My Not-so-Secret Fetish is...
Batters that hit second behind a good leadoff hitter that can steal bases. This gives the number two hitter lots of RBI possibilities to go along with the run scoring chances they will have. Also, these hitters typically hit for a good average and often have decent pop (10-20 HRs) as well. Often these guys are an afterthought as big league managers and fantasy managers alike zero in on leadoff hitters.
Examples this year will be:
NL East
1. Edgar Renteria
2. Dan Uggla
3. Paul LoDuca
4. Shane Victorino/Aaron Rowand
5. Nationals?
NL Central
6. Mark DeRosa
7. Scott Hatteberg
8. Chris Burke
9. Bill Hall/Johnny Estrada/J.J. Hardy
10. Jack Wilson
11. Chris Duncan
NL West
12. Orlando Hudson/ Chris Young/ Eric Byrnes
13. Kaz Matsui
14. Rafael Furcal/Juan Pierre/Russel Martin
15. Marcus Giles/ Mike Cameron/ Termel Sledge
16. Omar Vizquel
It seems like I got progressively less bold in my predictions towards the end of this list. Here are some more definitive NL West predictions:
Dodgers lead off Pierre, followed by Furcal.
Padres lead off Giles, followed by Cameron. This job could also be won by rookie mouthful Kevin Kouzmanoff or Spicoli-look-alike Kahlil Greene.
Which one is which???
For more on the Spicoli/Greene phenomenon, click on the pictures!
Diamondbacks will bat Stephen Drew leadoff and Hudson second for the start off the season, but I expect a lot of lineup shifting until something works. Other players that could bat first or second in the lineup include rookie Chris Young, rookie Carlos Quentin, Conor Jackson, Eric Byrnes, or Chad Tracy. Basically, no one is a sure bet.
Other teams:
The Nationals will probably leadoff Felipe Lopez and hit Christian Guzman second.
The Brewers are going to leadoff Rickie Weeks and bat Estrada second.
Shane Victorino will probably bat second for the Phillies.
We all love a good ranking right?
So here is a projection of my top 5 number two hitters in the NL this season.
1. Rafael Furcal SS Dodgers. Hitting after Pierre, before Kent & Nomah. 100+ runs scored-.290-15 HR-30 SB is possible. Shandler says he could do even better.
2. Chris Burke 2B/OF Astros. Dual eligiblity and the possibility of 20 SBs makes him a solid threat. Hits after Biggio, before Berkman and Carlos Lee.
3. Shane Victorino OF Phillies. Has had awesome stolen base numbers in the minors. Hits behind Rollins, in front of Utley and Ryan Howard.
4. Chris Duncan OF Cardinals. Hits after Eckstein, before Pujols and Edmonds. Had 22 HRs in 280 AB last year, but that's not consistent with his previously weak minor league totals (more so in BA). I think he will exceed last years totals because he is only 25 years old and I think he is showing improvement.
5. Edgar Renteria SS Braves. May be forced into leadoff spot this year, as it looks like the Braves would otherwise put Martin Prado or Kelly Johnson there. His 2007 numbers of .293-14 HR-100 Runs Scored-70 RBI-17 SB would look good anywhere in a lineup that already includes Chipper Jones, Andrew Jones, Jeff Francour, and Brian McCann.
More importantly, who will outshine the experts' predictions? Here's what I think:
1. Mark DeRosa 2B/3B/Of Cubs. Had a career year last year at 31 years old. I personally think he's got more n him. Will hit after Alfonso Soriano and before Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez!
2. Jack Wilson SS Pirates. Will probably have a tough time putting up bad stats hitting between up-and-coming stars Chris Duffy, Freddy Sanchez and Jason Bay.
3. Kazuo Matsui 2B Rockies. Had a great second half (.299, 5 HR, 11 SB, 43 runs scored) after moving from New York to the cold-filtered combines. Will hit after speedy Willy Taveras and before Garrett Atkins, Matt Holliday, Todd Helton, and Brad Hawpe.
4. Dan Uggla 2B Marlins. Hit only .258 in the second half but didn't lose his pop. Hits after Hanley Ramirez, before Miguel Cabrera, Mike Jacobs, and Josh Willingham. Could have a sophomore slump, but I say he's still good for .270-15 HR-80 runs-80 RBI.
5. Omar Vizquel SS GIANTS. I've been telling fellow Giants fans that Omar has already mastered the art of fielding and has now moved on to hitting and baserunning. Had an average of .295 last year with 88 runs scored and 24 stolen bases. That's now two seasons in a row that he has posted 24 steals, always as a number two hitter. Now that he's hitting behind convicted base thief Dave Roberts and in front of Barry Bonds, Ray Durham, Pedro Feliz, and Rich Aurilia for a full season, it is safe to expect improvement, even at age 40.
Just so you know: I hatched this idea last year when I saw that Paul LoDuca would be hitting second for the Mets in a powerhouse lineup. He put up better stats than I imagined he could and it proved to be maybe my best pick.
Also: When a batter hits second, you get to watch them more often. They also get more at-bats.
Stay tuned!
4 comments:
I don't know much about baseball. I've only seen two games in my life, but I like the thing you did with the pictures there. They do look alike! It's almost like seeing the same person. The baseball player should cut his hair. I don't know if this link is going to be interesting for you at all, but I hope so.
Yeah, that's pretty cool. If you've been to a Giants game, you may have noticed that the Giants players each have their own theme song when they come to bat!
Some notable songs:
"The Next Episode" Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre (Barry Bonds)
"No Sleep Till Brooklyn" Beastie Boys (Rich Aurilia, who's from Brooklyn)
"Smoke on the Water" Deep Purple (Robb Nen, when he used to come in to pitch)
Does anyone remember what Rod Beck's theme song used to be? Was it Back in Black? Speaking of which, how cool was "Shooter"? I'd have to say, 11 out of 10.
Okay I love the idea of fantasy baseball and fantasy sports but I don't know how they work, do you have games against other people. How are the outcomes determined>
Are the players influenced by there real world conterparts? I guess what I am saying is you seem to know alot about this mayby you could do some posts on how it works.
mayby try and setup your own league? and do coverage.
This wikipedia entry on Fantasy Baseball Helped me to understand what you are talking about.
Also as I said on splog, I really love the stats behind baseball. And I like that you are trying out new stats. Have you tired to do a calculation or anything so that yo ucan search through current rosters for people who match your requirements.
This might be helpfull its a EXPERT HELP FOR YOUR FANTASY BASEBALL FRANCHISE.
Ben freakin' awesome.
I'm going to focus specifically on Kahlil Greene because he is what we call a Giant killer.
In his career in which since his rookie campaign of 2003 he has been limited every year due to some sort of injuries. In 2006 it was a hand injury that prohibited him from throwing.
He has played in 401 career games in the MLB, he is a career .255 hitter. In 2005 alone he hit .337 against the Giants. Since he is on a division rivalry team we see him a lot during the season. In his career vs the Giants, which spans 143 total at bats he ranks with a .301 average, 43 hits, 4 homers, and 21 RBI's.
Kahlil Greene split stats
My suggestion is sign him if he can prove he can stay healthy because his numbers will improve with more consistent playing time.
Post a Comment