JotCast | Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat

Ben Clemens FanGraphs Chat - 4/14/25

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Ben Clemens

2:48

I mean, no

2:49

I'm just gonna go with no

cade cavin

2:49

worth researching if guys who naturally let the ball travel in the zone (opposite field approach guys) struggle more with increase in velocity as they progress through MiLB into MLB?

Ben Clemens

2:49

That sounds great! I don't have the data to do it, but it sounds interesting

Bencle Mens

2:49

what's the backup plan at SS for St. Louis? I like Saggese's bat but not defense. Is it a Jose (Borerro or Fermin)? Or do they stick with Saggese? There's a popular quote out there that no one has ever "had" a bad back, it is either there or not.

Ben Clemens

2:49

I think they'll stick with Saggese unless the injury is more severe than has been reported

2:50

like, that's true what you say about a bad back, but the list of baseball palyers who have had back injuries and then been mostly pretty good and available is not short

Dan

2:50

I'm extra glad for Aaron Judge because life at the time and being on the wrong coast made it harder to appreciate how good Bonds and Trout were at their peak. I'm getting a do over in taking the time to appreciate a generational talent in real time.

Ben Clemens

2:50

Seeing a great player at the peak of their powers is so delightful

Steve E

2:50

Taco Tuesday dude, this is 'Merica, so we have Tenders Tuesdays at my house. Albeit with Mexican beer.

Jim

2:50

If Soderstrom continues to hit and Kurtz looks ready to handle 1B, what do the A's do with Soderstrom? DH and Rooker to LF? Soderstrom rotating between catcher, 1B, and DH? Soderstrom in LF?

Ben Clemens

2:51

Last week, we chatted about maybe moving Soderstrom to LF longterm

In the present, though, I think Rooker to LF is most likely

Maybe with Kurtz 1B and Soderstrom DH/occasional catcher

I have little confidence in this view, though

Bobby Peru

2:51

Obligatory Kurtz question...is a ROY from him a realistic possibility, or do the As keep him down? Is a draft pick enough motivation for the As to give him a shot this year?

Ben Clemens

2:52

Well they wouldn't be eligible for the draft pick, right?

I guess if they called him up like NOW

2:53

but you need to get 172 days on the big league roster

Oaktown Blues

2:54

Wait I thought he had to be on the opening day roster for the draft pick? Or did you just mean he could win ROY if they called him up now?

Ben Clemens

2:54

You can technically get it even without being on the opening day roster

actually yeah I think we're past 172 days of service time already

2:55

so, no pick for Kurtz this year

2:55

Um, this good? no. but good? yeah *Answer to every hot start question ever*

Ben Clemens

2:55

haha I mean, yes

you're not wrong

and yet the questions keep coming

Bobby Peru

2:55

Rocker has looked like a hot mess. Does he need to change his sinker-heavy approach, or is this just an adjustment period for him? The swing and miss hasn't been there, what do you see from him ROS?

Ben Clemens

2:56

I've only seen one of his starts, but yeah, I'm not a fan of the sinker-heavy approach

on the other hand, like, his four-seamer is hardly scary

really pedestrian movement profile and he doesn't locate it well enough to make it play up

2:57

Between the slider and curveball I think he has two plus secondaries, but his fastball utility has just been abysmal so far

Jim

2:58

Why is IL time last season preventing like the A's and Jacob Wilson from being PPI eligible if he wins ROY?

Ben Clemens

2:59

That's how it was bargained. I agree that it's kind of confusing. He just had too many days of service time in 2024

It's strange to me that they have that separate roster time rule, given that they also need to be rookie eligible, but hey, they agreed to that rule already

Steve O

3:00

Are you buying Anthony Volpe finally making the leap to a league averageish bat? His underlying metrics looks much better this year.

Ben Clemens

3:00

I've always been buying

dollar cost averaging, baby

3:00

On bat length: but isn't a swing like 7 feet? It's seven feet at the point of contact?

Ben Clemens

3:00

Yep. It's in 3d space, though, so plenty of that is how far the bat has to travel to get from its high initial point to on plane with the strike zone