On the surface, Figgins at leadoff has disaster written all over it. He hit .188/.241/.243 last year for Pete's sake. That's not exactly setting the table.
However, I love the idea of trying our little Figglet at leadoff. I don't necessarily believe the theory that the reason for his drastic failure is he was uncomfortable changing positions, lineup spot, team, etc. But I do believe his success he had with the Angels as the leadoff hitter shouldn't be ignored. As the Angels primary leadoff hitter for 7 years, Chone Figgins hit .292/.363/.389.
Let's be real here; what is the downside of letting him hit leadoff? The worst case scenario is he sucks once again, proving he is no help to this team. From there, the only option is to release him, eating up $19 million dollars. This is pretty much where we are with him right now. The worst case scenario with Chone Figgins and the Seattle Mariners is right now. There is nowhere to go but up.
The main problem with Chone Figgins the past few years have been his batted-ball rates. His K% and BB% have pretty much resembled his career lines. His Line Drive percent though was 18.2% last year, almost 5% worse than his career average (22.9%). Figgins is just hitting the ball very weakly, and that was clearly visible to the eye last year. If he can somehow improve that though, he becomes mildly productive.
If he does show some improvement next year (let's say .270/.340/.350), then he either becomes the Mariners new leadoff hitter for the next couple years or would be able to be traded for a decent prospect or two.
The other part I thought was interesting was Wedge saying Figgins would play everywhere next season. This is really the best way to go right now. He has experience in the outfield, and everywhere in the infield but first base. Figgins basically becomes the super-utility/pinch-runner next year, giving players days off and stealing bases in necessary situations. I think versatility is one of the more underrated skills in baseball, and Figgins can allow Wedge to have flexibility in his lineup, and provides a bench player who can fill in pretty much everywhere.
I am glad Figgins is still in Seattle next year, as he still has a chance--even if it is the slightest of chance, to return to his old form. He still has speed, he still makes contact, and he can still draw a walk. Either way, the Mariners are going to have to pay a lot of money the next couple seasons, so we might as well see if he has anything left. Let's just hope he shows us why he used to be one of the best leadoff hitters in baseball.
The main problem with Chone Figgins the past few years have been his batted-ball rates. His K% and BB% have pretty much resembled his career lines. His Line Drive percent though was 18.2% last year, almost 5% worse than his career average (22.9%). Figgins is just hitting the ball very weakly, and that was clearly visible to the eye last year. If he can somehow improve that though, he becomes mildly productive.
If he does show some improvement next year (let's say .270/.340/.350), then he either becomes the Mariners new leadoff hitter for the next couple years or would be able to be traded for a decent prospect or two.
The other part I thought was interesting was Wedge saying Figgins would play everywhere next season. This is really the best way to go right now. He has experience in the outfield, and everywhere in the infield but first base. Figgins basically becomes the super-utility/pinch-runner next year, giving players days off and stealing bases in necessary situations. I think versatility is one of the more underrated skills in baseball, and Figgins can allow Wedge to have flexibility in his lineup, and provides a bench player who can fill in pretty much everywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment