685 replies to this topic

[DJ MC]

Weiters to the Natinals.

 

Oh well.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Citi field, Marlins Park, Turner Field. A lot of big outfields to limit the one trait with the bat Wieters sort of has over other catchers. I hope Nats fans can tolerate a high fly ball at the crack of the bat. Only to see Wieters drop his head in disappointment before he leaves the box.

Good luck...but not too much.

Nope

[DuffMan]

Bump

 

In the effort to talk about former Orioles I am bumping Mr Mauer with Power.   

 

We may have had this discussion before, but it's been a while.  I was actually talking to my neighbor about this the other day which is why I'm posting it here.  Do you consider Matt Wieters to be a bust?  My neighbor said yes.  He was a good not great player during his time in Baltimore,  I guess you would consider him a bust because of where he was selected in the draft?  It's a shame he got hurt in 2014, would have been nice to see if he could have sustained the hot start he had.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Bump

 

In the effort to talk about former Orioles I am bumping Mr Mauer with Power.   

 

We may have had this discussion before, but it's been a while.  I was actually talking to my neighbor about this the other day which is why I'm posting it here.  Do you consider Matt Wieters to be a bust?  My neighbor said yes.  He was a good not great player during his time in Baltimore,  I guess you would consider him a bust because of where he was selected in the draft?  It's a shame he got hurt in 2014, would have been nice to see if he could have sustained the hot start he had.

 

I don't think a 4x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove is a 'bust', he was a productive Major Leaguer.  That does count. 

Also, when he was drafted... the comparison being made often was Varitek, not Mauer.  Then Wieters - a polished college bat - goes to A, and AA and overwhelms the competition, and then the hype went into overdrive. 

Did he match that hype? Nope.   So compared to that hype, he's a bust.  But if you look at him bigger picture, I say no. 

 

I will say, and I've said it before...   Rob and I were at the first ML game of his.  I hadn't seen him in the Minors, just read the stats.  I'm no scout, but the first thing I said was he has a long swing.  The evaluators should have seen that as well when the hype was going crazy.   Also, when he got to AAA, the numbers were still excellent... but not other worldly. That should have slowed the hype some. 

Part of the deal was where the Orioles were as a franchise.  We as fans wanted a savior. 

[You Play to Win the Game]

Didn't come close to the hype, so he was a bust.

I think die hards get too caught up in the position he played, when what fans wanted was a great bat. He wasn't anything close to that.

[Mackus]

Absolutely not a bust based on draft position.  Of all the #5 overall picks in the history of baseball, only 8 accrued more WAR than Wieters.  Half of all #5 picks never reach the majors or finish with negative WAR.  Those are busts.

 

You can argue based on #1 overall prospect status and the massive amount of hype that he had surrounding him.  But I still can't agree to calling him a bust because of all the reasons Chris stated, you make 4 All-Star teams, you're doing something right.  I think only once was he the lone representative, so they weren't Ty Wigginton type appearances.

[Nigel Tufnel]

I guess Wieters is retired?  I don't see him on any 2021 rosters.  Can I go back to 2009 and place a bet that Rich Hill would play longer than either Markakis or Wieters?

[Old Man]

Sorry, there isnt a single argument that can be made that supports the position that Matt was a bust, that I will accept.

 

He was hyped to walk on water, and it didnt happen.

 

Most guys would sign with the devil, if they could be guarantee a career like Matt had.

 

His 2010-2013 was a solid 4 years of catching.

 

Definition of Bust: Look up Hobgood and Rowell for true busts.

[Nigel Tufnel]

He fell substantially short of expectations.  I would definitely call his career disappointing, but I suppose it's a matter of opinion whether that makes someone a bust.

[mweb08]

He fell substantially short of expectations. I would definitely call his career disappointing, but I suppose it's a matter of opinion whether that makes someone a bust.

Disappointing is the word I'll go with.

[Pedro Cerrano]

Biggest bust in the history of the franchise.  

[Russ]

Wieters was a case of too much faith being put into flawed statistical projections and discounting what could be seen on the field.  You could tell that he did not have the swing and hitting ability to be an elite hitter just by watching his approach at the plate.

 

That said, hard to call him a bust. 

[Mike B]

Biggest bust in the history of the franchise.  

Matt was not even close to a bust.  The expectations were way overblown but he was a good player for the Orioles.

[Mike in STL]

How many picks didn’t even make the majors? If you go by that, he wasn’t a bust. If you go by expectations based on minor league performance translating to the major leagues, biggest bust in team history.

[JeremyStrain]

Biggest bust in the history of the franchise.

Sorry, phone call, theres a Matt Hobgood? For you? Says he’d like a word.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Biggest bust in the history of the franchise.

Oh stop. Every fanbase in every sport overhypes highly drafted players. Many have disappointed more than Wieters. Wieters is in fact the 3rd best 1st round pick the Os have made this century behind Markakis and Machado.

[Mike B]

Sorry, phone call, theres a Matt Hobgood? For you? Says he’d like a word.

And Billy Rowell is waiting on the other line.

[Old Man]

Biggest bust in the history of the franchise.  

You are smoking some wacky weed there my friend.

 

One of the top 3 catchers in MLB for a 4 year span.

 

Bust? Not even close, 

[Mike in STL]

You are smoking some wacky weed there my friend.

One of the top 3 catchers in MLB for a 4 year span.

Bust? Not even close,

No he wasn’t. I’d take Mauer, Posey, Molina over him during those years, easily. Brian McCann, Carlos Santana even. Plenty of catchers put up better offensive numbers, Wieters could throw out runners well, but no one steals anymore. He made one All-Star selection on name recognition when he only played like 12 games.

But when you are literally compared to Mickey Mantle, “Perfect catch” on the SI cover, you gotta do way way more than what he did.

But you have to define bust first. Is it expectations after minor league performance? Or is it making the major leagues which some high picks never do?

[Old Man]

No he wasn’t. I’d take Mauer, Posey, Molina over him during those years, easily. Brian McCann, Carlos Santana even. Plenty of catchers put up better offensive numbers, Wieters could throw out runners well, but no one steals anymore. He made one All-Star selection on name recognition when he only played like 12 games.

But when you are literally compared to Mickey Mantle, “Perfect catch” on the SI cover, you gotta do way way more than what he did.

But you have to define bust first. Is it expectations after minor league performance? Or is it making the major leagues which some high picks never do?

2011 - Wieters out produced Posey and Mauer in WAR.

 

2011 - Mauer only played 82 games.

 

Posey didnt breakout as a stud until 2012.

 

So depending on your perspective. Wieters wasnt top 3 or top 5.

 

But, my major point is and will be.

 

He is not remotely close to being a bust.