2018: The Year Of The Venezuelan Trout

[nsacpi]

I don't think he'll hit 20 home runs his first season.

[msstate7]

I don't think he'll hit 20 home runs his first season.

According to when he gets promoted. You had 2 rookies blow by that number last season, and they were not rated nearly as high

[GeorgiaGirl]

I didn't guarantee that Acuna would hit 20 home runs but it's possible unless you think it's going to be much longer than thought before he gets called up. Unless it's mid June or July before he's up, it's not asking for a lot to see 18-20 from him.

[Enscheff]

It is more likely he hits 20 HR than gets 20 SBs, but 20/20 isn’t an outlandish prediction.

[Oklahomabrave]

It is more likely he hits 20 HR than gets 20 SBs, but 20/20 isn’t an outlandish prediction.

I won’t be surprised if he steals 20 and has like a 65% success rate.

[nsacpi]

Bryce Harper had 13 HRs his rookie year in 395 PA. Slash line of .273/.344/.423. I'd be happy with something similar from Acuna.

[Enscheff]

Bryce Harper had 13 HRs his rookie year in 395 PA. Slash line of .273/.344/.423. I'd be happy with something similar from Acuna.

That was Harper’s 3rd season, and by far the worst of his career.

An OPS of .750+ over ~400 PAs is a reasonable projection for Acuna though. I don’t think many people will be happy with that, especially if there isn’t a shiny BA to appease the casual fans.

[SJ24]

Bryce Harper had 13 HRs his rookie year in 395 PA. Slash line of .273/.344/.423. I'd be happy with something similar from Acuna.

Mike Trout had 30 HR and 49 SB in 639 PA (139 games) his rookie year at the same age as Acuna. Slash line of .326/.399/.564.

You guys would have laughed at anyone who said Trout would do that. Enscheff would have laughed mercilessly.

[nsacpi]

I take the under on .825 OPS for Acuna...who wants the over

[bravesfanMatt]

I take the under on .825 OPS for Acuna...who wants the over

SJ already has one. Mistake has one so I guess I will put my pozzie panties on and ponie up a sig bet. I want .825 or higher in 400+ PA.

[thewupk]

With the juiced ball, 20 homers isn't that outlandish if you assume he's up within the first month. And honestly keeping him down any longer than after we gain that year of service time doesn't make much sense. Slugging as a whole is getting back to steroid level production so people are once again are going to have to adjust their perception of raw stats. Homerun totals have already blown past it as 2017 saw 400 more homers than any other year previously.

[BeanieAntics]

Mike Trout had 30 HR and 49 SB in 639 PA (139 games) his rookie year at the same age as Acuna. Slash line of .326/.399/.564.

You guys would have laughed at anyone who said Trout would do that. Enscheff would have laughed mercilessly.

And he would have been right to do that. Anyone predicting Trout level success for a rookie is going to be wrong 99.99% of the time. And lets not forget that Trout did have 135 at bats the year before his official rookie season where he was less than impressive. .220/.281/.390 isn't what you think of when you think of Trout, but that is exactly what he did over his first 135 at bats. Can you imagine the meltdown on this board if that was Acuna's stat line by midseason?

[BeanieAntics]

With the juiced ball, 20 homers isn't that outlandish if you assume he's up within the first month. And honestly keeping him down any longer than after we gain that year of service time doesn't make much sense. Slugging as a whole is getting back to steroid level production so people are once again are going to have to adjust their perception of raw stats. Homerun totals have already blown past it as 2017 saw 400 more homers than any other year previously.

I actually think that Acuna will pass 20 home runs fairly comfortably this year if he gets called up after just a couple of weeks. I do see him struggling with his K% though. If I had to guess what his numbers would be it would be something along the lines of .260/.330/.450 with 25 homers. Thats kinda like a Kyle Seagerish type of year so that would be an incredible outcome for a rookie, but I do think that Acuna has the talent to pull off somewhere close to those numbers.

[SJ24]

And he would have been right to do that. Anyone predicting Trout level success for a rookie is going to be wrong 99.99% of the time. And lets not forget that Trout did have 135 at bats the year before his official rookie season where he was less than impressive. .220/.281/.390 isn't what you think of when you think of Trout, but that is exactly what he did over his first 135 at bats. Can you imagine the meltdown on this board if that was Acuna's stat line by midseason?

Well, 99.99% of the time you're not dealing with the consensus top prospect like Ronald.

I know athletes. Baseball is a game that is increasingly becoming filled with non-athletic guys and that makes it easier for the true athletes to excel.

Darryl Strawberry hit 26 HR and swiped 21 bags as a 21-year-old rookie in his ROY season for the Mets. Hit only .257. 122 games.

It's not as outlandish as you guys are saying it is to extrapolate that to 30/30.

[GeorgiaGirl]

I'm a fan of Acuna's potential but comparing a guy to Trout just because of stats is absurd, then saying he's going to hit .300 (not sure that this was said here but it was said by Grey on a fantasy baseball site) or will go 30/30 is also ridiculous.

Look, he's likely to be on the upper echelon of 20 year olds in MLB, just unsure he'll be near the top for the modern day. I think his OPS is in the .770-800 range when he comes. He does have .300, .900+ potential but I do not see that coming in 2018.

[SJ24]

And I am definitely not a pozzy.

I think we suck outside of Freeman, Gohara, and Ozzie. Maybe Soroka and Wright one day.

Lol.

Acunas are special. Braves may never see another talent like this in my lifetime.

[msstate7]

Bellinger went for 39/10 as a rookie
Judge went for 52/9 as a rookie

You guys think 20/20 is outlandish for a prospect that is considered better than them coming out of the minors?

[SJ24]

I'm a fan of Acuna's potential but comparing a guy to Trout just because of stats is absurd, then saying he's going to hit .300 (not sure that this was said here but it was said by Grey on a fantasy baseball site) or will go 30/30 is also ridiculous.

Look, he's likely to be on the upper echelon of 20 year olds in MLB, just unsure he'll be near the top for the modern day. I think his OPS is in the .770-800 range when he comes. He does have .300, .900+ potential but I do not see that coming in 2018.

Well, it's not just stats. I've seen him play. I've heard the sound of the bat. I've watched his swing.

I was also the one on here who said he was carrying some baby fat last year. That appears to be gone now to my eye.

Just a beast of a prospect.

I did call Judge's success last year, also. Keith Law said he thought he'd hit 41 when I said he'd break the rookie record. That's after watching 1 game at Yankee Stadium.

Some dudes just got it.

[nsacpi]

And I am definitely not a pozzy.

I think we suck outside of Freeman, Gohara, and Ozzie. Maybe Soroka and Wright one day.

Lol.

Acunas are special. Braves may never see another talent like this in my lifetime.

don't enderestimate Inciarte

[thethe]

The safe thing is to say that acuna won't hit those thresholds. But man, what fun is that?

Some of you guys should just embrace fandom.