01-24-2020, 03:15 PM
(01-21-2020, 01:17 AM)grampahol Wrote: It'll be awhile before we get to see Burrow under center, but there's a lot of baseball between now and September.Amen! Play Ball! You seem to have high hopes for Payton. I think the initial plan is probably as a backup and a pinch hitter. He might be used as 150-250 AB guy. I’m guessing that he would be used as a 6 or 7 hitter when he spot starts. That’s just speculation on my part.
I don't know how well the Reds may perform this upcoming season, but I seriously doubt they come out in an all around hitting funk like last season to start off. I think the starting pitching will be really good, the bullpen good to average, but I have to feel hitting will improve quite a bit with the additions of Akiyama, Mark Payton and of course Moustakas. I think Payton is gonna be a legit top of the lineup hitter despite his 30 HRs in AAA last year, but a lot of guys in AAA were bombing them out. He's got a .289 lifetime BA. We shall see. I don't necessarily expect to see HRs by the trainload from Aquino, but you never really know. Ideally Votto has a great bounceback, Akiyama gets on base a LOT and Payton finds a spot out there and gets on base for both Mouse, Suarez and even Aquino. All those would do my heart good..
Payton's worse stretch I could find was 56 games in Trenton with the yankees system, but no biggie. I like the kids potential. The problem is he's 28 and was a rule 5 pick so if he doesn't stick with the team this year he's back with the A's..
