- 14 hours ago
It's early, we know, but Ronald Acuña Jr. has a -0.2 WAR through 11 games while hitting .175 with a .292 on-base percentage. Acuña has more strikeouts (8) than hits (7) and only one extra-base knock. This IS NOT real from Acuña, but The Morning Shift discusses what's off right now for him, and the Braves.
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00:00What in the world is going on with Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna?
00:03Braves lost last night 6-2.
00:05Chris Sale wasn't himself.
00:06But we also got to get runs outside of Drake Baldwin.
00:09Yeah, again, this lineup top to bottom yesterday
00:13was just a microcosm of what they've been the entire year.
00:16Drake Baldwin kind of carrying you, starting things off early.
00:19Matt Olson doing just enough, going one for four.
00:22You know, all the way down to Michael Harris not getting a hit
00:25and Ozzie Albee's not getting a hit and Austin Riley.
00:28Look, I talked about Suarez a little bit earlier
00:31and what he was able to do.
00:32Not Suarez, Soriano.
00:34And what he was able to do against the Braves.
00:36With how electric his stuff is
00:38and the fact that he came into this game
00:40having not given up an earned run this year,
00:42you would think, hey, let's work some counts.
00:43Let's get his pitch count up.
00:45Let's see if we can get to their bullpen early.
00:47But no, he was able to last eight innings
00:48and you had a couple of batted bats along the way.
00:51And when Chris Sale stumbles like that,
00:53there's not a lot of room for error.
00:55I mean, yeah, that's pretty much spot on.
00:58You've got nothing from your lineup.
01:00That's not Drake.
01:01The occasional pop here and there from Ozzie.
01:04And Yastrzemski's been,
01:08Yastrzemski's actually been not bad, really,
01:11when he's played.
01:13And then Matt Olson is giving you a hit a night.
01:16He's getting about four at-bats every night
01:18and he's hitting about, you know, getting one to two a night.
01:22He's good for one and he's only got a couple home runs.
01:25But Drake Baldwin's got five and I think 12 RBIs already.
01:31He's been phenomenal.
01:32But the fact that Ronald Acuna Jr.
01:36and Austin Riley are combined for 13 hits,
01:39it's seven.
01:40I think Austin might have seven,
01:41but it's 13 hits.
01:44And Ronald's done a good job of walking,
01:46but then again, he's been picked off multiple times
01:51and caught stealing one or two times.
01:55So it's like, what are we doing?
01:59I need you.
02:01You can't get picked off.
02:02You can get caught stealing.
02:03You can't get picked off.
02:05Just not multiple times in an 11-game stretch.
02:10That's just unacceptable.
02:12And everything about his game,
02:13other than his defense right now,
02:14is unacceptable.
02:16And I'd say the same for Austin Riley
02:18and Michael Harris as well,
02:20who had a first, what, three games
02:23and now is going ice?
02:25Just because,
02:26and I'm only asking this because
02:29of where we're at in the catcher
02:30and the fact that he's going to be able to DH
02:31a lot this year.
02:33What are the odds
02:35that we get to the end of the season
02:37and Drake Baldwin is still,
02:39August and September, still your best hitter?
02:42Are we thinking that's going to happen?
02:45Because obviously he's rookie of the year.
02:46He proved he can do it over the long term.
02:49But I have to believe that somebody else
02:51is going to have to end up being your best hitter
02:52on this team if they're going to be able
02:53to make any type of playoff run.
02:55Who's that person?
02:56I mean, you would love for it to be Ronnie.
02:59You know, I'm not going to panic on him just yet.
03:02But you would love to think that by the time
03:05May gets here that Ronald Acuna
03:07is back to doing Ronald Acuna things.
03:08I just can't for the life of me think
03:10that we're going to go through the entire season
03:11where Drake Baldwin is your ace in the hole
03:13and that that's going to lead you to a playoff run.
03:15Well, and his battle will go cold at some point.
03:18Yeah, it will.
03:19It will.
03:19So I don't...
03:21Yeah, what is he projected for?
03:2380 home runs right now?
03:24I mean, if he's our best hitter
03:26in August, September,
03:28something's going wrong.
03:29Yeah.
03:29That's kind of how I feel.
03:33Maybe not.
03:34I mean, we really...
03:35I mean, and I'm not disagreeing.
03:38I think I would tend to agree with you off the bat.
03:42But for argument's sake,
03:43just to be devil's advocate,
03:45we don't really know what Drake Baldwin is.
03:49We know he was the rookie of the year.
03:51You know he's got...
03:51He's a good hitter
03:52and he's got pop in his back.
03:55But he didn't play...
03:56He's going to play probably in 150 games this year
04:00in some way, shape, or form.
04:02Yeah.
04:02He didn't do that last year.
04:03He only had 19 home runs last year.
04:05He's already out of the gate with five.
04:07I think he had like 80 RBIs last year.
04:10Something like that.
04:11He's already got maybe 12 this year.
04:15We just don't know what he is.
04:17He's literally in year two.
04:20And we don't know what his ceiling is.
04:24So I would tend to say
04:27that might not be the case.
04:28We just don't know.
04:31So everything lends me to say you're right.
04:34But I would say
04:35maybe hold off on that
04:36because it might not be a bad thing.
04:38Because if you get an average year
04:39from Matt Olsen
04:40and he gives you 30 home runs-ish,
04:43100 RBIs-ish,
04:47then that's right where you want it.
04:49You just need Ronald Acuna Jr.
04:52to just maybe be more
04:54of what his baseball card is.
04:55I don't need 2023,
04:57but be closer to that.
04:59I need Austin Riley to be
05:01not maybe 2023,
05:02but closer to that.
05:03I don't know what he is.
05:04That's the next thing.
05:05I don't really know what Austin Riley is.
05:07It feels like it has been
05:09ages, years and years
05:11since we've seen what he's supposed to be.
05:12Here's the problem.
05:13This lineup is all...
05:15Everybody looks at this lineup
05:17from 2023 and says
05:18that's what they should be.
05:19But those were all career years.
05:22Ronald Acuna Jr.
05:23is not a 70-base,
05:2540-home-run guy.
05:28Other than that one year,
05:30that's a career year.
05:32But other than that,
05:33he's a guy that plays
05:34100-something games a year,
05:35not 160,
05:37not 100-100,
05:39but somewhere in between.
05:40And he's a .288 hitter
05:42with a .300-home base percentage,
05:44maybe .330, .340.
05:45That's what he is career-wise.
05:47Austin Riley is
05:48a .270-hitter-ish
05:52with 20-something home runs.
05:54Like,
05:55that 116 RBIs he had
05:56in 2023 or whatever it was,
05:58that's an outlier.
05:59That's a career year.
06:00Yeah.
06:01I think that just...
06:02And I'm curious to see
06:03where y'all are in this.
06:04Scale of 1 to 10,
06:05Ronnie Stark,
06:06I'm like 8 or 9 shocked.
06:09Surprised, I guess,
06:10is maybe a better word,
06:11at how badly it's been.
06:12I mean,
06:13go back to last year
06:14when he came back
06:14off the injured list.
06:16Oh.
06:16First pitch,
06:17it was a home run.
06:18First pitch,
06:19first at bat,
06:19home run.
06:20You're like,
06:20oh,
06:21there he is.
06:21There he is.
06:22This guy's not knocking
06:22the cobwebs off anything.
06:24Yeah.
06:24And then,
06:25when you add in
06:25the World Baseball Classic
06:26and everything that goes along
06:27with that,
06:28it's like,
06:28how is this happening right now?
06:29You would expect him
06:30to be back up at 100%
06:32and off and running.
06:32I'm not mad,
06:33I'm just disappointed.
06:34Right.
06:35Like I said,
06:35I'm like an 8 or 9
06:36on a scale from 1 to 10
06:37of how shocked I am
06:38that he's been this bad.
06:40Not saying that he was
06:41going to come out
06:41hitting 400,
06:43but man,
06:44you're below the Mendoza line.
06:45You're struggling
06:46off the gate.
06:47Well,
06:47lucky for all of us,
06:48he has 151 games
06:49to right the ship.
06:50Yeah,
06:50I mean,
06:50it's still so,
06:52so early.
06:52They'll shake this off
06:53for sure.
06:54First pitch tonight
06:55against the Angels
06:56is 938.
06:57Go ahead and make
06:57Joe Adele work
06:58a little bit tonight
06:58because he didn't
06:59last night.
07:01Let's go.
07:02Now,
07:02the morning shift
07:03goes in the huddle.
07:04A look at the latest
07:05football news.
07:06Brought to you by
07:06Window Nation.
07:07Buy four windows,
07:08get four free.
07:08Here's Allie,
07:09Mike,
07:09and Bo.
07:11The Giants
07:12defensive tackle
07:13Dexter Lawrence
07:13has requested a trade.
07:16He will not be
07:16participating in the
07:17team's off-season
07:18workout program.
07:20Yes,
07:21love him here.
07:22No,
07:22we don't have
07:22draft capital
07:23and we probably
07:24can't pay him.
07:25I mean,
07:25we could pay him,
07:26but we're not going to.
07:28So,
07:29let's just put that.
07:30Yeah,
07:31dude.
07:32I believe this is
07:34about just wanting
07:35a fresh start.
07:36I understand that
07:37you've got John Harbaugh
07:38in there.
07:39That's great.
07:40Everything is just
07:41perfect for him,
07:42but he just watched
07:43a really close friend
07:44get traded
07:45and then go in
07:46a Super Bowl
07:47like,
07:47what,
07:48two years later
07:49in Leonard Williams.
07:50I think he wants
07:51that for himself.
07:53Trade him.
07:53Go get some good
07:54draft capital.
07:55He's a phenomenal player.
07:56There will be a market
07:57for him.
07:57I mean,
07:58he's an incredible
07:58player,
07:59but you're spot on.
08:02That ain't for us.
08:03I'd love to think it is,
08:04but it would go against
08:05every single thing
08:06that Ian Cunningham
08:07has done since he was hired.
08:08Not to mention,
08:08he's going to get
08:09somewhere around
08:0928 to 30 million a year
08:11because Jordan Davis
08:12is getting 26.
08:13And with all due respect
08:15to Jordan Davis,
08:16this guy's better.
08:18Well,
08:18Jesse Minter said last week
08:19he wasn't sure
08:20of Lamar Jackson's plans
08:21when it came to
08:21off-season workouts,
08:22but yesterday,
08:24Lamar Jackson
08:24did report
08:25for the Ravens
08:26off-season workouts.
08:27Can I also just mention,
08:28though,
08:28there is a $750,000 bonus
08:30if he makes 80% of these.
08:32Yeah,
08:33but he's...
08:33That is a big number.
08:34But he's missed some
08:35in the past.
08:36Yeah,
08:36he hasn't been that worried
08:37about that,
08:38like anything sub-1 million.
08:40You know,
08:41like,
08:41what's his contract?
08:42$250,000?
08:43Something like that?
08:43He's like,
08:44yeah,
08:44$750,000.
08:45It's all right.
08:47He needs to be there.
08:49For sure.
08:50And that is more
08:51about the fact
08:52that you're starting over
08:53with a new system
08:54and all that.
08:55But he didn't show up
08:57for the last few years,
08:57I don't believe.
08:58And,
08:58you know,
09:00it's ended weird
09:02a couple of years
09:02with him
09:03at the end of the season
09:04when he's gotten banged up
09:05and how much he's played
09:06and hasn't played.
09:09I'm glad he's there.
09:10I think it shows
09:12everything to that team
09:14and shows everything
09:14to the front office.
09:15And I think he is close
09:17to needing a new deal anyways
09:18or maybe being close
09:20to out of guaranteed money.
09:21I think he's close
09:22to out of guaranteed money,
09:23which normally means
09:24for guys that play
09:25positions like quarterback
09:26that they get a new deal.
09:27Just keep.
09:28Just keep pushing it back.
09:29Yeah,
09:29but I was,
09:30you know,
09:30when I saw that,
09:31I was happy for Ravens fans
09:32because that's a huge signal,
09:34I think,
09:34to that franchise,
09:35to that fan base,
09:37to that new coaching staff
09:38that he's there for business.
09:39So according to Tony Pauline,
09:41the Falcons are very interested
09:43in wide receiver
09:44Kevin Coleman Jr.
09:45from Mizzou.
09:46Yeah,
09:47he's kind of a branch type body,
09:50like 5'10", 180.
09:51He runs a 4'4",
09:539-ish,
09:54but he's really a yak guy.
09:56He's a,
09:56he's a,
09:57he's a,
09:57he's a guy that you can,
10:00you know,
10:00do a little toss sweep with,
10:02a little,
10:02uh,
10:02end arounds.
10:03He's very,
10:05he pray,
10:06I think he played primarily
10:07as like a little slot receiver
10:08in Mizzou.
10:09Four score,
10:11four scores,
10:12four schools
10:13in four years for him,
10:15um,
10:15including Miss State,
10:16Missouri,
10:17but he's,
10:17he's,
10:18he's a heck of a player.
10:19He's just not
10:21the most physical guy
10:22when it comes to
10:23the way he runs his routes.
10:25You can kind of come up
10:26and bump him off.
10:27Um,
10:28but he,
10:31he's,
10:32he's a good player.
10:32I mean,
10:33he would be a,
10:33he would be a hell of an addition
10:34to us because
10:36we've got a couple of big dudes
10:37right now in pits in London
10:39and he would be,
10:40and he would be a,
10:41a guy kind of in between,
10:43like down there.
10:44He could just run around
10:45and,
10:45and,
10:46um,
10:46give you a lot of speed.
10:48Kind of better
10:49that Darnell Mooney,
10:50what we thought
10:50we were getting
10:51with Darnell Mooney
10:52with the Yak.
10:52I,
10:53yeah,
10:53I was going to say,
10:53I mean,
10:54this is now three years
10:56on the show
10:56that I've been screaming
10:57for Yak
10:57and finding a guy
10:58that has the next level
10:59of speed
10:59and using the word
11:00acceleration.
11:01I've used that word
11:01on here,
11:02you know,
11:04what feels like
11:04a dozen times a day
11:05for the last couple of years.
11:06You got to find somebody
11:07that can accelerate,
11:08hit top end speed
11:09and find ways
11:10to game break.
11:11Bajon took a step up
11:12in that category last year
11:13and while I love Drake,
11:15he's just not that guy.
11:16And,
11:16um,
11:17so yeah,
11:17I love the direction
11:18they seem to be going
11:19with some of these guys
11:20they're scouting.
11:20It seems like,
11:21kind of feel like
11:22we're on the same page.
11:23Well,
11:23in Arizona,
11:24quarterback Trayden Stooks
11:25has a visit
11:25with the Eagles,
11:26Panthers,
11:27and Falcons this week.
11:28He's already stopped by
11:29to see the Cowboys,
11:30Cardinals,
11:31Titans,
11:31and Rams.
11:32Sure.
11:33Let's go for it.
11:33I mean,
11:34it's,
11:34this is a conversation
11:35we just had a minute ago,
11:36um,
11:37you know,
11:37with,
11:38with places that you need players
11:39and where all you're
11:40going to take them
11:41and what all you want them to be.
11:42So,
11:42whatever.
11:46Secondary.
11:47Um,
11:48Nickel,
11:48he can play safety.
11:50And,
11:51we all know that
11:51the Nickel position
11:52is one that,
11:53um,
11:54while we have a guy,
11:56we don't know
11:57when he'll be back
11:58and how much he'll be affected
12:00this year in Billy Bowman.
12:01And,
12:02this guy can,
12:03honestly,
12:04is very similar
12:05as far as
12:06his skill set
12:07of being able to do both
12:08like Bowman.
12:09Yeah.
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