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DEE GORDON +

Dr. D is getting so he is really geeking out about Gordon.  Has hit in all 9 games; Tuesday he got a VERY tough pitch in a 2-strike count, a hot fastball from the LH-on-LH Danny Duffy low and away ... and flipped it over the 3B's head for a clean single.  Came around to score.

Jerry Dipoto, bless his heart, was FOCUSED on creating "traffic" in Seattle and that is what he has accomplished.  From a chess perspective, a Golden Axiom is "consistency" -- if you are facing an isolated queen pawn, your EVERY move has to be to that end.  You have to MAKE the pressure on that QP develop, at ANY cost.

Dipoto wanted traffic and in a chess-like manner, behaved consistently until that's what we fans so enjoy watching.

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Has 5 SB's in 9 games, a 90-steal rate.  Just saying.

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Throwing from deep CF and hitting 3B on the fly.  Had no idea, did you?   .... today he took a football slant route to a deeeeep double in right center:  he cut straight across, then angled back at 30 degrees and caught it going away.  They've got him as a PLUS center fielder with UZR, though John Dewan has him for -2 plays (not runs).  In his first 9 games he is an average center fielder; you can safely bet it will improve from here.

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Can't help but wonder.  Despite the postion switch from 2B to OF, the fact remains that 2B is more intense, demands more concentration.  Ted Williams was famous for the quip that he'd be out there in LF standing there thinking about his next AB.  Perhaps playing an "easier" defensive position will turbo the batting a little?

We're limited to one + because he was already an All-Star.

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JEAN SEGURA ++

Would be a fine #3 hitter on a weak team.  On a very good team, he is gorgeous in the #2 hole with those slashing line drives.

StatCast has him for the lowest launch angle on the ballclub, at only 2 degrees.  There's the Clemente-like "slash" that Mo' Dawg was talking about.  You get Dee Gordon on, and then Jean Segura is slashing the ball all over the park.  Reminds you of a Cito Gaston complaint about Edgar:  "you make a mistake to that guy, and there's no telling where the ball will wind up."

Seems with Gordon distracting the pitcher, "Sudden" is playing at his best now.  Despite the 0-4 he is batting .333/.378/.476 and who else thinks that is a batting line similar to what he'll wind up with?

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I flat enjoy watching this lineup.  Imagine when Canseco :- ), Zuumball and Gamel gives us 9 hitters instead of 6.

We're going with two ++ because (1) sheer aesthetic joy, him between LH Gordon and LH Cano, and (2) dreams about that slash line for 2018.

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SHOUT-OUT

Heredia not only has a coupla balls that cleared the fence, but has a 15-66 split on his chase rate / swing-strike rate.  33-66 is average.  With him seeing the ball that well, you've got to get him some PT.  You tell your hitters that it's all about C the Z, that 8 pitches is a victory for the batter, you've got to show them you mean it, correct?

FYI, the hitters with excellent O-Z separation -- the hitters seeing the ball great -- are Motter, Heredia, Freitas, K-Swag, and Kruk in that order.

Heredia gets a + because most of us would agree he's got some upside there.  RH-on-LH, with his zone discipline, he could pitch in with the bat.  He's showin' it so far.

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MISCELLANY

The healthy half of the M's lineup is off to a rip-roaring WAR start:

Dee = 13 WAR

Sudden = 11 WAR

Robby = 9 WAR

Maniger = 7 WAR

Next homstand, let's see what the other half of the lineup has ta say.  

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Enjoy,

Dr. D