Theriot's improvement

[mopapa]

While it's been fun to see the extra power from him, at this point I'd prefer he return to the way he hit last year. He's already struck out 32 times - last year he had only 58 strikeouts for the entire season. Maybe now's the time to try to forget what Lou said and go back to hitting almost everything to right field. And even thought most of his hits last year were singles, that's better than a strikeout, for everyone.

[dew1679666265]

While it's been fun to see the extra power from him, at this point I'd prefer he return to the way he hit last year. He's already struck out 32 times - last year he had only 58 strikeouts for the entire season. Maybe now's the time to try to forget what Lou said and go back to hitting almost everything to right field. And even thought most of his hits last year were singles, that's better than a strikeout, for everyone.

 

His slugging is nearly 100 points higher than last year and his OBP is still respectable (.358 - 30 points below last year). With an OPS pushing .800, I'm fine with what he's become.

 

Especially since last year's OBP wasn't based on discipline and patience as much as it was a high BABIP.

[jersey cubs fan]

While it's been fun to see the extra power from him, at this point I'd prefer he return to the way he hit last year. He's already struck out 32 times - last year he had only 58 strikeouts for the entire season. Maybe now's the time to try to forget what Lou said and go back to hitting almost everything to right field. And even thought most of his hits last year were singles, that's better than a strikeout, for everyone.

 

His slugging is nearly 100 points higher than last year and his OBP is still respectable (.358 - 30 points below last year). With an OPS pushing .800, I'm fine with what he's become.

 

Especially since last year's OBP wasn't based on discipline and patience as much as it was a high BABIP.

 

Pushing 800? That's a fairly loose interpretation of that concept. You could also say it's in the process of falling well below 800. Theriot isn't going to OPS 800 this year. However, the fact that he has struck out more frequently this year is not a meaningful complaint about his approach. He needs to mix it up between shooting the ball to right and turning on pitches when possible. If he strikes out a bit more, so be it. Just "putting the ball in play" isn't an accomplishment, especially when you consider all his GIDP (and despite last year's high BABIP). A Theriot strike out is no worse than a Theriot pop out to 2nd.

[Tracer Bullet]

While it's been fun to see the extra power from him, at this point I'd prefer he return to the way he hit last year. He's already struck out 32 times - last year he had only 58 strikeouts for the entire season. Maybe now's the time to try to forget what Lou said and go back to hitting almost everything to right field. And even thought most of his hits last year were singles, that's better than a strikeout, for everyone.

 

His slugging is nearly 100 points higher than last year and his OBP is still respectable (.358 - 30 points below last year). With an OPS pushing .800, I'm fine with what he's become.

 

Especially since last year's OBP wasn't based on discipline and patience as much as it was a high BABIP.

 

Pushing 800? That's a fairly loose interpretation of that concept. You could also say it's in the process of falling well below 800. Theriot isn't going to OPS 800 this year. However, the fact that he has struck out more frequently this year is not a meaningful complaint about his approach. He needs to mix it up between shooting the ball to right and turning on pitches when possible. If he strikes out a bit more, so be it. Just "putting the ball in play" isn't an accomplishment, especially when you consider all his GIDP (and despite last year's high BABIP). A Theriot strike out is no worse than a Theriot pop out to 2nd.

 

I'm no Theriot apologist, but I think it would be more fair to say Theriot's OPS has hovered around .800 most of the year than to say it's in the process of falling well-below .800. It's basically fluttered between .750 and .850 since mid-April. The last couple weeks it's been .780-.815.

 

I don't disagree that it's highly unlikely that he'll OPS .800 all year.

[jersey cubs fan]

I'm no Theriot apologist, but I think it would be more fair to say Theriot's OPS has hovered around .800 most of the year than to say it's in the process of falling well-below .800. It's basically fluttered between .750 and .850 since mid-April. The last couple weeks it's been .780-.815.

 

I don't disagree that it's highly unlikely that he'll OPS .800 all year.

 

Sure it's fair to say it has hovered around 800. I'm just saying the general trend has been down since about the middle of April. Like a stock index it seemed to pause after falling below 800 and briefly go back up to the low 800s, but he's got a 600-something OPS in June and his overall OPS has only been 800 on one day in June. Pushing 800, to me, sounds like a guy on a verge of breaking over that mark due to recent success that is generally expected to continue.

 

We know he's not an 800 OPS guy. I just don't see the point in "justifying" his approach by suggesting it has created an 800 OPS, when in reality its trending down and it's a safe bet that it will stay below 800 (even if it climbs over that one day this week). If anything, he should maintain that pull conscious approach on occasion because it's unlikely he can maintain the numbers he put up last year if all he does is shoot it to right. Everybody seems willing to say a power hitter has to go the other way on occasion, to take what the pitcher is giving you. I don't know why you can't say the same thing about an inside out hitter like Theriot.

[dew1679666265]

I'm no Theriot apologist, but I think it would be more fair to say Theriot's OPS has hovered around .800 most of the year than to say it's in the process of falling well-below .800. It's basically fluttered between .750 and .850 since mid-April. The last couple weeks it's been .780-.815.

 

I don't disagree that it's highly unlikely that he'll OPS .800 all year.

 

Sure it's fair to say it has hovered around 800. I'm just saying the general trend has been down since about the middle of April. Like a stock index it seemed to pause after falling below 800 and briefly go back up to the low 800s, but he's got a 600-something OPS in June and his overall OPS has only been 800 on one day in June. Pushing 800, to me, sounds like a guy on a verge of breaking over that mark due to recent success that is generally expected to continue.

 

We know he's not an 800 OPS guy. I just don't see the point in "justifying" his approach by suggesting it has created an 800 OPS, when in reality its trending down and it's a safe bet that it will stay below 800 (even if it climbs over that one day this week). If anything, he should maintain that pull conscious approach on occasion because it's unlikely he can maintain the numbers he put up last year if all he does is shoot it to right. Everybody seems willing to say a power hitter has to go the other way on occasion, to take what the pitcher is giving you. I don't know why you can't say the same thing about an inside out hitter like Theriot.

 

Sorry, it was perhaps poor terminology on my part. By "pushing .800" I meant he's close to it - which he is. I'm also not arguing that he's definitely an .800 OPS hitter. But, he's better than he was last year with this approach and, like you, I hope he continues to pull pitches he can and show some power. His slugging has, after all, improved nearly 100 points so far over last year while sacrificing around 30 points of OBP (which he may have sacrificed anyway).

 

I'm fine with his new approach because I think it'll make him a better overall hitter than he has been - or would be with the same approach he took last year.

[Guest]

I like the new Theriot. My biggest problem with him before was the lack of ability to hit for extra bases. I honestly don't think he had the capacity to consistently hit in the high .300's or keep his OBP way up towards the .400's. I think those numbers are more flukish than what he's currently doing now.

 

He still takes some balls to the right side, so to me he's just more of a complete player at this stage of his career.

[sporrer17]

Theriot's probably a .750 OPS type of guy at SS, which is about as much as you can ask for. He's okay defensively, and as good as you can get at SS without giving up a plethora of top prospects, which don't have.