Be sure to check out the flashback on Placido Palonco, erik did an excellent job. If there’s one thing that I’ve never felt I had a good grasp of it’s the historical aspect to baseball. I’m very much an in the now and future type person. It’s pretty interesting to think back how some of the current big leaguers got their start.
We’ve got a news article in the Post Dispatch that shouldn’t have as much import as it does but Cardinal fans just can’t get enough of Slick Rick Ankiel. At this point, I’m pretty impressed with him too. The power potential is obvious and he’s an above-average defender by all accounts. His EqA in Memphis is .284 (the same as Juan’s is with STL) and his regular translation is .260 or right at league average.
The odd thing about Ankiel is that if he stays with the big-league club he’s going to be headed to arbitration due to his 3+ years of service time. I have no idea how that would go since he has no record in the majors as a hitter. It’s the equivalent of Colby Rasmus getting called up and then heading straight to arbitration after 1 month of play. I’m sure Ankiel and the Cardinals will settle but it’s an interesting thought experiment.
“There’s no doubt he’ll be here in September,” La Russa said before his club’s game against the Washington Nationals. “Whether he gets here before September, that remains to be discussed.” [...] “We’re definitely noticing what he’s doing,” La Russa said.
Now again, let’s not make this too big of a deal. Rick is performing well and he gets his call up. It’s totally natural and the organization has done a fantastic job handling him this year and not responding to the knee-jerk reaction of fans to call him up. I can’t claim credit for the comparison but I think Jeff Francoeur sticks in my mind someone with a similar skill set. Another player with the Cardinals now who might offer a good comparison is Ryan Ludwick.
Rick may hit for average and will definitely hit for power but his lack of walks limits him offensively. A realistic expectation is probably something like .250/.290/.460 which would be below average offensively. If you assume he has plus-defense in right field and you slot him 6th or 7th in the lineup, he could be servicable. Unless he hits for a higher average or suddenly learns to walk he’s going to struggle to be more than an average player overall with his OBP. Now this is all keeping in mind that he’s had like 800 PAs in the minors. He could still be refining his skillset but we have to base it off what he’s shown so far and plate discipline just isn’t there yet.
Filed under: Rick Ankiel
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He’s still an upgrade over Encarnacion, IMO. And Edmonds for that matter. A HR in every 8 at bats in AAA is special no matter how low your OBP may be. Dave Kingman had a 16 year career with a career OBP of .302, but had a career .274 EqA, which is above average. Not saying Ank will have a long career per se’, he’s already 28. Just saying it’s his 2nd year as a full time hitter, there is room for growth here, and he should be good for 30-40 bombs per season if he’s healthy.
I’m just a lot higher on Rick then maybe most, I think everyone is trying to temper their enthusiasm with Rick with this low OBP stuff (which is a valid concern, mind you) because he showed so much promise as a pitcher, and ended up being a heartbreak. Folks just don’t wanna get burned again.
I wonder if he’s a mistake hitter. He’ll get fewer of those in the big leagues than against the roster filler seen in AAA. He definitely needs to get started given his age and I think he’ll be a fantastic bench option over the powerless Taguchi or Schumaker.
Not that i’m much of a fan of Enc, but the guy has been hitting really well since the allstar break. Somethin like 390 with 13 rbi. If any outfielder needs replacing it is Edmonds and no more platooning Duncan with someone.
He may be a mistake hitter, but he’s taken 31 mistakes deep which i think is a pretty big deal. He may get less to hit in the bigs, to be sure, but I still see someone able to hit .250/.295/.550. That’s more valuable production then most of the team. I don’t think there is a need to ease him in, just throw him out there and see what he does. why not roll the dice? it’s not like they are playing for anything. i dunno, i don’t think i’m just thinking this stuff because I like Ankiel, i’m trying to be realistic. And realistically i see him as more then a 4th outfielder. maybe not on a great team, but IMO he’s better then what we’re trotting out now.
There are exactly two players in the NL with an ISO over .300 - Fielder and Howard. I think you are overrating his power with relation to the batting average.
Sure, I see what you are saying. But he has an ISO of .300 now. well, .298 to be exact. you’re probably right, but if he slugs .490-.510 that’s still pretty good. better then anyone on this current team other then duncan and pujols. i’m leery about his low line drive % and lack of XBH hits outside of his homers as much as his walk rate, but it’s been climbing a bit as the season has gone on. i see the wrinkles, but i just don’t think his current peripherals have to dictate what he can become because of his lack of experience. he has more raw power then almost anyone in the minors right now, with some help and time i think he can hone his skills. but that’s just my gut read… it’s very weird to say this about a 28 year old, but i think he has one of the higher ceilings then anyone in the system.
The Ludwick comparison makes some sense. In terms of performance at Triple-A, the left-handed hitterr most like Ankiel in recent years might be Luke Scott (check out Scott’s numbers circa 2005).