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2017 Spring Training Thread

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Between Armstrong and Garner, we have 2 dudes fighting for a spot with just absolute filth for stuff...whoever controls their stuff more gets that last spot IMO.
 
sportscoach said:
And he gets plunked as well. He doesn't have much luck lol Well Robertson has had a nice little game so far for us. I don't expect him to make the team, but if he keeps making the scrappy, hustle plays then you never know what Francona will do with him.
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Make him the 4th OF in Columbus?
 
Some observations:

Yan changed his batting stance yet again. Seems like he has tinkered with his starting hand position every winter with us. Amazing that this is the same guy who used to start with his hands way over his head when he first came to Cleveland.

Clevinger looks much more comfortable another year removed from his TJ surgery, and with another winter working with his newer mechanics. Stuff looked fantastic.

Armstrong is going to make the 25 man if he throws like he did today consistently.

Zimmer looks like he filled out quite a bit since I last saw him. His swing was also much more compact than the last time I saw him play...his size generates a lot of his power, and it showed with his oppo HR.

Perci Garner has the best fastball in our organization...but man he needs to figure out how to control it. Zach Britton-esque movement on his fastball.

Nellie Rodriguez doesn't look as rotund this year.

Greg Allen is fun to watch track balls in the OF.

Yandy Diaz is still Yandy Diaz at the plate.
 
I didn't get to watch, but a re-air is on MLB Network around 2am.

I see Zimmer was very stellar. I really hope I get to see him this season, considering most of my games ill be attending is in June, July, August.

I like Naquin, but Zimmer is arguably our best prospet for a reason.
 
Swing mechanics question with Naquin; what about his swing, because it looks flat, makes it easy for him to hit balls below the knees but makes him insufferable to watch above the belt? It seems so backwards to me.
 
BimboColesHair said:
Some observations:

Yan changed his batting stance yet again. Seems like he has tinkered with his starting hand position every winter with us. Amazing that this is the same guy who used to start with his hands way over his head when he first came to Cleveland.

Clevinger looks much more comfortable another year removed from his TJ surgery, and with another winter working with his newer mechanics. Stuff looked fantastic.

Armstrong is going to make the 25 man if he throws like he did today consistently.

Zimmer looks like he filled out quite a bit since I last saw him. His swing was also much more compact than the last time I saw him play...his size generates a lot of his power, and it showed with his oppo HR.

Perci Garner has the best fastball in our organization...but man he needs to figure out how to control it. Zach Britton-esque movement on his fastball.

Nellie Rodriguez doesn't look as rotund this year.

Greg Allen is fun to watch track balls in the OF.

Yandy Diaz is still Yandy Diaz at the plate.
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The question with Yan Gomes is will he get back to around a .250 batting average? We have no worries about defense behind the plate and if we can get a .250 average from Gomes and Perez then we should have one of the best catching tandems in baseball. do you think moving Gomes down to the 8 or 9 hole would help them?

Clevinger also looks bigger and stronger as well. If everything goes well we won't see him a whole lot this season, but it will be almost impossible to keep him out of the rotation in 2018 if he has another good season.

Garner and Armstrong are two guys competing for that last spot, both also have options left, so even if they do not win it out of camp, we may see them up once in awhile during the season as well.

Diaz, Allen and Zimmer being our future OF is looking very likely. If Zimmer can show he can hit for contact, do you trade Chisenhall before the 2018 season so Zimmer can get everyday at bats in RF up here? Allen I think will end up the better CF, he almost reminds me of a Lofton going forward.

Nellie has a lot to prove this season, if he can hit for better contact while cutting down on his SOs this season, he could make the ball club in 2018, since Santana will likely be gone.

I know is is earlier to be projecting this, but if Brantley has a bad 2017, our 2018 lineup could be CF Allen, 2B Kipnis, SS Lindor, DH Encarncion, RF Zimmer, 3B Ramirez, LF Diaz, 1B Rodriguez, C Gomes with bench being Gonzalez, Perez, Naquin, Guyer. Either way that is a really bright future for this ball club I feel. (ps. could do Kipnis first and Diaz second in the order as well, while Allen bats 9)
 
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DJTJ said:
Swing mechanics question with Naquin; what about his swing, because it looks flat, makes it easy for him to hit balls below the knees but makes him insufferable to watch above the belt? It seems so backwards to me.
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Hand position at the point of starting his swing forward.

He holds his hands chest/letter high pre-pitch and drops them a bit from there when the pitch is coming, instead of shoulder or head high, so he holds his hands a bit low.

Low hands makes it hard to catch up to high pitches because its hard to get into a good hitting position to hit a high pitch from a low point, or even a horizontal point, since everything in a good baseball swing tends to move downwards.

Edit: Just to add an example. When you watch Encarnacion bat, you'll notice he holds pre-pitch with his hands low around his letters too...maybe even lower than his letters at times as well, and most certainly lower than Naquin holds his hands pre-pitch. But when he gets into his hitting position, after he's loaded up and all that, his hands are above his shoulders and are head high.

Naquin stays around the chest/letters with his hands throughout his entire swing, and crouches more and more as the pitch comes, which places his hands lower and lower as he gets ready to swing.

TL : DR: Naquin puts his hands in a bad spot to reach high pitches, because he keeps them low. Can solve it by moving his hands up just a bit in his swing, whether pre-pitch or while loading up.
 
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I did not watch the game, but Ive seen Zimmer's swing get a little long/slow before. Ive hear that yesterday he was much quicker to the plate. Is this true? That might cut down on his K Rate and gives me a lot of confidence in the future.
 
sportscoach said:
The question with Yan Gomes is will he get back to around a .250 batting average? We have no worries about defense behind the plate and if we can get a .250 average from Gomes and Perez then we should have one of the best catching tandems in baseball. do you think moving Gomes down to the 8 or 9 hole would help them?

Clevinger also looks bigger and stronger as well. If everything goes well we won't see him a whole lot this season, but it will be almost impossible to keep him out of the rotation in 2018 if he has another good season.

Garner and Armstrong are two guys competing for that last spot, both also have options left, so even if they do not win it out of camp, we may see them up once in awhile during the season as well.

Diaz, Allen and Zimmer being our future OF is looking very likely. If Zimmer can show he can hit for contact, do you trade Chisenhall before the 2018 season so Zimmer can get everyday at bats in RF up here? Allen I think will end up the better CF, he almost reminds me of a Lofton going forward.

Nellie has a lot to prove this season, if he can hit for better contact while cutting down on his SOs this season, he could make the ball club in 2018, since Santana will likely be gone.

I know is is earlier to be projecting this, but if Brantley has a bad 2017, our 2018 lineup could be CF Allen, 2B Kipnis, SS Lindor, DH Encarncion, RF Zimmer, 3B Ramirez, LF Diaz, 1B Rodriguez, C Gomes with bench being Gonzalez, Perez, Naquin, Guyer. Either way that is a really bright future for this ball club I feel. (ps. could do Kipnis first and Diaz second in the order as well, while Allen bats 9)
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I'm going out on a limb and saying they will not be overhauling the starting lineup next year to insert 4 guys with 0 MLB AB's prior to 2017.
 
D-Wreck said:
I'm going out on a limb and saying they will not be overhauling the starting lineup next year to insert 4 guys with 0 MLB AB's prior to 2017.
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Unless we put money into free agency the lineup is going to change in 2018, and I did it on the pretense that Brantley didn't return to form. Santana will be a free agent, Brantley can be released after this season and Chisenhall will be a free agent after 2018, so they may be able to get something for him while replacing him with Zimmer. We all know Diaz is already ready to hit in now. It would be an insult to him if he is not on the roster in 2018 somewhere. Zimmer would scare me more at the plate than Chisenhall and my hunch says he made adjustments for this season.

Also in the 2018 season, we are likely giving Lindor a contract extension and giving Salazar one as well. Bauer will receive one or be traded so a guy like Clevinger will make it into the rotation. I know its way early to speculate, but it is a reality that in 2018 we can have major changes coming hence why this is our year in 2017. Now our Rotation and bullpen do not have to change at all and we could replace Santana via free agency/trade and Brantley could come back to form. I am just looking at if Zimmer has a very good minor league season, which my hunch says he will, Chisenhall will be moved before the 2018 season.

(ps. I am also just talking about the future too on here since I don't have anyone in real life to talk about the team with really)

Amherstcavsfan said:
I did not watch the game, but Ive seen Zimmer's swing get a little long/slow before. Ive hear that yesterday he was much quicker to the plate. Is this true? That might cut down on his K Rate and gives me a lot of confidence in the future.
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I liked the way Zimmer looked yesterday when it came to his approach at the plate. He looked and felt more mature and did a solid job at the plate. Easiest explanation is he took his critics words to heart and worked on his game.
 
Day 2 observations:

Naquin...same stance. No changes at all. His double was actually off a belt high fastball, though it wasn't hit particularly hard. But at least he hit it...

Almonte looks like he is in great shape. A lot of guys who are normally "thick" seem to be noticeably slimmer this season, and he is one of them. Roberto Perez is another one...also, hope his work with Yadier Molina pays off for him. Throw he made in the 1st was a thing of beauty.

Salazar's change was extra filthy...when he locked in with his command, he was untouchable.

Nick Goody looks like mini Joba Chamberlain. Throws the same loopy slider as Chamberlain as well that is real nice when commanded properly. Really liked his stuff, good under the radar depth pickup.

Hoby Milner is Kyle Crockett...Kyle Crockett is Hoby Milner...its amazing how similar they look, physically. His throwing motion is as funky as advertised though. Release point when he throws makes his slider look like it starts behind a LH hitter.
 
Amherstcavsfan said:
I did not watch the game, but Ive seen Zimmer's swing get a little long/slow before. Ive hear that yesterday he was much quicker to the plate. Is this true? That might cut down on his K Rate and gives me a lot of confidence in the future.
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Yes...short, sweet, and simple swing...looked noticeably more compact. Guy just needs to figure out his size will generate a lot of his power, not lengthening his swing.

If he keeps his swing short and compact like he was yesterday, I can see him having a monster year, especially with Columbus' short RF porch. But he needs to keep it compact...needs to be able to hit LHP and inside pitches, and that will help with both.

Worth noting...this was his first true full professional offseason...so I'm curious to see how that transfers to the field this season.
 
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