After a couple seasons of calling for a breakout season for Nick Markakis, it appears that the upswing in his offensive numbers may never happen. I was never one to think that Nick's line drive swing would develop into 30 home run power but I thought he would hit .300 with 20-25 homers and a great on base percentage and that his OPS would hover around .900 for his peak years.Alas, it appears that Nick will not become "Enos Slaughter of the New Millennium" as I had hoped. But that doesn't mean that there's not a lot to like.
As of this morning .300/.390/.426. That good for a .360 wOBA which is good for a top 30 wOBA in the AL, even with the diminished power. And although his fielding is not what it once was, it's way better (so far) than it was last year.
There is concern about Markakis' diminished power but he leads the AL in doubles and a few of those are going to start going over the fence. ZIPS agrees and projects .297/.372/.464 with 10 homers and 25 doubles for the rest of the season.
There is not much to like about this season but Nick Markakis is still a reason to go to the park.
And while he looks to be more Brian Roberts than Ellis Burks at the plate, he's still a nice player to have on your team.
Agreed, but it is an example of the Orioles this season, as their best player is having an average year and still the only reason to watch the Orioles.
ReplyDeleteCheck out my thoughts on the outburst and meeting of Nick Markakis on my blog.
http://bmorefan.com/?p=2033
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ReplyDeleteI think lack of protection is a part of the issue. If he had 2008 Aubrey Huff hitting behind him, Nick might see a few more strikes.
ReplyDeleteDave Mc, I think the idea of protection is mostly bunk. It's not like Markakis is walking at a ridiculous, Barry Bonds or Manny Ramirez level that would suggest everyone is pitching around him. If anything, pitchers probably aren't afford to groove him something, knowing that he probably won't hit it out.
ReplyDeleteMarkakis is still a heck of a player, but like David DeJesus with the Royals, maybe a bit short of a superstar that fans were hoping for when he came up.
I would agree with the notion that protection is mostly overstated...but I do think it helps in extreme circumstances. Melky Cabrera looks a lot better in a loaded Yankee lineup. And as moribund as the Oriole offense has been thus far, it is entirely possible that teams are giving him less to hit, or at least, less pitches that he could pull to right.
ReplyDeleteYeah, he's not going to be a star after all but he's going to be one of those "very good" types.