Kyle Lewis at Arkansas
Kyleflies.jpg
I know that Jeff took great delight when others posted on the site and loved nothing more than when there was a spirited comments thread.
Kyle Lewis in 6 games in the majors has hit 4 home runs, most of them clutch, with 6 runs, 9 RBI and a WOBA of over 220. He was the 11th pick and on a great track before his injury, but for The last few years his prospect sheen steadily wore off. There was some hope coming out of spring training, but he hit only .265 with 11 home runs in a whole season at Arkansas.
So is this a fluke, or is he rounding into form like his draft and former prospect status presaged?
i don't know the answer, but there are a couple of statistics from his time in Arkansas this year that give me some degree of optimism.
First, it appears that his home park severely depressed his numbers. At home he had an OPS of .555, with 2 total home runs in just over 250 at bats. On the Road, he had 19 doubles, 9 home runs an da .895 OPS in 264 at bats. The home park has a reputation for depressing offensive production, and it certainly appears to have done so for Kyle Lewis to an extreme degree.
Second, there was a recent tweet that looked at average exit velocity in the minors this year, and Kyle Lewis was 7th, with an average exit velocity of 90 mph,
Both of those stats indicate that there may be more upside to Kyle's career than it appeared earlier this year. I hope that's true - it's certainly fun dreamng now, even if it's not yet time for a patented best bet from Doc. i miss looking forward to those.
- Bernhard
P.S. I live in Chicago, as the handle implies. When the Cubs won the world series, people celebrated by going to the graves of loved ones whom they had shared their love for the Cubs and drinking a beverage of their choice with the spirit of their loved one. If the Mariners do win in my lifetime, i'd love to meet some of you at Jeff's grave and toast to him. I think he would smile.