|
||||
|
|
OOTP 23 - General Discussions Everything about the brand new 2022 version of Out of the Park Baseball - officially licensed by MLB and the MLBPA. |
![]() |
|
Thread Tools |
![]() |
#1 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 20,541
|
What to do with Jordan Walker?
I am playing the 2024 season as the St. Louis Cardinals.
As a whole, the team stinks, sitting at last place in the NL Central with a 22-41. A small part of the reason is 22-year-old Jordan Walker. He broke into the majors in 2023, and didn't play well. He hit .114/.238/.227 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 105 plate appearances. Walker enjoyed a good spring training -- hitting .271/.340/.604 with five homers and 11 RBIs in 48 ABs -- to earn the starting right field job to open the season. That success didn't carry over into the real games as in two stints with the Cardinals, he's hitting .133/.257/.325 with seven homers and 14 RBIs in 140 ABs. At AAA, where he's currently playing for Memphis, he's been a monster hitting .377/.461/.961 with 14 homers and 28 RBIs in 89 ABs. What do I need to do to get this budding star to perform in the majors. I can see the issue, an avoid K rating of 35/40, that has led to 59 strikeouts. Do I bring him up and let him flair away or keep him at Memphis to see if he can improve that avoid K rating. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#2 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Jun 2010
Posts: 3,347
|
You might want to send him back to AAA, he seems to be struggling with MLB level pitching. It looks like he had some good seasons in AA and AAA though and he's only 22 so he might be worth keeping around.
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#3 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Michigan
Posts: 3,047
|
would check your coaches as well for their abilities and relationship levels and see if that can help improve his K ratings
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#4 |
Minors (Double A)
Join Date: Jan 2023
Posts: 107
|
His avoid k is not there.
I think he was rushed to the majors. Looking at his stats in AAA in 2023, he was not doing well at all. Not sure why you promoted him again when he was clearly struggling in AAA. Hitting well in spring training does not mean much. His ratings would indicate how well he can do. He has 45 contact and 35 avoid k, which translate to below average contact (sub 200) and very high (30%) strike out rate. Also check his ratings and stats by against Lefties vs against Righties. If he is significantly worse against Righties, he would be unplayable as a everyday player since most pitchers are righties. Can you find a Patience focus hitting coach that can help him down in AAA? Last edited by uknownick; 03-08-2023 at 09:47 AM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#5 |
Minors (Rookie Ball)
Join Date: Jan 2021
Location: Denver
Posts: 29
|
I would probably let him continue to hit in AAA for another month and see if his contact and avoid k improves somewhat. Track his K% by month at AAA under the "2024 batting splits" sub-tab of "Hitting Stats".
I wouldn't keep him down too much longer because it seems pretty obvious from his 2024 stats in AAA that he isn't being challenged all that much, but he could still improve his k-rate a little bit. When you do bring him up to MLB, you might platoon him for this season. On the whole though, he's still only 22 so some growing pains as he continues to improve and adjust to the MLB level is pretty normal. His contact rating is also pretty low and is derived almost exclusively from his high power rating (his BABIP and avoid ks are both low), so if he isn't hitting HRs his stats are gonna look pretty bad since he will likely strike out close to 30% of the time in MLB even when he fully develops. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#6 |
Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 216
|
All the sample sizes listed are too small to form a real opinion and you are not showing BABIP which is crucial to judge how well a player is performing. He could be rocking a .600 BABIP in AAA and a .220 in the majors.
100-150 PA is the absolute bare minimum to try to form an opinion on if a player is performing well or not at a given level. Personnally, I don't do it, which is why I tend to not promote in season apart from a few exceptions (overaged players, injury replacements and guys who I know are already ready but have been kept down to manipulate their service time). A full season is imho optimal, and even then, BABIP can screw a guy or give him an unfair advantage. The only two things that tend to stabilize quickly (sub 100 PA) are BB% and SO% and he is struggling in the majors on these fronts. His ratings also show poor contact skills and poor avoid K skills. When you take into consideration that your guy has a plus (if not plus plus) power tool, and that power can boost the shown contact, his bat to ball skills are imho very much not ready for the majors, at least for a player that needs to produce offensively to compensate for his poor defense. I would leave him in AAA to rake and try to get his contact and avoid K up. With all of that being said, he profiles as a feast or famine power hitter : he'll have stretches where his power tool can compensate for his meh contact skills and he'll be rocking one of the best OPS+ in the league, but you can also anticipate stretches where the guy hits .160 for a few weeks if not months. It all tends to even out at the end, but don't expect the guy to be very reliable day in and day out unless he maxes out his contact and avoid K. Last edited by billyray1984; 03-09-2023 at 02:48 PM. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#7 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 911
|
I play as the Cards as GM/mgr.in one pitch mode I'm in the 2025 season. I'd leave him in the minors. Now if he goes on a tear in AAA I may consider calling him up sooner.
My 3B Arrenado's rating dropped loke a rock after the 2024 season. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#8 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 20,541
|
I play pretty much the same way.
Went 89-73 in 2023 to win the NL Central, lost to the Braves in five games in the second round. It seems like every player has taken some kind of step back -- both ratings wise and statistically -- as I sit at 29-44 and 12 games out on June 27. Arenado's ratings dropped across the board, but he is still hitting .263 with 14 homers and 55 RBIs. (He's been on a major tear the last couple of weeks to significantly raise his numbers). Meanwhile, it seemed Goldschmidt was the only player performing to expectations through the first 2.5 months but has slumped in recent weeks. He is hitting .275 with 13 homers and 38 RBIs. Big decisions loom in terms do I try and win the division -- I need starting pitching help -- or deal pending free agents like Goldschmidt and SS Tim Anderson and underperformers (Nolan Gorman, Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson) looking to build for 2025. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#9 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Apr 2013
Posts: 20,541
|
Jordan Walker is still raking in AAA.
His ratings have not changed, but my thinking is bring him up after the All-Star break and just let him play as it looks like my team is probably not a realistic contender. |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#10 | |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 911
|
Quote:
|
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
#11 | |
Minors (Triple A)
Join Date: Jun 2021
Posts: 216
|
Quote:
He would make the opening day roster in 2025 and would stay for at least 300 AB, slump or not, to give him a real shot. |
|
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Bookmarks |
|
|