Interesting item on NJ.com’s Yankees blog about using spring training stats to predict a regular season break-out. Apparently the rule of thumb is that if a player slugs 200 points above their career average, they’re due for a big season.
Here’s the part that made me chuckle: “you can’t count A-Rod, who is slugging an even 1.000 so far, which is almost double his career slugging percentage of .578. A-Rod isn’t going to “break out” this season.” (God help you all if he does.)
Anyway, the Yankee due to “break out” are young slugger Shelley Duncan and young speedster Brett Gardner (who has been described as a Juan Pierre who takes a bunt). I will leave it to the SiMP members of Red Sox Stoop to let us know which Sox are, by this metric, likely to bust out.
4 Comments until now
THIS!
IS!
SPRINGTRAINAAANG!
The only thing Shelly Duncan is looking to break out of is the MLB jail after his on the field brawling. He is Rob Deer reanimated.
reanimated? is Rob Deer dead??
This! Is! SPRINGTRAINING!! haz me LOL multi-times. LOLZ.
Here are a few Nationals’ numbers to chew on:
Player - SprTrn ABs - SprTrn Slg% - Career % - Delta
R. Belliard - 37 - .784 - .412 - +.372!! (yowza!)
Pete Orr - 33 - .633 - .339 - +.297 (does he make the team now?)
Humberto Cota-16 - .563 - .358 - +.205 (was just cut)
A few others right at the cusp, with 10 days to go ’til Opening Day:
C. Guzman - 45 - .556 - .378 - +.178 (and hitting over .350)
Zimmy - 25 - .640 - .469 - +.170
And here’s a random note: Luis “Little Papi” Jiminez, who was recently sent to Nats minor league camp, is 3 for 16. While this is only a .188 BA, it’s notable because he’s slugging .750. How do you slug .750 with only 3 hits in 16 ABs? You hit 3 home runs. Now THAT’S Rob Deer!
Oh, and: Note starting 2B Ronnie “Belly” Belliard’s numbers. Good. Now note starting SS “Sister” Cristian Guzman’s numbers. Excellent. You think Felipe “Flop” Lopez is getting a starting job on this team, barring injury? Quoth Felipe: “Hell no.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/18/AR2008031803196.html
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