Look, I'll be honest I may be a bit biased towards Jorge Mateo. I like him as a player.
The dislike he receives on Orioles twitter seems a bit too dramatic. Let's not forget that Jorge Mateo could have won a Gold Glove last year. That's not easy to do!
Yesterday on Opening Day, Mateo went for 2-3, stole two bases and walked. That's a great start to the season yet, people were still blaming him after he had a throwing error late in the game. Yes, of course you can't consistently have throwing errors but mistakes happen.
Under this logic should Gunnar Henderson be sent down to Triple-A because he went hitless yesterday. Of course not!
Some people blame players like Mateo for blocking others who could receive playing time or other prospects that could be called up.
I am all for the future of the Orioles. The fans have had to go through many losing seasons in the rebuild and prospects are what sell during that time.
I'm here to say Jorge Mateo is a special player. It is rare that a player of his caliber is available through waivers, yet the Orioles were able to get him.
I understand that the bat can struggle and he sometimes doesn't produce productive outs. That is all cause for concern. In fairness to Mateo, last year was the last time he received a majority of the starts at a position throughout a whole season.
Even if Mateo bats .230 this year I would argue that his playing ability everywhere else still makes him so impactful. He would be one of the most productive players with a .230 avg because of his skills everywhere else.
You know he will play an excellent defensive shortstop and steal many bases. His speed alone adds a dimension to a baseball game as a whole.
Mateo is also so fun to watch. He provides energy, makes incredible defensive plays and showcases his speed all of the time.
I’m not saying Mateo is the shortstop of the future for the Orioles, but we should all enjoy his game.
As Scott Van Pelt says “Enjoy the moments”. So let's enjoy the players that are on the roster right now.
Commenti