He is the nicest kid you ever want to meet and really wants to do the right thing. He said he has to work on the focus and concentration it takes to be a major league player, Even thought Peguero is older, I seem some similarities where they waste at bats.
Opposing exit velos are down significantly. Oppo launch angle is down. That's a formula for winning.
Intriguingly, his barrel and sweet-spot rates almost unchanged from 2023. He's using four pitches more effectively, though. The inference is that he's doing a better job of keeping them guessing. Adding a cutter seems to have been a big win for Oritz.
This feels like a formula for continued success. FTR, Baseball Savant says his best comp is 2022 Sandy Alcantara. I'll take that.
I watched the first inning. McAdoo came up with first & second and nobody out, and they had him bunt. He looped one back toward the pitcher, who missed a diving catch and he got a single.
I heard one of the broadcasts say the reason no major leaguer knows how to bunt is that they are never asked to bunt. Most of them are too good to bunt. That being said, I can see both sides.
Spoiler alert: Mayo says this is maybe one time you draft for need since the Pirates don’t have a single first base prospect in their entire system. If Kurtz is there they have to take him.
Kind of a weird draft with the injury issues at the top with Wetherholt and Montgomery.
If not Kurtz at #9, who then should the Pirates take?
Let's see, the Pirates shouldn't draft for need. The Pirates need a 1B. Kurtz is available when the Pirates pick. The Pirates refuse to take Kurtz because the team needs him. But zkurtz is the best available player. Now what?
Baseball analysts should be fixed everytime they use a cliche to replace actual analysis.
Pirates needed a stud ace pitcher last season and picked one. No reason why they would pass up Kurtz if he is there because he is really good and happens to play a position they need.
*IF* Kurtz is there, Cherington will dither and decide he's got to look clever and draft one of the two HS guys Griffin or Rainer. You can take that to the bank haha. It's just too much of a "Ben move" to not happen.
Ridiculous take. He's basically taken the auto-draft choice outside of Hank and the complete outcome from that draft is far from final. At least make the non-stop bitches somewhat based on actual history.
I've never had a problem with Cherrington's drafts or d en his IFA signings. Of course, it's easy to make sound picks when you're picking in the top five. But some GMs have effed that up.
Hank was not the top pick. He signed for underslot, remember? Just under $2M under when the slot was $8.4 is a big chunk. If trying to squeeze your first pick to sign Solometo and Lonnie White isn't cleverosity I don't know what is. Gonzales wasn't a consensus guy where they picked him either. Termarr was the small up the middle guy Cherington has a hardon for and Skenes was a nobrainer.
I clearly stated OUTSIDE of Hank they went best available. Gonzales and Temarr WERE the consensus next picks regardless of how you choose to describe them. You conveniently left Bubba off the Davis draft year as he was the most likely extra get from that draft. Solo and White were easily in reach even if they didn't draft Hank and went full slot with the first pick. Revisionist history 101.
Naw, not consensus for sure. In the convo (particularly for Termarr but less so for Gonzo) but not consensus on anybody but Skenes and even Crews and Langford were in that conversation. Yes, Chandler was signed too. White and Solo look to be non-entities but Chandler could be a good one. $2M good over signing Jordan Lawler and his 184 wRC+ in AAA at age 21? When Hank is rehabbing in AA with his 69 combined wRC+ in MLB (which I don't really blame him for given he got no MiLB time)? You never know until about a decade later but it's not looking great right now.
I mean, it's a thing. Teams do it. Especially in a year where there wasn't a clear top pick, it wasn't the worst plan. So far, that draft class hasn't gone gangbusters.
Having just read the MLB Pipeline scouting report on Kurtz I conclude that it would be GM malpractice of the highest order not to take him if he’s there. Dangerous and unrealistic comp: Jim Thome.
It was GM malpractice to call Henry Davis up with so few MiLB PAs and then hand him an OF glove and say "go get 'em, kid, you're in the bigs!" so we know he's capable.
This is true, especially when MiL pitchers tattooed his arms and hands. It was all bit obvious that Skenes was ready for the Majors before he was promoted. Davis? I don't think so.
Cincinnati didn’t field their best lineup today and Ortiz made em pay. Nice to create some separation from them in the standings.
Offense showed up all series, which is encouraging. Especially from Rowdy cause he wasn’t going anywhere regardless.
He’s always going to be a roster casualty due to the options in his contract, but I was confident going into the season that Delay would be a fine backup and I still feel that way. He’ll go to Indy when Bart is back while Grandal continues to play like he’s collecting a paycheck.
If Hayes’ issues are due to his back, he shouldn’t be playing until those issues are better addressed. He clearly can’t play through them. Suwinski needs a prolonged stay in AAA. Watching them both wiff at 93 mph fastballs right down the middle is infuriating and doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.
I liked Delay a ton as a backup last year when he was in Pittsburgh, I thought he was a professional for sure that worked well with the pitchers. He didn't look the same this year, but glad he did well today. Maybe he can continue to do well and the Pirates can keep Henry in the minors to figure things out.
Good points and I would go a little further to include 2 doubles from Jason Delay, a double from Connor Joe, in addition to the contributions of Ortiz, Nicolas, Tellez, and Cutch - an overall team effort to grind it out. That's how a team plays and as long as they can do that, they will always be in it!
Braves have 2 in St Louis today and 1 in Chicago tomorrow... let's hope for some jet lag. Pirates can get to the ATL today and hit the Bars (strike that).. hit the batting cage to prep for friday.
Jaden Woods, not so good.
probably nothing, but i'd like to see fajardo up to aaa. all he's done is hit (singles)...but still
Just realized that Termarr is a couple days younger than the Phillies 2023 first round pick Aiden Miller. Kid has some time to figure things out.
He is the nicest kid you ever want to meet and really wants to do the right thing. He said he has to work on the focus and concentration it takes to be a major league player, Even thought Peguero is older, I seem some similarities where they waste at bats.
Absolutely agree. Very young. I would not give up on him. That is why I like talented prep picks.
So imagine if Ortiz can keep this up.
Opposing exit velos are down significantly. Oppo launch angle is down. That's a formula for winning.
Intriguingly, his barrel and sweet-spot rates almost unchanged from 2023. He's using four pitches more effectively, though. The inference is that he's doing a better job of keeping them guessing. Adding a cutter seems to have been a big win for Oritz.
This feels like a formula for continued success. FTR, Baseball Savant says his best comp is 2022 Sandy Alcantara. I'll take that.
Pirates optioned Bruihl. No idea who’s coming up.
Perez, no? He’s already traveling with the team.
Must be.
Marco for friday?
Is Marco ready?
Oops meant perez my bad!
Advisory for Nola: don’t look at the Altoona game.
Not sure what this is referring to, but meanwhile McAdoo is 3-4 with a double and two runs scored. Playing third base.
Sullivan had a rough start.
I watched the first inning. McAdoo came up with first & second and nobody out, and they had him bunt. He looped one back toward the pitcher, who missed a diving catch and he got a single.
I heard one of the broadcasts say the reason no major leaguer knows how to bunt is that they are never asked to bunt. Most of them are too good to bunt. That being said, I can see both sides.
Dumb. Just effing dumb.
Bunting McAdoo with two on and nobody out in the first? There should be a top-bottom organizational policy against that.
Better there.
Something to warm the hearts of all you Nick Kurtz fans out there: the latest Callis-Mayo mock draft at MLB Pipeline has him going to the Pirates:
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-mock-draft-june-20
Spoiler alert: Mayo says this is maybe one time you draft for need since the Pirates don’t have a single first base prospect in their entire system. If Kurtz is there they have to take him.
Kind of a weird draft with the injury issues at the top with Wetherholt and Montgomery.
If not Kurtz at #9, who then should the Pirates take?
Let's see, the Pirates shouldn't draft for need. The Pirates need a 1B. Kurtz is available when the Pirates pick. The Pirates refuse to take Kurtz because the team needs him. But zkurtz is the best available player. Now what?
Baseball analysts should be fixed everytime they use a cliche to replace actual analysis.
Pirates needed a stud ace pitcher last season and picked one. No reason why they would pass up Kurtz if he is there because he is really good and happens to play a position they need.
We need an OF too. Kurtz, Montgomery, Tibbs are all among the best players likely to be available _and_ fit needs.
*IF* Kurtz is there, Cherington will dither and decide he's got to look clever and draft one of the two HS guys Griffin or Rainer. You can take that to the bank haha. It's just too much of a "Ben move" to not happen.
Ridiculous take. He's basically taken the auto-draft choice outside of Hank and the complete outcome from that draft is far from final. At least make the non-stop bitches somewhat based on actual history.
I've never had a problem with Cherrington's drafts or d en his IFA signings. Of course, it's easy to make sound picks when you're picking in the top five. But some GMs have effed that up.
Hank was not the top pick. He signed for underslot, remember? Just under $2M under when the slot was $8.4 is a big chunk. If trying to squeeze your first pick to sign Solometo and Lonnie White isn't cleverosity I don't know what is. Gonzales wasn't a consensus guy where they picked him either. Termarr was the small up the middle guy Cherington has a hardon for and Skenes was a nobrainer.
I clearly stated OUTSIDE of Hank they went best available. Gonzales and Temarr WERE the consensus next picks regardless of how you choose to describe them. You conveniently left Bubba off the Davis draft year as he was the most likely extra get from that draft. Solo and White were easily in reach even if they didn't draft Hank and went full slot with the first pick. Revisionist history 101.
Naw, not consensus for sure. In the convo (particularly for Termarr but less so for Gonzo) but not consensus on anybody but Skenes and even Crews and Langford were in that conversation. Yes, Chandler was signed too. White and Solo look to be non-entities but Chandler could be a good one. $2M good over signing Jordan Lawler and his 184 wRC+ in AAA at age 21? When Hank is rehabbing in AA with his 69 combined wRC+ in MLB (which I don't really blame him for given he got no MiLB time)? You never know until about a decade later but it's not looking great right now.
And there was a logic to Davis as a pick in terms of saving money for overslot signings.
A clever sort of logic, sure.
I mean, it's a thing. Teams do it. Especially in a year where there wasn't a clear top pick, it wasn't the worst plan. So far, that draft class hasn't gone gangbusters.
Unfortunately, the best pick in that draft so far plays in our division and is getting ready to return from a March surgery (Matt McLain).
weird complaint for a GM who's taken the college guy up top every single time it was even a consideration.
The Drafting is about the only area that the Pirates have gotten right during Cherrington's tenure.
Having just read the MLB Pipeline scouting report on Kurtz I conclude that it would be GM malpractice of the highest order not to take him if he’s there. Dangerous and unrealistic comp: Jim Thome.
It was GM malpractice to call Henry Davis up with so few MiLB PAs and then hand him an OF glove and say "go get 'em, kid, you're in the bigs!" so we know he's capable.
This is true, especially when MiL pitchers tattooed his arms and hands. It was all bit obvious that Skenes was ready for the Majors before he was promoted. Davis? I don't think so.
63 PAs in 14 games at AAA before callup! 122 total games played in in MiLB prior to coming up and being handed an OF mitt.
Preach
I know it's probably just in my mind because tomorrow is one, but does it feel like they've had an awful lot of off-days these last 3 weeks or so?
Today was a different kind of bullpen game.
Cincinnati didn’t field their best lineup today and Ortiz made em pay. Nice to create some separation from them in the standings.
Offense showed up all series, which is encouraging. Especially from Rowdy cause he wasn’t going anywhere regardless.
He’s always going to be a roster casualty due to the options in his contract, but I was confident going into the season that Delay would be a fine backup and I still feel that way. He’ll go to Indy when Bart is back while Grandal continues to play like he’s collecting a paycheck.
If Hayes’ issues are due to his back, he shouldn’t be playing until those issues are better addressed. He clearly can’t play through them. Suwinski needs a prolonged stay in AAA. Watching them both wiff at 93 mph fastballs right down the middle is infuriating and doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.
I liked Delay a ton as a backup last year when he was in Pittsburgh, I thought he was a professional for sure that worked well with the pitchers. He didn't look the same this year, but glad he did well today. Maybe he can continue to do well and the Pirates can keep Henry in the minors to figure things out.
Still premature at this point, but is it possible that they're successfully weaverizing Ortiz?
I'll add that Nicolas turning that stuff into outs instead of walks would be really big.
Good points and I would go a little further to include 2 doubles from Jason Delay, a double from Connor Joe, in addition to the contributions of Ortiz, Nicolas, Tellez, and Cutch - an overall team effort to grind it out. That's how a team plays and as long as they can do that, they will always be in it!
Hope Atlanta shows up for the DH in STL (and would be nice if TEX can do something in MIL).
Braves up 4-1 batting in the 4th 🤞🤞🤞
Game has a feeling it should be 8-1 Braves.. but I'll take the lead for now.
Well, maybe they win Game 1 and score 4 in game 2 that they maybe shouldn’t have? 🤞🤞🤞
Booyah!!!!! #39 in the books and 82 to go!!!! Series win!! Raise it!!!!!!
A Chapman inning without a walk! Glory be. 2 blowout wins and 1 blowout loss yields a good series for the Bucs.
Raise it! Atlanta doesnt want this smoke
Braves have 2 in St Louis today and 1 in Chicago tomorrow... let's hope for some jet lag. Pirates can get to the ATL today and hit the Bars (strike that).. hit the batting cage to prep for friday.
Interesting... Plus get jones and skenes to start there is a nice setup that feels as in our favor as it could be
Fried vs. Skenes on Saturday.. buckle up. Fried can carve up a lineup when he is on or even partially on.
Raise it!
2 of 3 over a division rival is always good!