Cesar Hernandez is the number 10 overall player on ESPN’s Player Rater. The same Cesar is the number 26 overall player on Razzball’s Player Rater. Cut to Grey in three…two…one….interview with Grey Albright. Is he cackling due to the ranking discrepancy or the fact that Cesar is even that high to begin with? What I do know is that Grey thinks he is soigne because he wears two togas. Talk about flatulence. That’s how the ancients be flossin. Grey is playing a little too much Words for Friends apparently. Anyways, let’s break down The Emperor and see if we should be exalting him or stabbing him in the back…or front if you are a gangster.
Through 12 games and in 56 plate appearances, Cesar has a .346/.393/.615 slash line with three home runs, 13 runs scored, eight RBI, and one stolen base. Who does he think he is? Jimmy Rollins? Well, has anyone ever seen Cesar and Jimmy in the same room at the same time? I need visual evidence or it didn’t happen.
So, let’s start with the good. The Emperor is batting leadoff for a surprisingly effective Phillies offense, which is scoring 4.67 runs per game with a .721 OPS. The runs per game is the highest mark since 2010, when the Phillies had…gulp….Jimmy Rollins. <insert Twilight Zone music> Ok, things are not that dramatic but we are talking about a Phillies team that has scored under 3.90 runs per game for the past four seasons. I again ask the question: Who has seen Cesar and Jimmy in the same room at the same time? I’ll get back to business as I patiently wait for the answer. The .721 OPS is the highest mark since….wait for it….2010.
The Emperor seems to have changed his approach at the plate. He’s like the little chihuahua that became emboldened after it made the mailman soil his pants. Now, it be strutting through the dog park shitting wherever it wants to. The 5′ 10″ 160 pound Cesar now thinks he’s Barry Bonds, as he’s swinging for the fences. GB/FB has gone from the 2.5’s to 1.58, FB% has increased 10%, and HR/FB has gone from 7.1% to 25%. Now, this is a great example to show the kids that confidence comes from within and that they can do whatever they set their minds to. With that said, a chihuahua still gets destroyed if it shits in the German shepard’s domain, no matter how much confidence it has.
Which brings us to the bad.
GB/FB has gone from the 2.5’s to 1.58, FB% has increased 10%, and HR/FB has gone from 7.1% to 25%. Yes, the same thing that’s made him good is the thing that makes him crap. That is not Cesar’s game and it’s not something that will be sustainable. Do you really think he can sustain an ISO of .269 after eclipsing the .100 mark three times in his entire professional career? Do you think the .405 BABIP will continue? Do you think the .615 SLG, which by the way is the 27th-highest mark in all of baseball, will continue? This change in Cesar’s game has brought his walk rate down and strikeout rate up. In addition, the SwStr% is up and contact rates are down.
There was another emperor by the name of Napoleon, who was also short of stature. One of his most famous quotes was, “God is on the side with the best artillery.” Well, I love Cesar Hernandez, as I keep churning him in my RCL leagues, but he is just not blessed with the requisite artillery to keep launching balls into the stands. My favorite fantasy baseball emperor must be stabbed. It’s up to you to decide whether you want to do it face-to-face or from the back.
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