436 replies to this topic

[DuffMan]

When do they move him to Aberden?

[Mackus]

Gotta be pretty soon.  Get him comfortable with playing day-to-day at a very low level then start promoting based on skill level and age.  If he is decent (not necessarily dominant) at Aberdeen he should then end the year at Bowie.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Before the end of the month

[McNulty]

I’d send him to Bowie

[makoman]

He seems to be doing fine as far as ramping up the PT. Played 5 days in a row this past week, 19 of 23 Delmarva games overall, and has played the field 14 of those 19 games.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

I think he could skip Aberdeen but its not really needed. He will split the rest of the year at DelMarva and Aberdeen and start '23 in Bowie. I dont care that he is 23 and a college bat. He hasnt played real games since early '20. Over two yrs off and is tearing up a pro ball league to the tune of .468/.558/.649 over 100 PAs

[Nigel Tufnel]

Promoted to Aberdeen.

 

Zachary Silver@zachsilver·

 

Heston Kjerstad is on his way up. The 23-year-old has been promoted to High-A Aberdeen after a smashing pro debut coming off two missed years, hitting .463/.551/.650 (1.201 OPS) with two homers and nearly as many walks (13) as strikeouts (17) for Class A Delmarva.

[Mackus]

Excellent news.  Sets him up nicely for 5 weeks at Aberdeen and the final 5 weeks at Bowie.  I would really try to get him up to Bowie to end the season.  Obviously if he struggles or gets hurt you don't push him, but I wouldn't need him to dominate A+ to force a promotion, just play solidly.

[Slidemaster]

Excellent news. Sets him up nicely for 5 weeks at Aberdeen and the final 5 weeks at Bowie. I would really try to get him up to Bowie to end the season. Obviously if he struggles or gets hurt you don't push him, but I wouldn't need him to dominate A+ to force a promotion, just play solidly.

I've been a vocal critic of the Kjerstad pick, even before his heart issues. With thar said, he's off to a good start. I hope he contributed for the big league club sooner than later. Getting him to Bowie might set him up for a September 2023 call-up.

[DuffMan]

Ice cold since he's been moved up to Aberden

[glenn__davis]

Ice cold since he's been moved up to Aberden

 

Don't think it means much any more than his hot start at Delmarva did.  Just all about reps, reps, reps for him right now.  I'd send him to the AFL if he's up for it and continue to build him up for the offseason.

[Mackus]

AFL is a very good idea.

[Nigel Tufnel]

Keith Law on Kjerstad in the AFL, fwiw.  He probably only saw a game or two.

 

Several scouts told me that Baltimore’s Heston Kjerstad looked good in the first week of play, but I saw more of the same rust that I saw from him during the regular season. He was behind good velocity and had some trouble picking up off-speed stuff, even from right-handers. I’m inclined to give him a pass on the entire 2022 season, as he missed all of 2020 after the pandemic began and all of 2021 due to myocarditis, going about 27 months between game at-bats. I’m still rooting for him but also concerned that he had such trouble with average major-league stuff every time I saw him.

 

Law’s Arizona Fall League takeaways: From Jackson Merrill to Matt Mervis, everything I saw in 12 games - The Athletic

[makoman]

I don't understand that last sentence, maybe I am misunderstanding it? How many hitters who have never been to AA are good at handling average major league stuff? Isn't there a reason you usually have to work up the levels?

 

edit maybe he meant average minor league stuff? But I was assuming he meant that some of the pitchers he's facing have ML stuff in spurts. Or they lack command. Don't know.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Whatever he meant its certainly not a positive report.

[BobPhelan]

The AFL is an offensive environment against A+/AA pitching and he only has two walks but I have it on good authority he is hitting the ball consistently hard. His first homerun in Arizona was harder than any single ball he hit during the minor league season.

[Mike B]

Whatever he meant its certainly not a positive report.

It's not if you believe anything Law puts out there.

 

Kjerstad numbers seem to contradict, Law's view.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I don't understand that last sentence, maybe I am misunderstanding it? How many hitters who have never been to AA are good at handling average major league stuff? Isn't there a reason you usually have to work up the levels?

 

edit maybe he meant average minor league stuff? But I was assuming he meant that some of the pitchers he's facing have ML stuff in spurts. Or they lack command. Don't know.

Generally speaking the talent is the talent, and what comes with advancement is refinement and experience. 
I think he nailed it on the head when he spoke of Heston's long layoff.  What he did this year, and now in the AFL...  all that really matters right now is that he's healthy, and playing.   Shaking off rust, gaining experience.   The talent will show (as it is) up.

 

To the idea that he had trouble against guys with average ML stuff...  I don't see that as concerning now, for the aforementioned reasons.

I'm quite sure Law meant what he said... against average ML stuff.  The stuff is the stuff.  Like you said, can be in spurts as they refine and harness their ability. 

[JeremyStrain]

It's not if you believe anything Law puts out there.

 

Kjerstad numbers seem to contradict, Law's view.

I think he's a big HK fan, so he's being a little tough on it hoping for more. I get his point though, as you come up through the minors, there are generally levels of pitching, and he's probably just saying he was hoping to see AAA closer to ML level performance, and what he's doing is great, but he's still got another step to climb. From what he was saying he was disappointed in, that's like the advanced edge of AA/AAA stuff that he's a little off on, which is probably right where he should be given the time he missed and building back. Will be interesting to see where he is come the spring, if he takes another step forward he catches up to Cowser.

 

The top in AA is when you start to see the really advanced off speed stuff, and then AAA is when you have to be able to hit both offspeed and velocity, but also be able to read one from the other and the tactical part of at bats really comes in. The talent levels balance here more and it's about the game, and calling a good at bat, keeping people off balance kinda stuff.

 

Sounds like he was just kind of expecting him to be where Cowser is already which is right at the ML cusp, and when he saw him he seemed like he was just starting that last level. But I'm guessing and could be way off base.

[Mike B]

I think he's a big HK fan, so he's being a little tough on it hoping for more. I get his point though, as you come up through the minors, there are generally levels of pitching, and he's probably just saying he was hoping to see AAA closer to ML level performance, and what he's doing is great, but he's still got another step to climb. From what he was saying he was disappointed in, that's like the advanced edge of AA/AAA stuff that he's a little off on, which is probably right where he should be given the time he missed and building back. Will be interesting to see where he is come the spring, if he takes another step forward he catches up to Cowser.

 

The top in AA is when you start to see the really advanced off speed stuff, and then AAA is when you have to be able to hit both offspeed and velocity, but also be able to read one from the other and the tactical part of at bats really comes in. The talent levels balance here more and it's about the game, and calling a good at bat, keeping people off balance kinda stuff.

 

Sounds like he was just kind of expecting him to be where Cowser is already which is right at the ML cusp, and when he saw him he seemed like he was just starting that last level. But I'm guessing and could be way off base.

I don't read Law, I think he lacks credibility when it comes to the Orioles,  I also don't think it is realistic to expect Kjerstad who missed 2 years of baseball to be at the same level as Cowser.