Quote:
Originally Posted by Dan
Doesn't his BB/K ratio worry you a bit? It does me. That's the only weakness in his game, but it's a major one for a developing player, IMO.
for reference...
Bruce's ratio is 37BB/100K
Strawberry's was 60BB/100K for his career
The only comparable current MLB player I can find (in a rather limited search) with a ratio like Bruce's is Geoff Jenkins.
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It's the BB rate component that's the concern (I'm with ya' on the K rate), and it's why I've always taken the "Larry Walker" comp with a big grain of salt. Walker's career MiLB IsoD was .097. Bruce, thus far, has produced an IsoD of .063. For reference, the 2007 NL average IsoD was .068. For the AL, it was .067.
For Bruce to hit his ceiling, he has to improve that IsoD. He's young enough to allow him more room for improvement, but it's the single hardest thing for a player to work on. If he can't improve it, then the only way he's going to hit the kind of "ceiling" folks are thinking of is for one of two unlikely things to occur- either Bruce produces a .330 BA every season or he hits so many Home Runs that he benefits from the Juan Gonzalez/Sammy Sosa "pitch-around" effect.