Floors Are Easily Reachable; Ceilings Are Not
Posted: Sat Nov 19, 2016 11:45 am
I have a problem. I can't go to a doctor or psychiatrist...unless they know their baseball.
The preblem being that I can't fully get behind Xander Bogaerts. I should be able to. I believe that Bogaerts is a darned fine hitter. Still, when it comes to draft day, I ALWAYS find a better option. Even at his own position.
It's like a good looking girl throwing herself at you, and you resist for no apparent reason.
Bogaerts won the Silver Slugger Award in 2015. And again in 2016.
In fact, every American League infielder repeated in receiving the award.
For those of you too disinterested to look it up, that would be Miguel Cabrera at 1b, Jose Altuve at 2b, Josh Donaldson at 3b, and Bogaerts at SS.
All, except for Bogaerts, are first round picks in most NFBC drafts.
So maybe I am not alone in my feelings on Bogaerts.
What sets Bogaerts apart from Miggy, Altuve, and Donaldson is that he doesn't have the power of Cabrera or Donaldson, nor the speed of Altuve.
We fantasy players love us some power and speed!
Bogaerts is a volume guy. He gets a lot of runs scored and rbi because of the company he keeps. The Red Sox almost always have a stacked lineup. Bogaerts hits in the middle of that lineup, so runs and rbi follow like he is a pied piper.
2015- .320/84/7/81/10
2016- .294/115/21/89/13
Bogaerts did exactly what his owners had hoped for between 2015-16.
Most saying, "I would gladly give up some of that average for power and speed!"
Voila!
Wish granted!
And with David Ortiz having a herculean year, Bogaerts runs rose by more than 30.
We couldn't ask for more. Well, we're fantasy players, so we always ask for more, but he gave us everything expected and more.
So, here we are after that fantastic 2016 season and I'm still not giving Bogaerts his due. With those numbers, he should be at least smelling the first round.
He isn't.
I've been in five drafts this year.
He's gone in the second round once.
Third round four times.
Maybe other drafters have the same feelings as I.
Or maybe they're thinking less numbers with Ortiz out of the picture.
Or maybe the greatness of shortstops flourishing around baseball this year have kept him down.
Correa, Seager, Lindor, Story, and Jonathon Villar all being taken before Bogaerts in drafts.
I believe it all goes back to our lust of power and speed.
Even though Bogaerts improved his power and speed numbers from '15 to '16, there was no hint of a breakout in either column.
So, we are 'stuck' with a .300 hitter who fills categories.
There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, if we were comparing floors and not ceilings of all the shortstops mentioned, Bogaerts may grade the highest.
But again, we are fantasy baseball drafters.
We don't look at floors in the first few rounds. We are filled with wide-eyed expectations of what a Correa could do if he had his best year.
Lindor, 30-30?
It could happen for him.
Not for Bogaerts.
Bogaerts looks destined to be a supporting character, while others get the starring role.
BUT, it wasn't Correa or Lindor who won the Silver Slugger.
It was Bogaerts.
When players don't reach their ceilings, that floor player comes in mighty handy.
I must go against those 'ceiling feelings' and select Bogaerts in a draft this year.
If not, I will have to look up a doctor or psychiatrist who does know baseball.
The preblem being that I can't fully get behind Xander Bogaerts. I should be able to. I believe that Bogaerts is a darned fine hitter. Still, when it comes to draft day, I ALWAYS find a better option. Even at his own position.
It's like a good looking girl throwing herself at you, and you resist for no apparent reason.
Bogaerts won the Silver Slugger Award in 2015. And again in 2016.
In fact, every American League infielder repeated in receiving the award.
For those of you too disinterested to look it up, that would be Miguel Cabrera at 1b, Jose Altuve at 2b, Josh Donaldson at 3b, and Bogaerts at SS.
All, except for Bogaerts, are first round picks in most NFBC drafts.
So maybe I am not alone in my feelings on Bogaerts.
What sets Bogaerts apart from Miggy, Altuve, and Donaldson is that he doesn't have the power of Cabrera or Donaldson, nor the speed of Altuve.
We fantasy players love us some power and speed!
Bogaerts is a volume guy. He gets a lot of runs scored and rbi because of the company he keeps. The Red Sox almost always have a stacked lineup. Bogaerts hits in the middle of that lineup, so runs and rbi follow like he is a pied piper.
2015- .320/84/7/81/10
2016- .294/115/21/89/13
Bogaerts did exactly what his owners had hoped for between 2015-16.
Most saying, "I would gladly give up some of that average for power and speed!"
Voila!
Wish granted!
And with David Ortiz having a herculean year, Bogaerts runs rose by more than 30.
We couldn't ask for more. Well, we're fantasy players, so we always ask for more, but he gave us everything expected and more.
So, here we are after that fantastic 2016 season and I'm still not giving Bogaerts his due. With those numbers, he should be at least smelling the first round.
He isn't.
I've been in five drafts this year.
He's gone in the second round once.
Third round four times.
Maybe other drafters have the same feelings as I.
Or maybe they're thinking less numbers with Ortiz out of the picture.
Or maybe the greatness of shortstops flourishing around baseball this year have kept him down.
Correa, Seager, Lindor, Story, and Jonathon Villar all being taken before Bogaerts in drafts.
I believe it all goes back to our lust of power and speed.
Even though Bogaerts improved his power and speed numbers from '15 to '16, there was no hint of a breakout in either column.
So, we are 'stuck' with a .300 hitter who fills categories.
There is nothing wrong with that. In fact, if we were comparing floors and not ceilings of all the shortstops mentioned, Bogaerts may grade the highest.
But again, we are fantasy baseball drafters.
We don't look at floors in the first few rounds. We are filled with wide-eyed expectations of what a Correa could do if he had his best year.
Lindor, 30-30?
It could happen for him.
Not for Bogaerts.
Bogaerts looks destined to be a supporting character, while others get the starring role.
BUT, it wasn't Correa or Lindor who won the Silver Slugger.
It was Bogaerts.
When players don't reach their ceilings, that floor player comes in mighty handy.
I must go against those 'ceiling feelings' and select Bogaerts in a draft this year.
If not, I will have to look up a doctor or psychiatrist who does know baseball.