Previously I have ranked the 1B and Catcher positions in the NL East.
Today we continue around the diamond and take a peak at 2B.
What was once a runaway is no longer an open and shut case.
5th: Daniel Murphy…. look you guys know I can be a homer and I love Daniel Murphy and I think offensively he is a professional hitter. However, he should have spent a little more time in the field growing up instead of focusing on hitting. He’s gonna be a defensively challenged 2B but we know he is a hard worker and will do what the coaches ask him to do. I think eventually if he can stay away from getting injured again he will turn into at least an Uggla level 2B. What is interesting is if I was picking a fantasy league 2B, Murphy’s .809 OPS last season and 125 OPS+ would be at the top of the list in the NL East. Yet until he proves he can play an adequate 2B for an entire season, he gets the bottom.
#4: Omar Infante: I guess the Marlins are not doing to well in my rankings so far… don’t worry there is still plenty of positions left Marlin fans. I could have put Infante anywhere from 4th to 1st depending on which Omar you get. Last year he was awful and saw almost a 100 point drop in his OPS. If he was able to reproduce his previous year’s slash line he would have had the 2nd highest OPS only below Murphy. So at 29 years old and playing the most games he has played since 2004 (148) was he just exposed? If Hanley struggles at 3B you could see a situation where Infante goes back to the utility role and Reyes and Hanley play rock paper scissors for 2B.
#3 Danny Espinosa: Kid gets a little lucky here. The 24 year old has got some pop, 21 HR in his first full year but man does he like to swing (166K’s, 57 BB). He has got to improve on his .236 BA but also standing out is that he was HBP 19 times. Pitchers are going to make adjustments to his stance for sure. That being said if he can ward off a sophomore slump he could be in line for a better offensive year if he develops some plate discipline. Couple his offensive potential with his solid but not spectacular defense and I can’t see him finishing below 3rd.
#2 Chase Utley: The Phillies 2B got old and quick like many middle IF in baseball history. Will he be able to recover and put up a few more full seasons? Possible but the deck is stacked against him for sure. Chase has missed 106 games over the last 2 seasons and when on the field has not been the same guy. Last year the once mighty slugger hit .259 with his lowest OBP and SLG numbers since he became a full-time player. Not only that but his August and September numbers were even more paltry boasting .662 and .632 OPS in those months. Want a good reason why the Phillies offense is struggling? Utley is leading the list.
#1 Dan Uggla: By default. I really thought 2B was a position of strength in the NL East, I think I might have over-estimated that. Dan also experienced career lows in BA, OBP, SLG, OPS but he was very good at hitting solo HR. (36 HR, 82 RBI do you have to try to do that?). We know that Uggla is defensively challenged, in fact he is often the measuring stick for hitters that can’t field: ” if they can play defense as well as Uggla then they will be passable.” The Braves are hoping that the first half of the season had much more to do with being in a new environment playing games that matter (keep in mind this fact all you Marlins junkies). So why does Uggla get the #1 spot? His 2nd half. In 69 games Uggla had 21 HR, 48 RBI, .296, .379, .569, .948 when his team needed his offense the most. Unfortunately for the Braves it was too little too late.
19 comments
NJstuckinTX
2/14/2012-10:40am at 10:40 am (UTC -4)
I guess your list will change when Havens is at 2B and Murph is at 3B or another team!
Yeah, I might almost slide Chase to the 3rd spot, just based on health. Who would have thought the best 2B in the NL East would be Uggly.
Stick
2/14/2012-10:45am at 10:45 am (UTC -4)
We are thinking alike here tex.
remember, I gave you all Duda before last year. And this year the big mover is going to be havens.
hell, a couple years ago when he was tearing up AA, I guarantee he would have been called up to replace Castillo (getting the PT that ended up going to Tejada) if the rib tib/oblique issue hadn’t flared up again at the worst possible time.
I am not all that concerned about how many MiL games he played, since he came out of a major college program. If he looks good in ST, why wait much longer?
TRS86
2/14/2012-10:48am at 10:48 am (UTC -4)
It’s also about proving he can handle the rigors of a MLB season. I know Murphy has to do that as well but considering Murphy’s bat they have to have him in the lineup for now. If Havens comes up it will not be until Murphy has proven he can’t play 2B.
gategem
2/14/2012-7:33pm at 7:33 pm (UTC -4)
Plus Havens has the advantage that he can move without tripping over his shadow.
darknova306
2/14/2012-2:59pm at 2:59 pm (UTC -4)
I’d love to see Havens lock down 2B, but until he shows some consistent health he’s an afterthought to me.
Stick
2/14/2012-10:41am at 10:41 am (UTC -4)
I am really hoping that Havens lights up ST and is up settling in at 2B early in the season. And that he stays there for many years to come.
Heck, depending on what happens in ST, there is a chance he breaks camp (not a big one, and it largely depends on murphy).
Utley? I was reading the local (philly) paper this morning, and they had a preview of sort on the Phils (questions going into the season). there is a strong feeling down here that he is largely shot.
Interesting stats. off the top of my head, his main offensevie #s (ba/hr/slg%) have gone down for something like 5 straight seasons, and that knee issue is chronic and serious. Think Beltran trying to play 2B.
TRS86
2/14/2012-10:46am at 10:46 am (UTC -4)
Honestly I hope that Murphy causes Havens to spend a full year in AAA playing healthy baseball. Then if that happens and Havens is raking it will make the David Wright talk take the stage even more.
NJstuckinTX
2/14/2012-11:00am at 11:00 am (UTC -4)
Agreed. While the optimal value for moving Wright is next offseason after he’s built up value and has had his option exercised, he very well may be moved prior to the trade deadline this year. I’m not completely buying into Joe D’s ship Wright off ASAP, but if Murph is raking and Havens is knocking on the door, it will be a little easier to swallow that pill than just shipping Wright off for financial reasons.
TRS86
2/14/2012-11:04am at 11:04 am (UTC -4)
Problem is that Murphy is no lock down 3B either…
NJstuckinTX
2/14/2012-11:14am at 11:14 am (UTC -4)
If he hits and he does have that quality that is very valuable to this team right now (IE CHEAP!!!), it will be easier to hide him at 3B than at 2B.
Ceetar
2/14/2012-11:28am at 11:28 am (UTC -4)
he won’t be that cheap. Rather move Murphy than Wright if they both stay on the field all year. If Murphy really has a real good year, he could be looking at 4million plus no? And with Havens hopefully nipping at his heels it’d be the perfect opportunity.
I could see Murphy topping this group in 2012.
kingman 26
2/14/2012-2:10pm at 2:10 pm (UTC -4)
LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MetsFan4Decades
2/14/2012-2:02pm at 2:02 pm (UTC -4)
He’s played something like 36 games at 3rd in the majors, right? My ‘eyez’ told me he didn’t look that bad but too small a sample size.
gategem
2/14/2012-7:43pm at 7:43 pm (UTC -4)
NJstuckinTX, when you post comments such as this it brings home what KC, Pittsburgh, etc. fans feel all the time as they continually are forced to discuss the trading or leaving via FA of their better, home grown, talent. We like to assert that we root for the Blue and Orange and not the ownership but as it is driven home and none too subtly time and time again the team is defined by the ownership and their problems, both financial and personal, become the teams problems.
NJstuckinTX
2/14/2012-9:26pm at 9:26 pm (UTC -4)
Sir, I hear you completely, but until the weight of Madoff and Picard and Wilpons is lifted and the restraints on the payroll change, it pretty much is KC or Pitt. Sad to say.
Stick
2/14/2012-4:03pm at 4:03 pm (UTC -4)
Hard to tell, but if havens really is finally good to go, and is raking in AAA, it makes little sense to keep him there wasting it.
Depends I guess on how much faith you have in Murphy. And of course, the Wright wild-card.
MetsFan4Decades
2/14/2012-2:00pm at 2:00 pm (UTC -4)
Question: ‘Murphy, what position do you play?’
Murph: ‘I bat 3rd’.
Hard one to predict.
I believe Utley is on the downside of his career. Whoever said ‘think Beltran at 2nd’ nailed it. He also has had a hip problem. Still, when he’s good, he’s very good. Just don’t know if he’ll ever be healthy enough to be that good again.
Uggla by default: with his defensive problems in the past, who would have thought?
I’d probably have to go with this pick for best as well though.
As far as Murphy moving to 3rd when Wright is traded: I just don’t see Wright being traded at the deadline this year. Not with the changes for these mid season trades now. Bad or not (and probably more so if bad), I expect Wright to finish out at least the year with the Mets. Wouldn’t surprise me if his option year is picked up, then they start talking trade in the off season.
Depending on his year though, I’m currently leaning towards extending him.
kingman 26
2/14/2012-2:09pm at 2:09 pm (UTC -4)
Well, we all know that if only the Mets had finally done what anyone with a brain knows has been the obvious move for like 5 years and just signed ODog to a 12-year megadeal, we’d be at the top of this list.
NJstuckinTX
2/14/2012-2:56pm at 2:56 pm (UTC -4)
GRIT!!!!!!!