The Plan Unfolds…

I cannot believe the level of disrespect that is being rained down upon Miguel Rojas. Well, the disrespect is not coming from people inside of baseball. It is coming from the common fan. Before I go any further, let me explain who the “common fan” is. The common fans comprise 68% of people today. Most people (about 68 percent) have an IQ between 85 and 115. Only a small fraction of people have a very low IQ (below 70) or a very high IQ (above 130). So, the common fan is a person with an IQ of between 85 and 115.

At LADT, we are blessed to have way more people above the 115 IQ threshold than below the 85 IQ threshold, but occasionally some fall through the cracks. I apologize for that. Occasionally, some totally go off the rails every now and then. Notice, I did not divulge which side I am on… that may explain why I go off the rails now and again.

Conventional Wisdom is what the people on the Left Side of the Curve cling to, which is why conventional wisdom is usually wrong. People with conventional wisdom have no vision. They just have sight. They see what was or what is, not what can be. They see that Miguel Rojas had the worst year of his Marlins career in 2022 (injury related) and cannot see beyond that.

Let’s look at the Offensive Players that left and one statistic that everyone ignores:

• Cody Bellinger – 504 AB/150 Strikeouts
• Trea Turner – 652 AB/131 Strikeouts
• Joey Gallo – 117 AB/57 Strikeouts
• Edwin Rios – 86 AB/36 Strikeouts

That’s a lot of Certain Outs last season with their strikeouts. Of course, the Dodgers still have a few players who strike out a lot, led by Max Muncy and Chris Taylor, but all of them have elite OB percentages (except CT3). Miguel Vargas and Miguel Rojas combined, both struck out less than Cody Bellinger. I am not convinced that James Outman will make the team next year. He strikes out too much.

The Top Six (my top 6) of the Dodgers lineup may strike out a lot, but they get on base a lot too. Their OB%, SLB%, and OPS% are elite. The Dodgers’ 7 & 8 Hitters were what cost them their season. The bottom part of the lineup struck out way too much.

• With a strikeout, nothing happens.
• With a strikeout, runners do not generally move up.
• A strikeout is a dead end.

The Miguels do not strike out a lot. They keep the rally moving. They make contact.. and with the new shift rules that may be a really important thing. Strikeouts kill a rally. That is part of the reason why the Dodgers would either have a ton of hits and runs… or very few. It was feast or famine. Chris Tylor also struck out way too much. He hit 10 HR and struck out 160 times. If he had hit 30 or 40 HR, that might have been acceptable, but he didn’t – which is why he may be traded.

Andrew Friedman knows that the Dodgers need to cut down on the strikeouts. There may be more trades or signings, but with the new rules, strikeouts are not as much appreciated. AF is not done, but the deadline is the Trade Deadline, not Spring Training… which, BTW starts in 34 days. Let’s Ride!

Patience Grasshoppers and Low IQ Types… like me!