Vitters Still a Work in Progress

AFL coverage from Jason Grey with a mixed review of Josh Vitters. Also some info on Blake Parker.

16 days ago mykalmorgan 19 comments 0 recs |

Comments

yep

nothing new here on Vitters. It’s the same thing discussed at length about him.

He needs to be more selective, take some more walks through selectiveness, and get into better hitters counts. Toonsterwu wrote specifically about his p/pa being in the low 3’s.

12 walks over a full season is patheticly low.

by socalbob on Nov 4, 2009 3:35 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I'm not too big on following prospects

but I do a little. I knew Vitters didn’t walk NEARLY enough, but I also didn’t realize that he had struck out only 65 times. I’m thinking that those swings with weak contact are going to turn into swings and misses as he faces better pitching if he isn’t able to be more selective.

http://www.fivetoolfans.com

by mykalmorgan on Nov 4, 2009 3:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

to give full credit

I saw that at another site. I just don’t recall what site (wasn’t a Cubs site)

by toonsterwu on Nov 4, 2009 6:25 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

If we are having this conversation

in 3 years, then I will have concern. Improve Josh, that is all we ask

by Grockcubs on Nov 4, 2009 4:06 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Please don't post ESPN insider links

Most of us don’t bother with a subscription.

Fontenot (fon-te-no): Cajun for "scrappy"

by zambranofan on Nov 4, 2009 6:25 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

Good point.

by Grockcubs on Nov 5, 2009 5:31 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Sorry, didn't even think about it.

My brothers and I split a subscription.

http://www.fivetoolfans.com

by mykalmorgan on Nov 5, 2009 4:46 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Josh Vitters is at a professional crossroads

2010 will be his make or break year in the minors. Looking objectively at things right now he simply doesn’t look major league projectable. He needs to get his game on the right track at High A ball in 2010. I think at the end of next season we will have enough perspective on his game to say what kind of major league future he does or does not have.

"Cubs will win 79 to 83 games." BLou (7/21/09)

by BLou on Nov 4, 2009 9:28 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Just a bit outside

This seems a bit dramatic.. How old is the kid? (help, too lazy to check myself).

Besides we know he’s a work in progress otherwise he’d be on the team.

"I'd rather hit home runs you don't have to run as hard." -- Dave Kingman

by BucknerKongCardenal on Nov 5, 2009 12:03 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

this is false

please no one pay this any mind. Please. He is not at a crossroads unless you count the crossroads as someone who is 20 in which the average age is 23. And he is gonna be a top 100 maybe top 50 prospect.

4, 8, 15, 16, 23, 42

by fischisgod on Nov 5, 2009 12:48 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Crossroads is a bit dramatic

however, if he has a sub-par season, and continues to be impatient at the dish, then I think his stock will drop. Guys headed to the show generally show progress every year, and if you can’t do that in A ball, you may not do it at all. I still think he’ll be a good if not great MLBer.

Scott Bora$ is satan.

by Canadian Cubs Fan on Nov 5, 2009 6:45 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

20

Vitters turned 20 at the end of August, meaning he’ll play most of next year at 20 (and played most of THIS year at 19). If he’s still having this problem at 22 I’ll be more inclined to write him off.

by Bradsbeard on Nov 5, 2009 11:27 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

this seems to be a bit of the Anti-Blou

sentiment more than reality.

I would argue that Vitters is at a crossroads. Why? He was the #3 pick of the draft and we expect him to be a “star” player. Not some fringe prospect with serious flaws. Price, Weiters, Porcello, Detweiler, LaPorta, Parker, Bumgarner, & Heyward are from the same draft. Price is the only guy we couldn’t select and Vitters is far below the other guys listed.

The problem I have with Vitters is the guy didn’t even hit .400 in High School. Yep, a sub .400 average in High School. There are probably over 100 BCB’ers who hit .400 in H.S.—it’s not that hard. Not actually stellar performance by Vitters. So how did he get drafted so high? Because he got a couple of hits in a camp off of Rick Porcello who was thought to be the #1 player heading into the draft. And he also hit a few HR’s in a BP/HR Derby.

Lots to like with the eyes—size, pretty swing, quick bat, some pop—but his performance has major flaws and holes. This is the classic dilemma posed by Moneyball—eyes versus performance. Vitters passes the eye test easily, but is not passing the performance test. His flaw will hold him back. So, if that flaw is not treated or fixed, he most certainly is at a crossroads in 2010. I agree with BLou on this. Patience at the dish is of the utmost importance. Hitting a strike is not the same as hitting a hitter’s strike, not a pitcher’s strike. Hitting pitcher’s strikes results in 4-3 and 6-3 all day long—and the pitching he faces will improve as he moves up. He has to wait for better pitches to hit, not just hit the first strike thrown. This is a HUGE development year for him.

by socalbob on Nov 5, 2009 2:22 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I've never seen Vitters play...

…but you would hope he was starting to show fairly significant progress the last couple of years. Also, when a guy swings at as many pitches as he does, it is pretty much locked in his hitting mentality and it’s unlikely he ever becomes mr. patient at the plate.

I’m not writing the guy off by any means, but you raise some very valid points for a guy who was drafted this high.

IMO, I believe Ricketts will take a hard look at how the Cubs prospects look at the end of 2010 when he evaluates Hendry and his gang. If it doesn’t look like the arrow is pointing up, it could be the final nail in Hendry’s coffin.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Nov 5, 2009 4:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

agreed

it is in his mentality—he is a swinger. I don’t think he’ll ever become a walk machine, but if he can become “selective agressive” instead of aggressive, he’ll improve much more. And the game experience will help him understand when guys are pitching around him and not to bite at fringe pitches.

I think he is one of those guys that has excellent eye/hand coordination and can “hit” any pitch in any location. I’ll revert back to the Ted Williams baseball hitting box—if you hit .195 against a knee high outside corner pitch and hit .480 on a belt-high inside half pitch, then wait for the better pitch even if you need to take a strike or two. I’m not sure Vitters will take a strike that he may not be as successful with (as his 3 pitches per at bat would suggest). And that will be exposed as the competition is better as he moves up.

by socalbob on Nov 5, 2009 6:18 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Agree...

…I read that Williams book a million times when I was in high school.

"I don't like them fellas that drive in two runs but let in three" Casey Stengel

by MPH73 on Nov 5, 2009 11:08 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

DAMMIT

I knew someone would bring up that bullshit statistic from 3 years ago when he was drafted. Do I have to dig up the list I made of major league player who succeeded even without reaching that ridiculous “standard”?

HIGH SCHOOL STATS ARE LESS THAN WORTHLESS WHEN IT COMES TO EVALUATING PROSPECTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I reject your reality and substitute my own.

by WayneCampbell08 on Nov 5, 2009 6:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

yes, dig it up

because the best players have success. It’s a random occurrence that a player sucks in high school (and sub .400 for the #3 pick in the draft is not good) and becomes a MLB star. I’ll bet 99% of the top 20 hitters in the AL and NL last year all hit above .400 in High School.

Show me the list and I’ll change my tune.

BTW, instead of critiquing everyone’s posts, why don’t you actually post instead of playing Siskel and Ebert? You offer nothing but take shots at everyone.

by socalbob on Nov 5, 2009 6:26 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Vitters IS at a crossroads

I didn’t write the kid off by any means. What I did say is that 2010 looms large for Vitters. But alas, there are members of this board who will forever paper over the deficiencies of a Cub prospect in deference to his chronological age on the calendar.

Remember the fierce defense of Felix Pie….“he’s only 21….he’s only 22…..he’s only 23 !!!!”

What we know right now is that if the Cubs had a “do over” in the 2007 draft there is a snowball’s chance in hell they would select Vitters with the # 4 pick. Right now his major league projectability is far from certain, let alone predictions of stardom for crying out loud.

"Cubs will win 79 to 83 games." BLou (7/21/09)

by BLou on Nov 5, 2009 9:43 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs