Hmmmmm? What have we learned?

OK, going full Rodin here:  What do we know know that we did or didn't know as the season began?

1.  Vogelbach (.233-.361-.511/25 HR's and on track for 40) looks a lot like Encarnacion has the past four seasons:   .263-.357-.529 in '16; .258-.377-.504 in '17; .246-.336-.474 in '18, .229-.334-.520 in '19.  And there is no reason to assume Vogelbach can't hang around, somewhere close to this rate, for a bunch of years.  Vs. RHP, Vogelbach is hitting .260-.395-.570.  That's .965 if you do the tough math.  Mike Trout, who is on his way to being (possibly) the greatest RH bat in the history of the game (Heck, he may already be there), is hitting LHP at a .971 rate this season (.943 for his career).  Vogelbach is hitting RHP as well as Trout hit's LHP.  Really. 

2.  The worst thing about Haniger's injury is that Bishop went out at the same time.  It would have been nice to see an extended Bishop presence.  Watching Williamson and Negron in the OF hasn't been my cup of tea.  If we're not calling up Fraley sometime soon, then I wouldn't mind seen Brugman in a COF spot, pretty soon.  Or in CF, where he played a couple of years ago.  In '17, while in Oakland, Brugman .280-.364-.368 vs RHP. he's now showing a bit more pop than he showed then. 

3.  Mallex Smith's '19 (.667 OPS/81 OPS+) looks a lot like his '16-'17 seasons (.683 combined/83 OPS+) than it does his '18 (.773/114).  1/3 of his starts during those seasons were in LF/RF, and he was a + glove.  This season, all but one of this starts are in CF and he's -0.2.  In '18 45% of his starts were in a COF position and he was a + glove.  He's the best we have right now, but he doesn't have the bat to really  cover his CF glove, or visa versa.

4.  Statcast has Wilson at +3 runs saved in Pitch Framing,  Narvaez at -6.  Wilson is Top 15 stuff, Narvaez isn't.  Narvaez has twice as many starts, too.  Basicallly you could argue that Wilson is 12 runs better at this juncture in the season, had he the extra starts that Narvaez has.  Narvaez hit RHP to the tune of .297-.371-.466 in '18 and now is at .299-.356-.490 in '19.  A guy like that at DH would look at awful lot like a + presence.  Maybe his bat is worth the runs he gives up behind the plate, but if Tom Murphy is really a guy who can ISO .200 and be the regular C, then there is a nice combo there.  Just keep Vogelbach at 1B, where he has yet to make an error this season and his Rf/9 is better than the league average. 

5.  JP Crawford is a SS with a + bat (for his position) and a + glove. 

6.  Will we ever see the .780 OPS Kyle Seager again?  Vegas odds aren't good on that.

7.  Santana can hit.  He. Can't. Field. If you have two + gloves next to him in the OF you can be fine.  Right now, we don't.

8.  Can Shed Long come back soon?  Dee Gordon is done.  He can't hit and his 2B glove is now broken, as well.

9.  Tim Beckham is a fine Utility Guy, except when you stick him in LF.  Basically his job is going to be lost to the aforementioned Shed Long.

10.  I am looking forward to Tim Lopes first start, which should be tonight.

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