44. The Atomic Number of Ruthenium. The jersey number of Hank Aaron. The number of American presidents. And...the number of players to don a jersey for the Washington Nationals in the calendar year 2011. The 44th and final edition of our 44-part series details the year 2011 in the life of...
Ian Desmond - Age 26 - 2 years + 1 September MLB Service Time
How he became a Nat: Drafted by the (ahem) Montreal Expos in the 3rd round of the 2004 first year player draft.
The Raw Numbers:
AVG - .253
OPS - .656
oWAR - 1.6
SB - 25
E - 23
Key Stat: WAR - 1.4. Ian Desmond is 26 and has been playing professional baseball since 2004. He has not shot through any level of play, nor has he particularly shined at any level of play. But he is a major league player. Is he the second coming of Derek Jeter, as a former Nats GM implied? No. His 1.4. WAR tells you exactly what he is, a guy who knows baseball, can play baseball, but will never be an all-star - despite what Bill Ladson says.
Best Game: August 21 against the Phillies. Going into the 9th inning, Ian was 1-4 with a double, a run and 2 strikeouts. But in the bottom of the 9th, with 2 outs, Desi hit a solo bomb to send the game into extras. The Nats won in the 10th.
Worst Game: May 12th against the Braves. 0-5. Golden Sombrero. Nats lose in extra innings. Ouch.
Capball Grade: Probably the hardest grade of the whole series. I like Ian. I saw him play for Potomac way back when. He was drafted by the Expos, what do you do with that? B-. The guy improved on defense, moved all around the line-up, and endured speculation and criticism for, well just being Ian Desmond. The guy had almost 150 hits, 40 XBH, 25 steals and was a good baseball player.
2012 Nats Status: As much as he would benefit from a change of scenery (not that he would admit it) and as much as the Nats want to be free from his issues (not that they would admit it), he will be a Nat in 2012. And that's a good thing. He is a cliche, a team player, has a great baseball IQ, and can lead by example. And he is only 26.
Ian Desmond is a polarizing player. Represent your pole in the comments section!
Showing posts with label Ian Desmond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ian Desmond. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Quick Rain Delay Wrap Up
We're live from Nationals Park and blogging from the iPhone in the midst of a psudo-treacherous rain delay.
The Nats lineup tonight is fairly standard, though Ian Desmond gets his 2nd straight day in the lead off spot. It hasn't been a successful experiment in the lead off spot for Desmond, who's sported a .167/.196/.278 slash line there this season.
The player that continues to fly under the radar across baseball, because he plays in our Nation's Capital, is Michael Morse. He's currently hitting .322 and sporting a .934 OPS. If he's still competing for the batting title in a few weeks, the national baseball media will start paying attention.
We'll sign off for now but will be back with stuff from tonight's game tomorrow. Enjoy the matchup between Bronson Arroyo and Jordan Zimmermann in one of JZimm's last starts of the 2011 season due to his organizationally-imposed pitch limit.
The Nats lineup tonight is fairly standard, though Ian Desmond gets his 2nd straight day in the lead off spot. It hasn't been a successful experiment in the lead off spot for Desmond, who's sported a .167/.196/.278 slash line there this season.
The player that continues to fly under the radar across baseball, because he plays in our Nation's Capital, is Michael Morse. He's currently hitting .322 and sporting a .934 OPS. If he's still competing for the batting title in a few weeks, the national baseball media will start paying attention.
We'll sign off for now but will be back with stuff from tonight's game tomorrow. Enjoy the matchup between Bronson Arroyo and Jordan Zimmermann in one of JZimm's last starts of the 2011 season due to his organizationally-imposed pitch limit.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
2nd Half Resurgence
This Nats season has been quite an upside down year as we have covered before. We have seen our star player miss more than two months with an oblique injury, our new 1B play 0 healthy innings this year before shutting it down for surgery, and our $126 million acquisition play like Nook Logan. In addition we have seen a rookie lead all Nats hitters in WAR, our error rate drastically decrease, a sophomore slump out of our 2nd baseman, and a green catcher taking over as the starter instead of a Future Hall of Famer. Throw in a managerial resignation in the midst of an 8 game winning streak and we have insanity.
Since Davey Johnson took the reigns of the club he has dreamed of big offense, the "hairy-chested guy" that comes off the bench to swat a homer to win a 10-9 slobberknocker. And since the All-Star break that team has begun to show up more and more. Some players have stayed scorching hot (see: Morse, Michael) and others are starting to join the party.
Which leads me to the point of this - the Nationals recent string of wins with offense have been led by two players who are finally heating up; Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond.
Let's start with Desmond.
His first half was marred by a lack of hitting and spotty defense (pre-fatherhood) - he hit just .223 with 22 RBIs. Since the break he has been slowly but surely heating up, and in the 17 second half games he is hitting a much more manageable .265 with 9 RBIs. A sign of him possibly heating up - in his last 4 games he has 5 RBIs, whereas it took 32 games for his previous 5 RBIs. He also has been showing a ton more pop than before, as evidenced by his Tuesday home run, his first since April 17th.
Next let's get to the $126 Million Dollar Beard - Werth.
The Bad - 1st Half - 88 Games. .215 AVG. .681 OPS. 10 HR. 31 RBI.
The Good - 2nd Half - 17 Games. .285 AVG. .899 OPS. 3 HR. 11 RBI.
So far his 2nd half numbers are all well above his career averages for AVG and OPS, a welcome change from that miserable first half. With Werth finally hitting like the player he was in Philly, the Nationals now have one of the most formidable 3-4-5 hitters in baseball with Zimmerman, Morse, and Werth. Add Desmond, Gomes/Nix, and Espinosa in some combination of 2, 6, and 7 and they now have the potential to put up some (Carpenter-style) crooked numbers on the scoreboard.
The Nationals have found some recent success at the plate thanks to several reasons, but there should be no question that Werth and Desmond are at the top of that list. Hopefully they can keep it up, get some momentum, and help the team win some ballgames.
Since Davey Johnson took the reigns of the club he has dreamed of big offense, the "hairy-chested guy" that comes off the bench to swat a homer to win a 10-9 slobberknocker. And since the All-Star break that team has begun to show up more and more. Some players have stayed scorching hot (see: Morse, Michael) and others are starting to join the party.
Which leads me to the point of this - the Nationals recent string of wins with offense have been led by two players who are finally heating up; Jayson Werth and Ian Desmond.
Let's start with Desmond.
His first half was marred by a lack of hitting and spotty defense (pre-fatherhood) - he hit just .223 with 22 RBIs. Since the break he has been slowly but surely heating up, and in the 17 second half games he is hitting a much more manageable .265 with 9 RBIs. A sign of him possibly heating up - in his last 4 games he has 5 RBIs, whereas it took 32 games for his previous 5 RBIs. He also has been showing a ton more pop than before, as evidenced by his Tuesday home run, his first since April 17th.
Next let's get to the $126 Million Dollar Beard - Werth.
The Bad - 1st Half - 88 Games. .215 AVG. .681 OPS. 10 HR. 31 RBI.
The Good - 2nd Half - 17 Games. .285 AVG. .899 OPS. 3 HR. 11 RBI.
So far his 2nd half numbers are all well above his career averages for AVG and OPS, a welcome change from that miserable first half. With Werth finally hitting like the player he was in Philly, the Nationals now have one of the most formidable 3-4-5 hitters in baseball with Zimmerman, Morse, and Werth. Add Desmond, Gomes/Nix, and Espinosa in some combination of 2, 6, and 7 and they now have the potential to put up some (Carpenter-style) crooked numbers on the scoreboard.
The Nationals have found some recent success at the plate thanks to several reasons, but there should be no question that Werth and Desmond are at the top of that list. Hopefully they can keep it up, get some momentum, and help the team win some ballgames.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Trade Watch 2011: Ian Desmond
Continuing on our series of potential trade candidates that the Nats may have available today we feature our "SS of the future", Ian Desmond.
Desmond is one of the most interesting players in the entire Nats organization. Drafted way back in 2004, he has been touted by each General Manager as the "Shortstop of the Future" - hell even Jim Bowden called him the "next Derek Jeter". His path to the majors has been as circuitous as a Nook Logan route to a fly ball - with demotions from AA and extended stays in High-A ball - 6 MiLB years in total.
After all that, Desmond is only 25 years-old and in his second full year in the big leagues, which most people forget. He came on strong with a September call-up back in 2009 and hit a solid .280 with some speed and pop, with some flashy yet error-prone defense. Desmond earned the starting SS spot for the following year although the team already employed veteran SS cog Cristian Guzman. His rookie year was pretty standard, hit with a decent SS average and knocked in 65 runs, while racking up a whopping 34 errors (-8.8 UZR).
Going into this year the Nats brass decided that hey wanted Desmond to focus a bit more on defense and try to reduce the amount of errors. So far, Desmond has fared much better, racking up a 1.9 UZR and committing just 13 errors so far - showing far more maturity than he has in the past.
However, much to the teams chagrin, Desmond's offense has regressed substantially from 2010.
-His batting average is down .043 points.
-His wOBA is down .043 points as well.
-His OPS is down .120 points.
-His K-Rate is up 4%.
By now, Scouts and Brass are secretly saying that Desmond's future lies as that of a Super-Utility player, capable of playing both Infield and Outfield (he did register some time in RF last year). Truth be told, I think Desmond is turning into a solid defensive SS and could be an above average 2B.
All of these things have prompted many in NatsTown to call for a trade of Desmond - to be followed by an Espinosa move to SS and the immediate promotion of 2B prospect Stephen Lombardozzi, who is hitting .376 in split time at AA/AAA.
Contenders: Red Sox, Indians, Brewers, Diamondbacks Giants (despite their trade for Keppinger)
Return: Multiple Prospects - at least one upper level prospect.
Desmond's numbers don't show it but he is an extremely valuable piece for a contender. Not only is his defense improving drastically, but this is only his second full year as a big-leaguer and he is under team control through 2015. A cheap piece that could benefit the club for years to come. So, the question is on your CapBallers. Would you trade away Ian Desmond? What do you want in return?
Desmond is one of the most interesting players in the entire Nats organization. Drafted way back in 2004, he has been touted by each General Manager as the "Shortstop of the Future" - hell even Jim Bowden called him the "next Derek Jeter". His path to the majors has been as circuitous as a Nook Logan route to a fly ball - with demotions from AA and extended stays in High-A ball - 6 MiLB years in total.
After all that, Desmond is only 25 years-old and in his second full year in the big leagues, which most people forget. He came on strong with a September call-up back in 2009 and hit a solid .280 with some speed and pop, with some flashy yet error-prone defense. Desmond earned the starting SS spot for the following year although the team already employed veteran SS cog Cristian Guzman. His rookie year was pretty standard, hit with a decent SS average and knocked in 65 runs, while racking up a whopping 34 errors (-8.8 UZR).
Going into this year the Nats brass decided that hey wanted Desmond to focus a bit more on defense and try to reduce the amount of errors. So far, Desmond has fared much better, racking up a 1.9 UZR and committing just 13 errors so far - showing far more maturity than he has in the past.
However, much to the teams chagrin, Desmond's offense has regressed substantially from 2010.
-His batting average is down .043 points.
-His wOBA is down .043 points as well.
-His OPS is down .120 points.
-His K-Rate is up 4%.
By now, Scouts and Brass are secretly saying that Desmond's future lies as that of a Super-Utility player, capable of playing both Infield and Outfield (he did register some time in RF last year). Truth be told, I think Desmond is turning into a solid defensive SS and could be an above average 2B.
All of these things have prompted many in NatsTown to call for a trade of Desmond - to be followed by an Espinosa move to SS and the immediate promotion of 2B prospect Stephen Lombardozzi, who is hitting .376 in split time at AA/AAA.
Contenders: Red Sox, Indians, Brewers, Diamondbacks Giants (despite their trade for Keppinger)
Return: Multiple Prospects - at least one upper level prospect.
Desmond's numbers don't show it but he is an extremely valuable piece for a contender. Not only is his defense improving drastically, but this is only his second full year as a big-leaguer and he is under team control through 2015. A cheap piece that could benefit the club for years to come. So, the question is on your CapBallers. Would you trade away Ian Desmond? What do you want in return?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Desmond's Been Clutch Since Becoming a Papa
Ian Desmond's stats this season are really nothing to write home about. His slash line is a meager .224/.254/.384. That's right, Desi's slugging .384. That's, well, not very good. But the story that hasn't yet been told is what's happened since he's become a dad. And it goes beyond the stats.
Desmond returned to the Nats on April 28th, and his numbers since then haven't been much better. He brought up his batting average to .255 and his OBP stayed the same at .254. But since his return, Desmond's obviously just playing better baseball with a clearer head. And who can blame him? A 25-year-old becoming a father for the first time is certainly a nerve-wracking experience.
Desmond's managed to get clutch hits, most notably his 2-run RBI in the 11th inning on Wednesday in Atlanta, which gave the Nats a 5-3 lead. He finished that game 2 for 6 and made some solid defensive plays. In his first game back from paternity leave, on April 28th, he went 2 for 4 with 2 runs and an RBI in another winning effort for the Nats. On the season, Desmond is hitting .273 in tie games and .350 in late and close games according to Baseball-Reference.
Perhaps the most staggering statistic since Desmond's return, though, is his incredible drop in fielding errors. This season, he has 8 errors; 7 of those 8 errors happened in the first 4 weeks of the season. Since returning 2 weeks ago, Desmond has committed just 1 fielding error. He's gone from committing almost 2 errors a week to 1 error every 2 weeks. Considering he is still on pace for 36 errors this season, the improved defense since his return is sorely needed to get him down to a much more reasonable level.
Despite his explosion in the 11th last night in the #2 spot in the order, Ian Desmond looks to be slated best for the 6 or 7 hole in the lineup based on his production so far this year. He's gotten less opportunities, so it's a bit smaller sample size, but in the 6 hole, Desmond is hitting .417, and in the 7 hole, he's hitting .316 with a .435 OBP. While his speed suggests he could be at the top of the lineup, his 33 strikeouts and just 5 walks lend him well to the lower-middle end of the lineup.
So we know people are hot and cold on Desi, but we say let's give him another shot now that he's been playing more confident baseball. What do you say?
Monday, April 25, 2011
Desmond's Defense Still A Problem
(Photo Courtesy UPI/Alexis C. Glenn)Ian Desmond was the butt of many a-joke in 2010 for his almost comically bad defense. The young shortstop committed 34 errors for the Nats last season, by far the worst of any shortstop in baseball. But everyone assured us that he'd just get better over time, that people were simply overreacting about his rookie season. Well that was before Desmond got benched after 2 errors on Saturday.
Now, 3 weeks in to his second season, the only thing that's been consistent about Desmond's play has been how consistently poor it's been. If my math serves me correctly, Desmond's 6 errors this season has him on pace to have... 48 errors this season. I know I'm being facetious with that stat, but the defensive issues the Nats have at shortstop cannot be understated.
Desmond's ice cold bat only compounds and amplifies his defensive struggles. He finished the 2010 season with those 34 errors, but at least he had his bat to prove he was worth the roster spot. But now, he's looked uncomfortable at the plate, hitting just above the Mendoza line, swinging at bad pitches, and had to be removed from the lead off spot. The only positive to glean from his performance in 2011 thus far is he's 8 for 8 on stolen bases.
I know it's too early in the season to force him out of his roster spot. I'm in no way calling for that. Not to mention, he's about to have his first child, and the weight of that might be causing some of these lapses. (No one can blame him, there.) But Desmond has to figure out why he's been struggling and force himself back in the right direction.
The Nats can take an average defender with great bat, or an average bat with a great glove, but they can't afford average defense and offense. And what they're getting from Desmond right now is far below average. It's time for Desi to step up his game, or risk losing his hold on the starting SS job.
Now, 3 weeks in to his second season, the only thing that's been consistent about Desmond's play has been how consistently poor it's been. If my math serves me correctly, Desmond's 6 errors this season has him on pace to have... 48 errors this season. I know I'm being facetious with that stat, but the defensive issues the Nats have at shortstop cannot be understated.
Desmond's ice cold bat only compounds and amplifies his defensive struggles. He finished the 2010 season with those 34 errors, but at least he had his bat to prove he was worth the roster spot. But now, he's looked uncomfortable at the plate, hitting just above the Mendoza line, swinging at bad pitches, and had to be removed from the lead off spot. The only positive to glean from his performance in 2011 thus far is he's 8 for 8 on stolen bases.
I know it's too early in the season to force him out of his roster spot. I'm in no way calling for that. Not to mention, he's about to have his first child, and the weight of that might be causing some of these lapses. (No one can blame him, there.) But Desmond has to figure out why he's been struggling and force himself back in the right direction.
The Nats can take an average defender with great bat, or an average bat with a great glove, but they can't afford average defense and offense. And what they're getting from Desmond right now is far below average. It's time for Desi to step up his game, or risk losing his hold on the starting SS job.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Nats Sweep Brewers; Move Above .500
There are a lot of reasons to be excited in NatsTown today after an exciting series with the Milwaukee Brewers. Great starting pitching is probably the biggest headline, but on Sunday, the Nats offense exploded as the weather warmed up, which is exactly the kind of thing you want to see from a team that hasn't been able to explode at all this season. As an aside, we'd like to add that this is our 300th post here at Capitol Baseball. Thank you sincerely for still reading.
But back to the sweep. Let's go over some headlines by game during this impressive 3-game sweep of Nyjer Morgan's Brewers.
Friday Headlines:
But back to the sweep. Let's go over some headlines by game during this impressive 3-game sweep of Nyjer Morgan's Brewers.
Friday Headlines:
- Nats Score 4 Runs, None Batted In: This is almost impossible to believe, but of the 4 runs the Nats' offense scored, none of them were actually batted in. Two of them were walks by Chris Narveson, one was a sac fly by Michael Morse, and one was a sacrifice grounder by Adam LaRoche that scored Jayson Werth to win the game. By the way, Werth was only on 3rd because of an error: really bizarre way to end the game.
- Gorzelanny Goes 6 Innings; Gives Up Two Runs: Gorzelanny, the Nats "big" pitching acquisition in the offseason, got rocked by the Mets for 5 earned runs despite striking out 8 in his season debut, but he got it together to face the potent Brewers lineup.
- Burnett Blows First Save of 2011: Despite this negative headline, the Nats and Chad Gaudin got it together in the 10th inning for a walk off victory.
- Nats Offense Breaks Free of Slump: This is clearly the main headline of the first game of the double header. Both Espinosa and Pudge rocked 3-run homers, and Desmond broke free of his 0-for at home by hitting a double and a line drive home run to left. More good news: they stranded just 4 runners.
- Marquis Wins First Nats Game at Home: It's hard to believe that it's Marquis' second season with the Nats and he just got the first home win, but it's true. He did it in commanding fashion in 7+ innings. The first time that Marquis faced the Brewers as a Nats pitcher... well... it wasn't so pretty. Marquis gave up 7 of 10 earned runs in the 1st inning, and we lost him for most of the season. This is a nice rebound for Jason, as he got his first Curly W at Nats Park against the same team.
- Livo Dominates in 7 Innings and Gets Win; Nats Above .500: Hernandez threw just 88 pitches in 7 innings, giving up just 1 earned run and walking none. He's now 2-1 on the season. This is what you want to see from the Nats substitute ace; he needs to eat innings and manage runs scored. He succeeded in every way and continues to put the Nats in a position to win every outing. The Nats are now above .500 for the first time since May 2010.
- Hairston Breaks Free; Triple Short of Cycle: Jerry Hairson, Jr. exploded from his sub-.100 start to the year and went 3 for 3. His first AB of the game resulted in a home run, and it was nothing but offense from there for the 34 year old switch hitter.
- Nationals Defense Posts Error-Free Weekend: The Nats were able to get through the weekend in flawless fashion defensively, largely due to two major factors: a younger catcher (Ramos) behind the plate in 2 of the 3 games and Adam LaRoche at first base. LaRoche easily saved 2 overthrows from the other side of the field, not to mention 2 incredible picks on line drives to first. It's nice to have a solid defenseman over there.
- Desmond Completes 4-for-8 Double Header: After Desmond's disappointing start that resulted in his move from the lead off spot, he made a case to move right back up into it. It's incredibly unlike that it'd happen, especially since Riggleman said in his post-game(s) press conference that he likes Espi leading off now, but he made the decision a lot harder. He landed 2 singles in the game and stole his 6th base; he hasn't been caught stealing yet in 2011.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Pitching Struggles Replace Lethargic Offense
The Nats started the season doing the opposite of what most expected from the 2011 team. Their pitching yielded just 2 runs on Opening Day and 3 in the following game. Meanwhile, the team was shut out offensively on Opening Day, and scored just 2 runs in 3 of the first 5 games this season.
Besides the bullpen implosion on April 3 against the Braves, the Nationals pitching staff had looked solid before yesterday's game, and even yesterday it was not entirely the pitching staff's fault. Home plate umpire Tim Tschida was squeezing the zone to, as FP and Bob said, "the size of a tuna can." But Tschida was calling a small zone on both sides, so you can't truly blame him for the loss.
The fact is, the Nats were able to start strong and put up 4 runs early in the game. Besides an ugly baserunning error by Ian Desmond in the 1st, the team was playing smart small ball. They were hitting and running with success and being patient at the plate.
Livan Hernandez had a good outing to start his 2nd appearance this season, but that unraveled in the 5th inning, when Livo gave up 4 runs and allowed the Marlins to tie the game. Chad Gaudin allowed 2 more runs to score in the 6th, and Todd Coffey allowed one in the 8th. The Nats offense then did what it's done in most games this year; it disappeared.
The 9th inning showed some promise with Desmond and Werth getting on base in front of Zimmerman with 2 outs, but Zimm struck out swinging and that was that. The Nats did generate 4 runs, which is considered an onslaught considering the Nats offensive production this season, but the Nats real issue is runners left on base. So far this series (just 2 games) the Nats have left 20 on-base. TWENTY. And they've scored only 6 runs. So it's not that the offense isn't hitting, it's just not producing in the clutch.
There is one positive to glean from Wednesday though. The Ian Desmond that started the season 0-for-14 went 4-for-5 against Chris Volstad, bring his average and OBP up from... well... .000. We'll take it, and now we know why Riggleman decided last minute to allow Desi to lead off. Whatever Riggs was thinking, he was certainly correct.
Hopefully Ian can stay hot now and become a lead off guy that will work for this team. The Nats haven't had a real lead off guy yet in 6 seasons of baseball, so hopefully that's just one piece of getting the offense on track this season.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
The lead off spot is up for grabs, and we hate it
It only took 6 days of the regular season for Nats Manager Jim Riggleman to decide he'd seen enough of Ian Desmond in the top spot in the batting order. Desmond was 0-for-13 in his first 3 games this season, and the fact that there's another young speedster in Espinosa that started the season 4-for-9 at the time of Riggs' decision didn't help Desi's cause.
But was it the right one? Sure, Ian Desmond's bat couldn't have started the season off any colder. He struck out a bunch on Opening Day and looked terrible doing it. But what about Desmond's success during the 2010 campaign?
Ian Desmond flourished at the top of the batting order in 2010 once he was given the opportunity to do so. Just 13 at-bats in one season hardly seems like enough of a sample size to make such a decision that will undoubtedly affect the mental stability of the young shortstop. Hopefully this doesn't affect his defensive improvements.
All that said, we are generally impartial to whichever young middle infielder leads off. Espinosa seems to be a more natural lead off type. He has some pop in his bat, but he also has an above-average ability for speed, and speed is something that the Nats lack a lot of in their current lineup without Nyjer Morgan and Roger Bernadina.
Meanwhile, Desmond has a more proven track record in his ability to hit for average and get on base (though a .308 OBP in 2010 is nothing to write home about for a lead off man). He hits for less home run power than Espinosa, which means it may serve the Nats better to have Espinosa down a bit in the lineup with guys hitting in front of him since he certainly is unable to compete with Werth, Zimmerman, and LaRoche for the middle spots.
So regardless of who is up there, it seems it may be a push, and it will be impossible to know if the Riggleman does as he promises and continues to swap the two between the lead off spot from game to game. Baseball players work best based on patterns and comfort, and that's not something that Riggs is providing with the early-season switch and a lack of firm roles for young players.
While we don't care much about which guy bats first, we hate the idea of no continuity in the lineup from game to game. What say you, readers? Like the move or dislike it? Let us hear your thoughts.
But was it the right one? Sure, Ian Desmond's bat couldn't have started the season off any colder. He struck out a bunch on Opening Day and looked terrible doing it. But what about Desmond's success during the 2010 campaign?
Ian Desmond flourished at the top of the batting order in 2010 once he was given the opportunity to do so. Just 13 at-bats in one season hardly seems like enough of a sample size to make such a decision that will undoubtedly affect the mental stability of the young shortstop. Hopefully this doesn't affect his defensive improvements.
All that said, we are generally impartial to whichever young middle infielder leads off. Espinosa seems to be a more natural lead off type. He has some pop in his bat, but he also has an above-average ability for speed, and speed is something that the Nats lack a lot of in their current lineup without Nyjer Morgan and Roger Bernadina.
Meanwhile, Desmond has a more proven track record in his ability to hit for average and get on base (though a .308 OBP in 2010 is nothing to write home about for a lead off man). He hits for less home run power than Espinosa, which means it may serve the Nats better to have Espinosa down a bit in the lineup with guys hitting in front of him since he certainly is unable to compete with Werth, Zimmerman, and LaRoche for the middle spots.
So regardless of who is up there, it seems it may be a push, and it will be impossible to know if the Riggleman does as he promises and continues to swap the two between the lead off spot from game to game. Baseball players work best based on patterns and comfort, and that's not something that Riggs is providing with the early-season switch and a lack of firm roles for young players.
While we don't care much about which guy bats first, we hate the idea of no continuity in the lineup from game to game. What say you, readers? Like the move or dislike it? Let us hear your thoughts.
Monday, March 14, 2011
25 in 25: Ian Desmond (#9)
In 16 days, all the Nationals diehards will be preparing to head to Nationals Park on Opening Day. Until then, we're going to predict the 25 man roster. With one catch. We're going to do it one day at a time. This way, we can provide more in depth thoughts on who we think is going to make the roster, why we think so, and what to expect from them in 2011. On the morning of Opening Day, we'll post the real 25-man compared with what we predicted.
Today's featured player is Ian Desmond, the incumbent SS.
Why?: As a September call-up in 2009, Ian Desmond showed the Nats brass that all the years of hype were well deserved. He hit for average, hit for power, and provided sparkling defense. During last years Spring Training, Desmond won the starting job over long-time cog, Cristian Guzman.
The year progressed and Desmond (at times) flashed brilliance in the field, and provided veteran-level leadership in the dugout. At other times, his defense was less than stellar, as he had a MLB leading 34 errors. It is not uncommon for error rates to drastically decrease after a shortstops rookie season, and many expect Desmond to keep that trend going. He has earned the starting job, for now at least, with his leadership and potential.
What you should expect?: First and foremost, you should expect Desmond's error rate to go way down, by at least 10. 24 Errors isn't great, but it is far better than 34.
Offensively, things are going to be a bit different from last year. Starting the 2010 season, Desmond was resigned to hitting 7 and 8 in the lineup, giving him breaking pitches, and few chances to knock in runs or score runs. After a mid-season trade of 2 hitter, Guzman again, Desi was bumped up to the top of the order in his place. In that spot, he hit .326 with an .858 OPS, over .050 and .125 (respectively) points higher than his career average; and 186 AB is a pretty good sample size.
I'm predicting a break-out year for the young Shortstop. .300 AVG, .850 OPS, 18-20 HR, 90+ Runs, 80 RBI. And yes, far fewer errors.
Today's featured player is Ian Desmond, the incumbent SS.
Why?: As a September call-up in 2009, Ian Desmond showed the Nats brass that all the years of hype were well deserved. He hit for average, hit for power, and provided sparkling defense. During last years Spring Training, Desmond won the starting job over long-time cog, Cristian Guzman.
The year progressed and Desmond (at times) flashed brilliance in the field, and provided veteran-level leadership in the dugout. At other times, his defense was less than stellar, as he had a MLB leading 34 errors. It is not uncommon for error rates to drastically decrease after a shortstops rookie season, and many expect Desmond to keep that trend going. He has earned the starting job, for now at least, with his leadership and potential.
What you should expect?: First and foremost, you should expect Desmond's error rate to go way down, by at least 10. 24 Errors isn't great, but it is far better than 34.
Offensively, things are going to be a bit different from last year. Starting the 2010 season, Desmond was resigned to hitting 7 and 8 in the lineup, giving him breaking pitches, and few chances to knock in runs or score runs. After a mid-season trade of 2 hitter, Guzman again, Desi was bumped up to the top of the order in his place. In that spot, he hit .326 with an .858 OPS, over .050 and .125 (respectively) points higher than his career average; and 186 AB is a pretty good sample size.
I'm predicting a break-out year for the young Shortstop. .300 AVG, .850 OPS, 18-20 HR, 90+ Runs, 80 RBI. And yes, far fewer errors.
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Most Improved/Impressive Nats: 2010 Edition
While national and local media will start covering the MLB Postseason and the start of the Caps season (is this finally the year for Lord Stanley's Cup?), we don't have to be done with the Nats 2010 quite yet. I think it's time to give credit where credit is due on the 3 (and a half) most improved and impressive Nationals this season. Disagree? Yell at me in the comments.
1. Sean Burnett - I think that this is hard to argue against. There's a real argument to be made that Burnett was the best pitcher for the Nationals. Period. (Besides SS, of course.) Now look at him in terms of improvement over the course of the season. Compared to the first half, his strikeout to walk ratio shot up, batting average, on base %, and slugging % against all plummeted after the All-Star Break.
2. Michael Morse - After months of coming off of the bench and still managing to hit close to .400, the new Michael Morse proved that he could still hit on a full-time basis. Although he struggled at first with the every day role, he came into it well as the season progressed. He finished the season with 293 plate appearances, a .289 batting average, a .352 OBP, and 15 homers. While his fielding and range are less than stellar, he's certainly not bad. And a lot can be learned in the field in the spring if he has in fact earned the right fielder's, or maybe first baseman's, starting job.
3. Ian Desmond - As much as I destroyed Desi before the All Star Break for his terrible fielding and his low average, I have admitted on a few occasions already that I was wrong. Let me do so again. I was w-r-o-n-g wrong. Let's just go over these stats between first and second half quickly for Ian.
And finally, I think an Honorable Mention is due: Matt Capps - The Capper is where he belongs now, in the playoffs for the first time in his career with the Minnesota Twins. Capps was the Nats lone All-Star representative (although Zimmerman was screwed, don't even get me started), and he was certainly the Nationals most consistent player, earning 26 saves in 30 opportunities. He's done the same in Minnesota, earning 16 saves in 18 opportunities. I hope Jon Rauch (another former Nat) can get himself healthy to set up Capps in the playoffs. They'll be hard to beat in the playoffs.
So that ends this summary of 2010. Stay tuned for another post featuring the most disappointing players of 2010 in the near future.
1. Sean Burnett - I think that this is hard to argue against. There's a real argument to be made that Burnett was the best pitcher for the Nationals. Period. (Besides SS, of course.) Now look at him in terms of improvement over the course of the season. Compared to the first half, his strikeout to walk ratio shot up, batting average, on base %, and slugging % against all plummeted after the All-Star Break.
2. Michael Morse - After months of coming off of the bench and still managing to hit close to .400, the new Michael Morse proved that he could still hit on a full-time basis. Although he struggled at first with the every day role, he came into it well as the season progressed. He finished the season with 293 plate appearances, a .289 batting average, a .352 OBP, and 15 homers. While his fielding and range are less than stellar, he's certainly not bad. And a lot can be learned in the field in the spring if he has in fact earned the right fielder's, or maybe first baseman's, starting job.
3. Ian Desmond - As much as I destroyed Desi before the All Star Break for his terrible fielding and his low average, I have admitted on a few occasions already that I was wrong. Let me do so again. I was w-r-o-n-g wrong. Let's just go over these stats between first and second half quickly for Ian.
- Batting average: 1st half - .255; 2nd half - .283
- On base percentage: 1st half - .297; 2nd half - .320 (although that still needs improvement)
- Errors: 1st half - 21; 2nd half - 13.
And finally, I think an Honorable Mention is due: Matt Capps - The Capper is where he belongs now, in the playoffs for the first time in his career with the Minnesota Twins. Capps was the Nats lone All-Star representative (although Zimmerman was screwed, don't even get me started), and he was certainly the Nationals most consistent player, earning 26 saves in 30 opportunities. He's done the same in Minnesota, earning 16 saves in 18 opportunities. I hope Jon Rauch (another former Nat) can get himself healthy to set up Capps in the playoffs. They'll be hard to beat in the playoffs.
So that ends this summary of 2010. Stay tuned for another post featuring the most disappointing players of 2010 in the near future.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Ian Desmond: The Nationals Heart
With today's incredibly early Nats game at 12:10, I thought it'd be as good a time as any to talk about the Nationals shortstop, Ian Desmond.
Loyal Capitol Baseball readers are acutely aware that I did not hold back on my criticisms of the young Desmond early this season. Some of those criticisms still stand. He still had 33 errors on the year with a little less than 3 weeks left. That's more than any other shortstop in baseball by 8, and more than any other position player in baseball. Period.
On the other side, Desmond has played in 133 games at shortstop this season, which is the 2nd most in the NL. In those games, he has 199 putouts, which is the most of any NL shortstop. So with the negatives come some real positives in the field: durability and real ability to generate outs. Not to mention he's in the top 5 in range factor per 9 innings for NL shortstops. All of this, as a rookie.
Offensively, Desmond has been clutch and has established himself as a leader. When he is going well offensively, the team wins. I know that seems intuitive, because the better a player hits, the more likely they are to win. Chicken and the egg argument aside, the differences in Desmond's average are staggering. When the Nats win, Desmond is hitting .358; when they lose, he hits just .231. Since Manager Jim Riggleman has moved Desmond to 2nd in the batting horder, he's hitting .327. His BABIP (batting average on balls in play for non-stat nerds) when batting 2nd is way up at .374.
There's no doubt that Desmond's offensive performance has skyrocketted and that his defense has improved. After his ugly 4 strikeout appearance on Monday (and I mean, Derek Lowe struck out everyone that game), he went 2 for 4 on Tuesday with his 10th homerun. He gets angry when he's not performing; he gets excited when he is. He's the kind of young player, along with Danny Espinosa, Roger Bernadina, and Ryan Zimmerman, who can get this team going on the right track again. He's proved that when he's playing well, he can provide a spark for the Nats. And that's just what the Nats need right now.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)