Comments on: Ryan and Joey – just how good are they?

By: Tim Pea

Tim Pea — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 22:46:05 +0000

Ryan Braun is a PED user, he’s dead to me. Votto is the best hitter in baseball. I’m usually prejudice against non-Americans but stats don’t lie.

By: mosc

mosc — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:36:28 +0000

Votto’s got better plate coverage, a better eye, better bat speed, etc. He is simply the hardest guy in baseball to get out and I don’t think there’s that close a second. Braun has a bigger swing, certainly faster by a wide margin, and plays a slightly more demanding position. Don’t get me wrong, I’d probably rather have Braun. That said, I don’t think we’re going to see a better OBP player than Votto unless somebody re-signs Barry.

By: brp

brp — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 16:04:43 +0000

Yep. As to the Braun’s baserunning slowing down, perhaps, but Braun at 35 will probably be a better runner than Votto is now, and I truly think he’ll continue to get better in the OF until he does start to slow down. And while OBP doesn’t “age,” that also means Braun could definitely improve his OBP. If nothing else, not having Prince around has skyrocketed his IBBs (from < 5 every year to 15 last season).

Can't go wrong with either player, of course.

By: Doug

Doug — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 07:56:50 +0000

It is remarkable how much difference one or two years makes.

I remember a study Bill James did back in the 80s. He compared two groups of players who both had very similar stats to start their careers. Only difference between the groups was starting age. In his analysis the group starting at age 21 would produce 50% more career value (think area under the curve) than the age 22 starters.

James himself admitted that, at first, he didn’t believe the result and assumed he must have made an error. But, it was no error. Earlier start means higher peak means longer decline phase before dropping below replacement value.

By: Mike L

Mike L — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 04:17:45 +0000

Topper, with all due respect, I didn’t say that steroids make you a Hall of Famer. Players take them because they think they improve performance, and that is indisputable.
We’ve just come off a very detailed and well reasoned discussion about steroids in “1962″ done far more eloquently than I can by other posters, on both sides of the aisle, so I defer to them.