Comments on: Danny Espinosa: Reasons for Concern

By: NBH

NBH — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 02:51:43 +0000

I know this is a stats site, but Keith Hernandez hates Espinosa’s uppercut swing. Espinosa can’t hit anything in the upper half of the zone and pitchers now know this.

By: Will H.

Will H. — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 02:02:43 +0000

1st half BB/K: .34
2nd: .35

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 23:45:24 +0000

That might be a really excellent comp, actually. However, in Valentin’s first pretty much full season he was at 22.7%, and his peak of 27% was very late in his career. If he can get down into that 20-23% range that Valentin lived in and maintains the power, especially if they mercifully turn loose of Desmond and slide him over, we’re good to go.

Even if he’s a 2B, I’d say we should look at Valentin as high floor. Even if he stays roughly in that range, I’d take it.

By: JCA

JCA — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:29:16 +0000

Am I nuts to think he is similar to jose valentin at age 24? Valentin was a K/BB guy, and Espinosa is closer to 3:1, but average, obp, slg are similar, both were good defenders at that point, Espinosa had more steals and homers, but both had high wOBA.

By: JCA

JCA — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:18:16 +0000

Actually, I think it was johnson who tried him at #2 before moving him back to #6 towards September. But you are right, he does say he feels better at a position where he can just hit his normal way rather than focus on taking pitches. It kind of jibes with Jeff’s concern about the rising ineffective K% and BB%. It does not explain the 30+% K rate in September. Having watched his games, it did seem like he was completely hacking and out of sorts at the start of the month, but now we are slicing small numbers even smaller.

I do think the power is for real, as is the base running skill. As much as Jeff dings him for the BABIP in September, his BABIP was still on the low side for the year. If he hits lower in the order and stops trying to be a #2 hitter, perhaps the K rate gets under control and the average gets a bounce with a more normal BABIP this year. If you bought low, then maybe he is a keeper.

By: dudley

dudley — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:21:14 +0000

Espinsosa’s a lot bigger risk in a 5×5 than a linear weights or 4×4 Ottoneu.

By: dudley

dudley — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 17:20:15 +0000

I’d keep him at $3. I already cut him at $8.

By: Jeff Zimmerman

Jeff Zimmerman — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:45:22 +0000

The same Sep where he had 0.412 BABIP, yet still only managed to hit 0.274 because he had a K% of 32%

By: Daniel

Daniel — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 12:03:25 +0000

$3 in Ottoneu, I think I keep him for my bench, no? Would you drop him?

By: Paul

Paul — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 07:07:54 +0000

I thought I read where he said he absolutely hated hitting second, but whoever was the manager in the first half just kept running him out there. He thanked Johnson for finally moving him down.

That said, man his SO% is high. A while back I tried to find a similar comp for a 2B. Couldn’t. I love this guy as a player, but he either has to hit for a helluva lot more power or lower that SO rate to more like 20%. I think caution is warranted, but I’ll root for him.