Inside the Numbers
ESPN always seems to bring up the discussions comparing players and sparking the question, “Who would ya take?”
It seems as though I’m in the minority as I would take Brian McCann over Joe Mauer. Here’s a look inside the numbers. Currently Mauer leads most statistical categorizes throughout both players’ careers. Before writing off McCann one should know that Mauer started his fabulous career a year earlier than McCann. Mauer played 35 games in 2005 while McCann didn’t begin his MLB career until 2006.
Despite this most of the major statistics are somewhat close with Mauer having the edge in hits (733 to 549), doubles (140 to135), RBI (345 to 328) and total bases (1077 to 922). Mauer also has the advantage in career batting average (.324 to .299).
McCann seems to only lead Mauer in one major category, home runs (78 to 58). Right now you should be thinking this is a no contest, Mauer is obviously the better offensive catcher. This is before I inform you that Mauer also leads McCann with 616 games played to just 533. He also leads McCann in at-bats 2263 to just 1839. Not only has Mauer played in 83 more games than McCann, he participated in 76 of those as the designated hitter. McCann doesn’t have the luxury of the DH in the National League. McCann has only been able to DH 27 times in his career compared to Mauer’s 76.
The DH may not seem like a big deal but it can really boost one’s statistics. Mauer can occasionally take the day off defensively but remain in the game to hit. I believe it is common knowledge that catching is the most physically demanding position on the field. If McCann wants to hit he has to catch also. When McCann needs a day off he doesn’t have the luxury of the DH like Mauer does. Mauer gets his day off while padding his offensive statistics. When taking this into consideration Mauer has a large advantage in opportunities since the beginning of the 2005 season.
This proves that you can’t always take statistics at face value. Mauer leads the major statistics but has had more opportunities. On the other hand, Mauer has had more at-bats and games but still has a better batting average and only 14 more strikeouts. Statistics can also be warped by injuries. Mauer has missed a substantial amount of time this season while McCann spent about a month or so with terrible eye problems that forced him to the DL.
Joe Mauer currently owns the better fielding percentage (.996 to .989) but McCann has one more All-Star appearance. It really is a toss up between the two superstars. No matter what you think we are truly lucky to see two great offensive catchers playing at the same time. These two could go down as the two greatest offensive catchers to ever play the game.
Happy blogging,
Ben
The Unsung Hero
Martin Prado not only has been Atlanta‘s hero in the last few games, but he has been for the entire season.
It is easy to disregard the earlier part of the season and replace it with the previous two games, in which Prado has gone 6-9 with four runs scored, two doubles, one home run and six RBI. In the last two games Prado has improved his season batting average 25 points, yes, 25 points. It is easy to overlook his complete body of work when he provides an outstanding two game stretch.
When you look past Prado’s recent success you will find a mediocre .280 batting average with 3 home runs and nine RBI. His offense has been above average, but it is his defensive versatility that really gives this young man value. Prado has played in at least 10 games at three different positions. His ability to play first, second, and third base give him value. Seeing his recent success gives me flashbacks of another versatile player named Mark DeRosa.
I believe it is safe tosay that the second base job is Prado’s to lose at this point. He has
proven time and time again that he can play solid defense and now his
offense is coming around when given the chance to play on a regular
basis.
Prado’s recent success has not only drawn whispers from fans,
but it has caught the eye of manager Bobby Cox. “He’s too hot to take
out,” Cox stated after Prado’s walk-off single against the Phillies Tuesday night.
Till next time,
Ben
Help On The Way?
It should be interesting to see if the Braves can actually land an impact bat. I think it is pretty clear that without another bat Atlanta’s sickly offense won’t be able to back their strong starting pitching.
I have read that Atlanta has shown interest in Florida’s Jeremy Hermida, but I don’t think that makes much sense. He has been compared to Jeff Francoeur, which I’m sure doesn’t make Atlanta fans very excited. He has more power than Francoeur but doesn’t play as well defensively. People are hard on Francouer’s offense but we often forget that he plays Gold Glove defense year round.
Hermida hits for about the same average but has shown more power with 8 home runs. Francoeur however has driven in more runs. I value runs driven in over home runs, but that’s just me.
I don’t see Atlanta bringing in Matt Holliday as a rental. It would end up being a Mark Teixeira debacle all over again. I would rather Atlanta go for a mid level outfielder such as maybe an Alex Rios over a huge bat such as Holliday. If the Braves can’t bring in a big bat I think Martin Prado has shown as of last night that he can produce. Sure, he isn’t a big bat but he is an upgrade over Kelly Johnson. Atlanta has gotten just about nothing from Johnson so anything from that position could be a huge boost.
Johnson has been inconsistent at best, both offensively and defensively. Prado is quickly proving he can play above average defense as well as hit for a decent average and drive in runs. If he plays anything like he did against the Phillies for the rest of the year the Braves may not need another bat.
Unfortunately as Prado shines when on the field, Yunel Escobar keeps giving the Braves reasons to trade him. It really is unfortunate that someone with so much talent can’t play the game the right way. I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised to see Escobar go by the end of the week. He has been arguably the most productive offensive player for the Braves but just can’t seem to see that his behavior both on and off the field doesn’t make up for his production on it. It really is a shame to see a potential superstar waste his career like this.
Till next time,
Ben
First Post
Hello fellow blogging community members! My name is Ben Burrows and I am going to blog, again. You may know me from “Hardball” here on Mlblogs but I took a large amount of time off. With that being said I decided to start over with my new blog “Moneyball.”
I’m an 18-year old sports fanatic that wishes to share his baseball philosophy and other views of the world with you all. I just graduated high school and will continue my education at Lock Haven University in the fall where I will be majoring in Mass Communications. I will be blogging here as well as contributing to mlbcenter.com as the Atlanta Braves corespondent.
I will be around commenting on everyone’s blog so I hope to get to know some of you.
Thanks,
Ben
benjaminburrows
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