Wed. 7/10: T-Rats Have the Daylight Action to Themselves

[CheeseheadInQC]

7 hours ago, Joseph Zarr said:

I am going to be the one to say it: 

INF/OF Jheremy Vargas is quietly having a season. If you simply peruse the baseline stats at a glance you likely wouldn't say a thing. You wouldn't even really notice it. BUT, given I watch (in a typical week, on average) 4-of-6 T-Rats game per series, I see a player who has matured and is beginning to access facets of his game, frankly, I didn't know were there. He's showing a little bit of pop in 2024. He's showing much improved plate discipline and pitch recognition. And, he's playing both corner OF spots and 3B to give manager Victory Estevez 'veteran' (he's only 21 years old) play in multiple locations. If he can keep hitting to even a tune of, say, 0.240 the remainder of the way he has re-entered the chat. This is a key part of his season. He's off to a torrid July start - can he stay above a 0.220 BA?  I did not have this on my Bingo Card for this season. Very pleasantly surprised and very much rooting for his continued resurgence. Major credit to him for continuing to grind and commit. A 31:24 K:BB ratio given the subtle improvements we are seeing across the board is a big deal for his near-term trajectory.

Among the guys still in the system, I think Vargas might have been the one set back the most by the COVID year. He skipped over the DSL and then got pushed up to A-ball likely too early as the best of a bunch of bad options (the Brewers' minor league infield depth was not exactly the same as it is now). Then, when he predictably struggled, he got shuttled into a last man on the bench role when the Brewers actually got reinforcements. Until this year he has been constantly a level higher than he probably should have been or suffering from inconsistent playing time.

Out of curiosity, from what you've seen, has he been unlucky with his batting average? Fangraphs has his batted ball profile (LD/GB/FB, etc.) very similar to Gregory Barrios, except Barrios had a BABIP 100 points higher than Vargas.

[Joseph Zarr]

26 minutes ago, CheeseheadInQC said:

Among the guys still in the system, I think Vargas might have been the one set back the most by the COVID year. He skipped over the DSL and then got pushed up to A-ball likely too early as the best of a bunch of bad options (the Brewers' minor league infield depth was not exactly the same as it is now). Then, when he predictably struggled, he got shuttled into a last man on the bench role when the Brewers actually got reinforcements. Until this year he has been constantly a level higher than he probably should have been or suffering from inconsistent playing time.

Out of curiosity, from what you've seen, has he been unlucky with his batting average? Fangraphs has his batted ball profile (LD/GB/FB, etc.) very similar to Gregory Barrios, except Barrios had a BABIP 100 points higher than Vargas.

I can't, off the top of my head, say if I can award him some of those 100 points. What I can say is he is hitting more line drives and more balls with meaning in 2024 than he has his entire career. He looks comfortable. The K:BB ratio being as good as it is would lend credence to guesstimating he should likely have a higher BA, however. The person I really have seen get knocked down by a poor BABIP is OF Eduarqui Fernandez. At least, a month or so ago he was in the midst of a truly bad luck run where he was cracking balls left and right and they were always going into a glove.

[Joseph Zarr]

With their 'W's tonight, the T-Rats; Shuckers; and Sounds are all in first place in the second half. The Muddies, tho canceled, gained a game on the Fred Nats last night and remain 3.5 GB in second place. Wisco and Carolina obviously have no stake in the playoffs game this half having secured first half crowns. But, it is again another daily reminder from yours truly of how blessed we Brewers fans are in 2024. Count these blessings. We do not know how long they will last. 

[wiguy94]

3 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

With their 'W's tonight, the T-Rats; Shuckers; and Sounds are all in first place in the second half. The Muddies, tho canceled, gained a game on the Fred Nats last night and remain 3.5 GB in second place. Wisco and Carolina obviously have no stake in the playoffs game this half having secured first half crowns. But, it is again another daily reminder from yours truly of how blessed we Brewers fans are in 2024. Count these blessings. We do not know how long they will last. 

That doesn’t really matter for Nashville anymore right? Don’t they just take the best record in the entire International League in each half of the season now regardless of division? I thought they made that change last year 

[Jim French Stepstool]

2 hours ago, wiguy94 said:

Wiemer just flashed some bat control I wasn't aware he had to hit a soft liner to CF for an RBI single on a breaking ball that was well outside.

I can see it (even though I didn't)---That's the pitch last season he either swings & misses, with his head pointing somewhere toward left-center field post swing, or if it clips the edge of the zone it's a rollover ground ball to the left side. Maybe our boy is growing up before our very eyes.

[Jim French Stepstool]

Nice to see Juan Baez back out on the field (ACL rehab). It's been too long. And, gotta throw some love toward Eric Brown Jr who is 8 for his last 19. That has to feel good for him during what I'm sure has been a frustrating year at the dish.

[Joseph Zarr]

41 minutes ago, wiguy94 said:

That doesn’t really matter for Nashville anymore right? Don’t they just take the best record in the entire International League in each half of the season now regardless of division? I thought they made that change last year 

Ahhhh yes. You are very right. To that end, they are first in their (meaningless) division standings. And third overall 3.0 GB the Nationals' Rochester Red Wings. 

[Joseph Zarr]

37 minutes ago, Jim French Stepstool said:

Nice to see Juan Baez back out on the field (ACL rehab). It's been too long. And, gotta throw some love toward Eric Brown Jr who is 8 for his last 19. That has to feel good for him during what I'm sure has been a frustrating year at the dish.

Mentioned into tomorrow morning's report. The gap power is still lacking. But, hey, we are literally coming out of the cellar looking for daybreak. We will absolutely take what we're seeing in July. He's batting with much more selectivity and control. I keep hoping the power will come. I'm still waiting in 2024. 

[wiguy94]

26 minutes ago, Joseph Zarr said:

Ahhhh yes. You are very right. To that end, they are first in their (meaningless) division standings. And third overall 3.0 GB the Nationals' Rochester Red Wings. 

Still think it’s a stupid change. Not exactly fair that 2 teams come from a 20 team league and 2 from a 10 team league 

[NOMAAM]

On 7/10/2024 at 9:11 PM, Joseph Zarr said:

Fitting that Ashby ends the night on a K looking on a slider. He gives up a second run but, really, he was done in by the misplayed grounder to 3B and a come-backer that caromed off his glovehand and died on the grass to put two aboard with nobody out. 

The main thing here was: He had a much much better outing than we've seen in quite some time. You love to see it. 

Isn’t the outing the most consistent in terms of mid 90’s velocity sense surgery.  
When he looked on the verge a couple season ago he was throwing high 90’s. So he could get away with some BB.  And occasional bad location.  
Hopefully this is a start of turnaround and gets him in Milwaukee pen in August/September.