George Springer (Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-US PRESSWIRE)
It should come as no surprise, really, that Corpus Christi’s George Springer was named Texas League offensive player of the week for the week ending June 2. He has, after all, been the best hitter in the league all season long. What he has done lately, however, is insane.
Over the past week, Springer produced a .400/.424/.933 line. That’s right, a .933 slugging percentage. That’s what happens when eight of 12 hits go for extra bags including four home runs. Springer drove in a dozen runs in the past seven games as well.
Springer clubbed his 17th home run of the season on Sunday, a number that leads the minor leagues. He leads the Texas League in RBI and slugging as well. He’s also stolen 17 bases in 21 tries this year, making him a dynamic player both at the plate and on the bases. Yes, he strikes out a lot, but he also draws walks in nearly 14 percent of his plate appearances, so he’s not just a free swinger with no plan at the plate. If Springer can provide an impact bat at the major league level, Houston will certainly live with the strike outs.
Justin Maxwell, who opened the season as the center fielder for Corpus Christi’s parent club, the Houston Astros, is slated to begin a rehab assignment with the Hooks this week. While he will reclaim his role once healthy, it’s no secret that Maxwell is simply keeping the spot warm as we all wait for Springer’s inevitable arrival at some point later this season.
If nothing else, this should, by all rights, be Springer’s last Player of the Week honors as a Texas Leaguer. He has nothing left to prove at Double-A.
Aliotti Cooling Off
If Springer has been the league’s best hitter this season, the next-best has been Midland first baseman Anthony Aliotti. The former 15th round pick (2009 out of St. Mary’s College in Michigan) is enjoying his best season as a professional and is sitting alone atop the Texas League batting race with a .352 average thus far this year.
Aliotti not only leads the batting race (and does so by 22 points), but he’s also leading the league in OBP and is second in OPS (to Springer, of course). Much of Aliotti’s early success has come from a maturing approach at the plate, as his walk rate has risen this year while his strikeout rate has declined. Such an approach is to be expected, as Aliotti is already 25 years old.
Over the past five games, however, Aliotti has been humbled a bit at the dish. With a .176/.318/.294 line over his past 22 plate appearances, Aliotti has managed just three hits in his past 17 at bats and hit to a BABIP of .273; a number more than 150 points below his season average on balls in play. That kind of BABIP is completely unsustainable, though Aliotti has routinely posted higher than average numbers in that regard, so a regression is to be expected.
Aliotti isn’t ranked among Oakland’s top-20 prospects. He’s undersized for a first baseman and lacks ideal power for the position. It’s easy to look at the things he doesn’t do well and write him off. But what he has done well is improve his approach at the plate, show good on base skills, and find the gaps with regularity. He leads the Texas League with 20 doubles and his eight home runs this season are just three short of his career high.