Average in the corners is what I hear most with some saying above average there. Has a strong enough arm for right.
Yeah, he's got enough arm to play all 3 spots and he's a very good athlete, I haven't seen him enough to know how he reads the ball and what kind of routes he takes, instincts and all that. I'm guessing that at the very worst he will be a very good LFer.
He is above average right now, and I would go as far as to say he is pretty good. A lot of scouts in the past have projected him long term to be average because they believe he will lose speed when he fills out. I don't think he is ever going to be "big" and likely won't lose much speed gaining 20-30 lbs of mostly muscle over the next 4-5 years. His biggest issue is he has a flat swing and doesn't hit for much of an average as a result. Also he is fast but isn't the best at knowing when to steal and when not to. I think he is a lot like Josh Reddick. That isn't a star player but a very useful one long term. It just may take him awhile to really settle in. The superstar potential belongs to the Cuban kid in AA.
While the hope is he's an all-star, isn't this about the average expectation...a guy that bounces between average to slightly above average starter for most of his club controlled years? The big difference from Reddick is that he will make next to nothing for 4 years allowing the Astros to spend money on their stars. You get 3-4 Reddicks on club controlled contracts and that leaves quite a bit of position player money for the other positions. On whether he's a star or not, it goes back to whether he can get loft on the ball. He does not appear to be doing it this year like he was last year. It is not good to be lefthanded and pull grounders.
Alvarez is our second best prospect behind Whitley no doubt. Its incredible to see a kid at such a young age with that oppo power. I do see Tucker being a little bit better than Reddick long term which means he is a really good prospect.
Eek! I knew he wasn't doing good on grounders, but that is freakishly bad for a RHB. Too many games with either Simmons or Chapman on the left side.
This is neither here nor there, but the Padres just called up their 22-yo masher, Franmil Reyes. He had already hit 14 HRs in AAA this year (the most in any league), the kid is 6'5" 275 lbs and plays RF. He should be coming up to bat in the next inning or so, I want to see this. Jordan Lyles is pitching for the Pads, he's been doing really well so far this year.
https://www.mlb.com/news/mlb-pipeline-top-100-prospects-list-update/c-282070982?tid=151437456 Kyle Tucker, OF, Astros (No. 14 to No. 10) After selling out a bit for power while slamming a career-high 25 homers in 2017, he's showing more patience while continuing to drive the ball and looks like a perennial 20-20 player.
Now that Gattis is back to form (actually better than ever) is there even a chance for him to get called up prior to August? Kemp is doing a pretty good job in LF.
His outfield play still needs more refinement, though. “It’s just overall awareness,” Linares said at the start of Fresno’s ongoing series at Dell Diamond in Round Rock. “At times, being so young, he does take at-bats sometimes to defense. If he doesn’t get a hit or if he had a bad at-bat, you can see it. He gets frustrated, takes some bad routes. But it’s all about maturing as a player in his development. The bat’s way ahead in that regard. He can hit. There’s no question about [it] that he can hit.”
I've always liked Bregman even though he pulls a ton of grounders. He has good plate discipline. Still erratic on defense after a spectacular postseason. Probably an unpopular opinion, but he's one small adjustment from being the best player on team. Could be defensive consistency or turning some flies into doubles. He puts the ball in ball play so often, that even a small amount of added authority is going to add a lot of value.
I tend to agree with this. You can watch him and witness the improvement. I think you will likely see a power increase. When he is comfortable and confident he hits homers and if he is hitting 25-30 homers with 40+ doubles... watch out.