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December 31, 2006

Reviewing the Ranger Lineup: Designated Hitters

Name
% of Team PA
OPS
P-OPS+
OBP
P-OBP+
SLG
P-SLG+
R
HR
RBI
BB%
SO%
P. Nevin
30%
.730
75
.309
88
.421
88
25
9
31
10.9%
19.3%
H. Blalock
20%
.532
29
.244
69
.288
60
9
2
9
6.3%
22.2%
M. Stairs
12%
.653
57
.273
78
.380
79
6
3
10
6.6%
25.0%
K. Mench
9%
.701
70
.321
91
.380
79
6
1
3
9.1%
7.3%
J. Botts
8%
.693
69
.321
91
.372
77
8
1
5
15.7%
33.3%
B. Wilkerson
7%
.527
27
.227
65
.300
62
3
1
1
9.1%
31.8%
M. Young
5%
1.396
232
.543
155
.853
177
7
2
10
2.9%
8.6%
C. Lee
5%
.981
135
.400
114
.581
121
6
1
5
8.8%
2.9%
5 others
4%
.839
102
.357
102
.481
100
1
1
2
0.0%
0.0%
TEAM
.719
73
.309
88
.410
85
71
21
76
8.7%
19.7%
AL Average
-
.832
-
.351
-
.481
-
83
28
93
11.1%
18.8%
Team Rank in AL
-
-
12
-
13
-
12
9
9
10
9
10

Texas DHes leapt from the worst OPS+ in the American League in 2005 to third-worst last season. Are you not suitably impressed? This next bit of information won’t help. Erase Michael Young’s softball line (.529/.543/.853 in seven games) and the remainder drops to – yikes -- .220/.290/.383. Remember, these are “designated hitters.”

As I’d mentioned in May, Nevin’s everyday presence in the middle of the order was a gloomily foregone conclusion despite mounting evidence that he wouldn’t perform. Texas relieved him of his duties just past the season’s one-quarter mark, after which time, for the most part, the situation worsened.

With nothing left to prove in the minors, Jason Botts received only a handful of starts over several weeks before management shuttled him back to Oklahoma. Wilkerson and Mench split the majority of DH starts for a month in a quasi-platoon while Mark DeRosa started every day (deservedly). Matt Stairs came, did nothing, and left. An injured Hank Blalock started mostly at DH during the final three weeks and reached his nadir as a batter. Only Young and Carlos Lee hit with authority.

AL Designated Hitters

TEAM
OPS
P-OPS+
OBP
P-OBP+
SLG
P-SLG+
R
HR
RBI
Cleveland
1.016
150
.412
119
.604
131
114
45
137
Boston
1.003
143
.406
116
.597
127
109
50
131
Chicago Sox
.975
133
.408
116
.566
117
117
42
112
Oakland
.881
116
.368
106
.513
110
87
40
121
LA Angels
.849
108
.356
102
.492
106
84
28
96
NY Yankees
.842
106
.369
106
.473
100
104
30
114
Toronto
.811
94
.338
97
.473
97
65
16
69
Kansas City
.787
89
.348
97
.439
92
70
21
87
Detroit
.768
88
.309
88
.460
99
85
27
90
Baltimore
.754
85
.333
95
.421
90
63
16
71
Tampa Bay
.745
82
.323
92
.422
89
74
25
78
Texas
.719
73
.309
88
.410
85
71
21
76
Minnesota
.680
71
.316
92
.364
78
61
8
60
Seattle
.667
67
.300
87
.366
80
59
17
61

Best-hitting DHes: Cleveland has some guy named Hafner. I hear he's pretty good.

Worst: Seattle, a ghastly amalgam of Carl Everett, Ben Broussard, Eduardo Perez, and assorted others. Not to suggest Seattle’s acquisition of Jose Vidro was wise, but he will be an upgrade.

Posted by Lucas at December 31, 2006 05:39 PM