.............

Q.  Is there any good news, offensively?

A.  Three pieces of great news.  First:  Jaso plays catcher.

Dr. D isn't saying that Jaso can't OPS+ 90.  SSI liked USSM's point that these Casey Kotchman* types have high floors.  

What is a 90 OPS+ catcher worth to you?  If this were Kotchman for 1B, that would be one thing.  No, we're talking about a #8 hitter who is going to get on base twice against Dan Haren.  And then you've got your Ackley-Carp-Smoak combo coming up.  That collateral damage will win games.

As G-Money says, he hits lefty in Safeco, too.

SSI isn't bullish on Jaso's offense -- relative to left fielders.  LOL.

.

Q.  The second thing?

A.  It's funny -- a lot of Jaso's swings are Kotchman-like, such as this one.  Tell me Casey Kotchman accelerated the bathead any more lifelessly than that?

This is the kind of swing that tantalizes.  Jaso gets deeeeeeep into a crouch, mobilizes his CG, and really lashes the pitch with authority.

And here's an example of a very quick bat.  It's 95 mph, but Jaso gets the bathead out in front with Ackley-like suddenness.

............

All baseball players take bad swings and good ones, even our good friend Casey.  You can see the photo embedded.  We'd all take a million o' those.

.

Q.  The third thing?

A.  He's young.  Who's to say that the flat, lifeless swings in 2011 weren't a Sophomore Slump:  he was just behind-the-curve on the adjustment game, guessing wrong on the pitches.

Ron Shandler, after 2010, took one look at Jaso's 1.5 EYE and quoth, "EYE hints that there is more to come."  With an EYE that insane, you are often talking about latent talent...

Another of Ron's Zen koan runs:  "Once a player shows a skill, he owns it."  Beware the bounceback years... :- )