434 replies to this topic

[SportsGuy]

Markakis entering Chicago, 2 for his last 25.

I have sporadically been watching the games the last few days but for what I have seen, it doesn't appear that Nick is going after poor pitches or anything like that. He has a bunch of K's on awful calls and just hasn't put the ball in holes.

It will be interesting to see if he is just in an early season slump(as he can be) or if this is going to be more extended.

As long as he continues to take good pitches and not overdo things, he should be fine.

[You Play to Win the Game]

I have sporadically been watching the games the last few days but for what I have seen, it doesn't appear that Nick is going after poor pitches or anything like that. He has a bunch of K's on awful calls and just hasn't put the ball in holes.

It will be interesting to see if he is just in an early season slump(as he can be) or if this is going to be more extended.

As long as he continues to take good pitches and not overdo things, he should be fine.

Nick has looked as good as you can during this 2 for 25 stretch. It's obviously very early for this, but I think his .200 BABIP will improve greatly (his career avg is .322). He's been very unlucky to start the year, and has hit the ball hard. He's kept his stance, and has maintained a very good approach at the plate.

[Coker]

I'll go ahead and take the blame for the Markakis curse. Every year I pick him up in fantasy, he does horrible until I drop or trade him.

Nobody drafted him and I picked him up after the hot start - I traded him today. So let's get this rolling.

[GlennGulliver]

I can't help but wonder if the big step backward Markakis has taken the last few years, just when he should have been entering his most productive seasons, has to do with the big extension he signed. If not, it's a remarkable coincidence. He'll be okay and break out of the current slump, but think about how low our expectations for him have dropped.

[Nuclear Dish]

Roch has a good piece today on moving Markakis out of the #3 hole. I agree with him completely.

If you put him at #2, it takes the pressure of having to drive in runners/be a power hitter off of him. The fact is that he's always been wrongly assumed to be a power hitter, when he's more of an OBP/gap power guy. The 50+ doubles every season never turned into 30 2B and 30 HR.

In fact, if he starts to hit again, it might not be a bad idea to consider Markakis in the leadoff spot. Reimold is really a middle-of-the-order guy, but we don't have anyone else to lead off right now.

On the other hand, Markakis isn't hitting anywhere near well enough to bat 1st or 2nd right now. I'd drop him to 6th.

Reimold
Hardy
Jones
Wieters
Davis
Markakis

[NewMarketSean]

I would move him down to 7th or 8th.

I think he just needs to reboot himself and hitting in the top 3rd of the line-up is not going to do it.

He is clearly the weakest link in the top of the order now, if not the entire line-up.

[Mackus]

I don't think there is anything mentally wrong with Markakis. He's not overswinging trying to drive the ball or anything like that. He's just not hitting well right now. Move him around if you like, and ideally I would put him at #2 mostly because Hardy should be down due to his bad OBP, but any improvement in his performance associated with that is just random coincidence, IMO, not caused by the new lineup position. He'll get back on track shortly.

[NewMarketSean]

I don't think there is anything mentally wrong with Markakis. He's not overswinging trying to drive the ball or anything like that. He's just not hitting well right now. Move him around if you like, and ideally I would put him at #2 mostly because Hardy should be down due to his bad OBP, but any improvement in his performance associated with that is just random coincidence, IMO, not caused by the new lineup position. He'll get back on track shortly.

Seems like we have been saying this for a few years now. He'll have a hot streak or two to lift his average at some point, but they seem to be fewer and farther in between.

[Mackus]

Seems like we have been saying this for a few years now. He'll have a hot streak or two to lift his average at some point, but they seem to be fewer and farther in between.

Saying what?

Last year was his only "bad" season offensively. Sure 2009 and 2010 weren't anywhere near what he had done the two years prior, but they were still acceptable seasons. I think his baseline is basically aorund an .800 OPS now. If he has an average season, he'll be right around there. A good season and maybe he's up near .850. A bad season and he's down around .750.

He's definitely not likely to be the .900-OPS (.300/.400/.500) guy we all thought he would be when we gave him the contract, which is very disappointing.

Hopefully his slow start this year only lasts a few weeks instead of a couple months like last year. That's why his numbers were so low. He had really solid numbers the last four months of the season, but they couldn't erase his really terrible start. I doubt we'll see him in the low .600s in OPS into early June like we did last year, but I guess we'll find out.

[SportsGuy]

1) He should be batting leadoff or #2.

2) This slump isn't bothering me because his stance has basically stayed the same, he is keeping his hands low and he isn't swinging at a lot of bad pitches.

[Adam Wolff]

1) He should be batting leadoff or #2.

2) This slump isn't bothering me because his stance has basically stayed the same, he is keeping his hands low and he isn't swinging at a lot of bad pitches.

I think he should be 2 and Hardy should be 5. Something like:

Reimold
Markakis
Jones
Wieters
Hardy

for the top 5. I swear JJ Hardy hits more solo shots than anyone in recent memory. I think putting him behind those other guys would give him a good opportunity to come up with a few men on. I'm not sure if moving to the 2 hole would have an affect on Nick (I doubt it) but I think it'd be best for the lineup as a whole.

[Oriole85]

Seems like we have been saying this for a few years now. He'll have a hot streak or two to lift his average at some point, but they seem to be fewer and farther in between.

I think at the beginning of last year fans were reluctant to criticize him given that he is current cornerstone of the team. And yeah, there wasn't much concern he would "pick it up."

O's gave him the largest contract in team history. If we were paying him just to be a solid ballplayer, I'd be happy. I'm frankly disappointed, he didn't pick up and become elite.

Just my theory, no real proof, but marriage/kids changed his priorities. I think you see that with some players.

[SportsGuy]

I think at the beginning of last year fans were reluctant to criticize him given that he is current cornerstone of the team. And yeah, there wasn't much concern he would "pick it up."

O's gave him the largest contract in team history. If we were paying him just to be a solid ballplayer, I'd be happy. I'm frankly disappointed, he didn't pick up and become elite.

Just my theory, no real proof, but marriage/kids changed his priorities. I think you see that with some players.

I am a big Markakis fan but I do question his drive to be better than he is.

[Oriole85]

To me the decline of Markakis is most evident in his arm, although I haven't noticed this year one way or another. I thought he had one of the best, if not the best RF arm in baseball until last year(maybe 2010). I know his defenders point out to the no errors and that's valid, so in that aspect, it's good he doesn't make mistakes. But that doesn't account for his range decreasing or the forementioned arm decrease, just means he catches every ball he should -- not exactly what we paid him the big bucks for.

[Oriole85]

I am a big Markakis fan but I do question his drive to be better than he is.

That's one of those things I hate about guaranteed contract. They're is no clause in that says you have do as well as expected, as opposed to the NFL, where you don't perform you are cut and lose rest of salary.

I think there's a certain truth to what you are saying. I think he worked hard, got rewarded, then sort of just accepted it.

[SportsGuy]

Nick has his hands higher tonight . Dont do it Nick!

[Nuclear Dish]

Nick has his hands higher tonight . Dont do it Nick!

He got a hit, didn't he? Can't knock it if it works.

[SportsGuy]

He got a hit, didn't he? Can't knock it if it works.

Over time, it won't.

[NewMarketSean]

He needs to be moved down in the order.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Obviously a nice game for Markakis today, as he was 2 for 5, and knocked in all 3 O's runs. Clutch hits in both the 8th, and 10th.

Has hits in the last 5 games, and has raised his average back up to .242.