Q. In what way did his batting improve, in on-field terms?
A. His EYE and CT% stayed the same -- yukky -- while his PX (power index) went way up.
His PX went all the way up to 150 (!), which is the same penthouse at which Jayson Werth and Jack Cust reside.
Look, kiddies. Miguel Olivo is 6'0, 230#, and when he connects, the bat goes "THHOCCKKKK!." Check out this 458-footer (!!) not only for distance, but also enjoy the swing and then take in Miguel's gait as he stomps around the bases.
You're going to have to throw out your past-Mariners image of him, dude. This man is an animal now. He's like the guy in the prison flick who opens a door by ripping it off its hinges. Maybe he sprains a shoulder trying sometimes, but it's pretty fun to watch when the metal, er, Ervin Santana loses.
He has always hit 20 homers per 162, and now it's closer to 30 homers per 162. He's got a terrible OBP but nice power, and that adds up to "average-mediocre ML hitter."
See hittrackeronline.com for charts like this one. Count the blue-sies in front of, and behind, that green line thingie:
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Q. What's his hitting style?
A. Olivo has a bit of a slider-speed bat:
Olivo got to ML game #600, #700, and he started punishing mistakes more consistently. That's all.
Get Olivo's arms extended on a mistake, and he's going to drive in three runs. There's nothing wrong with a 25-homer (per 162) mistake hitter in the 8 slot.
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Q. Hm. Which, "average-mediocre AL hitter" equates to what as a catcher? Above average?
A. Whatever you want to call it, it's twice what the Mariners had before they blew a mind-numbing $3M on Olivo's salary.
Our basic idea with Tsyuoshi Noshioka was to take an 0.0 WAR position and ---- > put a 2.0, 3.0 WAR player there, right?
The Seattle Mariners just did precisely that, except at the catcher position, and here youse guys are saying, "Somebody please shoot me through both temples. Large caliber."
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Too bad G-Money has put us on suspension without pay, being as he watched Olivo in 2010. Maybe he'll relent in view of pending renovations.
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