LaPorta comparables?

[TooLiveBrew]

Am I way off to look at Matt Holliday as a ceiling-type projection for LaPorta? Or is it more Burrell? A hybrid of the two? What I'm wondering is, realizing his talent to the fullest, who is a guy with which LaPorta compares favorably?

[kgbaseball]

I can only hope he turns out to be a clone of Pat Burrell.

[dadofandrew]

Burrell was the first name to pop into my noggin. By build, maybe Tom Brunansky.

[sbrylski]

I liked the Lance Berkman comp myself - but what do I know?

[TheBrewer]

I think it's too early to say, but I was thinking Adam Dunn with a better BA and possibly less K's

[And That]

He's not quite as lope-shouldered as Dunn, and I get the feeling he'll have a higher BA than Dunn, though without the same power potential. I think LaPorta is a .280/.360/.500 guy with limited defensive potential, so comp that to who you see fit.

[splitterpfj]

He reminds me a lot of Burrell too, I've heard that comparison several times.

[TooLiveBrew]

Thanks for the responses, all. I've heard Burrell a lot too, but wondered if that was simply repetition beginning to equal truth. Is he really as slow as Burrell? (ughh!) I know comps tend to be merely a tool to help fans/viewers feel more comfortable in their expectations, but that's exactly what I'm after here, I guess. [laughs at himself]

 

Btw, "lope-shouldered"?

[And That]

Btw, "lope-shouldered"?

Shoulder breadth is a scouting tool. For instance, a guy with broad, flat shoulders will generally hit for power and not for average. A guy with thin, sloped shoulders will usually hit for average but not power. Dunn has wide, sloped shoulders - his physique reminds me more of a guy that will hit with power but not average. LaPorta looks like a guy that will hit for more average than Dunn, but less power. You can actually tell a bunch from a guy's build, with exceptions of course.

 

[TooLiveBrew]

gotcha, thanks, AT.

[JoeHova]

Btw, "lope-shouldered"?

Shoulder breadth is a scouting tool. For instance, a guy with broad, flat shoulders will generally hit for power and not for average. A guy with thin, sloped shoulders will usually hit for average but not power. Dunn has wide, sloped shoulders - his physique reminds me more of a guy that will hit with power but not average. LaPorta looks like a guy that will hit for more average than Dunn, but less power. You can actually tell a bunch from a guy's build, with exceptions of course.

 

 

 

 

I don't mean to call you out or anything but I am very skeptical that this could possibly be true, or that even if there was some sort of scientific basis for this opinion, that scouts would be able to accurately judge the breadth versus the slope of a guys shoulders. This seems like another iteration of "the good face". If you could point me toward any sort of research available on this subject I would be grateful.

[wvpowerblkwel]

I don't really know who to compare him to....a little early to know, but after watching him in Charleston, he has some pop in his bat and seems to hit the ball hard even when he keeps it in the yard...you experts can make the comparisons from there. I figure he's got 40+ HR potential for sure, but he's not that bulked up physical masher. His power seems to come from the bat and the swing more so that his physical size!

[colbyjack]

Sloped shoulders is a physical attribute that many good hitters possess. I can't say it is something scouts specifically look for, or that you can predict what kind of hitter a player is going to be based on their shoulders, but if a scout sees a good hitter and notices the sloped shoulders it may help re-confirm a belief or opinion about that player.

 

Eric Chavez is probably the best example of a player/natural hitter with sloped shoulders. The top of his shoulders seem to start below his chest.

 

Matt LaPorta = Pat Burrell.

[TooLiveBrew]

Ok, that slow, huh? Oh well - the rest of the comp. works fine for me.

[Katuluu]

Sloped-shoulders is also something looked for in swimmers, as it generally means they have stronger shoulders and are able to pull themselves thru the water better. Of course swimming also tends to accentuate this attribute as well.