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Post by philsbosoxfan on Mar 6, 2023 20:18:14 GMT -5
There's an inordinate amount of storylines this year so I think it would be inciteful to see people's opinion on which story they are most interested in.
Other than the obvious health storyline....
For me:
1. The development of Rafaela. I think he's got superstar potential. He seems to have a high "baseball IQ" and multiple times, he's made statements that he's bought into the concept of waiting for a hitters pitch. Fast hands, quick bat, Pedroiaesqe hand eye coordination and speed give him a 70 grade hit tool ceiling.
2. The development of Mata. If Mata can pound the zone like he's been doing this spring, watch out. He's also going to need to build up his innings after far too many injuries. You can't rush that.
3. Duran. The adjustments he's made seem to have helped a lot. He's back to driving the ball to all field like he did in Salem. He also no longer looks like a deer in headlights in the outfield. Starting CF and leadoff hitter potential is waiting to be unlocked.
4. Bleis, the second coming of Ryan Westmoreland. Will he be able to handle upper level pitching ? There are more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic here but it's a long long road.
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Post by thegoodthebadthesox on Mar 6, 2023 20:46:35 GMT -5
There's an inordinate amount of storylines this year so I think it would be inciteful to see people's opinion on which story they are most interested in. Other than the obvious health storyline.... For me: 1. The development of Rafaela. I think he's got superstar potential. He seems to have a high "baseball IQ" and multiple times, he's made statements that he's bought into the concept of waiting for a hitters pitch. Fast hands, quick bat, Pedroiaesqe hand eye coordination and speed give him a 70 grade hit tool ceiling. 2. The development of Mata. If Mata can pound the zone like he's been doing this spring, watch out. He's also going to need to build up his innings after far too many injuries. You can't rush that. 3. Duran. The adjustments he's made seem to have helped a lot. He's back to driving the ball to all field like he did in Salem. He also no longer looks like a deer in headlights in the outfield. Starting CF and leadoff hitter potential is waiting to be unlocked. 4. Bleis, the second coming of Ryan Westmoreland. Will he be able to handle upper level pitching ? There are more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic here but it's a long long road. I love Rafaela, but 70 grade hit tool ceiling is a REACH
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brendan98
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Post by brendan98 on Mar 6, 2023 21:36:22 GMT -5
There's an inordinate amount of storylines this year so I think it would be inciteful to see people's opinion on which story they are most interested in. Other than the obvious health storyline.... For me: 1. The development of Rafaela. I think he's got superstar potential. He seems to have a high "baseball IQ" and multiple times, he's made statements that he's bought into the concept of waiting for a hitters pitch. Fast hands, quick bat, Pedroiaesqe hand eye coordination and speed give him a 70 grade hit tool ceiling. 2. The development of Mata. If Mata can pound the zone like he's been doing this spring, watch out. He's also going to need to build up his innings after far too many injuries. You can't rush that. 3. Duran. The adjustments he's made seem to have helped a lot. He's back to driving the ball to all field like he did in Salem. He also no longer looks like a deer in headlights in the outfield. Starting CF and leadoff hitter potential is waiting to be unlocked. 4. Bleis, the second coming of Ryan Westmoreland. Will he be able to handle upper level pitching ? There are more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic here but it's a long long road. I like Walter just about as much as Mata, his stuff might not be quite as nasty, but that strike throwing closes the gap some. With the possibility of Turner missing some time, I wonder if Dalbec can take advantage of what could be his last opportunity. If he can continue to demonstrate that opposite field approach I like his chances, there will always be swing and miss but the approach he’s had this spring is what he needs to do during the regular season to be successful. I know Bobby has been a spring training God before, but this feels a little different. Hoping to see both Bleis and Mayer earn early promotions this season, maybe both be top 10 prospects in baseball by seasons end.
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Post by keninten on Mar 6, 2023 22:03:40 GMT -5
I wish Rafaela was playing SS. If he was needed this year, it would be for defense at SS. Above average defense at SS could be a need for this team.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Mar 6, 2023 22:04:48 GMT -5
There's an inordinate amount of storylines this year so I think it would be inciteful to see people's opinion on which story they are most interested in. Other than the obvious health storyline.... For me: 1. The development of Rafaela. I think he's got superstar potential. He seems to have a high "baseball IQ" and multiple times, he's made statements that he's bought into the concept of waiting for a hitters pitch. Fast hands, quick bat, Pedroiaesqe hand eye coordination and speed give him a 70 grade hit tool ceiling. 2. The development of Mata. If Mata can pound the zone like he's been doing this spring, watch out. He's also going to need to build up his innings after far too many injuries. You can't rush that. 3. Duran. The adjustments he's made seem to have helped a lot. He's back to driving the ball to all field like he did in Salem. He also no longer looks like a deer in headlights in the outfield. Starting CF and leadoff hitter potential is waiting to be unlocked. 4. Bleis, the second coming of Ryan Westmoreland. Will he be able to handle upper level pitching ? There are more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic here but it's a long long road. I love Rafaela, but 70 grade hit tool ceiling is a REACH Maybe you missed the word ceiling. The components are there.
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Post by backwardsk on Mar 6, 2023 22:43:20 GMT -5
There's an inordinate amount of storylines this year so I think it would be inciteful to see people's opinion on which story they are most interested in. Other than the obvious health storyline.... For me: 1. The development of Rafaela. I think he's got superstar potential. He seems to have a high "baseball IQ" and multiple times, he's made statements that he's bought into the concept of waiting for a hitters pitch. Fast hands, quick bat, Pedroiaesqe hand eye coordination and speed give him a 70 grade hit tool ceiling. 2. The development of Mata. If Mata can pound the zone like he's been doing this spring, watch out. He's also going to need to build up his innings after far too many injuries. You can't rush that. 3. Duran. The adjustments he's made seem to have helped a lot. He's back to driving the ball to all field like he did in Salem. He also no longer looks like a deer in headlights in the outfield. Starting CF and leadoff hitter potential is waiting to be unlocked. 4. Bleis, the second coming of Ryan Westmoreland. Will he be able to handle upper level pitching ? There are more reasons to be optimistic than pessimistic here but it's a long long road. I like Walter just about as much as Mata, his stuff might not be quite as nasty, but that strike throwing closes the gap some. With the possibility of Turner missing some time, I wonder if Dalbec can take advantage of what could be his last opportunity. I've seen this assumption a little bit here, but it makes much more sense to add Duran over Dalbec. Duran is a better left fielder than probably Yoshida, and can fill in at least in other outfield positions. Yoshida should slide to DH if Turner misses time. Yu Chang can platoon with Casas at first base. Refsnyder fills in against LHP in RF with Verdugo going to LF. You might be a little extra LH against RHP, but it's better than running out Dalbec imo.
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Post by pappyman99 on Mar 6, 2023 22:49:14 GMT -5
1. I agree one of them is the development of Rafaela. He looks legit, honestly he looks like he could be really good.
2. For me is the development of Crawford as an SP. he looks legit in spring and his stuff seems even a little better. To me if he has figured and out and is hitting on all cylinders he has Tailon potential. Which would be a game changer considering what we thought he would be
3. The development of prospects on the peripheral of the 10 and in the lower level. Blaze Jordan, Lugo, Bonaci, Anthony, Perales, paulino, gonzales. That group will be huge in determining how good our farms gets by next off-season
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Post by thegoodthebadthesox on Mar 6, 2023 23:29:05 GMT -5
I love Rafaela, but 70 grade hit tool ceiling is a REACH Maybe you missed the word ceiling. The components are there. Well, I used the word ceiling in my response, so clearly i didn’t. That’s just not really how ceilings work. It has to be at least somewhat attainable, and right now I think a reasonably optimistic progression for him would simply be reaching a 50. If he actually had a 70 ceiling hit tool he’d arguably be the best prospect in baseball. It’s just not realistic, as much as I’d love it. “The components are there” just isn’t really an argument that is all that compelling, all of these guys are talented so by that logic the components are there for just about anyone to do it. If an objective party puts that grade on it, I’ll maybe take it a little seriously. For now I’m chalking this up as you getting a little excited about a fun prospect. But, just to reiterate - Rafaela with a 70 hit tool ceiling is maybe the best prospect in baseball and if he actualized to a 70 he’d be a top 5 player in the game lol.
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Post by philsbosoxfan on Mar 7, 2023 2:12:05 GMT -5
Maybe you missed the word ceiling. The components are there. Well, I used the word ceiling in my response, so clearly i didn’t. That’s just not really how ceilings work. It has to be at least somewhat attainable, and right now I think a reasonably optimistic progression for him would simply be reaching a 50. If he actually had a 70 ceiling hit tool he’d arguably be the best prospect in baseball. It’s just not realistic, as much as I’d love it. “The components are there” just isn’t really an argument that is all that compelling, all of these guys are talented so by that logic the components are there for just about anyone to do it. If an objective party puts that grade on it, I’ll maybe take it a little seriously. For now I’m chalking this up as you getting a little excited about a fun prospect. But, just to reiterate - Rafaela with a 70 hit tool ceiling is maybe the best prospect in baseball and if he actualized to a 70 he’d be a top 5 player in the game lol. If he accomplishes his mission, he won't be in the minors long enough to become top prospect. I think he's got top 5 in baseball potential. As far as I can see, his one and only holdup from actualizing that is pitch selection, he doesn't have pitch recognition issues. He covers the entire strike zone with authority but will also learn to hit better strikes. I already think he's the best minor league center fielder I have ever seen and has shortstop potential there as well. . He'd have to do that for several years before I'd give him the major league title, (Jim Edmonds will be a tough act to follow but he has more speed than Edmonds had).
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jimoh
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Post by jimoh on Mar 7, 2023 6:46:11 GMT -5
Well, I used the word ceiling in my response, so clearly i didn’t. That’s just not really how ceilings work. It has to be at least somewhat attainable, and right now I think a reasonably optimistic progression for him would simply be reaching a 50. If he actually had a 70 ceiling hit tool he’d arguably be the best prospect in baseball. It’s just not realistic, as much as I’d love it. “The components are there” just isn’t really an argument that is all that compelling, all of these guys are talented so by that logic the components are there for just about anyone to do it. If an objective party puts that grade on it, I’ll maybe take it a little seriously. For now I’m chalking this up as you getting a little excited about a fun prospect. But, just to reiterate - Rafaela with a 70 hit tool ceiling is maybe the best prospect in baseball and if he actualized to a 70 he’d be a top 5 player in the game lol. If he accomplishes his mission, he won't be in the minors long enough to become top prospect. I think he's got top 5 in baseball potential. As far as I can see, his one and only holdup from actualizing that is pitch selection, he doesn't have pitch recognition issues. He covers the entire strike zone with authority but will also learn to hit better strikes. I already think he's the best minor league center fielder I have ever seen and has shortstop potential there as well. . He'd have to do that for several years before I'd give him the major league title, (Jim Edmonds will be a tough act to follow but he has more speed than Edmonds had). There is almost no possibility that Rafaela will ever become a top-5 or 70-grade "hitting tool" player. Put another way: the number of Red Sox minor leaguers who would be stars if they improved as much as Rafaela would have to improve to have a 70-grade hit tool is pretty large. To quote this site: "Ceiling of an everyday regular who adds considerable value on defense and also contributes some at the plate." "Potential fringe-average hit tool."
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Post by scottysmalls on Mar 7, 2023 7:21:05 GMT -5
Iâll go a bit broader:
1. A new MLB core emerging - between Casas, Bello, Whitlock, Houck it feels to me like the first time in a long time theyâve had actual young difference makers at a low cost debuting around the same time, how that plays out is crucial to their success for the next 5 years. I think you can add Rafaelaâs development here, as well as getting something out of the next tier down (Mata, Walter, Murphy, Winckowski, Crawford even maybe Duran, Dalbec and to a lesser extent the relief guys like Kelly).
2. The possibility for the strongest farm group in a long time - Mayer is already the best prospect theyâve had in a while but if he continues to develop and they get a further breakout from Bleis they could have two top 10-20 prospects for the first time in a while. If the new picks and guys like Yorke develop the overall farm will be clearly the best since like 2017.
3. Howâd their spending go? There was a huge roster overhaul with a lot of dollars in and out, and you could even include the Devers extension here. Howâs that playing out? It was the first time this FO had a ton to spend, and they spread it around (plus the big extension), did they make good choices? Yoshida is the biggest piece here of course, but the bullpen got a big investment, Kiké, Turner, Kluber, Duvall, etc. a lot of newly signed blood to evaluate.
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Post by oldfaithful2019 on Mar 7, 2023 12:07:25 GMT -5
1. Can Alex Verdugo reach the next level ? He is my favorite player as were Trot Nixon, JD Drew and my forever all time guy, Dewey in their day ! Alex can never be Dewey, but could he lock down RF for the next great Sox team with top defense, timely hitting and .750 + OPS. So, I'll be super focused on Dougie this year.
2. What is left in Chris Sales tank ? Can he make a Verlander like return to himself after TJ ? If he can perform well enough and go deep enough in to games to make " Sale Day" and event again, the Sox have enough arms to fit the rest in place behind him. If he is more like the Sale that would struggle to spread his pitches beyond 4-5 innings, well he will be just another #3.
3. Will I see Mayer in Portland by mid season and can Nick Yorke bounce back to his 2021 trajectory ? If Mayer is coming to Boston by mid 2024, he really should find his way to AA for at least a part of this season. Yorke, Blooms 1st draft selection, is still highly rated but the buzz has quieted some. Looking to see signs of a player who slots in as a probable ML regular.
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Post by incandenza on Mar 7, 2023 12:30:37 GMT -5
What's fun about this season is that there are interesting questions at literally every single position.
C: Can McGuire and/or Wong establish themselves as average MLB catchers or better? 1B: Can their #2 prospect establish himself in his first major league season? 2B: Can Arroyo stay healthy and realize his potential as a starting second baseman? SS: Nothing but questions! Can Kiké handle the position? Will Mondesi get/stay healthy and play at the above-average level he has in the past? Will we see Story at all? If so, will his arm be able to handle SS? 3B: Will Devers take another leap like he looked set to do before the nagging injuries hit? More than anything, it'll just be fun to watch him stress-free with the knowledge he'll be around for the next decade. LF: Yoshida - no comment necessary. CF: Can Duvall handle it? Will he bounce back from his poor 2022? Will Kiké end up back here? RF: Can Verdugo handle the position? Will he finally have the good luck/breakout season so many think he has in him?
OF sleeper questions: Was Refsnyder's breakout real? Is Duran's new approach for real or are we getting Lucy-with-the-football'd? Will we see Rafaela?
SP: Can Sale return to his former self? Can Paxton do anything at all? Can Bello establish himself in his first full season? Whitlock/Houck as starters? Crawford? What about the next wave of Murphy/Mata//Walter? (We all think we know exactly what Pivetta is, which means we're probably all wrong and he'll have like a 3.20 ERA or something and be the arguable ace of the staff.)
As for the prospects: -Can Rafaela refine his pitch selection, seemingly the last major piece for him? -Can Yorke bounce back? -Does Bleis hit a speed bump on his path to inevitable superstardom, or is his rise as inexorable as the morning sun's? -I'm really curious to see what Mata and Walter can do. -I'm bullish on Hamilton, and want to see if some of his more promising statistical signals from last season can be maintained. -Noah Song.
All in all, I don't think this is the best Red Sox team of recent years, but with all these questions it is probably the team I'm most curious about and eager to watch in some time.
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Post by Foulke_In_Athol on Mar 7, 2023 12:50:48 GMT -5
For me the story absolutely starts with Yoshida. The Red Sox have one of to the best Pacific Rim scouting departments in baseball. They have reportedly been on Yoshi for years and their investment shows they weren't going to be denied. Can Yoshi's bat to ball skills and keen batters eye translate to MLB. Will his all fields approach and opposite field skill thrive in Fenway like we hope? Is there power potential that the Sox think will play here?
My second Storyline or thing to watch is Tristan Casas. Will he prove that he's a major league starter, with occasional all-star potential? Will there be more growing pains? Can he unlock that plus plus raw power and have it translate to Major League in game power?
This team has a seemingly wonderful blend of youth and experience. Can the Veterans stay healthy? Can the kids show they are what we think? Will the blend work in the field and in the clubhouse?
Is there a big breakout candidate among the young arms (Mata, Murphy, Walter, Crawford, Wink, even Houck and Whitlock)?
Can this team shut up the negative Boston media and the blind Bloom haters? Can they become the lovable underdogs and give us a summer to remember?
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redsox04071318champs
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Mar 7, 2023 12:53:13 GMT -5
What's fun about this season is that there are interesting questions at literally every single position.
C: Can McGuire and/or Wong establish themselves as average MLB catchers or better? 1B: Can their #2 prospect establish himself in his first major league season? 2B: Can Arroyo stay healthy and realize his potential as a starting second baseman? SS: Nothing but questions! Can Kiké handle the position? Will Mondesi get/stay healthy and play at the above-average level he has in the past? Will we see Story at all? If so, will his arm be able to handle SS? 3B: Will Devers take another leap like he looked set to do before the nagging injuries hit? More than anything, it'll just be fun to watch him stress-free with the knowledge he'll be around for the next decade. LF: Yoshida - no comment necessary. CF: Can Duvall handle it? Will he bounce back from his poor 2022? Will Kiké end up back here? RF: Can Verdugo handle the position? Will he finally have the good luck/breakout season so many think he has in him?
OF sleeper questions: Was Refsnyder's breakout real? Is Duran's new approach for real or are we getting Lucy-with-the-football'd? Will we see Rafaela?
SP: Can Sale return to his former self? Can Paxton do anything at all? Can Bello establish himself in his first full season? Whitlock/Houck as starters? Crawford? What about the next wave of Murphy/Mata//Walter? (We all think we know exactly what Pivetta is, which means we're probably all wrong and he'll have like a 3.20 ERA or something and be the arguable ace of the staff.)
As for the prospects: -Can Rafaela refine his pitch selection, seemingly the last major piece for him? -Can Yorke bounce back? -Does Bleis hit a speed bump on his path to inevitable superstardom, or is his rise as inexorable as the morning sun's? -I'm really curious to see what Mata and Walter can do. -I'm bullish on Hamilton, and want to see if some of his more promising statistical signals from last season can be maintained. -Noah Song. All in all, I don't think this is the best Red Sox team of recent years, but with all these questions it is probably the team I'm most curious about and eager to watch in some time.
Yup, which is why this team has the widest range of variability and outcomes of a Sox team going into a season that I can remember. Which is why I'll pick them at .500, just to stay in the middle.
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Post by incandenza on Mar 7, 2023 13:26:23 GMT -5
What's fun about this season is that there are interesting questions at literally every single position.
C: Can McGuire and/or Wong establish themselves as average MLB catchers or better? 1B: Can their #2 prospect establish himself in his first major league season? 2B: Can Arroyo stay healthy and realize his potential as a starting second baseman? SS: Nothing but questions! Can Kiké handle the position? Will Mondesi get/stay healthy and play at the above-average level he has in the past? Will we see Story at all? If so, will his arm be able to handle SS? 3B: Will Devers take another leap like he looked set to do before the nagging injuries hit? More than anything, it'll just be fun to watch him stress-free with the knowledge he'll be around for the next decade. LF: Yoshida - no comment necessary. CF: Can Duvall handle it? Will he bounce back from his poor 2022? Will Kiké end up back here? RF: Can Verdugo handle the position? Will he finally have the good luck/breakout season so many think he has in him?
OF sleeper questions: Was Refsnyder's breakout real? Is Duran's new approach for real or are we getting Lucy-with-the-football'd? Will we see Rafaela?
SP: Can Sale return to his former self? Can Paxton do anything at all? Can Bello establish himself in his first full season? Whitlock/Houck as starters? Crawford? What about the next wave of Murphy/Mata//Walter? (We all think we know exactly what Pivetta is, which means we're probably all wrong and he'll have like a 3.20 ERA or something and be the arguable ace of the staff.)
As for the prospects: -Can Rafaela refine his pitch selection, seemingly the last major piece for him? -Can Yorke bounce back? -Does Bleis hit a speed bump on his path to inevitable superstardom, or is his rise as inexorable as the morning sun's? -I'm really curious to see what Mata and Walter can do. -I'm bullish on Hamilton, and want to see if some of his more promising statistical signals from last season can be maintained. -Noah Song. All in all, I don't think this is the best Red Sox team of recent years, but with all these questions it is probably the team I'm most curious about and eager to watch in some time.
Yup, which is why this team has the widest range of variability and outcomes of a Sox team going into a season that I can remember. Which is why I'll pick them at .500, just to stay in the middle. I disagree with that conclusion, actually. The Red Sox have a lot of questions, it's true, but it's unlikely that a large majority of them will be answered in the positive or the negative.
Take the starting rotation, for instance. If Sale, Kluber, and Paxton all return to their peak form, and Bello and Whitlock both break out as #2 type starters, that would be incredible. But it's not going to happen. On the other hand, if all of the three old guys break down and Bello has growing pains and Whitlock goes back to the bullpen, they'll be in really bad shape. But that's not likely to happen either. Most likely is that 2-3 guys work out and 2-3 guys struggle. We just don't know which are which.
To put it another way: if you flip a coin 10 times, yeah, you might get heads 8-9 times, or you might get tails 8-9 times, but in all likelihood you'll get heads 4-6 times and tails 4-6 times. I think that's kind of the 2023 Red Sox situation - a whole bunch of coin flips.
Compare that to, say, the Yankees, who are pretty well screwed if Judge gets hurt. Or if a couple of their starters go down. They have a ton of their season wrapped up in the performance of 3 or 4 guys, which means they could really be great or they might really unravel.
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Post by summer08 on Mar 7, 2023 13:41:53 GMT -5
What's fun about this season is that there are interesting questions at literally every single position.
C: Can McGuire and/or Wong establish themselves as average MLB catchers or better? 1B: Can their #2 prospect establish himself in his first major league season? 2B: Can Arroyo stay healthy and realize his potential as a starting second baseman? SS: Nothing but questions! Can Kiké handle the position? Will Mondesi get/stay healthy and play at the above-average level he has in the past? Will we see Story at all? If so, will his arm be able to handle SS? 3B: Will Devers take another leap like he looked set to do before the nagging injuries hit? More than anything, it'll just be fun to watch him stress-free with the knowledge he'll be around for the next decade. LF: Yoshida - no comment necessary. CF: Can Duvall handle it? Will he bounce back from his poor 2022? Will Kiké end up back here? RF: Can Verdugo handle the position? Will he finally have the good luck/breakout season so many think he has in him?
OF sleeper questions: Was Refsnyder's breakout real? Is Duran's new approach for real or are we getting Lucy-with-the-football'd? Will we see Rafaela?
SP: Can Sale return to his former self? Can Paxton do anything at all? Can Bello establish himself in his first full season? Whitlock/Houck as starters? Crawford? What about the next wave of Murphy/Mata//Walter? (We all think we know exactly what Pivetta is, which means we're probably all wrong and he'll have like a 3.20 ERA or something and be the arguable ace of the staff.)
As for the prospects: -Can Rafaela refine his pitch selection, seemingly the last major piece for him? -Can Yorke bounce back? -Does Bleis hit a speed bump on his path to inevitable superstardom, or is his rise as inexorable as the morning sun's? -I'm really curious to see what Mata and Walter can do. -I'm bullish on Hamilton, and want to see if some of his more promising statistical signals from last season can be maintained. -Noah Song. All in all, I don't think this is the best Red Sox team of recent years, but with all these questions it is probably the team I'm most curious about and eager to watch in some time.
Yup, which is why this team has the widest range of variability and outcomes of a Sox team going into a season that I can remember. Which is why I'll pick them at .500, just to stay in the middle. Totaly agree. That said I do think the mid point is 84-78
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Post by ramireja on Mar 7, 2023 17:43:59 GMT -5
One storyline for me:
- What impact do the Driveline signings have on our player development system? Obviously, we're not running a randomized controlled trial, so we won't be able to make any conclusions for sure, but I'll be curious to see if there are developmental trends seen in our system as early as this year. Are there changes in system-wide (or player-by-player) batted ball tendencies that show up in FB%, LD%, GB% or launch angle metrics? Are there any noticeable changes to hitters' EV metrics beyond what you'd expect from natural growth? On the pitching side of things, are there upticks in stuff seen in velo and spin rate? Again, it would be hard to attribute changes seen in any one player to the influence of Driveline in our player development system, but I do wonder if some trends are observed more widespread throughout our farm.
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Post by thegoodthebadthesox on Mar 7, 2023 17:52:46 GMT -5
One storyline for me: - What impact do the Driveline signings have on our player development system? Obviously, we're not running a randomized controlled trial, so we won't be able to make any conclusions for sure, but I'll be curious to see if there are developmental trends seen in our system as early as this year. Are there changes in system-wide (or player-by-player) batted ball tendencies that show up in FB%, LD%, GB% or launch angle metrics? Are there any noticeable changes to hitters' EV metrics beyond what you'd expect from natural growth? On the pitching side of things, are there upticks in stuff seen in velo and spin rate? Again, it would be hard to attribute changes seen in any one player to the influence of Driveline in our player development system, but I do wonder if some trends are observed more widespread throughout our farm. Does anyone know what Driveline's "core values" are? Like, what do they focus on mechanically or philosophically in their development? I know they're a big name in the industry but don't know much about them. Just to save a second post, the minor league storyline I'm most interested in is the 2022 draft class. Sitting this far out from it now, it looks like it has the potential to be really excellent, and it's relatively balanced too. Who of the Romero/Coffey/Anthony/Brannon high upside high school bats takes the leap (if not all of them)? Does Chase Meidroth continue to rake at literally every stop? Do Dalton Rogers or Noah Dean have the arsenal or command to start? Are any of the Hoppe/Johnson/Mullins/Brand group able to capitalize on their spin rate profiles and develop into a legit relief prospect? Shoot I haven't seen a single person talk about Deundre Jones since he was drafted, what will he look like as the class' mystery man? I am really excited to see the development of this group and feel like there could be a good handful of major league contributors in here.
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Post by e on Mar 7, 2023 19:07:44 GMT -5
One storyline for me: - What impact do the Driveline signings have on our player development system? Obviously, we're not running a randomized controlled trial, so we won't be able to make any conclusions for sure, but I'll be curious to see if there are developmental trends seen in our system as early as this year. Are there changes in system-wide (or player-by-player) batted ball tendencies that show up in FB%, LD%, GB% or launch angle metrics? Are there any noticeable changes to hitters' EV metrics beyond what you'd expect from natural growth? On the pitching side of things, are there upticks in stuff seen in velo and spin rate? Again, it would be hard to attribute changes seen in any one player to the influence of Driveline in our player development system, but I do wonder if some trends are observed more widespread throughout our farm. Does anyone know what Driveline's "core values" are? Like, what do they focus on mechanically or philosophically in their development? I know they're a big name in the industry but don't know much about them. I've read a bit about Driveline on the hitting side, and they are very big on bat speed, finding a barrel path that is efficient for consistent contact, and approach. They became big for their work on the pitching side of baseball, but I've found their work recently on hitting interesting. A very technologically advanced approach to developing hitters. I know Refsnyder trained there before 2022. Lars Nootbaar has been really successful since going there, I remember reading an article they posted about him and it showed a substantial increase in bat speed. Arenado went there before last season with the goal of increasing his bat speed. Sorry for a bit of a word vomit, I'm very intrigued by the Driveline signings if you can't tell.
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Post by chrisfromnc on Mar 7, 2023 19:46:01 GMT -5
I agree with much of what’s in the posts above. There are tons of good storylines this year for any decent fan. Just focusing on the minors, I’m gonna agree with Incandenza that I’m really interested to see what kind of season Nick Yorke has.
In that vein, consider this a request that the staff visit to Ft Myers include as much information as possible on what they see from him.
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Post by Oregon Norm on Mar 7, 2023 20:01:52 GMT -5
One storyline for me: - What impact do the Driveline signings have on our player development system? Obviously, we're not running a randomized controlled trial, so we won't be able to make any conclusions for sure, but I'll be curious to see if there are developmental trends seen in our system as early as this year. Are there changes in system-wide (or player-by-player) batted ball tendencies that show up in FB%, LD%, GB% or launch angle metrics? Are there any noticeable changes to hitters' EV metrics beyond what you'd expect from natural growth? On the pitching side of things, are there upticks in stuff seen in velo and spin rate? Again, it would be hard to attribute changes seen in any one player to the influence of Driveline in our player development system, but I do wonder if some trends are observed more widespread throughout our farm. Does anyone know what Driveline's "core values" are? Like, what do they focus on mechanically or philosophically in their development? I know they're a big name in the industry but don't know much about them. Just to save a second post, the minor league storyline I'm most interested in is the 2022 draft class. Sitting this far out from it now, it looks like it has the potential to be really excellent, and it's relatively balanced too. Who of the Romero/Coffey/Anthony/Brannon high upside high school bats takes the leap (if not all of them)? Does Chase Meidroth continue to rake at literally every stop? Do Dalton Rogers or Noah Dean have the arsenal or command to start? Are any of the Hoppe/Johnson/Mullins/Brand group able to capitalize on their spin rate profiles and develop into a legit relief prospect? Shoot I haven't seen a single person talk about Deundre Jones since he was drafted, what will he look like as the class' mystery man? I am really excited to see the development of this group and feel like there could be a good handful of major league contributors in here. Their blog has a link and examples that explain their approach. The idea is to examine the biomechanics of a player's swing and to tune that to get the physics right - how the bat impacts the baseball. That's as good a place as any to see how they do that. They use technology to breakdown a swing for its weaknesses and then work to eliminate those by reworking the swing mechanics. They've done that for quite a few players and that blog has detailed examples. Add: This guy pioneered the approach, many many moons ago. Outfits like Driveline, using video and computing power, have taken it to the n th level.
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redsox04071318champs
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Mar 7, 2023 22:37:37 GMT -5
Yup, which is why this team has the widest range of variability and outcomes of a Sox team going into a season that I can remember. Which is why I'll pick them at .500, just to stay in the middle. I disagree with that conclusion, actually. The Red Sox have a lot of questions, it's true, but it's unlikely that a large majority of them will be answered in the positive or the negative. Take the starting rotation, for instance. If Sale, Kluber, and Paxton all return to their peak form, and Bello and Whitlock both break out as #2 type starters, that would be incredible. But it's not going to happen. On the other hand, if all of the three old guys break down and Bello has growing pains and Whitlock goes back to the bullpen, they'll be in really bad shape. But that's not likely to happen either. Most likely is that 2-3 guys work out and 2-3 guys struggle. We just don't know which are which. To put it another way: if you flip a coin 10 times, yeah, you might get heads 8-9 times, or you might get tails 8-9 times, but in all likelihood you'll get heads 4-6 times and tails 4-6 times. I think that's kind of the 2023 Red Sox situation - a whole bunch of coin flips. Compare that to, say, the Yankees, who are pretty well screwed if Judge gets hurt. Or if a couple of their starters go down. They have a ton of their season wrapped up in the performance of 3 or 4 guys, which means they could really be great or they might really unravel.
Not sure what you're disagreeing with. I think if a helluva goes right they can win 90 games. I think if a helluva lot goes wrong they can lose 90 games. To play it safe I'll guess that about half goes right and about half goes wrong, so the midpoint of 90-72 and 72-90 is 81-81, which is .500. I mean guessing .500 isn't exactly going out on a limb. As far as storylines I'm most interested in is are: 1. Casas will be a middle of the order masher. Will it be this year or next? 2. Is Yoshida the batting title contender I think he is? 3. Will Bello become a #2/#3 starter? 4. Will Sale stay healthy and if he does how much of his ace status can he retain? 5. How long will Duvall be the CF before Rafaela forces his way up? 6. Who winds up at 2b? Does Arroyo continue to improve or will he get hurt again. And if he does, will Mondesi seize the chance or will Valdez seize his chance? Does Story make it back? 7. Can any of the young non-Bello pitchers come up and impact the Sox? Crawford is encouraging. How about Walter and Mata? 8. How much do Whitlock and Houck and Crawford contribute and in which role? 9. Are any of McGuire/Wong/Alfaro viable every day catchers? 10. Will the Sox have enough RH thump in the lineup? 11. Does Verdugo ever take the next step up? 12. Does Duran become a viable major leaguer?
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Post by backwardsk on Mar 8, 2023 0:24:16 GMT -5
Not to take away from good post above, but Alfaro is not a viable everyday catcher. We can all answer that. Maybe a good enough backup. We'll see about Wong and McGuire.
All in all the post above is probably the best summation of all the storylines and best questions to ask about the upcoming season.
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redsox04071318champs
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Post by redsox04071318champs on Mar 8, 2023 1:51:26 GMT -5
Not to take away from good post above, but Alfaro is not a viable everyday catcher. We can all answer that. Maybe a good enough backup. We'll see about Wong and McGuire. All in all the post above is probably the best summation of all the storylines and best questions to ask about the upcoming season. Personally, I doubt Alfaro is a viable catcher, too. I'm amazed he can hit .250 with that awful BB/K ratio of his. I think Alfaro is what Ronaldo Hernandez's ceiling is. Wong isn't that different. He has bad BB/K ratios, too, but I think he at least has a chance to be viable, but I'm not super optimistic about that. I'm not big on McGuire. He had 100 strong ABs for the Sox but I still dont think much of his offense at least for now although I can have my mind changed.
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