MLB: 4 National League Hitters Who Need to Have Big Second Halves

Jul 16, 2013; Flushing, NY, USA; National League second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) of the Cincinnati Reds warms up before the 2013 All Star Game at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports

A new half is almost like a clean slate.

Well, not quite. The first-half numbers technically don’t go away, but a productive second half has its many benefits, especially for those on contenders. For those who aren’t sniffing October baseball, adding a little jolt to the stats is the upside. Some players–impending free agents–also need a solid second half to bolster their free-agent stock.

So, there is plenty riding on the second half. Add in the stretch run, and it makes for some interesting scenarios, both of which can be positive and negative.

Let’s take a look at four National League hitters who need to have a good second half.

Hunter Pence, San Francisco Giants

Jul 13, 2013; San Diego, CA, USA; San Francisco Giants right fielder Hunter Pence (8) is congratulated by third base coach Tim Flannery (1) after a solo home run during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

It’s been the tale of two different tapes for Hunter Pence this season, but lately, he’s been tumbling.

But let’s start with the positives. From April 14 to May 30, Pence was an All-Star. He had a .307/.356/.524 batting line during that 42-game span which included a modest .336 BABIP (batting average on balls in play).

Since May 30, it’s been all downhill.

Pence has a batting line of .219/.259/.381 over his last 40 games, and his modest BABIP has decreased to .233. No, I wouldn’t chalk this all up to bad luck, but his BABIP is bound to increase.

To bring in some advanced metrics: Pence is last in the NL in wOBA (Weight On-Base Percentage) over the last 30 days and second-to-last in wRC+ (Weighted Runs Created Plus). In English, well, he’s struggling. But we already knew that.

Pence’s tumble has coincided with the Giants’ fall to fourth place in the NL West. They’re 14-26 over Pence’s woes since May 30, and that’s not entirely coincidental. Of course Pence isn’t the only one steering San Francisco’s fate. Their pitching has been inconsistent, and Buster Posey has been their only consistent producer.

So no, it’s not fair to blame the Giants’ 43-51 on Pence, but he does need a big second half. His free-agent stock and the some of the Giants’ success are both contingent on the outcome.

Gerardo Parra, Arizona Diamondbacks

Jul 14, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Gerardo Parra (8) in the on deck circle against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. The Brewers defeated the Diamondbacks 5-1. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The general perception of Gerardo Parra was and still is: a great defensive outfielder with a decent bat.

Both statements are indeed true. He has compiled UZRs (Ultimate Zone Rating) of 13.7, 10.3, 7.6 and 13.3 over his last four seasons, respectively. Offensively, Parra’s generally been a mid-.700 OPS guy with some speed.

However, he looked like a drastically different hitter through May, posting an .830 OPS with a batting line of .308/.370/.460.

Since? You called it, he’s regressed, well, let’s use the word “drastically” again.

From June 1 to this date, he has rendered a .678 OPS on a .253/.301/.377 batting line. By the wRC+ measure, he’s been the worst hitter in the NL over the last 30 days, and by the wOBA measure, he’s been the second-worst hitter in the NL (last 30 days), right behind Pence.

The Diamondbacks haven’t plummeted to the bottom of the NL West, as they still occupy first place. But they are owners of the third-worst wRC+ in baseball over the last 30 days. You should get point, though.

So, Parra’s trending down offensively, just like his teammates, with the exception of Paul Goldschmidt.

B.J. Upton, Atlanta Braves

Jul 14, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves center fielder B.J. Upton (2) sits on the bench during the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Perhaps I’m stating the obvious name here, but B.J. Upton needs to be on this list, regardless of how obvious the selection is.

Upton’s currently nursing a right abductor injury. He’s on the 15-day DL, along with Jason Heyward. Justin Upton is also hurt, and Evan Gattis was hurt. You can also add Jordan Schafer into that group too. So, everyone’s hurt, at least it seems.

But Upton’s hurting just a bit more, sitting on a batting line of .177/.266/.300, all of which are unsurprisingly career lows.

Unlike the two players above (Parra and Pence), Upton hasn’t had a hot streak where he has come back down to earth. He’s been way below earth since April. In fact, June was the only month in which he had a batting average north of .200 and OPS+ north of 100.

There are two reasons why it would behoove of Upton to have a solid second half, and they’re both fairly obvious.

The first one being for his personal sake. No one likes to struggle, and the Braves could use a productive B.J. Upton to further pad their NL East lead. Secondly, well, there’s that $75 million contract hanging over him, and as of today, that contract is what we call a “bust” in the industry.