That would be funny. He’d still probably be less valuable than Altuve but it would at least be close.
His range is almost certainly better than Altuve's, but how often is a better arm really going to come into play at 2B?
I mean, it's not as valuable as on the left side but you still have to make throws and turn DP's, a strong arm helps quite a bit if the ball arrives faster.
I guess my point is, the throws at 2B are much shorter than say SS or 3B, so the reduced time it would take for a throw to get to 1B is much less with a higher velocity throw. I'm gonna throw out some fake numbers to illustrate: Let's say Altuve can throw max 80 mph on average. Let's say Dubon is 15% faster than that, so 92 mph. I have no idea what either throws but those numbers wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility. Now let's say the average distance to 1B or 2B on fielded balls is 70 ft. The distance between bases is 90 ft so that number is probably high, but they wouldn't be right in the middle of the base path and the other fielder can stretch out a solid 5-6 ft so I think 70 ft is reasonable. A ball thrown 70 ft at 80 mph would take 0.6 seconds to arrive. A ball thrown 92 mph would take 0.52 seconds. If you ramp it up to a 100 ft throw, the difference becomes 0.11 seconds. So I guess what I'm asking is how often would that 0.08 seconds be the difference in an out or a single?
In case anyone was wondering, I did a little more research and it looks like Altuve has maxed out at 80 mph, but averages more like 75 mph. Dubon's average is more like 86 mph, so the difference in my hypothetical above is about right. Also, the average distance a 2nd baseman throws is 75-80 ft, so I was pretty close.
Depending on how bad they fall off, and if the vehicle still needs to move ( it could just be useful parked like an RV) it may be the right thing to do. How many people were telling to resign Yuli and he is not nearly as accomplished as Altuve.
When I say a stronger arm, it also implies accuracy and from different body positions. I'm not just talking velocity. It's the ability to make a throw. Fielding is footwork, positioning, glove work, and throwing. Dubon is vastly better in all 4 areas. Is it enough to to displace an Astros legend who is top 10 in the league offensively? Hell no!!! But it does make you feel a little bit better when Altuve is out.
Yuli's wheels haven't fallen off. It just only runs well during the playoffs and odd number years for some reason
I will say that I think Dubon has shown enough that he's probably good enough to back up 2B-3B without Hensley. Have Diaz (or Julks if he survives Chas and Brantley call ups) backup 1B.
Julks has never played 1B even one time in his professional career. Positions matter, that's why there will be dilemma when Brantley and Chas return, because LF is Julks' most suitable OF position. He has played some 3rd, 2nd, and SS in the minors. The way Meyers is going, Chas and Jake can platoon CF, Brantley and Yordan will toggle LF/DH...Chas can also tackle LF. Really not certain where Julks fits the puzzle if/when all of the outfielders are at full strength.
I agree with this. As good as Julks has been, there simply isn't a spot for him. My understanding is that he simply isn't good enough to be considered for 2B, 3B, or SS at the MLB level. Similar to Taylor Jones and 3B the last couple of years. With only 13 position players and a 4 player bench no team can keep 6 players who are OF only, especially if 3 of them are mostly limited to the same single OF position. At least not a team expecting to win.
