Exit Interview 2017: Magneuris Sierra

For the sixth straight year, we’re taking a look back at everyone that played for the St. Louis Cardinals this season.  Whether they were a major contributor or a bit player, here all year or for just a little while, we’ll look at their season and talk about what went right and what went wrong.  The stat line listed is just their time in St. Louis, though splits and other numbers in the discussion may be for the entire year.  Imagine this as them stopping by Mike Matheny‘s office for a little review on their way home for the winter.  As always when you see incredible artistry in the blogs, all credit for the header work goes to @cardinalsgifs.

Player: Magneuris Sierra

Season stats: 22 G, 64 PA, 10 R, 5 RBI, 2 SB, 4 BB, 14 K, .317/.359/.317, 82 OPS+, 0.3 bWAR

Hero/Goat: Hero 3, Goat 1

Overall grade: A

Positives: Made his major league debut in May after being called up from Palm Beach….sparked the team to an undefeated road trip….had hits in his first nine games, spanning three callups….had two three-hit games and four two-hit games….hit .462 against lefties….hit .350 away from Busch….hit .385 on the first pitch….hit .310 with two strikes….hit .450 (9-20) with runners in scoring position….that moved to .444 (4-9) when there were two outs….hit .333 in high leverage situations….hit .350 against power pitchers….had a .413 BABIP….had a .391 average on ground balls….hit .455 in three games against the Marlins…spent most of the season at Springfield, where he hit .269 with 18 doubles and 17 steals.

Negatives: Still has no extra-base hits in the big leagues….was only .500 (2-4) in stolen bases at the major league level….ended the season on an 0-12 skid over 10 games (dating back to July 20)….was 0-4 as a pinch-hitter….hit .143 leading off an inning….hit .231 when he was ahead in the count….hit .217 with nobody out….had only one homer in the minors.

Overview: There’s no doubt that all Cardinal fans enjoyed the debut of Sierra, though some that still hold a significant torch for the 1980s saw him as the reincarnation of Whiteyball.  His speed and defense were definitely a great asset when he came up but, as expected given that he started in A ball, there’s still work to be done.  There’s a discussion to be had, after all, if that squad of Ozzie Smith and Willie McGee et al would be as successful in today’s power-packed environment.  Sierra still has some baserunning work to do–20 for 30 in the minors is tolerable, but should be improved upon–though defensively many say he is better than he showed during his time in the bigs.  With the addition of McGee as outfielders coach, seeing how Sierra does during spring training could be pretty intriguing.

Outlook: Sierra’s speed might make him attractive on the trade market, but there are a number of quality outfielders ahead of him in the pecking order that could be moved before him.  Most likely, Sierra will be back with the organization next year, perhaps spending time in Memphis for much of the season.  He’ll probably have some more time in St. Louis next season but how much will depend on where the dust settles on the whole outfielder merry-go-round this winter.

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NL Central Standings

TeamWLPct.GB
Cardinals9369.574 -
Brewers8676.5317.0
Cubs7488.45719.0
Reds62100.38331.0
Pirates62100.38331.0

Last updated: 10/06/2022

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