MVP
Posted 06 March 2024 - 10:09 AM
With Basallo's arm injury, and how it affects his ability to catch at least early in the season, we can end any thought that we will have the #1 overall prospect for the 4th straight year. It was a good run though.
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 10:16 AM
16 guys ahead of Basallo on this year's top-100 (MLB.com). At least half will likely graduate this year. I think he's still got a shot even if he doesn't return to catching until midseason, as long as he still looks good defensively once he does. It's not like the prospect rankings are about accruing stats, so time missed to injury is largely forgotten as long as it looks like its fully overcome.
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 10:32 AM
Yeah if he continues to mash at AA and up at age 20 and is still expected to be a catcher he's going to have a shot.
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 12:00 PM
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 01:16 PM
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 01:18 PM
I hope the bat is great enough that they feel it's worth moving him to 1B permanently.
If he can catch, then you let him catch. Even if he's got the bat to carry 1B full-time, you want that bat behind the plate and you're way ahead of the curve.
I love the idea of him and Rutschman splitting two spots for 2-3 years, keeping both fresh.
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 01:41 PM
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 02:31 PM
If we're talking Yordan Alvarez comparable offensive production; I'd rather his bat in the lineup as often as possible without being drained catching.
I don't think Adley is an elite bat even if he's at 1B or DH the majority of the time. I think Basallo is an elite offensive talent.
I think Yordan Alvarez behind the plate for 130 games plus a backup catcher for 30 games plus a typical cheap 1B is would be significantly better overall than a typical cheap C and backup and Yordan Alvarez at 1B for 160 games.
If he can catch, you let him do that. Its a massive, massive advantage.
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 03:27 PM
HOF
Posted 06 March 2024 - 04:14 PM
I think the wear and tear of 130 games a year catching would diminish his ability to he as productive as a hitter.
How many guys were able to catch regularly and remain significant middle of the order hitters? Piazza. Posada. Javy Lopez. Pudge Rodriguez.
Bench, Fisk, Campanella were way before my time.
Most guys are able to catch regularly and remain at whatever the level of hitter that they are for quite some time. If someone is a great hitter like the guys you mention, they can remain so for many years. If they are a average hitter like a much larger group of catchers throughout history, they remain so. If they are below average, like most catchers, they stay there. There simply are way fewer guys qualified to catch than there are qualified to do anything else, so you see fewer studs there. Like if only one in 15 hitters in MLB ever existed at all, you'd see far fewer great hitters than we have.
I think you'd have a case for career longevity being at risk as catcher (though not as extreme as I think the general belief is of the falloff for catchers), but I don't think overall or peak ability is really at jeopardy if he catches vice plays first, aside from the obvious need for more rest and how that will limit non-rate accrual.
Posted 06 March 2024 - 05:41 PM
If Basallo is good game caller and defensive catcher, then keep him at C for as long he is going good. It's a lot harder to find good hitting catchers then it is to find 1st basemen that can hit.
OTV
Posted 07 March 2024 - 01:23 AM
I mean its likely hes not going to be #1. I absolutely love the potential with the bat. I just think this sets him back even more from a defensive standpoint. But maybe the bat is that great. I hope it is that great.
HOF
Posted 07 March 2024 - 03:54 AM
And that makes sense to me. Just dont think he can get all the way to #1 as essentially a bat only guy.
Ben Badler said his ranking at BA would be the same/similar whether he can stay at catcher or not because his value is in the bat. But we shall see.
OTV
Posted 07 March 2024 - 05:50 AM
And that makes sense to me. Just dont think he can get all the way to #1 as essentially a bat only guy.
HOF
Posted 07 March 2024 - 08:08 AM
Ben Badler said his ranking at BA would be the same/similar whether he can stay at catcher or not because his value is in the bat. But we shall see.
What a ludicrous opinion. How would his value be the same whether he's a catcher versus anything else? Completely ignores the most fundamental thing we've learned about baseball stats and positional scarcity.
Soccer Analyst
Posted 07 March 2024 - 05:05 PM
What a ludicrous opinion. How would his value be the same whether he's a catcher versus anything else? Completely ignores the most fundamental thing we've learned about baseball stats and positional scarcity.
The only way this would make any sense would be if his bat is SO outstanding that it just overshadows any defense or positional factor.
OTV
Posted 07 March 2024 - 05:55 PM
The only way this would make any sense would be if his bat is SO outstanding that it just overshadows any defense or positional factor.
HOF
Posted 07 March 2024 - 08:27 PM
If we're talking Yordan Alvarez comparable offensive production; I'd rather his bat in the lineup as often as possible without being drained catching.
I don't think Adley is an elite bat even if he's at 1B or DH the majority of the time. I think Basallo is an elite offensive talent.
Pump the brakes. Adley possesses the highest Offensive WAR in MLB at the catcher position (min 900 PA) since he arrived in MLB. 5th in Def WAR. 2nd in OPS. First in WPA, too.
If Basallo can stick at C, he becomes Adley's BUC and he DHs on days he's not behind the plate.
0 members, 1 guests, 0 anonymous users
