2064.04 - The Long Beach Independent - Hot & Not

[Lane]

It was a recurring theme throughout the season for fans to remark on the OOTP News Network reporting of "Who's Hot" and "Who's Not" for the Surfers on a weekly basis. It seemed that more often than no, the Who's Hot section was completely blank. So, let's take a look at who was hot and who was not in 2064.

Hot

Héctor Herrera - The 24 year old two way player broke out in a big way in his first full season after a cup of coffee last year. He made 28 starts, posting a 4.31 ERA (102 ERA+) and 1.35 WHIP in 133.2 innings pitched. A solid 122 strikeouts and advanced metrics like FIP (3.90) and SIERA (3.87) indicate that his performance could be repeatable, despite pedestrian scouting reports of his talent (5/5/5/5/4). On the other side of the ball, the right handed hitter made 51 starts, mostly at first base, with a few a second. In 226 plate appearances, he hit .311/.358/.455 with 3 HR and 19 doubles. This translates to a 119 OPS+ and demonstrates that there's serious potential for him to be a contributor on both sides of the ball. If he's able to make improvements in his defense at second or third base, he could be a fixture in the lineup on days he's not pitching, or at the very least be a regular utility player.

Vicente López - Another young player breaking out, the 24 year old Lopez had great success at the plate in his first full season. The left handed hitter played primarily against right handed starters, and hit .227/.359/.519 (134 OPS+) against them, good for 3.5 WAR. His 33 HR led the Surfers and, tied for 10th in the BBA. He's not a standout defender, but his strong and accurate arm was worth 8.3 runs in just 433 innings in right field.

Manny Varríos - The 23 year old catcher was signed to a 4 year, $12 million deal in the offseason after becoming a minor league free agent. The switch hitter struck out only 44 times in 350 plate appearance, hitting .280/.311/.450 (104 OPS+). He's a slightly below average defensive catcher, but the strength of his offense resulted in a 1.4 WAR season in 95 starts. He will have competition for the job with a number of catching prospects nearing BBA readiness, but this looks like a great signing by the front office.

Not

Alonso López - The 26 year old lefty with electric stuff and suspect control was a disappointment this season. His 5.54 ERA in 63.1 innings and poor advanced stats indicate that the front office may be underestimating the importance of control, even for bullpen arms in the current BBA environment. He'll likely get another shot in the 2065 bullpen, but we'd expect to see a short leash if the poor performance continues.

Raúl Bermúdez - The young center fielder struggled in a big way in just 63 games this season. Despite not terrible seeming ratings by scouts (6/6/6/6/4/4) he hit just .214/.233/.279 and also struggled a bit in he field. This resulted in -1.6 WAR. He did have an 85 OPS+ against left handed pitching, so there may be a future for him as a 4th outfielder, but a future as a regular is unlikely.

Pedro Vargas - After three promising seasons to start his career, the 26 year old utility player struggled again in 2064. He's now been worth -1.9 WAR in the pas two seasons. His well rounded defensive profile will likely keep him on the roster to begin 2065 but he could be a candidate for release or non tender in 2066 if the offensive trend continues.

[BaseClogger]

Always used to get yer Vicente corner outfielder confused with Hawaii’s Vicente corner outfielder. Both are sluggers who took a while to develop but made their presence known once they did. Maybe your Vicente can win an MVP like Yogi.

[Jwalk100]

Always used to get yer Vicente corner outfielder confused with Hawaii’s Vicente corner outfielder. Both are sluggers who took a while to develop but made their presence known once they did. Maybe your Vicente can win an MVP like Yogi.

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[Krathan]

Herrera posted about the same combined WAR as Jacquot Natta this season. I’m hoping Natta will rebound a bit next season and that his down year was partially because he missed a full season due to injury.