I am gonna remind you Jeffrey that these games, and those homers, don't count. With respect to Mr. Mauricio who may or may not read this and take it personally - great Meme work, sir - his value to the club is down and continues to decrease. He is 90 on Fangraph's top 100. He's 56 on ESPN and 87 on Athletic. He's off Baseball America's top 100. He's off MLB's top 100 and was replaced by Ramirez. He's high on the Network lists b/c McDaniel and Law continue to excuse his bad strike zone, awkward body development, and defense at short or third or left field, along with multiple seasons of poor metrics for age. I no longer buy the age rationale. There's too much data on him.
The only value Mauricio has is trade bait - especially now his Guardian Angel Sandy is gone and can't block any trade that includes him in it, or even in the conversation. Mauricio has been blocked at MLB level for multiple years (even before Lindor) at SS, and he's been blocked in OF and 3B when attempting to change positions by MLB FAs or better home grown bench players or better performing prospects like Baty and Ramirez. Mauricio did miss a year of baseball games in 2020, but NOT development because he was an alternate site player. He's made the AFL a couple years in a row. His fall from grace as a top 15 on the top 100 MLB prospects and from #1 down the top 30 Mets prospect lists since 2020, 2021 has been minimally discussed given the surprise, upside and MLB promotion of Vientos and Alvarez who all got cups of coffee and hit homers in the majors last year.
Mauricio has to go. I understand and agree with Cohen and Eppler that a developed, consistent farm system is the ideal path to sustainability. The only value keeping Mauricio has is to collectively score higher as a farm system on ratings. He has no growth potential with the Mets. Yes, he's a good international signing. Yes he bolsters our overall status, but hey, why not trade him when he still has value to replenish the farm and dump a salary like Ruf's? Do it now if we're not getting rid of Ruf yet. If the Mets want to have a better system, don't we need to replenish the depth we forfeited by drafting 'random cheap college senior with no analytical benefits' rounds 3-15 or 3-22 under Alderson and BVW for the last 12 years?
Fun one. I see your point about Ronnie…but other guys aren’t doing what you (rightfully) say would be harder against MLB arms. There have been some pretty amazing bad-ball hitters over the years. Intriguing to see where this goes. It would be fun to hear how experts who see what you see evaluate his ongoing efforts to deal with the pitch selection/strikeout syndrome.
Loved Hartwig nugget. I love the guys who have fascinating off-field stories. As a 10 year old in 1969 I heard about Dr. Ron Taylor, a Met relief pitcher who got his medical degree along the way. As Consul General in Toronto I later met him while he was team doctor for the Jays. He had been a fireballing starter who morphed into a tricky reliever. More interestingly, his big arm supported a huge brain. He studied medicine AFTER an engineering degree didn’t convince him. Makes you wonder about God’s fairness: big league arm, engineer, doctor. AND he was more humble and gracious than most folks with any 3 of these accomplishments. Gotta luv it.
Between Winter Ball and this Spring, Mauricio has gone from "why don't they trade him because he's blocked by Lindor?" to "move him to 3B and give him the job next season!" Having said that, what if the Dodgers called and said, "you know that we need a SS now so if you trade us Mauricio we will send you Bobby Miller (SP, #2 or #3 prospect) and a 10 to 20 prospect". Given the Mets lack of major league ready SPs in the minors (Miller could be ready this season), wouldn't they do that trade?
I once joked at a Harvard event I hosted (including an Afro-Canadian family with FOUR daughters there or graduated! Check the water in THAT small town in maritimes!) that Harvard was “The U. Of T. Of Mass.”. I was teasing them cause both Obama and I went to Columbia…at same time. Haaavad folk can always use more teasing, I’ve found.
On fairness, let’s enjoy as Ohtani writes a novel and becomes a brain surgeon in his spare time in NY!
TO was fabulous except for weather and traffic…and some irritating anti-Americanism. The latter is understandable in context. The Mexicans have a fine lament in Spanish: poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the USA!
TO has brewery across from stadium in old train yard. Held a consulate July 4 party there. Baseball was important during my time; a fine member of my staff was married to Jed Lowry, then with Boston. What a great guy, as well as interesting player. Too bad the injury bug cut him short.
Maybe Mauricio is trying to emulate Manny Ramirez. He would swing at anything he could get his bat on. I think Orlando Cepeda was that way, too. Even Clemente could impose his will on an outside pitch. For a current example, although without the power, think Jose Altuve. He routinely takes a pitch out the strike zone and strokes it in the gap for a double. Hope he has a fabulous Triple A season.
What were the scouting reports on some other current home grown players at age 21? What was being said about Alonso, McNeil and Nimmo at age 21? This is not a challenge - I am just wondering if those three had any gaping flaws that were noticed and overcome. Mauricio has been in the system since age 16, correct?
And Mauricio is still a lanky kid who figures to fill out and add even more power. BA lists him as 6’3” and 166 lb. I doubt that’s currently accurate, but still...
And as i pointed out yesterday, we don’t know if he can hit from the right side. Switch hitting he batted only .221 with 2 homers last year against lefties. All of his moonshots this spring have been from the left side.
I am gonna remind you Jeffrey that these games, and those homers, don't count. With respect to Mr. Mauricio who may or may not read this and take it personally - great Meme work, sir - his value to the club is down and continues to decrease. He is 90 on Fangraph's top 100. He's 56 on ESPN and 87 on Athletic. He's off Baseball America's top 100. He's off MLB's top 100 and was replaced by Ramirez. He's high on the Network lists b/c McDaniel and Law continue to excuse his bad strike zone, awkward body development, and defense at short or third or left field, along with multiple seasons of poor metrics for age. I no longer buy the age rationale. There's too much data on him.
The only value Mauricio has is trade bait - especially now his Guardian Angel Sandy is gone and can't block any trade that includes him in it, or even in the conversation. Mauricio has been blocked at MLB level for multiple years (even before Lindor) at SS, and he's been blocked in OF and 3B when attempting to change positions by MLB FAs or better home grown bench players or better performing prospects like Baty and Ramirez. Mauricio did miss a year of baseball games in 2020, but NOT development because he was an alternate site player. He's made the AFL a couple years in a row. His fall from grace as a top 15 on the top 100 MLB prospects and from #1 down the top 30 Mets prospect lists since 2020, 2021 has been minimally discussed given the surprise, upside and MLB promotion of Vientos and Alvarez who all got cups of coffee and hit homers in the majors last year.
Mauricio has to go. I understand and agree with Cohen and Eppler that a developed, consistent farm system is the ideal path to sustainability. The only value keeping Mauricio has is to collectively score higher as a farm system on ratings. He has no growth potential with the Mets. Yes, he's a good international signing. Yes he bolsters our overall status, but hey, why not trade him when he still has value to replenish the farm and dump a salary like Ruf's? Do it now if we're not getting rid of Ruf yet. If the Mets want to have a better system, don't we need to replenish the depth we forfeited by drafting 'random cheap college senior with no analytical benefits' rounds 3-15 or 3-22 under Alderson and BVW for the last 12 years?
Fun one. I see your point about Ronnie…but other guys aren’t doing what you (rightfully) say would be harder against MLB arms. There have been some pretty amazing bad-ball hitters over the years. Intriguing to see where this goes. It would be fun to hear how experts who see what you see evaluate his ongoing efforts to deal with the pitch selection/strikeout syndrome.
Loved Hartwig nugget. I love the guys who have fascinating off-field stories. As a 10 year old in 1969 I heard about Dr. Ron Taylor, a Met relief pitcher who got his medical degree along the way. As Consul General in Toronto I later met him while he was team doctor for the Jays. He had been a fireballing starter who morphed into a tricky reliever. More interestingly, his big arm supported a huge brain. He studied medicine AFTER an engineering degree didn’t convince him. Makes you wonder about God’s fairness: big league arm, engineer, doctor. AND he was more humble and gracious than most folks with any 3 of these accomplishments. Gotta luv it.
Between Winter Ball and this Spring, Mauricio has gone from "why don't they trade him because he's blocked by Lindor?" to "move him to 3B and give him the job next season!" Having said that, what if the Dodgers called and said, "you know that we need a SS now so if you trade us Mauricio we will send you Bobby Miller (SP, #2 or #3 prospect) and a 10 to 20 prospect". Given the Mets lack of major league ready SPs in the minors (Miller could be ready this season), wouldn't they do that trade?
I once joked at a Harvard event I hosted (including an Afro-Canadian family with FOUR daughters there or graduated! Check the water in THAT small town in maritimes!) that Harvard was “The U. Of T. Of Mass.”. I was teasing them cause both Obama and I went to Columbia…at same time. Haaavad folk can always use more teasing, I’ve found.
On fairness, let’s enjoy as Ohtani writes a novel and becomes a brain surgeon in his spare time in NY!
TO was fabulous except for weather and traffic…and some irritating anti-Americanism. The latter is understandable in context. The Mexicans have a fine lament in Spanish: poor Mexico, so far from God and so close to the USA!
TO has brewery across from stadium in old train yard. Held a consulate July 4 party there. Baseball was important during my time; a fine member of my staff was married to Jed Lowry, then with Boston. What a great guy, as well as interesting player. Too bad the injury bug cut him short.
Maybe Mauricio is trying to emulate Manny Ramirez. He would swing at anything he could get his bat on. I think Orlando Cepeda was that way, too. Even Clemente could impose his will on an outside pitch. For a current example, although without the power, think Jose Altuve. He routinely takes a pitch out the strike zone and strokes it in the gap for a double. Hope he has a fabulous Triple A season.
Great to see Wright.
What were the scouting reports on some other current home grown players at age 21? What was being said about Alonso, McNeil and Nimmo at age 21? This is not a challenge - I am just wondering if those three had any gaping flaws that were noticed and overcome. Mauricio has been in the system since age 16, correct?
And a word on distance inflation. 413 feet only cleared Shea center by 3. Don’t remember what citi is.
Also, it would be nice to have another “Doctor” on the mound (Hartwig).
And Mauricio is still a lanky kid who figures to fill out and add even more power. BA lists him as 6’3” and 166 lb. I doubt that’s currently accurate, but still...
And as i pointed out yesterday, we don’t know if he can hit from the right side. Switch hitting he batted only .221 with 2 homers last year against lefties. All of his moonshots this spring have been from the left side.