The Los Angeles Dodgers seemed to have struck gold in emerging talent of Yasiel Puig, and Andre Ethier may be the odd man out in the Dodgers outfield.
Puig, 22, stands at 6’3” and weighs 245 pounds. When the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Yasiel Puig from Cuba to a 7-year contract last season, the management could have only prayed that his production would have matched what it has been through two weeks of play. His dominance has been especially notable since his June 3 debut, and the media has caught on to his successes. If his play continues at a strong pace, the Dodgers may be forced into exploring the value of a trade for Andre Ethier.
If the Dodgers were to pull the trigger on such a transaction, however, it would be wise to also explore how sustainable Puig can be at a Major League level. The folks here at AriBall.com have done some research, and come up with th following conclusions:
Strengths
• The Power of Puig: In his first 50 plate appearances, Puig has record 4 homeruns. Each of his homeruns has been recorded off of a different pitch type (curveball, changeup, slider, fastball), proving genuine sustainability and versatility to his power. In over 250 plate appearances, however, Andre Ethier has sent only 5 over the fences this season (4 off of fastballs, 1 off of a slider). Ethier is on pace to record only 12 bombs this season, well below his adjusted 162-game career average of 20 homeruns per season. Adjusted to a 162-game season, Puig would is on pace to hit 50 HRs in 2013.
• Puig Pulls The Ball: Every single time that Yasiel Puig has hit the ball to left field, it has become a hit. That is to say: Puig has been infinitely more likely to hit a homerun, groundball or line drive to reach base than record a line drive out this season. Puig has yet to record a line drive out, meaning that every time he has put a ball into play in leftfield, he has gotten on base. Ethier, however, has yet to hit a homerun on the left side of the field and has slugged all four of homeruns over the right field fence.
• Puig Does Not Pop-Out: Not only has Puig yet to record a line drive out this season, but he also hasn’t popped out in the infield either. Ethier, on the other hand, has recorded around 17 pop outs in the infield. When Puig puts the ball in play, he has either gotten on base or grounded out. This makes him a much more effective player, even over such a small sample size, because it proves he knows how to keep the ball in play and get on base.
• Puig Powers The Fastball: Not only has Puig demolished fastballs that have reached over 93 MPH, he has also been equally impressive against slower fastballs. For FBs less than 93 MPH, he is 10-22 (.545 SLG). Ethier, however, is 26-98 (.408 SLG) and has been far less effective at the plate.
WEAKNESSES
• Swinging at Bad Pitches: While Puig has been incredibly selective for pitches below the zone (he has only recorded one out on a pitch below the zone, compared to the 22 recorded by Andre Ethier), he has a tendency to swing at pitches he has no business doing. While some compare this to the aggressive batting style of Vladimir Guerrero, Puig has missed at all attempts against pitches thrown above the strike zone. He will need to be more selective to continue his impressive play.
• Upper Third of the Zone: Perhaps it could be because he has only had 11 pitches thrown at the upper third of the zone, but Puig has yet to record a hit towards that area of the strike zone. It’s hard to determine if pitchers are avoiding throwing there and pitching him low, or if he simply cannot hit balls thrown there. This could, however, prove to be a weakness for Puig in time as he records more plate appearances and sees more pitches thrown towards that area of the strike zone.
Yasiel Puig has been a phenomenal addition to the Los Angeles Dodgers, with a 1.271 OPS. While this may be impossible to sustain given the small sample size, his production appears to be able to continue by AriBall metrics.
Like any other young talent, however, he has unanswered questions that will play a significant role in the future of his MLB career.
NOTE: All statistics accurate as of 6/17/13
By Bryan Kalbrosky
AriBall.com
