Gunnar or Mookie
![Darin](https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/userpics/GC71ZQATYPR2/nGK3JKQ4XMR6H.jpg)
in Sports Talk
Just two guys with completely normal first names. Who do you like? One reason I’m posting this is that in a season where so many players are struggling the first two months it’s cool to see some monster numbers like these guys are putting up.
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Aaron Judge isn’t in a slump anymore.
![](https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/editor/tn/ayalgg32y2d8.jpeg)
And Julio says look how I am dominating last years rookie of the year! 🥳![](https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/editor/mx/9xp5gahh09gz.jpeg)
Wait a minute Julio how did you get in here? Your power numbers suck and I’m pretty sure you’re 0-16 the last four games. You’re just an attention w&$!;,
Step it up dude!
I’m sorry about that guys. Julio somehow crashed my thread and tried to make himself look good 😩
Great thread haha
Carrol.and Julio are off to a horrendous start
Between Gunnar or Mookie, Gunnar all day long for my franchise. Both are super studs, but Gunnar hasnt entered his athletic prime yet and hasnt even hit arbitration while Mookie is getting towards the end of his athletic prime. Not to mention Mookie still has another 8 years and like 300 million left on his deal as a 31 year old.
Even if its just this year Id still go with Gunnar, hes the much better SS defensively
Missouri 14 OSU 3
The G vs M one is pretty tough.
I have a similar thought process as bb21 but I would add another variable that causes me to remain precisely on the fence.
Mookie has done it for longer. Gunner is my pick playing GM for a day all things considered. But Mookie is the safe bet for the next few seasons.
Ohtani over Judge.
Julio hit a home run last night so maybe that will be the start of a hot streak. The thing with him is his batting avg. isn’t terrible it’s just the power hasn’t been there. We know from last year the dude can string a bunch of hits together in a short period of time. My guess is by the end of June Julio’s power numbers will look a lot better.
Corbin I’m not sure. I know from all I’ve read about him that he’s a really hard worker so I hope he breaks out of his slump.
Gunnar and Mookie both lead off but both would be great hitting in the 3 or 4 spot. I’m actually surprised the orioles don’t move Gunnar down to drive in more runs.
Yea Mookie makes sense with Othani and Freeman behind him. Unless Gunnar really wants to hit leadoff I dont really understand that one. I get the theory of having the best hitters at the very top to get them the most possible at bats. Trout spent most of his career hitting 2nd and the Braves and Padres have Acuna and Tatis leading off most of the time, but Acuna and Tatis can also fly around the basepaths.
Gunnar isnt slow, but he isnt fast either and he basically never runs anyways. Even going by the theory hitting 2nd seems a lot more fitting for him
It really does seem like a bit of a waste to have guys with a lot of power leading off
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Mathematically the lead off hitter sees the most ABs and that’s the reasoning employed. I can see the reasoning vs the argument that one of those ABs comes with no one on.
It doesnt seem like the difference in ABs between lead off and 2 hole would be enough to offset the value of the ABs you would get hitting 2nd when the lead off hitter gets on.
Missouri 14 OSU 3
It’s probably some small percentage difference. Same as 2nd vs 3rd and so on to a probability cliff based on WHIP average or something.
I haven’t given it much thought. That’s just the logic I’ve seen / heard touted. FWIW.
Julio Rodriguez just hit another home run so he has two in the last two games.
Meanwhile on the royals telecast they just said Randy Arozarena has the lowest batting avg. of any regular player at .158 and he just struck out and the bat went flying. 😆
Also Bobby Witt just homered again while I’ve been typing so for here on out I’ll be typing on here whenever Bobby Baseball is at the plate. 😂
Its some Bill James stuff but really 2nds a better spot for the power guys that arent speedsters or dont run much.
For the Os I can get the if it isnt broke dont fix it approach for this year, but Id have Gunnar hitting 2 next year
Missouri 14 OSU 3
I agree with you there. I would be hitting him 2nd. Like Contreras on the brewers. That does seem to be a good spot. Especially considering all of the reverse split metrics we track these days. It’s almost better to alternate OBP and power. Rather than left vs right.
As good as Gunnar and Mookie are, it’s hard to believe there’s a shortstop with more total bases than either of them….
Bobby 119
Gunnar 116
Mookie 115
With Mookie leading off and Ohtani, Freddie and Will Smith hitting behind him the amount of runs mookie has scored has to be incredible. So………….
Runs scored…..
Bobby 48
Mookie 41
Gunnar 39
Since Bobby is better defensively than those two it looks like I’ve established who is the best SS in the game.
Our third base coach screwed up big time in today’s game. Down 4-1 in ninth inning, one out and Bobby on second and Vinnie on first, Salvy hits a sharp single to left and Arozarena throws out Bobby at home.
And I mean SHARPLY hit, should have never been sent. We would have bases loaded with one out, why was it so important for Bobby to score there, it would have only been 2-4.
Talk about a third base coach killing a potential rally. 😩
Witt is a stud no doubt. Calling Mookie a SS still seems weird. Ill be curious how many years that lasts.
Missouri 14 OSU 3
In just a couple games Julio Rodriguez has raised his slugging percentage from .306 to .340, he had 3 hits today. I’m guessing June will be a very good month for him.
I’ll be following the players in this thread through the season basically I’m a fan of all of them. How long does Judge stay scorching hot? Corbin had a triple today maybe he can establish some consistency and get back to performing like he did last year?
I just like posting about baseball. If anyone has anything to say about any player and how they’re doing feel free to post here.
Hopefully the Acuna Knee injury isnt significant but doesnt look good
Missouri 14 OSU 3
And he's still miles ahead of Javi Baez overall. Baez has a 43 OPS+. Randy is at 65.
MLB network is saying Acuna is out for the season with a torn ACL.
I didn’t realize Baez was struggling that bad. He had some good years with the Cubs.
Dam thats a shame. Those non contact knee injuries usually end up being that but was hoping he just sprained it.
Hes previously torn his right ACL so that will now mean hes had ACL surgery on both knees at a young age
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Yeah it sucks. It looked like his bat was heating up and now this happens.
Worst part too is now you have to \wonder what his career will end up looking like. Were already probably not going to get to see what Othani can really do as a two way player with his 2 TJs and now Acuna with two ACLs
Missouri 14 OSU 3
The surgery tends to go well but there is a push towards longer recovery intervals for ACLs now. Maybe he starts as DH next season.
Wow I’m getting old. I was just watching highlights of royals-rays on mlb network and they showed a ninth inning that was completely different from what I saw and I watched the whole game. (Or so I thought)
Turns out the ninth inning I described above was actually the eighth inning and I turned the game off because I thought it was over.
KC actually got the bases loaded in the ninth and Bobby couldn’t come through so they still lost 1-4. 😩
Bo Bichette is a guy I follow a little bit since I loved watching his father play
He needs to turn his bat around, a near .300 hitter and he is struggling around the the ,240 mark as well
https://nypost.com/2024/05/26/sports/ronald-acuna-jr-out-for-season-with-acl-tear-in-braves-injury-blow/amp/
Acuna is confirmed to be out for the season
6 years ago, he was MVP runner-up. Now he's the worst hitter in the majors.
Baez’s poor performance basically since ‘18 bothers me most because he was the only thing between Yelich and the triple crown that season. That’s baseball I guess.
This is why the royals need to pick up a corner outfielder before the trade deadline.
![](https://us.v-cdn.net/6027503/uploads/editor/ce/ytg0ut00dreh.jpeg)
Judge now has 20 home runs, 14 of them in May. I honestly think I would take him over Ohtani at least this year since he’s just a DH.
Juan Soto is off to a beastly start as well
Someones going to do something really stupid with Soto in the offseason
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Like offer him the biggest contract in MLB history?
Because I was thinking the exact same thing
15 years 1Bln
Let’s do it!
Something along those lines. I dont think his actual number will beat Othanis, but given the absurd amount of money Othani deferred for a decade I could see the true value being higher. Sotos already said hes just going to go wherever he gets paid the most.
I'm still suspicious of his age. He signed with the Nats before the crack down in the Dominican Republic by police and MLB occurred from the wide spread age manipulation that was happening. I dont like his defense at all either. I wouldnt sign him but someones going to throw some massive deal at him, wouldnt even be surprised if it was like a 14 year one
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Corey Seager started out slowly, but I wouldn't be surprised if by the end of the year Seager surpasses Gunnar.
Current OPS+
Gunnar 177
Seager 139
My prediction for the end of the year:
Gunnar 149
Seager 154
Baseball is a brutal game. It is very hard keeping that OPS+ that high for 160 games.
I’m going to say Seager and Gunnar will both wind up around the 160 area.
5 players suspended by MLB for gambling. Padres minor leaguer who was nothing special got a lifetime ban. The other 4 got 1 year. Not that the As are relevant but Michael Kelly is the significant one of the group
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Looks like we have a new Angel Hernandez
This has to be the worst ejection in the history of baseball
https://x.com/Bobby_Blanco/status/1801325194763768215
Missouri 14 OSU 3
Gunnar is proving us both wrong so far. In the last 3 weeks he’s raised his OPS+ 11 points to 188. Hope he keeps it up but I sure wish the Orioles would have swept Cleveland instead of only winning 1 of 3. 😩
Absolutely is! Kid is for real.