Finally! Official Hot Stove League Thread

[GL_Storm]

Road to the HOF my friends. You can feel greatness right through the twitter machine.

[GL_Storm]

Kramer knows greatness when he sees it.

[Donn Beach]

Did anyone bother to look at this? Maybe I posted it in the wrong thread. Thought it had some interesting things, like delving into some possible comps with players that also had horrible career starts which is something I've been curious about. For instance he brings up Carlos Guillen and Loyd Moseby. Moseby began his career with three seasons of around a 75ops+ and then jumped to a 134ops+ in season four.

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2023/1/1 ... y#comments

[bpj]

Did anyone bother to look at this? Maybe I posted it in the wrong thread. Thought it had some interesting things, like delving into some possible comps with players that also had horrible career starts which is something I've been curious about. For instance he brings up Carlos Guillen and Loyd Moseby. Moseby began his career with three seasons of around a 75ops+ and then jumped to a 134ops+ in season four.

https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2023/1/1 ... y#comments

Haven't had a chance to read, but at first glance Lloyd Moseby played 50 years ago. Guillen had a .717 OPS with an 85 wRC+ thru his first three partial seasons (391 Plate Appearances), which is 15% below a league average player.

Kelenic through 589 PA is sitting on a .589 OPS with a wRC+ of 68 which is 32% below league average.

Nobody would be complaining if Kelenic wasn't literally among the worst ever after 500 PA.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx? ... =&enddate=

[Donn Beach]

Yeah, he points out it was a different era

Perhaps Kelenic could also seek comfort in the path of Moseby, albeit probably not the specific path he’s most famous for, as the 1978 2nd overall pick ground through three straight abysmal seasons at the dish while hitting a miserable .233/.285/.364 in an era where batting average was still king and his strikeout rate of 20.2% was further above league-average (around 13% from 1980-82) than Kelenic has been thus far

[bpj]

Kelenics closest comps remain Jesus Montero (once he got to the Mariners) and Carlos Peguero with some Mallex Smith and Jeremy Reed sprinkled in.

His upside is Mike Zunino which is acceptable as a catcher, but is still bad as a corner outfielder. Zunino's career .681 OPS is equal to what AJ Pollock put up in 2022 that earned him a platoon role.

His downside is.. Kelenic.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx? ... &sort=16,d

[D-train]

Kelenic hit a homerun in Arizona off a fastball from a righty that throws 94 mph fastball. Naturally Mariners Twitter erupts in elation.

I want the kid to succeed... but man... some people can't help themselves.

About April 27th Mariners twitter will be like a class of 2nd graders watching a fake Santa Claus stand up in front of them, tear off his fake beard, pull the pillow out of his red Jacket and and scream, There's no f-ing Santa Claus you stupid little brats.

[D-train]

I want to believe.

Why didn't he want to be a sponge last off season? lol

[Coeurd’Alene J]

I want to believe.

Why didn't he want to be a sponge last off season? lol

He needs square pants

[Donn Beach]

Kelenics closest comps remain Jesus Montero (once he got to the Mariners) and Carlos Peguero with some Mallex Smith and Jeremy Reed sprinkled in.

His upside is Mike Zunino which is acceptable as a catcher, but is still bad as a corner outfielder. Zunino's career .681 OPS is equal to what AJ Pollock put up in 2022 that earned him a platoon role.

His downside is.. Kelenic.

https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx? ... &sort=16,d

Not seeing Montero really, his first mariners season wasn't terrible, .260/ .298/ .386. I think what was more concerning at the time was witnessing what a poor catcher and athlete he was. But from then on his hitting went off the rails.

Maybe comp was not accurate. What I had been curious about were players that had at some point made fairly significant improvement in their production. It was interesting looking over some of the names he came up with. You're going to say it has nothing to do with JK, he is too far gone, fine with me.