[Mick]

I’d be more inclined to be interested if I didn’t see him consistently swinging at offspeed stuff in the dirt. The hit tool has always been his question. I was encouraged in that he appears capable of handling and turning on a fastball in. If he can become just a tad more patient – not, everybody has to be Lamont Wade – and learn the strike zone, a bit better, he might be a decent major league hitter. Otherwise, he’s going to go the way that so many have before him. Destroyed by the breaking ball

Brandon Belt was like that for the longest time, and he figured it out -- eventually. Speaking of which, he's still a free agent and hit 19 HRs in 334 ABs last year...although he would have only projected to 14 HRs at Oracle, per baseball savant.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-pl...itting-mlb

BTW, Belt's profile is what makes me suspicious of Bellinger, who had a good season in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Per baseball savant, from 2016 to 2023, Belt would have had almost twice as many home runs at Wrigley as he did at Oracle (206 vs. 108).

[Mick]

I’d be more inclined to be interested if I didn’t see him consistently swinging at offspeed stuff in the dirt. The hit tool has always been his question. I was encouraged in that he appears capable of handling and turning on a fastball in. If he can become just a tad more patient – not, everybody has to be Lamont Wade – and learn the strike zone, a bit better, he might be a decent major league hitter. Otherwise, he’s going to go the way that so many have before him. Destroyed by the breaking ball

Brandon Belt was like that for the longest time, and he figured it out -- eventually. Speaking of which, he's still a free agent and hit 19 HRs in 334 ABs last year...although he would have only projected to 14 HRs at Oracle, per baseball savant.

https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-pl...itting-mlb

BTW, Belt's profile is what makes me suspicious of Bellinger, who had a good season in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field. Per baseball savant, from 2016 to 2023, Belt would have had almost twice as many home runs at Wrigley as he did at Oracle (206 vs. 108).