Cecchini: For the Love of OBP

RoDaddy

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Ramon AC said:
Some positives in Pawtucket's first game: Cecchini goes 3/5,
 
Well, the BA and OBP continue to be very good, but his total lack of power (including previous years) is concerning.  He's got 2 doubles and the rest singles in 50 ABs and a pretty weak ass OPS. I hope this guy undergoes a Youkilis power transformation at some point because otherwise, I just don't see him as all that special for a corner infielder or outfielder, wherever he ends up
 

JakeRae

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RoDaddy said:
 
Well, the BA and OBP continue to be very good, but his total lack of power (including previous years) is concerning.  He's got 2 doubles and the rest singles in 50 ABs and a pretty weak ass OPS. I hope this guy undergoes a Youkilis power transformation at some point because otherwise, I just don't see him as all that special for a corner infielder or outfielder, wherever he ends up
I agree. A .400 OBP is really quite pedestrian in today's game. He definitely needs to show the ability to hit 30 HR before he might have real value in MLB.
 

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JakeRae said:
I agree. A .400 OBP is really quite pedestrian in today's game. He definitely needs to show the ability to hit 30 HR before he might have real value in MLB.
I mean, I get the sarcasm, but really, if his AAA numbers translate well, and he has a .370 OBP and .350 SLG, it's going to be tough to slot him in at a corner, IF or OF.  OBP is an important skill, but it's not the only important skill.  If he had amazing defensive chops that might be enough with just OBP and some speed, but guys like Boggs and Mueller (our most enthusiastic, and I think correct, comps) still managed to be doubles hitters with a little pop, slugging .425-.475 most of their good years. 
 
I think he can end up hitting .300/.380/.420 in the majors, and be very valuable, but let's not pretend that OBP is alone enough to get him to be a regular on a good team.
 
That said, it's early in the season, and cold in New England.  That power could show up as the weather does, and the fact that he is still showing the contact skills and plate discipline that got him here is a great sign.
 

nvalvo

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pokey_reese said:
 
That said, it's early in the season, and cold in New England.  That power could show up as the weather does, and the fact that he is still showing the contact skills and plate discipline that got him here is a great sign.
 
Garin went yard against Buffalo tonight (4/18), FWIW. 
 

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pokey_reese said:
I think he can end up hitting .300/.380/.420 in the majors, and be very valuable, but let's not pretend that OBP is alone enough to get him to be a regular on a good team.
 
I disagree. If one has a sufficiently high OBP and that OBP is sustainable... then I don't care if the OBP is obtained through nothing but singles and walks. I am not saying than power isn't a useful skill... but that the most useful skill as a batter is not making outs.

All that being said, this discussion is very premature two weeks into the season.
 

Cesar Crespo

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There has to be an "empty obp" though, at some point.

Is a .235/.360/.310 player all that great? Of course Cecchini could hit .300 so his slugging will be higher, even if the ISO is the same.
 

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bosox79 said:
There has to be an "empty obp" though, at some point.

Is a .235/.360/.310 player all that great? Of course Cecchini could hit .300 so his slugging will be higher, even if the ISO is the same.
There very well may be a level where an OBP only player is not useful. I do not know where that level is.

As to the hypothetical player you posit above... that player would not be considered great. But, that player is absolutely useful... he would not be kicked off my team.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Cuzittt said:
I disagree. If one has a sufficiently high OBP and that OBP is sustainable... then I don't care if the OBP is obtained through nothing but singles and walks. I am not saying than power isn't a useful skill... but that the most useful skill as a batter is not making outs.

All that being said, this discussion is very premature two weeks into the season.
I think the biggest concern is that, without any power whatsoever, it's very difficult to achieve a high OBP against major league pitching. You need to walk a lot and real pitchers just won't walk you enough if you can't hurt them swinging the bat.
 

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bosox79 said:
There has to be an "empty obp" though, at some point.
Is a .235/.360/.310 player all that great? Of course Cecchini could hit .300 so his slugging will be higher, even if the ISO is the same.
Rickey Henderson ages 40-44.
 

Cuzittt

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Rovin Romine said:
Rickey Henderson ages 40-44.
Age 40 is silly... as he batted .315/.423/.466.

Age 41, he scored 75 runs and stole 36 bases with a .368 OBP.
Age 42, he scored 70 runs with 28 extra base hits and 25 SBs (with a .366 OBP)
Age 43, he scored 40 runs with 5 HRs for the Sox (in 72 games played) with a .368 OBP (while being payed $350K).

Yeah, his Batting Average sucked in those 3 seasons. I don't care. He was still a USEFUL player. I do not consider those seasons with an empty OBP.
 

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Cuzittt said:
He was still a USEFUL player. I do not consider those seasons with an empty OBP.
I agree.

There may be such a thing as an empty obp, but Henderson is the closest I came up with to the numbers that were being thrown around.
 

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
I think the biggest concern is that, without any power whatsoever, it's very difficult to achieve a high OBP against major league pitching. You need to walk a lot and real pitchers just won't walk you enough if you can't hurt them swinging the bat.
Walks are not something that "pitchers give up." At least, it is not solely that. Hitters have the ability to draw a walk despite the pitchers best effort. See Rickey Henderson for example.

Whether or not Cecchini has that ability remains to be seen. But, I have zero concern that a player with little power cannot draw walks. There is too many examples to the contrary.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Cuzittt said:
Walks are not something that "pitchers give up." At least, it is not solely that. Hitters have the ability to draw a walk despite the pitchers best effort. See Rickey Henderson for example.

Whether or not Cecchini has that ability remains to be seen. But, I have zero concern that a player with little power cannot draw walks. There is too many examples to the contrary.
What are some examples of guys who sustain a high walk rate (say > 11%) over a long stretch (4-5 years) while also having an ISO in the .100 range? Boggs comes to mind and I'm sure more exist but I doubt it's very common at all. Usually pitchers adjust over time, so you might do this over a season or two but eventually they make you beat them.
 

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
What are some examples of guys who sustain a high walk rate (say > 11%) over a long stretch (4-5 years) while also having an ISO in the .100 range? Boggs comes to mind and I'm sure more exist but I doubt it's very common at all. Usually pitchers adjust over time, so you might do this over a season or two but eventually they make you beat them.
I think your ISO Range is a little low... so I'll expand it a little. Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, some early and late seasons of Joe Morgan, Some of the early seasons of Lou Whitaker,"The Walking Man" Eddie Yost, Tony Phillips, Toby Harrah, Walt Weiss, Spike Owen...

I could continue to try to find others, but it's not worth my time. Taking a walk is a SKILL. Saying that the pitcher gave up walks and not crediting the batter is silly... it takes 2 to tango after all.
 

Morgan's Magic Snowplow

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Cuzittt said:
I think your ISO Range is a little low... so I'll expand it a little. Rickey Henderson, Wade Boggs, some early and late seasons of Joe Morgan, Some of the early seasons of Lou Whitaker,"The Walking Man" Eddie Yost, Tony Phillips, Toby Harrah, Walt Weiss, Spike Owen...

I could continue to try to find others, but it's not worth my time. Taking a walk is a SKILL. Saying that the pitcher gave up walks and not crediting the batter is silly... it takes 2 to tango after all.
 
Nobody ever said that taking a walk wasn't a skill, just that pitcher's willigness to walk you is an important part of the equation as well, especially in the major leagues.  As you say, it takes two to tango.  That has been my point from the beginning - if you have no power, pitchers are less less likely to dance.  I'm not really sure what you're arguing with about that.
 
Cecchini's ISO above the A+ level is around .100.  The whole conversation has been about whether he can be a good player if he doesn't develop more power.  So, yeah, I definitely agree that if he experiences a power bump and gets into the .140-.150 range (a la Lou Whitaker or Ricky Henderson's career numbers) then that's a different story.  But that's not how the issue was framed from the beginning.
 

Cuzittt

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There are major league players who don't walk and have low ISOs. Lots of them. The fact that Cecchini has already shown an ability to walk puts him in a better position than any number of infielders. (Hello Rey Ordonez).

Cecchini's skill set will play in the majors... even if his power does not come. Of course, his power will come as he already showed power in his single A seasons.

And, with that, I am done with this diversion.
 

JakeRae

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Morgan's Magic Snowplow said:
 
Nobody ever said that taking a walk wasn't a skill, just that pitcher's willigness to walk you is an important part of the equation as well, especially in the major leagues.  As you say, it takes two to tango.  That has been my point from the beginning - if you have no power, pitchers are less less likely to dance.  I'm not really sure what you're arguing with about that.
 
Cecchini's ISO above the A+ level is around .100.  The whole conversation has been about whether he can be a good player if he doesn't develop more power.  So, yeah, I definitely agree that if he experiences a power bump and gets into the .140-.150 range (a la Lou Whitaker or Ricky Henderson's career numbers) then that's a different story.  But that's not how the issue was framed from the beginning.
Brett Gardner is a good example from the current game. His career walk rate is over 10% despite an ISO only marginally above .100.

As for Cecchini, he only has 350 PA above A+, so we aren't talking about an incredibly large sample, especially when it includes adjustment periods at 2 different levels. His ISO last year was around .150. His career line is about the same. It's far more likely he adds some power as he gets more comfortable against AAA pitching and the weather warms than that he will forever have a sub-.100 ISO.

Also, the relevant inquiry is not if MLB players have shown the ability to draw walks without hitting for power but if minor leaguers have. It's very possible conventional wisdom has this relationship wrong and that it runs both ways. If true, we'd expect to see multiple players like Youkilis who showed a consistent walk skill that later developed into power. I honestly have no idea if there is a correlation there worth noting, but it seems reasonable that pitch recognition skills would aid in the development or realization of power.
 

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As someone who was in the early stages of this argument, I would like to add a point or two here.  First, I recognize that OBP is a very important skill for a hitter, and is enough to probably carry someone as a hitter, but not as a player.
 
Using guys like Ricky, Morgan, and Gardener as comps fails because they were/are also great base runners, and great fielders at premium positions.  Even if OBP was their predominant trait at the dish, they brought a lot more to the overall game.  As I mentioned, the risk is that of Garin only has walk rate and doesn't have power, simply because he is apparently not a great fielder who might have to move across the diamond or to a corner OF spot, and his SB numbers have been going down as he gets to higher levels
 

OttoC

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Isn't it about time to move discussion about Cecchini into a something other than the 4/17 game day thread?
 

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OttoC said:
Isn't it about time to move discussion about Cecchini into a something other than the 4/17 game day thread?
 
Yes. Yes it is.

 
JakeRae said:
Also, the relevant inquiry is not if MLB players have shown the ability to draw walks without hitting for power but if minor leaguers have. It's very possible conventional wisdom has this relationship wrong and that it runs both ways. If true, we'd expect to see multiple players like Youkilis who showed a consistent walk skill that later developed into power. I honestly have no idea if there is a correlation there worth noting, but it seems reasonable that pitch recognition skills would aid in the development or realization of power.
I think it is a point worth mulling over... and I think you are correct. And I think this may be where the arguments have gone off the rails a bit. If pitchers are going to throw the ball down the middle to avoid walking you, you do have to be able to hit it. And because they are throwing strikes, if you are a good enough hitter, you may be able to hit the ball with more power.

When we talk about walks (especially with those players with elite totals of walks), we are really using walks as a proxy for plate discipline. And... plate discipline means laying off bad pitches and hitting good ones. 
 
pokey_reese said:
As someone who was in the early stages of this argument, I would like to add a point or two here.  First, I recognize that OBP is a very important skill for a hitter, and is enough to probably carry someone as a hitter, but not as a player.
 
Using guys like Ricky, Morgan, and Gardener as comps fails because they were/are also great base runners, and great fielders at premium positions.  Even if OBP was their predominant trait at the dish, they brought a lot more to the overall game.  As I mentioned, the risk is that of Garin only has walk rate and doesn't have power, simply because he is apparently not a great fielder who might have to move across the diamond or to a corner OF spot, and his SB numbers have been going down as he gets to higher levels
I don't understand the difference really. If Cecchini can play a position without being a butcher, and he can continue to put up a .400 OBP... then that will carry him as a player.

And, it isn't that Garin has an elite walk rate... it's that he has elite OBP skills. Part of that elite skill is the fact that he HITS .300. Batting average may be overrated in certain circles, but when we are talking about OBP, it is worthwhile to look at both parts of the equation. Garin is not just a person who walks. He also hits at a good clip.

[It also should be noted that at this point in 2012, he had 3 extra base hits - all doubles... the same amount of extra base hits as he has now. He ended up with 46 for the year. He started slightly hotter last year with the power... as he had 4 doubles, a triple and a HR. He ended up with 47 extra base hits last year.]
 

Cesar Crespo

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Cecchini has great SB/CS numbers though, so you'd think his base running is a plus. He brings more than just om base skills. He also has contact skills.

He'll be a useful MLer even without power.
 

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Cuzittt said:
"The Walking Man" Eddie Yost
 
Great example. Career slash line of .254/.394/.371 and drew over 100 walks in a season eight times (with two more 90+ seasons) and while his SLG can partially explained by playing his home games (for most of his career) in a home park that destroyed power numbers, he was an underappreciated player who provided a ton of real value with the bat (on his shoulder). 
 
If Cecchini becomes Eddie Yost v2.0, he's an outstanding leadoff hitter who probably ranks among the league leaders in P/PA and runs scored. And if the team is getting more power from SS than usual, the team can absolutely use a guy who doesn't profile as a typical "corner bat". 
 
Personally, I'd rather have nine Cecchini's as opposed to nine Middlebrooks. The former team will score way more runs than the latter team, even if the latter team hits 30 homers a few times. 
 

JGray38

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Max Bishop is another one of these guys who proves that batting eye and power don't always overlap. 271/423/366, very useful player who scored about 100 runs a year (in about 130 games/yr) for the juggernaut A's teams of the 20's-30's.
 

JimBoSox9

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One thing you need to control for is the ability to spoil pitches.  I mean, MMS's basic point is unassailable; if pitchers are not afraid of you hitting the ball over outfielders' heads, they are more likely to challenge you with fastballs over the plate and you will see more strikes and walk less as a result.  Many of the guys mentioned who managed to maintain a decent OBP without any power threat did it with short swings that made them 2-strike foul machines and very tough to K.  
 
My take on Cecchini (and this is shaky so feel free to knock it down) is that he doesn't really fit that kind of mold; he gets his PPA in a more JD Drew-esque fashion, with a great eye and patient bat, than a slappy grinder.  Of course, I think the entire discussion doesn't fit him well beyond just that, because he sprays liners like a dog marking his territory and I couldn't be less concerned about the viability of his MLB power.
 

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JimBoSox9 said:
  Of course, I think the entire discussion doesn't fit him well beyond just that, because he sprays liners like a dog marking his territory and I couldn't be less concerned about the viability of his MLB power.
 
And he's listed at 6'3", 220#---you gotta think that power is going to appear.
 

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JimBoSox9 said:
One thing you need to control for is the ability to spoil pitches.  I mean, MMS's basic point is unassailable; if pitchers are not afraid of you hitting the ball over outfielders' heads, they are more likely to challenge you with fastballs over the plate and you will see more strikes and walk less as a result.  Many of the guys mentioned who managed to maintain a decent OBP without any power threat did it with short swings that made them 2-strike foul machines and very tough to K.  
 
My take on Cecchini (and this is shaky so feel free to knock it down) is that he doesn't really fit that kind of mold; he gets his PPA in a more JD Drew-esque fashion, with a great eye and patient bat, than a slappy grinder.  Of course, I think the entire discussion doesn't fit him well beyond just that, because he sprays liners like a dog marking his territory and I couldn't be less concerned about the viability of his MLB power.
 
The thing that punches a hole in MMS's argument is that Cecchini has great contact skills and can hit for average in addition to being really patient and disciplined.  So yeah, if the power doesn't come, he's going to see more strikes as pitchers decide to challenge him.  He'll just slap them for singles instead of taking the walks.  His OBP shouldn't really be affected negatively by pitchers coming into the zone against him, and if anything, his ISO should rise slightly.
 
If he was posting a .400 OBP with a .260 average, I'd be more worried that his OBP skills wouldn't translate at the major league level, but his lowest batting average at any stop in the minors is .296.  He can put the bat on the ball just fine, so seeing more strikes isn't likely to hurt him.
 

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DrewDawg said:
 
And he's listed at 6'3", 220#---you gotta think that power is going to appear.
Tell that to Ryan Sweeney (Height: 6' 4", Weight: 225 lb.) and his .381 career slugging %. 
 

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Snodgrass'Muff said:
 
The thing that punches a hole in MMS's argument is that Cecchini has great contact skills and can hit for average in addition to being really patient and disciplined.  So yeah, if the power doesn't come, he's going to see more strikes as pitchers decide to challenge him.  He'll just slap them for singles instead of taking the walks.  His OBP shouldn't really be affected negatively by pitchers coming into the zone against him, and if anything, his ISO should rise slightly.
 
If he was posting a .400 OBP with a .260 average, I'd be more worried that his OBP skills wouldn't translate at the major league level, but his lowest batting average at any stop in the minors is .296.  He can put the bat on the ball just fine, so seeing more strikes isn't likely to hurt him.
 
At the margin, any time you put a ball into play rather than take a walk your expected OBP is going to go down, even if you have the contact skills of Wade Boggs. 
 
Much of this conversation has gotten into silly territory.  I never said that Cecchini wouldn't develop power or that he couldn't possibly be a useful player even without power.  All I said is that taking his OBP in the minors as an absolute given that will automatically fully translate to the major league level in the absence of power is wrongheaded, since better pitchers are likely to adjust in ways that put downward pressure on his OBP.
 

OttoC

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Cecchini just turned 23 and has 69 PA against AAA pitching. Thus far, he has not hit left-handed pitching well this season. I'd be inclined to see how things shake out before worrying whether he has an "empty" OBP, I saw him play several games up here against the Fisher Cats last season and he hit hard line drives; however, I also thought that good left-handers might give him trouble.
 
Besides, there were only four AL teams that had third baseman with OPS over .800 and eight with OPS of .683. or lower.
 

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WEEI ran an article on this very same discussion a few days ago :
 
http://fullcount.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/2014/04/19/red-sox-minor-league-roundup-perfection-for-brian-johnson-garin-cecchini-and-the-power-question-miguel-pena-strikes-out-everyone/#more-70557
 
From this, it sounds like he's fine if he never hits for power, and a Youkilis-like transition is unlikely.  Of course, he's still young and that mindset could change. His ability to hit doubles is also an important variable here, as he has certainly flashed this ability.  Five dingers with 40 doubles would be fine with me.   
 
All things considered, I still feel the same way about this guy.  If he remains a high OBP, low power guy, he will only be a pretty good major league player, given his so-so defense and questionable base-stealing in the bigs.  If he adds power to the mix, he'll be special (all-star, or at least occassional all-star)
 

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The only time Garin has been age-appropriate for league was last year in Greenville, where he managed a 197 ISO.  
 
I find there is a very strange dichotomy where people think any decent prospect needs to look like Mike Trout, but also that prospects are 100 times more valuable than established major league mediocrity.  It creates a false sense of what a prospect should be doing.  As well, there is something weird where non-elite skills get pooh-pooh'd in the presence of a single elite skill.  As an example of this, last year Cecchini had a 420 OBP and 404 SLG in Portland.  So you look and say "well, that low SLG is a problem".  But, if he had a 350 OBP to go with that 404 SLG, people would not be as concerned and would be talking about how he might develop.  I'm not saying that is a literal interpretation of the discussion here, but that is the vibe that it gives.
 
If you want a really shitty analogy that is hard to match, stop talking about elite defensive players and whatever.  Talk about Wade Boggs, a guy who the scouts said didn't hit for enough power or play enough defense to get into the major leagues.  There is less than a .01% chance that Garin Cecchini is going to the Hall of Fame, but the idea that a player with his profile is necessarily going to struggle is just as ill-informed a position as the converse.
 

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and of course another guy with high OBP and low slugging is my all-time favorite historical player:
 
Eddie Stanky 268/410/368 - his full seasons 1945 through 1951 - age 29 to 35 - leading the NL in walks 3 times and OBP twice
 
and in that last full season - he hit 300/460/412 and was 3rd in the MVP voting
 

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I see Cecchini as the kind of player that if we decide to jettison because of a lack of HR power, will be a colossal pain in the butt to play against, as it'll seem like we can never get him out.
 

soxfan121

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^^
.288/.390/.377, 546K / 718BB (career)
 
Did he get hurt a lot after age 30 or was he just one of those misunderstood players who got miscast as a PH because NL baseball is and was dumb?
 

Y Kant Jody Reed

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Cannot wait until he hits two HRs out of the Bucket on the same windy night so we can start a "Cecchini, Power and Pawtucket Weather" thread.
 

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So far, Cecchini seems like Dave Magadan plus a bunch more speed and more doubles, so that comp is very promising.  I never realized just how well he hit as the lefthanded half of a platoon.  If Cecchini could do that with 10 more doubles and 15 stolen bases he'd be god like.
 

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smastroyin said:
Talk about Wade Boggs, a guy who the scouts said didn't hit for enough power or play enough defense to get into the major leagues.  There is less than a .01% chance that Garin Cecchini is going to the Hall of Fame, but the idea that a player with his profile is necessarily going to struggle is just as ill-informed a position as the converse.
 
And in fact it's not just Boggs' scouting reports that are relevant to this argument. If you look at his minor league numbers, he never had an ISO as high as .060 until he was a 23-year-old repeating AAA--and even then it was just .125, a figure Cecchini has yet to fall short of in a full season's work. His ISOs by year in the system are .202 (A-, 133 PA), .128 (A, 526 PA), and .149 (A+/AA, 557 PA). He's averaged 40 doubles per 600 PA. He's not a masher, but he's not a noodle bat either. He may never hit 20 HR, but there'll be enough XBH that ISOs in the .150-.180 range should be attainable.
 
I'm more worried about his contact skills, if anything. Snod called them "great" but a 16.3% minor league K rate strikes me as more like "meh." Assuming that goes up against big league pitching, we're probably talking more like 20%, at least at first. That plus the lack of HR power will put a lot of pressure on his BABIP to be awesome if he's going to hit for a high average. I could see him turning out to be more of a .260/.370/.425 kind of hitter, which is useful, but if the 3B defense is below-average, that's not an exciting player.
 

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soxfan121 said:
^^
.288/.390/.377, 546K / 718BB (career)
 
Did he get hurt a lot after age 30 or was he just one of those misunderstood players who got miscast as a PH because NL baseball is and was dumb?
 
I remember Mags as being Nava 1.0 without the pop.  He had a pretty severe platoon split (.350OBP, .316 SLG vs. LHP in his career), and since he wasn't much of a glove guy he was miscast as a corner INF.  Basically, if he wasn't feeling good at the plate against righties, he couldn't really do anything to help you win, and that's a tough type for managers to love.
 

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Magadan's star got brighter because of his awesome half season in 87 where he went from being a good prospect to "the next Wade Boggs."  However, while we may not be excited by it, if Cecchini follows Magadan's career path, we should all be pretty thrilled as long as the Sox don't try and sign him too long into his 30's.  
 

mt8thsw9th

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Jul 17, 2005
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By the age Nava was a regular, Magadan had 2100 PAs in the majors, so the only real similarly is handedness and the platoon split. There's not really a current comp to Magadan, but he'd be more likely to get a chance in this era given OBP is valued. In typical Mets fashion, in 1992 they signed Murray to a contract worth more than double Magadan's salary and got value approximate to Magadan's. Eddie Murray was obviously a much bigger name.
 
WIth Magadan, it was a little bit of injuries (post 1991), and a bit of not getting a shot given he was a so-so defender that didn't hit over .300 with 20 home runs (which is really what most front offices and managers cared about). If Cecchini is a Magadan clone, and is fine in the field, an organization like Boston's is going to play him every day. Of note, Bill Mueller came to the Red Sox with a career line of .286/.370/.399, and he's probably the better comp. I only used Magadan as the initial comp given that there seemed to be a presumption he was going to out-OBP his SLG. I haven't really seen any signs that it is necessarily a given.
 

bakahump

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Jan 8, 2001
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Lets shift gears.....And talk about players developing power.
 
Is it possible (legally)?
Is it probable?
Is it project-able?
 
 
This is my opinion.
I think its entirely possible.  Maybe better (and legal) weight training would help.
At 6'3 220 lbs he certainly has the frame to carry and utilize more strength.
I dont know how to "project" it....but I would bet on at least doubles power as he ages.
 
Robin Ventura comes to my mind as a comp (though he was a bit smaller).  The other problem with Ventura as a comp is his huge power jumps all coinciding with the steroid era.  Not saying he did them.....just saying its tough to take that kind of improvement at face value during that period of time and say is "likely" or "probable" for Checchini.
 
 
Whats yours?
 

Savin Hillbilly

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Jul 10, 2007
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The wrong side of the bridge....
bakahump said:
 I would bet on at least doubles power as he ages.
 
As I pointed out a few posts up, he already has shown doubles power. It's not some latent maybe. Sure, that's vs. minor league pitching, but OTOH Fenway is doubles paradise for LHH with, as SoxProspects says of Cecchini, "ability to drive the ball to all fields with lift." For perspective, he has out-doubled Wade Boggs per PA as a minor leaguer by a ratio of 8 to 5.
 
As for young hitters developing power in general, I thought the CW these days was that power peaks in the mid-twenties, but I'm sure you could find plenty of examples of guys whose power was continuing to develop as late as age 28 or 29.
 

RoDaddy

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Another dinger today for "Cheech".  He's had a very good August and looks like he's turning things around, including, importantly, finally adding some power to his offense.  I wonder if the slump was due to a transition period where he's been trying to add some pop?  At any rate, he might be back in the picture, especially with WMB still struggling.  I hope WMB continues to get a chance to get back on track, but at the same time, I'd like to see another good left handed bat (Cecchini?) in Boston, where I think we're a little too right handed.