8/7 Gameday Thread: First place showdown in Greenville

Aw, man--I'm going to miss Machamer two nights in a row??

(Lowell game story from yesterday says Jose Gonzalez.)

Glorius promoted to Salem

Beauteous! Greenville could soon have Duran, Duron, and Rio.

This is not an ordinary world.

I should send them a case of durian.

Tzu-Wei Lin is hitting .315/.368/.458 with an .826 OPS. He plays above-average defense at SS, and outstanding defense at 3b, and can also play CF and 2b. He’s only 24, and he’s had over 100 PA at the MLB level, including some stretches of success. His GO/AO ratio in AAA this year is a fantastic 0.80, although he’s not been as successful translating that to MLB (career 1.18, 1.30 in limited time this year). All that said, he’s not really considered a “real prospect,” but I think he should be. His offense is almost assuredly going to be adequate at short to be a positive-value player provided he can get more MLB at-bats, and he’s very versatile. He gets on base well, and if he can more effectively translate his LD approach to MLB, I think he can hit .280/.350/.400 with some experience. That’s a good player! I just wish he could get more MLB time because I’m not sure he has all that much more to prove in AAA. He’s been sneaky good this season...*just* as a SS prospect, how does he not get more attention?

He’s never been highly rated anywhere, although he did have some fringe-five appearances. I’m not trying to say everyone thinks he’s a bum, I’m just saying he’s had very little hype, and still really doesn’t get much, here or elsewhere. By “real,” I think I’m saying someone people get excited about. Just a gestalt feeling. I think what im trying to say is that, if he hadn’t had all those years as a GB specialist OPSing .650, his current line would probably turn some heads, as a plus defensive SS who looks like he could, with experience, be a neutral or even 110 wRC+ hitter at the MLB level, given all the walks and a little gap pop. He’s kind of treated as an afterthought by the team, and the press too, but the guy seems eminently capable of hitting .280/.350/.400. Hell, get him some time with JDM and who knows what happens 🤣? But seriously, he’s hitting *really* well in AAA, and his approach has carried over from last year. We’ve all seen him go LD-crazy. I just think he’s a more exciting player, and more valuable player, than a lot of us tend to give him credit for. That’s meant as less of an indictment of the observers and more a credit to his remaking himself as a hitter.