STLtoday.com

CorneliusWolfe wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 09:45 am

AnExParrot wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 09:37 am

CorneliusWolfe wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:52 pm

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 13:05 pm Careful. Shady might fall in love

He only seems to pull for the underdog or long-shot for some odd reason.

He got burned on the Dylan Carlson train.

Haha I guess so. Must’ve been heartbreaking.

I’ll admit I was fooled by DC myself.

I think the turn to underdogs after Carlson was based entirely on ego - he can't claim superior baseball intellect if he's backing highly touted prospects and happens to be right. If he does it with a Burly type, though? He's a genius, and of course you see him puff his chest out about Burly regularly, never mind it only took 5,000 threads and being wrong for 3+ seasons for his "genius" to come to fruition.

Goldfan wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:47 pm

AZ_Cardsfan wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:42 pm I am also excited to see what JJ can do in the majors. And I am not making any predictions. I just wonder if he isn't the second coming of Pujols will this forum be OK? Is it OK if he plays a solid 2B/3B and hits 270/345/450 795 OPS for a career line? Maybe a 3 WAR per year player for 12 years?

Say a Ben Zobrist or Chuck Knoblauch type of player? Pedroia?

He’s not a Pujols….but he appears to be much better than most of the posers we’ve been bringing up for a decade.

You mean those players who half the forum wants to bring back after they absolutely bomb in a couple other places?

An Old Friend wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 22:57 pm Pedroia averaged 5 bWAR per year and won rookie of the year & an MVP.

Zobrist wasn’t a regular until he was 28. That would be an awful outcome. That would mean he’s a really good player for someone else after being a bust for the Cardinals.

Knoblauch also averaged 5 bWAR per season from age 22-30

So yeah, pretty sure people would be thrilled if JJ wins rookie of the year, makes 4 All Star teams, and maybe a title or two along the way!

That’s it??

Ronnie Dobbs wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 12:38 pm

An Old Friend wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 22:57 pm Pedroia averaged 5 bWAR per year and won rookie of the year & an MVP.

Zobrist wasn’t a regular until he was 28. That would be an awful outcome. That would mean he’s a really good player for someone else after being a bust for the Cardinals.

Knoblauch also averaged 5 bWAR per season from age 22-30

So yeah, pretty sure people would be thrilled if JJ wins rookie of the year, makes 4 All Star teams, and maybe a title or two along the way!

That’s it??

Have to keep expectations low

AnExParrot wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 10:34 am

CorneliusWolfe wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 09:45 am

AnExParrot wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 09:37 am

CorneliusWolfe wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:52 pm

Carp4Cy wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 13:05 pm Careful. Shady might fall in love

He only seems to pull for the underdog or long-shot for some odd reason.

He got burned on the Dylan Carlson train.

Haha I guess so. Must’ve been heartbreaking.

I’ll admit I was fooled by DC myself.

I think the turn to underdogs after Carlson was based entirely on ego - he can't claim superior baseball intellect if he's backing highly touted prospects and happens to be right. If he does it with a Burly type, though? He's a genius, and of course you see him puff his chest out about Burly regularly, never mind it only took 5,000 threads and being wrong for 3+ seasons for his "genius" to come to fruition.

Nailed it.

A skill that JJ had possessed since his college days is hitting the ball with authority to all fields.
Most good young hitters are good to their pull side and up the middle. Many major leaguers are successful with similar skill.
The pull types here and there will slap a ball the other way but rarely with authority .
JJ after college continued to hit hard shots to his Oppo field (left field) . So instead of trying to pull an outside pitch on the bkack,JJ will drive it to the Left center field gap or some down the left field line.
That ability makes it tough on opposing pitchers .
When opposing pitching coaches look at JJ’s spray chart, they will see hard shots from line to line. That ability makes it tough on even good pitchers.

Talkin' Baseball wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 12:13 pm Yes he will.

Unquestionably.
Provided, of course, that he stays far away from any idiot STL coach who starts talking about launch angle, pulling the ball, and exit velocity.

Rojo Johnson wrote: ↑31 Dec 2025 12:32 pm

Goldfan wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:47 pm

AZ_Cardsfan wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:42 pm I am also excited to see what JJ can do in the majors. And I am not making any predictions. I just wonder if he isn't the second coming of Pujols will this forum be OK? Is it OK if he plays a solid 2B/3B and hits 270/345/450 795 OPS for a career line? Maybe a 3 WAR per year player for 12 years?

Say a Ben Zobrist or Chuck Knoblauch type of player? Pedroia?

He’s not a Pujols….but he appears to be much better than most of the posers we’ve been bringing up for a decade.

You mean those players who half the forum wants to bring back after they absolutely bomb in a couple other places?

The homer hard on’s for middling or less talent in Cards uniforms should have a treatment wing at BJC

An Old Friend wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 22:57 pm

AZ_Cardsfan wrote: ↑30 Dec 2025 18:42 pm I am also excited to see what JJ can do in the majors. And I am not making any predictions. I just wonder if he isn't the second coming of Pujols will this forum be OK? Is it OK if he plays a solid 2B/3B and hits 270/345/450 795 OPS for a career line? Maybe a 3 WAR per year player for 12 years?

Say a Ben Zobrist or Chuck Knoblauch type of player? Pedroia?

Pedroia averaged 5 bWAR per year and won rookie of the year & an MVP.

Zobrist wasn’t a regular until he was 28. That would be an awful outcome. That would mean he’s a really good player for someone else after being a bust for the Cardinals.

Knoblauch also averaged 5 bWAR per season from age 22-30

So yeah, pretty sure people would be thrilled if JJ wins rookie of the year, makes 4 All Star teams, and maybe a title or two along the way!

JJ was compared to George Brett. Nothing less will do. I predict if JJ opens the season with the Major league team, he may struggle and get sent down. Happened to Mantle.