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Since any more discussion of Brett Pill in the ZiPS projection thread would certainly be off-topic MOD CUT
To recap
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandstander
I'd like to see Pill given an opportunity to play this year. I doubt that he has much in the way of long range value, but I am struck by how often guys who first arrive in the majors during their prime, after years in the minors, fool us into thinking that they are going to be really good by having productive seasons.
In short, if Pill is going to have value, it will be this year and/or next year, so the Giants may as well try and capitalize on it. I think Huff's 2010 was his last hurrah season and Belt has yet to establish that he can handle ML pitching.
If Pill does have a good season, I would then immediately trade him while the perception of his value was at its highest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by filihok
As a Dodger fan I encourage copious use of Brett Pill.
Quote:
Originally Posted by NewToCA
Pill is kind of interesting.
When you look at his minor league power numbers and strikeout rate, I wouldn't be so sure he won't put up Casey Kotchman numbers but with a bit more power.
Quote:
Originally Posted by filihok
Kotchman minor league OBP: .406
Pill minor league OBP: .328
Kotchman minor league SLG: .491
Pill minor league SLG: .445
Kotchman was the 13th overall pick.
Pill was drafted in the 45th round.
Kotchman was consistently rated in BA's top 20 prospects.
Pill has never been.
Totally different players.
Kotchman was good.
Pill isn't.
These discussions took place around the end of April. At that point Pill was hitting:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grandstander
Pill....19 PA .353 .450 .588
Currently Pill is hitting (OBP/SLG)
.271/.367
which is about 30% worse than an average major league hitter.
Here's the breakdown:
April: .414/.520
May: .178/.302
June: .273/.273
Belt, on the other hand, is hitting:
.376/.423
April: .366/.389
May: .338/.313
June: .442/.619
I'd expect Belt to hit something like .370/.440 for the rest of the season and Pill, if the Giants continue to think he's a major league player, .300/.400
Last edited by NewToCA; 06-21-2012 at 07:48 AM..
Reason: further discussion about moderation will result in deleted postings/threads
if the Giants continue to think he's a major league player
Pill got sent down two weeks ago to make room for Sandoval when he was activated off the DL. While he was with the club he was platooned and only started against lefties.
Pill got sent down two weeks ago to make room for Sandoval when he was activated off the DL. While he was with the club he was platooned and only started against lefties.
Ok...change that to "If the Giants ever again think he's a major league player, and he doesn't pull a Bryan LaHair"
My comments about Pill had to do with how he might perform if given an extended chance as a starter. In the minors, he has shown a very good ability to make contact, with a low (and improving) strikeout rate for a guy who hits with half decent power. What I found most impressive was that last season he upped his power rate while decreasing his strikeout rate. Like Kotchman, he seems to be able to hit for a decent batting average, but have a low walk rate with his low strikeout rate.
This season he has only played in 10 games where he had at least 4 plate appearences, so much of his stats are from his being a pinch hitter or late game replacement.
My comments about Pill had to do with how he might perform if given an extended chance as a starter. In the minors, he has shown a very good ability to make contact, with a low (and improving) strikeout rate for a guy who hits with half decent power. What I found most impressive was that last season he upped his power rate while decreasing his strikeout rate. Like Kotchman, he seems to be able to hit for a decent batting average, but have a low walk rate with his low strikeout rate.
This season he has only played in 10 games where he had at least 4 plate appearences, so much of his stats are from his being a pinch hitter or late game replacement.
You're certainly right that Pill's major league playing time didn't help him perform. It's generally accepted that pinch-hitting and DHing decreases performance by about 10%.
Though, as Grandstander mentioned, Pill was able to be deployed mostly against opposite(left)-handed hitters. Pill had 65 PAs vs lefties and only 20 vs righties.
Unfortunately, he didn't hit against either one. 85 total PA's isn't really enough to make a judgement though.
You're right that Pill doesn't strike out all that much, but he also doesn't walk and doesn't have great power. He's generally been a below average hitter at his level. That doesn't portend a productive major league career as a first baseman.
My desire to see Pill given a shot was predicated upon Belt's development as a hitter. He had not been showing signs of being able to translate his minor league success into ML success.
Now he has. His plate discipline has been terrific, but the power wasn't on display. Belt was homerless through his first 42 games this season, then he hit home runs in three consecutive games, although none in the six games which have followed.
Pill might have been a decent stop gap player to allow Belt another year or two to develop, there was never a question of which one had the greater long term value potential. In that Belt has become a productive hitter this year, Pill has become unneeded. Sandoval can play first if necessary, Posey already plays first on days when he isn't catching...and Huff is still on the roster although back on the DL again.
I've noticed that the Mets have one of those debut in your prime type players, and he is performing quite well in his first 42 games this season.
Talking about leftfielder Mike Baxter, 27 years old and putting up a .324 .397 .515 line in 76 plate appearances.
Before this season Baxter had been with two organizations and had played through twelve different promotions and demotions in the Padres and Mets minor league operations. In 722 minor league games and more than 3000 plate appearances, Baxter batted .278 .349 .420. He had brief stints on the big club in '10 and '11 but qualifies as a rookie this year.
Trading Nate Schierholtz to the Phillies opened up a roster spot for SF and they filled it by calling Pill back up from Triple A. At Fresno, after his demotion, Pill had been hitting 286 .340 .497 with eight homers in 206 plate appearances.
The Giants are in Denver tonight facing a lefthanded starter, so Pill is in the lineup.
That left handed starter is 2010 Giants hero, Jonathan Sanchez.
Pill walked in his first pa, and blasted a solo home run in his second.
Sanchez is already gone. In three innings he gave up three hits, three walks and two runs. He needed 68 pitches to record his nine outs.
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