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Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 4/10/23

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Ben Clemens

2:41

Lol everyone is ready to just skip the next six months of baseball after 11 days

Yeah Well Hiura Towel

2:41

Is Yoshida's power on its way, or is he just an OBP guy?

Ben Clemens

2:41

OBP guys

Daniel

2:41

How worried are you about Corbin Burnes? He has...not been good this season.

Ben Clemens

2:41

Not worried yet but starting to warm up the worry-o-meter

shortstop

2:41

What stats do you look for at this point in the season to cut through SSS noise? Statcast, plate discipline, etc. or is it all just noise at this point?

Ben Clemens

2:43

I look at plate discipline first for sure. Not necessarily to say it's real and going to stick, but I look for changes. I look at batted ball distribution, guys who are lifting the ball a lot more or a lot less than they used to are interesting. New pitches, big changes in stuff, that kinda thing. I try to look at the most process-driven stuff and then I'll expand out as there are more games

The Real Ben Clemens

2:43

hot take: Vinnie Pasquantino is the funniest MLBer right now and also will probably be an excellent hitter this year

Ben Clemens

2:43

I'm not sure that EITHER of these is a hot take

in other words, I agree

I Would Die 4 YU

2:43

I'm kinda worried about the coming AI singularity.
What can we be doing today to ensure our future AI overlords enjoy baseball on some level and allow us to continue MLB?

Ben Clemens

2:43

I think baseball has an edge on other sports because it feels more computer-y

2:44

Maybe we could rename Ohtani ShohAI OhtAI and appeal to their vanity

Phanatic

2:44

Does Jose Alvarado get a chance to close games for the Phillies any time soon? Worth a speculative add in a 12 teamer H2H 5x5 or would you prioritize Puk or Fulmer?

Ben Clemens

2:44

I think he'll get a chance against some lefty-heavy ninth inning lineups

Whether that's worth holding onto him for is up to you

Jacob

2:45

Matt Vierling looks like he's found a way to hit balls hard in the air, Greene and Work are both hitting the ball hard, Carpenter seems to be carrying over what he did at the end of last year, are the bones of a good Tigers offense there if you really really squint?

Ben Clemens

2:46

Yeah, they are. I'm not completely bought in yet, of course, but I think you put it well. The bones are there, I like to look for things that could work out and Vierling/Greene/Tork all are showing flashes that make me interested

Darren

2:46

Thoughts on Miguel Vargas's chances for appearances and production this season given the small sample size we have seen?

Ben Clemens

2:46

Appearances? I'm feeling good

2:48

It's a really awkward lineup construction, too many good players, but I don't think Trayce Thompson is gonna play vs. righties every day, and I think the Mookie at second experiment is too cute by half and won't last the entire season

Production? Too soon to say but I'm loving the plate discipline without becoming excessively passive

Guest

2:49

What's the craziest overreaction to the first 1.5 weeks of the season you've seen? There probably are some pretty good ones.

Ben Clemens

2:49

Anything about the Rays either being one of the best teams ever, or of needing to ignore their results b/c they were against bad teams

Spring Training is Stupid

2:49

Luis Garcia looked competent in spring training and has since been an absolute mess. Maeda looked like he couldn't throw a strike and now looks fine. Sigh

Ben Clemens

2:50

Yeah, but THESE 11 days, let's draw a lot of signal from them

That'll fix things

Trendy or Spiffy?

2:50

Are Cease and Strider bringing back the mustache? Is it here to stay?

Ben Clemens

2:50

Matt Carpenter slander

but yeah, I don't think baseball players will ever give up goofy mustaches

the younger generation is carrying the torch

JG6

2:50

You have the choice between 3 players: a 2 WAR utility guy that play anywhere except pitcher and catcher, a 6 WAR 150 wRC+ type that only gets hits and walks in low leverage (ignore pinch hitting), or a 2 way player with 10 WAR hitter and 8 WAR pitching talent thats only healthy for a random 10% of games.

Ben Clemens

2:50

wow

2:51

This is probably too involved of a question to answer at the speed I'm taking these with

But I'm gonna try anyway

2:52

I think I'd take the 2 way player b/c I think I could get enough other value out of the roster spot when he's hurt

the utility guy is tempting though

2:53

I guess it depends on how you define leverage, the second player is really hard to evaluate naturally

LouBob

2:53

Luis Robert has been the third most valuable position player in baseball without drawing a walk so far. Is there any reason to think he might ever get more patient or should we just take him for what he is at this point (read: still immensely valuable)

Ben Clemens

2:53

Yeah, I don't think he's going to suddenly learn how to take walks after this long but that's just fine

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