2021 Season | Series #39 | Rangers @ Indians | Aug. 24-26

[xmasbuck]

Everyone is knocking in runs except Johnson and Hedges =(

everyone has a hit except for, except for, except for...the pitchers!

 

[DCTribefan]

Cupcakes!

 

[xmasbuck]

those three AB's were sub-optimal

 

[macbdog]

 

[Real Deal]

Logan Allen vs the Redsox tomorrow.. yikes

 

[CDAV45]

4th OF OR platoon guy , his big issue is he still can't hit lefties

Fair enough assessment under the current circumstances, but is that something else that will improve the longer he can stay healthy? It's worth finding out IMO. The talent is undeniable and he can influence the game in more facets than most can dream of. Imagine if he could become a "good hitter". In my view, his floor is a damn good 4th OFer. I won't even speculate his ceiling. I'll just call it game changing, which is why he excited so many of us prior to his injuries.

 

[CDAV45]

Yeah Zimmer is leading that pack at the moment. He's our 2nd outfielder as it stands today. If we want to change that to start 2022, we probably need to sign two more players, which doesn't really make any sense anyway.

I could also see some scenario where we play Amed every day but slot him in and out of 2B and corner OF based on who is starting. Either Amed OF Miller 2B vs LHP, or Amed 2B Zimmer OF vs RHP.

Unless they decide to develop Amed as a utility player, I think his OF days are over in Cleveland. He's one of our MIFers or he's trade bait. The way he's performing suggests that he'll remain with this team. He's a spark plug and having him and Straw at the top of the order is exciting.

 

[Lee]

Everyone is knocking in runs except Johnson and Hedges =(

Weird, I was knocking in my Johnson in your wife's Hedges last night? (sorry, too funny not to make the joke)

 

[Gson]

Re: Sam Hentges....

Was at the game again last night.. steamy.. but, it was a Hentges start that made it worthwhile..

Big Same had another start with a line that looks like he had a bad outing.. four IP.. four runs.. five hits.. two walks.. three K's.. 41 strikes for his 68 pitches thrown and a no decision.. Two of the runs were unearned (JRam error).. one of the two earned runs could be determined to be or were tainted.. A number of close pitches were not called strikes..

-His fastball is his best pitch.. he was moving it up and down on both sides of the plate..
-His slow curve ball is clearly that wrinkle, if thrown for a strike more often, would be an out pitch..
-His slider is a nasty thing of beauty..
-His change up.. should never be seen in a ML game right now..

With such reliance on his good/not great fastball.. a lot of hitters put the ball in play.. and, good things happen.. From that perspective, it is clear, Hentges is riding a thin line between ML back end starter (my guess) and LHRP.. He does need to pay closer attention to runners...especially when they're on second base.. most times, he doesn't even look to see where they're at (this is a catcher's job to MAKE his pitcher look)..

Was this outing a "winning" performance.. no..
Was this outing something that can be built on.. yes..

Hentges needs to be kept in the starting rotation for as long as the Tribe can to allow him to gain the confidence and experience he'll need to optimize what he's going to become.. Keep pitching him.. every fifth day, especially with McStix on the shelf for what appears to be precautionary reasons more than anything..

We'll see..

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Really cool to see the entire lineup get at least one hit, not to mention 10 runs in 8 innings. This is the kind of team I'm envisioning going forward - a couple of big producers in Josie and Franmil but everybody chips in. No weak spots 1 through 9. But then again, these were the Rangers.

Of the five hits allowed by Hentges, three were on fastballs and two on sinkers - all between 92-94 mph. What I noticed is that Hentges' curve ball was his best pitch. He was most successful throwing curves and sinkers while using the fastball sparingly and at the top of the zone. From what I've seen he cannot throw his fastball in the center of the zone and not get hammered. It has to be either at the knees or at the top of the zone or above. His fastball is not that fast (92-94) and looks pretty straight.

For example, against Peters with runners on second and third Hentges threw him four straight breaking balls down to get to 2-2, then jammed him up and in with a fastball that Peters bounced back to the mound. Hentges needs to pitch off his breaking stuff and surprise hitters with his fastball rather than pitching off his fastball and getting them out with breaking stuff. He's better pitching backwards. He got another K by getting the hitter to foul off the low breaking stuff and then hitting him with a fastball just above the top of the zone.

 

[sportscoach]

Re: Sam Hentges....

Was at the game again last night.. steamy.. but, it was a Hentges start that made it worthwhile..

Big Same had another start with a line that looks like he had a bad outing.. four IP.. four runs.. five hits.. two walks.. three K's.. 41 strikes for his 68 pitches thrown and a no decision.. Two of the runs were unearned (JRam error).. one of the two earned runs could be determined to be or were tainted.. A number of close pitches were not called strikes..

-His fastball is his best pitch.. he was moving it up and down on both sides of the plate..
-His slow curve ball is clearly that wrinkle, if thrown for a strike more often, would be an out pitch..
-His slider is a nasty thing of beauty..
-His change up.. should never be seen in a ML game right now..

With such reliance on his good/not great fastball.. a lot of hitters put the ball in play.. and, good things happen.. From that perspective, it is clear, Hentges is riding a thin line between ML back end starter (my guess) and LHRP.. He does need to pay closer attention to runners...especially when they're on second base.. most times, he doesn't even look to see where they're at (this is a catcher's job to MAKE his pitcher look)..

Was this outing a "winning" performance.. no..
Was this outing something that can be built on.. yes..

Hentges needs to be kept in the starting rotation for as long as the Tribe can to allow him to gain the confidence and experience he'll need to optimize what he's going to become.. Keep pitching him.. every fifth day, especially with McStix on the shelf for what appears to be precautionary reasons more than anything..

We'll see..

I feel like he needs a different pitch, his 4 seam doesn't have a good rating... He has a sinker, but with his best two pitches being a curveball and a slider, maybe be needs to learn a cutter/cut fastball type rather than a 4 seam?

 

[Gson]

I feel like he needs a different pitch, his 4 seam doesn't have a good rating... He has a sinker, but with his best two pitches being a curveball and a slider, maybe be needs to learn a cutter/cut fastball type rather than a 4 seam?

Everything works off big Sam's above average FB.. a two seam (sinker) or a harder version of his slider (cut fastball) could be well within his tool box, but, everything starts from his 4-seam FB command.. That's what he needs more than anything else.. the development of command for his FB.. That takes innings pitched.. This "transition" year.. is perfect for that kind of task..

We'll see..

 

[sportscoach]

Everything works off big Sam's above average FB.. a two seam (sinker) or a harder version of his slider (cut fastball) could be well within his tool box, but, everything starts from his 4-seam FB command.. That's what he needs more than anything else.. the development of command for his FB.. That takes innings pitched.. This "transition" year.. is perfect for that kind of task..

We'll see..

I was looking at the numbers on the fastball, they really aren't good, velo, movement etc, they don't have anything that makes it even an average pitch at the moment compared to the rest of the guys in the league honestly. It's very hittable from the numbers...

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

Fangraphs gives the following scores to Hentges' pitches:

FB: -17.9
Slider: -1.2
Curve: +3.0
Change: -0.1

His slider and change are average, his curve is a little above average, and his fastball is batting practice material at this point.

He needs to get ahead with his breaking pitches and surprise hitters with a jam job fastball up and in. It worked against Garcia and Peters. When he tried to lead with his fastball he got drilled.

With no options left the Tribe will have to fish or cut bait with him next year. With no rotation spots available I'm thinking he'll start out next season in the role Quantrill started this season - pitching relief but still having the chance for a starting job if an opportunity presented itself.

 

[sportscoach]

Fangraphs gives the following scores to Hentges' pitches:

FB: -17.9
Slider: -1.2
Curve: +3.0
Change: -0.1

His slider and change are average, his curve is a little above average, and his fastball is batting practice material at this point.

He needs to get ahead with his breaking pitches and surprise hitters with a jam job fastball up and in. It worked against Garcia and Peters. When he tried to lead with his fastball he got drilled.

With no options left the Tribe will have to fish or cut bait with him next year. With no rotation spots available I'm thinking he'll start out next season in the role Quantrill started this season - pitching relief but still having the chance for a starting job if an opportunity presented itself.

His change has barely been used, so I really wouldn't put it into the discussion personally...

Either way, he's gotta do something different with that fastball... That's what's stopping him from being a legit big league arm