Scooter Gennett gets called up to MLB

[Thurston Fluff]

I was a huge Gomez supporter because he had all the physical tools and I was just waiting for him to put them together. With a guy like Scooter, he doesn't have the natural ability/tools that a guy like Gomez has. As such, I don't know how much more room there is for him to develop, we may be seeing his peak.

 

Does he really have to run fast, field well or have the ability to hit for power to learn to take more walks? You don't need to be a five tool player to do one specific thing better.

[RightFieldCoder]

Seeing a Starter multiple times in a game, it is a fact batters do better as that pitcher tires. Seeing a pitcher 3-4 times, I am thinking Gennett would take his lumps but also get his hits. Yeah, great he didn't fair to well in the Minors overall vs. LHP. But what do the Majority of LH pitchers in the Minors do? 4/5IP? With the best of them going 6 or more. So again Scooter isn't facing a LH Starter that 4th time around and maybe not even that 3rd time around. Scooter to begin the season was frustrating, he had a hack it pull-swing. Now you watch him willingly take it towards LeftField with his approaches at the plate. If he maintains that Left-Field approach he will be better vs. LeftHand Pitching. That's called Growth and learning and making adjustments. It's that type of improvement in his game that will lead to doing better vs. LHPs when he gets a chance to face them more often.

The RHP also don't go deep into games in the minors.

[logan82]

It wasn't just the BB rate with Scooter. It was also the lack of power. Gomez did walk more than Scooter in the minors. He was also younger compared to other players than Scooter. Not that Scooter was old. Basically Gomez was younger, had better tools, and showed better plate discipline and power in the minors.

[Thurston Fluff]

It wasn't just the BB rate with Scooter. It was also the lack of power. Gomez did walk more than Scooter in the minors. He was also younger compared to other players than Scooter. Not that Scooter was old. Basically Gomez was younger, had better tools, and showed better plate discipline and power in the minors.

 

I wasn't trying to compare the two as all around players. Just that since one learned to take more walks after a few years in the majors it is possible the other can as well. A guy doesn't need to be a superstar talent to get better. He may not be able to learn how to run faster or hit for more power but that doesn't mean he can't learn the strike zone better, improve his defense a little and maybe even learn how to steal a few more bases. Even if he learns all those things and still isn't as good as Gomez that doesn't mean he didn't improve. Considering his production now I am fine with that.

[logan82]

I was pointing out that Gomez at one point in the minors took walks. Scooter really never has. Gomez just had to adjust his hitting to the majors. Gennett has to learn something he has never done. Not saying he can't but there are no parallels between the two other than low walk rate. Scooter never showed much power in the minors. If that isn't a mirage there is some hope but unless he keeps up the power I doubt the walk rate will increase.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Gennett should be playing every day and he will get his full shot to be able to do it. Gennett needs consistent playing time against both and he will be fine.

[JohnBriggs12]

I can't believe some of the comments here. Gennett has played the equivalent of one major league season and he's put up a slash line of .317/.353/.482 and people are comparing him to Counsell and Eckstein? Really?? Lack of power? Seriously? He's carrying a .482 career slugging percentage. I'd be very interested to see the bat speed numbers on Gennett. I see a guy who really does appear to generate quite a bit of bat speed and hence will hit with plenty of power. I don't know if Scooter plays golf, but if he does, I bet he hits the ball a long way. Power is not an issue.

 

His first full season in the big leagues was considerably better than Paul Molitor's of .273/.301/.372. Had he put up these numbers within one season, he'd be a ROY lock.

 

Walking more?? He's batting in front of Braun, Lucroy, and Ramirez. He's going to see strikes, and he's a good enough hitter to square up and put them in play all over the field.

 

Most of his AB's vs. lefties have been against the type of guys that give all lefties trouble, hence the term "lefty specialist". I completely agree that if he were facing lefty starters regularly, his numbers against them would be better. He's just too good a hitter not to have some success against them eventually. The solution is that vs. lefties, you just flip-flop him in the batting order with Segura. It's not like this team doesn't have enough RH mashers that they couldn't get by with Gennett in the lineup against a lefty.

 

The other thing the doubters point to his Gennett's fairly modest minor league numbers. But you need to dig further and look up his Arizona Fall League year when he raked. At some point too, what he's done in the major leagues trumps his minor league numbers. This guy can hit and easily passes the eyeball test, and his ability to use the entire field in the day when shifting defenses are affecting offense all over baseball makes him more valuable, not less.

[brewcrewdue80]

Seeing a Starter multiple times in a game, it is a fact batters do better as that pitcher tires. Seeing a pitcher 3-4 times, I am thinking Gennett would take his lumps but also get his hits. Yeah, great he didn't fair to well in the Minors overall vs. LHP. But what do the Majority of LH pitchers in the Minors do? 4/5IP? With the best of them going 6 or more. So again Scooter isn't facing a LH Starter that 4th time around and maybe not even that 3rd time around. Scooter to begin the season was frustrating, he had a hack it pull-swing. Now you watch him willingly take it towards LeftField with his approaches at the plate. If he maintains that Left-Field approach he will be better vs. LeftHand Pitching. That's called Growth and learning and making adjustments. It's that type of improvement in his game that will lead to doing better vs. LHPs when he gets a chance to face them more often.

The RHP also don't go deep into games in the minors.

 

So what you're telling me then is that many LH ABs by Scooter in the Minors likely had future Lefty Specialists facing him in the 5th-7th innings that also depressed his minor league stats.

[502 to Right]

He seems to get the most he can out of his abilities and fans are always going to love that scrappy, hard-working player .

 

 

Sounds like Counsell.

 

 

Or Dustin Pedroia.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm not saying he's the second coming of Dustin Pedroia but you can name scrappy players who are stud MVP-types as well.

[Noche]

Scooter is a classic 2-4 WAR player who will proabbly have higher peaks. This year, he is looking like a 4-5 WAR player. Tremendously valuable.

 

Scooter's ISO is .174 this year which is tied with the phenom, Brett Lawrie, for 4th amongst 2B. His overall slugging percentage is a few points behind Ian Kinsler for tops in the MLB. I would argue that his only superior right now in the NL is Altuve and that he should be in Minneapolis for the ASG.

[logan82]

I would argue that his only superior right now in the NL is Altuve and that he should be in Minneapolis for the ASG.

If he wasn't being platooned and putting up similar numbers, sure. I have a really hard time justifying a platoon player being in the All-Star game.

[JohnBriggs12]

Scooter is a classic 2-4 WAR player who will proabbly have higher peaks. This year, he is looking like a 4-5 WAR player. Tremendously valuable.

 

Scooter's ISO is .174 this year which is tied with the phenom, Brett Lawrie, for 4th amongst 2B. His overall slugging percentage is a few points behind Ian Kinsler for tops in the MLB. I would argue that his only superior right now in the NL is Altuve and that he should be in Minneapolis for the ASG.

 

 

Altuve playing for the NL in the All Star game would be quite the story. The Astros are in the AL now.

[JohnBriggs12]

Over his professional career, Gennett has a .259 BA against left handed pitching, 163 for 629.

 

My guess is over time, he'll hit in the .240's against LHP in the majors or roughly 40-50 points lower than his overall BA figures to be, but not out of line with a lot of lefty swingers. This year they had a RH hitting 2nd baseman on the final year of a big contract, so they tried the platoon route and for the most part it's worked. But next year they won't want to invest in big money in a RH portion of a platoon there, and Scooter will start most every day. That doesn't preclude them from pinch hitting for him late in games against a tough lefty though or giving him the occasional rest day vs. a lefty. Way too much is being made of very small samples.

[Baldkin]

Walking more?? He's batting in front of Braun, Lucroy, and Ramirez. He's going to see strikes, and he's a good enough hitter to square up and put them in play all over the field.

 

Who you hit in front of has about 1% of things to do with how much you walk. Rickie Weeks has hit in front of great hitters his entire career and he's walked his entire career.

 

Molitor was also 21 when he was in his first year in the majors. When Scooter was 21, he was putting together a .300/.334/.406 line in A+.

[Noche]

Scooter is a classic 2-4 WAR player who will proabbly have higher peaks. This year, he is looking like a 4-5 WAR player. Tremendously valuable.

 

Scooter's ISO is .174 this year which is tied with the phenom, Brett Lawrie, for 4th amongst 2B. His overall slugging percentage is a few points behind Ian Kinsler for tops in the MLB. I would argue that his only superior right now in the NL is Altuve and that he should be in Minneapolis for the ASG.

 

 

Altuve playing for the NL in the All Star game would be quite the story. The Astros are in the AL now.

 

I will probably never get that right.

 

Logan, Gennett is only a platoon player until next year. It has more to do with the roster with Weeks on it than anything.

 

Anyways, the guy is out producing just about all his peers. This is fantastic news.

[logan82]

I am not sure what next year has to do with the All-Star game this year.

[Noche]

I am not sure what next year has to do with the All-Star game this year.

 

Don't hurt yourself. It has nothing to do with it.

 

Anyways, if you have some unwritten rule that a guy with Scooter's AB distribution cannot make the All-Star game, so be it.

 

I'll continue to point to his excellent per AB production and extremely good overall production in comparison to his peers.

[logan82]

and ignore how he did it. If you don't think context matters that's ok.

[gregmag]

A fair question here is whether there's much precedent for platoon guys (it would have to be lefties, just by the numbers) making the ASG as position players. I don't know the answer. I'm also not sure what other contextual factors ASG selection has taken into account. Do guys ride their RBI totals in when they hit behind huge OBP guys? Do more than the minimum necessary number of Rockies hitters make it? If the answers to those sorts of questions are sometimes yes, then we could at least have a discussion about what makes a player not complete enough to qualify.

 

I agree that easing Gennett in against lefties next year makes a lot of sense. It would be nice to have a competent RHB utility guy who could provide some flexibility, but I think JohnBriggs is right that we should give him a shot at developing more against LHPs. The platoon this year is a brilliant confluence -- we were already paying Rickie, and it's made sense to let Scooter do what he does best without having to struggle against LHPs.

 

Any comparison of Gennett to Molitor at this point is, IMHO, way off base. Molitor, as Baldkin points out, got a much earlier start on his career. He put up his first decade of numbers in a tougher offensive environment than we have now. Also -- you have to be old to remember this -- Molitor started out as a very good and versatile defender. Gennett, like almost any player, would have to develop like crazy to sniff Molitor's air.

[WV Brew]

I could see Josh Prince as a platoon partner with Scooter next year if the Brewers wanted to continue that way. He has an OBP around .350 pretty consistently. He doesn't have Scooter's hit tool but he does other things well.

[Thurston Fluff]

and ignore how he did it. If you don't think context matters that's ok.

 

Most players often get days off that coincide with pitchers they don't do well against. Knowing that I just don't think him playing more against lefties is going to impact his numbers so much as to suddenly make him a below average hitter.

[logan82]

and ignore how he did it. If you don't think context matters that's ok.

 

Most players often get days off that coincide with pitchers they don't do well against. Knowing that I just don't think him playing more against lefties is going to impact his numbers so much as to suddenly make him a below average hitter.

Maybe not but it would definitely take him out of All-Star consideration.

[Thurston Fluff]

and ignore how he did it. If you don't think context matters that's ok.

 

Most players often get days off that coincide with pitchers they don't do well against. Knowing that I just don't think him playing more against lefties is going to impact his numbers so much as to suddenly make him a below average hitter.

Maybe not but it would definitely take him out of All-Star consideration.

 

So do we have to take everyone out who doesn't play against the really good same handed pitchers? I don't remember who it was off hand but an all star (who played for Denver I believe) always sat when they played Randy Johnson. Should he have been excluded from all star consideration? If you have the numbers to be an All Star then you should be an All Star.

[Noche]

and ignore how he did it. If you don't think context matters that's ok.

 

Most players often get days off that coincide with pitchers they don't do well against. Knowing that I just don't think him playing more against lefties is going to impact his numbers so much as to suddenly make him a below average hitter.

Maybe not but it would definitely take him out of All-Star consideration.

 

It would definitely nothing.

[reillymcshane]

In 2010, Omar Infante was named to the all-star despite not being a regular. He was more of a super sub guy than a platoon player. That year he appeared in 134 games and had 471 ABs.

 

Scooter's on pace to appear in 141 games and have 460 ABs.

 

If 2B was a black hole of players, I could see Scooter getting picked. But there are other deserving players this year - guys putting up similar (or better) numbers while playing full time. Utley, Dee Gordan and Daniel Murphy come to mind.