The world is crashing down upon us. This post is on point. Wow....I agree with Enscheff...Albies was my #1 even with Dansby around. I won't backtrack now. Albies all day!Originally Posted by Enscheff
The world is crashing down upon us. This post is on point. Wow....I agree with Enscheff...Albies was my #1 even with Dansby around. I won't backtrack now. Albies all day!
Goodness.
I wonder what the comparison would look like pre-AAA for Albies. He's the youngest guy in the International League for the second year in a row. I've never understood why the Braves pushed him so aggressively. I agree that Albies is still the better prospect, but signs on Demeritte are positive this year.
He did win the AA batting title last year. So it would seem that the Braves made the correct call in having him skip High A.
In general, I don't mind top prospects spending very little time in the lower levels. But I do want them to spend significant time and have a fair amount of success in AA and AAA before promotion to the majors.
I'm happy to see Demeritte doing well. But I wouldn't project him as a regular second baseman on a championship caliber team. Maybe he will surprise me. But I think the odds are against it at this point.
Last edited by nsacpi; 05-14-2017 at 08:51 AM.
TD also lost what half a season to a ped suspension?
Ivermectin Man
Albies could spend all this season and next season in AAA and debut during his age 22 season. He would still become a young FA at the age of 28 or 29.
Folks are selling short how impressive his age relative to level truly is.
He needs to work on his approach at the plate, and I hope he continues to do so in AAA rather than at the MLB level burning service clock for a terrible team.
DirkPiggler (05-15-2017), Tapate50 (05-14-2017)
Until we are at the point that we have five solid starters AND few needs for any position players, we should not be considering trading any prospects. You don't know who disappoints or who surprises. The best evaluator will miss both ways. At the point we feel we are solid, then yes...trade some prospects or players deemed "expendable". Until then....we will be making counter productive moves. Just look at Seattle's hasty decisions with Gohora and Jackson. Sure they might end up flaming out, but it was a short sighted decision to trade both at that age and will most likely come back to haunt them with at least one of the two.
I think you are overrating Mallex a bit. Mallex isn't much better of a prospect than Seymour. Seymour is ouhitting Mallex this year and Seymour is actually younger compared to his league than Mallex is.
I don't see either guy as an MLB regular but both could be useful 4th outfielders. And Seymour is definitely the faster of the two.
Last edited by Pachoo; 05-14-2017 at 11:50 AM.
All the things said about Albies being younger at a higher level are of course accurate and relevant. But, I'm looking at projection. When I look at Albies I see a pretty good bet that he will continue to develop into a good OBP guy with speed who will play good to very good 2B defense and will steal you some bases. Looking at Demeritte, I see a guy who is 2 years older but missed 80 games of one of those years for a PED suspension (which has to be taken into account as well) who has good to very good 2B power both in doubles and homers, with a reasonably good OBP, reportedly 70 defense and who will at least steal a few bases (not nearly as many as Albies). Right now, I still have Albies rated as the better overall eventual ML 2B BUT I am beginning to believe in Demeritte.
Some of that is my belief that positional tradition IS important to a ML club when constructing a line up, so I'm partial to 2B who can provide a higher level of productive offense as opposed to table-setting offense. When I look at the Braves ML team and try to mentally construct future offenses, I already see 2 guys in Inciarte and Swanson who are more of the table setting type of bats. Adding another in Albies will just make it more imperative that the Braves find production at other positions. I'm not saying it can't work. It can. But, it narrows the margin where if you get a .600 OPS out of third base and/or catcher then you are in trouble.
So, I'm thinking a future line-up of Inciarte, Swanson, Acuna, Freeman, Riley, LH hitting OF, Demeritte, catcher might be more valuable to the Braves (considering likely roster construction) as opposed to Inciarte, Albies, Acuna, Freeman, Riley, LH Hitting OF, Swanson, catcher. I'm not there yet since I want to see more of both this season, especially Demeritte to see if he continues to cut his K's, hold his power, hit for enough average and play great defense.
Either way (posi-Brave comment) it's a good situation to have.
I think the worst case on Albies is that he's essentially just Peraza again.
The worst case, and possibly the most likely case, for TD is that he is not a viable major league player.
I said I definitely wouldn't hand Mallex a 50 hit tool. That is overrating him.
I agree with you that I don't see either as an MLB regular. But Mallex OPS'd over .800 as a 21-year-old across A and A+. Seymour OPS'd under .600 as a 21-year-old in A ball. Equating the two, at this point, is quite a disservice to Mallex, regardless of his talent level. He's clearly been way better than Seymour.
I was referring more to the decision to kick him up to AAA last season only to send him back down to Mississippi.
There is a legit argument to trade albies bc he's more valuable at ss. That said we'd have to get back a controllable stud and I don't see where that trade is. Td still has a very high k rate. I see him more as a super sub.
I get that a 70 defender at second with legit power is fun to dream on. I think albies is a stud hitter and will be close to td at second.
Trout?
Ozzie is striking out at the same rate right now in AAA. The difference is Ozzie can't strike out at that rate and be a good hitter.
The difference is that Albies is 20 years old.
Do you know what TD was doing when he was 20? He was striking out 35% of the time in A ball.
Folks have been following Albies so long they have started to lose perspective. Prospect fatigue is definitely setting in here.
look man.. there is no room in our posi brave circle for you.. you need to turn around and go back to your side of the fence.
Trust me, I'm just as baffled by all this as you are.
I'm aware Albies age. I am not seriously suggesting TD being above him by any means. But Albies is the type of player that will need to strike out in the mid teens to be a successful hitter imo. I don't think he's going to walk enough or have enough power to be able to overcome a 20%+ K rate.
You are absolutely right in everything except your alarm at his current K rates. Even in his original 250 PAs in AAA last year he didn't have a K problem (15%).
This is the only year in professional baseball that Albies hasn't been a teenager. He has relied on a plus hit tool for all of his past success against inferior competition. He hasn't had to have a plan at the plate yet.
He is finally being challenged in AAA, and now is when he will make his first set of adjustments. Hopefully (probably) those adjustments will include adopting a better approach, which will lead to more walks.
Albies should get 500+ PAs in AAA this year to make those adjustments. If he is still struggling in August we can start to worry a little.
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