But that being said, I would absolutely have done what the Mariners did. If Ackley CAN play 2B (or CF) then you let him. It lets his bat not have to reach his 90th percentile for him to be an impact player.
I've compared Ackley's potential in the past to Mark Grace. Good first baseman, lefty, skinny, from NC even. Great batting average, great eye, terrific doubles power, more than a handful of seasons with single digit HRs and tops out in the mid teens.
Mark Grace was a 2400 hit, 500 double machine with a .300+ batting average career, and a 119 OPS+.
Is that good? Heck yeah it's good. Would I be satisfied with Mark Grace at 1B or in LF for me? We could do WAY worse.
But he'd have a rough time being top-5 at his position that way, at either spot. He'd be very good, but no juggernaut.
If he put up those numbers at 2B or in CF...he's a hall of famer.
119 is also Carlos Beltran's OPS+. Robbie Alomar's was 116 at 2nd base.
If he can play the harder fielding position capably, you let him. When the Astros moved their catcher to second base people screamed it was a stupid move. They could have just put Biggio in LF and used him at the top of their lineup, made it easy on him.
Instead, they got a Hall of Famer at second instead.
If Ackley absolutely cannot stick at second base, then fine. Move him to LF until Guti leaves.
Watching him play the position there's no reason I can see that he'd be incapable of staying there. Is learning the position hurting his offense? Possibly. He'll get over it.
And then instead of saying, "Man, Ackley is good but he just doesn't have the power for the position" - a charge leveled at future hall of famer Ichiro lo these many years - we can just say "Another All Star game for our second baseman" and whistle cheerily.
I prefer that as option A, honestly. I can wait a little longer for Ackley to finish putting his game together.
~G
Add new comment
1