Are The Reds A Roster Of Platoon Players ?

[Spring~Fields]

Based primarily upon on base percentage and other factors, are the Reds a roster of platoon players ?

On another thread a poster was discussing the possible future without an Adam Dunn, he mentioned the term “platoon” in one of his lines, I believe it was dougdirt, anyway, the point is that it got me to thinking and wondering about platoon players and if the Reds roster had many platoon type hitters already.


In 2008, it appears that several of the hitters either hit a left handed pitcher or right handed pitcher better. Arguably, a couple, it might be said have a good on base percentage against both handed pitching.

Would a situation like that qualify as platoon type players?

For example: Against left handed pitching

* Jeff Keppinger the leading on base percentage hitter against left handed pitching among active players.
A.) Is tenth in on base percentage against right handed pitching.
B.) Tenth, arguably a bench player against right handed pitching.
C.) Keppinger is third leading hitter in slugging against left handed pitching and is eleventh among active players in slugging against right handed pitching.
D.) 74 AB against LH pitching, 158 AB against RH pitching

* Edwin Encarnacion the second leading on base percentage hitter against left handed pitching among active players.
A.) Is the ninth leading on base percentage hitter against right handed pitching.
C.) Is fourth against left handed pitching in slugging and is fourth in slugging against right handed pitching.
B.) EE has the second leading amount of AB against right handed pitching with 220 AB, 90 AB against left handed pitching

* Brandon Phillips the third leading on base percentage hitter against left handed pitching.
A.) Is the twelfth leading hitter against right handed pitching.
A.) Arguably a terrible cleanup hitter against right handed pitching.
B.) Phillips is ahead of only Corey Patterson against right handed pitching in on base percentage,
Corey Patterson, the Reds bench mark for poor hitting.
C.) Brandon leads the team with 268 AB against right handed pitching, while being used as a cleanup batter. 120 AB against LH pitching.
D.) Number one in slugging against left handed pitching, eighth among active players against right handed pitching, one position above Corey Patterson .

* Adam Dunn the fourth leading on base percentage hitter against left handed pitching.
A.) Is also the third leading on base percentage hitter against right handed pitching.
B.) Obviously a team leader in on base percentage against both handed pitching, and not one that would be considered a platoon player.
C.) Number one in slugging against right handed pitching, seventh in slugging among active players against left handed pitching.
D.) 210 AB against RH pitching, 90 AB against LH pitching.

* Joey Votto the fifth leading on base percentage hitter against left handed pitching.
A.) Is also the sixth leading on base percentage hitter against right handed pitching.
B.) Another team leader in on base percentage against both handed pitching, and not one that would be normally considered a platoon player.
C.) Fourth among active players in slugging against left handed pitching, fifth in slugging against right handed pitching.
D.) 213 AB against RH pitching, 111 against LF pitching.

* David Ross tied for fifth leading on base percentage hitter against left handed pitching
A.) Number two in on base percentage against right handed pitching among active players.
B.) Ninth in slugging against LH pitching, third in slugging against RH pitching, .
C.) 54 AB against LH pitching, 55 AB against RH pitching.

* Ken Griffey Jr. the seventh leading on base percentage among active players against left handed pitching.
A.) Fourth in on base percentage against right handed pitching.
B.) Eighth in slugging against LH pitching, sixth in slugging against RH pitching among active players.
C.) 111 AB against LH pitching, 219 AB against RH pitching.


* Jay Bruce the eighth leading on base percentage among active players against left handed pitching.
A.) Fifth leading on base percentage against right handed pitching.
B.) Tenth in slugging percentage against LH pitching, number two in slugging percentage against RH pitching.
C.) 66 AB against LH pitching, 116 AB against RH pitching.

* Corey Patterson next to last in on base percentage among active players against left handed pitching.
A.) Last among active players in on base percentage among active players against right handed pitching.
B.) 35 AB against LH pitching, 164 AB against RH pitching
C.) Next to last in slugging percentage among active players against LH pitching, ninth among active players in slugging percentage against RH pitching.

Below is a list of the hitters performances against both left and right handed pitching.

Hitting Against Left Handed Pitching		Hitting Against Right Handed Pitching
Jeff Keppinger					Jolbert Cabrera
vs. Left 		.458 .554 1.012		vs. Right 	.429 .421 .850

Edwin Encarnacion				David Ross
vs. Left 		.450 .544 .994		vs. Right 	.426 .500 .926

Brandon Phillips				Adam Dunn
vs. Left 		.397 .675 1.072		vs. Right 	.386 .620 1.006

Adam Dunn					Ken Griffey Jr.
vs. Left 		.385 .356 .741		vs. Right 	.368 .440 .808

Joey Votto					Jay Bruce
vs. Left 		.365 .477 .842		vs. Right 	.358 .536 .894

David Ross					Joey Votto
vs. Left 		.365 .314 .679		vs. Right 	.339 .455 .794

Ken Griffey Jr.					Andy Phillips
vs. Left 		.308 .324 .632		vs. Right 	.333 .250 .583

Jay Bruce					Paul Bako
vs. Left 		.297 .277 .574		vs. Right 	.315 .306 .621
	
Paul Bako					Edwin Encarnacion
vs. Left 		.258 .460 .718		vs. Right 	.307 .472 .779

Javier Valentin					Jeff Keppinger
vs. Left 		.250 .400 .650		vs. Right	.305 .325 .630
 		
Corey Patterson					Javier Valentin
vs. Left 		.189 .143 .332		vs. Right 	.295 .321 .616

Andy Phillips					Brandon Phillips
vs. Left 		.105 .211 .316		vs. Right 	.287 .384 .671

Jolbert Cabrera					Corey Patterson
vs. Left 		.000 .000 .000		vs. Right 	.233 .378 .611

Follow up question:
Arguably, is the managers strategy, decisions and choices more critical with a team of mostly platoon type hitters ?

Hitting against left handed pitching
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/...ype=2&type=reg

Hitting against right handed pitching
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/teams/...=true&type=reg