Next season's logjam at 2B and SS

[BC867]

The leagues choose their regular season awards before the start of the playoffs. So I am looking at the 2B and SS logjam for next season now, as well.


PLAYER–2017…….BAVG….OBP….SLG…OPS

Ketel Marté…………..260……345….395….740
Chris Owings…………268……299….442….741
Brandon Drury………267……317….447….764
Nick Ahmed…………..251…..298.…419….717

PLAYER–Lifetime.BAVG….OBP…..SLG.…OPS

Ketel Marté…………...265……319….361…..679
Chris Owings………….257……295.…390…..685
Brandon Drury……….271……319….448…..767
Nick Ahmed…………..226……273…..345…..618

Whether 2017 or lifetime, the trends are that Drury has the best averages, but he is out of position fielding at 2B and is not a power hitter or a lefty hitter to replace the inconstant Jake Lamb at his natural position, 3B.

Owings is behind Drury in all categories, but adjusted to fielding 2B better. At SS, he is weak.

Ahmed is inferior to either Marté or Owings in hitting for SS and his once superior fielding degenerated before he got injured.

Marté in one season has shown the greatest promise of any of them to be our regular SS again in 2018. His batting average and OPS are right around Owings and he is a much better fielding SS and a switch-hitter.

Here is my recap going into Spring Training with our current roster. Let Owings and Drury battle it out at 2B (knowing that Drury lost the full time job Daniel Descalso this year), if that is the best we can do.

Keep Marté at SS. And, once and for all, relegate Ahmed to a back up role or move him out. And use Daniel Descalso his (.233 batting average and .727 OPS are best utilized as a late inning pinch hitter, when he comes to life, and as a reserve and more versatile than Ahmed.

I made that decision about Marté, as I have posted during the season, before he had switch-hit triples in the wild card game while playing injured.

 

[DWKB]

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but I also don't think you can form a WS capable team with any MIF combo you can come up with.

We might need a more dramatic move.

 

[Dback Jon]

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but I also don't think you can form a WS capable team with any MIF combo you can come up with.

We might need a more dramatic move.

What do you think Marte's ceiling is ?

 

[BC867]

I don't disagree with anything you've said, but I also don't think you can form a WS capable team with any MIF combo you can come up with.
We might need a more dramatic move.

I think that would be a good idea at 2B. But we have much greater needs than replacing Chris Owings there. A bunch of dependable middle inning relievers. A dependable #2 starter (to replace Greinke as Ray moves up?). And, with Lamb's nosedives for the second half of the past two seasons, a consistent lefty power hitting 3B.

What do you think Marte's ceiling is ?

I think, despite his somewhat disappointing 2nd season with Seattle (OBP/SLG/OPS), he has shown, and is showing, good potential as a solid SS at the age of 23. I don't know if he will get a chance to hit regularly at the "1" or "2" spots in the batting order, but I believe he could fulfill it well. Even as a #8 hitter, he makes things happen.

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[AZCrazy]

We've got a World Series caliber team right now. We might be able to keep them all if we don't carry 3 catchers on the active roster next year.

 

[BC867]

We've got a World Series caliber team right now. We might be able to keep them all if we don't carry 3 catchers on the active roster next year.

I love rooting for the D-backs and am cheering them on to succeed, but a World Series calibre team right now? Because we beat the Rockies in one nail biter to advance? I'm afraid not.

Our ace pitcher has been having troubles. Our 3-4-5 starters are anything but World Series calibre. All of our middle inning relievers have failed. Who is our second baseman? Our third baseman puts up stats but, for the past two seasons, has been a non-factor for the second half.

If we can't afford to keep JD because of Grienke's paycheck, our one other power hitter, Goldy, has had lapses. And that's with the protection of JD hitting behind him. Whether we have a third catcher or not hardly makes a difference. Our closer is a 40 year old who gives up runs in the 9th too many times and has a lousy ERA.

If Archie steps up to closer next season, who will be our setup man? Does Archie still want to be a starter? And, if so, can he remain as dominant pitching 7 inning games? He gave up back to back home runs after having to run out a triple.

We have to get through the Dodgers and their home field advantage, then the NL Championship series to get to the World Series. I'm rooting for them, but it will be an uphill fight all the way. Again, all we've done so far is win one wild card game and that was touch and go the whole way.

And next year, the Dodgers will still be tough. The Giants are vowing to improve. The Rockies will still be a strong lineup. And that is just in our division. And who will our D-backs have back? Chris Owings and Nick Ahmed. When we already have a young shortstop better than both of them. And an erratic Tomas to replace JD? Without JD, we would have not made the post season. Can any fan disagree with that?

All we can say at this time about our home team is that the D-backs are better than the Suns and Cardinals and, unfortunately, that is not saying much.

I hope the Front Office and coaching staff are not saying, in thinking about next season, that the D-backs are a World Series calibre team. If so, we'll be in for a disappointment.

 

[crisper57]

Deal someone to accelerate the farm system rebuild.

 

[devilalum]

Marte at SS and someone new at 2B. Those other 3 just aren't getting it done.


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[Praxis]

I actually like our flexibility at SS and 2B. None of them are world beaters, but they are good enough until we can draft and develop some better prospects.

I'd like to keep JD, but Tomas definitely has to go first.

We really need to see what we have in Shelby Miller. Not putting a lot of stock in him, but he could shore up our starting pitching.

I think Archie's ceiling is higher than closer, but he is probably most valuable out of the bullpen.

I'd also love to see the Dbacks trade for Syndergaard or deGrom, while keeping Ray and Greinke. Don't love Greinke, but I don't think any team wants his contract.

 

[DWKB]

What do you think Marte's ceiling is ?

I think Marte is a good "mistake pitch" hitter and has a quick bat, but his ceiling will depend entirely on his ability to lay off of pitches outside the strike zone. He didn't show that last year, but this year he did.

 

[Dback Jon]

I think Marte is a good "mistake pitch" hitter and has a quick bat, but his ceiling will depend entirely on his ability to lay off of pitches outside the strike zone. He didn't show that last year, but this year he did.

This is his second full season, and he is only 23. I'd hope he would improve

 

[DWKB]

This is his second full season, and he is only 23. I'd hope he would improve

There is always a chance, but sadly youth and experience hasn't helped Owings and didn't help Cintron.

Marte's 11.4 BB% (giving him that valuable .345 OBP) is way out of normal for his professional career (which is 6 years long). The hope is that there is a correction facilitating that improvement (and there are signs of this being true) and not just a small sample anomaly.

But going back to the discussion of WS level, and Marte doesn't have the talent level of other WS contending SS like Lindor, Seagar, or Correa (all also 23 and younger than Marte). DBacks will have to find that somewhere else if they keep Marte at the SS position.

 

[82CardsGrad]

There is always a chance, but sadly youth and experience hasn't helped Owings and didn't help Cintron.

Marte's 11.4 BB% (giving him that valuable .345 OBP) is way out of normal for his professional career (which is 6 years long). The hope is that there is a correction facilitating that improvement (and there are signs of this being true) and not just a small sample anomaly.

But going back to the discussion of WS level, and Marte doesn't have the talent level of other WS contending SS like Lindor, Seagar, or Correa (all also 23 and younger than Marte). DBacks will have to find that somewhere else if they keep Marte at the SS position.

Agree... and then there is second base to fix. Oh, and I am not at all certain our current third base situation is the right solution either.

 

[Dback Jon]

There is always a chance, but sadly youth and experience hasn't helped Owings and didn't help Cintron.

Marte's 11.4 BB% (giving him that valuable .345 OBP) is way out of normal for his professional career (which is 6 years long). The hope is that there is a correction facilitating that improvement (and there are signs of this being true) and not just a small sample anomaly.

But going back to the discussion of WS level, and Marte doesn't have the talent level of other WS contending SS like Lindor, Seagar, or Correa (all also 23 and younger than Marte). DBacks will have to find that somewhere else if they keep Marte at the SS position.

That is a lot of talent there.

Would be interested in a position by position ranking of all the playoff teams.

 

[BC867]

Agree... and then there is second base to fix. Oh, and I am not at all certain our current third base situation is the right solution either.

I think we'd be OK with Owings as the regular 2B. And I am surprised that the batting coaches couldn't solve the problem of Lamb's 2nd half slump a year ago. His 30 HR/100 RBI numbers sure looked good this season, but he was useless again in the 2nd half.

Yes, 2B and 3B could be improved upon, but we have much greater needs. (1) Keeping JD. (2) Reliable 3-4-5 starting pitchers. (3) A whole new contingent of middle inning relievers. Position players take a back seat on our 'needs' list.