Expectatons of Eleven: Josh Thole

[Edgy MD]

Joshua Michael Thole



Pos: C, 1b; BL-TR.

Born: October 28, 1986 in Breese, Illinois. (He'll be 24 in 2011.)

Birth Context Karma: Parade Day, baby.

Acquired: Drafted by the Mets in the 13th round of the 2005 MLB June Amateur Draft.

Tm	Lg	G	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	CS	BB	SO	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS	OPS+	TB	GDP	HBP	SH	SF	IBB	Pos	BB-Ref WAR	FG WAR
Buffalo	IL (AAA)	48	191	165	20	44	19	1	2	17	0	0	22	25	.267	.353	.430	.783		71	3	1	1	2	0	c	1.4 (1.0 on off)	1.4
NYM	NL	73	227	202	17	56	7	1	3	17	1	0	24	25	.277	.357	.366	.723	99	74	8	1	0	0	1	c
Total	all	121	418	367	37	100	26	2	5	34	1	0	46	50	.272	.352	.395	.747		145	11	2	1	2	1

Number: 30. (Greatest 30 in Mets history --- pretty easily --- is Cliff "Bam! Pow!" Floyd. The most notable 30 in Mets history, however, is of course Nolan Ryan. The most recent 30, before Thole, is Raul Casanova. Seriously.)

Wife: Somehow we missed it, but he married the former Kathryn Poe of Oswego in December.



Nickname: �El Infierno,� which he picked up in Caracas.

Namesakes:
The one with the shirt:


Best Day in 2010: Liek Vanessa Williams recommends, Joshie likes to save the best for last, become the third Met catcher to hit a walkoff homer in 2010, and having the grace to do it against Met enemy Tyler Clippard. See yourself seeing it here!

Last Word: Josh is expected to open the season as the Mets number one catcher, with Ronny Paulino to help him out against righties. His role could grow or shrink early depending on their relative performances.

What do you expect of Josh Thole in 2011?

[Fman99]

I expect him to establish himself as a quality regular in the bottom 1/3 of the lineup, 470 AB, .290 BA, 10 HR, 50 RBIs, and improved defense. Pitchers raving about his ability to call a game and the maturity level behind the dish.

[Valadius]

You might want to fix that table, Edgy.

Better than Russell Martin.

[Theoldmole]

I think we're setting our expectations too high.

[Lefty Specialist]

Sophomore jinx will ding him. His average will suffer and since he's not a power guy, Paulino might see more action than we might like.

I'm thinking more like 5/40/.260. Not that I'm sour on him, I think he'll figure it out eventually. The end of his season will be better than the beginning.

[Edgy MD]

He's been pretty consistent everywhere he's gone. He may not progress much, but given enough a sample, he probably won't regress much either.

[Benjamin Grimm]

480 plate appearances. .275, 7 homers. Finish 12th on the team in Schaefer points.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

He's gonna make you forget Brian Schneider.

who?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Continued improvement on defense-- he's more or less gotten to -just-below-major-league-average D in the pros alone. With all due respect... he's no Piazza. This kid's an athlete.

Also, that if he puts on a throwback "44" and pretended to pitch, a certain fringe bullpenner might get a little freaked out.



'87 Mike Lavalliere with a fitness bonus-- 121 G, 409 PA, .300/.367/.395, 29 XBH, 3 HR, 36 R, 40 RBI, 100-102 OPS+, .338 wOBA, 2.0 WAR.

[Ceetar]

I hear he rocked at Darts the other day.

I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011. .288, 11 HR (3 of which come at Yankee Stadium) 77 RBI. 1.8 WAR

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ceetar wrote: I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011.

So, you think he'll be traded?

[TransMonk]

I expect him to hit like a league-average catcher. Which is OK because he is a catcher.

I'd like to see him mature defensively and as a game caller...but as a hitter, it is what it is.

[ashie62]

Josh will hit in the top half on MLB Catchers.

Lets say 425 AB's 8 HR 50 RBI .268 with 10 SB.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ceetar wrote: I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011. So, you think he'll be traded?

Optimism is not a sin.

[smg58]

.280/.360/.400, in 400 AB.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Of course not. But I don't see any advantage to being willfully delusional.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Of course not. But I don't see any advantage to being willfully delusional.

I can make my case, and I will. I could argue that not thinking the Mets offense could easily be near the tops this year is being willfully delusional.

[Edgy MD]

He's already done OK as a catcher. His OPS+ is 99. But split out against catchers, that jumps up to 106.

Really, what's held back his performance is that he didn't touch lefties last year. He may be in danger of being one of those guys who doesn't figure lefties out because he doesn't get a chance to.

[Ceetar]

Edgy DC wrote: He's already done OK as a catcher. His OPS+ is 99. But split out against catchers, that jumps up to 106. Really, what's held back his performance is that he didn't touch lefties last year. He may be in danger of being one of those guys who doesn't figure lefties out because he doesn't get a chance to.

Hopefully Collins gives guys somewhat of a shot against the splits. I think Thole will get a chance early, since Paulino is out for 8, but I hope a small sample 1/8 or something doesn't force him into a platoon prematurely.

[Benjamin Grimm]

Ceetar wrote: I can make my case, and I will. I could argue that not thinking the Mets offense could easily be near the tops this year is being willfully delusional.

Oh, they could. But you appear to be taking the position that they will.

[Ceetar]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: Ceetar wrote: I can make my case, and I will. I could argue that not thinking the Mets offense could easily be near the tops this year is being willfully delusional. Oh, they could. But you appear to be taking the position that they will.

If they 'could' then It's hardly delusional of me to think it would shake out that way...

[Benjamin Grimm]

Of course it is. If I drive in city traffic, it's entirely possible that I'll have a fender bender, but it would be overly pessimistic for me to think that it will. What you're doing is the same thing, except from the optimistic side.

[Vic Sage]

Ceetar wrote: Ceetar wrote: I expect him to be a low-level contributor to the best offense in the league in 2011. So, you think he'll be traded? Optimism is not a sin.

It's not a virtue, either. It's merely a psychological quirk, like any other.

[seawolf17]

My expectation for 2011 is that @elliemets94 will go gaga every time "Joshy" is shown on SNY.

[MFS62]

I think that because of his high OBP against righties, he will be moved to the #2 spot in the batting order after the AS break, with Pagan being dropped down.
When lefties pitch (I wish he would get a chance to show whet he can do against them), Pagan resumes the #2 spot.
Later

[Ceetar]

MFS62 wrote: I think that because of his high OBP against righties, he will be moved to the #2 spot in the batting order after the AS break, with Pagan being dropped down. When lefties pitch (I wish he would get a chance to show whet he can do against them), Pagan resumes the #2 spot. Later

This is fairly reasonable given that it's possible we're looking at 6,7,8 in the lineup all lefties.