Before I get into this article, please respond to these two Twitter/ X polls that I posted.
Which if these hit the best per wRC+? Please answer without looking.
2023 Jake Meyers
2023 Jose Abreu
2022 Yuli Gurriel
Which if these hit the worst per wRC+? Please answer without looking.
2023 Jake Meyers
2023 Jose Abreu
2022 Yuli Gurriel
You may be wondering why I ask these questions.
This week I wrote about the plans the Astros shared about planning to start the season with Jake Meyers in at least a part time starting role in CF.
Frankly, I was confused by the almost visceral response to me repeating what the GM said. It was like most people were not aware that the answer to the best question was Jake Meyers and the worst question was Yuli Gurriel. The results of my polls do not show that. People apparently know. Maybe people looked it up because they know how my polls work.
Here is the data
​ | wRC+ | WAR |
Meyers 2023 | 88 | 1.7 |
Abreu 2023 | 86 | -0.6 |
Gurriel 2022 | 85 | -0.9 |
Maldonado 2023 | 66 | -1.2 |
The point is Meyers, while playing tremendous defense at a very important position, OUT HIT the first basemen we had playing below average defense while the team won the World Series and lost in the ALCS.
I will repeat two things I said in that article.
"They (the Astros) also know the offense is going to have a massive improvement without Maldy and a year of normal Abreu.
If the Astros are THAT good at the rest of the positions and Meyers plays the plus plus defense he does, the Astros would be fine with his 91 wRC+ projected bat batting ninth."
I am NOT saying Meyers will be better than Abreu in 2024.
​ | Proj 2024 wRC+ | Career wRC+ | Age in 2024 |
Meyers 2023 | 91 | 88 | 28 |
Abreu 2023 | 109 | 128 | 37 |
Gurriel 2022 | 95 | 108 | 40 |
I am saying Meyers is NOT the offensive wasteland that so many apparently think he is. His numbers in 2023 were exactly his career average, and his numbers in 2024 project him to be slightly better than that career average in his year 28 season.
My confusion is this. This fan base was filled with angst and frustration that Yuli Gurriel was allowed to leave after his 2022 season that was worse than Meyer's 2023 season. That same Astros fan base is filled with angst right now that Meyers is probably starting 75% of the games in CF in 2024 while having a better season than Abreu in 2023 and Gurriel in 2022. Meyers is at his prime and the two first basemen are some of the oldest players in the game. Like I said I find the response here confusing.
The good news is that at least a plurality of people answering my polls seem to understand the truth.
If you did not read the Meyers article before, now please go read it.
Please let me know what you think.
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