***Official Cardinals 2018 Thread***
- Thread starter rk#5
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Hard to not be excited about the young guys...Bader, O'Neill, Reyes, Flaherty, Weaver, Kelly
Funny how after getting PH for in a key spot earlier this week, he's been mashing ever since.
Statcast says he hit 105 twice today. Aroldis Chapman and Hicks are the only ones to ever do it. Hicks also has the 5 fastest pitches of 2018.
If you've never seen Hicks pitch, he is far from a polished pitcher - was never above A ball until this year. He doesn't strike out batters, his walk rate is high, yet he's effective. His pitches have oodles of movement, but he does have issues throwing strikes.
These pitches aren't fastballs. They're cutters. Cardinals catchers have at times had a helluva time catching him because of the late movement, and it almost looks like batters really don't want to swing at anything hoping he walks them.
Several times, batters have stepped out of the batter's box shaking their heads like they're thinking, what the hell am I going to do against that? The hits he's given up this year...it's weird, but it almost is like they are all dinker dunker types. Accidents mostly. He rarely gives up hard contact.
Also, the pitch that got to Yadi Molina's nuts via a foul tip...102 mph pitch. There's a scary vibe to watching him work. It's not like he's wild so much as there's never been a pitcher like him before, making him difficult to catch.
If he ever harnesses his physical gifts into in the strike zone, and stays health - he could be the hardest pitcher to hit in baseball.
If you've never seen Hicks pitch, he is far from a polished pitcher - was never above A ball until this year. He doesn't strike out batters, his walk rate is high, yet he's effective. His pitches have oodles of movement, but he does have issues throwing strikes.
These pitches aren't fastballs. They're cutters. Cardinals catchers have at times had a helluva time catching him because of the late movement, and it almost looks like batters really don't want to swing at anything hoping he walks them.
Several times, batters have stepped out of the batter's box shaking their heads like they're thinking, what the hell am I going to do against that? The hits he's given up this year...it's weird, but it almost is like they are all dinker dunker types. Accidents mostly. He rarely gives up hard contact.
Also, the pitch that got to Yadi Molina's nuts via a foul tip...102 mph pitch. There's a scary vibe to watching him work. It's not like he's wild so much as there's never been a pitcher like him before, making him difficult to catch.
If he ever harnesses his physical gifts into in the strike zone, and stays health - he could be the hardest pitcher to hit in baseball.
With Waino on the DL, the Cards have the youngest starting staff in all of baseball. I'd like to think getting Yadi back will really help all these young guns hold it together. Ozuna benched today and Garcia did well at short after Jedd struggled there yesterday.
Watching him hit 105 today was just crazy. We all knew he threw hard but I didn't know he had that in him.
His stats are weird in that he's only striking out about 3 per 9 innings but like you said, he just gives up no hard contact. That sinker coming in at 101/102 induces so many groundballs which has allowed him to strand so many runners with double plays.
If he can start finding the zone and utilizing that deadly slider more often, he could be really dominant.
This will be a very interesting couple weeks with the team. The injuries are forcing some things.
I doubt Gyorko or Garcia are thrown out there every day at SS. Munoz probably is the best defender there but as with all players and Matheny, I doubt he is trusted there.
The bullpen is a borderline disaster. Right now I'm worried about Bud Norris. Until guys get healthy, Matheny damn well better start trusting Tuivalala and Mayers with high pressure work, because the alternative is Holland.
And we got Reyes due back I believe later this week. The ripple effect of that will be interesting when combined with any reliever that gets healthy (Lyons being the most likely).
Last year, it was Memorial Day weekend when DeJong got the call, a couple guys in the pen were banished, etc. I have a feeling something similar may be occurring this coming weekend.
I doubt Gyorko or Garcia are thrown out there every day at SS. Munoz probably is the best defender there but as with all players and Matheny, I doubt he is trusted there.
The bullpen is a borderline disaster. Right now I'm worried about Bud Norris. Until guys get healthy, Matheny damn well better start trusting Tuivalala and Mayers with high pressure work, because the alternative is Holland.
And we got Reyes due back I believe later this week. The ripple effect of that will be interesting when combined with any reliever that gets healthy (Lyons being the most likely).
Last year, it was Memorial Day weekend when DeJong got the call, a couple guys in the pen were banished, etc. I have a feeling something similar may be occurring this coming weekend.
Reyes makes a start in AAA on Thursday, and is set to come off the DL 4 days later. I honestly think start him until Martinez is back, and then shift him to shore up the bullpen. He will have a limit this year, so might as well shore up that.
O'Neill is presenting an interesting "problem" for StL to have. The lineup has come alive with him starting, and Matheny notoriously rides hot hands.
Ozuna is having a decent night and it looks like Carpenter may have finally turned the corner. If those two get going, this is a completely different line-up than the one that has been struggling.
It's funny what happens when veterans start getting benched and the replacements produce.
Carp didn't start mashing until Matheny PH for him a week ago.
Getting back to " the Cardinal way ", developing our own. I said several pages back that we had better players in Memphis than some of our overpaid FAs. Our infield defense is still sketchy but you have to put some offense on the field too.
I wish they could develop infielders better, but overall their player development seems to be getting better, and they have the deepest starting pitching in all of baseball as far as farm systems go.
It's ironic, a couple years ago this team had nothing for outfielders and especially CF's in the system and now has guys like Bader and O'Neill (acquired in a trade for an entirely expendable SP), along with 3 or 4 others that are all darn near mirror images of themselves...fast, developing power and overall bat, good defensively, can all play CF.
They signed Fowler specifically to fix CF. They now have 4 guys that can play it better than Fowler. They acquired Ozuna to add power, and now maybe O'Neill might just be that guy all along.
And they traded 3 OF's last off-season...two of them starters.
You can never, ever have too many good players. There is no such thing.
It's ironic, a couple years ago this team had nothing for outfielders and especially CF's in the system and now has guys like Bader and O'Neill (acquired in a trade for an entirely expendable SP), along with 3 or 4 others that are all darn near mirror images of themselves...fast, developing power and overall bat, good defensively, can all play CF.
They signed Fowler specifically to fix CF. They now have 4 guys that can play it better than Fowler. They acquired Ozuna to add power, and now maybe O'Neill might just be that guy all along.
And they traded 3 OF's last off-season...two of them starters.
You can never, ever have too many good players. There is no such thing.
Mikolas continues to impress. Last night he pitched a complete game, which is a rarity these days. Sweep the Royals.
Geez watching tonight's game not even thinking about averages...4 guys .217 or below...Fowler and Carp at the top. Although Carp has been hot. But that is a bad hitting lineup
Greg Holland's last 3 outings...
1 IP
7 Hits
6 ER
4 BB
1 K
Just looked awful out there - falls behind because he cannot locate, and his stuff when he does locate is bad.
Given how he was the first half of last year (great), and how he finished (terrible), he has to be damaged goods and not merely sucking. I bet we find out when he's finally put out of his misery, his elbow is a mess again - and if that is the case how the hell did he pass his physical.
1 IP
7 Hits
6 ER
4 BB
1 K
Just looked awful out there - falls behind because he cannot locate, and his stuff when he does locate is bad.
Given how he was the first half of last year (great), and how he finished (terrible), he has to be damaged goods and not merely sucking. I bet we find out when he's finally put out of his misery, his elbow is a mess again - and if that is the case how the hell did he pass his physical.
Just making a statement is all...I could careless about the Royals that's the thing
I love how you are getting your panties in a bunch...actually not all of them do
KC is averaging less than 20K attendance. St. Louis is #2 and over 40K.
Y'all don't even care. Just admit it.
They care, they just have a dipshit gm who held onto players last year instead of trading them. He won them a world series, but ****ed the next 10 years up
Yep. I resigning of moose confused me. You sold the farm, why waste big money for a veteran with no one around him?
It's a one year deal with a mutual option for next year. The Gordon signing was stupid. Moustakas is a having a nice year, he won't be on the royals past July 31.
LOL I don't care? I just listen to every game on the radio unless I go somewhere to watch the game. Nice ignorant post kid.
This.
Moore better draft well this year. 5 of the top 60 picks. 3 have to pan out.
Should have traded Cain, Hoz Moose and Duffy...... could have rebuilt the team with 6 stud prospects or more.
The numbers don't lie, guy.
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