wRC+. His tools are really nice and I like him, he showed nice power and speed, but I don’t think his call up was earned.
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012
I agree that he should not have been called up,
but his poor OBP % alone doesn’t mean he was a below average AA player.
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
Well his below average ops, bb%, k%, wOBA,, wRC+, being green at third base, and him being in the bottom half of the texas league no matter what you sort by doesn’t make him average. What are you looking at that makes him average besides maybe homers and steals?
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012
A .270 average is respectable,
but yes, most of his stats, outside of the few that you mentioned, are pretty mediocre. I’m just considering how raw he still is.
His tools are still great. He showed off some pretty good power potential along with his speed and athleticism while in the majors, so he’s making decent progress. The main reason why I separate his rookie year and CJ’s is because CJ didn’t work counts like JP did in his rookie year. Paredes’ K/BB ratio wasn’t exactly good, but I was impressed with his plate discipline.
CJ’s done, IMO. His eye at the plate last year was downright pathetic. I remember one specific instance when the Astros were playing in Toronto. CJ was up to the plate, and he swung at the first pitch, which was a fastball in the dirt. He then swings at the second pitch, which is also a fastball in the dirt. Then, I kid you not, he swings at the third pitch, which is yet another fastball in the dirt. No word can describe how pathetic that sequence was. It’s not like they were 3 good breaking balls in the dirt, but they were 3 fastballs in the dirt. Swinging at 3 straight fastballs in the dirt is inexcusable.
Yes, it’s only one example, but it was painfully obvious that CJ had no eye at the plate last year, and I doubt that’s something you can improve (he would need significant improvement, anyway). He got away with being a very free-swinger his rookie year because there were limited scouting reports on him. His power numbers weren’t even there last year, so combine that with his average-at-best defense and his mediocre contact skills, I see no reason why he should even be considered for this year’s job.
Jimmy is still quite raw, but my point is that he brings much more to the table than CJ does. He’s got plus potential defensively with his athleticism and arm strength, and his speed on the base paths could impact some games. I would not mind sending him down to AAA if he struggles in ST, but if he doesn’t, I’d rather play him consistently. He’ll give us more than CJ will, and the best way to develop him might actually be to just keep him up in the majors. Playing against the best consistently might be better for him rather than sending him down to play against lesser competition.
I know there’s not much of a reason to rush him like this, given our team’s situation, but this is the best time to give young guys such as Paredes consistent playing time. We’re not going to win consistently for maybe 3-5 years, so it doesn’t hurt at all to lose a significant number of games this year in order to develop young players for the long-term.
Am I saying call up Jonathan Villar and throw him to the wolves? No, Villar’s still incredibly raw. His contact skills are not as good as JP’s are. My point is that I think Jimmy is developed enough to the point where I think he would be the best option at 3B this year, barring any physical or statistical set-backs during ST.
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
I don’t want it to seem like I don’t like JP, and it’s not so much about me thinking CJ should be the starter, I don’t want paredes in a situation where he is overmatched. That’s compounded by the fact that he didn’t master his previous level and then got skipped a level. He needs to refine every one of his skills. Personally, I’d like Matt Downs to win the starting job.
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012 via mobile
I definitely understand where you're coming from.
You’re correct to think that JP’s not ready for a full season.
However, I’m in wait-and-see mode at the moment. It really all depends on ST. He is still quite raw and probably should be in AAA to start the season, but if he dos really well in ST, I see no reason why not to give him the job.
I just don’t see CJ being more than a decent player off the bench. His approach at the plate is amongst the worst I’ve ever seen. I think the job will come down to JP and Downs.
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
I don’t think our views are as different as they seemed. I have no problem with Paredes winning the job in the spring.
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012
Still more unsolicited reader answers
What player in the majors are you keeping an eye on and why? Yu Darvish. I want to see how 5 consecutive dominant NPB pitching seasons translates over to MLB. Strasburg’s up there, too.
What player in the minors are you keeping an eye on and why? Teoscar Hernandez, a relatively anonymous prospect who posted really strong all-around stats for the Dominican Summer League Astros in 2011 as an 18-year-old. I suspect that he’ll play rookie-league ball in the US. Non-Astro-wise, it’s Bryce Harper, because he’s Bryce Harper.
The first Astros you would take in a fantasy league? J.D. Martinez, at least as far as those based on traditional categories go. Carlos Lee is a close second (the fantasy player is a lot better than the real world player). Then Wandy over Norris, since Wandy could be traded to a team where he could actually rack up some wins late.
What are you looking forward to this season? Glimmers of hope from the Astros rebounding farm system.
How many (Astros) games do you predict you will watch? 130 +/- 10. Mostly via the MLB website.
Favorite food to eat while watching a game either at home or in the ballpark? Any meat slathered in barbecue sauce.
reillocity - February 18, 2012
Yes, Darvish will be an interesting guy to follow I am curious to know how he will perform in Arlington at height at the Texa summer.
clack - February 18, 2012
My Responses
What player in the majors are you keeping an eye on and why?
Matt Moore. He’s got a lot of potential as a power lefty. I want him on my fantasy team.
What player in the minors are you keeping an eye on and why?
There’s plenty of people I have my eyes on. Telvin Nash, George Springer, and Jarred Cosart to name a few. I think Nash can be a beast next year when he has a full season to play. I’m very interested in George Springer as well and seeing how Jarred Cosart can progress as a pitcher. I’m also going to be watching Sonny Gray of the Oakland A’s because I wanted the Astros to draft him. Interested in seeing how fast he will get to the majors and how well he will perform.
The first Astros you would take in a fantasy league?
Probably J.D. Martinez. He’s a bit of a dark horse, but I really like his unorthodox batting style. I saw his first homer in person and in that game he hit 3 balls really hard that could have been 3 homers in a different ball park. He’s been able to hit at all levels with a high batting average. Once he gets acclimated to the Majors I wouldn’t be surprised to see him hitting above .300 with 25 or more homers.
What are you looking forward to this season?
I’m looking forward to throwback Fridays. I think those will be fun. I’m looking forward to seeing how well our sophomores perform and seeing what Matt Downs could do with more playing time. I’m looking forward to the scheduled double-header with the Rockies in May. There’s a whole lot of things I am looking forward to. Baseball is just fun!
How many games do you predict you will watch?
I’ll be watching every televised Astros game (unless I am at the park). I’m an Astros addict and I just can’t get enough, even if they’re losing.
Favorite food to eat while watching a game either at home or in the ballpark?
At the game I like the beef brisket sandwiches they sell on the 3rd base side on the club level, even though it gets a bit messy and the lady who prepares them doesn’t cut the fat off (yuck!). I also like eating the plain cheese nachos, those are pretty good. At home I just eat what I want to eat.
BustaPozee - February 18, 2012
Fernando Martinez
I’d forgotten that the Astros snagged Martinez via waivers, until I saw that clack brought him up in this post. I hope he gets a shot in the majors this year in some capacity…maybe the Astros will catch lightening in a bottle with him.
Stupendous Man - February 18, 2012 via mobile
Love the reader response to the questions
keep them coming.
Timothy De Block - February 18, 2012
Interesting how F-Mart is kind of irrelevant heading into Spring Training.
I know he’s been mentioned here a few times, but he’s kind of been forgotten.
IF he reamins healthy this year, which is obviously a big IF, I think he’s got a legitimate chance to start this year. Bogey had a big 2nd half last year, but they may have been a fluke. Cust could contribute this year, but I don’t expect him to be a consistent starter.
Like Stupendous Man said, I think the Astros could have a steal in F-Mart if he gets a chance, which I expect him to.
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
He’s got a lot working against him. The only thing going for him is his age.
Timothy De Block - February 19, 2012
The only thing really working against him is his injury history, IMO
But that’s a very big thing working against him.
OremLK - February 21, 2012
One of the Mets SBN writers says he’s got one option year left. But I’d rather not see it get used this year. I want Fernando to stay in the minors to finish developing and, if he’s making progress, he’s our DH next year.
BustaPozee - February 19, 2012
yes, he has an option year remaining.
clack - February 19, 2012
But, after looking at the Bogusevic option situation, I realize that calculating remaining options is complicated. If F-Mart is sent to AAA after spring training, he will likely use the option year (i.e., he is optioned to OKC). I think the only way that the Astros can avoid using up F-Mart’s final option year is if he stayed in the majors all season.
clack - February 19, 2012
Well that’s interesting.
BustaPozee - February 19, 2012
I listed Fernando Martinez near the top of my “watch list” because a player with that kind of pedigree is intriguing. Think about it. Nobody currently in the Astros’ organization, majors or minros, has ever been ranked as high as F-Mart as a prospect. Sure, the odds of ML success aren’t great. But he gives us someone interesting to follow— a player whose future is a complete mystery. If F-Mart pulled off a tremendous spring, I would be excited by a Bogusevic-F Mart platoon in RF. More likely, he goes to OKC; and I would expect a big offensive year from him in the PCL.
clack - February 19, 2012
Would you platoon him with J.D since Bogey was also a lefty, or would you rather have J.D getting full playing time?
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012
That’s a good question….for some reason, I wasn’t thinking there. Hopefully, JD will hit well enough to get most of the playing time in LF. But a platoon might develop if he shows signs of struggling against RHP. I suppose it really means that F-Mart and Bogey will be in competition for a job in the spring.
clack - February 19, 2012
In the event that all 3 are doing well I might be inclined to use bogey in center and deal with the defensive repurcussions. Maybe give him some time at 1b every once in a while.
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012 via mobile
I'd rather give J.D. full playing time.
He was great last year, but not in a flukey way (displayed fantastic plate discipline, saw many pitches).
I’d rather platoon F-Mart (assuming he has a decent to good ST) and Bogey. They’re both still mysteries, so I think the best course of action would be to play them both.
OnceIf one begins to out-play the other, then there wouldn’t be much of a reason to continuing to platoon the two of them. I just hope it’s F-Mart. Still has unique ability.bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
We are on the same page with J.D. I just think he’s a born hitter.
MadMartygan - February 19, 2012 via mobile
It's interesting how both Bogey and F-Mart have powerful swings.
F-Mart
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=5337523&c_id=mlb
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13125181&c_id=mlb
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=14775021&c_id=mlb
Bogey:
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=17845279&c_id=mlb
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18099375&c_id=mlb
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18201501&c_id=mlb
http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=18331961&c_id=mlb
I think if both Bogey and F-Mart have good STs and Schafer does nothing impressive, Bogey might be the starter in center, F-Mart in right, Schafer on the bench or in the minors.
BustaPozee - February 19, 2012
Bogey does have the speed to go to center,
but Schafer would have to have a really bad ST and F-Mart would have to have a really good one. It’s possible, but I wouldn’t say likely.
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
Damn,
F-Mart has a really nice swing.
Like how he has the loft in it that will enable him to hit more homeruns. If only Wallace had a similar swing….
bone31crusher - February 19, 2012
You must Login with your SB Nation account and be a member of The Crawfish Boxes to post a comment.