Ryan Langerhans: The Bad

by Jeff Sullivan on Jun 29, 2009 2:19 PM PDT in The More You Know Comment 38 comments

Contact. In the Majors, Langerhans has run a career contact rate of 74.0%, which is below the league average. He hangs out in the high 70s in AAA. It's not that Langerhans has a really long swing or anything - it's that he just misses the ball a lot. He makes contact with pitches out of the zone like Russell Branyan and he makes contact with pitches in the zone like Wlad. The only thing keeping his overall contact rate a little higher is that he doesn't chase as many balls. He does a good job of identifying pitches, but he doesn't do as good a job of hitting them.

Consistency of contact. In the last post, I showed you that, since 2006, Langerhans has hit six big league home runs longer than 420 feet. The issue is that that's out of 752 plate appearances. So while he's definitely demonstrated that he has some good power, he doesn't show it that often. He only has 24 Major League home runs in 1141 trips to the plate, and he has 37 in 1242 in AAA. Split between two levels in 2008, Langerhans only went deep six times. There's nothing in his track record that suggests he's going to come in here and start beating pitchers up. It's good to see him hitting for more power in AAA this year, and I imagine he'll hit at least one or two impressive shots with Seattle, but he's not exactly Adam Dunn. His 9.7% HR/FB makes him out like AJ Pierzynski.

Playing time. The more time Langerhans spends on the field, the more time Balentien spends on the bench. And while I personally don't think this is that great of a concern, since I'm not real high on Wlad's ability now or in the future, most fans of teams in our position don't want to see some journeyman taking time away from a ~25 year old with power potential. A lot of people want to see what Wlad can do given regular action, and Langerhans' presence will likely prevent that from happening. So how much you like Wlad will in large part determine how much you like this trade.

League transition. I imagine this has crossed a few people's minds, so it's worth pointing out that Langerhans has spent (edit: almost) his entire career with NL organizations. Of course, that didn't bother Endy. And Branyan's certainly re-acquainted himself with the AL pretty well. I forgot why I brought this up. This point is stupid.

Insufferable blogosphere. We love talking about players like this more than I imagine you love reading about them. I apologize in advance.

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I like reading about players like this as much as you like writing about them.

By the way, what is the league average contact percentage?

by Jed MC on Jun 29, 2009 2:29 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

For stealing a base?

I hear they don’t take kindly to that sort of larceny in those parts

IF I WAS MANAGER I'D HAVE A FIST FIGHT WITH YUNI RIGHT NOW AND KNOCK HIS FUCKING MONKEY HEAD CLEAN OFF (~EM)

by seattlecougar on Jun 29, 2009 2:40 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

They look the other way when the lakers win chamionships though

by d0nkey on Jun 29, 2009 4:08 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Yes go oakland lakers!

I will make fun of myself when applicable

by d0nkey on Jun 29, 2009 4:10 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Didn't he do about two days in Oakland?

Yet for some reason I seem to recall him in an A’s jersey for longer than that.

by pmc47 on Jun 29, 2009 5:05 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

2 games, 5 PA.

by marc w on Jun 29, 2009 5:06 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah yes.

May 1 and 2, both in Fenway.

For some reason I have a false memory of some play where he’s running through the outfield in the Coliseum, which could never have happened. I think my brain’s broken.

by pmc47 on Jun 29, 2009 5:09 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I think "journeyman" is a bit harsh on Langerhans

He is, rather, a capable major-league player who’s never gotten a real shot because he doesn’t make good contact — sort of like a Gutierrez version of Russell Branyan, except that he was never as highly-regarded a prospect as either.

by The Ancient Mariner on Jun 29, 2009 2:44 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Sounds a lot like Guti

maybe not quite as good a fielder, and with worse contact skills but a better eye.

Maybe this isn’t a fantastic way to look at it, but dude’s got a career -15 RAA (almost all of those during his miserable 07) and a career +27UZR as a COF. So if he hits like he already has, seeing only intermittent action and playing a terrible 07 in three extreme pitcher’s parks, he’s still an aboev average player.

So this is great, except we gave up Morse, who batted like .500 one March. BURN THE TREE.

by Bearskin Rugburn on Jun 29, 2009 2:55 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

BURN THE TREE dude's screed looks much better from 2 years away

Langerhans career CF UZR looks to be -13.3. In his largest sample, from 2007, he was at -24.5. Gutierrez he’s not.

He’s been great in the corners, so replacing Chavez’s performance is certainly doable.

by marc w on Jun 29, 2009 3:14 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

No need to apologize for anything

If writing about the Langerhanses – or is it like “moose”, a word with no plural? – of the world can replace even one poorly-thought-out polemic about the Mike Morses of the world not getting their chance to shine. the written world is a better place.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jun 29, 2009 3:19 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Rec'd for mocking those who are concerned about him changing leagues

by Poochie on Jun 29, 2009 3:32 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I've said this before

but if rambling about defense is going to be this blog’s blind spot, then we could do a hell of a lot worse.

...and now I'm here

by CapSea on Jun 29, 2009 3:47 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

"Insufferable blogosphere. We love talking about players like this more than I imagine you love reading about them. I apologize in advance. "

YOU ARE FORGIVEN!

Fans are typically idiots.

by The Typical Idiot Fan on Jun 29, 2009 4:17 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't know why Jeff needs to apologize for something we are seeking.

It’s why most of us are here and not somewhere else.

by Wilder. on Jun 29, 2009 5:16 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

This has probably been written somewhere, but what kind of contract does this guy have?

How long do the M’s have him under control?

by Ezzra on Jun 29, 2009 5:04 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Roughly 3 more seasons.

by Matthew on Jun 29, 2009 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'd rather see Langerhans/Balentien than nothing but Balentien

as I just don’t see that much there anymore in Wlad.

ignacio

by ignacio on Jun 29, 2009 6:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I'm just confused as to what makes him anything more than Jeremy Reed 2.0.

Or is the hope that he delivers more on the offensive end than Reed did?

by discovolante on Jun 29, 2009 8:46 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

He's better

Jeremy Reed, career wOBA: .295
Ryan Langerhans, career wOBA: .313

Langerhans had a .380 OBP in the majors last year. The fact that he couldn’t land a major league job over the winter is an indictment of the ongoing inefficiencies of MLB decision making.

by davidcameron on Jun 29, 2009 8:52 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

He's also significantly less crazy

by Graham on Jun 29, 2009 9:41 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Was there something specific that led to the conclusion that Jeremy Reed is batshit?

by Mariner John on Jun 29, 2009 10:42 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Just collections of rumours

I don’t think he’s Grienke crazy. More like Billy Beane crazy

by Graham on Jun 29, 2009 10:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I can confirm...

…that he’s an “interesting” guy.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Jun 29, 2009 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great pic, btw.

by The Ancient Mariner on Jun 30, 2009 9:25 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Go Natinals!

by OlSalty on Jun 29, 2009 9:43 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Also, who cares?

We could certainly use Jeremy Reed 2.0 right now and we traded Mike “who cares” Morse for him.

by Matthew on Jun 29, 2009 10:00 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Some people care.

by Poochie on Jun 29, 2009 11:28 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

And again, the comparisons to Reed don't make a whole lot of sense

Langerhans has shown he can be a decent hitter at the major league level, Reed never did that despite multiple chances.

And we didn’t pick up Jeremy Reed for absolutely nothing at all, either.

by OlSalty on Jun 29, 2009 11:32 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

new acquisition

Does Morse have a bad personality or what? He’s hit well in the majors and minors and he’s played outfield and all the infield. I can see why the other teams might want him but I can’t see why a “never a hitter” like Langenhorn would be someone we’d trade a known good hitter for. What’s so wrong about Morse?

by undeterredphil on Jun 30, 2009 5:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs