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Six weeks in, we've been able to triangulate Dae-Ho Lee a little bit, as far as his hitting template goes.  Here is a look at his plate discipline numbers, and the direct link if you can't read the below:

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Can't beat Fangraphs for this kinda stuff

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It reminds you of those "averaged" faces that represent not average appearance, but ideal human beauty.  Lee has a perfectly average swing-miss rate.  He has an average "fish" rate.  He has an average swing rate.  He has an average contact rate.  He's got an average BB rate and average K rate.  If you put together a computer sim of all MLB(TM) hitters going back to the Civil War*, the Robo-Batter's plate discipline would vary from normal more than Lee does.

Which is sweet, considering that (1) Lee is not an average contact hitter, but a power hitter, and (2) handles bench time a whale of a lot better than Adam Lind does, and (3) has no idea what anybody is about to throw him.

His HR chart, however, shows him shamefully neglectful of the 60-75 degree sector in the bleachers:

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ESPN HR Tracker

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True, he's gotten to hit mostly lefties (30 of 51 AB's), but on the other hand he's battled all the "synch" problems listed above.  In Korea and Japan, he had no difficulties with right hand pitching.  He hasn't here either; he's batted .316/.350/.632 against righties with the same 0.33 EYE he has against lefties.

Which major league hitters have moderate line-to-line power, a quality HIT tool, and a plate discipline profile like Lee's?

Actually, Nelson Cruz is a good profile match, especially if you throw out 2015.  Justin Upton is maybe a little modest, Josh Donaldson is a little optimistic, the recent Albert Pujols rather dead-on.  Ryan Braun lately.  Ryan Zimmerman, Yasiel Puig.

But really the Texas version of Cruz is the guy I have an inkling for, having watched Lee for a month-plus.  It's a little rash to bail on Adam Lind so early, but the M's can hit righty pitching.  Dae-Ho Lee, Stefen Romero, and Lind's own 3:23 EYE are calling into question the need for Lind.

We mentioned in Arizona in March, all the divvying up of the 1B playing time was premature then.  These things have a way of shaking out by themselves.

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Grizzly is making a bid for Resident Newsfeed Manager; no word on whether he sticks to an algorithm or inserts his own biases.  But his "trending..." to this flavor text on Lee was much appreciated.

BABVA,

Dr D