4/24: Cubs (Chatwood) @ CLE (Tomlin) 5:10 (MLBN, WGN)

[Transmogrified Tiger]

 

Many hard hit balls that are also sneaking between infielders for hits.

Hard hit balls going for hits doesn’t seem like a lucky thing to me.

 

Except that when the Cubs hit screaming line drives right at fielders, we cry about bad luck, so.....

 

Yes, there exists a place between bad and good luck called normality

[Cubswin11]

That was a lucky BABIP hit by Heyward

[Derwood]

FWIW, I haven't used the word "luck" at all, just saying that it's nice to see hard hit balls find open spots on the field

[Euthoniel]

That was a lucky BABIP hit by Heyward

 

Makes up for the rocket line out in his 2nd at bat.

[David]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

the sabr wiz has spoken

[Bertz]

Wilson + Rain means minimum six walks this inning

[Brian]

Guyer must have Almora speed

[chicagocubs04]

Love it Javy

[The_Achiever]

Baez absolutely laced that one.

[philosophizer75]

Cmon Rizz, just do like Javy.

[philosophizer75]

good rizz. i mean off the end of the bat, but rbi single either way. Edited April 25, 2018 by philosophizer75

[Thrilho]

Alright, this seems like a fine place and time to pop TT's old list back out. Javy or Lindor, choose! You don't have to fill this thread up but you know, just keep your choice in the back of your head as Javy out WARs Lindor from here on out.

[Bryants Disco Ball]

FWIW, I haven't used the word "luck" at all, just saying that it's nice to see hard hit balls find open spots on the field

 

Now, Rizzo's last two hits were lucky.

[Brian]

Heyward and Schwarber are reading Duke's article about Heyward on that iPad

[CyHawk_Cub]

Heyward and Schwarber are reading Duke's article about Heyward on that iPad

 

Why, did Heyward spontaneously combust in the dugout or something? He'd better not have taken Schwarber with him.

[Derwood]

Luke Farrell may be bad

[Cubswin11]

Luke Farrell may be bad

Yeah he’s nothing special. This type of spot should be the only spot he pitches in.

[Andy]

Two games over .500!!

[Cubswin11]

:flythew:

[Sammy Sofa]

Alright, this seems like a fine place and time to pop TT's old list back out. Javy or Lindor, choose! You don't have to fill this thread up but you know, just keep your choice in the back of your head as Javy out WARs Lindor from here on out.

 

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but...

 

[SouthSideRyan]

[tweet]

[/tweet]

 

the sabr wiz has spoken

 

Of course Heyward's 2nd lowest K% of his career was last year.

[Brian]

haha, Javy retweeted this

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BallparkVids/status/988934073472122880[/tweet]

[Aaron_Kennelly]

#wearegood

 

Get this pitching worked out and the bats will dong us to heights never seen before.

[Thrilho]

Alright, this seems like a fine place and time to pop TT's old list back out. Javy or Lindor, choose! You don't have to fill this thread up but you know, just keep your choice in the back of your head as Javy out WARs Lindor from here on out.

 

I appreciate your enthusiasm, but...

 

Sounds good, I'll put you down for the Indian.

 

On a related note, does anyone know how Fangraphs calculates that offensive side of their WAR stat? Like how Lindor's 2017 batting line of .273/.337/.505 with 15 stolen bases pulled in a 21.0 while Javy's .273/.317/.480 with 10 stolen bases was a 2.2?

 

Seems like the sort of thing driven by voodoo like BABIP, Ks, leverage, streakiness. Typical FG BS to rob a player of their actual impact on a game by relying on forecasting stats rather than performance. The type of thing that takes away Hendricks' Cy Young.

 

Given that's the case I'll play it safe use bbref's more results driven WAR (which gave Javy a 2.9 instead of a 2.3 last year). But I think Javy will outperform him by any measure, at least offensively. Let's look at their careers. I don't think it would be unfair to cut out Javy's atrocious 2014 given that they're the same age and Lindor didn't arrive until 2015.

 

So for 2015-2018 Lindor has had a .290/.346/.468 line vs Javy's .276/.320/.469. And that's over a three+ year period where LOTS of people have still considered Javy just this side of hot garbage. Cut a line halfway between Javy's career and this year's slash line and you get a player whose offense is leaps and bounds better than Lindor.

 

There's defense to consider, but I think Javy is going to spend a decent part of his career at short even if the Cubs keep Russell. He might need to play some full seasons at short and do it well in order to beat out Lindor in WAR, but he's good enough defensively to at least prefer him on my team. And I honestly think he'll be enough of a better offensive player to make up the difference defensive WAR. I've got big plans. Big plans.

[JennieGarthAlgar]

Look, its a silly argument because they are both good to extremely good players and whoever is the lesser of the 2 is still giving you a great talent. I take Javy only cause with him we won a WS. Who knows if we would have without him? I dont want to take that chance. I am Team Javy for horsefeathering life.