07-17-2023, 11:25 AM
(07-17-2023, 11:06 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: It seems we only get pitching or hitting, but never both at the same time haha.
I know a player that bats like EDLC is going to have periods where he is unstoppable and periods where he is extremely stoppable, but that whole 4 game skid was horrendous for him, 1 for 16 with 6 strikeouts and 0 walks or steals.
Brutal.
But it wasn't just him. The whole team struggled mightily. Will Benson (1 for 6 with 3 BBs, 1 SB and 3 SOs), Joey Votto (1 for 11 with 3 SOs and 3 BBs) and Matt McLain(4 for 15 with 8 SOs and 1 BB) were okay, but well below their capabilities. The rest of the team though...jeez...
Friedl was 1 for 14 with 6 SOs and 1 BB
Fraley was 2 for 12 with 6 SOs and 0 BB (but one of those hits was a HR).
India was 2 for 15 with 6 SOs and 0 BB
Steer was 1 for 13 with 7 SOs and 1 BB
Stephenson was 0 for 13 with 4 SOs and 1 BB
You're not going to win many games with every person in the line up throwing out those numbers.
I just hope there isn't some glaring weakness that Milwaukee noticed in this team's approach at the plate and exploited that now other teams will use.
This SF Giants series will be a great barometer to judge whether this was just an aberration or if it's the beginning of a regression to the mean for this team.
The Baltimore Orioles were very hot last year as a young team with a bunch of stars making their debut who looked like they were going to make the playoffs, at one point 10 games over .500 on September 3rd. They finished out the season 12-18 and narrowly missed the playoffs.
I would prefer we don't follow that same trajectory (even though it looks like 2023 is going to be Baltimore's year).
I'm 100% with you, but there's a silver lining if we follow the Baltimore trajectory.
This team is trying to decide whether or not to trade assets for pitching that will be needed for the pennant stretch.
In a year or two, we may look back at this team hitting a wall in 2023 as the best thing that happened if it encourages to stick to the plan of building through the farm system. Let the talent develop without rushing or selling off, eventually they all end up in Cincinnati.
In reality, the current staff is not a reflection of what the team will have at full strength. There are a couple of guys like Greene, Lodolo, and About that have real top of rotation potential. Connor Phillips could also make his way here very soon, and he's made a huge jump this season. Rhett Lowder, the 1st round pick, is also expected to get through the system very quickly. Like possibly 2024 quickly. Unless the Reds are no-doubt contenders, forking over young talent is jumping the shark in many ways.
This could very soon be the rotation:
Greene
Abbott
Lodolo
Ashcraft
Phillips/Lowder
All cheap, all with big upside, and all here for a long time.
