Right you are. I was thinking he did. I must have been on his minor league page. I should've gone with my gut and double checked that. I got stop letting work get in the way of my Astro research.
You’re forgiven about forgetting his at bats, but it is inconceivable you forgot his two stellar relief performances 1.2 0 runs, 3 Ks.
If White gets 100 AB and is struggling and someone is on fire in AAA. I'd be fine with a move since White has had a few chances already.
Thanks. Funny thing is I just went back looked and the very last game I attended. It was the game JD hit his first HR. It was the last game before that hurricane. At least I know now why I forgot it all. I know I'm old but I usually remember all these things. I checked out of "life" after this game for about a month. Damn Harvey! https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/HOU/HOU201708240.shtml
Davis is the better 3B option (I don't want White there at all), but they both figure to be the 3rd option at 3rd so that doesn't carry much weight. White is more experienced at 1B and in the majors. I feel confident he is an MLB-caliber bat, just a matter of whether he is a replacement level player or starting caliber. I'd lean White. Both deserve a chance, but only one is going to get it (barring injury or something stunning). If either seemed competent in LF (and maybe one has, but they are both slow), I'd take that as a deciding factor.
I wouldn’t mind seeing both Davis and White make the team, with Fisher and Kemp going to AAA. If Fisher isn’t going to be the guy, I’d just as soon give the LF AB to Marisnick, Marwin, or even Davis.
Davis and White are having more similar spring training batting experiences than it initially appears when we just look at batting averages and OPS. Davis has had an unusually high proportion (for him) of batted balls fall in for hits this spring, and White has had an unusually low proportion (for him) of batted balls fall for hits in ST. Davis's spring BABIP is right near .400 while White's is around .240. Steamer projects these hitters to have a regular season BABIP in the .285 - .292 range. If we imagine that this BABIP level had held true for them in ST, then White would have had a couple more of his line drives or fly balls fall in for hits, and Davis would have been put out on a few of his batted balls that actually went for hits. This adjustment would bring their batting averages a lot closer together, though Davis would probably still have the higher OPS given his home run power. Also, Davis has faced slightly lower-level pitchers in ST than White has (going by Baseball Reference's OppQual stat), so that has to be factored into any comparison of the two hitters as well. At the end of the day, I'd consider any decision Hinch has to make between the two to be defensible. But they are both good bats so if both could be used simultaneously in the regular season, cool. Put White ahead of Davis in the batting order so that White can get on with one of his extra base hits or walks as he is so apt to do, then let Davis bring him home with a shot to the Budweiser pavilion at Minute Maid Park.
If they were left handed you could do more of a 4 way platoon with Yuli, Gonzalez, Gattis at 1b, dh, and left, basically never play Marisnick against right-handers if he still can't hit them and never play the left handed first baseman against lefties. So against lefties you could play Yuli at 1b, Gonzalez or Marisnick in left, and Gattis at DH. Against righties, it would be left hander at 1b, Gonzalez or Yuli Have they played Davis in left at all? I really think they are going to give Fisher a month to get right. I think they would rather play Gonzalez at 1b at DH more with Yuli out and believe Fisher has the better upside defensively in left. I think they also would like another left-handed bat. I like both White and Davis and would be excited to see both in the big leagues sooner than later, just don't think it will happen at the same time.
.203 spring average and .273 OBP might have contributed as well. Those are only slightly worse than his all time MLB numbers.
Davis and White both hit very well against lefties so I'd hope Davis sees lots of action against those lefty starters from Arlington when the season begins.
