Matt Wieters

[SweetZombieJesus]

I'll come out and predict that ten years from now, Josh Vitters will be a much better player than Matt Wieters.

 

And Porcello will be better than both? Your point?

[RammyFanny]

I'll come out and predict that ten years from now, Josh Vitters will be a much better player than Matt Wieters.

 

And Porcello will be better than both? Your point?

 

He didn't say anything about Porcello and I think his point was exactly what he said :scratch:

[TruffleShuffle]

What did I learn this winter? I learned that Baltimore catching prospect Matt Wieters is good. Well, wait a second, I already knew that, so how about, "really good"? Nope, the extra modifier just doesn't do it justice.

 

How about this: after looking at the performance, talking to the scouts, and seeing what our numbers people were able to uncover over the offseason, Matt Wieters is the best prospect in baseball, the best player on the Orioles right now, and quite possibly the best catcher in the game. And he's yet to play an inning in the big leagues.

 

According to PECOTA, with a full slate of at-bats, Wieters should hit .311 with a .395 on-base percentage and a .544 slugging mark this year. That's good for a .319 EqA. How good is that? Historically great, because it would easily be the highest mark of any catcher in 2009, and only 17 catchers have exceeded that mark in the history of baseball.

 

 

2009's Top PECOTA-projected Catchers

Rk Player Team EqA

1. Matt Wieters Orioles .319

2. Brian McCann Braves .299

3. Joe Mauer Twins .298

4. Geovany Soto Cubs .297

5. Russell Martin Dodgers .291

6. Chris Iannetta Rockies .291

7. Mike Napoli Angels .289

8. Jeff Clement Mariners .280

9. Ryan Doumit Pirates .275

10. Miguel Montero D'backs .273

 

 

kill me now.

[imb]

I'll come out and predict that ten years from now, Josh Vitters will be a much better player than Matt Wieters.

 

when you said this, were you planning on wieters dying or something

[Outshined_One]

I'll come out and predict that ten years from now, Josh Vitters will be a much better player than Matt Wieters.

 

when you said this, were you planning on wieters dying or something

 

I'll still hold to it and own up if I turn out to be wrong.

[TruffleShuffle]

by the way, if you're in any fantasy leagues with average fans, wieters will be an incredible steal. i don't think there's much hype about him being one of the top five catchers except from sites like BP.

[CubinNY]

I'll come out and predict that ten years from now, Josh Vitters will be a much better player than Matt Wieters.

 

when you said this, were you planning on wieters dying or something

 

I'll still hold to it and own up if I turn out to be wrong.

No one is going to remember it. If he stays at C I'll agree with you as catchers skills expire quicker than whole milk in leaky fridge. If he moves to another position, no way.

[imb]

five years of wieters kicking ass at catcher > 10 years of vitters at 3B

[TruffleShuffle]

most catchers don't fall off a cliff. a lot of great catchers like piazza, bench and berra stayed good even after they stopped being elite. if wieters is the best catcher in baseball for 5 years and then ends up being better than 80% of the catchers in the game for another 5 to 10 years, that's still a hall of fame career. and he could also end up moving to 1B or DH later in his career; he projects to have an impact bat no matter where he plays. he could be one of the best-hitting catchers in history if he stays at that position, but he's got a great enough bat that he can play 1B or corner OF and still be an excellent hitter relative to others at the same position.

 

in my fantasy land where i'm running the cubs, they drafted wieters and he's ready for the majors now. they traded lee in the offseason and ate $5M annually, which still freed up $8M a year for the next 3 years. as a result they kept derosa and resigned kerry wood, and we're going into the season with a deep bullpen, good bench and a hitter who projects to be better than lee for the next 3 years playing 1B.

[Post Count Padder]

I think I may buy a Matt Wieters jersey.

[Outshined_One]

Bump to demonstrate the new filter. :D

[TruffleShuffle]

when he's destroying the american league and people are talking about him every day, this is going to become a problem.

[manbearcub]

what in the world

[JimSorgi]

I think I'll wait until he actually plays in the MLB before I freak out.

[TruffleShuffle]

I think I'll wait until he actually plays in the MLB before I freak out.

 

what just in case he dies during spring training?

[CubColtPacer]

I think I'll wait until he actually plays in the MLB before I freak out.

 

what just in case he dies during spring training?

 

Well, it would have to be a little longer than that. The Orioles would be very foolish to keep him up from the start of the season. He'll have to at least stay a couple weeks in the minors and he has a decent shot of staying down there until June.

[Tyrant]

I think I'll wait until he actually plays in the MLB before I freak out.

 

what just in case he dies during spring training?

 

Well, it would have to be a little longer than that. The Orioles would be very foolish to keep him up from the start of the season. He'll have to at least stay a couple weeks in the minors and he has a decent shot of staying down there until June.

 

MacPhail says that Wieters will start at Triple-A.

 

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-sp.macphail13feb13,0,5690378.story

 

Probably makes sense. They're not going anywhere this year, so why start his clock now when they don't have to?

[TruffleShuffle]

i agree with him starting out at AAA but once he's there long enough to keep another year on his arby clock, he should be called up.

[JimSorgi]

I think I'll wait until he actually plays in the MLB before I freak out.

 

what just in case he dies during spring training?

No, I think he'll play the first few months in AAA. He'll be so amazing that he'll grow tired of baseball and quit before the Orioles can call him up.

[TruffleShuffle]

No matter what happens in Wieters' major league career - which should start very soon with Ramon Hernandez traded away - he can bask in the glory of what was arguably the best minor league performance of the last 40 years. If we set a 200 at-bat requirement, Wieters picked up the highest known translated EqA in both the Carolina and the Eastern Leagues. His combined EqA, .329, is the third-highest mark in any league, behind Ryan Howard (.338, 2005, Triple-A) and Glenn Braggs (.335, 1986, Triple-A), both of whom had fewer plate appearances. And, oh yeah, he's a catcher. An excellent catcher. Take anything we've said about any player in any year of the Baseball Prospectus, and Wieters had a better year than that guy.

[imb]

god dammit that's infuriating

[TruffleShuffle]

god dammit that's infuriating

 

yeah i'm not sure how i'm going to react when he starts destroying mlb pitching... i'll be happy for him because i liked him since his ga tech days, but i'll be irate that he (or soto) isn't playing first for the cubs and giving us another lefty bat to face RHP.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Jeremy Hermida 4 MVP

[TruffleShuffle]

Jeremy Hermida 4 MVP

 

huh?

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Sorry, based on this thread I was assuming that everyone who completely dismantles AA pitching for one season is a sure-fire bet to do so for a decade at the MLB level.