That's certainly a respectable stance. Personally, I was expecting some regression from Mookie (and his D has been fantastic), whereas I was expecting X to get better, not worse.Personally I am more disappointed in Mookie because I thought he was on the super star path, whereas with X I thought he was merely a pretty good player. Plus I am giving X some slight benefit of the doubt for his hand.
And now he misses a sign, but gets bailed out by a bad throw What is up with this guy?Its X for me. in addition to him failing to make any adjustments as a hitter as he keeps failingly away at sliders, he is not great fielding SS and now is making boneheaded plays. Tonight he runs into a ground ball. Last night he forgot to signal Nunez to slide or slide away from the catcher on a bad throw. Never got in position. Total loss of focus. It looked like he went right up to Nunez to apologize after the play. Did anyone else notice this? Am i wrong about that?
Yep. Weird team, weird year. Remarkably, they just have to win 3 of 5, 4 of 7 and 4 of 7 to become all time greats, and never have to go halfsies on a pizza in this town ever again. So much unrealized potential this year from everyone except Sale, Pom and Kimbrel (All pitchers). I've never seen such a successful team like this. Manager and front office have to get some credit, given the vacuum of consistent on field performance throughout the season.I'm having trouble voting here, because there really isn't one guy. It's been an across-the-board letdown from last year; aside from Pomeranz, Edro, Vazquez and most of the bullpen, there isn't a single returning player who hasn't been worse in terms of either performance level, availability, or both, than they were last year. Nobody has flat-out sucked, the way Hanley and Panda did in 2015 or the way Xander and JBJ did in 2014. Everybody's been average-ish or better. But they've all been disappointments. So I voted "Other", and my write-in answer is "Everybody."
The weirdest thing is that we're having this conversation when they're 4 games up in the division. I can't remember the last time such an apparently meh Sox team was winning so much--and that is almost 100% due to three guys: Sale, Kimbrel, and Pomeranz. (A neutral observer might ask whether the manager deserves any credit for it. But I know better than to do that here.)
Do you think Ben10 is having a disappointing year or about what is to be expected?I'm having trouble voting here, because there really isn't one guy. It's been an across-the-board letdown from last year; aside from Pomeranz, Edro, Vazquez and most of the bullpen, there isn't a single returning player who hasn't been worse in terms of either performance level, availability, or both, than they were last year. Nobody has flat-out sucked, the way Hanley and Panda did in 2015 or the way Xander and JBJ did in 2014. Everybody's been average-ish or better. But they've all been disappointments. So I voted "Other", and my write-in answer is "Everybody."
The weirdest thing is that we're having this conversation when they're 4 games up in the division. I can't remember the last time such an apparently meh Sox team was winning so much--and that is almost 100% due to three guys: Sale, Kimbrel, and Pomeranz. (A neutral observer might ask whether the manager deserves any credit for it. But I know better than to do that here.)
David Ortiz's 2009 wrist says trust your first instincts.After reading all the posts here, and after tonight's game which has continued a positive trend for two players I was extremely disappointed in this year's (Porcello and Hanley), I have to change my vote to X. He was an OK singles hitter first half, but has really tanked since he hurt his hand.
Which raises a question, is it unfair to be disappointed in someone you know is playing hurt, as Hanley and X, not to mention Mitchy 2 Bags have been?
If Xander were to turn the corner like Papi did, I think we would all rejoice.David Ortiz's 2009 wrist says trust your first instincts.
I agree that X is the answer but I also am not going to assume that X missed a sign there.And now he misses a sign, but gets bailed out by a bad throw What is up with this guy?
Probably what is to be expected, maybe just slightly disappointing. I'd compare his 2017 to Ellsbury's 2008--kid comes in and makes a big splash in the stretch run, then regresses to just-pretty-good the next year, which is hardly shocking. But I didn't make an exception for him because he, too, has not been as good as last year (even if the sample size discrepancy puts an asterisk on the comparison).Do you think Ben10 is having a disappointing year or about what is to be expected?
Other than coming in and making a splash during the stretch run, I'm not sure the two are all that similar. Benintendi hasn't fallen off all that much compared to his splashy debut, and certainly not as far as Ellsbury did (aside from lead the league in SB, I wouldn't classify Ellsbury's 2008 as "pretty good" at all)Probably what is to be expected, maybe just slightly disappointing. I'd compare his 2017 to Ellsbury's 2008--kid comes in and makes a big splash in the stretch run, then regresses to just-pretty-good the next year, which is hardly shocking. But I didn't make an exception for him because he, too, has not been as good as last year (even if the sample size discrepancy puts an asterisk on the comparison).
The BABIP gods are laughing at you. HR% goes from 9.3% to 14.7%, LOB% goes from 74.3% to 69.9% and BABIP goes from .269 to .327 and all of a sudden he's teh suck.I voted Porcello.
I had hopes, but zero solid expectations, for Panda, so he wasn't truly a disappointment. Xander and Betts are both still young guys and they haven't a track record of sustained excellence that they're falling off from - downtick seasons aren't the end of the world. Hanley is 33, has done everything anyone asked him to do, and has seemed to be just plain snakebitten this year. As for Price, he's the least disappointing; injuries happen and thus, I'm more disappointed in random fate than I am with Price personally. Same thing re: any injured player.
Porcello though - he's 2015 suckatude in a slightly different package. Curiously, as of this post, he's started the same number of games as he did in 2015 - 28. His ERA is slightly better than 2015, and he's striking out slightly more guys, but the HRs are absolutely killing him. While W/L is rightly panned, it does somewhat reflect what a starter does on the mound. He's 9-15, his same final record in 2015.
I had hoped for a Price/Sale/Porcello dominant rotation, with Pom and Edro more than adequately filling in the back end. Porcello, despite not being injured (as far as we know) has unfigured it out just as fast as he figured it out last year.
We're 13-15 when he starts, as opposed to last year's 25-8. If he had regressed from his Cy Young form to something like 18-12 overall, we'd likely be up 4 more games at this point in the season, and we'd be able to work in some rest for our key guys down the stretch.
So let's keep the manager and the GM out of this. I voted Big Papi.I'm having trouble voting here, because there really isn't one guy. It's been an across-the-board letdown from last year; aside from Pomeranz, Edro, Vazquez and most of the bullpen, there isn't a single returning player who hasn't been worse in terms of either performance level, availability, or both, than they were last year.
I'd agree if his pitch usage and approach was the same - but he's using his sinker significantly less often than last year - about 30% of the time this year as opposed to 40% last year. He's also giving up more fly balls overall (as has been the trend for him.) Trouble is, if enough of those fly balls carry for homers, it's a step backward. He's taken that step.The BABIP gods are laughing at you. HR% goes from 9.3% to 14.7%, LOB% goes from 74.3% to 69.9% and BABIP goes from .269 to .327 and all of a sudden he's teh suck.
Look behind the numbers and he's close to the same pitcher all three years, it's Fortuna's favors that have changed.
The BABIP gods are laughing at you. HR% goes from 9.3% to 14.7%, LOB% goes from 74.3% to 69.9% and BABIP goes from .269 to .327 and all of a sudden he's teh suck.
Look behind the numbers and he's close to the same pitcher all three years, it's Fortuna's favors that have changed.
Hanley's hitting with runners on is just bizarre. He's played too long for squishy things like "pressing" or psychological factors to be at play. I just think it's an anomaly.Hanley, Hanley and Hanley
He's left over 200 men on base and plays a position part time and runs poorly.
All this for $19M. At least Betts and X play a position.
Porcello a close second.
I agree with your overall point/comparison of Ellsbury and Ben10, but not this parenthetical. OPS undervalues good basestealers. If you added Ellsbury's net steals to his total bases, his OPS would have been about 40 pts higher, more than enough to put him in the "pretty good" category....(aside from lead the league in SB, I wouldn't classify Ellsbury's 2008 as "pretty good" at all)
This, except you should really be a lot more disappointed in yourself then with Panda imo. Reasonably expecting him to do anything but suck this year was completely unrealistic since day 1 of last off season.Disappointment starts with expectations
Sox average 4.37 runs in his starts and 4.92 runs when anyone else starts. While he's certainly regressed, that they're 13-15 when he pitches isn't really his fault.We're 13-15 when he starts, as opposed to last year's 25-8. If he had regressed from his Cy Young form to something like 18-12 overall, we'd likely be up 4 more games at this point in the season, and we'd be able to work in some rest for our key guys down the stretch.
Can't argue that Hanley has been disappointing, but the bolded hasn't been true at all in the last six weeks. Since Sam Travis was sent down on July 18, Hanley Ramirez has gotten EVERY start at 1B against LHP (13 starts).For me it's Hanley. Coming into the season he was expected to be a 1B who could lead the offense, particularly helping the power side. His ISO is bad, his command of the strikeout rate has gone the wrong way, and to put the cherry on top, his inability (or lack of desire, whatever) to play 1B has pinned the Red Sox into a position where they now A) can't use the DH slot to give regulars rest from playing the field and B) are forced to use the occasionally flawed Mitch Moreland in situations where he is like to hurt the team offensively because he is occasionally flawed.
I said I was foolish. What do you want, self-flagellation?This, except you should really be a lot more disappointed in yourself then with Panda imo.
I was just pointing out what I view to be an unfair expectation of Pablo in regards to this thread subject.I said I was foolish. What do you want, self-flagellation?
If it were disappointment relative to paycheck, then he would be far and away my #1. But he has been declining and injured, so the drop wasn't shocking. The in their prime guys dropping off is a lot more unexpected.For me it's Hanley. Coming into the season he was expected to be a 1B who could lead the offense, particularly helping the power side. His ISO is bad, his command of the strikeout rate has gone the wrong way, and to put the cherry on top, his inability (or lack of desire, whatever) to play 1B has pinned the Red Sox into a position where they now A) can't use the DH slot to give regulars rest from playing the field and B) are forced to use the occasionally flawed Mitch Moreland in situations where he is like to hurt the team offensively because he is occasionally flawed.
I'm kind of shocked he's so low down the poll right now -- I guess people really didn't expect much of him because he's been barely above replacement this year.