51 replies to this topic

[BSLBenPalmer]

BSL: What's Wrong With Anthony Santander?

https://baltimorespo...hony-santander/

[Mackus]

To add to your final point...

Apr 21 - May 15 2022 he had a 615 OPS (92 PA)
Jun 23 - Jul 26 2022 he had a 622 OPS (86 PA)
Apr 2 - Apr 20 2021 he had a 551 OPS (62 PA) before hitting the IL
May 30 - Jun 27 2021 he had a 526 OPS (95 PA)

I think he's just a streaky hitter. And he's unfortunately starting off this season in a cold streak. Maybe he'll never have a hot streak again, but I'm guessing he will and ends up somewhere around 110 OPS+ or so.

We do have other options, so he can't stay cold for too long. I think he's got 4 more weeks at least before Stowers or Cowser are seriously considered as replacements, though.

[SonicAttack]

Anthony is still only 28 yrs old, and a rare switch-hitting power hitter.  He has never been a high average hitter, but the power from both sides is legit.  I have faith that Anthony will continue to be 30hr, 250ish hitter, and that is all-star quality.   His 1st full MLB season was last year, he is still adjusting. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Empty HRs. No defense. Im not sure he will be a 10% walk guy either but maybe. It adds up to meh. He should already be replaced in the OF defensively for Cowser. If he can DH then so be it

[NewMarketSean]

He’s just not that good. 

[BaltBird 24]

I'd have no issue if they decided to give Cowser his roster spot tomorrow.

[Mackus]

What does empty HR mean? Sounds suspiciously like something JTrea would say.

[makoman]

What does empty HR mean? Sounds suspiciously like something JTrea would say.

I just assumed he meant Santander only hits well in low leverage or something.

[dude]

He was also one of the hottest guys in the WBC. 2 Big HRs, making diving catches. Looked good doing it.

 

I get it's the nature of Baseball stats to try and figure everything out, but whatever is going one way, usually goes another way soon enough.  Or not. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

What does empty HR mean? Sounds suspiciously like something JTrea would say.

What else does he bring to the table but power. Ill wait.

[Mackus]

What else does he bring to the table but power. Ill wait.

 

Power is quite important.  Kinda like saying a basketball player can only score.

 

He's also not terrible at other offensive things despite the annoying groundswell against him.  He's exactly league average at hitting for average (246 since becoming a regular in '19, which is exactly the league average since 2019). He's got a below average walk-rate (6.6% to 8.5%) and OBP (303 to 318).  He's solidly above average at power stats like SLG (461 to 414) and ISO (215 to 168).

 

Saying he's anything less than an average bat is either just making stuff up or only looking at what he's done this year as if that will continue forever.  Maybe it will, nobody can know the future, but he's only 28 and has a solid track record of producing at a pretty consistent level, so I'd roll my eyes at that assertion.

 

I'll buy that he's bad to terrible defensively.  I think he's fine in RF, but still below average, and that's not particularly useful overall.  I'd be perfectly happy to replace him with Stowers or Cowser, but personally I think Hays is the weaker link for us in the outfield.  No issues with replacing either or both of them with a quality alternative, and we do have quality alternatives.  But the Santander alternatives will need to produce pretty solidly to be better options (less so for Hays).  I think that is getting lost in the rising swell of 'Santander is useless' type posts that seem to be escaping game threads and infecting places where we don't look the other way when somebody says something irrational.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Hes the worst player on the team right now. Yeah SSS but hes a 2 WAR player in his best of years. Me saying a guy like Frazier could be a 2 to 2.5 WAR player gets all this scrutiny but we have a guy who puts up 2.1 last year and people thought he was a legit MVO candidate because OMG 33 HRs. Empty HRs

[Mackus]

Hes the worst player on the team right now. Yeah SSS butbhes a 2 WAR player in his best year. Thats the peak. That was last year. Me saying a guy like Frazier could be a 2 to 2.5 WAR player gets all this scrutiny but we have a guy who puts up 2.1 last year and people thought he was a legit MVO candidate because OMG 33 HRs. Empty HRs

 

Doubling down on the JTrea stuff is amusing.  

 

I feel its sort of a pointless comparison, but Frazier has other skills that Santander doesn't that lead to more WAR.  He plays a more valuable position and he plays it well.  If he could hit well, then he'd be a very valuable guy.  But he usually can't.  At times he's been a league average bat (and has made the All-Star game when he was), but usually he's well less than that including so far this year.  His poor hitting this year is similar to his track record, unlike Santander who has a track record of being better.  I have more confidence in Santander fielding adequately than I do in Frazier hitting adequately.  WAR-wise I expect Santander to come out ahead, but it could be close because of the defense.  Assuming Frazier gets playing time, seems like he's getting passed over which hasn't happened to Santander yet.  He's rightfully hgetting more run because he's got a more consistent past.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Lets put it another way. Yeah, I understand how deep we can and do get with metrics and stats. That said, to go old school, hes a 1 tool player. I dont care what advanced stats say I dont want a 1 tool player around. I mean maybe if that guys 1 tool is absolutely insane. Thats not Santander. Not even close

[Mackus]

He's got a hit tool.  League average isn't bad.  Its...average.

 

If we're going old school, then I'd say he's 50 hit for average, 60 hit for power, 40 speed, 30 defense, 50 arm.

[Mackus]

Also...someone does have to play RF and DH.  So while he loses points on an absolute scale because that's all he's capable of (and below average in RF), I don't think it makes a ton of sense to straight compare WAR between he and Frazier and come to the conclusion that Frazier is equal or better.  If we replaced Santander with Frazier in RF, we'd be worse off.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Frazier is meh. No one has said differently. But Santander is just as meh. The only reason Frazer was brought up was/is the perception of each. One was an MVO candidate and went into the season as a middle of the order bat people generally liked. The other has been crapped on since the day he signed.


Keeping this just on Santander, I dont care how many advanced metrics/stats you want to throw at me. On the old school 5 tool scale he aint no 50 hit tool. Not even close.

[Mackus]

I threw batting average, OBP and SLG at you. Those are advanced metrics?

He's exactly league average at hitting over the past 5 seasons. It's provably wrong to say he doesn't have a league average hit tool. 50 is average, by the way.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Im saying it. I dont care that the league avg was .240 or whatever it was. He has a below avg hit tool

[Mackus]

Keep saying it if you want, but it's objectively wrong.