About Baseball & More......


by Tom Cole
© 2005


September 12, 2005


Changing of the Guard-
New Faces in Major League Baseball

1b. Mark Texeira , Texas Rangers, 290BA. - 39HR - 120Rbi It is difficult to believe Texeira is only in his third year in the league. Seemingly a fixture at first base for the Texas Rangers, he leads their vaunted offensive attack, batting for both a high average and power. Texeira is an all star already at this stage of his career, a power hitting, switch hitter who can field his position. “The switch-hitter is still significantly better against lefthanded pitchers, but Teixeira did improve his average from the left side by 25 points in 2004. He also seemed to better tailor his lefthanded swing for Ameriquest Field, lifting balls into the air to right and taking advantage of the short right-field wall. An impressive trend: Teixeira's strikeouts went down slightly and his walks jumped significantly in virtually the same number of at-bats as in 2003. That's the sign of a maturing hitter.” -ESPN.com

1b. Dan Johnson, Oakland, .292, 12 HR - 45 rbi (4 errors, .995) With all the fanfare that Nick Swisher received in pre-season predictions, Johnson started the season at Triple A Sacramento, denied the opportunity to break spring training camp with the big club. But with the apparent demise of the team in May, settled at a season low 15 games under .500, Billy Beane decided to re-tool and promoted Johnson, a minor league phenom, to the A's. His performance has been steady, both at the plate and in the field. Batting anywhere from the 4th to the 7th spot in the lineup, Johnson is a legitimate candidate for Rookie of the Year.

2b. Jorge Cantu, Tampa Bay Devil Rays .292 BA - 23HR - 96Rbi Lost in the muddle of mediocrity in Tampa Bay, has put up amazing numbers for a young player. In only his second year, he bats third in the lineup, virtually unheard of for a second baseman aside from Jeff Kent, Ryan Sandburg and Joe Morgan. He is producing at the plate but still learning to field, having committed 20 errors already dividing time between 2b and 3b. Seeming ensconced at 2b the second half of this season, he has certainly found a comfort zone at the plate.

2b Robinson Cano NYY, .277 - 9HR - 45Rbi Brought up in May in a desperation move, no one expected this rookie to fit in so nicely among the greats in the Yankee infield. Surrounded by A-Rod, Jeter and Giambi, Cano has executed well at the plate, though making 12 errors in the field, considered a bit too many for a 2b. But in spite of his fielding lapses, he has pleasantly surprised the Yankee management and is destined to become a fixture for some time.

2b. Chase Utley, .281 - 21HR - 82Rbi (8 errors) A rising star destined for greatness, according to many in the know in major league baseball. Starting the season as a plattoon player, the Phillies traded Placido Polanco to make room for Utley as an everyday player. He has not disappointed, proving to be more than adequate and making his presence known in the lineup, as pitchers are prone to walking rather than pitching to him in clutch situations. His defense is good, he runs well and has some real power for the positon he plays.

ss Jhonny Peralta, Cleveland .287BA - 20HR - 66Rbi Many in Cleveland were distraught with the departure of Omar Vizquel to free agency, unconvinced the Indians management had made an intelligent and timely decision in ceding the shortstop position to Jhonny Peralta. But astonishingly, Peralta has come through. Though he has not fielded like Vizquel (few do), and has made 15 errors, his bat has been surprisingly strong and he leads AL shortstops with 20 homeruns, tied with Michael Young of Texas. “Peralta made some adjustments in his swing last year. The changes, which included lowering his hands, allowed him to keep the bat in the strike zone longer and opened the right side of the field. Breaking balls on the outside part of the plate continue to give him problems.” - ESPN.com

ss Jose Reyes, NY Mets, .276BA - 6HR - 55Rbi An electric presence on the field, his arm compares favorably with that of Rafael Furcal, and his bat, while presently not very powerful, has been productive with 55rbi's from the leadoff spot in the batting order. He is fast, with 49 stolen bases and is the classic shortstop as the position was understood in a past era, when homeruns at this position were considered a pleasant bonus. Committing only 14 errors this season at the most demanding defensive position on the field, he more than makes up for any defensive lapses with the spectacular plays and a powerful arm. Curiously, the Mets front office did not recognize his potential, relegating him to 2b and importing Kaz Matsui from Japan who has turned out to be a disappointment and the object of consistent fan ire at Shea Stadium.

3b. David Wright, NY Mets .314 BA - 21HR - 86Rbi Destined to be a star in the league for a long time to come, in his first complete season, he is not merely contributing, he is CARRYING the Mets on his back as they attempt to overcome the mediocrity that has marked this franchinse for five years. In spite of the addition of Beltran (cf) and Pedro Martinez (rhp), they are barely on the fringes of contending for the NL wild card, and would be even further out of the race if not for his contributions. . ESPN.com writes “….. He has a knack for getting big hits, and his power should increase as his body matures.” ; with 21 homeruns already and an expected increase in power numbers, he is being compared to Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt already, who finished his career with more than 500 home runs. Wright's fielding is good as well,with many of his 19 errors committed earlier in the season. Recently he has been flawless, handling all the routine plays and making spectacular ones too

OF

Joey Gathright, Tampa Bay Devil Rays .287 - 0HR - 11Rbi With only 150 at bats in 51 games, Gathright has managed to catch the attention of many around baseball. With blazing speed that has translated itself into 12 stolen bases, he covers the outfield well, and is a spark to what has been one of the best teams in baseball since the All Star break. Hopeless mired in last place, Gathright's promotion to the big leagues comes without the pressure of a pennant race or scrutiny. He has excelled in the minor leagues, consistently hitting .300 or more, and curiously has NEVER hit a home run in professional baseball. Another throwback to a long gone era when a speedy defensively oriented, singles hitting centerfielder could make it among the behemoths who patrol most outfield positions these days. Juan Pierre (Marlins) and Gathright seem to be from the same mold.

Willy Taveras, Houston Astros .289BA - 3HR - 27Rbi Another speedy outfielder who has yet to hit for power in his first year at the major league level. At age 23, he too will undoubtedly fill out and eventually begin to get some extra base hits as his .342 slugging percentage suggests he is just a singles hitter at this stage of his career. But with nine outfield assists, he has become a force in the field, surpassing the season total of Andruw Jones who is acknowledged as the best centerfielder in the game today.

Jeff Franceur, Atlanta Braves . 337 - 12 HR - 38Rbi In only 175 at bats in just 50 games, Franceur has put up numbers that would make him a legitimate candidate for Rookie of the Year honors over an entire season. He haWilly Ts hit for power and average, dominating major league pitching for the first month of his career at .400+ clip. Patience at the plate is not a virtue; his first walk of the season after 152 AB was an intentional walk. But his defensive play has become the story of legends already, contributing 11 assists from the right field position, easily leading all other players at his position. Ichiro has nine assists from right field and Vlad Guerrero has 8, both players performing at this level over 130 games, not just 50 as Franceur has.

Grady Sizemore, Cleveland Indians, .288BA - 17HR - 71Rbi Considered one of the most exciting players in ALL of baseball, Grady Sizemore is relatively unknown. Hardly flashy, without any defensive stats that have drawn any attention, Sizemore has stolen 20 bases and hit 17 homeruns to date this season, an interesting combination of power and speed. Recently a friend lamented the fact that no one steals home anymore, just days after Sizemore had stolen home without the catcher having the time to even get out of his crouch and make an attempt to put on the tag. Sizemore is currently carrying the Indians offensively with some help from Victor Martinez to contend for the AL Wild card.

Jason Bay, Pittsburgh Pirates, .296 - 26HR - 76Rbi The rookie of the year last year, he has continued his success in the National League, not suffering from any sophmore jinx. A good fielder, and a reliable hitter for both average AND power. His stint in the All Star Game home run context was a bit of an embarrassment but he did not let it affect his performance, increasing his production in the second half of the season. A good player on a mediocre team, Bay is one of the few bright lights in what has been a tumultuous season in Pittsburgh.

I will cover pitchers and cattchers in the next installment of "The Rap"....