Quote:
Originally Posted by Zeke
He's NOT elite yet. But he did what he did for 4 months straight at the age of 23. It wasn't just an improvement, it was a DRAMATIC turnaround and what the scouts were saying he was going to do when he got here and developed. So there is a lot of basis for optimism.
Also, I'm not as sold on Hos defensively as others are. He makes way too many routine blunders to be considered great with the glove. He will make a flashy play here and there, showing his athleticism, etc... that's fine and dandy... but the truly great defenders are much more consistent than he's shown to be. I think he's a good defender, just not gold-glove already like some proclaim him to be.
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His defense comes down to glovework and throwing ability. He's nifty with the glove and throws extremely well for an IF, let alone a 1B.
His range is a little below average, it seems. Think positioning has something to do with that. He also lacks a great first step.
Offensively, Hosmer showed nice progression. I'm still not certain he's going to continue improving or even playing at the level he showed from June 1 on, once he fixed his swing and got his confidence back. But it is not unreasonable or a stretch to think he's going to do that.