• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

2024 Wake Baseball Thread: What Did We Do To Deserve This?

WSTigerDeac said:
Question: I'm going to have a big group tailgating on Friday about an hour before the game (mix of W-S locals, Wake and Clemson fans). Does anyone know if there are any porta potties outside of the stadium in the parking lots? I have to pee already. 🍺
Click to expand...
Nope.
 
80deacon said:
Batted .349 freshman year
Why do we see such regression in many of our players vs improvement?
Click to expand...
Even that year, Katz hit 6 for 31 against ACC teams (.194 average). He only had 63 ABs on the year, so this is a pretty silly statement.

Reinisch is outperforming what we could have even hoped for from Katz anyways, so I don’t get why this matters.
 
80deacon said:
Batted .349 freshman year
Why do we see such regression in many of our players vs improvement?
Click to expand...
So damn typical. Baseball is a crapshoot. Everyone isn't going to improve. Some will regress. Rhino's OPS is up almost 600 points(!) from last year (and almost 100 points from 2022, when he had a good year). Marek's OPS is up 265 points from last year. With an admittedly crazy small sample size from last year, Winnay's OPS is up almost 450 points.
 
Wakelaw2006 said:
So damn typical. Baseball is a crapshoot. Everyone isn't going to improve. Some will regress. Rhino's OPS is up almost 600 points(!) from last year (and almost 100 points from 2022, when he had a good year). Marek's OPS is up 265 points from last year. With an admittedly crazy small sample size from last year, Winnay's OPS is up almost 450 points.
Click to expand...
It's not just baseball. In all sports some young athletes improve much more than others, some hardly improve at all.
Everyone expected a healthy Reinisch to hit well. Strength and experience and he's better than 2022.
Everyone knew last year that Winnay could hit. There were just so many really good players ahead of him, and some of them were (probably) better in the field also.
Houston showed he was improving at the plate at the end of last year. Now he is a year stronger also. Have to hope Williams, Willson, Morales, and Nelson follow that path.

I suspect Massey has had some nagging injury all year. That might be the most likely reason for his lack of productivity.
Hartle is a control pitcher. He has to hit his spots. The rumored smaller strike zone, if true, may be bothering him. When he gets behind, it is much easier for a hitter to lay off of a breaking ball outside the zone which is often his swing-and-miss pitch.
Ariola just hasn't seemed to improve much as yet.
 
Deac@Heart said:
It's not just baseball. In all sports some young athletes improve much more than others, some hardly improve at all.
Everyone expected a healthy Reinisch to hit well. Strength and experience and he's better than 2022.
Everyone knew last year that Winnay could hit. There were just so many really good players ahead of him, and some of them were (probably) better in the field also.
Houston showed he was improving at the plate at the end of last year. Now he is a year stronger also. Have to hope Williams, Willson, Morales, and Nelson follow that path.

I suspect Massey has had some nagging injury all year. That might be the most likely reason for his lack of productivity.
Hartle is a control pitcher. He has to hit his spots. The rumored smaller strike zone, if true, may be bothering him. When he gets behind, it is much easier for a hitter to lay off of a breaking ball outside the zone which is often his swing-and-miss pitch.
Ariola just hasn't seemed to improve much as yet.
Click to expand...
Hartle definitely got a wider zone last year.
 
Kiley McDaniel's Draft Notes/ mini-mock

4. Oakland Athletics: Nick Kurtz, 1B, Wake Forest

The A's have been tied to Kurtz a lot for the last month or so, and the buzz is that he's their choice if his medical checks out (given his ribs and shoulder issues). I think this is Bazzana's floor if he doesn't go first.
Click to expand...
8. Los Angeles Angels: Chase Burns, RHP, Wake Forest

Burns is the one of this top tier that slides a bit in this scenario. The Angels are tied to Kurtz if he gets here, as I think they're still leaning into moving their first-rounders quickly to the big leagues; that could also apply to Burns.
Click to expand...

50 FV tier​

i

6. Chase Burns (21.4), RHP, Wake Forest (54th)

Burns is regularly up to 100 mph and has a 70-grade slider, helping him post absurd numbers for the Demon Deacons. I lean slightly to Smith over him as the top pitching prospect in this class and I think the industry slightly does as well, but it's a near coinflip.

i

7. Nick Kurtz (21.1), 1B, Wake Forest (59th)

A teammate of Burns at Wake Forest, Kurtz gives some Anthony Rizzo vibes with plus hit, power, approach and defense at first base.
Click to expand...

45+ FV tier​


i

12. Seaver King (21.0), SS, Wake Forest (139th)

King has been rising and is now probably the consensus top position player prospect outside of the top 10. He's a plus-plus runner that might be a shortstop and has been very productive at the plate despite a swing that needs to be toned down a bit.
Click to expand...

45 FV tier ​

30. Ryan Sloan (18.4), RHP, York Community (Ill.) HS, Wake Forest commit​

Click to expand...

40 FV tier​

81. Michael Massey (21.2), RHP, Wake Forest​

91. Josh Hartle (21.3), LHP, Wake Forest​

94. Duncan Marsten (19.0), RHP, Harvard Westlake (Calif.) HS), Wake Forest commit​

109. J.D. Dix (18.7), SS, Whitefish Bay (Wis.) HS, Wake Forest commit​

Click to expand...

35+ FV tier​

141. Chris Levonas (18.3), RHP, Christian Brothers (N.J.) HS, Wake Forest commit​

Click to expand...
 
DeacInVermont said:
Some of that time would be Stockton, Midland, and Vegas, I'd reckon.
Click to expand...
Some, but not a lot. Zack Gelof was an A's 2nd round pick out of UVA in 2021, and he made it to the Oakland in 2 years. Think that Kurtz would be on a faster track... as long as he doesn't get hurt.
 
Rhett Lowder was the Midwest League Player of the Week.


The link includes highlights and an interview

The interview is from MLB TV's Intentional Talk. It's worth the watch.

From the article:

Cutting back won't be necessary if the Wake Forest product continues to produce like he has early on this season. The Reds' No. 2 prospect sports a 1.86 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and .183 batting average against with 20 strikeouts against six walks through his first four starts (19 1/3 innings). He's yielded one earned run and one walk or fewer in three of those outings.
 
I have 2 tickets for tonight if anyone wants them...just PM me your cell for transfer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top