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Jeff Sullivan FanGraphs Chat -- 5/25/18
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Jeff Sullivan
9:57
I mean, his career overall has been deeply interesting. He was once a top-five major-league player
But now? He's kind of going the way of Andruw Jones or Griffey or something
David
9:57
So how about Austin Meadows? He's not striking out, not whiffing much, showing power, making solid contact overall. No doubt the pitchers will adjust but so far it doesn't completely look like it's just a simple fluke, no?
Jeff Sullivan
9:58
If, as a hitter, you're going to debut, you want to debut with six games against the Padres and the Reds
The Pirates are certainly thrilled that Meadows has already gone deep three times. But they also recognize he went deep all of once in Triple-A
9:59
I feel like this is going to be a short stint
JT
9:59
How do you think Moreland will do with a full time gig now that Hanley is out?
Jeff Sullivan
9:59
Worse
Parts + Gleyber
9:59
Byron Buxton solved his soft contact problems: just strike out!
Jeff Sullivan
9:59
For everything that's ever been written about Buxton, his year-to-year strikeout rates have spanned from 29% to 36%
10:00
Which is to say, they've spanned from high to very high
Maybe -- just maybe -- Byron Buxton isn't going to be a good major-league hitter
Tim
10:01
So did everyone jump the gun a bit on saying Didi Gregorius was the second coming?
Jeff Sullivan
10:01
He's still good, and he's still more than doubled his walk rate
But the real guy to watch here is Andrelton Simmons, who got a little lost in the shuffle
10:02
Like Gregorius, Simmons got off to a hot start. Unlike Gregorius, Simmons has continued to hit
He's struck out two times in May!
In 95 plate appearances!
Andrelton Simmons!
Kristen
10:04
Joey Gallo: O-swing% way up, walk rate way down.  Too early to get alarmed as this will basically be just his 2nd full-season in the bigs?
Jeff Sullivan
10:05
Some of this, I think, is just natural give and take. Gallo is still a fearsome hitter, who destroys almost every fly ball that he hits. But something about Gallo this season has convinced pitchers they can get away with more stuff in the zone. That's led to the lower walk rate -- pitchers are being more aggressive
10:06
Could be connected to Gallo trying to do more to hit the ball up the middle or to the opposite field. He might be making himself worse by trying to make himself better
But I wouldn't give up on him yet. His contact rate is up a few points. Give him another few months. The Rangers can afford to be patient
Pitch_Out
10:07
Jeff - hiking Mt St. Helens in late June - what do I need to be prepared? What should I know from your vast volcano / PNW hiking knowledge repository?
Jeff Sullivan
10:08
You'll encounter snow, but by that point probably not very much. Expect the sun to beat down on you. Expect to breathe ashy air. I've done St Helens four years in a row but always in winter, when I get to climb on snow and ice. If I were in your position, I'd try for an alpine start -- 2 or 3 in the morning -- so as to not be up there in the hottest part of the day
Comes with the pleasant side effect of avoiding the big crowd
10:09
Also, you'd be above timberline for sunrise! It's a great sunrise
I assume you're doing this from the climbers bivouac, and not Marble Mountain Sno-Park
Andrew
10:10
So Brandon Nimmo. Is he still a 45 FV prospect? It seems like that's selling him a bit short. Have his tools just improved (50 bat seems low given his OBP) or is he hitting his 1% percentile?
Jeff Sullivan
10:11
Fun fact! Yesterday, Nimmo hit a ball 110.9 miles per hour, which is the highest EV of his big-league career
He also hit a ball 108.3 miles per hour, which ranks fourth
10:12
Seems like Nimmo's discipline has simply been underrated. It can be a hard trait to identify when you're just seeing a guy for a few live games a year
10:13
Nimmo's not a premium defender and he's not yet much of a threat against lefties, but he's better than his reputation has been
David
10:15
And what would you do with Pirates outfield now while Meadows bat is hot? 4 man OF? Send down Meadows for super 2 reasons?
Jeff Sullivan
10:15
I could see the argument for a four-man rotation, but since the three starters should play almost every game, I think at least for the short-term Meadows returns to Triple-A
TooDamnTall
10:17
Do pitchers with elite breaking balls benefit from consistent and similar elite movement on the pitch, or from giving batters different looks on the same pitch, even if it's inferior movement?
Jeff Sullivan
10:18
Depends on the pitcher. Guys like McCullers and Hill talk about how they add and subtract from their curveballs, which effectively turns one pitch into multiple
10:19
Kluber, on the other hand, might be more concerned with always trying to throw his breaking ball the same way
10:20
But honestly, the former is kind of a pre-req for the latter. You have to have elite control of a pitch before you can feel comfortable adding and subtracting
Hahn
10:20
Is keeping Lucas Giolito in the Bigs a mistake?
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