Could We Have a Late Bloomer on our Hands?

nsacpi

nsacpi

Expects Yuge Games
No I am certainly not saying he can sustain the .500 BABIP though he does have a high career BABIP, especially for a catcher. What intrigues me are indications over the past two seasons that he is bringing down the strikeout rate, which has been his main weakness as a hitter over the years.

For his career he has a 31.8% strikeout rate. Last year it crept down to 28.0%, a career low. So far this year (small sample caveat applies) it is 19.7%. Those numbers are backed up by the old eyeball test. He is not chasing as much at the plate, which is great to see. I suspect for the season the strikeout rate is not going to settle below 20%. But if it does settle in the 20-25% range, along with a BABIP of .350 (last year was at .366), then we have a more than serviceable major league catcher.

We hold a team option on him for 2018. If he performs as I'm hoping, the team's decision not to splurge on a catcher this off-season will have turned out well. Also it gives us the option to concentrate resources on picking up a third baseman and starting pitcher over the next year.

He is 31 and does not have a lot of mileage compared to many catchers his age. Being a product of the Braves system and a southern boy, he might be willing to stay with the team on reasonable terms beyond 2018. Assuming that we really do have a late bloomer on our hands.
 
Flowers always had the potential... was just thought he was of a power guy with some contact issues. So far its been the opposite this year. If he can keep it up, he should easily be our stop gap to Jackson, Kade Scivicque, or Herbert...
 
nsacpi said:
No I am certainly not saying he can sustain the .500 BABIP though he does have a high career BABIP, especially for a catcher. What intrigues me are indications over the past two seasons that he is bringing down the strikeout rate, which has been his main weakness as a hitter over the years.

For his career he has a 31.8% strikeout rate. Last year it crept down to 28.0%, a career low. So far this year (small sample caveat applies) it is 19.7%. Those numbers are backed up by the old eyeball test. He is not chasing as much at the plate, which is great to see. I suspect for the season the strikeout rate is not going to settle below 20%. But if it does settle in the 20-25% range, along with a BABIP of .350 (last year was at .366), then we have a more than serviceable major league catcher.

We hold a team option on him for 2018. If he performs as I'm hoping, the team's decision not to splurge on a catcher this off-season will have turned out well. Also it gives us the option to concentrate resources on picking up a third baseman and starting pitcher over the next year.

He is 31 and does not have a lot of mileage compared to many catchers his age. Being a product of the Braves system and a southern boy, he might be willing to stay with the team on reasonable terms beyond 2018. Assuming that we really do have a late bloomer on our hands.
Click to expand...

I'm curious how he ranks in terms of handling a pitching staff, pitch framing, and other defensive metrics. Can he hold his own there? I'm only asking because I have no idea where these stats or other metrics are tracked.
 
NYCBrave said:
I'm curious how he ranks in terms of handling a pitching staff, pitch framing, and other defensive metrics. Can he hold his own there? I'm only asking because I have no idea where these stats or other metrics are tracked.
Click to expand...

Here is one analysis of pitch framing in 2016. Flowers did well.

http://sonsofsamhorn.com/baseball/fielding/catcher-framing/mlb-catcher-framing-2016/

He was notoriously bad at throwing out runners last year. And looks to be below average blocking balls in the dirt to my eye. He has a rep for being a good handler of a pitching staff.
 
Wonder if he's asking his teammates if they want to send him to their mothers for tomorrow.

Good thing AJP didn't have the last name Flowers...
 
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