Mark Reynolds is the next Mike Schmidt

[PDXChris]

They are identical in size and put up very similar numbers in there first few years. They also came into MLB at the same age.

Mike's first full three years
1973 132 games, 18 HR's, 52 RBI's, 136 SO's, .196 BA, .324 slugging, 17 Errors
1974 162 games, 36 HR's, 116 RBO's, 138 SO's (led league), .282 BA, .546 slugging, 26 errors
1975 158 game, 38 HR's, 95 RBI's, 180 SO's (led league), .249 BA, .523 slugging, 24 errors

Marks fist three years
2007 111 games, 17 HR's, 62 RBI's, 129 SO's, .279 BA .495 slugging, 11 erros
2008 152 games 28 HR's, 97 RBI's, 204 SO's, .239 BA, .458 slugging, 34 errors
2009 (Project stats) 160 games, 47 HR's, 119 RBI',s 223 SO's, .269 BA, .567 slugging, 24 errors

Marks third year is going to match Mikes MVP year of 1980. By the way, Mike got his strike outs down over time and I think Mark will too.

 

[BC867]

It's a good path to follow. Although I'd still like to see Mark moved to 1B permanently.

BTW, I was visiting my sister back east in Cherry Hill NJ and took my nephew to see the Phillies the night that Mike Schmidt came to bat wearing a big black wig under his hat. He had done something embarassing just prior to that, although I don't remember what it was.

The entire ballpark cracked up and it endeared him to the tough Philly fans.

Does anyone remember what it was he had to live down?

 

[devilalum]

You do realize that 223 Ks would be a new record. He still really needs to work on that.

 

[Ryanwb]

It's a good path to follow. Although I'd still like to see Mark moved to 1B permanently.

BTW, I was visiting my sister back east in Cherry Hill NJ and took my nephew to see the Phillies the night that Mike Schmidt came to bat wearing a big black wig under his hat. He had done something embarassing just prior to that, although I don't remember what it was.

The entire ballpark cracked up and it endeared him to the tough Philly fans.

Does anyone remember what it was he had to live down?

I saw this in an interview on WGN about 15 years ago. If I recall.... The Phillies moved him to first base because he was declining a little bit in the field. Both Schmidt and the fans didn't take too kindly to it. I guess the fans were booing when Schmidt was at firstbase (again I'm foggy on this part). To show a little moxy and to let the fans know he knew they were on his side.... he wore the wig. The entire stadium roared with laughter and cheers

He was back at 3rd pretty quickly after that

That's how I remember it, one of our resident Philly fans can correct my recollection

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Looks like Kelly Gruber

 

[PDXChris]

You do realize that 223 Ks would be a new record. He still really needs to work on that.

If he was hitting .220, then I would have a problem, but he is hitting around .270, so to me 50 more fly outs rather than the 223 K's make no difference to me. At least he is staying out of the DP unlike some of the others on this team.

 

[Mulli]

If he was hitting .220, then I would have a problem, but he is hitting around .270, so to me 50 more fly outs rather than the 223 K's make no difference to me. At least he is staying out of the DP unlike some of the others on this team.

I tend to agree, but to be the next Mike Schmidt? I dunno.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Far too early to make this comparison... I mean, Schmidt did have 548 career dingers and more than 1,500 RBI's over his 18 season. He also had:

12 All-Star Appearances
3 MVP's
1 World Series MVP
10 Gold Gloves

and averaged 105 strikeouts over his career...

Reynolds shows some serious promise, however I don't see him matching many of the numbers that help Mike reach the Hall of Fame.

 

[Mulli]

Far too early to make this comparison... I mean, Schmidt did have 548 career dingers and more than 1,500 RBI's over his 18 season. He also had:

12 All-Star Appearances
3 MVP's
1 World Series MVP
10 Gold Gloves

and averaged 105 strikeouts over his career...

Reynolds shows some serious promise, however I don't see him matching many of the numbers that help Mike reach the Hall of Fame.

And Michael Jack did that in a completely different era playing in some ginormous stadiums.

 

[Mulli]

Fun discussion nevertheless.

 

[PDXChris]

Far too early to make this comparison... I mean, Schmidt did have 548 career dingers and more than 1,500 RBI's over his 18 season. He also had:

12 All-Star Appearances
3 MVP's
1 World Series MVP
10 Gold Gloves

and averaged 105 strikeouts over his career...

Reynolds shows some serious promise, however I don't see him matching many of the numbers that help Mike reach the Hall of Fame.

Say what you want, but Mark will have a better year this year than most of Schmidt's years. There early numbers are very similar.

 

[devilalum]

If he was hitting .220, then I would have a problem, but he is hitting around .270, so to me 50 more fly outs rather than the 223 K's make no difference to me. At least he is staying out of the DP unlike some of the others on this team.

He's going to obliterate the K record.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Say what you want, but Mark will have a better year this year than most of Schmidt's years. There early numbers are very similar.

Dude - I like Reynolds so don't think I'm trying to cut him down or something...
However, you're comparing guys who played in totally different eras... Does Reynolds face the sort of pitching Schmidt faced on a consistent basis? Was the ball as juiced then as it is now. Where does Reyndolds rank among his current contemporaries? Will he see an All-Star game, let alone make 12 appearances?? Will he be so superior vs his peers as to win a Gold Glove, let alone 10 of them??
Who knows... maybe he will. But from what I've seen, I'm not so sure...

 

[trueherotillman]

He's going to obliterate the K record.

Actually, Chris Davis has 5 more strikeouts in 3 less GP. HE'S going to break the record, as long as Texas doesn't call up Smoak to take his place.

 

[PDXChris]

He's going to obliterate the K record.

I still do not see your point. If he hits 45 HR's and bats .270, who cares how many strikeouts he has. He is also gong lead the team in RBI's, SB's and Runs. Schmidt at one time was #2 on the single season K record and he turned out ok.

 

[devilalum]

I still do not see your point. If he hits 45 HR's and bats .270, who cares how many strikeouts he has. He is also gong lead the team in RBI's, SB's and Runs. Schmidt at one time was #2 on the single season K record and he turned out ok.

Balls put in play can move runners, strikeouts do nothing. All I'm sayin is he can be even better. I bet he'd have a dozen more RBIs if he struck out half as much.

 

[BC867]

Balls put in play can move runners, strikeouts do nothing. All I'm sayin is he can be even better. I bet he'd have a dozen more RBIs if he struck out half as much.

Interesting discussion. Remember, Babe Ruth was the strikeout leader of his time.

Power hitters, of course, tend to put the ball in the air more often, which usually doesn't move runners.

But strikeouts and errors, in Mark's case, are the price for the RBI's, runs scored and stolen bases. How I wish we had a cleanup hitter, so Reynolds could bat in the spot most suited for him, #5.

A solid 3-4-5 combination puts a team into contention. A solid 3-4 leaves the team lacking. Neither Drew nor Parra are suited for the middle of the batting order.

Aside from our pathetic bullpen, I believe this is our second most glaring deficiency and why our record is one of the worst in MLB.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Interesting discussion. Remember, Babe Ruth was the strikeout leader of his time.

Power hitters, of course, tend to put the ball in the air more often, which usually doesn't move runners.

But strikeouts and errors, in Mark's case, are the price for the RBI's, runs scored and stolen bases. How I wish we had a cleanup hitter, so Reynolds could bat in the spot most suited for him, #5.

A solid 3-4-5 combination puts a team into contention. A solid 3-4 leaves the team lacking. Neither Drew nor Parra are suited for the middle of the batting order.

Aside from our pathetic bullpen, I believe this is our second most glaring deficiency and why our record is one of the worst in MLB.

1.) Chris Young
2.) Everything else...

 

[DWKB]

Balls put in play can move runners, strikeouts do nothing. All I'm sayin is he can be even better. I bet he'd have a dozen more RBIs if he struck out half as much.

This is a silly assumption. He could easily lose his tempo or aggressiveness and end up with two dozen less RBIs.

Balls in play can advance a runner, which adds a minimum chance increasing your runs produced vs GIDP that drastically reduces your runs produced argues against you.

BTW, according to baseball-reference.com Mark Reynolds #1 similar player at age 24 is Mike Schmidt (and the other way around), but that doesn't guarantee he will have the same career and become a HOF like Schmidt. Scmidt was hounded his whole career for striking out too much by the fickle and largely uneducated Philly fan base.

 

[DWKB]

How I wish we had a cleanup hitter, so Reynolds could bat in the spot most suited for him, #5.

You keep saying this and I keep asking you for backing reasoning. You've yet to address this counter to your theory about this:

http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2038672&postcount=12

 

[DWKB]

1.) Chris Young
2.) Everything else...

Not for the month of June at least:

.258/.395/.532/.927 in 76 PAs

 

[82CardsGrad]

Not for the month of June at least:

.258/.395/.532/.927 in 76 PAs

Too bad a MLB season is just slightly more than 20 games...

 

[PDXChris]

This is a silly assumption. He could easily lose his tempo or aggressiveness and end up with two dozen less RBIs.

Balls in play can advance a runner, which adds a minimum chance increasing your runs produced vs GIDP that drastically reduces your runs produced argues against you.

BTW, according to baseball-reference.com Mark Reynolds #1 similar player at age 24 is Mike Schmidt (and the other way around), but that doesn't guarantee he will have the same career and become a HOF like Schmidt. Scmidt was hounded his whole career for striking out too much by the fickle and largely uneducated Philly fan base.

Excellent post.

 

[BC867]

You keep saying this and I keep asking you for backing reasoning. You've yet to address this counter to your theory about this:
http://www.arizonasportsfans.com/vb/showpost.php?p=2038672&postcount=12

I notice you proposed Tracy/Byrnes hitting third ahead of Reynolds at cleanup. But, in all fairness, Upton had not yet been given the opportunity to prosper with a regular spot in the heart of the batting order.

My whole reasoning about Reynolds being best suited for #5 is the pitch-around factor. As all-around hot as Upton has been batting third, it is easy to give him plenty of intentional unintentional walks and take their chances with one power hitter following him, Reynolds and his high strikeout total.

Also two righties in a row is not ideal in the 3-4 spot.

If, on the other hand, we had a left-handed hitting real power threat (not Drew obviously) between Upton and Reynolds, we would see far less pitching around. You can pitch around only so many hitters in the heart of the order without having it bite you.

It also means that Reynolds' team leading stolen base figure would be opening 1B for the 6-7-8 hitters if he hit 5th, rather than the 5-6-7-8 hitters.

Again, too many pitch-around possibilities.

I've been a red hot NL baseball fan since I was a pre-teener in 1952. In all that time, heart-of-the-batting order has always meant 3-4-5. Only the weak teams have it at #3 or #4 or #3-4.

I'm curious if you agree with any of those points, DWKB.

 

[DWKB]

Too bad a MLB season is just slightly more than 20 games...

Your CY "go to" does nothing to explain why the DBacks have only won 7 games this month.