2018: The Year Of The Venezuelan Trout

[nsacpi]

recency bias is the strongest force in the universe

[Enscheff]

recency bias is the strongest force in the universe

It's crazy watching the posters here pimp a hot player and then dump on the same player 2 weeks later when he cools off.

Same thing with the team as a whole. Posts go from "the Braves are soooo good we can't be beat", to, "we suck and the Phillies will win the division by 5 games"....all in the matter of 1-2 weeks.

There seems to be almost zero capacity for rational thought.

[bravesfanMatt]

Whoa. A glitch in the matrix.

[bravesfanMatt]

It's crazy watching the posters here pimp a hot player and then dump on the same player 2 weeks later when he cools off.

Same thing with the team as a whole. Posts gro from "the Braves are soooo good we can't be beat", to, "we suck and the Phillies will win the division by 5 games"....all in the matter of 1-2 weeks.

There seems to be almost zero capacity for rational thought.

1-2 weeks? Slacker. 1-2 innings.

[thewupk]

recency bias is the strongest force in the universe

So is historical relevance. His 145 WRC+ currently places him tied for 6th with Frank Robinson among 20 year olds. The HOF path is coming into focus.

[smootness]

It's crazy watching the posters here pimp a hot player and then dump on the same player 2 weeks later when he cools off.

Same thing with the team as a whole. Posts go from "the Braves are soooo good we can't be beat", to, "we suck and the Phillies will win the division by 5 games"....all in the matter of 1-2 weeks.

There seems to be almost zero capacity for rational thought.

Are you new to the world?

[Enscheff]

Frank put up 668 PAs that season.

Acuna has 289 PAs this season. He probably won't even get enough PAs to qualify for the batting title.

I realize it's fun to piss yourself with joy over what Acuna is doing right now, but let's at least try to keep things in perspective a bit?

[thewupk]

Frank put up 668 PAs that season.

Acuna has 289 PAs this season. He probably won't even get enough PAs to qualify for the batting title.

I realize it's fun to piss yourself with joy over what Acuna is doing right now, but let's at least try to keep things in perspective a bit?

Indeed he did and Acuna likely won't get to a qualifying amount. But you can't deny that what he's doing at 20 is rarely seen in the majors. And those that have done it have had stellar careers. He's played better than I thought he would do.

[Enscheff]

Indeed he did and Acuna likely won't get to a qualifying amount. But you can't deny that what he's doing at 20 is rarely seen in the majors. And those that have done it have had stellar careers. He's played better than I thought he would do.

I think folks understood he had JUp/Chipper/Andruw streaks in him, and the potential to be this good. He was ranked the #1 prospect in the game, after all.

What surprises me is the rate he improves, and I've never seen a player improve this quickly (not that I'm a graybeard scout or anything).

There were serious concerns about his plate discipline early in ST, and you could see him improve literally week by week. He continues to get better faster than anyone could have reasonably expected.

[thewupk]

I think folks understood he had JUp/Chipper/Andruw streaks in him, and the potential to be this good. He was ranked the #1 prospect in the game, after all.

What surprises me is the rate he improves, and I've never seen a player improve this quickly (not that I'm a graybeard scout or anything).

There were serious concerns about his plate discipline early in ST, and you could see him improve literally week by week. He continues to get better faster than anyone could have reasonably expected.

The decrease in strikeouts in the 2nd half is pretty amazing. He's spitting on pitches he was swinging at a couple of months ago.

[Super]

The decrease in strikeouts in the 2nd half is pretty amazing. He's spitting on pitches he was swinging at a couple of months ago.

obviously i love the homers but i might love him laying off tough pitches more.

[smootness]

I think folks understood he had JUp/Chipper/Andruw streaks in him, and the potential to be this good. He was ranked the #1 prospect in the game, after all.

What surprises me is the rate he improves, and I've never seen a player improve this quickly (not that I'm a graybeard scout or anything).

There were serious concerns about his plate discipline early in ST, and you could see him improve literally week by week. He continues to get better faster than anyone could have reasonably expected.

And when you take just a quick glance over the last 4 years, the rapid improvement becomes even more incredible:

2014: signed for $100,000, which was apparently easily more than anyone else offered. A middling international prospect.
2015: .818 OPS with 4 HR in 55 games in rookie ball
2016: .819 OPS with 4 HR in 40 games in A ball
2017: .896 OPS with 21 HR in 139 games across 3 levels with significant increases at each level - .814 in A+, .895 in AA, .940 in AAA
2018: .922 OPS with 19 HR in 67 games in MLB

He is making rapid adjustments and his game seems to have improved an incredible amount both over the last 4 years and especially within the last 2.

[Enscheff]

The decrease in strikeouts in the 2nd half is pretty amazing. He's spitting on pitches he was swinging at a couple of months ago.

Guys K for many reasons, not all of which are negatives. You're right though, Acuna has been swinging at bad pitches less and less.



It looks like he's already progressed to swinging at bad pitches less than league average (~30%).

[atl717]

Anyone have that graphic that shows Acuna has doubled the next closest Brave in most balls hit harder than 105 mph?

[Enscheff]

Anyone have that graphic that shows Acuna has doubled the next closest Brave in most balls hit harder than 105 mph?

If you look at the ones that are 110+ (the truly hard hit balls) it's basically Acuna with a few Flowers and Tuckers sprinkled in.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statc..._pas=0#results

Of course, that's just for Braves players. Looking at the true 80 grade mashers in MLB shows a different list where Acuna barely cracks the Top 200 hardest hit ball.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/statc..._pas=0#results

In terms of hitting the ball hard, Stanton is to all MLB what Acuna is to the Braves.

[chipchildress]

ronald acuna's bat is the strongest force in the universe

fixed

[chipchildress]

wait, did i just read his ACL is torn?
https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-soroka...dl/c-283157670

Acuna ranks as MLB Pipeline's top overall prospect. He has been sidelined since suffering a mild tear of his left anterior cruciate ligament on May 27.

uh, wtf. surely this is just ****ty reporting, right? there aint no such thing as a mild ACL tear.

[jpx7]

wait, did i just read his ACL is torn?
https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-soroka...dl/c-283157670


uh, wtf. surely this is just ****ty reporting, right? there aint no such thing as a mild ACL tear.

Isn’t a sprain precisely a mild tear?

[smootness]

wait, did i just read his ACL is torn?
https://www.mlb.com/news/mike-soroka...dl/c-283157670


uh, wtf. surely this is just ****ty reporting, right? there aint no such thing as a mild ACL tear.

No, it was a sprain.

[Enscheff]

Isn’t a sprain precisely a mild tear?

A sprain is the stretching or tearing of a ligament.

The is absolutely such a thing as a "mild ACL tear".

Consider the intelligence of the person posing the question...