Fall ball stock report

[Todd4State]

This is based on what I am hearing and how players are performing more than anything. I'm sure it will look totally different come opening day. But....


P- Daniel Brown/Fitts piggy backing
P- Ross
P- Preston Brown/Laster piggy backing

Dakota Hudson has a back injury, but should be back soon. Austin Sexton has looked really good too.

Closers- Zac Houston and Jacob Billingsley.

C- Gavin Collins
1B- Wes Rea
2B- Heck
3B- Britton
SS- Holland
LF- Brent Rooker
CF- Jacob Robson
RF- Reid Humphreys
DH- Luke Reynolds

One thing about this lineup that I like is with Rooker and Humphreys, we should have more power from that alone. Rooker is also very fast and can cover the OF very well, so he could be a guy that steals a few bases as well. Robson has been wreaking havoc in fall ball. He could give us an extra dimension on the bases that CT never really gave us to my satisfaction. Wes Rea has been tearing it up as well.

This is a much better lineup than what we had last year from an offensive standpoint. We also have a lot of veteran pitchers who are upper classmen even though I don't think any of them are elite Stratton type guys. I do think Hudson has that type of potential, but we'll see how his back holds up.

[HoopsDawg]

That's pretty close to what I see except that Reynolds has been very good at 3rd. He doesn't have Britton's cannon (few do), but by Reynolds playing 3rd it would allow Vickerson or Ingram to DH which would really give us a good offensive lineup and we are plenty good defensively as well.

[Todd4State]

You are right about Reynolds arm vs. Britton's arm, but there's one thing that people need to remember about that. The fastest person in the world can not outrun a thrown baseball unless it is misplayed or hit very slowly to where the fielder has to run and get the ball before throwing it.

So, in that sense if Reynolds is a better hitter than Britton, he could very well be the third baseman.

[messageboardsuperhero]

I have a hard time seeing both Vickerson and Brown left out of the lineup... We've got so many options though. Robson winning the CF job and playing to his potential would bode very well for us.

There's no way our lineup is going to struggle as much in 2015 as we did in 2014. Collins will be better, Rea should bounce back, Humphreys will be experienced, Vickerson will be better, Reynolds will give us another option, etc. We will be a better offensive team next year. No doubt in my mind.

[HoopsDawg]

Yeah and I am still skeptical on Robson. He needs to continue the hot bat for more than 4 scrimmages. Cody Brown in CF, Vickerson, in LF, and Humphrey's in RF is something we may see on opening day. Then maybe Rooker at DH. No real weakness up and down the order.

[maroonmania]

Yeah and I am still skeptical on Robson. He needs to continue the hot bat for more than 4 scrimmages. Cody Brown in CF, Vickerson, in LF, and Humphrey's in RF is something we may see on opening day. Then maybe Rooker at DH. No real weakness up and down the order.

So what exactly was the deal with Robson last year? I've heard here he had some kind of injury but he seriously had a lot of trouble just getting bat on ball. He was essentially a strike out machine. Would love to see him get back in the groove for the upcoming season.

[Smitty]

So what exactly was the deal with Robson last year? I've heard here he had some kind of injury but he seriously had a lot of trouble just getting bat on ball. He was essentially a strike out machine. Would love to see him get back in the groove for the upcoming season.

Really had only 4 games worth of AB's.

[CadaverDawg]

I don't like hearing Hudson is out. Back injuries can be nagging for extended lengths

[War Machine Dawg]

I'm not enamored with 2/3 of our rotation being a piggyback situation and with Real Deal still starting. Hopefully Sexton, Hudson, and Preston step up, leaving no doubt as to our rotation. I'd put Real Deal back in the pen as the #1 long reliever/piggyback. He's a very good starter, but an elite long reliever. Plus, his stuff is just more effective after you've been trying to catch up to a power pitcher earlier in the game. Not too worried about pitching on the whole, though. Butch will find a way for us to be effective on the bump, even if it isn't traditional.

I'm not sold on Rea having finally flipped the switch at the plate. If he doesn't come out of the gate smoking, he needs to go to the bench. As I've said before, 1B is an offensive position. You put guys there who can hit but don't have a defensive home. If Rea doesn't hit, and hit for power, he needs to sit so we put someone there who will hit.

Also don't like the idea that Cody Brown isn't in the lineup. The kid can PLAY and was a big part of our team by the end of last season as a freshman. Robson has skill, but he hasn't translated it to the field yet. But if he's really flipped the switch, he could well be the prototypical leadoff guy we've been looking for. The good news is we should have a ton of options at the plate this year, assuming The Tinkerer will let a lineup settle in and not start a different lineup every damn game like he did last season. We've got the "problem" of too much depth.....I hope.

What's the word on Swinarksi? Methinks he could be a factor as a power bat, perhaps at DH or a late inning PH.

[Todd4State]

So what exactly was the deal with Robson last year? I've heard here he had some kind of injury but he seriously had a lot of trouble just getting bat on ball. He was essentially a strike out machine. Would love to see him get back in the groove for the upcoming season.

He had a ulnar nerve injury that they had to operate on and he also had mono on top of all that.

[Todd4State]

I'm not enamored with 2/3 of our rotation being a piggyback situation and with Real Deal still starting. Hopefully Sexton, Hudson, and Preston step up, leaving no doubt as to our rotation. I'd put Real Deal back in the pen as the #1 long reliever/piggyback. He's a very good starter, but an elite long reliever. Plus, his stuff is just more effective after you've been trying to catch up to a power pitcher earlier in the game. Not too worried about pitching on the whole, though. Butch will find a way for us to be effective on the bump, even if it isn't traditional.

I'm not sold on Rea having finally flipped the switch at the plate. If he doesn't come out of the gate smoking, he needs to go to the bench. As I've said before, 1B is an offensive position. You put guys there who can hit but don't have a defensive home. If Rea doesn't hit, and hit for power, he needs to sit so we put someone there who will hit.

Also don't like the idea that Cody Brown isn't in the lineup. The kid can PLAY and was a big part of our team by the end of last season as a freshman. Robson has skill, but he hasn't translated it to the field yet. But if he's really flipped the switch, he could well be the prototypical leadoff guy we've been looking for. The good news is we should have a ton of options at the plate this year, assuming The Tinkerer will let a lineup settle in and not start a different lineup every damn game like he did last season. We've got the "problem" of too much depth.....I hope.

What's the word on Swinarksi? Methinks he could be a factor as a power bat, perhaps at DH or a late inning PH.

I hear you on the rotation. I want Hudson, Sexton, and Tatum to step up and take the spots in the rotation and have a normal staff for once.

Swinarski had a concussion in summer ball this year. I think they are probably going to be careful with him for now. He also ran into Cody Brown in a scrimmage and he has been sitting as a precaution.

[Pioneer Dawg]

I'm not enamored with 2/3 of our rotation being a piggyback situation and with Real Deal still starting. Hopefully Sexton, Hudson, and Preston step up, leaving no doubt as to our rotation. I'd put Real Deal back in the pen as the #1 long reliever/piggyback. He's a very good starter, but an elite long reliever. Plus, his stuff is just more effective after you've been trying to catch up to a power pitcher earlier in the game. Not too worried about pitching on the whole, though. Butch will find a way for us to be effective on the bump, even if it isn't traditional.

I'm not sold on Rea having finally flipped the switch at the plate. If he doesn't come out of the gate smoking, he needs to go to the bench. As I've said before, 1B is an offensive position. You put guys there who can hit but don't have a defensive home. If Rea doesn't hit, and hit for power, he needs to sit so we put someone there who will hit.

Also don't like the idea that Cody Brown isn't in the lineup. The kid can PLAY and was a big part of our team by the end of last season as a freshman. Robson has skill, but he hasn't translated it to the field yet. But if he's really flipped the switch, he could well be the prototypical leadoff guy we've been looking for. The good news is we should have a ton of options at the plate this year, assuming The Tinkerer will let a lineup settle in and not start a different lineup every damn game like he did last season. We've got the "problem" of too much depth.....I hope.

What's the word on Swinarksi? Methinks he could be a factor as a power bat, perhaps at DH or a late inning PH.


I'm sure it will look totally different come opening day.

Nobody knows shit at this point WMD. Don't worry.

I'll believe Preston Brown starting when I see it.