Rickie Weeks looks the same to me; like a bust.

[RickieWeeksJr]

As you can tell by the handle, it pains me to say this.

 

But this guy has not done anything to warrant all the fanfare and hype. I know there are stats you can dig up to show his so-called effectiveness, but the fact is he is approaching 1,200 at-bats and is hitting under .250. I know we're only 10 games in, but it just doesn't look like he is any different. He's still making bad outs and swinging at a lot of garbage. And that's when he's actually able to stay healthy.

 

Don't forget that this guy was supposed to be THE pick of our farm squad. He was the safest prospect, ahead of Hardy, Fielder, Gwynn, etc. He is easily the biggest disappointment of the crop. He's going on 26 this year and doesn't look any better (and sometimes looks worse) than he did when he came up for Spivey.

 

He shows flashes every now and then, but flashes aren't going to cut it. The #2 overall pick isn't supposed to play like Geoff Jenkins. .245 and 15 homers are not acceptable numbers for what he's supposed to be. Is this guy really any better than a Mark DeRosa type? I'm starting to think he isn't. And please don't throw the "P" word in there. Seriously. Enough of that.

 

He gets on base a lot. I understand that. But OBP is not a BA, and OBP is not something makes a player great. If Weeks is to live up to his billing, he needs to produce in every facet of the game. He hasn't done that up to this point.

 

I guess what I don't understand is why no one talks about it. People get on Prince for not hitting a home run in the first 10 games, after hitting 50 a year ago. People get on Braun for the errors and JJ for being generally sluggish ... but I never hear anyone mutter a bad word about Weeks.

 

In my opinion, he hasn't shown himself to be half the player any of the other young guns have. It would be a relief to see him match JJ Hardy's production. Something is wrong with that.

[Invader3K]

I think a lot of people on this site have acknowledged that this is basically a "make or break" year for Weeks, in showing if he will be a high caliber everyday player or not. He's completely healthy now, as far as I know, so the wrist injury shouldn't be an excuse anymore.

 

One of my big criticisms of him is his defense...it seems like he either makes a spectacular play or bobbles it and makes an error. He seems to sometimes have trouble just making the routine outs, which is critical for a second baseman. I guess he's gotten a bit better, but considering what a butcher he was with the glove when he first came up, that's not a lot of consolation.

[Fatter than Joey]

His range is almost non-existent.

[endaround]

No his range is great. His accuracy stinks

[monty57]

I, too, expected a lot more of Weeks. The #2 overall pick should do more offensively than "just get on base," and should be better in the field. I wonder how he can hit mammoth home runs, but can't consistantly hit for power.

 

However, if he is able to become a consistant .400 OBP 15 HR guy at the leadoff spot, he does have a lot of value to a team, especially a team made up of a bunch of low-OBP sluggers like the Brewers. Granted, this isn't the value most of us dreamed Rickie would provide, but he should have a productive Major League career, which is better than a lot of former-first-round-picks can say.

[davego]

Monty is 'on-base' with this one. If Rickie keeps a +.400 OBP we can live with that. Hard part is that Milwaukee used such a high pick on him. Any other team would 'settle' with that production, but the 'crew has a vested interest for more. Not a lot of options really available for this year.

[PeaveyFury]

No his range is great. His accuracy stinks

 

I agree, but I think FTJ's point was that because he can't make any throws from the hole, it practically nullifies any range on balls going to his right that he gets to.

[lcbj68c]

I've always like Callix Crabbe better than Rickie Weeks, for just about every facet of the game except the ability to get HBP. Crabbe's minor league numbers were all better than Weeks, especially the ability to draw walks and not strikeout. Talk about OBP, Crabbe is better than the numbers we rave about with Rickie. Sure, he doesnt hit for power, but I dont need that out of a leadoff second baseman. Just get on base, dont strikeout and dont boot the ball.

[naivin]

I'll give the year more than a week+ to make that determination. I think you almost have to throw last year out due to injury. That aside though, as someone else indicated, this year is kind of make or break. On this team he doesn't need to be great, but he needs to be good.

[Fatter than Joey]

On this team he doesn't need to be great, but he needs to be good.

 

I'd settle for "solid". I just don't think his offense is going to significantly out produce his defensive liabilities.

[kramnoj]

"He's still making bad outs"

 

What are good outs, and how should he make them?

 

"But OBP is not a BA, and OBP is not something makes a player great."

 

Mike Schmidt hit .267 for his career, what do you think of him?

 

There have been good players who haven't contributed anything in their bigs before the age of 25. Rickie is still providing value to this team. He will continue to do so for at least another year or two. If that time comes, and he hasn't improved his game, then the Brewers might have to make a tough decision. Until then, we should forget where he went in the draft and use it against him. The decision has been made, there's no benefit to use that as a mark against him when deciding his future value.

[naivin]

One thing that has really been bothering me...For such a good athlete, when Rickie dives for a ball moving to his left, I swear he looks as if he has no control over his body at all. Has he ever come up with a ball in this scenario?

[JJHardy7]

Monty is 'on-base' with this one. If Rickie keeps a +.400 OBP we can live with that. Hard part is that Milwaukee used such a high pick on him. Any other team would 'settle' with that production, but the 'crew has a vested interest for more. Not a lot of options really available for this year.

 

The problem is Weeks was a first round pick. I also don't understand that + .400 OBP. Because he was "healthy" and did this for two months last year he'll always be close to that? I personally don't think a wrist injury changes a players ability to swing or not swing at pitches and get on base with walks. I think Rickie does get a pretty big pass around here and hopefully it's because he finally breaks out in 2008.

 

I think the Brewers need to have a solid plan for a replacement for Weeks in the coming years. Weeks isn't 22 and like it's been pointed out he turns 26 this year. Watching the Mets' broadcast last night they even were pointing out how frustrated the Brewers must be with Weeks and his lack of production. Don't get me wrong I really want to see this guy succeed, but when I think of the core Milwaukee players and the guys I want in town Weeks is no longer on that list. I hope he proves me wrong with the bat -- I've given up hopes on his defense improving. x

[jjfanec]

I've always like Callix Crabbe better than Rickie Weeks, for just about every facet of the game except the ability to get HBP. Crabbe's minor league numbers were all better than Weeks, especially the ability to draw walks and not strikeout. Talk about OBP, Crabbe is better than the numbers we rave about with Rickie. Sure, he doesnt hit for power, but I dont need that out of a leadoff second baseman. Just get on base, dont strikeout and dont boot the ball.

I dont really know how you can claim Crabbe is better than Weeks. His overall minor league numbers are not better than Weeks.

 

Crabbe - BA .277. OBP. .369 Weeks - BA .289 OBP. 404. Other than those stats Weeks hit for power, and was a much more efficient base stealer. Crabbe really only had him beat in not striking out, which is something I would love for Weeks to cut down. But the reality is you say Crabbe's OBP is better and that is just not true. Rickie's OBP in the Milwaukee last year was only .03 points lower than Crabbe's in AAA.

 

So Crabbe has defense and strikeouts and Weeks has the rest. In my mind they are not that close in terms to players and especially in terms of potential. They are nearly the same age, Weeks is about 4 months older, and what they have done up until now makes Weeks a much better prospect and he is a better currently.

 

[BrewCrewForever]

He still might be okay. I think this is a make or break type season for him and so far it isn't looking to good. However I don't think there is anyway he can fulfill the expectations everyone set on him when we drafted him #2 overall and after he ripped through the minor leagues. I don't think he will ever be the player we thought, but could still be a nice 2B/leadoff guy. We shall see.

[Fatter than Joey]

Crabbe got his first MLB hit a couple of nights ago -- for anyone that may have missed that.

[GAME05]

considering only 30% of first-round picks ever make it, i don't really like to hold any expectations of Weeks just for the fact he was a #2 pick.

[endaround]

Seriosuly, in no sense is Weeks a bust. Krynzel, ok, Weeks no. Not aure how an average start at age 24 is a bust, but hey he doesn't play like an All Star , he must suck.

[bcf5575]

I was expecting to see big improvement from weeks this year too - and so far it just seems like more of the same. I had always thought that Hardy would be the first of this group of guys to leave. Mostly because his "replacement" is rapidly ascending the ranks in the minors and Hardy was one of the first to come up. But now, I am starting to think that Weeks might be the first to go - with some sort of position change for Hardy (2B maybe?) when Escobar is ready.

And with all the talk of locking the younger players up to long term deals this year, I can't say that I have heard Weeks name mentioned at all. It is so frustrating, because like others have said he gives you flashes of what he could be - if only he could get it together...

[Never Outhustled]

Brandon Phillips is an outstandinmg player now, and he was deemed useless by Clevceland at the end of spring training in 2006. Patience sucks, but I wonder how much Cleveland is kicking themselves for not waiting a little longer with Phillips.

[BrewCrewForever]

Brandon Phillips is an outstandinmg player now, and he was deemed useless by Clevceland at the end of spring training in 2006. Patience sucks, but I wonder how much Cleveland is kicking themselves for not waiting a little longer with Phillips.

That is a great point X ellecne. I never even thought of that.

 

[JJHardy7]

Seriosuly, in no sense is Weeks a bust. Krynzel, ok, Weeks no. Not aure how an average start at age 24 is a bust, but hey he doesn't play like an All Star , he must suck.

 

Weeks is 25 and turns 26 later this season. I personally don't think he's a bust. I just don't believe he's one of the core Brewers who need to be kept unless he proves otherwise. It is still early and I hope offensively he turns it around. I think if he can do that the possible long-term solution is as follows (just a guess on my part):

 

--Brewers trade Fielder/let him walk

--OF consists of Weeks, Braun, and Hart

--LaPorta moves to 1B

--JJ or Escobar at 2B

 

Again, I'm sure we won't be able to keep all of these guys, but if Weeks doesn't improve and play consistent throughout the next few seasons he'll become a lot easier to afford.

[lcbj68c]

Crabbe - BA .277. OBP. .369 Weeks - BA .289 OBP. 404. Other than those stats Weeks hit for power, and was a much more efficient base stealer.

Weeks is not a more efficient base stealer. Overall in the minors Rickie was only 63% effective while Crabbe was 71% effective. Those numbers you cited were AAA number only, for which Rickie only spent 225 atbats. A better comparison would be AA numbers that I posted below. Overall numbers for all of the minor leagues is available for each player at baseball-reference.com.

 

Crabbe does have the defensive edge, better plate discipline, better baserunning ability and stolen base percentages and therefore I consider him a better all-around player than Rickie Weeks. Plus if you consider where Weeks was drafted at and the fact that Crabbe came out of Manatee Comm College as a relative unknown, I'd say that Crabbe has overachieved his value while Weeks has not. Aside from an occasional ability to display power, Weeks has not outperformed Crabbe. Consider this team does not have a need for power from the leadoff spot, I'd rather have Crabbe manning second base for the Milwaukee Brewers than Weeks.

 

Crabbe AA 472AB 59 R 126H 18 doubles, 2 triples, 5 HR, 46 RBI, 71 BB, 62K .267/.368/.345 32SB 13CS FP .974 13E

Weeks AA 479AB 67 R 124H 35 doubles, 6 triples, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 55 BB, 107 K .259/.355/.407 11SB 12CS FP .969 17E

[Fatter than Joey]

Patience sucks, but I wonder how much Cleveland is kicking themselves for not waiting a little longer with Phillips.

 

Phillips had about 400 ABs when Cleveland dumped him -- Weeks has about 3 times that. It's not correct to compare Phillips and Weeks as how patient teams have been with them.

 

Bust may be extreme, but I can understand people's disappointments...

[Brewer Fever]

He's miscast in the leadoff role. Sure he has a high OBP but that doesn't mean he's a natural leadoff guy. He's being a good soldier and trying to work deep into the count. But all that does is make him watch early count fastballs and fall behind in the count. Then he finds himself swinging at breaking pitches to stay alive...clearly not his strength. When the pitcher is missing with those get-me-over fastballs and Weeks finds himself ahead in the count, he shifts into "bat on the shoulder mode" and tries to draw the walk as any good soldier would do in the leadoff role. It's completely stripped him of the aggresiveness to go after fastballs early in the count. Look at what he did on the 1st pitch versus Lilly.

 

Get him out of the leadoff spot and relieve him of that mentality and I think you'll see better numbers. The question is will that change in roles occur in Milwaukee or somewhere else. I hope he gets a chance to be more of a run producer here because I fear he might live up to his ability somewhere else. You guys compare him to Brandon Phillips. Phillips is batting clean-up.