How Vernon Wells Can Help the Angels
It's behind the ESPN Insider paywall, but if you're a subscriber (what? I got it for free with some promotion), it's a good article by FanGraphs' Dayn Perry about how a smart, modern team would use Wells for what he's good at, and not set him up to fail by repeating last year. It is my hope that DiPoto will be the kind of GM to encourage this type of thinking and strategy, instead of letting Scoscia do What Has Always Been Done all the time.
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What does the article suggest for Wells? Fill us in.
Sorry, it bugs me when people link to Insider articles without giving the full rundown of the article.
Winning doesn't matter. –Lyle
Well, if they are going to use him....
It should be ion a strict platoon w/Abreu in LF. Abreu can still hit RH pitching and Wells was OK at hitting lefties last year…
That’s the only thing that makes sense.
How does this team win with this offense? Hey, anyone....DRAW A WALK!!!
Jim Scully
Jim Scully Home
by jimmuscomp on Feb 21, 2012 7:48 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Exactly
This is fairly easy to figure out, and I do not know why we reportedly are trying to trade Abreu.
Last season, Wells was our fourth best hitter against lefties, tied with Kendrick, and behind only Iannetta, Pujols, and Hunter in wRC+. His wOBA against lefties was .364, and his wRC+ was 131. Abreu, by contrast, was the second worst hitter on the team against lefties, with a wRC+ of 70.
Against righties, it was the exact opposite. Abreu was the fourth best hitter on the team, after Pujols, Aybar, and Kendrick, with a wOBA of .338 and a wRC+ of 113, while Wells was the second worst hitter on the team, with a wOBA of .246 and wRC+ of 50. This is a no-brainer for a platoon.
The same is true, in my opinion, at shortstop. Against righties, Aybar was the team’s second best hitter, after only Pujols, with a wOBA of .349 and a wRC+ of 120. Against lefties, however, Aybar was the team’s worst hitter, with a wOBA of .273 and a wRC+ of 68. This is why I do not want us to sign Aybar to a long-term extension. Kendrick deserved it; Aybar does not. Fortunately, there is this other guy named Izturis — also the subject of frequent trade rumors — who was very good against lefties (wOBA of .341 and wRC+ of 115), but below average against righties (wOBA of .304 and wRC+ of 89).
If we were to utilize common-sense platoons at left field and shortstop, and if we were to give Conger 60 starts against righties and have Iannetta start the rest of the games, this team would have one of the best offenses in the league.
abreu and wells
Both in lf is scary..their range is horrible
me and the wonder dog got high!
by YOUknowulovetheIE on Feb 21, 2012 8:45 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
According to Fangraphs
Wells was above average in left field last season (UZR/150 of 11.7).
i wonder without petey
covering most of his ground plays in effect to his uzr
me and the wonder dog got high!
by YOUknowulovetheIE on Feb 21, 2012 8:57 AM PST via mobile up reply actions
Scully is Correct
Wells is markedly above-average against LH pitchers, and he is easily competent in the OF. If anything, I think HE should be the fourth OF, and a pinch-hitter as needed against LH pitchers.
R.I.P. Nick Adenhart - Always an Angel
I don't know
2010 OPS vs LHP 643
2009 OPS vs LHP 602
There has to be a better option against LHP. Going to 2011 I read he was the worst batter against LHP in MLB. Not sure if that true but I also am not sure I buy his success in 2011 against LHP
Willits? Check. Reagins? Check. Mathis? Check
Interesting point
You are correct that Wells was absolutely horrible against lefties in 2009 (wRC+ 55) and 2010 (wRC+ 67). For his career, however, and last season in particular, Wells has been much better against lefties than righties, regardless of the metric:
- Career OBP of .354 against lefties and .312 against righties
- Career SLG of .488 against lefties and .467 against righties
- Career OPS of .842 against lefties and .779 against righties
- Career wOBA of .361 against lefties and .333 against righties
- Career wRC+ of 119 against lefties and 100 against righties
For his career, Wells thus has been an average hitter against righties, and he now is one of the worst hitters in the league against them. By contrast, while Wells had two horrible seasons against lefties in 2009 and 2010, he has had a good career against lefties, and he again was very effective against them last year. Indeed, in his 10-year career, he has performed better against lefties than against righties seven times — in every year but his rookie season, 2009, and 2010 — and in most of those seasons the splits were not close (wRC+ splits of 147/127 in 2003; 139/93 in 2004; 181/76 in 2005; 134/125 in 2006; 120/71 in 2007; 128/114 in 2008; and 131/50 in 2011).
I see where you are coming from
If Vernon is going to be useful this year he will need to continue hitting LHP.
Willits? Check. Reagins? Check. Mathis? Check
we all know how wells can help
Request a trade
me and the wonder dog got high!
by YOUknowulovetheIE on Feb 21, 2012 8:23 AM PST via mobile reply actions
Everyone's being to hard on him. It ain't his fault his money and him came here. Blame Tony.
All we can do is support one of our own. Let the man do work this season. If after this one he’s the same anemic player, then I think we can start talking
Representing the Angels in Sin City.
by maze88 on Feb 21, 2012 1:14 PM PST via mobile reply actions
Not waiting the whole season
He has one or two months to perform. Sure, if he starts hitting like he did in 2011 or prior to 2009, then everyone will be very happy. But if he has numbers like the ones he put up last year or in 2009 and 2010, then he needs to go, regardless of the economic cost.
Actually, I blame Ricciardi.
That’s just as bad as Mike Rizzo’s Werth signing or Brian Sabean’s Zito signing. I’m not sure who’s the bigger fool: the guy who signed him or the guy who traded for him.
by moralesforpresident on Feb 21, 2012 4:49 PM PST via mobile up reply actions
He only gets a month of support from me
But that’s it. But if nothing changes from last year, then I’ll boo as loud as I can. He shouldn’t get the entire year to prove himself. It’s not like last year was an anomaly.
He could fund an official "Play Trout Now" media campaign
I’m all for being patient and letting him try to prove himself again while allowing Mike Trout to get some more seasoning by way of AAA ABs. But if he’s floundering come mid-May or so, I will be joining the “Play Trout Now” mob.
by Big Easy Halofan on Feb 21, 2012 1:47 PM PST reply actions
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