Liddi-like 3B guys:
Gary Gaetti, minus his outlier '88 season: Hit .250 or so, and had 16-30 homers (give or take), struck out 80-120 times as a full time player.
Gaetti might be a Liddi IF the kid doesn't fully pan out but still contributes.
Liddi's downside is totally not making it in the majors. I don't see that happening.
If Gaetti is the low mid-range projection, that ain't bad.
Brandon Inge, except with more power isn't a bad comparison for Liddi's low-range MLB projection. Well, Inge came up way late (at 22 he was playing A ball) and never hit homers in the minors. Inge wasn't bad for a few years....and Liddi is 4 levels ahead of him at the same age and has power Inge never dreamed of.
Mariner Jim Presley came up in '84 at the age of 22. Played 70 games.
Over the next 3 seasons, as a fulltime 3B, he hit .262-.308-.460, struck out 429 times, walked 114 times and hit 79 homers.
Liddi like? Maybe.
Pagliarulo in '86 and '87 hit .236, K'ed 231 times and hit 60 taters. Struck out 2.5 times more than he walked. He was a valuable Yankee, OPS+ing 110 and 105 in those seasons.
If Liddi can approach 30 homers and field 3B, then he can hit .240 and strike out 130 times AND still be a quite valuable player.
Dean Palmer, as a 23 and 24 year old, may be the best template but he isn't the only one.
Can a bonking, low-ish average, K'ing 3B be productive? It's been done before and Liddi is in that mold.
And if Liddi can be a 30 homerun 100+OPS+ 3B guy, then you just love a 35 double 100OPS+ Seager at SS.
Good as gold bets? Perhaps not, but it looks less unlikely all the time.
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