RYAN

@SandyMac718 Just slide Lars to CF and stick Baez in left

The #STLCards should not view Baez as a replacement for Nootbaar. They are different hitters who do different things. Nootbaar lengthens the lineup by getting on base and not making outs. Baez does damage with runners on and helps put up crooked numbers. You need both of those kinds of players. I really hope they can find a way to get both of them consistent ABs.

@DaddyFungo There's a point of diminishing returns. You don't want to rush him, but you also don't want to have him wasting away down there. He's never going to be a contact hitter. If he can stay below 20% miss rate in zone, he can be an elite bat with his power.

@ExitVelo314 We are rolling in the corners right now. To me, that allows us to sit back and enjoy watching Joshua Baez develop into the player he needs to be to have immediate success in the MLB. I don’t need to rush that.

Joshua Baez is absolutely insane. I know he needs to raise his zone contact a bit, but he's forcing their hand at this point. #stlcards

@DaddyFungo What's the measure? He's always going to have some swing and miss. The barometer was his z-contact, which started off kinda rough, but he's gotten it very respectable as of late. How long do we have him maintain that before we take a look? I'm not saying do it now, but in a month

@ExitVelo314 I really think we need to temper expectations. Just last year, right down I-70, we saw Caglianone slash .357/.426/.705 hitting a homer about every other game in AAA. He got rushed to the MLB just to become pretty much the worst player in baseball because of contact issues.

(To clarify, the zone contact HAS been up to 80% this month. Now I'd just like to see him maintain that for a bit longer. He's really damn close.)

If Joshua Baez can get his in zone contact up above 80% or so, he won't have much more to prove in the minors. I'll preach patience with him, but man he's fun to watch. #stlcards

@BKSportsTalk I'd give it a little more time, but this month his zone contact rate has been up to 80%. If he can maintain that, he's pretty damn close to being ready.

AAA numbers sometimes don’t translate, I get that. But Baez’s offensive success is hard to ignore. Not sure how they could make it work in the outfield, but if he keeps hitting…

@DaddyFungo I've been saying that the zone contact needs to get up around 80%. Early in the season it was ugly. This month, he has gotten to and maintained 80% contact rate in the strike zone. If that continues to hold, that's enough contact with his type of power. If it regresses, hold off.

@ExitVelo314 You need to get on base to be a 30/30 guy. Let him get back to last year’s rates. He has better discipline and contact in him, we’ve already seen it. We’ve also already seen what happens when a guy is called up before he has the opportunity to work that out (Nolan Gorman).

@DaddyFungo He's more talented than Nootbaar. That being said, I'm not benching Nootbaar. Put Baez in CF or put Noot in CF. Neither are ideal, but both work. I want to see him keep up the 80%+ zone contact in AAA a bit longer, but we're talking about a 30/30 guy.

@ExitVelo314 Respectfully, if your expectations for a rookie with contact concerns is to be more productive than Nootbaar has been, then you’re allowing yourself to be engulfed by the hype. If he can ball in CF, then by all means. But he’s not better than what we have in the corners.

@DaddyFungo He's a better bat than everyone but Walker. He has been playing CF in Memphis. He's not winning a gold glove there, but he's adequate.

@ExitVelo314 Is anyone seriously considering playing him over Nootbaar or Walker? The corners are jammed and reports suggest he’s not close to being an MLB CF. No one is getting bulk DH duties over Herrera. No room, and that’s not even getting into the sizable hole in his offensive profile.

@eforslund I'd like to see the zone contact rate stay above 80% for a bit longer, but he's getting really close.

@ExitVelo314 He doesn't need to do anything more in AAA. He's ready.

@Holy_Elle lmao I deserve that

@ExitVelo314 😂

I'm gonna officially be old as hell next Monday. I'm not ready for this.

@STLSprtsCntrl Not yet, but he looks amazing. Keep working on that in zone contact.

Joshua Baez hits his FOURTH homer of the night 🤯 Is it time? #STLCards

@Holy_Elle 30 didn't bother me much. This one is painful lol

@ExitVelo314 Gonna have to agree to disagree… I was stoked to turn 40 & I’m pretty excited to turn 50 in a couple months 🤷🏻‍♀️ lol

@thetinymanstl I'm at a loss for words at this point lol

@ExitVelo314 Okay but how about now? lol

@Holy_Elle The big round numbers are painful every decade lol

@ExitVelo314 😑

@The_Ryan_Shull I think like 78% last time I checked

@ExitVelo314 What is his z-con%? I cant find it

Sack up and start retaliating when Ivan Herrera gets drilled. Protect your players. #stlcards

@MondayHeinz True true. My maturity peaked in middle school, so I've got that going in my favor.

@ExitVelo314 I know it might sound stupid with people saying age is just a number, but it’s so true. I have people routinely think I am at least 10 years younger than I am. You can be old at 25 or old at 75.

@The_Ryan_Shull Holy shit dude

Joshua Baez homered again. 22 on the year