2K17: Billy Hamilton

[james33]

If Hamilton's BABIP was .310 instead of .260, he'd be on base about 20% more of the time, wait, I'm not counting walks, call it 15% more, so he'd have 15% more SB, or about 8 more SB (or 12 more for an entire season). Do I have that right?

[revo]

Yeah, I think the risk is not whether he'll steal bases when he plays but how long he'll continue to get playing time while he's such a horrible hitter.

I agree, but my feeling is the Reds will trot him out there every day for the rest of this season, regardless of the result. They don't have much else going on. As a Hamilton owner, I just hope they don't send him down.

Next year is another story.

[Judge Jude]

also odd is that he has value in spite of his negatives - in fantasy ball where SB have oversized importance, and in real ball where he plays great defense.

still, he wouldn't start for my real team. the hitting is just too brutal.

[james33]

Its amazing that he came up as a second baseman. Which coach put him/kept him there instead of at CF?

[Judge Jude]

he mainly came up as a SS (except 55 Games at 2B in A ball in 2010 and then CF in AAA in 2013), and if he was as good at that as he is at CF (he's not), I'd have played him there. CF is far more defensive-oriented than casual fans think, but you still want a little more offense than this.

[james33]

O, I was remembering wrong, thought he came up as a 2B, not a SS. Yeah, I can see why he would've been a SS.

[mjl]

funny thing from Rotowire:

"Cincinnati Reds OF Billy Hamilton scored four runs and had four hits, both career highs, as the Reds topped the Los Angeles Dodgers 10-3 on Thursday, Aug. 13. Hamilton entered the game in a 5-for-22 slump."

note that that 5-for-22 slump actually raised his BA from .2216 to .2219. I don't think that qualifies as a slump then.

[Mendoza_Line]

What do we think Billy Hmailton will do this year?

I have him at a great price in my keeper, but his AVG killed me.

Wondering if I should be letting him go and trying to cover SBs with other options like Dee Gordon, who now hits for good average and selection of other people.

[Gregg]

What do we think Billy Hmailton will do this year?

I have him at a great price in my keeper, but his AVG killed me.

Wondering if I should be letting him go and trying to cover SBs with other options like Dee Gordon, who now hits for good average and selection of other people.

If Dee Gordon is available he won't be cheap.

I am a Hamilton owner and will offset his ave. by buying some of that at auction. I can buy ave. easier than I can buy 70 sbs from one guy. I have had 3 or 4 teams this off season ask me if Hamilton is available. They want to trade very good to great high priced players for my cheap Hamilton. He is not available.

[revo]

What do we think Billy Hmailton will do this year?

I have him at a great price in my keeper, but his AVG killed me.

Wondering if I should be letting him go and trying to cover SBs with other options like Dee Gordon, who now hits for good average and selection of other people.

Agree with Gregg that if you're looking at Gordon, well, so is everyone else, so he will cost you a lot of bucks in an auction or a 2nd round pick in most redraft leagues.

I suffered through Hamilton's 2015 season, and have to admit, there were some highs but many, many lows. If 2015 is any indication of his future ability, about the only thing he does well is steal bases. Every other offensive part of his game is subpar, and that worries me that he may not have a major league skillset. The old adage "you can't steal first base" holds true for him, and if he starts the season like he ended last year, I'd be concerned that the Reds will demote him.

While steals have been down in recent years, I'd look to compete in the category with guys like Polanco, Burns and DeShields, or use the resources you would use on a Gordon to get more all-around players like Marte and Betts.

[Gregg]

He is too good on defense to sit on the bench.

[Judge Jude]

he is really, really good defensively. it helps that he's on the clueless Reds, who seem to be punting the season anyway. I'd be a little cautious, too, but have a dollar figure ready in case your league doesn't have any true believers. he could be awful, steal 35 bases, get demoted - and still be a game-changer for you in the SB category.

[madducks]

Another thing to consider is if Phillips gets traded (and all indications are that he will), that opens up a spot for Peraza at 2B. And if Peraza has a strong spring with the bat along with his wheels he could be the Reds new lead off hitter if Hamilton is struggling.

[Gregg]

He's too terrible to play every day. I agree with Revo --- very, very risky player.

He is 25 with A+ defense. He batted .226 in 412 abs last year with 57 sbs. In 2014 he batted .250 with 56 sbs in 563 abs. Oh and he reduced his caught stealing of 23 times in 2014 to 8 last year.

He has plenty of room to fix the ba.

He is not going to sit down based on his defense alone. He may get moved down the order.

I got him for $15 bucks and have Pollack for ave. help and more sbs. I am going to win or take second in sbs. I can't get enough cheap help to make up for that.

[joncarlos]

The Reds offense is kind of a train wreck outside of Votto (and maybe Bruce and Mesoraco, I guess). At some point they may decide they need to take a look at both Winker and Ervin, in addition to all of their quasi-prospects like Jake Cave, Scott Schebler, Adam Duvall, etc. But until then, they probably can't do anything more useful to their rebuild than give Hamilton another 400 ABs to see if he can figure it out.