NY Sports Dog: Val Pascucci: Still Not the Answer

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Val Pascucci: Still Not the Answer


My good friend Ted Berg continues to carry the flag for our returning hero Val Pascucci.

Pascucci has some overly inflated minor league stats in the PCL, and a reputation that would make Paul Bunyan blush.

So what about Val Pascucci, a purported Mets savior? How good is this guy? How good can he be with the Mets?

In mid-2008 he had a solid .980 OPS in the PCL, which led Tim Marchman to translate to an .850 OPS in the big leagues (saying it is a Baseball Prospectus number).

Marchman said Pascucci "can be our Vlad Guerrero!"

Aint gonna happen folks, and here's why...

The PCL, for the uninformed, is the hitting haven for mid-20s to mid 30s has been's, or never will be's.

So let's take a peek at the 2009 PCL stats sorted by HRs:

Pacific Coast League: Batting Leaders (click column headers to sort)
Name Team POS G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG OPS
Mitch JonesALBRF10838772115263351032524010293.364.651.2971.015
Sean RodriguezSLC2B1033658110917629932255111992.400.616.2991.017
Allen CraigMEMLF126472781522612683258379530.374.547.322.921
Terry EvansSLCRF135537104156336269027940146285.341.520.291.860
Bryan LaHairTACLF1214577213228226852424511605.354.530.289.883
Randy RuizLAS1B1144628114843225106270479900.392.584.320.976
Matt CarsonSACCF1184406811629325772263894154.327.514.264.841
Brendan KatinNASRF1274596711233624922293516420.305.499.244.804
Joe KoshanskyNAS1B135455729921324801986416674.316.435.218.752
Cory AldridgeOMARF98354481122042271206248601.361.582.316.943
Brandon WoodSLC3B99386651132842272215368011.353.557.293.910
John BowkerFRERF1043668212522421832187464106.451.596.3421.047
Prentice RedmanTACRF108414841233532166227337772.352.548.297.900
J.P. ArencibiaLASC1164666711032121752072611401.284.444.236.728
Scott ThormanOMALF108399491151622067195247573.342.489.288.830
Chad HuffmanPORLF1354696512630220682205711585.361.469.269.830
Brett HarperALB1B103390461142511971198264800.333.508.292.841
Dee BrownALBLF121396791153501980207576393.382.523.290.905
John LindseyNEW1B1334435311122119831923811212.331.433.251.764
Valentino PascucciPOR1B1264366210825219771946611930.348.445.248.793

The average age of those players is 27. Moreover, many have major league experience, and for the most part, they have been putrid in the big leagues.

Some of the names on that list are quite familiar to Mets fans.

Prentice Redman anyone?

The PCL slugger has tasted the big leagues only once, in 2003, when he hit .125 for the Mets. Now, as he nears age 30, one has to wonder why he hasn't been given his chance...or, you can realize that his numbers are over-inflated by virtue of his playing in the PCL.

In 2008 Dallas McPherson hit 42 HRs in the PCL in only 448 at-bats...McGwire'esque!

Well, in 399 big league at-bats he has 126 Ks and a 97 OPS+

Now I'm personally happy for the Mets AAA fans...Pascucci might make their season a bit more enjoyable.

What I don't have is any illusion whatsoever that Val with make any contribution to the 2010 Mets. He's just not that good.
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1 comment:

SteveD said...

Have to agree with you. There are a ton of PCL superstars who can barely ride a major league bench.

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