Baseball Thoughts- Pre-Exams

[Homedawg]

I am with you on Cerantola. He was not 3rd, there were preseason baseball experts saying he was a top 5 pick and even one said he could be #1. He has some stuff, how can we not pitch him an inning and see every week? Pull him if he struggles, we are wasting his time here.

Because we are trying to win. He had his shots. We can give him some work way up or way down. None of those excised this weekend. Do you all have amnesia? We didn't waste anything. And yes he might be a big league number one. He might not make it out of single a. We tried. Hate it didn't work. If he continues to show progress maybe he gets a shot in a game that we are losing down a couple or sec tourney. Otherwise he shouldn't be in there. Period.

[Really Clark?]

Hatcher was a .300 hitter as a Sophomore and the shortened 2020 season. He hit .259 as a freshman. It isn't like he has always been this bad.

I still think we should bench him though. You have to get Cumbest in the lineup somehow.

Obviously he is beyond just in a slump so what I?m about to state is not all of his problem. His averages the last two years, especially last season, have also benefitted from a high BABIP. With enough balls in play over time you get a better picture of a players actual hit ability. Some of the issues that are glaring now were always there. Lot of ground balls and roll over ground balls, very very low walk rate, low OBP, made contact on questionable pitches, etc. Honestly all things being equal he is more of a .250-.275 hitter and .300 on a good year. This year has some regression to his mean as it relates to his hit ability. Not to this disappointing degree obviously, which is where the rest of the problems of from an extended very bad slump come into play for a hitter.

[Tbonewannabe]

Obviously he is beyond just in a slump so what I?m about to state is not all of his problem. His averages the last two years, especially last season, have also benefitted from a high BABIP. With enough balls in play over time you get a better picture of a players actual hit ability. Some of the issues that are glaring now were always there. Lot of ground balls and roll over ground balls, very very low walk rate, low OBP, made contact on questionable pitches, etc. Honestly all things being equal he is more of a .250-.275 hitter and .300 on a good year. This year has some regression to his mean as it relates to his hit ability. Not to this disappointing degree obviously, which is where the rest of the problems of from an extended very bad slump come into play for a hitter.

Whatever the metrics say, he has been a .280-.320 hitter for his entire career coming into this year. Maybe he has been lucky until this slump but that is being lucky for a long time. Saying all that, he has to sit for us to go very far in the post season. I am not sure he can get his head right in enough time to help us much this year.

[HoopsDawg]

Whatever the metrics say, he has been a .280-.320 hitter for his entire career coming into this year.

What is his career conference only average?

[Coach34]

What is his career conference only average?

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190
2019- 17/65 .262
2021- 10/63. 159

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

[The Federalist Engineer]

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190
2019- 17/65 .262
2021- 10/63. 159

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

Welp, that tells me Clark should start playing ASAP. Maybe mix it up with Pimentel and Hatcher so that you get a healthy competition.

If nothing else Pimentel should get 1 AB per game to try and swat one. Like Ole Miss uses the two fat kids, Baker and Van Cleve. Hatch can be Pimentel's pinch runner if he gets a hit.

[Tbonewannabe]

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190
2019- 17/65 .262
2021- 10/63. 159

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

Damn that is bad. I definitely didn't figure he was that bad in SEC only stats. He must be hitting over 0.400 in nonconference. Just another reason to mix it up and get Cumbest in the lineup somehow. At this point do you try Clark? I know getting sick set him back but surely he can at least luck into one occasionally.

[Commercecomet24]

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190
2019- 17/65 .262
2021- 10/63. 159

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

Well that kind of puts the nail in the coffin. That shows he can't hit quality pitching. His hits and average have come from feasting on non conference pitching.

[Commercecomet24]

It's time to give Clark or anyone else a shot. Those SEC stats are mind numbingly bad and he is also an average defensive player at best.

[Todd4State]

It's time to give Clark or anyone else a shot. Those SEC stats are mind numbingly bad and he is also an average defensive player at best.

I'll be honest- I forgot about Pimentel. Whatever we do probably won't be worse.

[TNDawg35]

Why is Clark not getting more at bats? The ones I have seen he seemed patient and got some walks. Hell he has hit one bomb hasn’t he?

[basedog]

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190
2019- 17/65 .262
2021- 10/63. 159

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

Whoa.....Oh My!!!!! That is worse than one could have imagined, thanks for the info.

[Tbonewannabe]

Why is Clark not getting more at bats? The ones I have seen he seemed patient and got some walks. Hell he has hit one bomb hasn’t he?

I think he has 1 hit that was a bomb to RF. Otherwise he has struck out a bunch along with walks although he only has 10 or so ABs. The thing with him is there is a lot of potential. As a freshman, he should only get better and has power that Hatcher doesn't. Pimental also has power so if nothing else maybe you get an occasional dinger that you don't get from Hatcher.

[CadaverDawg]

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190
2019- 17/65 .262
2021- 10/63. 159

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

[CadaverDawg]

I'll be honest- I forgot about Pimentel. Whatever we do probably won't be worse.

I forgot Pimentel too...why have we not given him a chance over Hatcher??

[Commercecomet24]

I forgot Pimentel too...why have we not given him a chance over Hatcher??

Yeah I mean you look at Hatcher this year and then his total sec stats there's no way pimentel could be any worse. It's time we give Clark or pimentel a shot.

ETA and Clark would be a big upgrade defensively over Hatcher

[CadaverDawg]

Yeah I mean you look at Hatcher this year and then his total sec stats there's no way pimentel could be any worse. It's time we give Clark or pimentel a shot.

100%

Maybe make Clark the new starter and allow Pimentel some DH opportunities if Hammer doesn't start hammering more

[maroonmania]

added a few notes for those that might not remember:

Hatcher in the SEC-

2018- 16/84 .190 (began the year as a starter at 1st but eventually had to be replaced by TA at first base)
2019- 17/65 .262 (never started regularly the whole year so likely helped that pitchers really didn't have a lot on him in the scouting information)
2020- shortened season I think was his best average but never faced SEC pitching
2021- 10/63. 159 (nuff said -- he is a 4th year JR and really no better hitter than when he had to be replaced as a FR)

Career SEC Avg- 43/212 .203 career with only 9 of those being extra base hits

[Percho]

James glove is better than Hatcher?s bat and Hancock?s glove. Period end of the story.

I think James glove is ok he just hurries his throws.

[HoopsDawg]

100%

Maybe make Clark the new starter and allow Pimentel some DH opportunities if Hammer doesn't start hammering more

I wouldn't go Pimentel. I don't think he's the answer at this point and any AB's he got would take away Clark's development.