I didn’t have any one topic this week that required 1,000
words of my analyzation, so I’m going in a slightly different direction. Here’s what amounts to a smattering of random
thoughts…
Minor league watch:
Even with the Yankees great start many are still wondering
when we’ll see Gleyber Torres and Clint Frazier in the Bronx. Hey, when you give up Aroldis Chapman and
Andrew Miller it’s understandable to get anxious to see what you got in return.
Both Torres (AA) and Frazier (AAA) have above league
averages in both on base percentage and slugging percentage, so they’re meeting
expectations and then some.
The problem with Frazier is that Ellsbury is playing well,
Gardner and Hicks are playing very well and Aaron Judge is, well…Aaron
Judge. More on that in a minute…
Torres as an infielder, with Ronald Torreyes, Chase Headley, Didi Gregorius
and Starlin Castro ahead of him on the depth chart is far more likely to be seen in the
Bronx this season. Replacing Headley
outright or taking Torreyes’ roster spot so Headley can be a part time player
seem like possibilities given the declining production of Headley and Torreyes. Headley is essentially a below average player
at this point and Torreyes is well below that bar.
One thing of note re: Gleyber Torres: He has 4 stolen bases this season vs. 4
caught stealing. For his career in the
minor leagues he has 57 stolen bases with 38 caught stealing.
He needs to stop trying to steal bases because he’s awful at
it.
And because I wrote about it a few weeks back, Rob Refsnyder
currently has a .408 OBP in AAA. So
again, not sure what the Yankees feel his shortcomings are, but the dude has
always gotten on base at whatever level he’s played. (Cue Brad Pitt from “Moneyball”: He can’t
throw, he can’t run, but what can he do?
Guys, if you don’t look at your reports I’m going to point to Pete again…he gets on base.”
Aaron Judge
…is on pace to have the best season ever by a right handed
batter for the Yankees. I may have just
jinxed him, so I’ll write it again:
Aaron Judge is on pace to have a better season than any that Bob Meusel,
Joe D., Elston Howard, Dave Winfield, ARod and/or Rickey Henderson ever had as
Yankees. Judge is on pace for 10.4 WAR this season which would be higher than
anyone who wore pinstripes not named Ruth, Gehrig or Mantle. (Rickey has the highest for a right handed
batter with 9.9 in 1985 – almost 3 more wins than his teammate who won the MVP
award that season.)
Mike Trout
On a non-Yankee note, if you get a chance, check out Mike
Trout this weekend. Normally, due to the
formidable combination of a) playing on the west coast, b) playing for a shitty
team, c) baseball doing a great job of hiding its best players, we rarely get
to see him.
But here’s the thing:
He’s one of the best players of all time. I don’t mean he’s the best player in today’s
game as he is generally regarded – he’s one of the best EVER. I
could easily make a case for him being top 10 all time.
The Angels are at Citi-field this weekend, so if you’re in
this area you’ll get the Mets feed if not other options. If you get a chance to see a player on that
level, you don’t miss it.
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