Now that the reg season is over. 09 vs 13 tigers

09

09 when playing their best ball was deadly, better than anything this years team has done so far.

...Dean, Mitchell, Mahtook, Ranaudo, Gibbs, LeMehieu, Landry, Jones.

It's not an opinion. '09

13 is deeper, IMO. This would be especially true if Reynolds weren't hurt, giving us another solid arm. Still, it's hard to argue a team that just went 52-9 isn't "dominant." I don't think of us a dominate team, but more of a scrappy group of guys who find ways to win.

09 had more talent at the top. Coleman, Renaudo, JMitch, Lema...., Schimpf, Dean, Mahtook and a young Matty Ott. If Moore had returned, I'd call that the sickest lineup we had since the post-Bertman era. Still prob was.

13 also plays a bit better together. But all that matters is what we do if and when we get to Omaha.

obviously harder to compare due to bats

but 09's offense makes up any difference or edge that someone could give to 13 in terms of pitching and defense

those guys could bash and we put major pressure on teams when we got on base

'09 easily, '13 might have slightly more talent at a few key positions, but '09 just had that "it" factor & always came up in the clutch.

As everyone else has already pointed out, hitting is tough to compare with the bat change.
It's hard to argue with Bregman Katz Rhymes and Ibarra or Dean Schimpf Lamaheui and Mahtook

I think 09 starting pitching was better.
13 bullpen better
Catcher is a tossup- Ross's arm is far better but Gibbs bat was better and they are comparable as a backstop
Infield is superior for 13
But in my eyes, a Mahtook Landry and Mitchell outfield can not be beaten
Both teams benches are about the same Tyler Moore = Buzzy Haydel

Position by position

Catcher
Gibbs vs Ross - Gibbs clearly better offensively with Ross being better defensively. They both handled their respective staff very well. I would go with Gibbs because of offensive production and the fact that he was no slotch behind the plate either.

1st Base
Ochinko vs Katz - Earlier in the year, you could have put Katz' numbers against almost any former Tiger 1st basemen. Although still productive, he has become quite human as of late. Still Katz' numbers and defense is better than Ochinko.

2nd Base
LeMaheiu vs Jones
Similar builds and skill sets, but LeMaheiu's production overshadows Jacoby. If Jones would have had consistency on offense to go along with his phenominal defense, he could easily win this battle...but for now, we can only speculate. LeMaheiu wins this one.

Shortstop
Nola vs Bregman
I am a huge Austin Nola fan, but Bregman is on a whole new level.

3rd Base
Helenihi vs Ibarra
Helenihi was a servicable 3rd baseman, but Ibarra has possibly the most consistent '13 starter to this point. He is solid in the field and his bat has more than exceeded expectations.

LF
Schimpf vs Rhymes
It's hard to argue what Rhymes has done since he set foot on campus, but based solely on this year, Schimpf has the edge. Similar batting averages, but Schimpf had 22 HR and 70 RBI (and only grounded into 1 DP the whole season).

CF
Mahtook vs Stevenson/Laird
No contest...Mahtook might be a small fraction worse on defense, but even as a freshman, Mahtook's numbers were far better than either of these two.

RF
Mitchell vs Laird/Foster
Again no contest, Mitchell had a great season offensively and defensively. Laird has seriously dropped off offensively and Foster's body of work is too small to compare.

Starting Pitchers
Coleman vs Nola
I can't decide, I would say push

Ranaudo vs Eades
At the beginning of the season, it would be another close race, but Eades has fallen off lately, so Ranaudo wins this pretty easily.

Ross vs Glenn
I actually love Glenn here. He has really come on strong when it counts this season.

Bullpen
Ott/Jones/Bradshaw/Bertuccini vs Cotton/Bourgeois/Rumbelow/Fury/Bonvillain
People may disagree, but I like '13 here. I think there are a few more arms in the back end this season than in '09.

2009.

Let's see how the 2013 team plays in the postseason. That's how we judge teams at LSU.

ETA: 2009 favorite player: Mikie Mahtook
2013 favorite player: Foster the People