Tale of two (emerging?) outfielders

[Brutus]

If this trend can continue through the rest of the season and into next year, things will really get fun. Throw in Joey Votto, and you have a nice middle of the order the next few years.

Since August 1

Drew Stubbs

33-of-111 (.297)
36 K's / 12 BB's (.366 OBP)
3 HR / 16 RBI
9 2B / 1 3B / (.450 SLG)
.816 OPS

Jay Bruce

30-of-85 (.353)
22 K's / 11 BB's (.427 OBP)
10 HR / 21 RBI
1 2B / 1 3B / (.624 SLG)
1.051 OPS

I'm hoping this turns out to be a meaningful sign of things to come rather than a cherry-picking sample. But it goes without saying a clicking Votto-Bruce-Stubbs trio would catapult the lineup. I'm still not sure of Phillips' long term situation, who will step in for Rolen, whether Cozart is the future guy at short and who will wind up manning left, but if these three (and perhaps Mesoraco or Grandal) pan out, the Reds have a good start.

[corkedbat]

With their defensive abilities if those two could put together full solid offensive seasons at the same time it could be frightening. Add a left fielder with some pop and look out. I'm still fully into this season, but I'm also very psyched about the future also.

[Johnny Footstool]

22 K's / 11 BB's

This K/BB rate in 85 ABs is a fantastic for Bruce. No wonder he has 10 HR this month.

You don't happen to have his Pitches/Plate Appearance ratio for the month, do you?

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

This K/BB rate in 85 ABs is a fantastic for Bruce. No wonder he has 10 HR this month.

You don't happen to have his Pitches/Plate Appearance ratio for the month, do you?

3.87 P/PA for August + Monday's game.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by Brutus the Pimp

3.87 P/PA for August + Monday's game.

Excellent. Much better than earlier this season.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

Excellent. Much better than earlier this season.

It is really only better than April. May-July he was at 3.81 P/PA.

[Johnny Footstool]

Originally Posted by dougdirt

It is really only better than April. May-July he was at 3.81 P/PA.

His total for the season is currently 3.77, so April must have really been horrible.

[dougdirt]

Originally Posted by Johnny Footstool

His total for the season is currently 3.77, so April must have really been horrible.

3.5something.

[UKFlounder]

I like that both have gotten a lot of playing time and ABs even when they slumped. I especially like it for Stubbs as there were times when it would have been legitimately easy to bench him for a long time or even send him down.

Maybe either or both do not develop into a true star, but I do like how they have gotten the chance to play and play and play and fight through the slumps and learn in the big leagues. Even better, it has happened on a successful team, not a young rebuilding one.

I hope this experience pays off in the future, but even if it does not, I really do like how the Reds have given these guys chances to keep playing. It would be much harder for young guys to learn while on the bench.

[lollipopcurve]

Nice post. Stubbs' steady climb over the last few weeks has really gone unnoticed, but it's a very encouraging development. It's exciting to think that he may be on a trajectory that will allow him to keep tapping those power-speed tools.

Of course, Bruce's breakthrough -- and I do think that's what we're seeing -- is the keystone piece for the Reds building a plus offense with this group going forward.

It's critical to get the pitching, that's where it all starts, but Cincy's a hitter's town at heart. Get another plus bat or two in the lineup and folks are really going to start paying attention.

[VR]

To think that Stubbs still has an unrefined swing, underutilized speed, and inability to bunt.....it is very exciting to imagine what progress in those areas will (can) turn him in to.
He is the fastest player I've seen in the game since the 1987 version of Eric Davis.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by VR

To think that Stubbs still has an unrefined swing, underutilized speed, and inability to bunt.....it is very exciting to imagine what progress in those areas will (can) turn him in to.
He is the fastest player I've seen in the game since the 1987 version of Eric Davis.

Agreed. Many of his tools are still in the "raw" stage. When those tools are refined, he has the chance to be a pretty darn good player. One of the best overall CFs in the game perhaps.

[RedsManRick]

What's great about Stubbs is that we've pretty much established that he's a major leaguer. Will he ever get on base at that .360 clip we're all pining for? Who knows. But even if this is all he ever is, he's an average major leaguer. For the last decade, this team has struggled to build a team without gaping holes. Stubbs fills CF for the next 5+ years. If he continues to improve and becomes a .775+ OPS guy, great. If not, I'll still take it. I didn't think he'd make it and am happy to eat crow.

[Brutus]

Originally Posted by RedsManRick

What's great about Stubbs is that we've pretty much established that he's a major leaguer. Will he ever get on base at that .360 clip we're all pining for? Who knows. But even if this is all he ever is, he's an average major leaguer. For the last decade, this team has struggled to build a team without gaping holes. Stubbs fills CF for the next 5+ years. If he continues to improve and becomes a .775+ OPS guy, great. If not, I'll still take it. I didn't think he'd make it and am happy to eat crow.

And at this point, his OBP (and the OPS we're all hoping for) seems to be directly dependent on just cutting down on his strikeouts. He's walking at a satisfactory pace. So for him, more balls in play will equal an OPS that makes him one of the better centerfielders in baseball.

[I(heart)Freel]

April 3, 1987
October 4, 1984

Those are the stats I like most of all.