Streaking in the Park: Week 4
As we enter the 4th regular season installment of Streaking in the Park, I couldn’t help but notice the incredible changes in players and teams from week to week. For loyal readers, you will notice a few familiar teams and players who have, over the course of a week or two, gone from being red hot to ice cold, or visa versa. In a long 162 game season, every team and player will go through stretches of good and bad performances, but success is measured by controlling the ups and downs effectively. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: All stats used are prior to games on Tuesday, May 4th.
Hot
CF Austin Jackson, DET
There is no one hitting better than Detroit Tigers outfielder Austin Jackson. This past week, Jackson hit an incredible .516 in 31 ABS (7 games), raising his season average to .377 in his first big league season. Jackson collected 2 stolen bases this past week and had a .677 slugging percentage thanks to his 3 extra base hits. The only negative for Jackson this year has been his BB:K ratio of 10:34, but had a better week with 2 BBs and 2 Ks. If he can cut down on the Ks, Jackson will be an excellent centerfielder and leadoff hitter for years to come.
RF Nick Swisher, NYY
What a difference a few weeks makes for New York’s Nick Swisher. In Streaking in the Park: Week 2, Swisher topped the list of cold players, as he struggled to get a single hit that week. This past week was the opposite, as Swisher had 14 hits in 30 ABs, a .467 average. The best news for the Yankees is the return of Swisher’s ability to drive the ball for extra bases. Swisher had 4 extra base hits this week, including 1 triple and 2 home runs, while driving in 7 runs. Swisher will continue to be a streaky player, but when he is hot, there are very few in the league that can match his stats.
SP Francisco Liriano, MIN
Now three years removed from Tommy John Surgery, Francisco Liriano is looking as strong as ever. Liriano had 2 starts this past week and remained perfect with a 2-0 record and an era of 1.80, which actually rose Liriano’s season era to 1.50. The best sign for Liriano right now is his complete control of the strike zone and his small BB numbers. This week alone, Liriano had 19 Ks and just 4 BBs in just 15 innings, which works out to a 1.27 K’s per inning, an amazing number. Supported by an impressive Twins offense, Liriano’s numbers this season could be staggering.
RP Heath Bell, SD
This past week, Heath Bell was a perfect 3 for 3 in save opportunities for the San Diego Padres. Thanks to Bell, the Padres had an excellent week, winning 5 of the past 7 games and are currently sitting in 1st place in the NL West. Bell did not allow a run this week in 3 innings pitched while collecting an impressive 6 Ks. Bell burst onto the closer scene last season by saving 42 games in 48 opportunities and has quietly made himself one of the few elite closers in the National League. If Bell can continue to shine, San Diego could be a playoff team in 2010.
Honorable Mention
C John Buck, TOR
SP Ubaldo Jimenez, COL
Team
St. Louis Cardinals
Over the last 7 days, the St. Louis Cardinals have exploded as a club and have a league-leading team batting average of .309. This past week the Cardinals also have the best on-base percentage in the game (.386) and the most doubles (22). The Cardinals pitching staff has been strong as well, sitting with the 3rd best era (2.14) and are tied for the 2nd lowest number of earned runs (15) this past week. Sitting at 18-8 after an 8-2 last 10 games, the Cardinals are sitting with a comfortable 5 game cushion atop the NL Central.
Honorable Mentions
Texas Rangers
Cold
RP Trevor Hoffman, MIL
Trevor Hoffman made his major league debut in 1993 and has appeared in at least 48 games each season since then, except for 1. Hoffman has collected an amazing 595 saves in 642 opportunities in his career, but had a week he would like to forget. With an era of 18.00 in three appearances, only completing 1 of his 3 save opportunities, Hoffman is wishing he could relive this past week. Hoffman allowed 6 earned runs on 5 hits (3 home runs) and walked 2 while only striking out 3 batters. It is only a matter of time until the 42-year old calls it a career and walks right into the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
SP Ben Sheets, OAK
This week was certainly forgettable for the 31-year old righty Ben Sheets. Sheets finished the week 0-2 with an era of 20.86 after allowing 17 earned runs in just 7.1 innings. Sheets allowed 5 home runs to the opposition in his first year with the Oakland Athletics. He walked 3 and struck out just 4, raising lots of questions about his ability to be a solid pitcher this season. The 0-2 week moved Sheets overall record to 1-3 and bumped his era to 7.12 in 6 starts. With equal numbers of BBs and Ks thus far, the Athletics have not gotten what they expected, which is a guy with a career BB:K ratio of 329:1222, which is approximately 1 walk for every 3.7 Ks.
CF Franklin Gutierrez, SEA
Franklin Gutierrez came over to the Seattle Mariners from the Cleveland Indians during the 2008 off-season and began the 2010 season quite strong. This past week, however, Gutierrez has hit a pathetic .174 in 23 ABs and has collected just 4 hits. With 11 Ks and just 2 BBs, Gutierrez has not been contributing the way the Mariners need him to in order to be a contender. Sitting at 11-14 and last in the AL West, the Mariners need Gutierrez to get on base consistently and put pressure on the opposing pitcher.
3B Casey Blake, LAD
Not unlike the Seattle Mariners, the Los Angeles Dodgers are sitting at 11-14 in last place in their division, the NL West. Third baseman Casey Blake has not been helping the Dodgers win games over this past week, because he has hardly been able to make contact with the baseball. In 19 ABs, Blake has just 1 hit and 8 Ks while hitting a whopping .053. On the season, Blake’s average has settled at .263, almost exactly at his career average, and has 10 extra base hits in 22 games. There aren’t high expectations for Blake, but he needs to hit better than he did this past week in order to help his team win.
Honorable Mention
3B Mark Teahan, CWS
SP Edwin Jackson, ARI
Team
Houston Astros
After a slow start, the Houston Astros were the most improved and the hottest team last week. Unfortunately, that was a short-lived hot streak, and the Astros have returned to their home in the basement of the National League. The Astros have lost 7 straight games and are near or at the bottom in nearly every pitching category, including walking 37 batters this week, 7 more than the next worst club. Hitting statistics for the Astros aren’t much better, as they sit near or at the bottom in nearly every category as well. In his first year at the helm of the Astros, Brad Mills is learning quickly the ups and downs of a season when you have a streaky group of guys playing for you.
Honorable Mention
Seattle Mariners
Brian Phair – BoSox Injection – Streaking in the Park
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