Montgomery Position Players Compared to League

The only issue is where to find him ABs.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

“I watch the guys play, I don’t need them thar fancy stats”

1. Use the reply feature. It makes the conversation easier to read.

2. I’ve also seen Timmy Becks play. That’s one reason I never jumped off the bandwagon despite his “statistical struggles” some pointed to. The talk of him moving off SS is typical of bigger SS, and he’s had quite a few scouts say he’d likely move. My point about moving him isn’t that he SHOULD be moved. It’s that IF he moves, his arm makes him more suited for 3B or RF rather than second because at 2B you waste arguably his best tool.

3. Rather than coming on here as a new commenter and showing your ass, why don’t you provide some insight in to the guys you’ve seen? Do a fanpost or even comment in here about the guys you like or particular skills/plays you’ve seen. We always welcome a new set of eyes keeping us up to speed on how the guys are looking.

4. Here are some quotes about Beckham from this offseason:

I haven’t voted, but my explanation for Beckham centers around this:

He’s hit above league average at each stop while playing shortstop and being young. The tools were there until people got concerned about his "body issues" which IMO have largely dissipated. He’s got a great work ethic and and head on his shoulders from all accounts. The likelihood that he’s an average MLB player centers on 2 things: his bat continuing to develop (which it has by his ability to maintain LA numbers in older leagues) and his sticking at SS. For Sale to be better he has to be a very, very good hitter, and for the pitchers to be better they have to develop and not get hurt. I think his is more likely. Even if he comes up at 24 (i.e. repeats a couple levels), he could still be a good player under cost control at a premium position.

This also bothers me: "To be honest, I wouldn’t have had him in a top 30, as one scout put it, if you didn’t know he was a $6 million man, he wouldn’t have stood out."

Two things about this:

1. If he wasn’t the number 1 pick people would be looking more to his strengths than his weaknesses. I think because of his pedigree people look too hard and judge too hard.

2. There’s a reason he was 1:1. He hasn’t been hurt. His body looks good. The wrists are still there. The Rays knew he was a project, and so I put faith that they saw more than just the present talent. That pedigree does mean something.

Finally, people mention his footspeed as reason he may not stick at SS, but take a look at this table:

Top 5 UZR/150 over the last 3 years and SB/150:

JJ Hardy- 1.3
Cesar Izturis- 14
Alexei Ramirez- 13.6
Troy Tulowitzki- 11.4
Yunel Escobar- 5.3

None of them are prolific basestealers. A few are decent (10-15 a year), but both Yuni and Hardy are not basestealers. Once again it seems to me that people are projecting a negativity on his skillset that isn’t necessary.

That’s my Tim Beckham defense for the Community Prospect Rankings.

by rglass44 on Dec 3, 2010 10:23 AM EST up actions

Don’t really grade or do lists.
Just try to keep my opinions in order and take as much in as possible. Getting down to brass tacks, I think he’d slot around a B for me as most of the negatives are overblown IMO, and I have faith that he’ll get the development he needs from the org. From what I’ve seen of him (very little last spring) he looked like he could stick at SS if he got the footwork down. His batspeed is good-to-great, and he’s got a great work ethic. His performance this year will carry a lot of weight to me. If he improves his pop to where it was in 2009 and keeps the BB% (and lowerds the K%) I’ll be happy. If he moves up to AA, and he posts the exact same line as last year I won’t be too worried as long as his defense improves. I’m just much more hesitant to call a guy with the tools to go 1:1 a bust because he hasn’t put ti together yet. We knew he was raw when we drafted him.

by rglass44 on Jan 12, 2011 4:40 PM EST up actions

Where’s the hate there? I’ve maintained a positive outlook toward the kid the entire time based on scouting reports, seeing him play, and statistics.