It does indeed seem to me that Mike Wilson has recently developed a drastically different approach at the plate. It's as if he is stalking the pitcher and willing to take more pitches per at bat. It could be that something just clicked for him after witnessing the way Ackley at West Tenn approaches an at bat and even to some degree the patience of Brad Nelson here at Tacome. That being said it would be nice if he could square up a few more balls - like he did in 2009 at spring training.
But one thing Mike Wilson does have that Adam Dunn doesn't is speed. Throughout his minor league career he has been able to put us some decent SB totals, but he may have slowed down a little in that area with the multiple pulled muscles in his legs a few years back. As big as Mike is, I would think the M's would attempt to move him to 1st, which would free him up from chasing after balls in the outfield thereby taking some of the load/stress off his legs
It would be nice to see a few power bats finally break thru in the next couple of yrs. Outside of Bucky Jacobsen when was the last time a power bat made any sort of splash???
You would think that Dr Marcus Elliot's exercise program would be tailored made for Mike Wilson - transfer his physical power so that it translates into more explosive rotational power.
It would be nice to know what sort of actual performance Metrics the M's and Dr Elliot are using to determine the success of this "Rotational Mechanics" strengthening program. Or even receive some sort of anecdotal feedback from some of these veteran minor leaguers such as Mike Wilson to see if they feel if its been beneficial.
In each and every MLB season that he has played, Adam Dunn has more strikeouts than games played. 50% of his PA's result in one of three outcomes.....homers, walks or K's. (in 2008, in 651 PA's...he had 326 H's, W's, or K's. 668 PA's in '09...331 HWK's. 261 PA's this year...117 HWK's. It holds throughout his career. Amost 50% HWK's in each year).
Yet he is a very valuable bat. If he could field at all, he would be a tremendous player.
He hits .250----Walks .130-----and mashes.
Tacoma's Mike Wilson is kind of like that. Doesn't hit for quite the average (Dunn averaged 300ish in his one AA-AAA year..walked 120ish), doesn't K quite as much, doesn't mash quite as much, doesn't walk quite as much. Appears to be showing some batting average improvement this year. Can he hit MLB pitching at a .240 clip? I don't know, it's problematic....But if he could, he might be a .240-.340-.480 type of player. 25-27 homers as a full time player, maybe. That would be a valuable bat. Can he field well, doesn't look like it...But let's see what he has. DH him some. Bradley looks fine in LF (and his presence is growing on me) and Saunders can cover 3 OF position, anyway.
It's all a big maybe with Wilson, I know. But he's 27 years old. Let's find out if he can hit MLB pitching. If he can't....let him go. But he would probably be no less valuable to the M's than Ryan Langerhans, who is 30 years old and can play defense and walk some, but that is it.
Move him up Z...release Langerhans. Ackley comes up too, Kotchman goes (His glove saves a run now and again...but now as many as his bat surrenders). That isn't throwing in the towel...it is simply saying that we have MILB guys as good as guys on the MLB roster. Time to give them a chance.
It is pretty clear that Kotchman and Langerhans aren't carrying this team to the playoffs...and they aren't going to be around next year.
Lets try Plan B.
Or is it C?
moe
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Greg Luzinski, back in the late 80's had some terrific years. WAY good. But even his less that career-type years were of great value. Thats what we could see, as a topside, out of Wilson. Look at '79-'81 and '83 for the Bull. He was past his prime....certainly. But over those seasons he was a .250-.350-..465ish type of player. Tom Brunansky in the Mid 80's was a bit less than that. From '84-'85 he was a .245-.320.-455 tyype of guy...and hit 59 taters. Those aren't even Dunn numbers...but they are still dang valuable. Interestingly...we we're willing to pay $4 million for Kotchman, partially because those type of numbers were his upside. Wilson is free. Junior's upside (outside of the clubhouse) was those type of numbers....well even less. Wilson is free.
Heck, He may just crash and burn. That's probably as likely as Brunansky type numbers...But you know what you can't get out of Langerhans....and options cedrtianly aren't a concern with Wilson. If he's a hack...let him go. But let's find out.
Remember Joe Charboneau? Some of us do. Couldn't hit a lick in the high minors...had one great year in Cleveland. '80, I think. Flash in the pan, I suppose. But wouldnd't you take Luzinski type numbers from Wilson for the next 160 games?
Wilson could be somewhere in there. It's possible. Langerhans won't.
And everybody seems to kinda wave off the fact that he was THIS close to making Wakamatsu's first M's team. That means that he was, in a sense, the org's #1 ML-ready prospect at that time.
Going to take a look and mosh off your thoughts, if y'don't mind...
Don't mind at all! Mosh away!