Austin Hedges

[DragonfromTO]

I know it's just triple-A but did anyone have a better month than this guy? Since returning from his wrist injury he's slashed .419/.460/.895 with 14 HRs in just 105 ABs for El Paso. Like I said, I know it's AAA and the PCL is a great place to hit but when you're slugging close to 1.000, you're doing OK. Crazy hot minor league run.

 

[Bolts]

For a defensive catcher, it's great to see him slugging like that since returning from the injury. Like you said it's a great place to hit so I don't expect this production when he joins the major league roster again, but it's better for him to hit like this and build confidence instead of slump and lose it all.

 

[DragonfromTO]

For a defensive catcher, it's great to see him slugging like that since returning from the injury. Like you said it's a great place to hit so I don't expect this production when he joins the major league roster again, but it's better for him to hit like this and build confidence instead of slump and lose it all.

The smell of failure that attached itself to him last year is making people forget about him. Hell, he's still the same age as most of the top "ranked" catcher prospects and his SLG alone is higher than most of their OPSes.

 

[Villain]

PCLOL

 

[DragonfromTO]

PCLOL

Sure but as I said, even with the inflated offensive environment there's still no one else in the league that's been doing what he's been doing. I mean, the guy is 5th in the league in HRs and he's only had 141 ABs. Obviously it's not ALL real, but I don't think it's all easily dismissed either.

 

[Villain]

Sure but as I said, even with the inflated offensive environment there's still no one else in the league that's been doing what he's been doing. I mean, the guy is 5th in the league in HRs and he's only had 141 ABs. Obviously it's not ALL real, but I don't think it's all easily dismissed either.

Yeah, I didn't mean to hate on him, but that is a massive asterisk. Too many prospects I remember with gaudy PCL numbers end up being absolute turds in the bigs.

Check out Fed-Ex: Tim Federowicz » Statistics » Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

2013: .418/.500/.848
2014: .328/.383/.555

Career in the bigs: .194/.245/.297

In defense of Hedges, that kid has more than just inflated numbers. He's been a deserved top prospect for quite some time, and Fed-Ex never had that going for him. Still, the example is there to show just how extreme things are in the PCL.

 

[The Q]

He's a better version of christian vasquez for boston (who hasn't got to hit in the PCL) but he also is going to Petco, the biggest park outside of Yellowstone.

He also doens't walk much.

but the power does seem to be there. Which is a plus.

But I still think he's going to be a below average hitter, and his game day power is going to be average or below.

But he is VERY good defensively, and that will give him plenty of chances to improve his hitting.

 

[Voltaire26]

He has made an impressive jump this year. Yes it's AAA and PCL, but it's only one step from the majors.

 

[navamind]

He has made an impressive jump this year. Yes it's AAA and PCL, but it's only one step from the majors.

It's a pretty damn big one though.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Yeah, I didn't mean to hate on him, but that is a massive asterisk. Too many prospects I remember with gaudy PCL numbers end up being absolute turds in the bigs.

Check out Fed-Ex: Tim Federowicz » Statistics » Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

2013: .418/.500/.848
2014: .328/.383/.555

Career in the bigs: .194/.245/.297

In defense of Hedges, that kid has more than just inflated numbers. He's been a deserved top prospect for quite some time, and Fed-Ex never had that going for him. Still, the example is there to show just how extreme things are in the PCL.

Fedorowicz was also older than Hedges when he was putting up those numbers though, no? That's part of why this impresses me, he's touched the majors but he's still young for AAA.

 

[DragonfromTO]

He's a better version of christian vasquez for boston (who hasn't got to hit in the PCL) but he also is going to Petco, the biggest park outside of Yellowstone.

He also doens't walk much.

but the power does seem to be there. Which is a plus.

But I still think he's going to be a below average hitter, and his game day power is going to be average or below.

But he is VERY good defensively, and that will give him plenty of chances to improve his hitting.

Did you watch the Home Run Derby last night? Petco hasn't been a bad HR park at all since they moved the fences in, about average I believe.

 

[The Q]

It looks like they moved the fences in before 2013.

This years is the first year it's played above average.

(I'm using ESPN's park factors).

 

[The Q]

That was based on runs.

In terms of HRs last year was above average. This year is slightly below average.

Crazy how long it took any real traction to be gained. 2 years after the move in.

 

[Villain]

Fedorowicz was also older than Hedges when he was putting up those numbers though, no? That's part of why this impresses me, he's touched the majors but he's still young for AAA.

I thought I made it super clear that I wasn't going for an apples-to-apples comparison, but apparently I didn't.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

It looks like they moved the fences in before 2013.

This years is the first year it's played above average.

(I'm using ESPN's park factors).

Did you watch the Home Run Derby last night? Petco hasn't been a bad HR park at all since they moved the fences in, about average I believe.

The batting practice pitchers that San Diego has been using in their starting rotation the last two years has definitely played a part in the park factor as well.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I thought I made it super clear that I wasn't going for an apples-to-apples comparison, but apparently I didn't.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯




The batting practice pitchers that San Diego has been using in their starting rotation the last two years has definitely played a part in the park factor as well.

Why would this matter though? Unless they are using different starting pitchers on the road than they are at home for some reason I don't see how this would make much of a difference. And even if that were the case it would still only be half of the data, unless they're using different hitters too.

 

[Villain]

Why would this matter though? Unless they are using different starting pitchers on the road than they are at home for some reason I don't see how this would make much of a difference. And even if that were the case it would still only be half of the data, unless they're using different hitters too.

It's why park factors aren't the same from year to year - the amount of home runs changes, even though the dimensions of the parks (usually) stay the same.

 

[DragonfromTO]

It looks like they moved the fences in before 2013.

This years is the first year it's played above average.

(I'm using ESPN's park factors).

I don't know if you read it wrong but I said "about" average, not "above"

 

[DragonfromTO]

It's why park factors aren't the same from year to year - the amount of home runs changes, even though the dimensions of the parks (usually) stay the same.

That doesn't answer my question though, and I think perhaps you're a little unclear on how park factors are calculated. Employing a bad pitching staff that gives up a lot of home runs will not affect a team's park factor unless there is also a home/road split in the data.

If a team simply has generally bad pitchers that give up a lot of home runs that should show up in their "Away" data as well, and therefore shouldn't really affect their park factor much.

 

[The Q]

That doesn't answer my question though, and I think perhaps you're a little unclear on how park factors are calculated. Employing a bad pitching staff that gives up a lot of home runs will not affect a team's park factor unless there is also a home/road split in the data.

If a team simply has generally bad pitchers that give up a lot of home runs that should show up in their "Away" data as well, and therefore shouldn't really affect their park factor much.

Except you're only playing 9 games at any given park.

Compared to 81 at your own.

 

[The Q]

I don't know if you read it wrong but I said "about" average, not "above"

It's still pretty clearly below average for the most part. With a few exceptions.