Jesus saves!
by Travis G on Jul 19, 2009 1:44 AM EDT
in Minors
16 comments
I attended my second Trenton Thunder game of the season tonight, but the first since Jesus Montero was promoted to the team. He went 1-3 with two walks, but oh what a 'one' it was: a seventh inning, game-tying grand-slam on a full count with two outs. He seemed to be looking fastball and got one, hammering it to left-center field.
I've been to about 15 Thunder games in my life, and have seen maybe three homers hit in all that time. There's just something about that ballpark that kills fly-balls, but it wasn't enough to stop Jesus tonight.
The best term to describe him physically is 'man-child'. He's still a teenager but looked bigger than any player on either team.
As for his defense: it was extremely hit and miss. He allowed two passed balls (one with a runner on third), though one was technically scored a 'wild pitch'. On the first one, he had trouble locating the ball, finally found it but made a mediocre throw to first that short-hopped the first-baseman - the runner looked out but was called safe. A few other times he blocked balls in the dirt.
He later threw a dart to second trying to nail a baserunner who was taking a big lead, nearly catching him as he dove back to second. His 'game calling' ability seemed fine as he framed a number of borderline pitches throughout the game, getting a call here and there. For as bad as he supposedly is behind the plate, Trenton pitchers struck out 15 in the game.
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He seems..
set on being a catcher BUT everyone says he’s too big. If that is the case, and I have only seen him in photos, where in the world will he play? I guess this is one of those “good problems” the Yankees will address when the time is right. I hope they DO NOT trade him for Halladay!! He sounds like a hitter like Manny minus the drugs and if he can come close to being a hitter like Manny then it’s happy days ahead for the Yankees and fans!!
by Mondoas on Jul 19, 2009 2:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Ehh
He has a 30% caught stealing rate in AA right now. That number would play in the majors. and it’s a good sign that it has gotten better as he gone up in level.
by RollingWave on Jul 19, 2009 5:09 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
Like Travis said
his arm seems to be OK, he can call a game, he can frame pitches. But its those crappy ones in the dirt, the ones that the good catchers always block and the suspect ones let go, is where he has the problems.
If that part of his game is gonna cost him years in the minors, I just can’t see why the Yanks don’t give him some time in the OF. If a guy like Carlos Lee can be a good OF, they why not Montero?
by FreeBradshaw on Jul 19, 2009 8:15 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
because
a OF that can hit is a dim in a dozen, a C that can hit is a perinial MVP candidate
by RollingWave on Jul 19, 2009 8:34 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
I don't know about that
yes, at C he could be an MVP like Jorge was, tho I doubt he’ll ever be in the same sentence as Mauer, at least defensively.
And who gives a crap about winning MVP’s? Maybe he does so he could get a larger contract, but it means nothing for the team. At catcher with his glove he may be defensive liability. He seems like he’s not exactly Mike Piazza behind the plate, cuz he can throw, but everything else is Piazza-like.
But this guy with the bat, like Mondoas said, is a Manny type prospect. I don’t think it matters where Manny plays, that bat is a MVP caliber bat.
The Yankees have a ton of other catching prospects that might be better defensively, guys like Austin Romine, Francisco the Great, there’s a few more too that are much younger too.
You want his bat on the team. You don’t just keep him at catcher cuz he might win MVP as a catcher vs. as an OF. That makes no sense. If he has to change to an OF where he could play and hide his defensive abilities, kinda like Ryan Braun, then that’s what you do.
by FreeBradshaw on Jul 19, 2009 8:55 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
There isn’t anyone in the game today who is in the same category as Mauer. There might not have been anyone in that category over the last 20 years.
Why can’t a Victor Martinez/ Kelly Shoppach approach work?
100 games for the big bat, 60 games when it’s time to stop the running game.
"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."
by jscape2000 on Jul 19, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
*
If two of those prospects both work out, that is.
"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."
by jscape2000 on Jul 19, 2009 10:57 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Texeira, Mark.
That’s why.
Vic plays a lot of 1B, tho he DH’s a lot too. But who knows what the DH situation will be looking like around the time of Montero’s ETA. I personally would rather see a 21 year old player grow into a position before he’s relegated to DH duty.
The logical place for Montero I guess is 1B, but the Yanks ""hindered"" that from reality cuz Tex is that dude.
But the thing is the guy is 19. Like Travis said, the guy isn’t all that bad back there. If he becomes as good as Jorge back there, that’s worked out pretty good hasn’t it?
As far as I know, Matt Wieters isn’t the greatest defensive catcher either, that doesn’t stop talking heads from calling him the next best C prospect since Mauer.
And another thing from Martinez is taht he was 25 when he cracked the bigs. He was talked about as highly as Montero seemingly forever, but cuz of his catching lagging far behind his bat he too 9 years to crack the bigs.
Id just rather see him not be hindered by his position cuz his bat seems that even right now, at 19, that he could come in and do some damage.
by FreeBradshaw on Jul 19, 2009 11:08 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
Yogi used to play left field. Granted, he had Mickey Mantle covering ground in center.
He played at least 25 games in left in 7 seasons, and he mostly played outfield in ’61 (87OF, 15C).
"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."
by jscape2000 on Jul 19, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
The problem there is . . .
that with the OF prospects we have and youngsters in the bigs now, that would have to be one amazing bat, at the majors level, to get him into the outfield.
I say get a backstop specialist to work with him and see what happens over the next 2-3 yrs. If we get his bat and an everyday replacement for Posada that would be great.
by syllk on Jul 19, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
My point is that a good manager could use a catcher to give the outfielders their days off, the way Swisher plays first to spell Tex.
Play him in all the small fields, right in New York and Baltimore, left in Boston, etc.
And the Yanks don’t really have outfield bats in the minors. Lots of speed there, but no sluggers.
"Have faith in the Yankees, my son. Think of the great DiMaggio."
by jscape2000 on Jul 19, 2009 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
position scarcity
Let’s just point out one obvious problem. if the Yankees ends up signing Joe Mauer. then fine. but other than that. once Jorge Posada is gone, your highly unlikely to get anyone that can even hit at anywhere more than .700 OPS with any consistency.
So unless you don’t think carrying a black hole in the lineup is a bad thing at all. then your choices is basically limited to.
A. Sign Joe Mauer. somethign that may or may not happen.
B. Play Jesus Montero there and hope he makes it.
There isn’t a 3rd alternative. Austin Romine is a nice prospect. but he isn’t one that I would have little doubt in actually ending up as a solid hitter in the majors (he may. but there’s also a pretty significant chance he may not. where as I can pretty confidently say that Montero will still be able to hit in the majors even if he’s promoted as early as next year)
by RollingWave on Jul 20, 2009 4:28 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
When has Posada ever blocked anything?
But I agree that they should consider giving Montero some time in the OF if Romine is as good as they think he is.
Nice problem to have for sure.
by New York Sports Jerk on Jul 20, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs
If his defense. . .
doesn’t come around I say find him another position. It would be a waste of offensive potential to keep him wallowing in the minors to get his defense up to par when he could be a big time middle of the order bat at another position.
Having said that, the kid is young and if you get someone around him that can work on his defense and it can be at least brought to avg. then give him another couple of yrs to iron out the wrinkles in his defensive game. I would love to have a full time replacement for Jorge.
(No offense to Francisco the Great!)
by syllk on Jul 19, 2009 11:08 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs
i should add something here
1) i’m not a pro scout, and 2) it was just one game, so take my scouting report with a grain of salt.
as for his future, and this is just my opinion, he’ll be a kind of versatile slugger. i do expect him to play a fair share at C, but also at 1b, DH and maybe corner OF. what i’m thinking is 2-3 games/week at C, 2-3 at DH and 1 at 1B.
by Travis G on Jul 19, 2009 2:28 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs
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