Dodgers Dugout: The best right fielder in the NL West is ...
Hi, and welcome to another edition of Dodgers Dugout. My name is Houston Mitchell, and the Library of Congress is going to preserve a recording of Vin Scully calling a game. What took them so long?
Comparing the teams
Time for right field in the continuing series of comparing players on the NL West teams. I freely admit I am going out on a limb with some of these picks, but isn’t that part of what makes baseball great, taking a chance on a guy and hoping it pays off? All stats are courtesy of baseball-reference.com.
1. Carlos Gonzalez, Colorado
Last three seasons: .276 AVG/.329 OB%/.505 SLG%/4.3 Offensive WAR/-1.4 Defensive WAR
A lot of Gonzalez’s star status has been an illusion, as he is one Rockies player who is definitely helped by Coors Field. At home: .323/.381/.602. On the road: .258/.312/.438. Don’t get me wrong, he’s not a bad player, but he’s a bit overrated. Sort of the Dante Bichette of this generation. Defensively, while he still has a strong arm, he has lost a step. But he still gets to play half his games in Denver, and he will help the Rockies win a lot of games there.
2. Hunter Pence, San Francisco
Last three seasons: .280/.339/.452/7.3/-2.2
Pence has had injuries the last two seasons and will turn 34 soon after opening day. He has hit .160 this spring. These are troubling signs. But I think Pence will have a bounce back season and will help the Giants challenge for the division again.
3. Yasiel Puig, Dodgers
Last three seasons: .277/.352/.451/6.8/-0.1
You could put together a book series longer than Harry Potter’s with all the words that have already been written about Puig. Lost in the demotion to the minors last season was this: After returning from a strained hamstring on June 21, here were Puig’s numbers for the rest of the season: .297/.371/.486. Is it possible, as his defenders have long said, that Puig’s leg injuries the last two seasons have been the only reason for his decline in production? No, not the only reason. But if he can avoid those injuries and hit .297/.371/.486, then the Dodgers will take a big step toward a World Series title. I have criticized Puig a lot. I wrote that the Dodgers should send him down two months before they did. But by all accounts he came back a changed person, and the numbers certainly speak of someone who found most of his game again. I know a lot of you don’t like him as a player, but I am choosing to be optimistic.
4. Hunter Renfroe, San Diego
Last season: .371/.389/.800/0.5/-0.2
How much power does Renfroe have? He is the only person to hit a home run on top of the Western Metal Supply Co. building roof at Petco Park during a game. In triple-A last season, he hit .306/.336/.557. He has had 38 major league plate appearances, and had three doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs. Obviously, he can’t keep up that pace, but he could challenge for rookie of the year. Dansby Swanson or Alex Reyes will probably win the award, but Renfroe could make it interesting. Or he could be another Billy Ashley. Either one will be fun to watch.
5. David Peralta, Arizona
Last three seasons: .292/.341./481/5.6/-0.7
Peralta had a breakout 2015 (.312/.371/.522) followed by an injury-plagued 2016 (.251/.295/.433). He has three homers this spring, so his wrist injury doesn’t appear to be an issue. He is more of a left fielder than a right fielder, but he will battle the position to a draw defensively. Right field is deep in the NL West, but someone had to be ranked last. I chose Peralta. He could very well prove me wrong.
This concludes the look at right field. If we assign points based on where a player ranks at each position, giving seven points for first place, five for second, three for third, two for fourth and one for fifth, then the NL West stacks up like this so far, with many positions left to look at:
Colorado, 7 points
San Francisco, 5 points
Dodgers, 3 points
San Diego, 2 points
Arizona, 1 point
That brings the grand total so far positions to:
Dodgers, 36 points
Colorado, 36 points
San Francisco, 31 points
Arizona, 28 points
San Diego, 14 points
Chris Hatcher?
OK, I just don’t get it. Why is Chris Hatcher on the roster for opening day? In his Dodgers career, he is 8-9 with a 4.73 ERA. Before the All-Star break last season, his ERA was 5.02. After, it was 12.00. Then he got hurt. He has had one good season in his career. His ERAs by season: 6.97, 4.30, 12.46, 3.38, 3.69, 5.53. He is going to make $1.25 million this season. Joe Blanton signed with Washington for $4 million. The Dodgers couldn’t have offered him $5 million and let him take Hatcher’s place?
I have a lot of new subscribers this season, so let me repeat something I have said in the past: I want all the Dodgers to do well. I hope Hatcher pitches great, calls me and says “Deal with that, idiot!” When I knock a player, it is never personal. So with that in mind, I hope someone out there can see something I’m not seeing. Why is Hatcher still on this team?
Ask Ross Porter
Once again, former Dodgers announcer Ross Porter will be answering select reader questions. Email me a question for Ross, and I will pass it on. The answers will begin once the season starts, but send the questions in now!
And finally
Brandon McCarthy has been named the Dodgers’ No. 5 starter, sending Alex Wood to the bullpen.
Have a comment or something you’d like to see in a future Dodgers newsletter? Email me and follow me on Twitter: @latimeshouston.
Twitter: @latimeshouston
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