VMart

[Yoda]

I just traded for Vmart, giving Mauer and M. Batista

I'm thinking when hafner comes around Martinez will see better pitches also. It just seems like the whole team is in a funk. If it was just Martinez I would worry, but I have a feeling he'll be fine when the team plays like it can. Patience,patience....

Bad idea. I think Mauer is in for a big season although VMart should come around.

[TB13]

Bad idea. I think Mauer is in for a big season although VMart should come around.

Agreed, Yoda. Not only will Mauer be better for this season, but for many seasons to come.

[ActionHero]

I'd like to understand exactly what is stupid about them? I understand their projections are usually way off base, but their rankings from last year are based on actual statistics. Are you suggesting that they are overweighting certain categories?

Yahoo Rankings are stupid. You can never, ever, go by them.

[Irish]

I just traded for Vmart, giving Mauer and M. Batista

I'm thinking when hafner comes around Martinez will see better pitches also. It just seems like the whole team is in a funk. If it was just Martinez I would worry, but I have a feeling he'll be fine when the team plays like it can. Patience,patience....

Bad idea. I think Mauer is in for a big season although VMart should come around.

We shall see, I like Mauer alot, but I feel if VMART plays like he did last year he will put up better numbers then Mauer, although Mauer will leap frog him soon enough, just not yet IMO.

[Frances The Mute]

Funny stuff.

I think bselig makes a valid point that VMart wasn't the top catcher last year. He was certainly good but not the top guy.

New steroid policy this year? It is early and imo too early to dump VMart-- he was real good in the minors so I doubt he'll be a one year bust.

[mamorris]

I'd like to understand exactly what is stupid about them? I understand their projections are usually way off base, but their rankings from last year are based on actual statistics. Are you suggesting that they are overweighting certain categories?

Yahoo Rankings are stupid. You can never, ever, go by them.

From what I understand, they don't give proper weightings to the 'ratio' categories (AVG, ERA, WHIP). By that, I mean a starter with an ERA of 2 will get the same credit as a closer with an ERA of 2, despite the fact that the starter's ERA will impact your team more. Still, using a ranking service which does actually give proper weights to these categories (like baseballmonster.com), Pudge and Javy come out a fair way ahead of V-Mart in 5x5.

[ActionHero]

From what I understand, they don't give proper weightings to the 'ratio' categories (AVG, ERA, WHIP). By that, I mean a starter with an ERA of 2 will get the same credit as a closer with an ERA of 2, despite the fact that the starter's ERA will impact your team more. Still, using a ranking service which does actually give proper weights to these categories (like baseballmonster.com), Pudge and Javy come out a fair way ahead of V-Mart in 5x5.

Well if that's true, that's pretty pathetic. It's not that difficult to properly weight them. Thanks for the insight mamorris...

[beltrans_boy]

Cornbread, (to answer the original post)

Victor Martinez will be fine. He's just having a bit of bad luck. This accounts for the drop in batting average.

He's hitting .229 on balls in play. Compare that to Brandon Inge who is hitting .398 on balls in play. Neither of those numbers are going to last. Victor's will go up, Inge's will go down.

He has a good Line Drive % (.192), so he's making solid contact with the ball. Expect the batting average, RBI #s and Runs to rise substantially by the end of May/early June. His K/BB ratio is right where it should be, so he's seeing the ball well (or at least as well as he did last year).

As far as his power...nobody knows where that went.

Right now, he's on pace to hit 12 HRs this year. That could just be a result of trying too hard to bust out of his slump. Who knows? Let's just hope the power comes back with his batting average. I personally think it will, and he'll end up with 20-25 HRs at the end of the season.

[KolbSaves]

I'd like to understand exactly what is stupid about them? I understand their projections are usually way off base, but their rankings from last year are based on actual statistics. Are you suggesting that they are overweighting certain categories?

Yahoo Rankings are stupid. You can never, ever, go by them.

From what I understand, they don't give proper weightings to the 'ratio' categories (AVG, ERA, WHIP). By that, I mean a starter with an ERA of 2 will get the same credit as a closer with an ERA of 2, despite the fact that the starter's ERA will impact your team more. Still, using a ranking service which does actually give proper weights to these categories (like baseballmonster.com), Pudge and Javy come out a fair way ahead of V-Mart in 5x5.

It's my understanding that the ratios are weighted by ip and ab, so no this wouldn't be true. If you can find conflicting examples between yahoo and say a couple reputable dollar calculators (conflicting meaning ranking certain players over other players in one but not another) then please do show.

[EK711]

I do think that Victor is trying a little too hard to bust out. Just from watching him, Victor doesn't seem to have the patience he did last year at the plate, and last year patience at the plate and taking walks is what made the whole Indians lineup good. Last year Victor had a AB/BB rate of 8.7, and this year he's down to 11.1, take out the 4 IBB that he had at the beginning of the year and it's down to 18.6.

I think Victor will bust out, but he doesn't look so good at the plate right now. Good news is though that the Indians as a whole have looked better so hopefully Victor will follow suit.