VegetasHairline
Veteran
The Gambler couldn't even make the playoffs until he joined a stacked team. Ichiro won ROY AND MVP!where his rings at?
Ichigoat top 5 but cmon breh
The Official 2024-25 MLB Hot Stove Thread
- Thread starter ineedsleep212
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It is fair to ask whether Ichiro would be allowed to play like he did in today’s game or how valued he would be. Now, I know he was a great base runner and outfielder, so it’s not apples to apples, but his hitting profile is basically Luis Arraez.
VegetasHairline
Veteran
Baseball needs more hitters like that honestly. It's absolutely disgusting that only 7 players hit .300 or better last season.
blues_funk_reggae
Veteran
EmbarrassingBaseball needs more hitters like that honestly. It's absolutely disgusting that only 7 players hit .300 or better last season.
Ichiro would win 15 batting titles in a row in this era
Sh*t, he would win it on a yearly basis with a .310 BA
Outside of hitting for average there is nothing in Arraez profile that is Ichiro like. Ichiro would probably be even more dangerous in this era. His sprint speed off the ball is crazy.
2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat
Superstar
His HITTING profile is very similar. The speed difference is obvious so Ichiro had more triples but the rest is roughly the same. How is this arguable?you really said ichigoat is araez
please, neg yourself
Both are high average guys who don't walk a lot or strikeout with only a handful of home runs.
2ATMsYouSteppinOrWhat
Superstar
His HITTING profile is very similar. The speed difference is obvious so Ichiro had more triples but the rest is roughly the same. How is this arguable?
Both are high average guys who don't walk a lot or strikeout with only a handful of home runs.
No
Arraez couldnt even smell ichiro jockstrap
Let alone hold it
How is this arguable?
So for example take a stat like Runs Created or Runs Created Per Game. Ichiro's 162 game average is lowered for how long he played, and Arraez is kind of inflated for not having a long career yet. So right now with using the baseball reference numbers for the 162 average. Arraez is at 17 runs/created per game and Ichiro is at 16. Looks really similar.His HITTING profile is very similar. The speed difference is obvious so Ichiro had more triples but the rest is roughly the same. How is this arguable?
Both are high average guys who don't walk a lot or strikeout with only a handful of home runs.
You snapshot to look at them with their first 5 full years in the bigs Ichiro's number is 18 and Arraez is at 13. This is to say if there were 9 Ichiro's facing a pitcher a game or 9 Arraez' facing the pitcher. Ichiro would produce at least 5 more runs every game.
Ichiro played 19 seasons and is within 2 of where he started. Arraez is currently 4 under what his 162 game average indicates. Arraez doesn't have the sprint speed of Ichiro. Balls he's getting safe on now, he may not still be able to replicate the longer he plays. He fails to keep his hit total up or get on base as frequently he won't hold pace Ichiro. That is why most would say they aren't similar.
I don't see why this argument should be so passionate.
In my mind, Arraez and Ichiro do share a similar batting profile.
They're both exceptional contact hitters.
I could argue that Ichiro CHOSE to forego power and purposely hit for average. To me he's similar to Wade Boggs in that way. I think Boggs and Ichiro COULD HAVE hit a lot more HR if they wanted to. They just didn't want to.
On the other hand, I don't think Arraez could hit for more power. He's going to put the ball in play and you're gonna have to rely on your defense.
Does that mean Arraez = Ichiro?
No.
Ichiro was a level or two better than him and Ichiro was a good defender.
I mean, I would say that Joey Gallo and Adam Dunn shared a similar batting profile. It doesn't mean I think Gallo = Dunn.
In my mind, Arraez and Ichiro do share a similar batting profile.
They're both exceptional contact hitters.
I could argue that Ichiro CHOSE to forego power and purposely hit for average. To me he's similar to Wade Boggs in that way. I think Boggs and Ichiro COULD HAVE hit a lot more HR if they wanted to. They just didn't want to.
On the other hand, I don't think Arraez could hit for more power. He's going to put the ball in play and you're gonna have to rely on your defense.
Does that mean Arraez = Ichiro?
No.
Ichiro was a level or two better than him and Ichiro was a good defender.
I mean, I would say that Joey Gallo and Adam Dunn shared a similar batting profile. It doesn't mean I think Gallo = Dunn.
I don't know what that means. I do know that Arraez has a career wRC+ of 120 through six seasons which would be in line with Ichiro's first six years.
I'm not trying to trash Ichiro by saying this. I'm just saying when you look at the basic HITTING stats across the board, they're similar.
I never said Arraez was near the overall player Ichiro was.
I just wanted a discussion about how Ichiro would be viewed as a hitter today and if he'd do the same things today as he did 20+ years ago. Contact lead-off hitters aren't valued the same in 2025.
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