Stick wit' Taylor Motter
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Not that any Denizens had bailed, that we'd noticed. :- ) But here's an Attaboy for 'im even during his little HR drought.
We knew he wouldn't slug .600 for the next five years. And the enemy pitchers did figure out they better not stick their fingers in the doggie's mouth, namely challenging him in any way during a hitter's count. So Motter has to adjust back, take a few balls the other way. (Don't assume that nobody will ever make another mistake to Motter. He'll get runners on 1B and 2B, the pitchers will fall behind trying to get him to chase, and they'll lay some in there for him.)
But I'm still pretty bullish on Motter. He's got real-deal skills, including
- Excellent launch velocity for an infielder (Willie Bloomquist isn't CAPABLE of the upper deck, don't forget)
- The ability to tell a ball from a strike
- The determination to hunt his pitches and lay off what he can't hit
- Major league hand-eye coordination, can cover a pitch at least as well as the next guy (CT%)
- Athleticism that will keep him on the field, a la Zobrist
- An ideal personality for a #25 roster player, including a Zen-like C the Z sincerity that the M's appreciate
In roto terms, he's got Zobrist-like persistence on your roster, if you're going LIMA plan. He's going to get his AB's over the course of a year and he's going to do something with them.
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Even the last two weeks, his "slump" weeks, he's got a 5:9 EYE ratio (56%), is 8-for-32 with three doubles. He has a still-very-low 23% fish rate during this "slump" and a 12% whiff rate. .251/.351/.344 is one whale of a "slump" for a backup shortstop - it's a 102 OPS+. We notice that Scott Servais is still hitting him 6th. Again, Willie ain't batting in that spot. Keep the baseline in sight here.
He's not Barry Larkin but I believe you can make a living his way, finding the pitches that he can handle and tipping his cap if the pitcher beats him that night. Quite aside from the viability of this approach, Dr. D muchly enjoys watching Taylor Motter's consistent focus in the batter's box. It's brainy and it's character-intensive.
Shawn O'Malley, bless his heart, has a tough road back in Seattle. Motter could be here for quite a while.
....
Hey, for that matter the whole 2017 ball club can flat out rake. They got to maintain contact until they get their rotation back.
Enjoy,
Dr D