EXPECTATIONS for 18: Kevin Plawecki

[Edgy MD]

Expectations. They don't cripple a man when he's vying for a backup job like they do an expected starter.

For a few years now, lightning has been hitting my buddy Travis d'Arnaud left and right. Fan expectations not met. And I've come up shorter than him, but as his clipboard holder, few of the bolts have come at me. Heck, I even led the team in games caught back in 2015, and mostly stunk up the field while doing it, and still it's all "Travis is HEWJ disappointment!!"

But I'm starting the think the clock is running out on my extended grace period. I hit enough in the second half of last year to ignite folks' imaginations. And now I'm expected to at least challenge Travis for top-dogginess, or take the job outright if he flounders. Expectations.

I figure I'll do what I do, grind it out, talk some shit about a new swing, and hope the hits drop in. I know I'm breaking camp with this team. What happens next is .... well, it's up to you.

[fimg=338]https://cbsnewyork.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/plawecki.jpg?w=625[/fimg] [fimg=362]https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/a4ae9ce4a08aeff172058186a758f8bc3e416a48/c=0-3-2188-1239&r=x1683&c=3200x1680/local/-/media/2015/06/29/Indianapolis/Indianapolis/635711826481227766-Plawecki1.jpg[/fimg]
[fimg=378]https://mediadownloads.mlb.com/mlbam/2017/04/30/images/mlbf_1339227683_th_45.jpg[/fimg] [fimg=322]https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/618/0*L3EX2p2qkEUqZvag.[/fimg]
[fimg=311]https://imagesvc.timeincapp.com/v3/fan/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Frisingapple.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fusat-images%2F2016%2F04%2F9328765-mlb-game-two-new-york-mets-at-pittsburgh-pirates.jpeg&c=sc&w=850&h=560[/fimg] [fimg=389]http://assets.nydailynews.com/polopoly_fs/1.3483680.1505010126!/img/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_1200/845044702.jpg[/fimg]

As you put your answer below, I would also appreciate your vote for the Crash Davis Award for Most Boring Interview in Baseball.

NBa-ZOC-Y1M

[Guest d'Kong76]

120 G behind the plate, see Travis d'Arnaud Efor18. Has a red-hot July and
then not so much the rest of the way...

[nymr83]

I was high on him in the past so i'll throw good money after bad here - displaces d'Arnaud by June.

.250/.350/.375 in 400 PAs, not too shabby for a starting catcher

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

dArnaud's slow progress has made me gun shy about Expectations from catchers.

250/320/360 BEAT THAT KEVIN

[Ceetar]

101 games. 13 HR. 11.5 BB% 16 K%. .265/.365/.422 for about 2 FWAR.

8/22 as a pinch hitter.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I think, when we look back at the end of the year, he'll have been the better of our two catchers.

But maybe not by a whole lot.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Cee's numbers look good to me. I think the OBP will be a little lower/more BABIP-fueled, though... like, .274/.338/.407, with 8 HRs and an 8-9% walk rate in just under 400 PAs. In an odd reversal, is spelled a LOT by Travis due to chronic neck weirdness or something.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: dArnaud's slow progress has made me gun shy about Expectations from catchers. 250/320/360 BEAT THAT KEVIN

224/333/360 so far. He's been like the invisible man on this club. Even a decent July went completely unnoticed by me.

He's probably less awful relative to the average scrub but at some point it'd be nice if he started collecting a couple XBH's

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I think, when we look back at the end of the year, he'll have been the better of our two catchers. But maybe not by a whole lot.

nailed it. 96 wRC+ so far for Plaw and 95 for Mesoraco

[ashie62]

Prefer Mesoraco

[Edgy MD]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: He's probably less awful relative to the average scrub but at some point it'd be nice if he started collecting a couple XBH's

Sounds like he heard you.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Good, get to work, Kev!